Priceless (an InuYasha FanFic)

Karma

As it turns out, Izayoi did indeed have the perfect punishment for both her wayward son and his cruel girlfriend. As fate would have it, Izayoi and Kikyou's mother both went to the same Zumba class on Wednesdays, and they often set up next to each other. This Particular Wednesday after class, in the locker room of the gym they both attended, Izayoi approached the mother of her son's girlfriend.

"Mrs. Hijiri! How is your daughter?"

Kaiya Hijiri was a short thin willowy woman with long deep brown hair and fair skin. Despite her stature, the woman had a strong confident personality and a strict countenance. You should know that when Kagome and Kikyou were friends they spent many many hours playing in the forest behind the Hijiri's house, so Kaiya was well acquainted with Kagome. In fact, she had adored the little girl whose own mother had emotionally abandoned her and thought it a great shame when Kikyou had come home in the middle of her 8th-grade year to announce that Kagome Higurashi Thought herself to good for everyone else in school and no longer wanted to be friends with the lowly commoners like herself. Kaiya had thought it an over exaggeration at first, there was no way that the sweet, mild tempered Kagome could act so rude to her best friend, and she had even taken it upon herself to visit the Higurashi shrine to straighten things out between the girls, but no one ever answered the door when she went over. Kaiya had been angry at the Higurashi's for quite some time, but eventually passed it off as teenager drama and had decided to move on.

"She is very well. Thank you for asking Mrs. Taisho. How are your sons?" Something else you should probably know. Kikyou's family kept up the tradition of formally training their daughter's in the ways of the Mikos of old and were a large part of keeping the demon population hidden from the rest of society, turning their age-old rivalry with those of demonic descent into a mutually beneficial almost symbiotic relationship with them. Therefore Kaiya knew that Izayoi was Mated to the Great Demon General Inu no Taisho and that her son and stepson were also great demons in their own right despite Inuyasha's human blood.

Izayoi smiled a honey sweet smile and replied in her most sugar-coated tone, cautiously stalking her prey, metaphorically. "They are well. Though Inuyasha has not been home in several weeks. Sesshomaru is very well though. His Beast has chosen a Mate. Finally..."

Kaiya looked pleasantly surprised. "It's about time! How old is he now?"

"Old enough. We all feared it may never happen. He's been passed the typical age of finding a mate for a couple centuries now. Never the less, we're all quite happy for him."

Kaiya smiled warmly. "Who's the lucky girl?"

At this, Izayoi strategically let her smile slip. "Her name is Kagome, poor girl. She's quite young to be Mating my son, but it's a very good thing his Beast chose her, for her sake."

Kaiya looked puzzled now. "Why do you say that?"

"I really shouldn't say... It's not my story to tell..." Izayoi resisted the smile that threatened her lips. 'Gotcha!'

"Could I meet her?"

"I'm not sure it's such a good idea... she's so fragile right now..."

"How about I have dinner at my house and you and your family, including her, can come along."

Izayoi let herself smile now. "What a wonderful idea! But, I insist we have the dinner at my house. Kagome might be more comfortable that way."

"That's a good point. What time should I come over?"

"How does Friday night at 6 sound?"

"Perfect! I'll bring my special sweet rolls for dessert." Said Kaiya, Already planning out what tome she would need to put them in the oven to be warm when she arrived at the Taisho home.

After giving Mrs. Hijiri the address, she waved her goodbye and said. "Then I'll see you there." And then she waltzed out of her gym to her car and drove home triumphantly, already scheming ways she could pull Kaiya onto her side, to help punish their children, unaware that Kaiya already knew Kagome.

AN. I know. I know. It's short this week. I just wanted to give you guys a little sneak peek at what's in store for Inuyasha and Kikyou. I wonder what will happen now that Kikyou's mom will be in on it. Will this serve to help or hinder Kagome's recovery? Find out more in the next chapter, which will be up soon... hopefully...

As always, feel free to comment or review or whatever. Constructive criticism welcome. Someone pointed out to me recently that there was a discrepancy in Sesshomaru's age between the first and third chapter. That should be fixed by now.