Cicada

The Higurashi Cicada had always been one of Kagomes least favorite creatures throughout elementary school and middle school. It only changed in high school because of the well.

"Yeesh Kagome-chan, why are you always so sad looking?"

"Haha! You got no father!"

"I heard her dad left for another woman..."

Even so, Kagome did the same things all the other little girls her age did. Dance class, music class, and learning shrine duties took up most of Kagome's off time growing up. But unlike the other little girls, Kagome learned traditional dance in a kimono instead of ballet in a tutu. She learned to play the bamboo flute instead of piano or violin. And shrine duties were a far cry from hanging out at the arcade or the mall.

"Her family is stuck in the fuedal era!"

"Following traditions like that? My god, how archaic..."

"Stupid Kagome, We'll all turn into butterflies but she'll just turn into a silly old cicada!"

High school had only been better because of two reasons, the first being she met her new friends there. Eri, Yuka and Ayumi. Tsukikage High was also a good distance away from her old school, but strangely closer to her home. The teachers there were nice, the classes were fun, and the students were close knit once the year began. But there were a few quirks about the school. Classes revolved around traditional skills like the ones Kagome had been taught growing up, making it easier for Kagome to adapt to the classes.

The second reason high school had been different was the bone eaters well. It was obviously harder to be teased about your families status when you were 500 years in the past. It was harder to be teased about knowing how to arrange flowers when such a skill helped you survive during your travels. Impossible to be teased about training your Reiki when that was the only thing saving your neck on a daily basis. And in a world where the flute was the most popular instrument, Kagome felt very much at home.

She loved it in the fuedal era, she loved travelling around with her friends and meeting new people and having that warm fuzzy feeling that you could only feel when you were held in the arms of the person you loved.

This was greatly countered by the school she missed, the dying life she had, and the feeling of heartbreak when you saw the man you loved in the arms of another woman. It was times like these that she could relate to the evening cicada. It's mournful song seemed to reflect her life and feelings so well, Sometimes she tried to copy it's song on her flute. She never could, she only suceeded in drawing in more little insects and furthering her depression.

Kagome sighed, putting her flute away in it's case before lying back down on her bed. She didn't dare take her flute back to the fuedal era, it was the one thing he'd left. That was before Souta was born. He was Kagome's half brother, from a man Kagome didn't hate or like. Gai was just kinda...there sometimes. He was usually gone on business trips and never questioned Kagome's absences. Rei told him she was off with a boyfriend or visiting some relative and he accepted it.

'How could my mother like someone so boring and dull?' She thought to herself. 'How papa?'

Kagome's father had been a very strong man supposedly, and his departure hadn't been by choice. It was forced like so many other things in life. She shook her head of such thoughts and willed herself to sleep, tommorrow was going to be one big 'hit or miss' which would decide the groups future.

Inu

He drummed his claws on his desk, the cherry speckled with the tattoo his fingers made. Four holes, one for each claw, in the same place, same depth, width and all started at the same time. It was a habit he fell back on when there were no witnesses to veiw that he was in fact agitated.

His father had called him a 'little drummer boy' when he'd seen him do it growing up, before his perfect control. That nickname was the sole reason for his icy persona (not that he was any better before, he simply became more resolved).

Back to the drumming of the fingers.

He was concerned about the coming dawn and what would happen. His feeble half brother had broken something during a fight, something he would have no doubt cackled over in glee when he was younger. Unfortunately it was rather close to the end of Naraku when it happened, not very cackle worthy. He hadn't been incredibly surprisd when his brothers vassal had come to him with a plea of aid. The fact that it had actually been his brother sending the plea made him wary.

There was a deal he was willing to make. InuYasha would have his second miko wench restore his arm in return for Sesshomaru aiding them in the destruction of Naraku.

'Like I wasn't intending that already.' from the outside it looked like a good deal, his arm would be returned for doing something he was in the middle of doing. it was like a new years resant. But he knew his brother was up to something. After many hours of prodding the Flea demon for information he found out the truth. InuYasha's first miko wench was plotting the destruction of the second, and her allies feared for her safety.

"Sesshomaru-sama, I beg of you, Kagome-sama is the key to Naraku's destruction, were Kikyo to suceed in her goals, not only would she kill your brother, something only for you to end milord, she would also allow Naraku to ravage the lands and destory everything you haved created!"

That was what caused Sesshomaru to agree. Though it was true he hated humans with a passion, he was smart enough to know that they made up a majority of his vassals and paid most of the taxes. Sesshomaru was a Taisho first, a demon second. On Naraku, the two happened to go hand in hand. So now, he was in his study, signing and denying laws and documents, reading reports of his border patrols and messages from his minor lords. He was preparing to leave for battle and his men were to be ready at a moments notice. Or else.

Pinching his nose he took a deep breath, deciding on which documents he would have to bring along to read over during his journey with, of all people, his brother. 'Laws...Payment...food...Oh Kami...' Sesshomaru glared at the document in front of him. One of the minor lords, a lady in fact had been the subject of many complaints lately. Lady Hitomi Oodeo. Her family was a Yakuza family, one complaint right there. She was a woman and ruling power, another complaint. The biggest complaint however made no sense to him at all. She was taking in orphans, cripples and women from brothels to work and live normal lives on her lands. As a result, she put out more food than any of his other lords, paid more taxes and was by far his most wealthy holding. Other Taiyoukai considered him a genius and were trying to copy him, giving females more rights to rule, few took them, but those that did made their lords very happy.

Except for the complaints they gained. If Sesshomaru, the ice prince was annoyed, he could only imagine what his more...passionate counterparts were going through. That thought made him smile. He decided to throw that too in his sleeve to go over at later time, perhaps the taijya could loan some input on the situation.

Cicada meets Inu

Kagome heaved her bag over the lip of the well, grumbling at the unfairness of it all. For some bizarre reason, her step father had decided to come back from Vietnam the day she was leaving. That in itself wasn't a big deal, no, the newfound desire to send her to America for the rest of her school life was the big deal. Apparently, the baka had it in his head that she was dating a thug and needed to be sent away so she could reform and come back full of love and hapiness. He'd decided to give Kagome a few weeks to say goodbye to "her cheating no good youth stealing" boyfriend, telling her that when she came back everyting would be packed and ready for her to leave.

"Gai no Baka!" She growled giving her overloaded bag a good kick. She was mildly surprised when it flew across the clearing and into the branches of a tree. "Kamikuso!"

Storming over to the tree, she kicked it a few more times, succeeding only in knocking a few items out of her bag. Her flute being one of them.

"Crap!" She shouted, lunging foreward to catch it."I can't belive this is happening to me." Kagome had finally broken her vow not to bring the flute to the past; She didn't want her stepfather touching it.

"Does this Sesshomaru even want to know why you are on the ground miko?" a cool voice floatewd over to her. Kagome sat up, grinding her teeth and resisting the urge to scream and curse and let all her agitation go.

'No, we need him as an ally,' She reminded herself. "I don't particularly care if you want to know or not, Sesshomaru-sama. I'm slightly more preoccupied with getting my bag out of the tree right now."

The Taiyoukai watched as she kicked off her shoes and pulled her socks off in preperation to climb the local flora. She was far more active than most miko he'd come across, that was for sure. 'And a good deal louder,' He thought as she cursed the canvas bag on the branch above her. He was about to ask why she'd climbed out of the well when he sensed his brother coming, along with the rest of his pack.

Sesshomaru stepped away from the miko's tree, preparing himself for the encounter by memorizing the basic rules of treaties.

don't insult the possible ally

"Bout time you showed up you bastard!" InuYasha yelled, oblivious to the precarious position of his tree climbing miko.

"I'm perfectly on time Half breed," he haughtily replied. "You're the one who's late." He could hear the faint sound of the sakura tree behind him groaning as the miko reached for her bag.

point out why you should join

"Keh! Whatever, if I had any other choice I wouldn't be seen in hell with you," InuYasha huffed, still ignoring the miko and her small squeek of 'uh oh'.

'Is he unable to sense her?' "This Sesshomaru is only here to see if the offer was truly sincere. I do like having two arms little brother."

if at all possible, do something to show you really want the alliance

Sesshomaru heard the crack before anyone else in the clearing did, except maybe the miko sitting on the branch. She began to scream as she descended, still without her bag, to the hard earth some 8 feet below. And, before he actually comprehended what was going on, he was standing with the miko in his arms. She was breathing heavily and still shocked.

Okay, I got tird of everyone writing Sesshomaru off as someone who had nothing better to do than run around after his brother. He's a lord! He has to do taisho stuff and organize his lands and crap. so most the time when he's travelling, he's probably goin over paperwork when they rest.

Also, I think Kaome's mother would eventually get tired of it all. So, This story is going ot be a strictly Inuyashaverse piece. A few names from other places might be included along with personality traits. but thats about it. also, as some of you may be able to tell, i dun realluy care about spelling or propor punc in my AN's. it's just plain boring to have to do that. So anyways I keep smelling chamomile and tea so I'm going to have some. please leave me reveiws, they make me write more.