Disclaimer: I do not own Sesshoumaru... though I wish I did.

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Heir to the Western Lands

Chapter 1

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My name is Sesshoumaru. I'm the son of Inutasho, lord of the western lands and ruler of the dogs. Even though I'm only 7-years-old, I'm the heir to the Western lands!

Today though, I'm not very happy. My father had promised that he would spend all of today with my mother and me yet he decided instead to meet with the lord of the southern lands. Some stupid conference. Bah.

I kicked a stone into the pond in the garden behind the castle-like mansion I live in. I enjoyed watching how the peace and serenity of the clear waters shuddered as it was cast into confusion and chaos.

Scowling as the thought of turning into a poet I turned and kicked the tree that stood next to me, watching in enjoyment as it shuddered, many leaves falling off.

It reminded me of how my father brushed me away when I was reminding him of our arrangement for a picnic today. In my anger I hurled a large rock into the pock, this time smirking as a wave of water flew towards the shore and lapped at my feet.

Taking a deep breath I turned on my heel and headed towards the castle again for the tenth time. Every time I tried to go back, something peaceful would catch my eye and of course I would have to destroy it.

Mother would start worrying if I was gone too long. I froze in mid step, a feral grin spreading across my features.

What better way to get attention then to hide out in the woods until my parents came looking for me? Turning on my heel I sped into the forest to find a good hiding spot.

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I looked around the dark, dark, really dark forest, trying hard not to whimper.

I had gone farther than ever and gotten spooked by a stupid owl and strayed off the path. Now usually a smart youkai such as myself would go back, trailing the path I had taken by using my nose but it was pouring.

So now I was in the middle of nowhere, lost, hungry, and soaking wet. My parents wouldn't find me, not that they had noticed I was gone yet and probably wouldn't care. I'd die out here! By myself!

Feeling a tear escape my eye I brushed it away roughly and curled up at the base of a tree, hugging my legs to my chest. I wouldn't cry. I couldn't cry. My father would think I was a little kid.

I'm Sesshoumaru! Heir to the Western lands, ruled by the great Inutasho and the beautiful lady Aka-Yuki. Even though I'm only 5 years old, I'm still the proudest and bravest youkai in all the land! I won't cry!

Something roared nearby and I started shivering, my brave face disappearing quickly.

"Okaasan?" I called quietly, not noticing the way my voice shivered. "Otoosan?"

"No." A gruff voice answered to my left. I jumped up and spun around seeing a snake youkai slither close. "I'm not your parents little boy."

I froze as the youkai slithered in close, his large fangs gleaming in the little light. Just as he pulled back to strike, I remembered how to move and dove to the right sprinting through the woods.

"OKAASAN!" I screamed. "OTOOSAN!"

My eyes widened as my foot caught a branch and I hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of me. Stumbling to my feet I was knocked down again by the snake's tail. I turned onto my back and looked up at the snake.

A few options:

...Start screaming and hope that someone finds me

...Beg for mercy

or...Sit there silently and allow it to eat me

Well 2 is definitely not an option and I don't think I have enough air in my lungs to scream.

Well then. This is it. I shut my eyes tightly awaiting the bite.

"DIE!" A voice screamed.

My eyes flew open and I saw my parents slaughtering the snake to pieces as it gave off a scream of pain.

They came for me! I thought at first then… uh oh. I'm in trouble.

I turned my gaze to the ground, trying to resemble a dog with its tail between its legs. I did a pretty good impression I think since my fluffy white tail was hanging limply.

Mother's shoes appeared in my vision but I refused to look up. Next came her knees as she kneeled next to me.

"Sesshoumaru?" She asked. "Are you all right?"

I nodded, turning my eyes to her golden ones. I glanced at Father who looked concerned, walking over from the dead snake. My eyes filled with tears. Who cares about being the heir to the Western lands!

I flung myself into Mother's arms and started crying.

"Okaasan! I was so scared!"

She hugged me back. "Well it's a good thing you yelled. We couldn't find you."

I sniffled and sat back, golden eyes still filled with tears. "You-you're no-not m-mad?" I hiccuped.

She shook her head. "I was just worried. Why'd you run away?"

I returned my gaze back to the ground. "Cause…"

"Because you were mad at your father?" She asked.

"Hey!" I heard father yelp from behind her.

I giggled and nodded looking up at her. "Otoosan wasn't paying any attention to me."

"Well, we can fix that. Next time," Mother picked me up settling me on her back. "Next time just tell us okay?" I nodded and put my arms around her neck as we flew through the forest.

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I hummed and kicked my feet as I sat in a too-big-for-me chair at the table, waiting for my parents to arrive. Footsteps sounded in the hallway and I turned, grinning.

They walked in holding hands. That was good. That scare must've reminded them that they were mates again. They hardly ever showed any kind of loving emotion towards one another. A good scare was needed even if that scare scared me more than them.

My mother's name is Lady Aka-Yuki. She's the daughter of a well-respected leader in the mountains in the Western lands. She's an inuyoukai. Her eyes are red with flecks of gold in them. Her long white hair falls to her knees and today was pulled into a braid. Since she's an inuyoukai she has claws and fangs, as well as two pointed ears.

Today, she wore a long sleeved white shirt with a blue pattern of flowers from the bottom of her sleeves to her elbows. Her pants are black and are tied at her waist. From the bottom of the legs there were white Sakura petals floating to her knees.

My father, Lord Inutasho, son of the great Taisho, is also an inuyoukai, giving him the characteristics of one with the pointed ears, fangs, and claws. His long white hair falls to his waist and is usually pulled into a high ponytail. His eyes are a harsh golden amber color and there's a jagged red stripe on each cheek. On his forehead is a blue crescent moon. At his hip is a sword, connected to a black belt.

His pants are baggy and white, his shirt white and baggy as well. On the left shoulder of his shirt and the sleeves was a pattern of black and white hexagons. He wore a full breast plate of armor as well as shoulder caps. His tail is short enough it didn't lay on the ground but long enough to almost touch it.

As for myself, I have mid back length, pin straight silky smooth white hair and my father's amber gold eyes. I usually wear a white kimono top and baggy pants like father. My tail's only ¼ of my size but it's nice to curl up with at night. I have two red stripes on each cheek and a blue crescent moon on my forehead. I'm also an inuyoukai so I have the same characteristics as mother and father. When I get angry, my mother says my eyes turned from gold to red.

I say it's cool. She says it's scary.

Back to dinner.

Father and Mother have just sat down. While the table comes up to their mid chest, it comes up to about my chin so I have to sit on a block of wood with a pretty blue cushion so I can see.

"Well Sesshoumaru." Father starts and I turn to look at him. "It seems that the lord of the southern lands has a daughter about your age."

I scowled and picked up a spoonful of soup. "I don't like girls."

Mother cleared her throat. "I happen to be a girl."

I frowned. "You are?"

Father thought that was incredibly funny and choked on his soup. Mother did not.

I wonder why.

"Yes I am." She stated glaring at Father who was trying hard to look innocent.

I still don't get what happened.

"Oh. But you're okaasan. Not some giggly girl who wants to pet my tail." I muttered pulling my tail protectively into my lap like she was going to leap at it.

"No. That's because I'm a mature female while the ones you're used to are the teenage girls."

"Oh. Is father a ma-chu-re boy then?"

"Yes he is… some of the time."

"Oh." Father seemed to realize that I was still thinking and was about to open his mouth to prevent what I was speaking of to spill out but he was too late. I had to ask.

"So you're sure you're a girl?"

I still don't get why mother dumped her bowl of soup over father for laughing.

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My favorite place in the entire world would probably be in the big tree in the garden, overlooking the ocean in the distance.

Every night Mother and me go and sit in the tallest branches of the tree and watch the sun set together. Sometimes we sit in silence, sometimes we talk about our day, sometimes she even tells me of battles she's fought. But we always watch the sun set.

Father hasn't watched the sun set with us in a long time. He used to but slowly stopped coming. I hate to say it but I think I enjoy not having him here. My bond with mother is stronger now.

Today we sit in silence, watching the sky turn dark as the sun disappears. A group of dolphins leapt over the waves in the dying light.

As soon as the sun disappears and the first stars come out, mother pulled me into her arms and leapt off the branch, landing lightly on the ground.

As she set me on the ground she laughed. "I think that was the best sunset ever." She smiles at me as I laugh.

"You say that every night okaasan."

She sent me another smile. "Yes but tonight I actually know how lucky I am to have my son to watch the sunset with me."

I frowned. She was referring to the snake earlier today.

"Okaasan… I'm sorry…" I muttered, bowing my head, tail going between my legs.

"Why?"

"For running away." She stepped in front of me, kneeling at eye level. She put her fingers under my chin and forced me to look up.

"Hey. It's all right. There's no harm done. Next time, just tell us that you're lonely. Okay?"

I nodded, a smile placed back on my face. A moment later I yawned. Mother picked me up cuddling me to her chest before she rushed through the forest back to the castle. Feeling warm and secure I curled against her and fell to sleep.

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A/N: Yay! First chapter of Heir to the Western Lands is up! If you're not a Sesshoumaru fan, though I can't understand why you wouldn't be ((so cute!)) then you might not enjoy the first chapters. Later in the story Inuyasha will come in but for now it's just Sesshoumaru! Please review and tell me if you liked and what I can do to make it better!

Kadasa Mori