I would just like to say that I do not own ANY of the Inuyasha characters however any of those who are not in the anime are mine as well as the plot. It is mine.

Anyway, I do hope you enjoy this first chapter. It was intended to be a one-shot but I really got into it (seems to have a mind of its own) and got too long and I didn't want to bore anyone. So…here we go. I hope you enjoy!!! Review at the end!!

Sword Dancer

It had started out as a plan between parents. For one it was the chance to rise up in the world. For the other, it was a desperate reach at salvation. Neither side knew what they had begun. But once it started it could not be reversed.

They were pawns in a game of chess but destined to be so much more because of these two small children.

Kegan had been born in the middle of spring to a family of nobles visiting the Irish Isle for a season. Her birth had been celebrated unusually but her parents were a different sort of people. To them she was a gift because her mother had never been able to conceive until now.

The sakura blossoms were all around in the wind and the creatures of the forest were wakening again for another year of life. Everything was anew and this made her birth all the more special.

Her mother, a beautiful inu-demoness had gone into labor early that morning and her nursemaids had been absent, leaving it upon the Lady of the house to deliver the babe.

At first the family had been averse to this but they couldn't wait. The baby was coming one way or another and not very many knew how to deliver a child leaving the sweet human woman to her job.

After four hours of contractions the Lady Kasumi gave birth and the nursemaid happily handed her the small pup and beamed as the male rushed in.

"My dear, is it…" Her mate looked at her with fear until she smiled and let the soft blanket fall from the infants face. Immediately he embraced her with tears in his eyes, a trait not widely known in males, even in situations such as this.

He turned and settled his citrine eyes on the woman standing by the wall.

"You. What is your name?"

The old woman smiled and bowed.

"Kegan O'Hartey, Milord." He nodded and turned to his mate who looked at him with pure love. Bending down he took the small child in his arms and cradled her. His eyes shone brighter than ever as he cooed and she yawned sweetly then cuddled up to his chest.

"Welcome, little Kegan."

As she grew, Kegan was more and more different than her playmates. From the beginning Ichiro and Kasumi knew their daughter was special. Unlike most inu-youki who had hair of either midnight or fresh snow, Kegan had beautiful blonde curls with unusually emerald green eyes. To say the least she looked nothing like her parents or any other of her family which often put her mother under pressure of infidelity.

Ichiro never believed any of it. Kegan was his pup. She had his scent and her mother's scent so there was no quarrel from him.

All three were a quaint little family. After Kegan, the Lady never was able to conceive again but she was happy with her daughter.

When Kegan was five summers, her parents moved back to their original home of Japan where Ichiro was a general in the Western army.

They lived on the outskirts of the Western citadel, away from court life where Kegan was free to do as she pleased. She was a smart young girl with a power all her own. Everyone loved her from the moment they saw her and that went with her everywhere.

She had also been gifted a strange gift. Kegan was able to redirect the feelings of others by touching or looking at them. They had discovered this when a soldier had run in to speak with her father and was terribly frightened of the dog lord.

The child had simply stood and walked over to the trembling man then smiled and taken his hand as if he were her own relative and instantly he was calm and collected.

Her parents had not understood at first and their daughter only gave a crooked little smile and bounded away to her own devices.

At six summers, Lord Ichiro and Lady Kasumi were summoned to the Western Palace along with their pup to join the other families in a formal get together as well as Lord Inutashio's introduction of his heir.

The day after Kegan turned six the small family left for the palace in their best. Kegan being very young didn't like the fact she couldn't wear normal clothes to play in but did not argue. The attitudes of her parents were enough for her to know to behave herself.

Once they reached the Palace, Kasumi and Kegan were escorted into the large garden where most of the other Inu- females were with their own pups. All eyes were focused on the pair and suddenly Kegan felt very intimidated.

Her small mind saw the way the other children looked and she was confused. Why didn't she have hair like them? Was she weird? Why did they stare?

Her young eyes looked up to her mother who was standing tall and proud and challenging any female who dared to speak against her pup. She held Kegan's hand tightly then found a shaded tree and situated them beneath it.

Her sole focus was on her pup until Kegan seemed to come to a conclusion in her mind. She wanted to play.

Standing she faced the large group of people and tilted her head cutely then smiled at her mother and bounded off toward a group of children playing among the flowers. At first the group was wary of her until she rolled suddenly and stood up with flowers protruding from everywhere.

Her smile was contagious and soon she was playing with the others as if she was no different.

Kasumi kept careful watch over her pup and almost didn't notice the small entourage that had joined her until the head bowed and spoke sweetly to her.

"Good afternoon, Lady Kasumi." Immediately Kasumi bowed in a sitting position to the Queen.

"Lady Haruno." The Queen smiled and brushed her servants away then looked at where Kasumi's gaze strayed and saw the pretty little blonde child.

"Is she yours, Kasumi?" The lower lady nodded.

"Yes, Kegan." Haruno smiled, her golden eyes crinkling at the edges as she watched the young one play with the other children. Kegan suddenly stopped her joyous frolicking and turned and locked eyes with the powerful Lady.

Time stopped for that one moment until the little girl stepped back and bowed at the waist, making bother her mother and the Queen gasp. Kegan smiled then continued what she had been doing as the two kept watch.

Kegan laughed as she led the small line along the grounds. Her steps were jumpy and happy. She liked this place and hopped she could come back again soon. Already she had made many friends.

As they readied to pass the flower bed once more something pushed against her and she stepped out of line suddenly, the other children not noticing. Her pointed little ear perked to the left and right to find the source of the force but it had vanished.

Her emerald eyes scanned her surroundings. The mothers were still milling about and talking as they had been doing this entire time but something was strange. She could sense it like a tickle in the back of her throat.

She turned in a small circle and tried again to pin point the feeling. It was closed off and sad. A little bit of nervousness accompanied it then it disappeared as if the person was trying hard to control their emotions.

The little demoness scampered around the searching until she found the feeling right behind where her mother and the pretty lady sat talking.

They took no notice of her as she snuck around the large tree. Her curiosity got the better of her as she rounded the corner and got a look at her pray.

They met beneath the boughs of a sakura tree. He, a lonely prince and she, a curious duchess.

Kegan softly tread up to where he was sitting. He didn't look to be much older than her but she could tell he was important. He wore white silk and sat perfectly still at the base of the tree with his eyes closed. His arms were hidden in his sleeves and if she didn't know better she would say he was sleeping.

She crept closer and observed the markings he had on his pale face. His cheeks were decorated with slim magenta stripes that pointed outward toward his nose. He had high cheek bones and on his eyelids were the same colored marks his cheek had.

His snow white bangs framed his forehead and left a pretty, violet or periwinkle, crescent moon on his brow. It didn't take a genius to know who he was but Kegan wasn't worried about that right now. She really wanted to understand his emotions. They were incredibly conflicted and for some odd reason she knew she was supposed to help him.

She plopped down beside him and mimicked his position exactly and breathed deep. She didn't want to touch him without permission. Her mother had told her it was not polite and she didn't want him to be angry at her.

They sat that way for awhile until finally he opened his eyes and looked down at her.

Sesshomaru had not known why he was to be here. He wanted to read in the library not sit like a primped pet for those chickens his parents called courtiers. To him they were annoyances and he was pretty much right.

He sat beneath his tree watching them go by and not caring that he was alone. On another level he was nervous. His father was supposed to present him to the court today. He did not want to make a fool of himself or his father so he sat perfectly still trying to calm himself and so far it was not working.

He had been tempted to join the other children but he did not want to get himself dirty. His father would greatly disapprove. Instead he remained where he was until he was very aware of another presence coming his way.

He chose to ignore the female child and suspected she would grow bored and leave considering most children their age serious cases of A.D.D. but this little one surprised him.

He expected her to chatter at him and bug him until he had to order her to leave but instead he found that she examined him for a minute then took a seat beside him and stayed as silent as he was.

This was strange. What did she want?

After mulling over what to do he finally opened his eyes and looked down at a small blonde haired girl sitting next to him in the exact same position he was in.

She had no markings but he knew she was demon by her scent. She could not have been much younger than him; perhaps a summer or two. She was cute he admitted and continued to stare at her until she opened her eyes and stared back at him.

He was surprised to see a bright emerald color instead of the standard blue but then again her hair was different as well. She had beautiful, though he would never admit it to anyone else, golden locks that fell around her in waves. She had a button nose with slim cheeks and her eyes seemed to shine at him from everywhere.

After a moment she tilted her head then smiled sweetly.

"Hello. My name is Kegan. What's yours?" In that one moment he was irrevocably caught. He couldn't keep himself from answering.

"I am Sesshomaru of the Western…" She cut him off suddenly with a small giggle then sat on her knees so quickly he barely noticed it. She bowed like she had to his mother then beamed up at him.

"Um…may I see your hand?" For a moment he stared at her. What on earth was wrong with her? Was she crazy? His golden eyes stared long and hard into hers. He saw no suspicious intent nor did he smell any so carefully he reached out with his hand and she took it in her smaller one.

All the sudden he felt at peace. All his confusion and nervousness evaporated and he was left with only calm. Her eyes sparkled as she stood when the trumpets began to play but did not release his hand.

"There. All better." She cooed then led him back around the tree where their mother's sat watching the males file in.

Suddenly all movement stopped as Sesshomaru and Kegan stepped into view. Kegan marched over to where her mother was now standing with a look of shock on her face, towing the young Prince behind her. She smiled her cute smile then turned to search for her father and found him among the Generals who were also staring at her open mouthed.

Sesshomaru had yet to respond as this little person led him along like a puppy on a leash toward where his father stood watching in complete amusement.

The small girl walked straight up to her father and pulled the bigger and taller Sesshomaru to her side.

"Papa. This is Sesshomaru. He's my new friend."

Ichiro stared at his daughter like she'd grown a third head. Her seemingly innocent act could easily have her killed. He stuttered to protect her when another demon grabbed her by the wrist and lifted her off the ground with a snarl.

"How dare you not bow in the Lord's presence you little brat!"

Kegan stared at the demon inn fear. She had never been so afraid. She had been in trouble before but never had anyone ever been this angry.

Suddenly she began to struggle and yelp for her parents. Kasumi was already snarling in anger but Haruno held her back.

"Wait. Let us see what happens." Ichiro snarled at the other demon.

"Release my pup, now." The other demon laughed then shook Kegan roughly, making her whimper in pain.

"I have every right. She needs manners. Perhaps her father does as well, eh?"

Kegan's green eyes darted back and forth to her father and the demon then to her 'friend' who hadn't moved. He seemed to be confused again.

Sesshomaru shook his head furiously. The older General wanted to punish the girl for not bowing. But she had not been speaking to his father but her own.

Was there something he missed? Did she truly do something wrong? His eyes searched the crowd for his own Sire and when he found them Inutashio merely nodded to his son. It was an inadvertent acknowledgement that it was his choice.

He pursed his lips then his attention reverted back to the little girl. Kegan, she had said. As he assessed the hold Lord Rikam had on her he gave a small snarl of his own which got both Generals attention.

"Release her." He growled deeply. The Boar demon's eyes turned wide as saucers then he growled back.

"Get back to your play pen whelp."And lifted his foot to kick the young Prince who had suddenly disappeared and a flashing green whip was in his place. The whip glowed and snapped at Rikam's arm taking it completely off which made him release the Kegan.

Sesshomaru grabbed her and pulled her against him with her face in his side so she would not see the carnage he had caused. The Boar demon snarled angrily but froze when he saw the emblem on Sesshomaru's head.

"You will do well to listen the next time I speak, Rikam, or perhaps it will be you who will feed the host of the Palace." Sesshomaru's young voice was deadly and the Boar bowed in shame.

"Forgive me, Young Prince. I did not realize…" But Sesshomaru was no longer paying attention. Instead he had turned to his little companion and began ushering her back toward their mothers. He would leave his father to deal with the Pig.

Kegan held close to him as he led her along, gently prodding her to move until she was in range of her mother's arms. At that point Sesshomaru let go and Kasumi wrapped her in a protective embrace.

Sesshomaru bowed deeply then spoke softly so only they could hear.

"I thank you for your presence, Lady Kegan." Suddenly both parents locked eyes and the same idea formed in their minds.

They started as companions. She would be his friend and he would not be lonely.

Kegan didn't quite understand when her parents told her that from now on she would go to the palace three times a week but she didn't mind as long as she got to see Sesshomaru.

Everyday just before lunch, a carriage would arrive and take her and her mother to the outer gardens to eat with Lady Haruno and her ladies. After lunch, Kegan would slip away to look for Sesshomaru who always seemed to include in her game even if he acted as if he didn't.

They would always stay until just before dinner then return home and continue the routine the next day.

In return for attending to the palace, her mother often received pretty kimonos and her father good horses and weapons. Kegan on the other hand only wanted what she received from Sesshomaru. No matter how many times they tried to offer her anything the child would always decline.

After a while the servants were surprised if either were seen without the other.

He was everything to her and she was his everything.