Forgotten Memories

Three hours had passed and the pale light of day painted the snow covered mountains in pale gold. Tori cursed under his breath as the rising sun peeked out from behind the mountain and still they had yet to reach the Southern kingdom. From where they were it would take just under an hour to reach the palace he only hoped that in that time his father wouldn't send a search party after him.

Tori looked down at his sister. She looked a lot like their mother and not at the same time. Their mother once had straight black hair with a green hue, her eyes had been bright pools of violet, and her flawless pale skin lacked any marking; this being because she hadn't been born a demon.

A growl rumbled in his chest from the thought of the woman that had once been his mother, and he instantly regretted it.

A soft whimper slipped passed Kagome's lips.

Fearing that she would wake up, he began to awkwardly 'purr', they were more like a gargle of soft growls. But it did the trick and she once more settled down in his arms. Her hands gripped his haori with her claws nearly ripping the fabric.

Tori sighed in relief, he sure as hell didn't want to have an encounter with his sisters beast especially if she just woke up. A shiver went down his spine in remembrance of her red eyes when he and his friend Maizo accidentally woke her up from a nap.

The journey was silent after that, and it wasn't long before he reached the Southern palace. A small smile pulled at his lips as they soon touched ground. They landed within the center of the gardens, the flowers sprinkled as the early light shined against the morning dew weighing on their pedals.

It was a welcoming sight to be home again.

"So why is it my prince that your sneaking into your own home," came a low baritone voice from behind.

Tori cursed under his breathe. "Maizo please just be quiet, I'm too tired for this," Tori sighed turning to face his long time friend.

Maizo was leaning up against as tree his arms crossed as he stared at Tori with his dark forest green eyes. He stood just a little shorter than himself, with two scars marring his perfectly tanned complexion, one cut across his left cheek while the other went straight down just a little below his right eye. He wore black hakamas tucked into a pair of black leather boots, on top he wore a dark emerald green haori with a lighter color green design of leaves. Tied to his hip by a yellow and brown sash were two swords. His brown hair fell to the middle of his back in a lazy bonytail.

Maizo acted cocky at first, pushing himself off the tree to continue to mock him, but he froze mid-step as his eyes fell upon the sleeping girl in his arms.

Tori immediately held his sister a little tighter to him, a growl rumbled in his chest. He didn't like the glimmer that flashed in his eyes. It was a look similar to the one some demonesses would have when staring at him during parties. Lust.

"Is that really her?" Maizo asked while pointing at her.

Tori nodded with a glare.

"How?"

"It doesn't matter how, just help me get her to the dojo without anyone noticing," Tori ordered with a firm growl. Kagome whimpered slightly at the growl, most likely feeling that there was a threat. With a sigh, Tori turned his attention towards his sister, holding her a little tighter and offering a small purr-like growl to calm her.

"Okay whatever you say my prince," Maizo grumbled bitterly, holding his hands up in a show of innocence, before leading the way in which none of the soldiers would be patrolling.

They walked quickly from the garden to the dojo. As they opened the door, the sun rose fully over the mountains, the once silent palace awakened at the sight with a soft buzz of busy servants. Soon his father would also waken.

Walking towards the far wall Tori laid her down on a mat. She reluctantly let go and turned towards the wall, where she continued to sleep peacefully.

"Maizo I need you to watch her till I get back,"

"Hey I have responsibilities too you know," he grumbled glaring at him.

Things between them had been rough for the past few years, it was a sort of falling out. Tori in his free time was always looking for his sister, attempting to retrace his mother's steps in his mission to find her. Maizo had been helping him in the beginning, but about five years ago, when he had been promoted to general, he snapped.

~o.O.O.o~

"She's dead! Why can't you just accept that she's never coming back? It's time to move on Tori!" Maizo growled slamming his hand on the table and swiping away the maps and papers that had been on them.

"She's my sister! I'll never stop looking for her!" He yelled back standing to meet his gaze.

"Look if she were still alive, we would have found her by now," Maizo sighed running his fingers through his hair. "We've been at this for years, it's time to put this nonsense to rest and start taking your responsibilities as heir serious,"

"Is this you saying it, or the counsel?"

Maizo dropped his gaze and shook his head as he moved to stand face to face with Tori. "Their right though,"

Tori growled pushing Maizo against the wall, his forearm pressed firmly against his throat, as he bared his teeth at him. "That is not your place to say! I am your prince, and what I do is none of the council's concern, if I wish to search for my sister, I will. I will continue to do so until I find her; whether she be dead or alive,"

"As you wish my prince,"

~o.O.O.o~

"I know, just please be my friend again for right now and help me," Tori pleaded turning his cobalt eyes to Maizo.

With a sigh and a shake of his head, Maizo placed his hand onto Tori's shoulder. "I never stopped being your friend,"

~o.O~O.o~

Maizo sat a few feet away, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes shut. His right eye lazily opened as Kagome whimpered, she was curled up in a ball lightly shivering with her back facing him.

With a sigh he stood up taking off his outer haori to cover her with it. And that's when he got his first true look at her. She was breathtakingly beautiful. She shifted onto her back, her hair falling around her head in a black halo, her eyes fluttered causing her long lashes to brush against the tops of her cheeks. The pale black crescent moon and purple lines marking her face, gave her a regal look, fitting of her current status. Growing up he never thought of her as anything other than his friend's -scary- sister, but now she was a matured demoness of mating age. And that thought caused his beast to rattle his cage.

He turned moving back to his spot on the wall. He took several deep breathes to collect himself. Even though she was beautiful, he could practically taste the power surrounding, and with him being nothing more than a general he didn't have a chance. She belonged with a lord or prince, and besides she was his friend's 'little' sister and lord's daughter; she was off limits.

Maizo sat there for almost an hour in a state between sleep and awake. It had been a few days since he had slept seeing as he had been observing Tori's movement. He had followed him off the palace grounds until he was near the western borders. Tori would disappear for days at a time, Lord Koroshiya had been growing more concerned the longer Tori stayed away from the palace. So in concern for his old friend and to hopefully bring peace of mind to his lord, Maizo had taken it upon himself to following Tori.

He expected for him to have found a possible mate-to-be.

Not Kagome.

It had been a few hundred years since she had disappeared, he along with many others assumed she would be died after having been technically banished by Lady Shinsetsuna and left in an unknown location. Anyone who had killed her would have been widely known for killing the heir to the South. But then again here she was alive and well, grown and powerful.

He secretly wondered how she had survived all those years.

~o.O~O.o~

It had been dark for the longest time when blurry images filled said darkness. Words and information buzzed around mixing with the images, even matching up with a few of them.

Faces of people Kagome didn't know, but felt she knew came into few.

The demon she had met before came into few but as she studied his face it changed into that of a young boy. Running around barefoot, his black hair went to his waist while his bright blue eyes sparkled as he played around in a beautiful garden.

"Kagome!" He cried as he came to sit beside her and shake her from her lazy state.

"What is it Tori?" Kagome asked feeling irritated, she got the feeling she had been trying to nap under the willow she was suddenly under. It was weird, Kagome had no control of what she was saying or doing, she was simply stuck watching what was going on around her.

"Sesshomaru's here!" He panting while smiling at her.

Kagome was suddenly filled with glee, her friend was here. She jumped up her hand on a sword that rested on her hip. And as she did so, Kagome felt a familiar aura but it didn't hold the power she now knew it possessed.

Turning she was face by a younger, less intimidating, Sesshomaru. His normally cold gold eyes that Kagome was used, were warm towards her with a very small smile gracing his face. A single silver braid cascaded down his back and stopped at his thighs, while his marking were displayed perfectly on his pale face. On his small form he wore a white short sleeved haori with a blue checkered design on the shoulders, while his white hakamas were tucked into a black pair of leather boots. In his hand was a sword.

"Well hey there Sesshomaru~," Kagome began with a laugh. It seemed this was normal and it felt natural. "Let's get started," She laughed as she charged him with her sword.

In a clash of medal their swords met in a battle of strength. They both wanted to prove something, this match had started years ago but Kagome couldn't remember what caused their sparring. Now the goal was to have fun. He was her best friend, aside from her brother, and this is how their friendship was formed. They spent the whole day sparring with one another, aiming to show off what they learned while also working to improve what they already knew. This continued for several hours, avoiding attacks only to turn and attempt their own, but they never aimed to harm only to catch the other off guard.

When they finally came to a stop they were both panting and drained of any energy to continue. And just like that the two of them both laughed.

"You almost had me," Sesshomaru chuckled with a small smile as he put his sword away before crossing his arms over his chest.

Kagome giggled as she rested her word on her shoulder and her other hand on her hip."As you did me, Sesshomaru~," she grinned.

Sesshomaru stumbled a little and his face grew bright with color. Kagome choked her head to the side, her smile fading as she became concern. This wasn't normal, was he more tired than he was leading on? Was he sick?

"Are you alright fluffy?" She asked and rushed towards him. Gathering her energy at her feet, she used it to float so that they were nose to nose and she was looking him in the eye.

"K-Kagome!" he softly cried, his eyes widening as he looked back at her.

Kagome places her pale hand to his forehead. He shuttered and his face grew red.

"You don't feel warm? Are you alright fluffy?" Kagome asked again leaning back to get a better look at him. She was hoping he would snap out of it if she called him by that hated nickname of his, she removed her hand from his forehead, but nothing he just continued to look at her.

"Sesshomaru, would you like me to take you to the healer?" Kagome asked worriedly.

"No that's alright I'm fine," Sesshomaru said in a small voice..

Kagome narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest in a slight pout as she leaned in once more. "Are you sure? You're acting funny," she said before leaning back and lowering herself to the ground.

Sesshomaru simply nodded as he stared at her.

"If you say so," She sighed with a shrug.

"KAGOME!" a female voice 's eyes widened as her form stiffened. She immediately recognized the voice to be that of Shinsetsuna; her mother. At hearing the demoness yelling her name Kagome was filled with dread.

She offered Sesshomaru a teasing smile. "We'll have to finish this later fluffy," she said with a wink. Getting onto her tiptoes Kagome placed a quick kiss on Sesshomaru's cheek, when she pulled away she looked up with red staining her cheek to see Sesshomaru looking at her owlishly.

With a giggle Kagome said, "I'll see you later Sesshomaru," and then she ran away think that it would be best if she changed before her mother found her.

Rushing into her room Kagome washed her face using the water and rag that a servant had no doubt left on her nightstand. The room was large with pale cream colored walls with white trim, while a full sized bed covered in white silk sheets and a pale blue comforter and a trunk at the end of the bed. There was a wardrobe next to a beauty table with a mirror and brushes. And then two doors one leading to the spring area and the other a larger closet.

Taking off her clothing she put them along with her sword at the bottom of her wardrobe. Grabbing a pale pink silk kimono with dark pink flowers, Kagome quickly got dressed and finished it with a red obi.

Just as Kagome was pulling her hair into a bun her door opened. Jumping up she was welcomed by the sight of her mother. She stood tall while looking down her nose at Kagome with her violet colored eyes. Straight black hair flowed down to her knees, when the light come in through the window it gave off a pale blue hue that made her pale creamy skin look even paler in color. On her fit form she wore a simple two layered kimono, the first white and the second lavender in color with blue and white flowers decorating the silk fabric while her obi and sash were both dark blue in color. Slung over her shoulder was a quiver of arrows and in her right hand was a brown engraved bow.

Shinsetsuna offered a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. In fact she looked wicked as she walked up to Kagome and wiped away a smug she had missed.

"You and me are going on a small trip," she said sweetly.

"What about Tori and daddy?" Kagome asked as Shinsetsuna took her hand and led her out of the room.

"It will just be the two of us," She smiled as she pulled Kagome along as they left the palace and stepped into a dark carriage drawn by flying a single dragon. They flew through the sky at a fast pace. Shinsetsuna was quiet the whole ride, never once looking at Kagome who sat across from her.

Kagome fidgeted in her seat. She never left the palace without her father, and even then they were never far from the Southern palace, and they were really far from the palace now.

And then the carriage landed softly on the ground. Kagome nervous of what was going on looked to her mother for reassurance but she was only welcomed by her cold violet eyes and the force smile that pulled at her red painted lips.

"Follow me," She demanded as she stepped out of the carriage. Kagome quickly followed her mother, nearly tripping as she exited in her attempt to get to her.

And there it was, in the darkness Kagome knew it the moment she saw it, but the young child looked on curiously at the new place. The spring green grass swayed with the wild flowers as a gentle breeze swept through the small clearing. There was nothing special about the clearing other than it looked over what was a small possibility newly formed human village. Looking around Kagome took notice of a wooden well that rested in the middle of the clearing. Narrowing her eyes and focusing on it with her aura Kagome was surprised to feel the hum of power that surrounded the seemingly normal well.

She was suddenly scared by the lack of anything and looked up to her mother. "Mama what are we doing here?"

Shinsetsuna simply ignored her as she walked straight up the well and looking down into it. Kagome followed and looked into its dark depth with growing anxiety, something bad was going to happen. Looking to her mother she whimpered her discomfort and fear wanting her mother to give her something even if it wasn't the comfort she wanted in this moment.

"Mama please?" She pleaded wanting an answer to her question.

Shinsetsuna turned and was face to face with in a swirl of speed with her fingers pressed against Kagome's forehead. "Silence you wretched child!" She growled with a sneer twisting her beautiful face.

Trembling Kagome could do nothing but look into the now blackened eyes of her mother. She attempted to use her voice but it would not leave her throat, her mother had placed a spell on her, she couldn't even move her arms. She was frozen in place, force to face whatever her mother was going to do to her.

"You will remember nothing, know nothing of what has taken place on this day and any other one before. Only until you are reunited with the family to be the proper daughter you are meant to be will you know who and what you are. Until that time you shall be nothing more than a human babe, no powers, nothing to protect you with," Shinsetsuna chanted with glowing fingers.

As she spoke everything around Kagome grew fuzzy as she grew smaller in size. Everything was fuzzy, including her memories that she was desperately trying to hold onto.

Wrapping Kagome in the silks of her now large kimono, Shinsetsuna held her at arm's length away from her above the opening of the well. Kagome could not understand a word as she looked to see the well glow bright in a swirl of different colored blues. She cried, unable to stop what was going to happen.

And like that she fell, screaming as air rushed past her small body. She was slowly losing her mind, unable to form clear thoughts as she continued to change based on the chant her mother had said earlier.

Then she was embraced by warm arms before being pulled to the armor clad chest of a beautiful human woman. She had long purple black hair that fell in waves while she looked down at Kagome with velvety red/brown eyes. Her skin was as white as cream and clear of any blemishes with the only thing on her face being a purple marking just above her brow line. Thinking hard trying the think back the what the small diamond meant,

Kagome came to think it as the marking of a strong miko. But in the darkness, only a watcher in what was happening, she knew this woman to be midoriko.

Midoriko did the same as Kagome's mother had and place two fingers to her forehead. "I can not reverse everything that she has done to you my child, but I can unbind the chains on your miko powers you inherited from her," She idaly told Kagome as she held her.

"You my child are very important," She said softly. "You are doing to save the world and right the wrongs I have created with my actions, for that I will be eternally grateful. I promise you that I will be with you throughout your journey and when the time comes I will give you back your memories and all of which your mother denied you so as to show my gratitude," Midoriko cooed.

"Before I give you to a loving woman who will love you always, I want you to know your mother did love you. She just wasn't strong enough to maintain her spiritual balance when she was changed, and once she gave birth to you nearly all her spiritual power was drained from her. Shinsetsuna loved you but was consumed by madness, please do not hold a grudge against her,"

Kagome barely understood but nodded.

"I'll see you again Kagome,"

And then everything faded into darkness. There were no images, no words, nothing but the ever present darkness that hung around her. Left to the silence and her thought Kagome was awestruck.

Was this all real? It felt real, it even felt right like a part of her came to life at seeing everything that happened.

"Hello Kagome," the voice was as smooth as velvet yet sweet sounding, it almost had a song like quality.

Turning Kagome was welcomed by the last thing she saw in that vision.

"Midoriko!"

The ancient miko nods and offers Kagome a smile. She looked the same with her wavy black hair with the purple hue, her red/brown eyes and the paleness of her skin. In the vision Kagome could make out anything other than her face and now she could see all of her. They stood at roughly the same height with Kagome oddly enough being the taller of the two. On her form she wore the signature miko garbs consisting of red hakamas that came up to her breasts and a white haori but the sleeves were pinned closer together instead being almost bell-like. Kagome had visited Midoriko's tome and there she had been wearing armor but before her Midoriko was bare of any armor.

"It's wonderful to see you again, you're all grown up," She spoke softly while approaching Kagome.

"Is it true? Is that why they were so willing to let me go?" Kagome asked referring to her mom and grandfather on the other side of the well.

"They were never willing, they truly loved you as their own, but they were willing to let you pick which life you wanted. And you choose this life, it just so happens there's more to you than you thought," She answered with a small shrug.

"Then why would Shinsetsuna do that to me? I am her daughter!" Kagome yelled having been filled with rage.

"You know why, I told you before what had caused her to act in such a way. Miko's that are changed due to mating don't often take the change well, when you were born your mother was taken by her beast that was resentful towards you for being born with miko powers and became more enraged when you were named heir. You won't have to worry about her though, her soul is finally at peace,"

"She's dead?" This made her sad, although she was angry she didn't wish her dead

"Yes, your father had her killed for what she did, if you think back you'll remember how important you were to him and your brother,"

"Everything is fuzzy I can't tell what really or not," she sighed in defeat while sinking to the ground.

Midoriko sat down beside her and offered her a small smile before wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her towards her. Resting her head on the miko's shoulder, Kagome took comfort in her company.

"I promise I'll help you figure it out," Midoriko told her while rubbing small circles on her back.

They were quiet for awhile as Kagome thought of what to say.

"Midoriko?"

"Yes?'

"What happened to Shinsetsuna? Is she really at peace now?"

Midoriko thought for a long moment before answering. "Well like many, we are reincarnated after some time, same for your mother. After 300 years she was reincarnated into the miko Kikyo, if I remember correctly you met her," She told her before looking down to see the surprised eyes of Kagome.

Midoriko laughed. "Now let's focus on your memory, your brother has been waiting a long time to see you,"

~o.O~O.o~

wolfYLady: I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the changes I've made to the story. And i really am sorry that I have changed it so much but I promise no more of that.

Oh side note Shinsetsuna is Kikyo's ancestor! That is why Kagome and Kikyo kind of looked alike ;)~

Like always please review I would love to see what you think of my little story and if i should continue the work I have been putting into it.