“In you go!”

With a brisk shove, Ayame sent Kagome careening into the onsen with a splash. Spitting out a jet of water as she surfaced, the miko glowered.

“Was that really necessary?” she grumbled. “Anyway, I’ve already had a bath today!”

The wolf girl set her hands on her hips. “And? You’re covered in dust and sweat again. What were you doing this afternoon, running laps?”

Blushing, Kagome ducked her head. Pretty much…

“Don’t you want to be at your best tonight,” Ayame asked, her voice turning sly, “when you seduce Sesshoumaru-sama?”

The heat of the onsen had nothing on the fire scalding across Kagome’s cheeks. A parade of the most absurd, clichéd mental images ensued: dropping a robe to the floor, crawling across the bed like a puma, indecently eating a lollipop–all while Sesshoumaru looked on with an arched brow. Clutching her head in her hands, Kagome whimpered inwardly. She really had watched way too many movies…

“…I thought the plan was to confess to him,” she ventured weakly.

“Well, yes,” Ayame conceded, pointing a claw between Kagome’s eyes, “but you still have to seal the deal, afterward.”

“Seal the…” Kagome wilted, sinking down into the pool.

The few bubbles breaking the water’s surface were the only indication that the submerged miko was still, in fact, alive. Truth was, she had absolutely no idea how to go about seducing Sesshoumaru–or if he was even ‘seducable’ in the first place. While they were already pretty intimately acquainted with one another, he had always been the one to initiate the contact. Would he even like it, if she were to come on to him instead?

While Kagome washed and deliberated, Ayame rifled through trunk after trunk, finally extracting a rather slinky kimono-like garment with a cry of success. Drying off, Kagome eyed the dark blue dress warily.

“It looks a little too small for me…” she muttered.

Ayame grinned. “Exactly.”

Pushing aside her protests for the moment, Kagome started slipping on her underwear when the wolf girl argued her down on the grounds of not adding any more “impediments.” Duly defeated, Kagome squeezed bra-and-panty-less into the tight-fitting, low-necked dress, the demoness clapping delightedly at the result.

“Perfect!” she said with a wink.

Futilely attempting to tug the deep blue V a little higher up her chest, Kagome wasn’t so sure. But after brushing out the miko’s long wavy hair and studding it with a few winter blossoms, Ayame was herding Kagome out the hide door. Presumably waiting on his beaming mate, Kouga stood leaning against a nearby wall, his blue eyes going comically wide at the sight of his scantily-clad former love interest. Frantically, he tore his gaze away–whether it was out of courtesy for Kagome or fear of Ayame was anyone’s guess.

“Kagome-chan,” he spoke faintly to the bronze sconce on his left, his high cheekbones tinged red. “Before the feast, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Sure, Kouga-kun.” Blushing as well, Kagome crossed her arms, hoping to discreetly hide the effects that the main chamber’s drafty conditions were having on her bust. “What’s up?”

As Ayame slid her arm through his, the wolf prince stepped forward, his eyes carefully trained on Kagome’s face as he extended his closed right fist. Holding out her hand inquisitively, Kagome blinked in surprise when a glittering purple splinter dropped into her palm.

“Kouga-kun…” she whispered as the splinter glowed pink at her purifying touch. “You’re giving me your Jewel shard?”

“That’s right,” Kouga said with a grin. “It’s yours now, Kagome-chan–a token of my thanks for all that you’ve done for us.”

“Then…you’re not coming with us, I take it?”

His eyes softened as they slanted down at his mate. “I’ve decided to combine my pack with Ayame’s. It’s going to take time to get everyone moved and settled up here.” He met Kagome’s gaze with a glint of fang. “So I leave Naraku to you. Give him and that bitch Kagura my regards when you put them in the ground.”

Kagome grinned back. “Will do.”

Retrieving her old silver chain, she strung Kouga’s shard upon it and clasped the necklace in place. Touching a hand to the Jewel fragment resting above her heart, Kagome smiled.

The Shikon Miko…back in business.

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Lol, sorry if this chapter is terrible…I’m horribly hung-over. Will clean it up, later 🙂