I'm back from the dead again. Here is another tale I have massacred for my own desires. This one was suggested by rosalind (thank you!) and I tweaked the end a bit to make it a bit more romantic, hopefully. A new teller of tales this time with Totosai.
Miroku's Twelve Dancing Hime
Totosai walked behind Sesshomaru eyes darting nervously about him. It looked like he was about to flee any second despite the resignation that sat on his shoulders like a cloud. Inuyasha had offered to go and simply grab the old sword smith earlier but Kagome had visions of Totosai either flung over Inuyasha's red shoulders or seeing her friends hair singed from the flames Totosai would have used to escape. After voicing her objections to the plan Sesshomaru stated he would go and retrieve the elderly demon. Kagome felt bad knowing Totosai would come fearing for his own life but she was sure she would be able to make him comfortable once he got to camp. She would have gone herself but the noxious fumes where Totosai lived made that impossible.
Kagome waved happily at the returnees and ran to greet them. Sesshomaru stopped in his tracks watching her bound to him like a deer, a smile on her face. His lip quirked ever so slightly, a move not missed by the demon who had also stopped beside him.
“Welcome back!”
Sesshomaru nodded to her then slid to stand behind her so that they both faced their “guest”.
“I'm glad you were able to come Totosai. I hope Sesshomaru wasn't to...forward in his request?”
Kagome was looking at him with her hands held together, blinking rapidly with hope filled eyes.
Totosai rubbed the back of his neck thoughtful and tried to think of a diplomatic way to keep Kagome happy and still retain his life.
Sesshomaru peered down at him with a seemingly uncaring and blank face but the old man knew better.
“Of course Kagome, when Sesshomaru-sama needs a favor I do my best to comply.”
Inuyasha snorted behind them with his arms crossed.
“Lying old fart. I told you guys I should have gone but nooooo...”
“Well, if it had been you that came I probably wouldn't have come.”
“What?!”
Inuyasha uncrossed his arms making a fist and took a step towards him.
Kagome rushed forward and grabbed Totosai's hand.
“I've made tea! Let all have some.”
Some time later everyone was settled around the camp fire, even the kids, who lounged on a nearby log, bellies full of tea and cookies Kagome had brought back from home.
“So you need help finding a sword?”
“At this point we are just looking for any information you might have.,” Miroku tested.
“You heard of this magic cutting sword from Myoga you say?”
“He said he heard it was somewhere to the north.,” Sango pushed.
“Hummm...Well, I have heard of a blade like that but it was a tanto.,” Totosai looked up from his steaming tea to eye Sesshomaru thoughtfully, “What would you be wanting that for anyway? Still not content with what you have?”
Sesshomaru seethed at the old man's attitude but dismembering him in front of his mate to be would certainly not constitute and wedding gift in her eyes. So he settled on glaring instead.
Kagome did not need any special sense of smell to notice the danger in the air coming from Sesshomaru. She hastily offered an explanation.
“It's for me. Maybe. I hope.”
Totosai's eyes widened in surprise.
“You?”
Kagome blushed and tapped the tips of her pointer fingers together is embarrassment.
“Well, ever since Myoga mentioned it I haven't been able to shake the idea this might be the weapon for me. I...I use the bow...”
Inuyasha huffed.
Kagome put her hands down and gave him the stink eye.
“I'm not great at it I admit but I have been learning on the fly and I hit the mark in a crunch.”
Inuyasha had the decency to look away and nod.
Smile back on her face she turned back to Totosai who was observing the changes in her behavior to his masters youngest. He was also wondering why Sesshomaru and his group was involved.
“Anyway, dark mikos do have a tendancy to come for me so I thought...”
“...and bandits and wolves and oni and ghosts and pompous windbag demon lords.”
Kagome whirled on Inuyasha.
“What crawled up your butt and died today?!”
Shippo snickered while Rin stared wide eyed at Kagome.
Sesshomaru placed what he hoped would be a calming hand on her shoulder. The result was Totosai spitting his tea in Miroku's face.
“ughh!”
Mikrou spluttered, wiping his face with the sleeve of his robe.
Shippo and Rin were now in full blown hysterics.
“Totosai? What's wrong?”
He pointed a shaky finger at Kagome's shoulder.
“She is my mate to be.”
“Mate to be what? Murdered in her sleep?”
Sesshomaru let out a growl this time as his eyes began to bleed red.
Kagome patted his hand at her shoulder lightly and smiled nervously at Totosai.
“I guess we all just assumed Myoga would have told you by now. It's true. Sesshomaru asked me to be his mate and I accepted. Soooo....,” Kagome chanced a glance at Sesshomaru who had calmed considerably, “about the tanto?”
Totosai shook his head and rubbed his chin before laughing outright.
This Sesshomaru had expected and even though he didn't like it he remained impassive. He was well aware Totosai was thinking of what his sire would have said about the mating. Let him.
“Well, you want to be able to protect yourself from magic spells and dark mikos eh?”
Kagome nodded.
Totosai knew he was flirting with danger which was so against his very nature he had to wonder if he was at last becoming senile.
“Feel vulnerable do you?”
“Kagome is under this Sesshomaru's protection and has no need of such a weapon but it would please her to have it in her possession so tell us what you know.”
Kagome scowled.
“I can speak for myself thank you very much.,” she said with a huff.
Totosai made little gurgling sounds from his mouth in evidence of his attempt to not laugh again.
“Knock it off with the noises old man and spit it out already!”
Kagome smiled weakly at Inuyasha. His wasn't the only one who's patience was waning.
Totosai reclaimed his refilled cup from a wary Miroku and closed his eyes in thought.
“Last I heard it was locked up in the castle of some northern lord.”
He took a sip.
“It's kept with another magical item that allows it wearer to disappear.”
Sango's ear perked.
“Is it a weapon too?”
“No. A kimono of some kind.”
Kagome was intrigued.
“Like an invisibility cloak?”
Totosai blinked.
“I don't know what you mean by cloak but I would imagine it would cover the whole body. Otherwise everyone would just see a pair of legs without a body running around.”
“Cooool...,” Shippo whispered picking up some of Kagome's futuristic slang.
“How did this, I assume human lord, come to have these magical items in his possession?” Miroku inquired.
“It seems that nearly five hundred, give or take a century or two, years ago there was a northern lord who had twelve beautiful daughters.”
“Twelve?”
Sango blanched seeing the look of wonderment on Miroku's face.
Totosai nodded.
“Yep. They would go to bed every night locked away in their room but every morning their sandals were worn through as if they had been dancing all night. No one knew how it was possible.”
“Are you telling a story Mr. Sword Demon man?”
Totosai tilted his head at Rin and nodded.
Rin grinned.
“Could you name the people in it after one of us?”
Kagome blushed and explained Rin's odd request to him. Totosai shrugged.
“This northern lord Miroku was quite perplexed and announced that any man who discovered the secret of the hime within three days and nights could have his kingdom and a daughter. If he should fail however he would be beheaded.”
“Ewww..,” Rin made a face.
“A western prince named Inuyasha came and made the attempt.”
Sesshomaru scowled. Inuyasha smirked.
“Despite Inuyasha's every intention of staying awake to watch over the hime he fell into a deep sleep and learned nothing. True to his word Miroku had him beheaded.”
Inuyasha turned on Miroku who held up his hands helplessly.
“A second prince came named...”
“Hojo!”
Kagome jumped at the venom coming from Inuyasha's shout but shrugged it off knowing he was just mad at getting his head lopped off so early in the tale.
“Hojo, who also was not able to stay awake and was also beheaded.”
“Ha!”
Shippo rolled his eyes.
“An old soldier returning from war named Sesshomaru was traveling through the forest when he came upon a cottage. Inside lived an even older yet kind witch named....uh..”
“Kaede!” Rin chirped.
“Kaede. She bade the soldier to stay and could see his weariness of the life of war and sadness that only the lonely have to bear. She asked him what he planned on doing next and he said he did not know what he would do tomorrow, the next day or the rest of his life. Filled with compassion she told him of Miroku-sama's plea and promise. Sesshomaru had no need for a kingdom but the idea of finding a beautiful wife to love sparked a hope in his breast he had thought dead. He had nothing to lose in any case for he felt he had nothing really to live for.”
“That's so sad....”
Kagome took Sesshomaru's hand in both of hers and brought it to her chest to nestle between her breasts without thought.
His eyes slid from Totosai's face to stare openly at their joined hands.
“As Sesshomaru made to go and try his luck, Kaede warned him not to eat or drink anything the hime gave him and only pretend to sleep. She also have him the kimono.”
Totosai held his empty cup out and Sango poured him more tea and secretly wondered how much more his thin frame could hold.
“When Sesshomaru arrived he was greeted just as warmly and kindly as the princes were. Miroku showed no distinction other than honor and warned Sesshomaru of his fate should he fail.”
Miroku shifted ever so slightly away from Sesshomaru.
“That night just before bed the eldest hime...”
“Kagome?”
Totosai shook his head.
“Let's call her Naraku.”
Jeers and laughter surrounded the fire.
“Naraku brought Sesshomaru a glass of wine. He pretended to drink it but in reality dumped the contents out. Then he pretended to fall asleep just as Kaede had warned him to do. Hearing him snore loudly the hime believed him asleep. They dressed themselves in fine clothes in front of a large mirror. The youngest hime called Kagome did not feel it was right to sneak out yet again and warned the others that they would get caught. Naraku rebuffed her. They then proceeded to escape their room through a trap door in the floor. Seeing this, Sesshomaru wrapped himself in the kimono and followed them down. In his haste he trod on Kagome's kimono.”
Rin smiled at Kagome who returned it in full.
“Kagome cried out and was again rebuked by Naraku who told her it had only been caught on a nail.”
“Can't say she didn't try and warn 'em.”
Sango nodded at Inuyasha.
“They finally entered a passageway that led them to three groves of trees. The first had leaves of sliver, the second gold and the third diamonds. Sesshomaru wishing for evidence snapped a twig from each kind of tree and each time Kagome heard the snap. She tried yet again to warn her sisters that something wasn't right and that they were being followed. The others could not see anyone else and only ridiculed her for her fear.”
“Fear can keep you alive.,” Jaken muttered.
“After a little more walking they reached a lake that held twelve small boats. Beside each boat was twelve princes, each holding his hand out for a hime. The eldest and leader of the princes named Kouga reached for Kagome and set her neatly in his boat.”
A small growl ripped though the air. Kagome peeked up at Sesshomaru who only looked down at her impassively. She looked around him at Inuyasha who was blushing at his loss of control.
“Sesshomaru followed Kagome into the boat. Prince Kouga rowed slowly and complained that the boat seemed heavier than the night before. Kagome's fear only increased but told Kouga that he must be tired from the heat. Kouga scoffed at the idea. At last they reached the other bank and the castle of the princes. They began to dance the night away. The hime were unaware that they had been led to another world and the princes were actually demons in disguise trying to lure them to their demise.”
“The demons are always the bad guys.,” Inuyasha grumbled.
“That does tend to be the truth Inuyasha. Especially towards humans.”
Inuyasha looked at Sesshomaru then at Kagome and back again.
“That must mean you're a freaky demon then, eh?”
Sesshomaru turned away from his half brother.
“I care not what others think.”
Totosai nudged his cup at Sango again. She swore she heard his stomach slosh. Kagome prepared another pot.
“While they were there the demons gave the hime cup after cup of sake served in golden cups. Sesshomaru kept taking Kagome's and draining them. This only caused to frighten her more until she was shaking yet she did not dare tell her sisters anything. Finally the hime were obliged to leave since their sandals were almost worn through. As they were leaving Sesshomaru grabbed one of the sake cups for further evidence. On the way back across the lake Sesshomaru rode with Naraku so not to arouse suspicion in Kouga. Then Sesshomaru sped ahead of the hime to hide his kimono and take his place in bed before their return.”
“Clever solider.,” Miroku noted.
“Everything happened on the second and third nights just as the first. When the time came for him to tell Miroku the secret of the hime's sandals or die Sesshomaru presented the lord with the three branches and the golden sake cup. The hime were stunned but could not deny the truth and confessed.”
“I bet Kagome had a hard time not saying, I told you so!,” Shippo pointed out.
Totosai nodded, gulped his cup and looked at the not quite done kettle.
“Miroku honored his word and offered his eldest, Naraku to Sesshomaru and his kingdom.”
Inuyasha laughed and Totosai sat back looking as if he was done with the tale.
Sesshomaru graced Totosai with a look that told him he had better come up with a better ending than that.
Totosai sat back up with a jerk and looked at Kagome pulling down on one side of his mustache.
“Sesshomaru declined Miroku's generous offer of taking Naraku as his bride and asked for the hand of Kagome instead even if it meant giving up the kingdom. At first Miroku did not want to agree since Sesshomaru was so...old in comparison.”
Sesshomaru took an almost invisible step towards him, claws out at the jibe. Totosai rushed to finish.
“Miroku could tell however that Sesshomaru was honorable and in love with his daughter. Agreeing to give up the kingdom was evidence of that. He was also wise and clever, solving the mystery proved that as well. In the end he agreed but also gave Sesshomaru his kingdom knowing it would be in safe hands.”
Kagome crossed her arms.
“How did Kagome feel about all this? Why would she want to be married to a guy that scared her nearly half to death!”
Totosai chuckled.
“I'm not sure Kagome. I bet you could answer that better than me.”