A/N: This is the first chapter in the introductory story for my newest character named Harunoko Misaki. I really hope you like it, please let me know of things I can do to improve. Also, I do not own Inuyasha, but I -do- however own the Harunoko Clan and everything associated. The next chapter will be a better introduction of Harunoko Misaki, I wanted to get the plot down for the first chapter, see what the general ideas about it were.

In the Palace of the Southern Lands

Koga was seething.

That bitch. Whatever happened to the "I'm full of myself and I hate your non Ice-Yokai butt!"? He wished he could shred her letter, and burn the shards, and burn the ashes (just for good measure, he told himself after a moment of contemplation). It was simply frustrating. He had gotten used to dealing with that side of her personality, but this was completely different. And he couldn't get rid of the letter, no matter how much he wanted to. It was an official letter, sealed with the Official seal of the Harunoko Clan. The clean spidery script her knew from his childhood days had not changed even slightly. Now that spidery ink was staring up at him, daring him to make a comment. Sighing, Koga decided that he needed a break. Anything to get away from the memories that difficult handwriting and the equally difficult woman it brought to mind.

Rising from his desk in the den, he slipped on the honorary fur cloak that he only ever wore on rare occasions when he wanted peace and quiet. It was not the cloak that really did it, it was the silent shift in personality, with the cloak on, Koga was no longer an adolescent Wolf kicking the dirt with his friends, Koga was the responsible and respected ruler of the Wolf Tribes. Raising a clawed hand to massage his temples, he signaled a serving girl to his side. "I'll be in the gardens, bring me some brandy," he thought for a moment, "And two glasses." Koga watched for a split second as the command registered in her mind before she bowed and scurried off. Hopefully she'd have the good sense to know who the other glass was for and would send her his way. Ayame was not a big drinker of brandy, he knew, but on occasion she did enjoy the taste of it on her palette. That is the story she gave to Koga, at least, and she stuck to it no matter how many times he tried to pry the real reasoning out of her.

Koga batted away the butterflies that flitted around him as he sat on a particularly flat rock in the middle of the gardens. His brow furrowed and his nose scrunched as her scent reached him. She had arrived faster than he expected, "Hello Ayame, please, come and sit with me."

"Yes, my lord. Thank you," her meek tone was not one that he was used to and for some reason it put him on edge. But she sat next to him anyways, choosing to ignore the tenseness in between his shoulders.

Koga sighed as a way of prelude to what he hoped would be a rather painless explanation. He doubted such, but forged ahead as he normally would have, "I have received an interesting letter from an old acquaintance." His tone implied that it was old indeed, "And it's signed by someone we used to play with. Harunoko Misaki. She has inherited the ruler-ship of the Harunoko clan. Apparently, this is more a problem of how it occurred rather than whether it occurred at all," Koga waited for a sign from Ayame that she wanted to ask a question.

She knew why she was there, to be a listening ear. That's usually how it went whenever Koga wore the cloak of trials and invited her to brandy in the gardens. Of course it was never by name, only ever by implication. But Ayame knew her mate, after many years of union, it could not be helped. Ayame just didn't know what question Koga might want her to ask, and that's usually what kept her on her toes all the time. Nodding her comprehension, she silently spurred Koga on in his hapless explanation.

The corner of his eye caught her nod and he took it as a sign to go on, "Making a long story incredibly short, the Hawk Yokai of the Eastern Lands assaulted the palace and the Harunoko Clan, annihilating the city of ice and its palace. The only survivors are Misaki, Hikaru, and Tenshi. She only mentioned their names among the living, but I don't know where they are and I'm sure it doesn't matter."

"Why would the Harunoko fall so easily, though?"

"They didn't, the Hawk Yokai barely survived as well, but since the battle was not waged upon their own lands, the Hawks had land to return to. The Harunoko children have neither clan nor land. But what I find curious is that she's asked me to help her, several years after the fact. By me I mean the Wolf Tribes of the southern Lands."

"She probably went through mourning and set down to plan and look over all the old ties and new ones as well. If you analyze her decision to ask us rather than the snakes, for example, you will likely find that she has not spent the last two years simply crying and moaning about. I will help you if you like," Ayame did not have a scold or a teacher's tone, simply a helpful love willing to help her mate in something she found interesting.

Koga sighed and rubbed his temples, it was just getting to the part that bothered him. "Yes, I know. I've already looked over the treaties; the problem is the fact that she sounded so defeated and broken in the letter. Used to, the letters we bantered back and forth in, and all the brawling we did as pups, they were filled with a dangerous icy fire. This letter…" He sighed, sucking in a deep breath and letting it out in a measured manner before continuing. "This letter has none of that spark, it's as though she's completely lost the will to survive and the only thing left keeping her going as revenge. If it had been on personal terms, I'd be there in an instant, we both know that. But I don't know that I can risk my own family and clan for a last ditch effort of revenge for someone who's stopped living already."

Ayame understood. No matter how often the two of them spat and scratched and clawed each other to death, they would still be childhood playmates. Best friends separated not only by blood but by familial ties. She saw how much it distressed her love to see his friend melting away, and it made her distressed as well. She also saw the fine line between distressed and frustrated and pissed. Koga happened to be standing on the pinnacle of those lines, uncertain of which way to fall. Ayame sighed; good thing there was brandy, because she was going to need it. The Harunoko twins had been close to her, but Ahiru especially. Their similar personalities seemed to mesh together, it was probably a good indication of why Ayame and Koga got along so well. Ayame missed her friend already, and in honor of her memory, Ayame would fight with Misaki. Koga had a point though, was Misaki's cause great enough to trouble an entire Wolf Tribe and risk their injuries as well? There was going to be some serious problems. She spoke softly, soothing his nerves expertly, "Let's go look at the letter again, I miss Misaki's handwriting."

Koga recognized the request beneath the friendly terms. She technically could not see the letter without his permission, but she was comforting him, letting him know that she understood his personal qualms concerning the letter. Koga spoke in a benevolent and calm tone, "Very well, Lady Ayame. Your wish is my command."

Ayame blushed and hid a secretive smile. He had understood why she asked that way, and understood that she comprehended the more political side of it. This is quite the prickly letter, quite possibly the most controversial letter we've received in a very long time. Setting her empty glass that once held brandy next to Koga's empty glass, she rose and followed him inside. Something different caught her eyes.

The cloak of trials was folded over one of his arms.

Her silent cheers reverberated around in her mind; at least she had gotten him to be a little less tense about it. Now for the really difficult part. She wasn't sure what had been written, but she was sure that if she had to read of Ahiru's death in Misaki's spidery script, Ayame would likely cry a whole series of rivers.

To Be Continued

A/N: I hope you enjoyed reading this first chapter. As this story is an introduction for one of my original characters, the focus will not be on any particular group. I would like to hear opinions on which characters you'd like to see make an appearance and what sort of impact you'd like to see them make on Harunoko Misaki's life. She is not planned out very much at the moment, so any and all suggestions will be considered if not carried out (with full credit given where due). Pairing rules for this story effectively follow what is laid out in the anime: Inuyasha/Kagome, Miroku/Sango, Koga/Ayame, Sesshoumaru/(no one as of yet, likely to remain so unless I get a suggestion).
BEFORE YOU ASK: No, Misaki is not going to end up paired with Sesshoumaru-sama (though now that I say that, my muse is going to make it so UU muses can be troublesome bastards). I am not normally a huge fan of sticking an original character into the pairing fabric of an anime (but usually that comes into effect when someone tries to pair an Original Character with Inuyasha without stating a good reason why he would leave Kagome and why Kagome would let someone take him from her). There is a very slight possibility that Misaki might become paired with Sesshoumaru-sama, but unless her story twists in a way I haven't seen yet (possible) I don't think Sesshoumaru-sama will have to give up his bachelor status.