This is a challenge story posted by ethidda on a single spark… will be posted on both sites.
Basis: Sesshoumaru and InuYasha’s father owns a company. A big company, from which their father plan to retire soon and leave equally to both Sesshoumaru and InuYasha. InuYasha is currently dating Kikyo, who is older than and related Kagome (who is four or eight, whatever you need). Sesshoumaru thinks that Kikyo is dating InuYasha for the company stocks (which may or may not be true), confronts Kikyo. She's stubborn. Just as he releases his power, though, little Kagome (who is four or eight or somewhere in between) steps in righteously to "protect" Kikyo. While Sesshoumaru is cold and ruthless, he refuses to hurt children. However, power released cannot be called back. So, he changes the power for death into one for a mating bond instead.
-ethidda
Kikyo's P.O.V.
"InuYasha are you sure that your brother will like me?" asked Kikyo as she straightened the nonexistent wrinkles in her clothes.
"He will love you koi. You are everything a man could ask for. This is just tradition to have his approval. Don't worry so much." Greatly relieved Kikyo relaxed her shoulders and held her head high as the elevator beeped at the top floor.
Inu no Tashio, Sugumi was a powerful man and was also one of the few youkai that were public about what he was. His oldest son was a cold unfeeling cod that had voiced his opinion of her since day one. She had never given him any reason to believe that she was a 'power and money hungry whore' but that didn't stop him from accusing her.
She had realized her mistake on her one time stand against youkai and human relationships. InuYasha had stumbled into her at a café and recognized her from the recently printed article and had laid into her saying that she was prejudice and that it wasn't wrong for his mom and dad to fall in love. That it was thanks to people like her that his mom was murdered. Feeling terrible she tried to calm him down and instead found herself insulted as he stormed away.
After that it seemed their worlds had collided through a mutual friend that had kept them apart due to her beliefs. InuYasha and her had fought for almost a year before finally giving into the mutual attraction from their fights and got together. Now she was happily engaged to the troublesome Hanyou and knew that he would help take care of her family. Her two younger sisters Kaede and Kagome, were seven and four respectively, needed help because their mom and grandfather were killed by a rogue youkai three years ago. It was what made Kikyo hate youkai relationships since it was later proved that the male her mother had turned down was a youkai in hiding and didn't take well to being rejected. It had made her afraid of youkai and thus the hate.
Looking back now it seemed silly but her one time view was changed by her fiancé and his brother still held it against her. Today she was going to meet Sugumi for the first time and was nervous that he too would hold it against her. Holding her breath she felt InuYasha pat her arm as they entered Sugumi’s office.
"Ah my boy!" called a baritone voice as the door swung wide. Kikyo's first look at her soon to be father-in-law was shock. While she knew that he was a demon and could verify it with her powers the face was just too young looking to be the father. The first thing she noticed as he stood up was his height he had to be near seven feet tall. His shoulders were so broad she felt like they were nearly twice her own and upon each shoulder rested a fluffy 'tail?’ was it? His face was youthful looking, no more than twenty five-ish and seemed more like InuYasha’s brother then father. If it were not for the fact that she knew him to be over several hundred years old she would have said that they were brothers.
"Hello father. This is my fiancé Kikyo Higurashi. Kikyo my father." InuYasha said as he waved to the both of us. I gave a low bow and heard Sugumi chuckle.
"No bowing young lady. We are soon to be family, here give me a hug." It surprised her that a demon would want to hug a priestess but she did let go of InuYasha’s arm and gave him a hug. She was right his shoulders were easily twice hers. She could feel the strength that he held in check and was grateful that she was here as welcome company rather than an enemy.
"Now come here my boy. I have waited almost 300 years for you to settle down." Sugumi had left one arm on my shoulder and brought InuYasha under his left. "Now when were you thinking about having the ceremony?" and with that began a pleasant afternoon talking about wedding plans and the reception that would include the remaining lords and ladies.
Three Weeks later
Kagome's P.O.V.
Kikyo had been so busy lately that she didn't have time to play. So while she talked to papa Sugumi she decided to explore. Her slightly trained Miko powers were giving her chills as she walked down the hall way to a big wooden door with a carved dog on it. Being four she didn't bother to knock and opened it to reveal a spacious office done in red and white. The desk was white metal and supported a computer. Walking over to the desk she noticed the red padded chair and climbed up. Finding it moved she decided to spin around and around.
"Wee!" she screamed in childish glee.
"What do you think you are doing?" a cold voice said. Kagome gasped in surprise and fell out of the chair.
"Papa Sugumi! You should not scare me like that!" said Kagome in a watery voice as she held back tears.
"I am not my father girl and you would do well not to call him your father either." Crawling under the desk she got a better look at the new demon and then realized her mistake.
"Sorry." She murmured.
"What are you doing in my office?"
"Sister Kikyo is talking with pa- Sugumi about the boring wedding. She didn't notice me take off."
"You speak well for a four year old."
"Thanks!" she said brightly. "Sister Kikyo said that I am smart!" she giggled and he made an 'hn' sound.
"Why are you not afraid of me little girl?" Kagome crawled out from under the desk and actually went and hugged his knee.
"You look like Sugumi and he is so nice."
"You shouldn't judge on looks little girl it will get you into trouble." His voice had softened but there was a warning note in it like Kikyo got when she tried to teach her something.
"I know. But you feel safe. My powers might not be good for much yet but I think I like you." His eyebrow rose and he patted her head.
"Go back to your sister little girl." His voice was back to the coldness but Kagome decided it was just the way he spoke and ignored the tone.
"Why? You aren't busy." She giggled again at his low growl.
"Listen to your elders’ girl and go back to where you are wanted." Slightly hurt at his words she tried to stifle her tears. Taking soft sniffles she turned and was about to leave when his voice called out.
"If you wish you can come see me the next time you are here." Turning her tears evaporated as she gave him a blinding smile.
"Okay!" she exclaimed and nodded as she dashed out of the room.
Sesshoumaru's P.O.V.
The little girl was a quandary that he didn't want to think about right now. It was easy to see that the girl was too trusting. He was unsure why he told her she could come back and visit but seeing her tears caused a pain in his heart that he had not felt in a long time. She was a true innocent and a child. He could not bring himself to hurt a child no matter if she was the sister to that money hungry whore. Shrugging it off, he went back to work.
In the meantime over the next few months
The tension between Sesshoumaru and his father grew as the wedding date approached. Sesshoumaru couldn't believe that his father was going to allow InuYasha to marry the bitch. The one thing that kept him from attacking her was her little sister that had become someone that he cared about over the past few months. He even had a few gifts and drawings Kagome had given him in a cupboard in his office that he had to make sure were put back out when she came over otherwise she would cry until they were. It still bothered him that she was so important to him but her smile was so warm it turned something in his chest. It turned out she really was smart and her sister was having trouble keeping her interested in her school work because she would learn so quickly. It didn't help she had to be home schooled because even though she was 4 going on five she was doing 6th grade work. By the time she was 10 she might have learned enough for a high school diploma.
Today was the final straw when his father asked him to be the best man in the wedding. They were youkai for Kami sakes and youkai mated they didn't have weddings. To him it was the highest insult yet.
"How could you ask me to be in this atrocity called a wedding? We are demons father and this is the last insult I shall endure. I will not allow our line to be ridiculed for marrying a money hungry wench!" his voice never rose above his usual calm but the menace and venom in his tone were unmistakable.
"Whether you like it or not son this wedding will continue. I have decided that Kikyo will be good for InuYasha and she has proven to me over the wedding preparations to not be as money hungry as you might believe. If it were not for the other lords coming to recognize the marriage I would have only spent about thirty thousand on the wedding and normal humans spend almost that or even double. You will not ever speak to me in that tone again or you will face consequences son. I have asked for the sake of Kagome that you be the best man she seemed to think that you would look good in the wedding." A little anger left him when he heard that it was Kagome's idea but he was still rather insulted.
"I refuse to recognize the wedding father. I will not attend. Good day father. Do not call me for any more of these so called family meetings." His voice was cold now, a burning feeling left along ones skin when heard, like frost bite.
"You do not have to, for I have recognized them, and I am still the leader of the west. If you wish to be a spoiled child then do not bother to attend it would be better than if you didn't since you feel so strongly. I think however, that Kagome will miss you. I have no idea as to why. Have you two met?" silence was his only answer he did not feel like explaining to his father the companionship he found in the girl. She would sit for the hours Kikyo and InuYasha were with his father humming softly or talking to him. Sometimes she brought something to do but she never bothered him when he was busy she was just there. She was calming presence in his hectic days. Glaring at his father as if he felt insulted by his asking he turned to leave.
Storming to his office he was surprised to see the whore and his brother sitting in the chairs in front of his desk. Growling loudly he went to his chair and sat down ignoring them.
"Umm Sesshoumaru?" his brother stuttered. Turning he glared at him.
"What do you want Hanyou? Can you not see that I am busy? Leave and take your whore with you. I am in no mood to deal with you today." InuYasha started to growl when he had said whore and was standing flexing his hands as he finished.
"Why do you insist on calling her a whore? She has done nothing of the sort hell she is still PURE and will be till our wedding night. Yes she had some problems with mixed relationships but we have worked past that why you can’t! Father accepts her and so do I only you are making this harder on every body with your stuck up ways!" Whatever else he had to say was stopped as I had leapt over my desk and closed my hand around his neck.
"You will leave hanyou. This Sesshoumaru has no need to listen to your idiocy. Perhaps some of my poison will make you quite?" I released small amounts to my claws and suddenly felt the whore grab my arm making my lose balance and my grip on InuYasha. However, the amount of poison I gave him knocked him out and I turned on the bitch.
"How dare you interfere? It is time to die whore!" I gathered my energy and I could feel her try to purify it. She was too weak to stop it all however, as I unleashed my furry. Only to be brought up short by my little companion.
"You will not harm my sister! I thought you cared!" Kagome screamed as she too unleashed her energy. Being more powerful than her sister they stopped the majority of the attack but it would still kill them both unless I did something. I have no choice I could not harm the child.
With a feeling of desperation for the first time in my life I changed the attack to the mating bond and actually praying that it wouldn't kill her anyway. Not everyone could handle a Taiyoukai's power, especially when it was done angrily and not in passion. The next thing I heard was Kagome screaming and I cringed at the sound as it seemed to fill the building.
After what seemed an eternity she stopped and I leapt to her side watching as the changes took place. Her hair changed from the midnight black to a dark grey. Her face smoothed out and though she was still human I could feel her body become stronger and knew instinctively that she would be very nimble as she grew. Other than her hair I could see no real change in her appearance but knew that her sisters and my father would not be happy. However, I did not care either as I felt the mental and soul connection come online. Thoughts were not passed between mates but it was a defense so I would know if she was hurt of frightened, her joy and happiness too. The soul allowed me to make sure she aged as I did. Unfortunately being this young meant that it was a good thing she was home schooled for she would not grow like regular children nor like youkai children for both aged quickly in to adult hood, while youkai could then slow their aging down. If I wanted to look like my father I could age like a human to allow her to grow up but that would take centuries off my life and she would only be in discomfort for a decade and a half.
Sighing I lifted her in my arms while everyone else was to stunned to move still and laid her on the one lounge that I had placed in my office a few weeks earlier for her use. I moved her hair from her face and felt my heart wrench once more as the thought that I nearly killed her crossed my mind. She was so full of life and while I was glad that she would be there longer to brighten my days I never thought of her as my mate. Taking a human had never crossed my mind though I had wondered how she would turn out. It seemed I would have to take a more active role then I had originally planned.
"What is going on here!" my father's voice entered the room as he stepped inside. "Your entire floor is around your office door wondering if someone had died. What happened to Kagome?" he asked worriedly as he came beside me.
"She is now my mate." Again the room entered a round of silence that felt oppressive but I ignored it as I studied Kagome a little longer.
"How did this happen my son?"
"I was going to kill the whore when Kagome interfered. She has been coming to my office the past few months while you arranged for the abomination of the wedding. Alone like me she has made her sanctuary here. Since she could not deflect my entire attack I had to change the energy and the opposite of the hate was caring. I cared about her and it allowed me to make it into a mating bond though not as strong yet as it could have been if I had truly mated her it is enough to change her and enough to bind her to me. I will be taking over her care from now on. Leave her to me." My hand caressed her easing face as the pain receded from her body.
"I think you have done enough! She is my sister and is under my care. I do not care what you have done to her but she belongs with her family!" yelled Kikyo. Turning sharply I turned to the bitch that had caused all of this.
"DO NOT YELL at me whore! If it were not for your sister I would have killed you without a second thought. Her abilities have changed and she can no longer be in safety among humans if they found out that she is my mate. I will raise her and train her. For you have not the power to meet her upon equal ground. Take the hanyou and yourself and leave."
"Son she is right you cannot take her from her family."
"I am her family now too father and a mate's right takes precedence over kin. I will invoke that right if I have to. The bond is deeper then you believe father she had to take it to her soul to survive and you know what that means." A sigh could be heard from him as he nodded.
"Very well she will be given to your care but you must allow her family to visit." I nodded and with that my father drug everyone from my office. I knelt by my little mate and kissed her forehead. It would take a lot of explaining for her to understand when she awoke. I was never as glad as now that she was brilliant for it would make this much easier and regular child would not have understood the complexity that she had thrown us both into. Though I could hardly fault her for defending her family if only all humans were as courageous and loving.
I went back to my desk that last hour or so took more out of me then I wanted to admit. I might as well work until she awoke. Picking up the phone I had my assistant keep some warm tea on hand for when she did awake for I was sure that her head and probably most of her body would still be sore. No matter the trouble that this would cause me in the future I couldn't believe it would be all bad with my little mate at my side. For only she had cracked open my heart.