Kouga Higurashi was not easily startled.

Years of war and experience had taught him that shock was a weapon he could not allow his enemies to use against him.

And so consequentially, nothing really surprised him anymore.

So when all of the sudden his office door was flung open and his daughter bounded in he could honestly say that he was not amazed.

Looking coolly at his daughter as he studied a document in front of him he noticed how very…blissful she seemed.

His daughter was not one to dislike the pleasures of life, but she was hardly ever seen laughing or smiling and so this was quite a puzzle to him.

Curiosity overcame his judgment as she leapt to the window and leaned out, gazing at the expiring sun over the horizon.

"You've been gone all day daughter, perhaps you have found something of interest in the forest?" he asked, setting his scroll aside and walking over to her.

She smiled up at him as he placed his hand on her shoulder, and swished her midnight black tail contentedly.

Kagome and her father shared many attributes of which she was fond of.

The blue stripe down each cheek, the short, soft tail, the incredible speed and arrogant attitude.

She looked up at him in pure admiration.

And then her face turned serious.

" As eldest, I will be expected to marry and produce the next heir correct?" she asked quietly

Kouga shifted, he knew this was a delicate subject and did not wish for the conversation to end in anger.

"Yes"

Kagome turned around and looked up at him.

She saw warm brown eyes and quickly remembered depthless honey bronzed orbs boring into her soul.

"May he be of my choice?" she said, speaking so softly he had to strain his sensitive ears just to hear.

Kouga smiled, this was certainly unexpected.

"But of course. Mating is an eternal commitment Kagome, have you found someone to love?"

Kagome blushed and looked down at the floor.

Kouga was baffled.

His daughter was a warrioress, skilled in all strengths and a might in the Northern lands. She had avidly proclaimed that men were out of the question, and it had taken months for Kouga's wife to convince her that as the princess it was her duty and privilege to marry a worthy demon and then produce an heir.

And now here she was blushing like a lovesick pup at the mere mention of mating.

"Kagome" he rumbled softly, grasping her by her shoulders.

She looked up at him and her forehead furrowed in concentration.

"I do not know of love, but I will marry and bear with dignity my responsibility." she said automatically.

Kouga frowned.

That was not exactly the answer he had been hoping for, but then this was his daughter, she was not one to do what was expected.

"Very well" he said, knowing not to push the subject further.

"Go to your mother, she has been worried sick all day from lack of your presence"

Kagome rolled her eyes, but nodded and bounded out the door.

Kouga put his hands behind his back and walked back over to his desk, picking up the scroll.

His daughter had acted strange, but more important matters tugged at his mind.

Another village burned by the House of the moon. He growled as he clutched the paper, hadn't Inu no Taisho caused enough heart ache as it was?

Perhaps he could ease Kagome's mind by sending her to comfort his people.

He knew how they adored her and how she could strengthen them.

Yes that is what he would do, he would send his daughter to check on the survivors and perhaps catch any spies.

And then he would decide what to do about his hated enemy.


Kagome tried not to think of golden eyes as she ran down the halls to her mother's chambers. But she found herself failing miserably.

She remembered that after their light 'tumble' they had stared at each other for what seemed like centuries, simply memorizing each other's faces.

She remembered his warm breath, and her own pounding heart.

Her mind had screamed at her to stab him with her hidden dagger, but she had caressed him instead.

Her instincts had demanded that she stare at him coldly and walk away, but her eyes had softened instead and they had sat in the meadow for hours, side by side.

She knew he was a warrior, his aura stated that clearly.

But he had been so gentle with her, so kind.

She figured he was royalty, just by how graceful and he was, and by his stoic presence.

But she had never felt so comfortable before in her life.

She had hated men. What could they do that she could not accomplish herself?

And here she was now pondering thoughts of eternity with a man she didn't even know the name of.

It had gotten late and they had both decided that it was best for them to leave.

With one final touch of their noses they had run off in opposite directions.

She wondered what he had been doing in her father's forest.

He was definitely not apart of her tribe, and she knew of no neighbors that shared his beauty and grace.

Questions whirled around her mind in an endless torrent.

But they were all pushed aside with this one thought in mind

She had to see him again.

He had promised her that he would give her reasons to trust him, and want to be his friend.

She intended to hold him to that, she would discover these pestering butterflies fluttering in her stomach and tend to them immediately.

But first she had to see her mother.

"I'm here!" She sang as she swung open the doors to her mother's chambers and walked in.

Then she ran back out as the surprised screams of her mother's ladies blasted around her sensitive ears.

"Mother!" she cried with her hands over her ears.

"Make it stop!"

Ayumi shooed her ladies away and walked into the hall where her daughter stood, hands on her hips, blue eyes shooting flames.

She laughed and took her hands.

"Hush now Kagome, you really deserved that you know. My ladies can't help their natural reaction when you barge in unawares now can they? Come into my room and tell me what you did today."Kagome pouted, but allowed her mother to drag her into her room.

"I can't believe you're wearing those rags again. Haven't I told you to put something more appropriate on? What about that nice cherry colored Kimono father gave you for your birthday hmm?" Ayumi said as they sat on two of the many different colored pillows.

Kagome rolled her eyes.

"I don't like those mother, they don't give me any freedom"

Ayumi rolled her eyes back at her and said "Learn to deal with it, you're going to have to wear them all the time when you take the throne. Now tell me, what did you do today that made you gone so long?" She asked, ushering to a servant for tea.

Kagome stared into her mother's green eyes and contemplated if she should tell her or not.

She decided that this would be one secret she would keep to herself.

"I found the most beautiful meadow in the forest today. It smelt so nice, and was so warm and relaxing that I accidentally fell asleep" she said, quickly forming a lie.

Ayumi didn't buy it.

"The feathers on your arrows have been bent Kagome, and I know that no matter the situation, you never let anything happen to your precious darts. Care to tell me the truth now?"

Kagome gaped at her mother.

And she had thought that she had been an excellent liar.

Taking a deep breath, she checked to make sure no one was listening and leaned forward.

"I met someone in the forest. A male. And he chased me, and spoke to me, and oh mother he was absolutely gorgeous." She said quickly, getting it out in one breath.

Ayumi's eyebrows rose, and then she smiled.

"Kagome this is wonderful! Is he of our tribe, would I know his family?"

Kagome shook her head "I have never seen him before, though he does look familiar to me. I think that maybe he was lost, or looking for something."

Ayumi took a sip of her tea and smiled

"Maybe he was looking for you. Oh I knew this would happen someday. You will see daughter, love and mating is not as horrible as it seems. Your husband can become your best friend and greatest strength,"

Kagome resisted the urge to roll her eyes again and nodded instead.

"I understand."

Just then a servant entered.

"Your requested by your father princess, he said to meet him in the gardens"

Kagome nodded and turned back to her mother.

"I doesn't really matter anyway. I don't even know his name, and probably will never see him again. May I leave now? Father needs me."

Ayumi nodded and watched her daughter race out of the room.

She tapped her fingers on her lap, pursing her lips together and tying to think of a good plan to find someone her daughter could be happy with.


Kagome entered the gardens and quickly spotted her father. Grinning she sped towards him, jumped up on a stone bench, and did a back flip over him before landing on her feet right in front of him. He smiled proudly at her. Then he frowned.

"Kagome I've received some news. The Western lands have burned another one of our small villages and the people are in need of protection and comfort. I want you to go tomorrow with a few men and help them out as much as you can. They will find strength in you, and perhaps there will be spies, or straggling soldiers that you can capture for questioning. Do you understand?"

Kagome nodded, her face grim, eyes cold.

"Father are we ever going to do something about those dogs?" she spat out, her hands flaring with blue spiritual energy.

Kouga glanced at her and nodded.

"Yes, but we must not go in blindly. I haven't seen Lord InuTaisho for a few decades and we do not know his strength. We need more information before we can make a battle plan."

Kagome nodded, unconsciously fingering the tip of one of her arrows.

"Yes I will go tomorrow and perhaps I can find clues as to their strength and desires."

Kouga nodded "Sleep now, you're going to need strength for your journey"

Kagome gave him a small smile and then she was off, a blur of motion as she sped off to her room. Ayumi walked up to her husband and entwined her fingers in his.

"She'll be fine, right?"

Kouga smiled down at his wife and wrapped his arm around her.

"Of course dear, she is our daughter after all"

That night Kagome fell asleep to luminous golden eyes, and the warmth of strong arms encircling her. As soon as she had completed her mission tomorrow, she would find him.


Kagome woke up bright and early, said farewell to her parents, and gave instructions to the general become zooming off to the small village.

Her footsteps were quick and light, making it seem as if she were merely floating above the ground.

For two hours she ran, pushing her body, trying to get her mind off of yesterdays events. She had things she had to accomplish today.

Finally her nose picked up the smell of burning wood and as she crested a small hill she gazed upon the ruins of a once aspiring town.

She raced into the town, calling out frantically for any survivors through the smoke and rubble.

Finally she spotted a few people huddled together under a homemade lean-to just outside the protection of the trees.

Walking over to them so as not to scare them, she noticed how ragged and tired they looked.

Humans. Honestly.

"Are you alright?" she asked gently as she crouched down in front of them. They nodded, small smiles forming on their faces.

"Princess Kagome! We knew you would come to save us." A woman said, clutching a small child to her.

"My men are on their way now, and they will take you back to the palace for food and drink. Is this all of you?" she asked, looking at the twenty five or so people.

They nodded, tears rolling down their faces.

"Do not worry, I will not let anything harm you. Can you tell me what happened?"

And older man slowly walked up to her and wheezed out "It was men of the West, the crest of their master emblazoned on their uniforms."

Kagome clenched her teeth, how she hated the Western lands.

"What did their leader look like? Do you remember?" she asked soothingly.

The old man opened his mouth to say something when suddenly his eyes went wide.

Soon the people began to shout and scream, running into the trees as they looked in horror at something behind Kagome.

"It's him! The one who began the attack, he is here to finish us off!" The old man cried.

Kagome whirled around, strung an arrow, and aimed right for the intruders chest.

Her eyes went wide as they collided with his golden gaze.

"No" she whispered, her hands shaking as she stared at him

"Please no, it can't be you"

He seemed just as surprised as her, his hand lowering Tokujin and his eyes flickering shock.

He was alone, standing there amid the rubble, his hair drifting in the wind.

Her eyes drifted up to his forehead where sat the perfect half moon that she had stroked not but the day before.

'The House of the Moon'

It all clicked in her head, he had been spying on her home!

He was her enemy, and she was expected to capture him, hold him for information.

This couldn't be happening to her, not like this.

And then she gritted her teeth in anger.

He had deceived her! Lied to her!

He was one of them.

She knew what she had to do.

Raising her arrow she filled it with her purifying powers and aimed it his heart.

So much for love.

She let it loose just as the tears broke free.

Okay, wow I didn't think I would get so much attention, so I thank you all!
I can't wait to get chappie three out so be patient. oh and have a marvelous Memorial weekend!!

The Goddess