Disclaimer: I have and never will own Inuyasha . . . sadly . . .

xOx

It would have been a glorious day. The sun shone brightly overhead as a soft breeze tickled the leaves of trees nearby. The pond sang a sweet tune as birds bathed on the banks, and the scent of new cherry blossoms was in the air. Inside the city gates the market would have been bustling with activity—women would be chatting away among friends, small infants in their slings as their kimonos swayed back and forth. Young women would shyly blush as handsome men winked at them from the horses stalls and hurry away. The elderly would sit on steps and reminisce of the olden days while watching their grandchildren wrestle on the ground in front of them. It would have been a glorious day, if war weren't imminent.

No, sadly, it wasn't a glorious day. Despite nature's beauty, the people were afraid—terrified, really. They dare not venture out and meet each other, opting to stay inside the comfort and safety of their homes. The streets are vacant—no children running, no colorful kimonos swaying. The roads are bare with lack of produce, and even the neighs of horses are a rare sound these days. Peering through my window out to the once busy marketplace, I see nothing but a meager scattering of men—or what mot people would describe as soldiers. All have solemn faces, all with scantily clad armor.

I move away from the window and over to my washbasin, tired, lonely. The day was still young—in a few minutes I was to attend the morning meal—but the loneliness I felt staring across the empty courtyards made me lose my appetite. I glance at my reflection in the water and grimace, wishing that the face that stared back at me would disappear.

I am Higurashi Kagome of the Higurashi clan, daughter of Higurashi Kenji, nobleman and second in command to the Emperor himself. Despite his status, my father had the bad fortune to have Kami bestow him with all daughters and no sons. His wife, and my mother, Keiko, passed away during a smallpox plague five summers ago. All believed him to be bad luck, but he showered my sisters and I with such love that even eight sons could be jealous of.

My father has four daughters in all, each one winter apart. Kikyou, the eldest, is as graceful as a swan, with a willowy figure and the calligraphy of Kami himself. She is but twenty winters, and yet she posses the wisdom rival to that of one who has lived fifty. Kikyou is clearly the most gentle and most befitting of a daughter of a nobleman, and in my opinion, most like our mother.

Sango is the fighter among us. At a young age my dear uncle Koichi saw a soldier's spirit in her, and trained her among his own samurai. With a body built like a rock Sango fears no one, and with the reputation of being one of the best skilled fighters in the entire country, most believe her to be the son our father never had. However, behind the shoji screen she most feminine, her favorite color being that of the newly blossomed cherry blossom. She, out of all of us, inherited the features of our late mother, with her dark brown hair and prominent cheekbones.

As the youngest among us, only having lived ten and seven winters, Rin was the most naïve. She refuses to see the world for what it is, but instead sees it for its good only. Kikyou believe her to be stubborn, like I, but I think she is merely optimistic. Rin is loveable and innocent, and spends most of her time in the stables with the horses. Like the rest of us she shares Father's love, but when rumors of war began years ago, it was up to us to raise her as best as we could when Father immersed himself in aiding the Emperor with defense tactics..

I am the most like our father, and the complete opposite of my sisters. I have been told I am stubborn, temperamental, and impossible. 'The Wild Child' a noblewoman called me once, when I ran through the courtyard from my hairdresser, scantily clad and my hair flying behind me. Father calls me his untamed mare, wild and free. Most of the time I bath in his affection, but there are times I wish for the silky locks of Kikyou and Sango, instead of these unruly ones that frame my pale face, or Rin's carefree personality instead of my stubborn, blunt one. There are even times I wish for my sisters' submissiveness, instead of my outspoken and sometimes rude ways.

I usually take no pride in my appearance, except for one feature—my eyes. Unlike my sisters, my eyes are blue, an unusual color among our people. It was a trait of our mother, and my only link to her. Kikyou had her gentleness, Sango her features, Rin her love for animals, but I was the only one with her eyes. I had been proud of the color, but never boastful, for the color of my eyes brought trouble. 'She has too much water,' the elderly complain, 'she is unpredictable. At least her mother was restrained when she married Higurashi-sama. Until she herself is married, Kagome is a threat to the country.'

I may be reckless, rebellious, and sometimes hard to live with, but I am no threat to our great country. My feminist ways and outspokenness have caused me trouble before, but to have people believe that I may be the key to the country's downfall was in my opinion, preposterous. As much as I hate to admit it, I am but a woman, and women in our society have little to no status, especially if unmarried. One would think that a whole country couldn't possibly lay in the hands of a single woman, but under me and my sister's circumstances, it was reasonable; the Emperor, as great as he is, has never married, and now bordering sixty summers was getting along in age. He was a great and powerful man, as well as noble. He never fathered any bastard children, thus making his dynasty unstable. If he were to die, my father would ascend into power, and the country would then be dependant on who his daughters married.

Marriage. It always returns to marriage. By Japanese standards my sisters and I were old; the normal girl would be married by the age of sixteen. With the eldest twenty and the youngest seventeen, most believed that we would become spinsters, and when we died the country would fall into ruins with no form of government because we left no heir. We knew this, and yet none of us married. Some cursed my Father for his foolish thinking, and that he should have had each of us betrothed by the age of fifteen. Father ignored them, saying that his daughters were too precious to be thrown away to just any men. I gloat in his actions, for I never want to be married to a stranger. In fact, I refuse to be married at all—in my opinion, if I were to marry, I would lose myself, and become a mindless, childbearing object.

Kikyou tells me it is a matter of time until Father finds suitable husbands for us. Although I challenge her, deep in my heart I know it is true. As the daughters of Higurashi Kenji, and the most eligible women in the land, it was only a matter of time when we would be used as pawns in government. We could no sooner marry for love than a fish could learn to fly from a frog.

I have made it very clear to Father that I have no intention of marrying. My disobedience and defiance only fed to the fire that I in fact was trouble in the form of a high-ranking woman, and my eyes, as silly as it may seem, were the cause of it. My stubbornness, my unwillingness to follow in my sisters' footsteps, my feminist outlook on society, my entire being has deemed me dangerous, a threat to the country's welfare and a shame to women. Some people blame my father, others blame myself, but all conclude that my the color of my eyes and my heritage were a clear indication that I dared defy authority and tradition.

There is something about a resisting woman that makes them irresistible to men, and over the years I have had my fair share of suitors, all of which I have turned away. None I loved, none loved me—they merely wanted to say they were the man that claimed the Blue Lark of Japan, the most unattainable, wild, irresistible maiden in all of the land.

I am Higurashi Kagome, the Blue Lark of Japan. No man will tame me.

xOx

The halls were quiet as a lone figured slipped into the darkness, shutting the shoji screen to her chambers as she made her way towards the dining area. Her steps were slow—deliberate, as though weights clung to her very ankles. Sighing, she reminded herself that she attended each meal not because of hunger, but of duty.

Rounding the corner her face unexpectedly met with soft silk and a body, startling her. Gazing up at the face of her older sister, she opened her mouth to speak when she was abruptly thrust into an open chamber. Stumbling inside, her head collided with the soft thigh of her youngest sibling, and promptly fell with a soft thud. Confused, she scrambled to her knees as her sister shut the screen.

"Kikyou-nee-chan?"

"Shush, Kagome," she murmured, motioning both sisters to sit on her bed. "We must wait for Sango."

She blinked, allowing herself to adjust to the dim light. "Where is she?'

"She went to Father's study," Rin whispered, tucking her kimono neatly underneath her. "Two men arrived today."

Brushing off her sleeves, Kagome eyed both her sisters seriously. "Are they suitors?"

"I'm not quite sure," Kikyou shook her head, her silky tresses flouncing with her movement. "Sango went to investigate."

"It could be news of the war." Kagome scooted nearer to her youngest sister. "I hope the meal has gone cold."

Kikyou frowned. "You haven't been eating as it is. You out of all of us need the food."

"I'm not hungry," Kagome answered, looking away. Kikyou's mouth opened to scold her when the shoji screen slipped open and shut quietly.

"Sango! What news?"

The second eldest Higurashi daughter leaned against the screen, breathless. Her favorite magenta kimono hung messily on her body, as Kikyou strode forward to fix her falling obi. Sango's expression was unreadable, but her chocolate eyes were alive with fire.

"Sango?" Kagome stood, worried. "Sango, what's wrong?"

"Are they suitors?" Rin piped up, "Or is it about the war?"

Sango's eyes narrowed. "Both."

"Nani?" Kikyou stood back, confused. "What do you mean?"

"The two men, they were messengers from the Emperor," she explained, sinking to the ground. "War is inevitable—the Kimura clan is too strong."

"Kuso," Kagome muttered, earning surprised glances from Kikyou and Rin. "So, what're we going to do? We're going to fight, right?"

"Rumors of war have been circulating for years," Kikyou reasoned, "Why are they so sure that they will attack now?"

"The Kimura clan and their armies are emerging from the west," Sango clenched her teeth, "and they plan to take the Emperor willing or not."

The three let their sister's words sink in. Although Japan had been a peaceful country for centuries, a clan by the name of Kimura had been threatening to usurp the power for themselves since before they were even born. They were a powerful group, with youkai and humans alike, led by Kimura Inutaisho and his two sons. They had been provoking the Emperor for years, refusing negations, but their patience had worn off. They wanted the throne, and they wanted it now.

"So what does the Emperor plan to do?" Rin asked, her eyes round with worry. "Are we going to send out our samurai?"

Sango's face hardened. "No."

"Nani?!" Kagome spun around, shocked. "What do you mean?"

"Their armies are too great, we're outnumbered," Sango muttered, her voice admitting defeat. "Our defeat is imminent, according to the messengers, but the Emperor sent the Kimura clan a proposition that might keep the peace."

"Which would be?"

Sango stared at her three sisters, who waited for her answer impatiently. Her heart plummeted to her stomach as she uttered the only syllable that would change their lives forever.

"Us."

xOx

"So let me get this straight: they're offering women in the place of bloodshed?"

Kimura Inutaisho leaned back into his chair, watching his sons take in the information. "Hai."

Two pairs of golden eyes blinked back at him, before one, the younger pair, crinkled and a howl of laughter could be heard throughout the encampment. "I hope you turned them down, Father."

"On the contrary, Inuyasha, I accepted."

The tent fell silent for a few moments, and for a second the youkai King thought his sons would behave rationally for once. Unfortunately, he was terribly mistaken.

"Nani?!" The younger son roared. "I am not marrying some half-witted human!"

"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru reprimanded with a cold voice, but he too stood from his seat, "Watch your tone. We must have Father explain himself to us."

Inutaisho raised an eyebrow. "It is quite simple: by marrying these women, we would have a legitimate connection to the throne. No one would dare challenge us, for my sons married the heirs to the throne, and with no war, our men would be spared."

"Father," Sesshoumaru interrupted, taking his seat once more, "I was under the presumption that the Emperor had no children."

"Your presumption is correct," Inutaisho grinned, fingering his sword. "But the nobleman who is second in line to the throne does. The Emperor has assured me that this man, Higurashi I believe his name is, will gladly relinquish his claim to the throne for peace."

"Higurashi?" An eager voice broke out from the darkness of the tent, "You don't mean the Higurashi sisters?"

Inuyasha growled low. "So you know of these wenches?"

"Who wouldn't?" The voice's owner stepped forward with a wide grin on his face. "They're known throughout the country."

"Well, General Tomoe," Inutaisho drawled lazily, "since you're the expert, would you care to enlighten us with your knowledge?"

The dark-haired man bowed graciously as his violet eyes twinkled in the dim light. "I have never seen them personally, Kimura-sama, but I have heard that they are the prize of Japan. Women of renown beauty, they are said to be."

"Well that's no surprise," Inuyasha grumped, plopping down in the seat next to his brother, "only you, Miroku, would know about these kinds of things."

"You flatter me, Inuyasha," Miroku returned. "But ask any man in the camp and they have heard of the name of Higurashi, along with the Blue Lark of Japan."

"Blue Lark of Japan?"

"Ah, hai, milord," Miroku bowed again. "There are four Higurashi daughters in all, each with her own astounding beauty, but one of them is known as the Blue Lark of Japan. She is to have said to have eyes as blue as the ocean that set her apart from her sisters."

"A real beauty, I assume," Inutashio prodded.

"Hai, milord, although," Miroku paused, "she is said to be the wildest of the four. She refuses to marry anyone and claims that no man can tame her. She is the most stubborn as well."

"Keh, so we have a ice bitch and her sisters," Inuyasha snorted. "I still don't plan on marrying any of them!"

"Nonsense, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru hissed, "unless you want to refuse this legitimate claim to the throne, you will marry one of the Higurashi women!"

"I don't know why you're not complaining, you bastard," Inuyasha retorted, "you have to marry one of these bitches as well!"

"Unlike some ungrateful bastards," Sesshoumaru glared, "I know wherein my duty lies."

Inuyasha bore his teeth at his brother, who sat passively and returned it with a bored stare. Miroku stood to the side, eyeing the spectacle with much amusement, while Inutaisho grinned.

"It's settled then. My sons will marry two of the Higurashi daughters."

xOx

"Father! You can't be serious!"

Higurashi Kenji gazed sadly at his daughters, three of which were watching silently while one was arguing rather forcefully. "Kagome, there is no other way."

"No other way??" Kagome spun on her heel, her dark green kimono billowing around her. "We have to fight!"

"If we fight, we lose. We might as well go peacefully with little to no bloodshed than have our men fight in a useless war."

"But they are youkai, Father," Kagome pleaded. Glancing at her sisters for support, they refused to meet her eye.

"Kagome, I have never known you to be prejudice towards youkai."

"I'm not," she snapped, sighing as she noticed Kenji's eyebrow rise in disapproval. Lowering her voice, she tried again. "I'm not prejudice towards youkai, Father, but against those who would dare take our freedom away."

"Aren't there laws against youkai and human marriage?" Sango spoke softly, raising her eyes uncertainly.

"Those laws will soon be changed, I expect, when the new power ascends," Kenji murmured.

"So that's it? We surrender and give up? We just let them take the throne and country?"

Kenji sighed, beckoning his third eldest child to sit. She spoke with such force, such fury, such truth, it reminded him much of himself. Some wondered why he tolerated such behavior from his daughter.

"With time," he began, "comes change. The power that rules over us wasn't always there, Kagome. The Emperor once usurped the throne from someone else. Now, it is his turn to step down. It is just the way things are."

This silenced Kagome and her sisters, and miserably Kenji watched them let his words sink in. He took a deep breath, knowing what he had to discuss next would cause a great uproar than any war. It killed him to put them through this, but with a country's peace at stake, he prayed that one day they would find it in their hearts to forgive him.

"The Kimura clan will be arriving at the end of this week," he began quietly, not meeting any of their eyes. "I would like all of you to be present at the palace when they do, dressed in your finest robes. They . . . they should see you in your best when they . . ."

Tears sprang to their eyes to see their father, the great Higurashi Kenji, a war hero, choke on his words. Rin and Sango rushed to his side as his tears flowed down his cheeks, while Kikyou shut the shoji screen of his study and Kagome fetched a cup of water.

"Onegai, my daughters," he croaked, waving the cup of water away, "I beg you to forgive me one day. I have been a terrible father to do such a thing to you."

"Father," Sango cooed softly, "it is not of your will. If this is to bring peace to our country, we will carry out the Emperor's order."

Kenji shook his head woefully. "If your mother was alive to see this, she would've never forgiven me."

"Yes, she would," Kikyou squeezed his arm firmly. "Mother always honored your decisions."

"This is our fate, Father," Rin squeaked, tears spilling from her own eyes. "Besides, it's not so bad. There will still be two of us to return to you after the princes choose their brides."

Kagome hovered over her family, but didn't utter a single word. She kept her lips shut and teeth clenched, knowing too well that her words weren't what they needed at this moment. She stroked her father's head as he wept, but kept her eyes fixated on the shoji screen.

"Kagome?"

Tearing her eyes away, she glanced down at her Father's watery gaze. Her heart broke to see him in such a pitiful state. "Hai, Father?"

"Will you . . . will you honor my decision like your sisters have done? Will you go to the palace when the princes arrive?"

The young woman gulped, and suddenly her obi felt extremely tight on her waist. She gazed at her sisters' expectant stares, and for once in her life, swallowed her pride.

"I can't make any promises, Father, but I will certainly try."

xOx

Night had fallen when Kagome finally retired to her room. Sitting on her mat she brushed her unruly hair and stared into the dark sky, a lone candle her only source of light. Her heart was burdened, and her thoughts were muddled.

Supper had been a quiet affair—after his talk with his daughters Kenji thought it wise not to crack any of his usual jokes or tell stories, for it would only worsen the mood. None of them were hungry, but each ate for the others' sake, while the entire time the Higurashi daughters all wondered who the two women would be picked to become youkai brides.

Slipping into her sleeping kimono Kagome was about to turn in when her screen quietly whispered open, revealing Sango holding a candle. The two women stared at each other for a moment, before the elder sister entered and shut the screen behind her.

It was such a natural thing that neither of them spoke—whenever one was troubled, the other would slip into their room and stay the night with them. Usually it was Kagome who would sneak into Sango's quarters when her fears of a battle the next day haunted her thoughts, or when the occasional gossipers would whisper behind her back that the second Higurashi daughter was too manly to be a woman. Kagome would comfort her and ease her thoughts until Sango fell fast sleep.

Tonight was one of those rare nights where it was Sango's turn to comfort her sister. Though she said not a word, Sango knew that these strange princes that threatened to take two of them away troubled Kagome.

"Are you alright?"

Kagome fiddled with her fingers. "I've been better."

Sango nodded, and wrapped an arm around her sister. "I'm here, you know."

"I know." She sighed, and leaned into her older sister's lean frame. "I'm just, scared, you know?"

"We all are," Sango assured, rubbing her arm. "We all are."

"I would hate to disappoint Father, but I don't know how I will find it in myself to drag myself to the palace."

"It would be a great honor for you to bestow them with your presence," Sango teased, "to think, they would have the Blue Lark of Japan standing before them."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Kagome answered sadly.

Sango frowned, letting her sister's words sink in. She had wondered why Kagome was more troubled than the rest of them, but now she finally understood. Kagome was the Blue Lark of Japan, the woman who every man sought after. It was because of their father's authority that she was able to turn down her suitors, but if one of the princes chose her as his bride, Kagome had no choice but to submit, lest she allow blood to be shed.

She was the one in most danger of being married.

"Oh, Kagome," Sango whispered in her hair, "I'm so sorry."

The elder sister prodded no further as Kagome sobbed into her night kimono, a myriad of tears soaking the material. Sango was the only one Kagome allowed to see her cry.

Sango scooped her sister in her arms and rocked back and forth. Tears threatened to spill from her own eyes as she felt her sister's hopelessness and despair.

"It's alright, Kagome. Everything will be alright—Blue Lark or not, you're not an object to be won."

xOx

AN: Hello! I hope you like the story!

EDIT: I changed a few things after rereading this chapter. Nothing major.