:: House of Lords ::

by Shadow.of.Illusion

Summary: Higurashi Kagome was an ordinary young woman… well, as normal as one could possibly be considering she is the Guardian Miko of the Shikon no Tama. Having received an invitation to appear before the Youkai House of Lords might just make her stand out a little more. After all, what has a miko to do with youkai affairs?

Okay, who decided that I didn't want to be normal?!

Disclaimer: Why on earth would I want to own Inuyasha (the series)? I'd probably mess it up and have millions of angry fans after me. :P Don't own, and don't want it. Now if I could own the characters...

WARNING! See the first chapter. I did forget to mention, however, that this story is slightly AU.

Many thanks to Dragoness Fohama, j.j. ryan, soubifan700, and AnimeMoonlightGoddess for reviewing!! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

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Chapter 2: Caught Up in the Madness

"Whaaaat?!"

Inuyasha winced at the high-pitched tone, his tiny triangle-shaped ears flattened against his head in an effort to ward off the offending pitch. "I'm just sayin', you can't come back just yet."

The young woman glared at him, her hands moving to a dangerous position on her hips, letting the hanyou know exactly just how ticked off she was. "And the reason for this sudden decision would be?"

"Look, it's for your own good!"

"And how would you know what's good for me?!"

"Feh! Like you would know either!"

A tick formed over her left eye, cluing Inuyasha in to her next retort.

"Osuwari!"

Bam!

Souta watched from a safe distance with his grandfather, both undecided as to whether they should laugh or be worried for the hanyou's health. The two looked up as the front door opened.

"Mom!" Kagome noticed mid-rant that her mother had entered and felt slightly sheepish that she had had to see her daughter act so immature.

"Kagome-chan, is that Inuyasha?"

Blue eyes drifted down to the definitely furious, and infuriating, prostrated form on the floor. "Yeah." After receiving a mildly disapproving glare, Kagome held up her hands to ward off a lecture. "He's telling me I can't go back to the past!"

"Iforyurunguwd!"

All three humans stared at the body currently trying to remove itself from their kitchen floor.

"Come again?" her mother finally asked.

"Feh!" The subjugating spell finally released Inuyasha from his decidedly uncomfortable position, and he sat up with a glare firmly fixed on his exotic features. "It's for your own good!"

"And what, exactly, is the reason I need to stay here?" Kagome persisted, unwilling to just give up that part of her life for an unknown period of time. Her own brows furrowed to match the white-haired male's as he mumbled an excuse. "I can't hear you."

"The youkai council's looking for you," he finally stated after a few tense minutes had passed.

Her heart gave an unpleasant throb as she recalled Kikyo's last words to her. "And?"

"Are you that dumb?" Inuyasha backed off rapidly from his irate manner as the girl began to look more than a little incensed. "There's this prophecy thing goin' round, and they seem to be sure it's you."

Kagome blinked. Prophecy?

"Just stay on this side for a while. I'll come back and get you when it blows over."

She fingered the bottle of shards around her neck, her blue eyes clouded with an emotion Inuyasha wasn't able to name, "What about the shards?"

He grunted, as if the answer was obvious. "Kikyo's going to help us."

"Oh. Okay."

The Inu-hanyou shifted in his seat, feeling suddenly uncomfortable with the tone of her voice. This was going to go into one of those territories he had absolutely no clue as to what to do with her in. Saying the wrong thing could drive another wedge between them or could possibly get him sat. Either way, he wasn't planning on sticking around to see which one would play out. "I'd better get going."

"Yeah."

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Kagome stared almost wistfully out of a window at the retreating hanyou's form, the red of his clothes standing out as a bright beacon against the snow. Tapping her fingers against the frosted glass, she looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'll just go back the week after next," she decided out loud. "He won't be able to take me back 'cause of the new moon."

With that resolution in place, she set about enjoying the remainder of her free time. It wasn't in her nature to dwell over disheartening subjects, and she was not about to change that particular quirk in her personality. Besides, Christmas was just around the corner, as her brother had been exceptionally quick to inform her of earlier that day. Shopping might be a good way to pass some time… unless she ran into her "friends."

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"I'm going out, Mom!"

Closing the door to the small house firmly behind her, Kagome set off. Clad in the sheltering warmth of a thick navy blue jacket she had received last year from her family, she cheerfully puffed into the winter air to watch her breath freeze in little clouds. At least in this time, she could enjoy the weather without worrying about youkai.

A car beeped loudly at her as she jerked back onto the sidewalk, completely startled out of her reverie.

"This isn't a racetrack, you moron!" she bellowed after the sports car's disappearing form. Nope, no youkai. Just insane drivers who want to squish you flat without any second thoughts.

The girl sighed and looked up at the snow-filled heavens, "Why does even trying to shop have to be difficult?"

Fifteen minutes later found Kagome in front of a tiny, out-of-the-way bookstore, peering through the frosted windows to try to see what lay within. She hadn't planned on buying any books, or visiting a bookstore for that matter. Her feet had wandered where they would and had landed her in front of this store.

She pinched the bridge of her nose in mild aggravation. Her miko powers had flared slightly in response to this place, not in defense, but in acknowledgement of the spiritual powers that lay within. Definitely something to be wary about.

The door opened suddenly, startling the girl into a muffled shriek.

"Come in, child! You'll catch your death of cold out here!" An elderly woman half scolded, half invited the young miko as she ushered her in without any further ceremony. Her wizened face, lined with wrinkles that hinted boldly of her jovial nature, only added to the tiny woman's immediate charm. Her ebony-blue kimono served to bring out the darkness of her black eyes and the silver of her bound hair.

Kagome soon found herself seated in a comfortable, though old, chair with a steaming cup of tea cradled in her hands.

"Now then, what brings you to my humble shop today, Kagome?" the woman peered at her younger counterpart over the rim of her mug, dark eyes sparkling with humor and wisdom.

"Well, I—," Kagome paused, startled into silence. "Wait a sec, how'd you know my name?"

A laugh trilled out of the aged woman's lips, "My dear, I've been expecting you for a good while now."

Suddenly defensive, the girl's delicate brows furrowed over narrowed, stormy eyes. "That doesn't answer my question, ma'am."

"Higurashi Kagome, the Daughter of Time and Guardian Miko of the Shikon no Tama, it is my privilege to be your sensei for the next two weeks." She winked at the girl's dumbstruck expression, "And do call me Anju, ma'am makes me feel old."

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Left, right. Left, right. Twin practice blades met and hissed at the sheer force of impact, sparks flying and the reflections of their respective owners dancing madly across the shimmering ice-blue surface of the deadly steel weapons. A graceful twist and a flick of one warrior's wrist sent his opponent's blade spinning wildly from the now numb grasp and elicited a loud grunt of pain.

The female youkai present watched with ill-concealed appreciation of the older warrior's body, stripped to the waist and faintly gleaming with sweat from his prior workout. Those who were not slavering over the older male cast sympathetic looks toward the younger youkai who had just lost the match.

The young male gulped as he felt the cold bite of steel at his throat, a thin, warm trickle of blood slithering from the shallow wound to mingle with the heavy coat of perspiration that clung to his lithe body. His ruby orbs, inherited from both parents, gazed up in wide-eyed admiration mixed with no small trace of apprehension into the cold, distant golden pair of eyes above him.

"You win, Sesshoumaru-sama." The boy managed to breathe out the admission of defeat without stuttering.

The Inu-youkai slid his weapon into the broad yellow sash wrapped around his slim waist. He offered the boy a curt nod of acknowledgement before turning to gaze at the father of his opponent. "Have you come to lose as well, Hideharu?" Flicking back stray locks of his long silver-blue hair, he bit back a smirk at the displeased looked that crossed the Fenikkusu-youkai's face upon hearing the Western Lord's jibe.

"Would you compare a fledgling to this Hideharu?"

Sesshoumaru then did smirk, sensing the biting tone behind the mild question. "Is he not your chick?"

"He is his mother's." Hideharu stated calmly, sending a wink towards his son who shot him a scowl in reply.

"As much your son as hers," the boy growled out, wiping at his face with the back of his arm.

The phoenix laughed loudly, and rubbed at one of the twin midnight blue stripes that ran beneath his right eye, "Yes, that is the truth." He cleared his throat loudly, "That matter aside, I have need of your assistance, Sesshoumaru." I have information, his eyes read.

"Hn." Shrugging on a grey-blue haori, the Inu-youkai removed the blade from his side and tossed it to a waiting servant. He pivoted lightly on his heel to follow the Lord of the Eastern Lands out of the training hall to a more private enclosure, only pausing to retrieve Toujikin and Tenseiga before exiting.

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"Concentrate! Focus on your power, Kagome!" Anju frowned, her thin eyebrows furrowing at the girl's apparent lack of effort. Sending out tendrils of her own power, she covertly studied the young miko's energy levels, and disliked what she read.

"Stop."

Kagome turned, sweat dripping uncomfortably down her forehead and back from her prior endeavor. "What?"

The elderly miko crossed the room, her expression stern. A tiny, wizened finger poked the girl's chest hard. "You must remove the darkness, the bitterness from here," a rather painful poke emphasized each word. "Whatever has caused your sorrow must be removed, not buried."

Rubbing at the sore spot, blue eyes regarded Anju warily. "What do you mean?"

"You know very well what I mean, Kagome. Do not play games with me, as your training will never be completed in time if you continue to do so."

A weary sigh escaped the young woman's lips as she turned her attention to study the rather interesting wooden panels that made up the small training room.

Minutes passed by slowly in utter silence, causing Anju to turn and leave, shaking her head at the girl's recalcitrance.

"He left me."

The soft statement, though almost whispered, carried throughout the entire room. A plaintive note wove itself into the confession.

Anju looked back, her dark eyes soft as she already knew the answer to her next question. "Who, child?"

A curt laugh followed by the smallest of sniffles ensued. "Inuyasha," her grey-blue eyes misted over with many, many memories of the hanyou. "He said he would protect me, and I guess somewhere along the way I thought it meant that he would protect my heart as well."

Tears began to steadily slide down her face, unbeknownst to Kagome. Her heart had been broken so many times, but never had she truly been allowed to mourn for her future, for what could have been. She had always pushed it to the back of her mind. She had refused to even think about it.

She had to be strong; her friends depended on her.

Anju watched the flow of tears, relieved and saddened for the woman-child all at once. This would be the first step in healing Kagome's bruised heart.

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:: End Notes ::

I'm really happy that so many people are reading this!! Please let me know what you all think of this story. :) I'm trying to better my writing while working on this, so a little at a time--hopefully this story will grow to be better.

--S.o.I.