Remember Me

Chapter One: Danger

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. This story is a sequel to Defeat and I promise you will not understand it without reading that first. Enjoy.

&:0:&

"Kasumi has readied her forces, my lord Sesshomaru," Hachiro announced.

I froze outside the door. My hair slipped out of its loose ponytail and I shook it impatiently out of my eyes. I carefully, silently as possibly, retreated a little down the hallway so that my mate, Sesshomaru, would not catch my scent. For weeks now he had been worried. I got the distinct feeling he was trying to protect me by keeping me in the dark…

Do I really need to remind him that it was me who defeated Naraku so long ago? I wondered with a stab of annoyance. You don't need to protect me, Sesshomaru. You need to trust me.

Eavesdropping was not the way I usually liked to do things. My intent had been to interrogate Hachiro, Sesshomaru's second-in-command and loyal friend (albeit one who bowed every few minutes). He reminded me a little of Jaken, in the mannerisms bit, and he was a bit obsequious, but he was kind and always honest, and very crafty. Tsu and Hoshiko didn't think much of him either, but that was mostly because he was obedient.

And that, naturally, was a quality they both found absolutely disgusting.

Still, I could usually weasel any information out of Hachiro that I could possibly want (or not want; the demon was more gossipy than any number of old women). Unless, of course, Sesshomaru had forbid him to tell me anything. That was annoying. Then the poor old wolf demon would stutter and trip up, and eventually run out of the room with a wild half-muttered excuse about being needed elsewhere.

So all in all, eavesdropping, however lowly, was probably the best way to go in this instance.

"Has she made any outward sign of aggression?" That was Sesshomaru's voice, quiet and commanding, almost muted.

"Sesshomaru, she has openly shown her anger and bitterness towards the West ever since you took Mai as a mate," Mizuki reminded him. I felt a wave of unease at my friend's words. Mizuki was a neko demon, and so very loyal, but her words were disturbing. Is it my fault this war is taking place?

"Jealousy." The taiyoukai's voice was filled with disgust.

"Yes," Mizuki confirmed. "Jealousy. I…I would suggest a conference with them, Sesshomaru. With her. But before she gets anywhere near this palace, hide Mai and the children. They have to be safe."

He was confident. "She would not dare touch them."

"Sesshomaru." Mizuki was both independent and obstinate; she refused to call Sesshomaru anything other than his name, and she was deadly determined now. "Ordinarily, I would agree. No one in their right mind would attack a priestess, much less one with your blood and under your protection. No one would attack demons with Hoshiko and Tsukiko's powers either."

"But milord, Kasumi has gone mad." That was Hachiro again, and his voice was low and convincing.

"Surely she has, if she has the audacity to believe an attack on my mate and daughters would produce any good for her," Sesshomaru commented mildly. "Hachiro, set up an audience with the great Lady of the East."

"As milord wishes it," Hachiro agreed obediently. "Mizuki, as the omega here, you shall be the one to deliver the message."

"No. I have other plans for her," Sesshomaru argued. "Mizuki. You have spied for me before. Do you think you could do it again?"

She snorted ungracefully. "Can I do it again? Can a priestess purify a demon?" I restrained a giggle. How like Mizuki to be so confident!

"Prepare yourself then, and be ready to leave at sunrise." There was a bite of impatience to his speech now.

"Shouldn't you send the message first?" Mizuki asked reasonably.

"You will not question my decision."

Mizuki did not answer, but I could hear the impatient tap, tap of her claws against the hard marble table that said she wouldn't leave without an answer.

"She will be more suspicious if you arrive after the meeting if things do not go smoothly," Sesshomaru explained reluctantly. "Kasumi knows I have a spy with an impeccable reputation. If there is an argument, she will be more suspicious than ever, and you will have to work twice as hard to get in."

"Mm." You could hear skepticism in the cat demon's tone, but she said all the same, "Very well. I will have Chika find me an outfit and I will speak with Mai before I leave."

"No!" Sesshomaru exclaimed, voice far louder than usual. "Do not tell her!" So he doesn't want me to know, I acknowledged with a soundless sigh.

Mizuki sighed. "Sesshomaru, hiding this from her is not going to help."

No, it certainly isn't, I agreed indignantly.

"She's already suspicious. If you don't tell her, she will assume the worst. In fact, I think you ought to tell her now." Listen to her. Please! I begged silently.

"No." He almost whispered the word. "Do you not remember us telling you the story of Naraku's death? Of our daughters, Tsukiko and Hoshiko and their role in it even before they were born?"

"Of course we remember, milord," Hachiro assured him nervously.

"Then you will recall that they had no parents in their time. They returned to the world of Kagome –" here I had to smile; it had taken me months teaching him to stop calling Kagome 'my brother's miko' "– through the well…to a place of nothing but each other. They had no family. That could be due to this war, some mistake I will make that will allow Mai and myself to be killed." His voice shuddered ever so slightly. "I will not let that happen again."

"I don't think it's something you will really be able to control," Mizuki pointed out reasonably. "They will be far safer if you tell them."

Silence. My breathing sounded loud, and I struggled to quiet my heart.

"She would want you to," Hachiro urged. I knew that Sesshomaru would lose this argument then; Hachiro was adamant enough about this to not add a 'milord' at the end.

"Sesshomaru?" Swallowing my guilt, I slowly entered the room, searching for his amber eyes, and feeling a wave of reassurance and love when they connected with my black ones.

"Mai." He stood. "What are you doing here?"

I gulped, but tried to regain my courage. I hated deceiving him. But he had to see it had been necessary! "I…I was looking for Hachiro. I was hoping he could explain what was going on since you wouldn't."

I could see the pain in his eyes and felt another guilty knife stab at my heart. "I'm sorry," I added quietly. "But I needed to know."

He was at my side then, touching her hairline with a gentle claw. The casual caress sent a shiver through my body. "You would be safer in ignorance," he protested softly. "It was meant for your protection."

I smiled at him. "I can take care of myself, Sesshomaru. Just give me a chance and I can help you."

He stared into my eyes for the longest time (my legs felt like weak) before nodding once. "Very well. Come; sit."

Grinning triumphantly, I slid into the empty seat between Mizuki and Sesshomaru. "What did I tell you?" the former asked cockily, smirking at her master.

He ignored her. "In short, Mai, the Lady of the East –"

"Kasumi is preparing to wage war on the Western Lands," I interrupted, nodding. "I heard your conversation."

He frowned.

I smiled sheepishly.

Mizuki snickered.

I controlled myself. "The only part I didn't like was Mizuki's suggestion about hiding Hoshiko, Tsu, and me."

"Kasumi is a female inu demon, milady," Hachiro reminded me. "Before Sesshomaru's noble father was killed, it was arranged that the next Lady of the East and Lord of the West – Kasumi and Sesshomaru – would be mated and thus the lands be united."

"But after his death…?" I prompted.

"My father was killed by Kasumi's mother," Sesshomaru explained quietly. "Relationships between us were rather strained after that."

"I imagine," I muttered.

"Kasumi, however, has never quite given up on the idea of combining the lands," Mizuki resumed. "She has always thought the idea of having Sesshomaru as a mate quite…delightful. She did not take the news of you well."

"With the births of ladies Hoshiko and Tsukiko, she has grown even more bitter," Hachiro sighed. "Milady, with all due respect, I think she wishes to prove your humanness to milord and, if that fails, kill you. You are in more danger than any of us."

I shook my head forcefully. "No. She will never be able to hurt my children! And I refuse to be driven out of my home because some inu youkai gets jealous!"

Mizuki exchanged a glance with Hachiro. "You know," she admitted, "she's got a point there."

"Of course I do!" I seethed. Usually, I wasn't a violent person, and my own anger surprised me. Still, I knew where it was coming from – no one threatened Sesshomaru or my daughters and got away with it (not that I typically had to protect Sesshomaru, but all the same…).

"Hey, calm down," Mizuki soothed. "Alright. You win. You're not going to be sent into hiding – yet, anyways," she added. "I can't make any promises. You and the girls are too important to us for us to risk losing you."

My anger quieted. Feeling rather ashamed of my outburst, I only nodded, tracing a green vein in the marble with the tip of my finger.

Mizuki's arm wrapped comfortingly around my shoulder. "Come on, Mai; let's go find the girls and get me ready for spying."

"Would it really be the best idea to tell them?" Hachiro questioned. "They're still young and might let it slip to someone…who would tell someone else, and Kasumi might be warned."

"They'd find out anyways," Mizuki shrugged. "What with Tsu's mind-reading and all. Best to just tell them, and they're smart enough to keep it a secret. Besides, with any luck, they'll never have to come into contact with Kasumi."

"I have an idea." I looked up, biting my lip. I was sure they wouldn't go for it. "It's risky, but…well, listen: What if, during the conference, you had Tsu there, reading Kasumi's mind? There would be no secrets. You would know her real intentions. She would be close beside Sesshomaru, me, and Hachiro. They'd be safe. And Hoshiko can sense the future – it's still really faint, but she might anticipate an attack."

"It's risky, milady," Hachiro pointed out.

"I know. But it's the best chance we've got."

"Dismissed." The word was cold and hard. I avoided my mate's eyes. Mizuki's hand slipped down to grab mine, and I was whisked out of the council room.

When she was sure we couldn't be overhead, the demon girl exclaimed, "Eavesdropping! I never would have thought it of you, Mai – good idea!"

"Thanks," I laughed, ignoring the pinpricks of guilt. "It really wasn't my intention, though. I just wanted to find Hachiro for some answers. I just hoped Sesshomaru hadn't ordered him not to tell me anything."

"You should have come looking for me," my friend pouted. "I would have told you everything!"

"Even if he had made you promise not to?" I challenged.

"Umm…" Mizuki's eyes flitted back and forth guiltily.

"Mizuki! You're sworn to him and he trusts you with everything! You couldn't disobey him in that!" I scolded.

She was suddenly serious. "I'm sworn to the Western Lands, Mai. Not to Sesshomaru. Yes, I am loyal to him. Yes, I would die defending him. But I would go against his commands and use my own judgment if I truly believed that was what was better for this domain."

"I understand," I whispered, feeling a sense of solemnity steal over me. Mizuki was strong in her ideas. I just hoped they would always match up with Sesshomaru's.

Mizuki hugged me suddenly. "Don't worry. That's never happened yet! Sesshomaru's far too clever for it. You don't need to worry about a thing, Mai. Not a thing."

I returned the embrace, feeling a wave of sorrow that the very next day she would be sent into the enemy's camp. "Oh, Mizuki, what I am ever going to do without you?"

"All the things you normally do," she replied promptly, pulling me along again at a brisk pace. "Besides, you'll still have Chika."

"Very true," I admitted, smiling. Chika and Mizuki were the two best friends I'd ever had, aside from maybe Kagome and Sango, but I didn't see them quite as often. Mizuki was third-in-command, one of Sesshomaru's most trusted advisors. Chika was her younger sister, cheerful and motherly – more like Kagome than anyone else. She took care of the children in the castle, namely Hoshiko and Tsukiko. Once, Rin had been her charge, but she was grown up now, living in a nearby village with Kohaku.

"Whom we need to find," Mizuki added. We walked in silence for a few minutes, me just studying my companion. She was small and light with glowing green eyes and fiery red hair. No one, not even Sesshomaru, wanted to mess with her – though I had no doubt that he could win. Truth be told, Hachiro ranked above Mizuki only because the latter had an uncontrollable temper.

Tsu stepped out from around the corner, Hoshiko at her heels. "Hi, Mother."

"Mom!" Hoshiko cried, smiling broadly.

Mizuki answered before I could: "Hi, girls. Could you tell me –"

"Chika's in the garden," Tsukiko answered smugly.

Her eyes flashed with mirth. "I see. And why –"

"She's meeting Rin."

Mizuki laughed. "Tsu, you –"

"Are the best potential prankster you have ever known," my eldest finished, smirking.

"Tsukiko, honey, don't read people's thoughts without permission," I berated firmly, knowing full-well that it wouldn't do any good, if the Tsu I had met at the defeat of Naraku was any example. It was still bizarre for me to think about the fact that I had met my daughters really before I had met my mate.

And that was "just plain weird" as Kagome had so aptly put it.

I sighed, wishing desperately that she was here. Mizuki was always cheering me up, Chika was always ready to listen to whatever I had to say, but they always had priorities. While they loved me, they couldn't do everything I needed done. Kagome had no such demands. She put everything down to talk to me and make me feel better. I missed her.

"Maybe we should go visit her," Tsu suggested.

I blinked. "Visit who?"

She looked amused. More and more like her father everyday, I realized. "Kagome, of course."

"Tsukiko. You were reading my thoughts again, weren't you?"

She nodded, not looking the least bit abashed. "You miss her."

There was no denying it. How do you lie to a mind-reader?

"You don't."

"Tsu!"

Mizuki intervened. "Actually, a visit to Kagome and InuYasha would be a great idea," she declared.

I glowered at her.

"Oh, Mai, I know you hate to leave here now, but it makes sense!" she wheedled. "Please…I'll come with you all partway; I wouldn't mind seeing Kagome and InuYasha again either…"

There was no winning this argument. In front of me, I had Mizuki doing everything she could – darn it, her logic made sense – to convince to leave, on my right I had Hoshiko giving me a puppy-dog pout and saying, "Please? Please? Please?" over and over again, and on my left Tsu was answering my every thought.

I decided to back up.

I did – and ran straight into something hard and soft. "Kagome would be glad to see you," Sesshomaru coaxed.

"AH!" I yelped, throwing my hands up in the air. "I give up! You win!"

"Yes!" Hoshiko jumped into the air, silver eyes sparkling. "I can't wait to see Kikyo and Hana!" An evil smile spread over her face. "And Kiyoko…and Koga!"

I didn't even want to know.

"It's settled, then," Sesshomaru stated. "All four of you will leave at dawn tomorrow. We don't want to draw any attention, so Mizuki will be your only guard. After you arrive safely at Kagome's – and Mizuki, you are not to leave them unless InuYasha is present – you will depart for Kasumi. Agreed?"

"Yes, sir!" Mizuki mock-saluted him, and, grabbing my hand again, darted off down the halls. "Time to pack!"

&:0:&

A/N: I'm back everyone!!!! I hope you all enjoyed this first chapter. Clearly, it will be centering on Mai and her family, but I promise there will be a lot of Kagome and InuYasha! Everyone who played a part in Defeat will be in Remember Me.

I'm sorry if things seemed a little mixed up. I originally started writing it in third person, but slipped into first person out of habit. I caught myself while rereading it, but then had to decide which I preferred, and then change it all again. Sorry if I missed anything.

PLEASE review!

And I am starting another story – The Cobra's Touch. You don't have to, but if you have nothing to read, check it out!

Until next time!