The Compass Ball

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha or any of the other characters or the original story line. I DO own my characters, they're as obvious as the nose on your face.

The next morning found Nikki in her usual outfit outside working out as if she were one of the guards, which surprised most of the guard; the others were surprised by her outfit. Sesshomaru walked out with his father, her father, and the other two lords to see her. Higashi chuckled amused as the rest looked at her stunned. Nikki got up and bowed as they approached her.

"You can rest one weekend, kitten," her father admonished as she stood there. Nikki shrugged as she thought about it. "Where's your haori?"

"Inside, it's hot out," she said pointedly. Her father sighed and nodded as he pat her on the head.

"Maybe so, but you're distracting all of the guards," Sesshomaru pointed out. She noticed a hint of venom in his statement. "Maybe that's all you truly do, distract." Nishi and Higashi looked between the two as Nikki narrowed her eyes at him.

"And maybe all you do is kill for the thrills," she snapped back. Immediately the four lords knew they were going to end up attempting to kill each other. Sesshomaru growled annoyed at her, causing all four to look at him surprised, no one provoked a reaction let alone a growl.

"At least I know how to," he snarled back.

"That's what you think, dog boy," she hissed at him.

"That's enough, both of you," Nishi said as he and Higashi intervened.

"Nikki, go inside and relax," her father ordered. Nikki gave one last glare to Sesshomaru and headed inside. Before anyone could do anything though, Sesshomaru decided to silence the kitty. With a quick flick of his wrists his poisoned whip was out and headed towards her. Everyone stared as Nikki quickly jumped over as it passed where she was, the tips of her hair getting cut by it and falling in its wake.

"Nice try," she snapped with a flick of her wrists. Sesshomaru dodged as a few marks in the dirt hissed, signifying her poisons were in the darts. Sesshomaru growled as their fathers stepped in between them.

"Sesshomaru," his father snarled at his oldest, this wasn't his normal mood. "Get inside and cool off in the hot springs, anywhere she's not!"

"And you," her father rounded on her, she could see the fury in his eyes and looked at him pitifully, "get inside and change, now." Quickly Nikki scurried into the castle before Sesshomaru could even head inside, fury flowing in his wake. The two lords just looked at each other and shook their heads as they all returned to their patrols of the castle.

Nikki had returned to the library, where she felt the most peace, and sighed as she curled up with the story she had started the previous night before bed. Sesshomaru stalked in and found here there, silently reading, and fully covered up. He stared at her for a minute, wondering what had made him lash out at her that morning. Giving up on his pondering he stalked towards his father's desk to get what he had sent him there for.

"Being angry at me won't solve your problem," she said softly as he shuffled the papers on the desk. "I didn't do anything wrong." Sesshomaru looked at her annoyed before returning to the desk. He couldn't find the paper he needed. "Try a drawer, that's what my father does with important things." Sesshomaru tried a drawer and found the paperwork he needed. He scowled at her annoyed as he slammed the drawer shut. "See?" She never looked up from her book as he stalked out of the door. Nikki sighed as she looked at the door and shook her head.

"There you are dear," Mai said as she found Nikki still reading after lunch, "you've missed lunch."

"I'm sure Lord Sour-puss was quite happy about that." Nikki said bitterly as she continued to read. Mai sighed as she looked at her daughter; she had hoped that maybe Lord Sesshomaru would be interested in Nikki, especially since he seemed so interested in her the previous night.

"Lord Sesshomaru wasn't at lunch either, you're the only two that didn't eat and won't eat until dinner tonight," Mai told her. Nikki shrugged as she closed her book and looked at her mother.

"I'm assuming you're here to claim me so that you can dress me up like a little doll?" she asked as her mother smiled widely and nodded in agreement. "We did go over the usual protests and such before we left?"

"Of course," Mai said as Nikki got up and walked with her. "And you even threw a lovely temper tantrum for your father, but it didn't work, you have to get dressed up."

"Can I merely request no paints tonight? They smell awful." Nikki admonished in defeat. Her mother nodded in agreement as they walked towards Nikki's room together.

Once inside the room Nikki found the kimono she was to wear that night and admitted it wasn't all that awful looking, she's worn worse. She sighed as she sat down and her mother started the torture with a hairbrush. Nikki winced as her mother accidentally got one of her ears and apologized profusely for it.

"It's alright," Nikki sighed as she patted the offended appendage. "It's still attached and not bleeding, we'll be fine." Her mother sighed and nodded, being more careful of her ears as she brushed the rest of her hair. She then took it and put it up in various twists and fancy knots. Nikki's hair was long and thick, perfect for playing with. Though Mai grew an annoyed look when she got to the ends of Nikki's hair to find some charred.

"What happened to your hair? It's burnt!" Mai said as Nikki sighed and thought about it.

"I guess that whip Sesshomaru shot at me cut some hairs," Nikki said as she thought about it. "I thought I had successfully dodged that." Mai looked at her stunned as Nikki shrugged. "I don't know why he did it, but by the time he did that I shot darts at him in annoyance to keep him back." Mai sighed; there really went the chance of Sesshomaru picking out Nikki.

"Well, at least you're both safe, you didn't hit him did you?" her mother demanded as Nikki shook her head. "That's a relief." Nikki shrugged as she returned to work on her hair, attempting to hide the burnt ends that Sesshomaru caused. "Do you want any makeup?"

"Not if I can help it," she replied. Mai nodded and looked around, it had taken her quite a while to do Nikki's hair, but she still had plenty of time that Nikki had ruined because of lack of face paints. Mai figured this just gave her more time to prepare herself later.

"Come along then," Mai said as she had Nikki stand up and took her kimono off of her. She helped Nikki dress and get ready without ruining her hair. Mai helped her dress in the new kimono and all the undergarments she'd need on. Then, as soon as Nikki was done she left to prepare herself. Nikki sighed as she looked in her mirror. Tonight had two outcomes; bad, or worse.

She prepared for the worse as she watched the sun set outside the palace walls. She couldn't figure out what had angered Sesshomaru towards her, unless he had thought about what she said the previous night and now was furious that she pitied him and his future, unknown, mate. With a sigh and a shrug she prepared to go inside and wait for probably one of her brothers to escort her down to the ball and dinner.