The Perfect Mate by BelovedStranger

Change of Plans

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Dedicated to Stella Mira's Latin Challenge.

Prompts: 

Fideliter—faithfully; secretly, without danger

Orexis—desire, appetite

Sagax—acute, keen-scented; shrewd, clever

Zelotypus—jealous

Dedignor—to think unworthy, scorn reject

Tango—to touch; to hit; to defile; to steal; to affect feelings

WARNING! UNEDITED VERSION! My beta-sama will be busy for the next few days. Sorry. 

NOW EDITED!

“I meant it before when I said I wanted to be with you. I choose you, Sesshomaru.”

Sai gazed thunderstruck at the mirror in her hand. Though it no longer showed another’s reflection other than ‘her own’, she could not get the image of Kagome throwing herself into another’s arms, willingly kissing Lord Sesshomaru out of her mind. The miko’s words echoed through her mind, all but proclaiming her love for the demon lord of the West.

How could she?

Betrayal struck like a mortal blow. Heart pounding, Sai lifted her hand to her chest as pain radiated from it. So severe her shock, she hadn’t realized she spoke aloud.

“Do not fret, daughter.” She heard Lord Katasurou’s voice as if from a great distance. Had he patted her back? “I will make things right for you.”

Sai blinked.

That’s right. She was in her room with her ‘father’. He’d come earlier to inform her that guests had arrived, Sesshomaru’s hanyou brother and another miko that smelled of death. She had been forced to listen in angered silence when she’d heard about the emotion display between Sesshomaru-sama’s intended mate and bastard brother. How dare that worthless half-breed touch what was hers? Even her ‘father’ seemed genuinely furious over the whole situation, but she barely paid attention to his rant about Kagome being a horrible choice of mate if she just threw herself at any male other than her soon to be mate.

However, the true reason behind the Eastern Lord’s visit soon became apparent when he’d demanded she use her strange mirror to ‘show’ them where Lord Sesshomaru had taken Kagome, to eavesdrop. He’d assured her that no respecting demon would stand for their chosen female to make such a fool of them both and dissolve the union right then and there. Except, that hadn’t happened.

Now Sai was filled with hurt feelings and anger.

Kagome had betrayed her, made a mockery of her love by kissing another and devoting herself to him. How could she? How dare she?!  

Filled with increasing anger, she forgot all about her companion until he was gone, her bedroom door shutting lightly behind his quickly retreating back. Horror filled her chest, eyes wide open as realization hit.

He intended to kill her miko while she was alone, unarmed.

Sai shot to her feet and ran for her screen door, yanking it open with a crack, splintering the wood and rice paper panels in her haste. She barely noticed the destruction.

“Lord Kata—I mean, father! Wait!”

But he was already gone.

Dread wiped away any last traces of anger. Excuses for Kagome’s behavior easily entered her mind. The miko was just confused. She had no idea that someone lived only for the sake of loving her more than anyone else—her, Sai. More importantly, Kagome didn’t know what traitorous bastards both inu brothers were. They didn’t deserve her. She was too good for either mongrel. And the poor girl didn’t even know she was being played.

Well, no more. No one would ever hurt her miko again, not while she lived. She would treasure the little human, care for her, help her through this difficult time where the impossible was possible—a human having both spiritual and demonic auras.

And Katasurou-sama dared threaten to take Kagome away from her. He was going to kill her.

No!

She’d tear him limb from limb and feast upon his innards before she allowed that to happen.

Using every ounce of speed she could muster, she ran through the castle. But what was she to do? She couldn’t save Kagome without blowing her cover. Katasurou-sama would surely suspect there was something off about his daughter if she interfered. She’d accused Kagome of attacking her upon her arrival, had done what Naraku-sama had wished and shown a false memory of said attack to Katasurou-sama. If she defended Kagome now, surely she would be compromised.

And speaking of her dark lord, wasn’t this just the outcome he had hoped for? Intending for the Eastern Lord to kill his enemy, which would go a step further by alienating the East from the West and creating strife and possibly war between the two provinces?

Sai slowed to a stop, ignoring her surroundings as her mind swirled with thought after confusing thought. How could she consciously betray the one who’d saved her from certain death and gone a step further by gifting her with the power to exact vengeance on her murderers? Naraku-sama had never once betrayed her, and here she was contemplating betraying him.

She was a hypocrite.

Sai inhaled sharply at the realization. She’d killed her past love for her betrayal, and yet here she was, about to turn traitor on her lord. What manner of being was she to act in such a deplorable manner?

How could she not with her miko’s life on the line?

It seemed that she was at a crossroad in her life where she had to choose between her dark lord and Kagome. To hold fast to honor or forsake it all for love.  

‘Don’t let me die.’

 Her heart went into overdrive as she heard an all too familiar voice whisper behind her. Sai swung around, her eyes darting everywhere, trying to find the owner of that pain filled voice, but seeing no one.

‘I don’t want to die.’

“Kagome!” Sai cried out, whipping around again but finding no one at her back.

She remembered now—her dream from the other night. She’d been embracing her miko when all of a sudden Naraku had killed her right before her eyes. Panting, Sai stumbled over to the wall and braced her hand on the solid wood. She was hyperventilating. She couldn’t get enough air into her lungs. She was suffocating.

“It was just a dream,” she panted, trying to use her own voice to validate truth from fiction. “It was just a dream! It wasn’t real.”

But it soon won’t be. If Katasurou-sama had his way, he’d make it a reality.

Sai’s hand fluttered to her throat in dismay. If she didn’t do something to save the miko now, Kagome would be dead, and Sai could not bear it. With only a small twinge of consciousness, love won out against honor.

Once again she was racing through the castle halls, ignoring the servants that threw themselves out of her path. But what was she to do? Her presence and adamant refusal to allow Katasurou-sama to murder Kagome might result in worse consequences. Before she could reach a conclusion, she was outside, and Sesshomaru-sama stood regally before her. She stumbled to a halt just as he was turning to look at her. What a sight she must appear to the powerful lord, face flushed, panting, hair and clothes probably out of order from her mad dash.

If he was surprised by her appearance, Sesshomaru-sama made no mention of it, and his flat expression remained intact.

“Akahana-hime,” he greeted with a small bow of his head. “Is anything amiss?”

“Ah…no,” she stuttered, before inspiration made her recant her previous statement. “I mean, yes!”

One silver brow lifted in answer.

Taking a halting step forward, she spoke in a rush without thinking things through sufficiently. “You have to help me. I mean the miko… Kata—ah… my father is going after Kagome. I fear what he might do. You have to stop him—“

He didn’t even wait for her to finish or to demand answers from her. Sesshomaru was gone, presumably to go after Katasurou-sama and protect the miko.  

Had she erred by involving Sesshomaru? Before she could regret her impulsiveness, the sound of quick steps came closer from behind.

“Did you say Miko Kagome?! Is she in trouble?”

Sai turned to gaze at the servant woman who stumbled to a halt before her. A flush appeared across the maid’s face—Kagome’s maid, she knew—and she bowed low before her.

“Forgive me, hime. I do not mean to be rude, but… Is the miko alright?”

Another idea solidified in Sai’s mind. Her mind in overdrive, she settled on this new course of action without much deliberation. She had to save Kagome and that meant cutting all ties with Naraku-sama and sheltering her miko from all harm. To do that, she needed to gain access to Kagome.

“The things we do for love,” she told the confused servant, as she took a purposeful stride forward.

*********With Kagome**********

Kagome breathed a small sigh of relief and smiled. Then she chuckled. Everything seemed so surreal. She’d gone from rejecting Sesshomaru’s advances to being terrified of losing him. So afraid that she’d gone and said things like a complete madwoman. Acted like one, too. And yet she was happy. Confused but content. There was no certainty where this strange relationship was headed with Sesshomaru—of all men. Though she knew where he wanted things to go, she was not so sure. Everything was happening too fast.

Yes, she was attracted to Sesshomaru, felt connected to him on a deeply emotional level, but did she love him? She thought she might and that’s what scared her. Instead of love being simple as she’d always thought it would be, it was more complex than she had realized. Did he love her, too? She thought he might. Like her, Sesshomaru seemed to be struggling with his feelings. He wanted her as his mate, to build a family with her. Not later, but now.

Love aside, she believed things were progressing too quickly. She was too young to be married, a nineteen-year-old girl. And having children at this age? The responsibility of having both a husband and kids was huge. They had only been dating—in a weird fashion—for a couple days! That’s way too soon to commit to something as major as marriage—or mating as the case may be—right? Perhaps things were different in the Feudal Era, as well as youkai mating, but she hadn’t been born to this time. She was a modern girl with modern thinking. Would she even fit in with Sesshomaru’s world of high-class society?

Kagome stiffened.

No, she wasn’t from this time period. Did she really belong here? What was more, if she did mate with Sesshomaru, that would make her the Lady of the West. Did she really want that kind of responsibility along with everything else? She didn’t know the first thing about being a lady from this era. Surely she’d be a disappointment in her new role and embarrass Sesshomaru. It would devastate her to disappoint him.

And yet, she couldn’t bear the thought of leaving him.

Someone was coming.

Kagome spun around, eyes narrowed when she felt a familiar aura approaching. A tall man stepped calmly from behind a tree moments later.

“Lord Katasurou.” She bowed slightly, never taking her eyes off the Eastern Lord. “What are you doing here?”

“Disrespectful as usual, human,” he commented almost good-naturedly.

“I am as respectful as the person who speaks to me.”

He ignored her flippant comment. A malicious gleam entered his feline-like gaze, making her uneasy.

“Left all alone, were you? Where is your protector? Has Lord Sesshomaru abandoned you and finally realized your lack of worth?”

Her back went ramrod straight. She wasn’t going to listen to this, not from him, the hateful and pompous man.

“Step aside. I am leaving now. Good day to you.”

Kagome took a step to the side, planned to move around him, but he stepped in her path, blocking her escape. Tension thrummed through the air, and when Katasurou’s youki spiked, she flared her reiki in warning. Did he think to intimidate her?  

“You aren’t going anywhere until I dismiss you,” he growled, the sound much like a massive lion about to pounce on his prey.

There was no doubt in her mind that she was the prey. What was he playing at? What did he want from her?”

“What do you want?” she inquired, tensing, cursing herself silently for not having a bow with her. Though she could fight without one, she would feel much more at ease with one in hand.

If he attacked her, did she really stand a chance against a daiyoukai? And what if a battle did commence, was she to try to kill him? Surely she would cause an all out war between the East and West if she succeeded in killing him before he killed her, and that she couldn’t do. Should she bind him, then? At least long enough for her to escape?

Anger morphed the Eastern Lord’s handsome face into an ugly snarl.

“You dared to injure my daughter with one of your spiritual arrows, even tried to kill her, and take her away from me. I come to repay the debt with your miserable life, human.”

Kagome didn’t have a chance to respond. Katasurou struck.

Calling forth her reiki, she fell to the forest floor with youkai speed and erected a barrier around her crouched form. The smaller the barrier, the less energy she had to put out to create it. It didn’t matter. Katasurou crashed into it with such force, her shield wavered.

He snarled at her, baring his fangs, eyes gone red with bloodlust.

Shit.

Sending more waves of energy into her barrier, Kagome could almost feel the blows he rained down on it. Dear God! Such strength! And she had to defend herself against that without killing him? No one had ever been able to get past her barrier since she’d learned how to master the technique over a year ago. And yet Katasurou threatened to do so by just sheer strength.

“Stop this, Lord Katasurou!”

BAM!

He wasn’t listening.

He hit her barrier again. She gasped from the force of the blow, quickly putting more energy into her barrier to keep it standing.

“I am Sesshomaru’s, Lord of the West’s, intended mate! By attacking me, you threaten war between the East and West. Is that really what you want?!”

Bam, bam, BAM!

“As if such a powerful demon would have a pathetic human miko as his mate when my daughter is here to stand beside him with pride and honor!”

He struck her barrier again but this time with his youki strengthening his blow. She had precious seconds before he tore through her defenses. Lifting her hands, she moved them together in intricate designs, her reiki pulsing around her. She intended to bind him with her magic, but as her reiki built, her youki came to the fore, to aid in her defense reflexively. Instantly her reiki fluxed, trying to attack her youki, seeing it as a new threat. In seconds, her two energies fought each other, and her concentration was shot, her binding spell incomplete and dispersed without being cast.

Kagome cried out. Like her binding spell, her barrier wavered, losing strength. She barely felt it when it fell as the Eastern Lord punched it again.

“What the… What are you?” He stumbled to a stop, gazing at her with wide-eyed confusion.

She clutched at her chest, unable to focus on Katasurou while her reiki and youki fought for supremacy. Red and blue electricity flowed across her body, a few jagged sparks flying outward. One crashed into a tree, fire erupting from the trunk as it crashed down to the ground. Another beam hit a large boulder, fragments shooting everywhere from the impact. Others scattered across the ground harmlessly.

“So, what Lord Sesshomaru said was true. You do possess youki energy along with your reiki.” Katasurou cast her a pitiful look, disgusted by her lack of control, further proving herself unworthy of being the Lady of the West. A human possessing both reiki and youki. She was more of an abomination than a half-demon, a being that should not exist.

“I will end your suffering.”

He advanced but as if sensing his evil intent, her fighting auras turned on him as well, striking him with massive electrical pulses that tore his skin. Bleeding, angry, he roared and blasted her with his own youki. It hit her square in the chest. Even as her energies rose to protect her, to shield her from his attack, they weren’t working cohesively together, and Kagome was flung back.

Her head hit a tree, knocking her unconscious. Her energies flickered out, leaving her defenseless.

Katasurou advanced on her prone figure, flexing his claws in murderous intent. However, he never reached her. From the corner of his eye he saw a sword swing towards him, intending to sever his head from his shoulders. He ducked, then jumped back several paces as Lord Sesshomaru arrived, placing himself between him and the miko.

“You dare break my hospitality by attacking my future mate?”

Katasurou growled, incited by the impromptu interruption.

“She is not worthy to be your mate! What’s more, she tried to kill my daughter. I’ll have her head for her actions.”

“Your daughter was injured in this Sesshomaru’s mating hunt. All combatants knew the dangers. Death by other like greedy females were a possibility, and your daughter accepted the dangers just as the rest of them had,” Sesshomaru seethed, his youki pulsing around them angrily.

“As if that justifies her—“

“My lord!”

Both males tensed as a demoness interrupted them. She stepped closer to Sesshomaru with a worried expression. She bowed low to him, ignoring Katasurou when she spoke.

“Sesshomaru-sama. I have been informed of the miko’s danger and came to take her to safety if that is your wish.” She bowed again.

Sesshomaru eyed Kagome’s maid for a brief second before motioning for her to rise. “Take your mistress back to the castle. Have guards stationed near her until I return. Katasurou-sama and I have unfinished business to discuss.”

“Hai, my lord,” Haru said with relief, and rushed behind him.

Sesshomaru kept himself between the two women and the Eastern Lord to make sure they escaped safely.

When they were gone, the miko carried in Haru’s arms, the lion demon snarled.

“How did you know I was here?” he demanded.

Katasurou couldn’t understand it. He thought he’d have plenty of time to dispatch the troublesome miko before anyone was aware. How had Lord Sesshomaru known of his intent so quickly?

“Your daughter told me.”

He blinked in surprise. “You lie! Akahana would never do that! She wouldn’t protect the one who had tried to kill her or give up the opportunity to mate with the man she wanted. And that so happens to be you, Sesshomaru-sama.”

“This Sesshomaru does not lie.”

Katasurou opened his mouth to speak, but a strange aura caught his attention. It was retreating, moving away from his host’s castle.

“Naraku,” Sesshomaru spat before eyeing him with cold eyes. “We will finish this discussion later.”

Then he was gone. Not wanting to be left behind, especially not after hearing the vile hanyou’s name that had been like a plague to these lands of late, Katasurou followed.

**********With Sai**********

A few minutes ago…

Sai raced towards the flaring auras of the two powerful daiyoukai, using every ounce of speed she could force from her legs. The wound on her shoulder was not completely healed and would probably leave a scar; however, after four days, her body was finally almost fully recovered from her ordeal. Remembering just how badly she’d been injured after just one reiki charged arrow made her realize just how powerful some ningen were. Were all miko and monks that powerful? Or had that walking corpse been stronger than most?

Only once before had she tasted the purification powers of a miko, when Kagome had blasted her away from her person, after she’d tried to kiss the wounded human again. At the time, though the attack had stung and left a burn mark upon her chest, the pain had been nowhere near as fierce as the dead woman’s. Perhaps Kagome had been weakened from previous battles, unable to produce anything more powerful. If so, just how strong was her little miko? Would Kagome attack her after just the sight of her?

Surely not.

But just in case, knowing that while she cherished the human above all else, Kagome saw her as an enemy because of her association with Naraku-sama. Well no more. Though it pained her to turn her back on her lord, she could not let him kill the miko. Maybe she could convince Kagome to give up on going after Naraku and live peacefully with her. How perfect that life would be—to love and be loved.

Encouraged, Sai rounded a tree and stopped at the sight of the two daiyoukai facing off, a sound of dismay almost escaping her at the sight of Kagome’s prone form. She wasn’t moving. But she wasn’t dead. Sai could hear the miko’s heart beating. Thank Kami.

Swallowing thickly, Sai hoped her nervousness wasn’t too obvious, and if it was, hopefully both males would think it was because she worried for her ‘mistress’. Previously, she had taken Kagome’s maid Haru aside. The trusting fool hadn’t seen it coming when she’d ripped her neck apart, almost severing her head from her shoulders with her claws. Not knowing who might sense her, she quickly used her new powers and absorbed the dead woman into her flesh. Like Naraku, this gave her the ability to not only look like Haru, but have her scent and powers for her own. A believable replica.

Another life ended by her claws. She didn’t care. This death was necessary for her to free Kagome from this prison, surrounded by people who claimed to care for her, while being deceitful, vile creatures bent on ruining her. She had to move fast. Even now Inuyasha, the bastard, may already be after her, having sensed the powers Naraku-sama had gifted to her.

“Take your mistress back to the castle. Have guards stationed near her until I return. Katasurou-sama and I have unfinished business to discuss.”

Sai almost breathed a sigh of relief at Lord Sesshomaru’s command but refrained and moved to do as commanded. Carrying the unconscious miko in her arms, her knees went weak. Finally she had her love back where she belonged. It had felt like an eternity since last she had touched her. But now wasn’t the time to rejoice. They still had to escape, so she ran away from the two daiyoukai. At first, she ran towards the castle, making it seem as if she did as commanded before running in the opposite direction.

But there was still Sesshomaru’s barrier to contend with. Sai grinned, more a baring of fangs than a real smile. Lord Sesshomaru thought his barrier impenetrable? Wrong. Naraku was the only one who had ever created the perfect force field. Even though it brought further attention to herself, she used her new powers and created a barrier that was an exact duplicate of Naraku’s and slammed into Sesshomaru’s barrier in a head on collision.

Energy snapped and crackled around her sphere of protection as Sesshomaru’s barrier bent outward, trying to hold strong under her onslaught. She wasn’t about to let that happen. She had someone to protect and nothing and no one was going to get in her way! With a shout, her fangs bared, Sai pushed harder and harder against Sesshomaru’s barrier, sparks flying everywhere, until finally, she broke free.

Like a shot, Sai sped through the opening before it could close again. Then, using her miasma, she killed any trace of her and Kagome’s scent before disappearing into the air. She went higher and higher until the clouds above hid her from prying eyes. She couldn’t stop or slow down. There was still a chance Lord Sesshomaru would catch up to her and take Kagome from her.  

A rumbling growl emanated from her chest. Let him try. She’d kill anyone who got between her and her miko again. 

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sai seems to have gone through another mental break and made three impolisive desicions, probably mistakes that will blow up in her face later. First, she told Sesshomaru of the Eastern Lord's murderous intent while looking like Akahana. Second, she killed and absorbed Haru. And third, she abducted Kagome. 

Now that Sai finally has Kagome all to herself, what will happen?