Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story, all rights to the characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
Part One: A Blank Canvas
The rain fell in heavy downpours, which made the roads nearly impossible to see, for the cautious driver. There were no other vehicles around and Sango had become hopelessly lost. If only she had stopped at Shounen Falls, as she had originally planned, but the landscape hadn't spoken to her enough to inspire the paints to flow onto a canvas. She had just begun to consider to turn around, when she lost control of her car, she hydroplaned off the road, before she slid into a shallow ditch. The panic swelled in her chest, but before she could let out a sound, her vehicle came to a stop, in front of a small wooden sign. The white paint had chipped off in places and natures elements had the black letters faded to a grey. She could just barely make out the words, 'Welcome to Shikon Square, the tiny village time forgot'. The mystery of the quiet dirt roads coaxed her to follow and her constantly curious mind lost to the temptation. She drove her car onto the bumpy road and began the journey to a piece of the past.
Both sides of the road were lined with towering trees, most of which had gone pink with the petals of cherry blossoms, and the grass caught the breeze, in a way, that gave off the illusion of a rolling green sea. It was like a picturesque passage way back in time, to a place you could ordinarily find only in history books and fairy tales. The rain had finally begun to let up and a stunningly gorgeous manor, of mansion size proportions, came into view. It was situated near the edge of the bluff, that overlooked a sparkling lake. The artist in her grew giddy with anticipation and delight, she had to get a closer look of the exquisite marvel, that laid before her.
It didn't take her long to reach the front entry, to the expanding property, the wrought iron gate was opened to all, so she let herself in. The branches of the weeping willows, seemed to wave in a silent greeting, but the vines that clung to the old bricks of the breathtaking home, almost appeared to be protecting it from unwanted trespassers. She pulled her car to a stop and opened her door wide, before she climbed out into the open air. The bad weather had nearly passed, the rain only a light sprinkle and the sun had begun to break through the clouds of grey. She made the short trek to the front porch and was instantly enamoured by the white marble columns, and large cherry wood door. Even the brass knocker held much detail, as it was in the shape of a mighty and ferocious canine like face.
She took it in her fingers, before she noticed the bell, with the size of the place, she opted to use the doorbell. Her finger pressed down and the low chimes of the bell could be heard from the porch, and its chimes were of a sullen sound. The entranceway came open with a click and a man in a neatly trimmed black suit stood in the frame. He had dark black hair which was pulled back into a small ponytail, eyes of a unique color shone brightly under his bangs, and a white gloved hand was perched on the brass knob. "Greetings. Welcome to Silver Inu Manor. Are you here to call for Lord Inuyasha?" He spoke with a direct yet polite tone of voice, a kind smile was on his face, and he gave off an old world charm. "I suppose I am. You see, I'm a wandering artist and this lovely home has given me the inspiration I was searching for. I would love to ask the owner if I may paint this place."
He bowed then, before he stepped aside and granted her entry into the grand home of the man she had never met. "Please, follow me. You will wait in the drawing room and I will call upon the Lord and Lady." He lead her down a massive corridor, the walls were lined with paintings of youkai, and battles of a long ago era. The room in which she would wait, was dimly lit by a few antique oil lamps, the carpet was plush and dark. Two red chaises were placed near the center of the room, one on either side of a uniquely patterened rug and antique oak table, and four black leather chairs were stratigically set close to the ends of the dark red furniture. "Take a seat, if you will, I will make sure the Master will be right with you."
She took a seat, her hand gently grazed the soft crimson velvet of the chaise, as her fingers itched to hold a paint brush. A distinct sound began to echo from up the hall, the rhymical sound of heels clicking down the wooden floor. A woman entered the room in graceful movements, the sweet scent of her perfume filled the air. "Oh, we really do have a guest. We haven't had a visitor in such a long time. I'm Kagome." The woman was dressed in a lovely white and green satin gown, the bodice was the same shade as freshly fallen snow as the skirt slowly darkened to an emerald green. Diamond pendents dripped from her ears and hung around a chain on her neck, and her dark hair was pinned up in a bun, and loose tendrils were curled to frame her soft features.
Sango stood and tried to smooth out her wrinkled clothes, as she had begun to feel under dressed. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Sango Sousetsu, you must be the Lady of this goregous home." Kagome set down, opposite of her guest, a genuine smile still on her face. "What brings you to our small village? We don't often get tourists or travellers." It was a simple enough question, but she hadn't meant to come here. "I happened across this cozy little town by chance. You see, I'm an artist, I paint places I travel to. I got one look at your home and my wheels started turning. I would love it if I could do a painting of this manor." It was then that a new presence entered the room, butler still in tow. "Sir, you really should put on shoes before meeting the guest." The young man sounded rather exasperated in Sango's opinion, but the voice that did respond didn't carry the same elegance as the servant.
"Give it a rest, would ya, Miroku? It's not like I care about such things anyway, shoes are stupid." A sigh followed the undignified response but there was nothing more said on the matter. "As you wish, Young Master." A man with long white hair and dog ears, entered the room. He wore a red ensemble, that was loose fitting, and rather gaudy. He looked at the artist that sat in his drawing room, with steely amber eyes. "Well, what do you want?" She had not expected the Lord, of a home like this, to be so rude. "I was wondering if I may do a painting of your home. It's beautiful and has deeply inspired me." The strange looking man seemed unmoved by her words, but he plopped down on the couch beside the kind, Kagome, before he barked out an order. "Miroku, go get us some drinks. We have a guest to entertain." The butler bowed his head at the demand he was given. "Of course, sir."
Sango had to admit that this place and the people inside were a little bizarre, but she was very much intrigued. Kagome shared another smile to the woman who had found their home by chance and decided to introduce her husband. "You can call this guy, Inuyasha. He's not used to having company." Sango blinked in confusion, her mouth slightly agape. She couldn't understand how a man that was given the title 'Lord', could be so clueless. "It's quite alright, I did just invite myself and I sort of barged into your life, with no warning." The awkward tension began to settle amongst them and the travelling artist fell into a place of discomfort. The silence lingered heavily but harsh words cut through it suddenly, which only managed to startle the young artist. "So, you gonna be staying here when you work on your painting?"
It took a moment for the hanyou's words to register to Sango, she hadn't expected him to make such an offer, or even let her work on the painting. "If that wouldn't be a problem. I wouldn't want to take advantage of your hospitality. I'm sure I could find a hotel or inn." The two began to laugh quietly at Sango's earnest words. "Oh honey, there are no such places in Shikon Square. Like we said, not a lot of people come here." Kagome's light response ended just as the butler reentered the room, caring a tray with a lovely little tea set, he carefully placed it on the table between the two chaises. His gaze fell upon her, a soft smile graced his lips, and a twinkle brighted his eyes. "Tea, Miss?" She could feel the heat as it rose to her cheeks. "Oh, um...yes please." He poured her a cup, before he did the same for Inuyasha and Kagome. "That'll be all for now, Miroku." He bowed again, after the Lord had given his order, then left the room without a word.
She picked up the handcrafted teacup and admired it in a way any artist would, then took a small sip of it's contents. "I would have to impose on you both while I work, most pieces take up to two weeks or longer. Are you sure about me staying here?" Kagome waved off the question with her hand dismissively. "It'll be no problem at all. We have so much room, we'd hardly even notice. Miroku would be the one tending to an extra person, but he can handle it. I think she should stay in the room in the east wing, she'd just love the view. Don't you think, dear." Inuyasha shrugged at his wife's inquiry, as he chose to place his attention on the sweet dumplings, Miroku had brought out with the tea. "Well, it's all settled, Sango. We hope you enjoy your time here at Silver Inu Manor. I'll tell Miroku that there will be one more for dinner and to get your bags to your room." And just like that, Sango would began her work at the home of Inuyasha and Kagome.
(A.N. Hello readers, I am currently making corrections for this story. If you see any mistakes please let me know what chapter and paragraph it's in, I have a bad habit of not seeing some. I suppose my brain just fixes the mistake. I also renamed Midnight Manor, to Crescent Moon, I just wasn't happy with the original name. Please leave a review, follow it, favorite it, those little things mean so much to me. Every comment makes me smile Keep sticking with the story, I will finish it.)