Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Polar
By : neogenesis
Category: InuYasha > General
Views: 1015 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.
Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
Disclaimer:
Kindly look to chapter one.

Author�s Note:
I�d like to take the time to respond to some of my reviewers. I�ve posted this
story in several different places, so to avoid confusion I�ll label the site
name for each review�

Fanfiction. Net

Lady of the Deadly Dance
-----------> My cat likes licking everything. Especially people. We call her
Paris Hilton. This has nothing to do with your review, but I thought I�d share.
Thanks for the review and update soon.

Yoshimi*Evangelina
-------------> At least somebody out there likes my style of writing. You are
now my hero.

ShadowKat --------->
Thanks for taking the time to come back and write a review. I�m glad you think
the way I depicted that characters are accurate. Wow, I�m prominent ::head
starts to swell::

Adult Fanfiction.
Net:

Wasabi -------> Thanks a
mil for the encouragement.

The Killing
Perfection:

SassySessy ----------->
While I can agree with �Fluffy� appearing chauvinistic (which was intentionally
done) I can not honestly say I agree with Sesshou-maru being cruel. I�m sure Rin
did change him, even in the slightest bit. But he still is youkai, and she still
is human, therefore inferior. I�m crediting his apathetic nature to the fact
that he has no knowledge of basic human needs (since he�s distanced himself out
of distain for most of his life.) His behavior contradicts your statement, I
think, because he sought outside help when he realized Rin was ill. And as you
will hopefully see in this chapter, even took the advice of the majo (and human
by the way) and acquired someone to make sure it didn�t happen again. I view
Sesshou-maru as a highly complex character, and many of his actions are
ambiguous. This is simply how I depict him at this stage in my story. Whether he
becomes soft are not, well� it�s up to the muses.

Thanks again, and I hope
I don�t disapoint. Oh, and word translations are at the end of the chapter.
There�re a lot of them in this chapters. In advance, I�m sorry for any
confusion�

Polar
Chapter 2

Fall had always been her
favorite time of year. When she was younger she would spent hours in the
gardens, staring up at the gold colored leaves. Watching as they rained down.
Her otousan could never understand her appreciation of the season.

�It foretells nothing
but the awful desolation of winter,� she remembered him explaining to her
one day, his dark brows bent in agitation. She didn�t agree, but wisely kept
that belief to herself. Her nakihaha had passed away during the cold
months over fifty years ago, and the pain he felt was still raw. She preferred
not to make his thoughts linger on it. So she reflected on the days when she was
still healthy enough to sit by her side and enjoy the wonders around her in
solitude. Ironically, her mother�s last good days occurred during the fall, and
this only strengthened her esteem for the season. It always brought back warm
memories of laughter, frivolous conversations, and quiet songs being hummed as a
comb was ran through her dark hair.

But today, staring at
the falling leaves gave her nothing but a deep uneasiness in the pit of her
stomach. Something was happening. The wind whispered of the unknown, or new
things beginning. She didn�t like it.

Sighing, she turned away
from her balcony, the tranquil view no longer appealing to her. The pups, Tani
and Kare, had finally ceased their play and were taking their afternoon nap on
her futon, leaving her to her own devices for that first time all day.
She still didn�t approve of having to watch the twins, but her keibo
insisted that she had nothing better to do. Her mornings were spent entertaining
them, the afternoons in quiet meditation as they rested, and the evenings in the
company of her parents and other siblings. Things were simple, routine even, and
she liked it that way. That�s why the feeling she was having, that since of
change, was so upsetting.

Someone was making their
way down the hall, and she turned towards the entrance when she heard them stop.

�Souzousha-chan.�

She walked over to the
door, glancing at the pups before sliding the shoji screen back. Her
niisan was standing on the other side, his black hair pulled up and looking
all the more noble in his dark blue robes. He gazed at her for a moment before
speaking again.

�Can you feel it yet?�

She frowned slightly,
�Feel what?� He smirked and looked at the sleeping children,

�Otousan wants
you to be available to great a guest. I�ll watch Tani and Kare.�

�Hai,� she nodded
and stood back from the door so that he could enter, �Did he say who the guest
is?�

He smiled faintly and
put a hand on her shoulder. �The Lord of the Western Lands. Otousan says
wear your kazami, the one senpi passed down to you.�

The apprehension that
she�d been experiencing all afternoon went ten fold. It felt like the floor had
suddenly dropped out from under her when she realized the severity of what he
had just said. He must have noticed her discomfort because his smile soon turned
to a look of concern.

�You are not pleased.
Why is this?�

It had been so many
years since she�d had to think about it. She�d always been under the impression
that she wouldn�t have to worry about it, simply because Sesshou-maru-sama
would have given up a limb before coming for her. In all honesty, she�d
forgotten all about the promise and apparently so had Kiso.

�The engumi. He
must be here for that.�

His concern turned to
confusion, �The engumi? He wouldn�t��

She shook her head and
stepped away from him, heading towards her chest where she kept her clothes. The
kimono was buried under a mound of other material. She removed each one with
care before finally pulling out the red kazami, running her fingers over
the gold embroidered silk. It still held her senpi�s scent. She had never
worn it, not having seen a reason to before her otousan�s request. The
simply fact that he wanted her to wear the kazami was enough to realize
just how important the meeting was going to be. He wanted her to impress the
Great Lord, and that meant he also wanted him to consider the agreement that had
been made so many years ago.

�Do you suppose he came
because of you,� Kiso asked.

She nodded, �I believe
so. We have not dishonored any territorial vows.�

�But we both know he�s
views on hanyou.� She could hear the loathing in his voice when he said
the word.

�Perhaps he has found
some use of this possession.� She sighed and stood, turning to face him.

�Don�t speak of yourself
like that.�

�Is it not true?� When
he didn�t responded she sighed again. �Will you give me a moment to change?�

He nodded, keeping his
gold eyes trained on hers. �Will you be alright?�

�Hai.�

�I�ll be back in a few
minutes. I�m going to inform otousan that you will be ready soon. Should
I have help sent up?�

�No, I can manage on my
own. Arigatou, Kiso-kun� He nodded his head slightly before
walking out, sliding the shoji screen close behind him. She began the
tedious process of dressing, starting first with a white hari-bakama,
followed by a hitoe, uchiki, then the itsutsu-ginu. The red
kazami was placed over the other layers, and it took a few more minutes
to tie the simple ate-obi in the back. The long skirts made it cumbersome
to walk, but she managed to make her way over to a mirror and apply a little
rouge to her cheeks and lips. When she was done she returned to watching the
falling leaves from her balcony while waiting for Kiso.

The few minutes that she
waited seem to drag on for an eternity as the formidable power that was
Sesshou-maru�s grew. He had finally arrived.

There was a slight moan
behind her and she turned to see one of the twins stirring. Tani was pushing the
katebuton off of her, effectively covering her sister in it at the same
time. Souzousha walked over to them, bending over the fix the blanket and pick
Tani up.

�Why are you so dressed
up,� she asked with a yawn. She shifted her to her other hip while looking down
at the other pup to make sure she was still sleeping.

�We have a visitor. I am
to great him.�

�Oh,� she sighed against
her shoulder, �He woke me.�

�Is that so?�

�Hai,� she sat up
and looked her in her face, her small fingers playing with one of the many
layers of her <I>kimono</I> �You look nice aneue. Is the visitor a
miyabito?�

�Hai,� she
replied, glancing towards the door as it slid open, revealing her brother once
again, �Something like that. I must go now.� She lowered the younger girl to the
ground and reached out to fix her tussled hair,

�Behave for Kiso-kun.�
Tani scrunched up her nose as if she smelled something bad,

�I will make no
promises.�

Souzousha smiled
slightly and stood back up. She wasn�t ready to face what awaited her, and for
the first time ever she would have preferred to stay and watch over the
children. There was something curious about the visit. Why was there no notice
sent in advance? If he was there about the betrothal, then he would have given
them enough time for preparation. Besides, there might have been few little
things known about the Great Lord, but one thing that was well known was
his view on hanyou's. She knew nothing about the origin of his deep
hatred, but her otousan only agreed to the betrothal because there wasn�t
even the slightest possibility that Sesshou-maru would have come for her. Even
if he did somehow get over his animosity, he probably wouldn�t have favored the
idea of an arranged marriage because he wasn�t the one who initiated it, and
consequently wasn�t the one in control. In fact, the only reason he probably
didn�t rebel against the act was because as long as the pledge was in place
there would be no more fighting between the White and Black Inugami of the
Western Lands and Lord Inu-Taisho, and any appointed heirs would have complete
control over all the western terrain. Her otousan gave up a lot of his
power that day, but it finally succeeded in ending the bloodshed that had
already taken the lives of 3 of his sons.

Kiso entered the room,
coming to a stop beside the futon, �They are waiting in the tea room. You
should hurry.�

She nodded her head,
walking as fast as she could in the weighty robes. There was no one present in
the corridors, nor in the garden as she passed through. The sun had gone past
it�s highest point and was resting right above the tree line. She took a moment
to bask in it�s solace before continuing along the path to the tea room.

When she entered she saw
that they were both sitting on the tatami, each nursing a cup of what
smelt like koucha. Her otousan�s favorite. Strong and dark, "Like
your old man," followed by a deep, booming laugh. She paused in the entry
way, bowing low at the waist. Her otousan returned her jester with a
slight nod of his head, but the Great Lord simply eyed her before returning his
attention back to his tea. He, obviously, hadn�t changed much since their first
meeting. Her otousan beckoned for her to join them, and she shuffled over
to the table and sat down on her feet.

�Sesshou-maru-sama,
I�d like to introduce to you, once again, my second daughter, Souzousha.� His
gaze flickered towards her again before seemingly finding her uninteresting and
returning back to his drink. Her otousan noticed this with a quiet sigh,
but went on as if it hadn�t happened.

�As you can see she has
changed quite a bit since the first time you met.� When he didn�t respond he
continued, �I must confess I never expected you to collect on the engumi,
but it still stood none the less. And because of this I have prepared Souzousha
for this occasion as best as I could.�

Up until then, she had
been keeping her gaze cast down to her lap, effectively avoiding eye contact
with either of them. But when she heard those words leave her father�s mouth she
lifted her head and looked at him questioningly. Aside from the month that the
arrangement had been made, there hadn�t really been anymore talk about the
engagement. And there certainly hadn�t been any talk about preparation for it.
The things that her father was speaking of were news to her ears, and she wasn�t
at all happy about it.

�Sousousha has been
fully trained in the chado, including calligraphy and flower arranging.
She is also well learned in all of her studies: literature, science, and the
likes. Perhaps even some that I don�t know about. Her keibo, Tsukiyama,
has also taken the liberty of training her in the art of Bottojutsu and
Jojutsu and she is therefore more then effective at defending herself. So
you wont have to go through great lengths to ensure her safety.

�Aside from that, I have
also made sure that she has been taught how to behave like a proper lady of the
court and that she act accordingly at all times. As you can see, the discipline
has done it�s job. Tsukiyama has also stated that she is more then ready for
parenthood, for she has taken excellent care of my pups Tani and Kare.� He
paused long enough to take a sip of tea,

�I am very pride of
Souzousha. She has developed into quite the lovely young woman.� He finished by
returning his cup to the table, then folding his arms into the sleeves of his
kimono. She continued to stare at him, hoping to see any signs of remorse
from the things that he�d said. She had worked very hard to achieve all the he
had spoken of, even the court etiquette, and it bothered her that he was able to
sum up all her accomplishments in a twenty second speech. More importantly, he
was treating the entire situation in a manor that she disapproved of. It was
like he was selling off a prized mare as opposed to his own daughter. She gave
up on trying to catch his eye and went back to starring at her hands, taking
deep breath in an attempt to calm her nerves. She and her otousan were
going to have a long talk after their meeting was done.

Throughout the one sided
conversation, Sesshou-maru has shown little interest in what was being said. He
simply closed his eyes and held his cup in the palm of his hand, the fingers of
the other wrapped around it circumference to steady it. He�d occasionally take a
small sip and return it to his former position, back erect and holding a regal
air about him. When the room was finally quiet he took one final sip and placed
the cup on the table. She couldn�t see any of this, because she refused to lift
her head, but she heard it clearly. Just like she heard running water as her
otousan, ever the gracious host, rushed to refill his cup. There was a
slight rustle of clothe as the Great Lord shifted his position followed by his
low alto as the Great Lord finally spoke,

�Is she subservient?�

She looked up then, she
couldn�t help it. Her brows knitting together in confusion and anger. Her
otousan frowned also as he sat the kettle back down,

�I�m sorry��

�Will she follow
directions?� His heavy gaze was back on her again, and she held it this time,
almost as if challenging him. In a way she figured she was.

�Hai, my Lord. As
long as they are reasonable.�

Sesshou-maru seemed to
consider the response and for a few fleeting moments she thought that perhaps he
would change his mind. But then he stood and turned to her otousan.

�I will send a carriage
for her tomorrow at noon. Be sure she is prepared.� He then bowed his head
slightly and started for the door.

�Wait,� her otousan
stood as well, �Will you not stay the night, Sesshou-maru-sama? You have
such a far way to travel, and we have several guest quarters that would fit your
needs�

�That won�t be
necessary. I must return to my shiro. I thank you for your hospitality.
Bonsowaaru.� And with that he was gone. She started at the doorway,
glaring at his retreating form until his disappeared at a bend in the garden
path before turning back to her otousan who was busy clearing the table.

�Am I a burden to you,�
she asked. He sighed, as if expecting her rebuke, but continued with what he was
doing,

�You are not a burden to
me, Souzousha. I must simply hold my end of the agreement. Peace must be kept at
all times.�

�Even if it means
sending your daughter off to be a slave?�

He stopped his actions
and looked at her, �Even if it means sending my daughter off to be a slave.
Which, I can assure you, is not your fate.�

�You heard what he
asked.�

�Hai. The same I
would have asked if I were in his position and had the arrogance. No one wants a
defiant spouse.�

She stood, �You know as
well as I do that he does not intend to honor the engumi.�

�I have no idea what his
intentions are, Souzousha. But I will do what I have to in order to protect our
family and our home. I�m sorry you are the one that has to suffer, but I can not
bring shame to my name be retracting Lord Inu-Taisho�s agreement. I won�t
tolerate anymore bloodshed between the clans and you must understand this. You
are the peace keeper�

She frowned, barring her
teeth, �And you are a prideful coward.�

She left before he could
stop her, grabbing as much of her kimono in her hands that she could to
make her exit faster. She saw Tsukiyama sitting on a bench beside the garden
path a couple of yards from the tea room; she would have kept walking if the
older woman hadn�t reached out and stopped her.

�Souzousha,� she said
softly, standing to look her in the face, �You are upset.� She then reached up
and started to wipe at her cheeks with a lavender sleeve. She hadn�t realized
she�d been crying up until then.

�I take it you will be
leaving, then,� she went on.

Souzousha took a deep
breath to steady herself, �Hai.� Tsukiyama stopped wiping at her face and
gave her a concerned look.

�Come, let�s walk to the
pond. If you feel like talking, I�ll listen.� She nodded, taking another deep
breath, something she seemed to be doing a lot lately, and followed her keibo
down the path.

[otousan � father]
[nakihaha � dead mother]
[futon � Japanese style
bed, lies flat on the floor]
[keibo � stepmother]
[shoji � paper screen]
[niisan � older brother]
[kazami � formal kimono
worn by daughters of the court]
[senpi � one�s late
mother]
[engumi � betrothal]
[kimono � Japanese style
robes]
[hari-bakama � divided
skirt]
[hitoe - unlined
garment]
[uchiki � middle
garment]
[itsutsu-ginu � five
layers]
[katebuton � comforter]
[aneue � older sister]
[miyabito � noble
courtier]
[Inugami � dog demon]
[koucha � black tea]
[chado � doctrine of the
tea ceremony]
[Bottojutsu and Jojutsu
� fighting technique of the staff and stick]
[shiro � castle]
[Bonsowaaru � good
evening]
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Polar	By : neogenesis Category: InuYasha > General Views: 1015 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Polar