As this is a FanFiction site, I will only have one disclaimer here so that you can move right on in later chapters.

InuYasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. The only things here that belong to me are my ideas, and my incurable love for Sesshomaru. Please enjoy.


A Visitor

Sesshomaru could not hold back the silent sigh as his sensitive ears were assaulted by sound. He had been working on writing letters to some of the minor lords in the Western Lands. His irritation at having his concentration broken released a growl. His palace, which was normally silent, was now awash in commotion. Rin's constant chatter and movement was nothing compared to this level of activity surrounding his abode.

For a moment it made him wonder what type of guest had arrived to warrant such an uproar. Shaking his head free of the thought he turned his head and listened to everything going on. It wasn't difficult for him to pinpoint the center of chaos. There at the front gates was everyone who kept his home running.

Rin, his adopted daughter, a girl of 8 years and an innocent yet spitfire personality. Jaken, an imp yokai who could only be defined as annoyingly loyal, both of which he had in excess. Kouga, a minor wolf prince who'd shown his battle prowess and became his General. Seita, a brown bear yokai who was in charge of all his kitchens, had been since Sesshomaru was but a pup. Maria a small sparrow yokai who was in charge of keeping all of the palace clean and put together. Also there were Jichirou and Seichi, both of whom were guards. They were stationed at his front gate this morning.

Since there was such a large gathering, Sesshomaru's piqued interest was doubled. Though no sign of it would be found on his face, he remained as expressionless as ever. He stood there for a moment to study what was going on. No one had noticed his presence, and they were all gathered around something on the ground. Deciding he needed to figure out the cause of the disturbance he stepped forward and was satisfied when everyone stepped aside to let him see.

The sight taken in by cold gold eyes let lose a plague of questions and chaos in his mind. He battled irritation, confusion, and curiosity all at once for a few split moments before he harshly leashed them away to be dealt with later if they held any real importance. The female on the ground had pale skin and bright red hair. The only physical proof of what she was were the neko ears and three red, gold tipped tails. If it weren't for the haori that was covering her, which smelled of Seichi, she wouldn't be looked upon because it appeared that she was naked underneath.

"Lord Sesshomaru, what do you wish for me to do? With the trespassing nekomata? I mean, you know what she is, and what she is doing but" Jaken's irritating voice rang in Sesshomaru's ears. That voice alone was more abrasive than the entirety of the groups chattering about the strange female. All of which was happening at normal vocal levels. Sesshomaru ignored the imp and continued to study the strange female, not missing a single detail about her.

"Jaken." Sesshomaru stated, knowing he'd be heard without raising his voice. "You will not touch her." His tone brooked no room for argument. Everyone looked at each other before turning their attention back to Sesshomaru. His statement had been a very clear order. They were used to hearing him give orders, but they were surprised that he was so adamant about a female they didn't know.

Sesshomaru tuned everything else out for a moment to focus solely on her. He could just barely sense a familiarity about her but he couldn't place what it was. Her aura was an enigma that he'd never seen before. It was beautiful yet terrifying all at once. Swirling sky blue danced with deep red. The color mixture alone was odd, never would one see those colors in a natural setting. Between the colors the red seemed almost out of place, which just added to the mystery of the aura. To make it even more confusing Sesshomaru watched as the blue and red fought for complete control of the aura.

'It seems as if there is two people in her body, and both are fighting for control.' Sesshomaru mused to himself, and while it wasn't logical he didn't dismiss it completely. Something he'd never seen in all his years wouldn't have a normal reason. Her scent also baffled him.

Feline with a spice that wasn't expected betrayed the identity of the red aura, a fire nekomata. Laced with the same scent was lilacs and roses kissed by the earth and sky, if that was even possible. His eyebrow rose for just a moment as he placed the earthy scent, a human miko.

The complexity of the female before him, and all the questions that she raised tickled his curious nature even further. If he were alone he might have considered the urge to groan. It bothered him, irritated him, that anything could make him so curious. He closed his eyes for a moment as he considered what he'd figured out, though little it was.

'A fire nekomata and a human miko. They seemingly share a body, and both are fighting for control. Which one does the body belong to?' Sesshomaru's thoughts were interrupted and he let out a light growl. The female shifted and made a small whining noise in the back of her throat. She shifted from her side to her back and Sesshomaru's growl stopped short.

Her bright red curls went from covering her face one moment to framing her features the next. Several gasps were heard as every being took note of her features. Only Rin, Jaken and Sesshomaru saw the familiarity of her delicately built face. The only feature that was at odds with the familiar feeling of the face was the copper marking of a ring around a teardrop sitting proudly on her forehead. Her pointed ears didn't feel as at odds as the marking. Rin shakily reached over and grabbed his hand before looking up at him.


AN: Welcome to Change by Curse. This chapter is edited and expanded. The following chapters will be updated shortly. Once all eleven chapters that are already up are updated I will be continuing this story. However, the updates will be sporadic as I do have a life besides writing, no matter how much I wish my life revolved only around writing. Please review!