Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi

Author's Note: The meaning of the name Kagome is completely fictional. As you all probably know from the series by now, Takahashi intended for her name to be a foreshadowing of her sealed powers, from the game 'Kagome, Kagome' and the Kagome crest. Also, I have finally given the Inu no Taishō and his demonness names (Kōji "blessed ruler" and Miharu "beautiful clear sky") though they too have been created by me for the purposes of this story and none other.

Chapter One

"Kagome" was not an established name in any time period of Japan thus far. It was a sound used in many games to depict being lost, or when playing the game, "Kagome, Kagome," in which it denoted a trapped animal. With no standard meaning to this sound, it was generally thought that "Kagome" itself meant lost.

This was the name given to the infant found on the beach.

The mother was cremated, her ashes scattered and honored appropriately, but no one knew her name, or the name of the baby. No one claimed either as theirs. So, left without family or identity, the babe was named Kagome, and raised by the miko of the temple. She was reared as the child those women could never have, for, being miko, they were forbidden to ever marry and, by extension, have children.

The head priest of the shrine deemed her worthy of becoming a miko herself when she was old enough and so, to that end, she was trained daily. At first, the basics: reading, writing, poetry, conversation, and above all, manners. Kagome excelled at every task set before her, to the delight and pride of the miko. After those had been mastered, the child advanced to simple spells and the use of various weaponry.

However, it soon became apparent that wherever this girl had come from—whatever her parentage had been—she was not human.

Alabaster skin was prized in women of this era, but even to their appreciative eyes, this girl was naturally, flawlessly white. Her skin nearly glowed, especially under cover of night, when she was touched by the moon. Her hair was a thick, lustrous black that shone almost blue in the light. As if those stunning attributes weren't enough, there were her eyes.

Nearly all eye colors in Japan were, at this time, variations of dark brown on through black. Kagome's eyes, however, were... different. They actually changed hues, depending on her mood. It was just as common to see them slate gray and ice blue as it was to see the deepest, sapphire-blue anyone had beheld. Very rarely, Kagome's eyes would even turn to shades of green, and this quickly became a universal sign to the miko that Kagome's generally patient aura had reached its limit, and that she was in a particularly dangerous mood.

Despite these potent attractors, Kagome was still seen as a very odd child—even to the extent that she was feared by some of the more superstitious passerby. The one thing that almost always caused astonishment in the shrine visitors, and even on occasion (despite how accustomed they had grown to her eccentricities) the miko themselves, was Kagome's voice.

The miko knew that the child had a voice, of course. She was not, by any means, a mute. As a babe, she had made small, mewling noises when she was hungry or needed to be changed and so on, though she never outright cried. As a toddler, she had made similar low-pitched humming sounds indicating her needs, but she never threw tantrums, never screamed or hollered.

When it came time for her to learn how to speak, Kagome had kept her voice modulated so low in pitch and sound that the ladies had had to strain to hear her, and even then only some could. It was clear the girl was intelligent: she was literate, and had no problems expressing her thoughts and feelings through writing. It just seemed speaking wasn't her preferred method of conferring those ideas.

Why would a child of such otherwise grace, beauty, and intelligence willingly render herself mute? Certainly, quiet, docile women were the more popular of the age, but Kagome took it to a new extreme. She never made a sound unless absolutely called upon to do so, and even then, never raised her voice above a low, almost silent, hum. The miko just couldn't understand it.

But the inu-daiyōkai who had discovered her could, and delighted in the confirmation it provided of his earliest suspicions.

For years, the dog general had watched the babe he had found on that lonely beach grow into a young woman. His visits were not frequent, but he came to the shrine to check up on her with enough regularity that his yōki had become familiar to Kagome and the rest of the shrine maidens. He knew this only because the flared reiki resulting from his visits had diminished to all but nothing on his more recent excursions.

Even after over a decade of watching this seemingly simple human, he was still as fascinated as he had been on that first, fated afternoon. He was now perfectly confident in what she was, and what her powers could develop into, but he was still constantly surprised by her actions. For example, the voice issue that had her benefactors so concerned. Why bother? He knew that, being what she was, Kagome's voice would undoubtedly be enchanting to true humans. They would be beguiled by its inherent sweetness, its clarity of sound, its perfect charm, and would have little to no control of their desire to please her, to keep hearing that voice. It was the mark of all the gods.

For that was clearly what this child was. He knew not which kami had sired her, though he had some ideas on that front as well, but it was clear as day that she had at least some immortal kin. Her lustrous skin and inhuman grace alone might have indicated a yōkai heritage, but her eyes made it certain beyond a doubt. Only the kami had eyes that expressed so much, and only one kami at that. But that was speculation for another day.

Why should she bother to keep her voice modulated so low as to not be dangerous to the humans? Why fight so hard to hide her true self for the benefit of mere mortals? It made little sense to him. Certainly, he had never believed in the common dogma of his people: that humans were disgusting, menial creatures, and that their destruction was nothing to blink at. But if her voice did little harm other than instill a compulsion to serve, was that so bad?

The little half-kami had other interesting facets to her personality that showed through her actions as well, and these were equally fascinating to the daiyōkai. The fact that she had forced her body to age according to human growth was intriguing. While by far not the most knowledgable of kami or their habits, the inu-daiyōkai was aware that most of them could alter their appearance at will, and never aged naturally.

Again, he was struck by that insatiable curiosity. Why? Why go to the trouble of changing your body year after year just to fit in with weak, dying humans? She had to know of yōkai, given the line of work her benefactors had chosen. Why not seek out the more advanced species, like his own, and live out her days comfortably, with the face she desired? Or did she desire to age as they did?

And speaking of that "line of work"—was there no limit to the girl's potential prowess? Already, she possessed limitless potential given her celestial heritage, but to throw in the spiritual powers passed through her mortal mother's line? It was unheard of, and certainly more than a little fascinating. This girl was so painfully obviously meant for great things.

It was all so perplexing it almost angered him. If not for that unending fascination, she would have. His partner, Miharu, certainly understood his fixation on the girl even less than he did.

"What could possibly be so captivating about her, Kōji?" she exclaimed on his return from one of his rare visits to the human shrine, just to sate his curiosity for the time. "She is a kami with some odd human tendencies. You've seen many like her."

"No, not like her," he countered. "The kami I've known have always known what they were and believed in their superiority for it."

"And why shouldn't they? Almost anything is superior to mortals, even those disgusting demons crawling around below the ground."

"I agree," he said, making a dismissive gesture. She was missing his point. "But don't you see? That is why she is so different. She does not."

Miharu sniffed disdainfully and brought up his long-held goal. "Then why do you still design to have her live with us? Clearly, she is happier with her humans."

The inu-yōkai paused. Yes, that was certainly true. The girl was happy at the moment, living with her band of celibate women and men. But it was only because she didn't know that there was any more to life. She had been reared in that shrine, and taught to see only what it showed. She was destined to be and do so much more than the mundane life offered to her there. And, not to get his hopes up too greatly, she may one day prove to be a great ally.

After fifteen summers had passed since he had found Kagome washed ashore, the inu-daiyōkai decided to make his move. Somehow, he knew that he had a limited time of peace before him, and that if he were to enlist this girl's assistance and offer the time to train enough to be of any assistance at all, he needed to act fast.

Still, wanting to see the extent of her latent abilities, the yōkai took great pains to disguise himself that day. The shrine maidens, Kagome in particular, had grown accustomed to his yōki and he went to great lengths to mask it as much as possible. Only one extremely spiritually sensitive could have detected him, and he honestly doubted that his efforts would bear fruit. Kagome was probably still too untrained in her spiritual abilities to sense him in this guise.

He followed her scent to the herb garden in the courtyard of the shrine. It was a lovely place, as gardens go: climbing vines and blossoming flowers everywhere, of all colors and sizes. Kagome kneeled on the ground in her miko garb, her back to Kōji, as she tended her own plot towards one corner of the garden.

"Hello, Kagome-sama," he greeted politely, bowing in wait for her to turn and expecting her to shriek in surprise, or otherwise demonstrate how she had not sensed him behind her.

But clearly she had. Showing no incredulity whatsoever, Kagome turned but stayed on the ground. She gave a barely perceptible nod of her head to dignify his bow, and the daiyōkai rose back to full height.

Calm, steel-gray eyes examined him coolly, assessing for a potential threat. She didn't recognize his appearance—and how could she have? She could not possibly remember him in his true form when he saved her as an infant, and he currently wearing the face of an average human man. Still, it was obvious in her expression that something about him set off a spark of recognition in her. His yōki? Was she truly that sensitive? That would be such a welcome surprise.

In a strong tone, taking no pains to hide her voice, the young woman said, "Hello. You're the yōkai that stays outside the shrine from time to time, aren't you? How may I help you?"

Only other kami and daiyōkai were powerful enough to ward off the charms of a kami's true voice. Having spoken so certainly, Kagome must have sensed him for what he was.

"Clever little thing, huh?" Kōji chuckled, and dropped his guise. Ordinary black hair lengthened and gleamed silver, common black eyes became a glowing gold, and blunt, human nails lengthened and sharpened into powerful claws. Perhaps most impressive of all, however, was his sheer size. Mortals rarely grew past the size of adolescent daiyōkai, and with his advanced years, Kōji stood almost head and shoulders taller than any human man, and at least three handspans wider.

The girl showed minimal reaction to his sudden change of appearance: only a minute widening of her slate-gray eyes, but it was enough.

"My name is Kōji," he went on, allowing himself a moment to gloat over checking her off guard. "I'm also known as the Inu no Taishō, for my unfortunate tendency to be pulled into leading a battle."

"I'd introduce myself, but you clearly already know my name, Kōji-sama," the girl replied with a sarcastic smirk. "I repeat my earlier question: how may I help you? Is there something in the shrine that you desire? I can think of no other reason for a daiyōkai like yourself to frequent such hallowed grounds."

Indeed, the yōkai in question wanted to laugh. Even now, the immense, swirling reiki that permeated the very air around them was scratching his yōki painfully. He tamped down its answering surge of fury and power.

"Well, actually, I've come to see you," he answered truthfully. "You see, I was the one who discovered you as a babe, washed ashore on the beach down that path." He pointed. "I'm sure your guardians here told you the story."

"Only that I was found with a dead woman presumed to be my mother after a violent earthquake rent the area." Her skepticism of his participation in her rescue so many years ago was amusing.

"And I, the cause of that 'earthquake,'" he informed her, casually patting the hilt of one of his three swords.

She stared hard at him. "Why?"

"I have asked myself that question many a time since that day, and have come up with a different answer for every one," he told her truthfully. "But surely the child of a kami warrants such attention?"

"Kami?" Kagome had frozen, staring at him with wide eyes rapidly turning a misty blue.

"Yes. You must have realized it by now. I've watched you all your life, and you've gone to great lengths to bury your immortal heritage. Or have you another reason for forcing your body to age, and remaining mute for your life?"

"Well..." He had her there, he could tell. She was flummoxed for the first time since he'd begun this conversation, no longer sure of herself and her abilities. He had thrown her a loop, and she was desperately trying to navigate through it. "I always knew I was... different," she finally admitted. "But I never presumed..."

"To be fair, you are not entirely kami," Kōji explained. "Your mother, the woman found with you, was a human. Your sire, however, I believe to be one of the more powerful of all the kami: Ryūjin, lord and master of the sea. I think we can expect great things from you."

"You believe Ryūjin to be my father?" the girl repeated, awestruck and skeptical. "What proof is there of this?"

"In my opinion, a substantial amount," the dog lord returned, "but that is a conversation for another day. As I'm certain you are aware, it is incredibly irritating to stand here with the combined reiki of at least a dozen miko pressing on my back. I cannot stay long."

Kagome's gaze sharpened, focusing on the daiyōkai once more and ignoring her many questions in lieu of asking just one. "Why do you come to tell me this?" she demanded. "I can't imagine any yōkai, no matter how benevolent, taking the time and patience to travel into a hallow haven just to inform a girl of her parentage."

"You'd be correct in thinking so, and I won't insult your intelligence further by prolonging my main point of being here: I may very soon be at war, Kagome-sama. Not with mortals, of course, but with other yōkai. You see, I control the Western Lands of this country, and there are many others who resent that claim. You could be an extremely powerful ally to me, should you decide to aid my cause—and get a few years' experience, of course."

The young miko peered up at him, a smirk playing at her full mouth. "Was that a form of asking for my help? I couldn't hear the question under all that ego talking."

Kōji barked out a surprised laugh, once more awed at the audacity of the girl but all the more pleased by it. At least having her around for her power would by no means bore him. "Yes, would you have rather a drawn-out, poetic plea? I usually leave the romance to my son these days."

Curious and eager to step away from the daunting question, Kagome asked politely, "How old is your son?"

"That's a difficult question for a yōkai to answer," the dog general answered honestly. "My son is far older than you, but would appear to be about the same age, physically. We more powerful yōkai age at a much, much slower rate than mortals. While thirty years could pass to a human, only one would seem to pass for one such as us. My Sesshōmaru is approaching his four hundred and seventeenth year this coming winter, and yet, physically, he appears not much older than you."

"Do kami age similarly?"

Kōji knew that the girl was trying to find some reason behind her lack of natural physical progression, but he was not quite prepared to offer her an oration on the physical attributes of immortals. It would take far too much time, time he was not prepared to give. His yōki was raging now, straining to be released and cut down the reiki irritating it.

"No, but I could explain that to you later. Will you come with me, Kagome-sama? You aren't properly protected here. On top of that, you have to hide who and what you truly are. Whispering and forcing your body to grow and change when you aren't ready is not any way to live."

Kagome looked away, biting her lip uncertainly. Quietly, she admitted, "I know. I've thought often about leaving this place, but... the women here—the miko—they've raised me. I owe them my very life. How could I just abandon them?"

"With comfort in the knowledge that you are repaying your debt," the Kōji answered easily. "If the discontent I face now is any indication, the battles to come will be far greater than any this world has seen. By joining me, you ensure that the fighting and bloodshed end that much sooner, and cause fewer casualties. By leaving them now, you are potentially saving them."

Letting out a long sigh of resignation, the girl asked one last question: "May I have your word that everything you say is true? Am I to fight for an honorable cause?"

"All that and more," the dog lord swore. "You will not only be assisting me in defending my own lands, but you will help me teach yōkai that we needn't fight each other like beasts. I'm also hoping you may help my son, in particular."

Suspiciously, she queried, "Help your son how?"

"Sesshōmaru has a very strong... aversion to mortals," Kōji confessed. "You, being half-mortal yourself, might be able to help him see sense. Mortals may be inferior in terms of sheer physicality, but that does not mean they are lesser beings, as he believes. I swear, he sees mortals as no better than insects."

Kagome raised her brows at that last statement. "After four hundred plus years, I doubt anything I say or do could change such strong opinions."

The Inu no Taishō nodded in seeming agreement, but kept his own thoughts on the matter private. He liked to think that, while his son was no easy person to know, he knew Sesshōmaru better than that.

"I realize that," he agreed. "Still, there's hope." Taking a breath, eager to change the subject, he tried to further entice her to his cause. "You will be given of section of my estate. It's a separate building from the rest, and you will have privacy there. My wife and son and I live in the other, larger building. We will, of course, visit you, and you are welcome to dine with us, and so forth. I only do this so that you don't feel crowded too soon, you understand."

Kagome nodded, thankful that she wouldn't be expected to live in the same house as his family and staff. Though she would be on the same estate, it was not quite as galling, she thought gratefully. Being thrust upon any family would be awkward, no doubt, but for a half-miko to be forced on a family of yōkai would probably rankle even the kindest of their kind.

"My guards and staff are all inuyōkai, as I am," he went on, "and they will escort you everywhere, and guard you day and night. Forgive me, Kagome-sama," he hastened to add when he saw her look of protest, "but I must insist on this. You are still far too young and inexperienced to defend yourself should a yōkai of the caliber I am used to dealing with discover your alliance with me. While you train and hone your skills at the castle, you will be guarded."

"And once I am fully able to take care of myself?" she prompted, raising her eyebrows again, this time in demand.

The Inu no Taishō grinned ruefully, but promised, "You will be free to dismiss your guard at your leisure. You drive a hard bargain, Kagome-sama."

Thinking it all over for only a second, Kagome finally nodded and announced, "I will agree to all of this on one condition: stop calling me 'sama.' I need only Kagome."