Supreme Conquest
By Danyealle
(MMF/FanFiction)
Chapter 6
Once back in his room Togaou sent for something to drink then dismissed the staff. He needed time to think, alone. Once they made their exit he seated himself at the table and poured himself something to drink. For a few minutes he focused on the sounds around him in an attempt to clear his mind before he focused. First, he could hear the servants talking quietly as they hurried around and attended to their duties. Then he could hear the gardeners outside as they worked. Concentrating a bit harder, he heard both Kagome and Inuyasha. It appeared that they were in his room. From the tone of things, he couldn’t hear the words; they were joking around and laughing a bit, apparently not talking about anything all that serious.
Focusing on the little priestess’s voice he schooled his thoughts and honed in on what he needed to think about: just how to make everything work. Yes, the mating part was a segment of that, a very important one, but it wasn’t the only concern in the whole thing. Once Sesshomaru sent out the scroll announcing his return and their plans there were going to be all kinds of other things to deal with. Before his demise he had plenty of powerful friends and allies but he had an equal number of just as powerful enemies. He was certain that there had been many a celebratory glass raised when word reached them of his death. Also, he was positive that some, if not most, of them were still around. Soon he needed to sit down with his eldest boy and figure out who was around still and who wasn’t then sort through just who was in power where. No, he didn’t plan on resuming any kind of real role of power but these were things he would need to know for the future.
With that he also needed to be given a rundown of basic changes that had happened both on Western Lands and elsewhere. Though he wouldn’t be the one to be wielding the power he would still be sharing the title and it behooved him to know such things. He was also going to have to ensure that everyone was well aware of the fact that he put his full support behind Sesshomaru and what came out of his son’s mouth would be as though it came from him as well. Also, that Sesshomaru’s word was the final say on it, there would be no appealing anything to him.
Knowing his pup the way he did, he naturally assumed that matters of court and running it would have been all but ignored. Yes, he was sure the boy attended to what was required to be done but he would not have dealt with anything else. That was fine and he didn’t fault Sesshomaru for it. Such things were usually left to the mate of the reigning lord, not the lord himself. Since he wasn’t going to be resuming political duties he would take over that part of things. Soon he would resolve to find out who was still active in court, both at the Fortress and not, then figure out who among the staff would be the best suited to assist him. Once that was done he would begin the process of taking charge of that duty.
As a side note to that there were going to be a couple things that would need to be attended to. The first had to do with Inuyasha. No, he didn’t know the full extent of the boy’s activities and what he had done with his life thus far, something he did plan to rectify soon, but it didn’t sound like he had lived at the Fortress or attended to duties that would befit his title. Despite the fact that he was a hanyou he was still his son thus carrying the title of lord just as Sesshomaru did. With his return he wanted his youngest pup to fully assume that title and start to take on the duties that came along with it. Also, he wanted all to know that Inuyasha was just as much his son as Sesshomaru was and he cared not that he was a hanyou. He also wanted everyone to be aware that they were to treat Inuyasha with just as much respect as they did Sesshomaru. Along with that came thoughts of Kagome.
Honestly, he didn’t know how much she knew of things such as court. That was going to have to be found out because she would have to deal with such duties. If, as he suspected, she didn’t know much he would have to tutor her in such things. Because he wouldn’t have much to do he would take on that duty himself. That way he would be certain that she learned the right way to do things. Plus, because she was a ningen, she wouldn’t have to deal with the attitudes and prejudice that many youkai had towards them. Face hardening a bit, he decided that this time around he would brook no attitude and disrespect towards her like had happened with Inuyasha’s mother. Those that tried would find themselves ousted from court and banished. Things would be different this time around. He was also going to ensure that Sesshomaru took the same stance so that they would have a united front on the topic.
Focusing on the miko, another thing came to mind that would have to be attended to. As the Lady of the Western Lands she was going to have to know about the lands and their history. That topic was something he decided he would handle personally as well, up to a point anyways. Things that had gone on since his demise he would leave up to Sesshomaru. If the two of them attended to that then he would be assured that she received the right information that wouldn’t be tainted by someone else’s prejudices or family history. On that topic his mind slid to another facet of it.
He was going to check with Sesshomaru soon to see which of their relatives were still in this realm. Kagome would need at least one suitable companion at court. If some of the ones that were around during his time were still of this world he was certain that he could find one she would like and would be suitable for her. Then again, because she and Inuyasha appeared to be such good friends, they might be better suited for each other. No, usually females didn’t have close male companions but an exception could be made this time. Though there probably would be talk because she was to be both him and Sesshomaru’s mate they could put a stop to most of it in the beginning.
Thinking of Kagome and Inuyasha, his mind took a logical hop to another topic. The night before Inuyasha had given them a very basic rundown of the quest they were on and why. He was aware that Kagome was the Shikon Miko and that they were trying to find all the shards of the oft-heard of gem. But that was about the extent of his knowledge on the topic. From his end, as someone who had planned all kinds of military maneuvers, he decided he needed more information about what they were doing and what they were facing. Yes, he knew what the Shikon no Tama was and what it purported to be able to do. That knowledge put him a bit on edge. Even a small shard of the thing could give a human, or low-level youkai, incredible powers. If a being with more than average powers were to possess even the tiniest of shards they would be incredibly powerful and a formidable opponent to anyone. By this point he was sure that any being that sought the power such a thing could give knew the gem was back among them so were now on the hunt for the shards. Though lower level youkai and humans were a concern he was more worried about stronger youkai who had a real plan in place to collect multiple shards. That could prove to be very dangerous to both his youngest pup and his miko. At lunch he would get more information from the two and see if they knew of such a being or multiple beings. Then he would take the information they had and have Sesshomaru send out a few feelers to see what informants could feed them. He wasn’t sure if they would get any good information on anything but they may well find a few clues that could point them the right direction. They way he saw it was even a little information was better than none. Even if there were a couple vague clues about a being they may be facing then they could start to prepare for what may come. He liked that better than going in cold and not being prepared.
With that also came the hint that feelers should be put out for hints into where there may be shards and who has them. The whole of Japan was a large chunk of ground to cover with no idea where to hunt. Just wandering around aimlessly wasn’t the way to go about things even if Kagome could detect the shards like Inuyasha had said. If he and Sesshomaru could use their contacts and influences to come up with clues then it would be worth it.
Along with that train of thought came the question of just what Kagome and Inuyasha’s abilities were when it came to fighting and defending themselves. He was well aware what Sesshomaru could do and had confidence in his own abilities. But on a quest such as this all those participating really needed to be able to fight to an extent and defend themselves. He assumed Inuyasha had his own abilities that could be built on plus he now had Tetsusaiga to use. Though he had the sword he would have to be trained on how to use it. That was something he planned on taking care of personally. But that left the question of Kagome. From past experience with miko’s in general, he knew the majority of them used a bow though he had run across a few here and there that used a sword. He was going to have to find out what she could do and just how proficient she was with the weapon. With that thought came a bit of a niggling. He thought, perhaps, this might be a good are for the start of things between her and Sesshomaru to kick off. As he was well aware his oldest pup was quite proficient with most weapons. Perhaps getting him to work with Kagome would give them a bit of time together and provide the base they would need to build on. If nothing else, observing their interaction during that would give him clues to areas his eldest needed help with or just where the pup stood with her and what needed built on. If nothing else observing them and nothing more would be worth it.
Taking a sip of his drink he was pleased with what he had come up with so far and made mental notes about things he needed to attend to plus that he needed to arrange some time alone with Sesshomaru for some of it.
Glancing out his balcony doors put an end to his internal planning. From the position of the sun he judged it to be close to noon. Finishing up his drink, he stood and stretched. It was time for him to arrange the midday meal and round up everyone.
…kst…kst…kst…
With Kagome sitting between himself and Sesshomaru, though she was uncomfortable next to his oldest pup and Inuyasha sitting across the table from them, Togaou talked to his eldest pup about what he had done so far that day while they ate. Kagome and Inuyasha joked around a bit as well. From the older daiyoukai’s perspective his youngest pup and the priestess very much acted like siblings who had a great playful relationship. He even got a chuckle when, after an exchange between the two, they stuck their tongues out at each other. The interaction also gave him a bit more insight into both their personalities. From observations so far his assessment that Kagome was no shrinking violet seemed to be dead on. She gave it back to Inuyasha as good as she got. He liked that, a lot.
Once everyone had finished eating Togaou settled back and jumped into what he wanted to know about from Kagome. Relaxing, he put his hand on the small of her back and smiled at her. “There are a few things that Sesshomaru and I would like to discuss with you at Inuyasha’s suggestion.” He told her gently.
“Alright,” she said to him with a nod. Then she shot Inuyasha a bit of a puzzled look.
“I had another sword, So’unga. After my demise, it was decided that it was to be put into the Boneater’s Well to keep it safe and out of the hands of those that wouldn’t have the power to wield it. Though it’s thought to still be there Inuyasha doesn’t think so. But he said that he thought you may well know its whereabouts.” Togaou said to her.
Eyes widening a bit she now understood what this had to do with her. “There are several old swords at my family’s shrine but I don’t remember any of them being named that. But the name might have been mistranslated. What does it look like?” She asked quietly. Already she felt a bit of apprehension about this line of questioning, knowing where it may well lead. But she understood now why Inuyasha mentioned it. In the times she had traveled through the well she had seen lots of junk but no swords. Also, she knew that there were lots of things in the shrine that had been pulled out of the old well. A sword might be one of those things since she really didn’t pay much attention to her grandfather when he rambled on about the history of some of the stuff.
Though he wasn’t really understanding how a religious shrine would have a collection of swords or what her family’s shrine had to do with that well Togaou pressed on. With as much detail as he could remember he described what his katana looked like.
About halfway through his description she was pretty sure she knew which weapon he was talking about. When he was detailing what the ball on the end of the pommel looked like she broke in. “It’s kinda’ a pinkish purple and about this big?” She asked, making a round shape with her hands about the appropriate size.
Nodding, he said, “Yes. Do you know where it is?” Honestly, he was quite startled that she seemed to know what it looked like. Even if she didn’t know where it was personally she may well have clues that could help him find it.
“Yeah, I know where it’s at,” She told him quietly. “It’s at my family’s shrine in one of the storehouses.” Really, now she was in a bit of a pickle. Yes, she knew she was going to have to explain where she was from and about the well to him, not that she was sure she could in a way that wouldn’t make her sound like a complete and utter fruit cake, but they were asking about an artifact that was very valuable and the pride of the collection at the shrine. There was no way her grandfather would willingly or easily part with it. Plus, as far as she knew, other than the pommel, the katana wasn’t in good shape. From experience she was aware that no one had been able to pull the blade from the sheath because it was thought to be all but welded in it by rust. She wasn’t sure how the big daiyoukai would react to that bit of information.
Eyebrow arched almost into his hairline, Sesshomaru gazed at the little priestess, not sure what to make of what he just heard from her. But, as one would anticipate, it raised all kinds of questions he wanted to ask her. Starting with the obvious one, he inquired, “How would father’s sword end up at your family’s religious shrine?”
Hearing his voice made Kagome remember just how close Sesshomaru was to her and she could feel goose bumps dance down her spine. But she refused to let him know the effect he had on her. However, she wouldn’t look at him when she finally answered his question. “I’m not sure how that particular sword came to be at the shrine but if it was tossed into the well that’s probably how it got there. There are several things that were found in the well that have ended up in the shrine.” She explained.
To Sesshomaru that didn’t make much sense at all. As far as he knew there was no shrine associated in any way with that old well. He was about to question her about that when his father jumped in with another question.
“No one has tried to use it, have they?” The older inu asked. That was something he was concerned about. Better than anyone he was aware just how dangerous that sword was and the kind of power it took to wield it.
Shaking her head, she told him, “No, no one has. Everyone assumes it’s rusted because no one’s been able to pull it from its sheath.”
“That means Saiya has done his job and has kept it sealed. Good.” Togaou said with a relieved nod. “Your family lives at the shrine I take it?” When he saw her nod he pressed on, “When we go to meet your family I’ll pick it up then. I can’t imagine it’s of much use to them the way it is. In fact, it’s a danger to have around. If Saiya can’t hold it any longer then it will be unleashed and could cause a great deal of devastation.”
At that Kagome looked a bit uncomfortable and her stomach clenched a bit. “I don’t think it’s going to be that easy to convince grandpa to give it up,” she said quietly.
“Why ever not? He can’t want something as dangerous as So’unga lying around where anyone can touch it!” Sesshomaru said, tone incredulous.
“The sword is considered an ancient artifact and is worth millions of yen at this point. It’s not going to be easy to get him to part with something that’s worth that kind of money.” She explained with a sigh.
“Ancient artifact?!?” Togaou asked, bewildered. “How in Kami’s good name is it considered to be that?”
Not saying anything, she shot Inuyasha an uncomfortable look. Honestly, she really wasn’t sure how to even start explaining any of this.
Seeing how uncomfortable she was Inuyasha felt sorry for her. Because he knew about as much when it came to the whole thing as she did, though she understood it better than he did, he decided to try to help explain the whole mess to them. Clearing his throat, he said, “It has to do with where she’s from.”
Looking at his youngest son, eyebrow arched, Togaou said, “It can’t be all that different there.”
“Oh yeah it can be,” Inuyasha said with a nod of his head. “It’s far different. More than you could ever imagine.”
“Hn… Inuyasha, I’ve been all over Japan. There is no where I’ve seen that is all that different.” Sesshomaru told him, voice heavy with disdain. “So, unless she’s not from Japan, I think you are mistaken.”
Shooting a miko a look that told her to prepare herself, Inuyasha then gave a deep sigh. Squaring his shoulders a bit and preparing himself for what he was sure was to come, he cleared his throat and pressed on. “Oh, she’s from Japan all right, just 500 years in the future is all. The Boneater’s Well is how she travels from her time to ours.” Stopping, he waited for the shit storm he was sure that was coming.
He wasn’t wrong. Both his father and half-brother expressed incredulous disbelief then started firing questions at the both of them. The best they could, both Kagome and Inuyasha explained how she traversed the well the first time and how the two of them had traveled back and forth though it since then. Also, at both inus insistence, both described a bit of what her time was like.
When they were done, Togaou had Kagome show him the scar on her side that was left when the jewel came out of her body. After seeing it, he settled back a bit to think. What he had just heard was well beyond what he had ever encountered in his life and stretched the bounds of his belief. But there was evidence here and there to back up what they were saying. The clothes she wore, the way she spoke, that pack she carried around an a few other things seemed to back it up. Plus there was what was mentioned when the two talked alone. They didn’t know anyone was listening to them and they discussed going through the well at that time. That did seem to confirm what was said. But all of it raised so many questions. Then again, it also made the prospect of taking her as a mate far more desirable.
Togaou wasn’t the only one thinking that way. Sesshomaru was as well. Like his father, he was leaning more towards belief than disbelief. Much of what his sire noticed about her that made her stand out against normal ningens he had noticed as well. He also noticed how clean she was and seemed to be free of illnesses, and their stench, that 99% of that species he had run across seemed to have. She was also far better groomed than any ningen he had ever met, even those in the aristocracy. But he was going to want real proof of this before he would be fully convinced. Remembering his father saying they would be talking to her family, he thought that would give them the opportunity to check the voracity of her claims. If they were real, as he suspected they were, she was so unique that he could forget all about her being a ningen because he would be in possession of something no other youkai, save his father, would have in this time. That equated to a power none other could have. He most certainly could deal with that.
But, on the heels of that, came the thought that to accomplish that particular goal he was going to have to convince her he would be a suitable partner for her. Not something that was going to be an easy task. He was well aware that she hadn’t even looked at him the whole time they had been in this room. Nor had she liked being in this close of proximity to him. This was something he was going to have to work with. Starting tonight he was going to putting real effort into convincing her that he would be a suitable mate for her.
After a bit more discussion of the whole thing Togaou looked at Sesshomaru. “Can you finish all that is of vital importance today?”
After a quick mental rundown of what was needing done the younger daiyoukai nodded. “Yes, I believe so.”
“I assume that you have someone you can leave in charge for a couple days?” The father asked, eyebrow arched.
“Of course,” Sesshomaru replied with a nod.
“Excellent! Then tomorrow we’ll leave to go talk to Kagome’s family!” Looking down at the young onna seated next to him, the older inu asked, “Is that alright with you my dear?”
“Works out great for me. I have a couple tests I have to take in a day or so, so I would have to go home anyway.” She said. Though there was a bit of trepidation about this whole thing. She wasn’t sure how it was going to play out with her family or even if she could get them through the well.
“Then it’s settled, we leave tomorrow.” Togaou stated firmly.
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