The Shikon no Tama Inn by Drayvin

The Inn and the Innkeepers

A landscape of cement that was what the world was now in his eyes. The most favored places to visit where all just concrete and man made innovations covered up by bright paint and neon lights. Most no longer noticed the bleakness of their surroundings, simply settling for trudging through the same places over and over again. A slight flinch marred his perfect features as his eyes were unexpectedly assaulted by the yellow light of a WacDonalds sign. Blinking to clear his vision he turned to face the front of his limo, the driver glanced back in the mirror, noticing his boss's attention on him.

"Yes, sir?" He asked calmly, you only worked for this man for so long before you realized that he really didn't like emotions shown on frivolous things such as curiosity.

"Take me to my apartment; I will not be attending the banquet after all. Please do me a favor and call my traveling agent." The man in the back turned away from him instantly, pulling his cell phone from his jacket pocket and dialing a number in quickly. "Yes, Miroku, tell the guests I am very sorry but I have been detained by urgent business."

A pregnant pause broken by the distant voice of the person on the phone. "Yes, I am well aware that they will be there. But I am going on a vacation, the one you have been after me to take the work of off to."

This was followed by another pause, the voice no longer loud enough to hear, telling the driver that the man on the other lone had been yelling before. "I do not know to where. I just know that I am.... And yes you may come along if you have a place you know of away from the city."

The pause was long this time, finally the man in the back interrupted. "The last one you recommended sounds tolerable, it will suffice. Arrange transportation, we will be leaving tomorrow. Good bye Miroku." He hung up and turned to the driver. "Cancel the call to my travel agent. "

The driver nodded and continued his drive back to the posh apartment building they had left only twenty minutes before.

The woman popped her gum in an obvious gesture of ill will as her boss attempted to get much needed information from her. The woman in charge's fists clenched and she looked at the ground, gaining control over her flaring temper.

"How...many....rooms.... and....guests?" It came slowly and through clenched teeth of which the girl at the counter seemed unaware.

"I think he said like two rooms and the same number of guests, or something like that. I wasn't really paying attention, he sounded hot though. And when he heard that I was a girl he hit on me." The woman smiled coolly like she had made a conquest against the other woman.

"You're fire, get out." Was the cool reply. "You don't do anything but read magazines and chew gum. I rather run the inn alone. You will be getting your last paycheck tomorrow in the mail, now go."

"You will be hearing from my uncle!" Was the reply before the woman huffed through the main door.

Sighing in exhaustion the woman leaned against the counter the realization that she had fired the last employee she would be getting in such a small town. Tears seeped into her eyes but she did not allow them to fall it was a stupid reason to cry in any case.

"Mama?" The small boy asked from the doorway, his flaming red hair announcing his as not the woman's true child. "Where is the mean Kagura lady?"

"I fired her Shippou. She wasn't good for our inn." The young woman slid down to sit on the lush carpet beneath her. Patting her lap for the boy to sit there. He complied cheerfully.

"I will help you run in the inn Mama! I can lead the people around to all the fun places, and I can help you clean! You can count on me!" His eyes lit up at the prospect of being a help to his adopted mother.

"Of thank you Shippou, I'll need it this month, three guests at the same time, and according to Kagura all three are here for a month!" Her voice grew weary at this last thought. She would have to think of new things herself to occupy her guests' spare hours.

"I made sure all the rooms are clean Mama, they are, I even checked for dust under the bed and everything. And all the sheets are clean! But the water in one of the bathrooms isn't running right." The boy looked so sad to be giving her bad news that she laughed unexpectedly and held the small bundle of cuteness in a warm hug.

"We only have to hope that Kagura got the information right." Both rolled their eyes at the prospect of that occurring. The woman had been a business idiot.

"Mama...when will we go back to the city?" It was an innocent question and deserved an honest response.

"I do not thing we ever will Shipp, I am running everything from here. And well, do you want to see him again?" At the furious shake of the small boys head she smiled warmly. "Me neither, little one."

The inn was surprisingly cozy looking, surrounded by a thick forest of lush trees. It was not overly large, probably only able to cater to five people, in large rooms, at a time if no one shared rooms. The building was old Victorian style and left the two business men hoping that everything inside was not the same way, old. A young woman and a small boy stepped through the doors, dressed in surprisingly contemporary clothing. The female in a pair of jeans with the things faded to a light blue and the pants only slightly darker and a plain green t-shirt, the outfit was completed by a brown belt and a choker made of different shells, the center featuring a piece of abalone on its glossy side. He saw his lecherous business partner and friend smile at the young woman. The boy was in black baggy pants and a shirt that read, 'I'm not as stupid as I look'.

That was when the two approached enough for their faces to be seen clearly, no longer obscured by the shading the porch awning gave off in the early afternoon light. And the young woman was breathtaking. Ebony hair fell in waves down her back, long bangs falling into her face slightly. A pale complexion lacking the slight transparency that came with such pale skin, rosy pink lips smiles at them in welcome while cerulean eyes peered at them kindly. The boy had skin just as pale but a sprinkling of light freckles. Flaming red hair lay messily on his forehead and bright green eyes looked them over with the curiosity only the young possessed. Then she spoke.

"Welcome to the Shikon no Tama Inn, I am Kagome Higurashi the owner and this is my son Shippou Higurashi. He'll lead you to your rooms and I will be up in a moment to get you situated, our other guest arrived only a few minutes ago. I hope you do not mind but we are a bit short on staff at the moment." She smiled again after he small speech and the young boy waved for them to follow him into the Inn as the young woman walked in and into a small side door in the atrium (The greeting hall, it is the size of a room however).

"Shippou Higurashi? Who's your father?" Miroku asked the small boy who looked at them with laughing eyes.

"Kagome adopted me; I'm not her child by birth. I mean come on I am almost 8, a child prodigy according to the school I am going to come fall, and Mama is only 25." The boy stopped at the door. "The guy that was eyeing my mom goes in here. And keep your hands off, letch." He glared at Miroku who looked severely amused before walking to another room. "And this goes to Ice Face." He grinned cheerily and ran off.

"Great kid, I think I like him already." Miroku said, his face turning red as he tried to hold back laughter. "Ice Face that is a new one."

"I am going to unpack."

"Have a good time Sesshoumaru."

"You too letch."

"A joke, I dare say, the world is coming to an end!"

"Not a joke, on honest observation." With that said Sesshoumaru closed the door of his room and surveyed the interior, it was comfortable, and leaning more towards the rustic homey look and that was exactly what he wanted. He unpacked quickly before looking into his two doors, there was a closet and a large bathroom with an old fashioned shower and lion footed tub. He decided that he liked the Shikon no Tama Inn.

Kagome smiled at her female guests, the gesture was returned and the door softly closed. Sighing Kagome went back to the main entry room where Shippou was waiting for her with a cheerful smile, and that could only mean...

"What did you say Shipp?" She said eyes narrowed in suspicion. The boy tried to feign innocence before breaking out into laughter. "Shipp, we need to be nice to out guests!"

"I know but come on Mama; one was eying you like a wolf at a rack of lamb while the other looked like a statue gone wrong." Kagome smiled slightly, it was true. "See you agree with me." The boy crowed in victory.

"I do, but that is no excuse Shipp. They are our guests. Now, did you tell them to meet us down here after they packed?" the boys face fell. "I didn't think so. I'll do it." She went down the hall leading to the two rooms she had reserved for her male guests.

She knocked on the first door, it opening a minute later to reveal the lecherous man, he had shed his business suit for a pair of khaki shorts that went passed his knees, flip flops and a black t-shirt that explained how to break up with ones girlfriend in a crude way with pictures for each stage. His short black hair was as mussed up as Shippou's. "I am just coming to tell you to meet us in the atrium when you are done unpacking."

"Is that all?" He looked disappointed but seemed to rally his spirits quickly, his violet eyes flashing and a seductive smirk coming across his lips. He ran hand through his hair, revealing a stud in one ear. "If you ever need male company you know who to come to."

Kagome eyes him, a smile pulling at the corners of her lips. "Oh yes, Shippou is a wonderful guy to talk to." His handsome face fell and she moved to the next door, as soon as she knocked the door opened. Revealing the cool man, unlike his friend he was wearing black slacks and a dark great dressed shirt, the first two buttons were undone and the shirt was un-tucked. His silver hair was just as messy as the other two men she was currently acquainted with but unlike then it seemed an organized messy. It fell down to just beneath his ears. His gold eyes looked at her coolly as he waited for her to speak. She was momentarily distracted as she looked up into his face; he had to be a foot taller than her, and was struck by just how handsome this man was. Sadly he was almost too familiar to be comfortable.

"Inu.... I am just coming to tell you that you should come to the atrium when you are done packing. She got ready to flee the scene.

"You are my brother's ex-fiancée then, the one he cheated on with that woman Kikyo." Pain gripped her heart at his words. "I had heard you ran off somewhere but I never would have thought here."

Tears came unbidden to her cheeks. "You must be Sesshoumaru Takahashi; my old employee did not write your name down." She looked away from him. "Inuyasha and I were engaged, but I suppose he didn't want to wait for the vows to be said before he got sex." She walked away, trying to escape the unwanted memories that the man standing in the door gave her.

Sesshoumaru stood in shocked silence. She had actually loved his brother that much was obvious. He had known she did not need the money his brother received through his trust but a lot of people looked only to expand her fortune. She was one of the rare few who actually loved their potential spouse. And his idiot of a brother ruined his chances with her when he took that Kikyo woman on as a mistress.

"You truly are an idiot Inuyasha." Shaking his head he went down to the atrium.

A/N Please review, flames accepted as long as you tell me how you think it could be better. It is not really a Kikyo or Inuyasha hater; in fact they are just not going to be mentioned at all except as memory material. Rin is part of this story but will be coming in later. This is a slow moving romance!!!