"Momma, wake up." Ryuzo cried as he shook his mother. "Momma, please wake up."
"Ryu, What is it?" Kagome asked when her foggy mind cleared. "What's wrong?"
"It's Sota. He's gone."
Kagome shot up and looked around. "What? What do you mean gone? Where did he go?"
"What's wrong?" Sesshoumaru asked when he came into the room.
"Where is Sota?"
"He's in the garden with Kasheru," Sesshoumaru said. "No, they're not alone." He added when he saw Kagome's face twist up with horror. "I made sure of that."
"How long have you been up?"
"I've been up since dawn. I could not sleep."
"Ryu, Why don't you go find your brother and sister?"
"Ok." He left his parents alone.
"Sesshoumaru, what's going on?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, something has been bothering you since last night. I want to know what. It's not everyday you lose sleep over a problem."
She had a point. Everyday the castle had a problem but he never lost sleep over them. "My brother is back."
"Inuyasha is here?"
"No, my other brother, Etui."
"I didn't know you had another brother." Kagome said sadly.
"You weren't supposed to know. Inuyasha doesn't know. He was disowned years ago before Inuyasha's mother came around."
"What does he want now?"
"He wants what he thinks is his. The Western Lands."
"Where has he been all this time?"
"Who knows? As soon as he was disowned he left the castle and was never heard from again."
"I take it that you two weren't very close."
"Actually, we were. He is my twin. We look like complete opposites. You wouldn't even know that we are brothers."
"What happened?"
"Our father was holding a banquet in my and Etui's honor. We were at the age to take a mate and Father thought it should be celebrated. At the banquet, Father announced that I was to take the lands, if he should fall before his time. Etui loved the lands and went out of his way to impress Father. For Father to name me as his heir, Etui felt betrayed. He turned on us that day. He became very distant.
"One day, on his way home, Etui ran into the bandits that had been reeking havoc in the lands. Father had been trying to get all of them out of his lands for a month now. Etui thought that if he got all of them out then father would reconsider. Our mother had been out roaming the grounds when she caught his scent and went to greet him.
"Our mother was hit with a poisoned arrowhead as soon as she came into sight. The bandits were smart. They held my brother captive and waited for my mother to come to them. My mother was very strong and they knew one arrow could not bring her down. They tied her up and told Etui to kill her or they would kill him and then her." Sesshoumaru stopped and looked at Kagome's shirt. "Kagome, your shirt is glowing."
Kagome looked at her shirt and ran out of the room with Sesshoumaru following closely behind. "They're in trouble Sesshoumaru." Kagome raced to the garden and saw the dead guards. "Kasheru! Sota! Ryuzo!"
"My Lady," a wounded guard spoke.
"General, Who did this?" Sesshoumaru questioned.
"Where are my children?" Kagome nearly screamed.
"He and his company took them."
"Who?"
"Lord Sesshoumaru, your brother has returned." Then the guard took his last breath and went limp.
Sesshoumaru roared. He was beyond angry. "Kagome, go and send a messenger to Keade's Village and another to King Kuranoske. We will need their help. We are dealing with more than my brother."
"Sesshoumaru, what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to look for them." With that, he changed into his dog demon form and ran out the garden.
Kagome snapped into action. She ran back into the castle and called for Tarioko.
> > > > > > > > >
"What do you want with us?" Kasheru yelled as she desperately tried to get free from her binds to help her brothers.
Etui brought them to a castle hidden by a barrier behind the mountains. Kasheru assumed that he had been planning this for a while. His castle wasn't very far from her home.
"It's only you I need. Your brothers are just for leverage."
"Leverage? What do you want?"
"I want what was taken from me so many years ago. What I was born to be. Your father is a thief and a liar."
"My father is not a liar or a thief. He's never stolen anything a day in his life."
"That is just what you know of, isn't it?"
"Yes. My father is the most honorable man you could find, other than my uncle Inuyasha."
"Inuyasha? Oh, yes. The half-breed. It is a wonder how he last this long without guidance."
"My uncle is one of the best fighters. My father trained him."
"Who do you think trained your father? It was I."
"Who are you? You look as my father does but you are nothing like him. "
"He is my brother. In fact, we are more than that. We are twins. I am your uncle."
"My uncle? How could that be? My father doesn't have any more brothers."
"That is what you know, little pup. But it is true."
"If you are his brother than why aren't you at the castle with him?"
"I was banished."
"Why?"
"That is of no concern to you. Come." Etui picked her up. "We must prepare you for your father."
"What of my brothers?"
"Do not worry. They will be taken care of."
> > > > > > > > >
Sesshoumaru lost their scent somewhere in the forest and kept running in the same direction the scent was leading him. He stopped at the base of the mountains. He smelled magic in the air but couldn't tell where it was coming from.
An arrow flew thru the air and narrowly missed him. Sesshoumaru turned to see who would dare to attack him at this moment. He saw a white head of hair run into the forest he had just come out of and followed. As he walked thru the trees another arrow flew past him. Someone was toying with him and they would pay dearly. Sesshoumaru followed the fleeing person to a clearing and it disappeared again. He looked around and saw a pair of golden eyes staring at him thru the trees.
"Come out and I will end your life quickly."
The demon slowly stepped thru the trees. The figure had been the outline of a female. Her snowy white hair was next to be shown until she was fully into the clearing. Sesshoumaru was visibly shocked. This female youkai was a child. His child. His own pup was shooting at him; playing with him.
"Kasheru, where are your brothers?"
"They are… around here somewhere. Perhaps, they fell off the cliff not a mile from here or maybe they are just hiding."
"Kasheru, do not play games with me. Where are your brothers?" She was dangerously trying his patience.
"Why Father, I'm surprised. I thought all your children were important to you. I guess it's just the boys you love."
Sesshoumaru's gaze and voice softened considerably. "Kasheru-"
"That's all right, Father. No need to explain. I completely understand." Kasheru raised her bow and grabbed an arrow from her quiver. "It was nice while it lasted." She released her hold.
Sesshoumaru dodged the arrow effortlessly and grabbed Kasheru by her arms before she could get away. "What's wrong with you, Kashe? What happened?"
Kasheru closed her eyes and her body began to glow a light blue. "Burn for me, Father."
Sesshoumaru hissed as he dropped Kasheru on the forest floor. He tried desperately to ignore the burning in his hands but it became unbearable. "Why are you doing this?" he said as he looked down at his scarred hands.
"Why not?" Kasheru said as she got up from the ground. "I'm here to make you pay for your actions." Kasheru started walking away.
Sesshoumaru made a move to follow her but found he couldn't move. "Why are you doing this?" he asked again.
Kasheru stopped and turned around. She looked up at the trees as if she had to think about it. "Because you deserve it. Have a good evening, Father." she turned back around and started walking again.
When she was far enough out of sight, Sesshoumaru felt the bindings slacken and he took off in the direction he last saw her. Sesshoumaru search for hours and could not find a scent that belonged to his daughter. However, he did find something else.
As the sun was setting, Sesshoumaru made his way home. He figured he gave everyone more than enough time to get to the castle. While he drew near the palace, he was greeted by a figure that was walking towards him and looked very much like his Kashe but this was more masculine and taller. Inuyasha.
Inuyasha came out when he smelled his brother coming and was waiting for him near the doors. It wasn't until Inuyasha smelt the distress his brother was leaking off his body did he start walking towards him. "What happened, Sesshoumaru?"
"Is everyone here?"
"No, we're still waiting for Kuran and Sango to send word. What happened?" He repeated but got the same answer.
"Tell everyone to meet me in my study, Inuyasha. We will discuss things there."
As soon as Sesshoumaru stepped in thru the door, Kagome broke out of Rin's consoling hold and was hot on his tail.
"Where are they? What did you find out?"
"Calm down, Kagome."
"To hell with being calm! I want to know where my children are."
Sesshoumaru held up a necklace that used to be around Kasheru's neck and Kagome gasped. "It is hers. She tore it off by the look of the clasp."
"What happened to my daughter?" Kagome whispered when she took the hanging chain.
"Inuyasha, take them now."
"Everyone, go to the study. That means you too, Shippo and Rin."
Shippo took one last look at his parents and went with Inuyasha pulling Rin after him. Sesshoumaru picked Kagome up into his arms and carried her to their room. He laid her on the bed and got in next to her.
"What happened to our daughter?"
"She is not ours anymore." Kagome lifted her head and stared at him. "She was not in control of her actions. She attacked me without so much as a second thought. What shocked me is that she did not kill me. She had the chance but she did not. When I asked where her brothers were she wouldn't give me an answer. This is more than just Etui. There is some type of sorcerer on his side."
"Our daughter is brainwashed and she won't tell us where her brothers are. Maybe she doesn't know."
"She knew. She misunderstood me, Kagome. She thought I didn't care what happened her when I asked after them."
"Oh no. What could make her think such a thing?"
> > > > > > > > >
"You've done well, Kasheru."
"Thank you Uncle. I will make you very proud of me one day."
"You already have."
"Kashe, what are you doing? Why did you do that to Father?" an angry and sad Sota screamed.
"Silence you brat. Who cares what happens to him? He doesn't deserve us or mom."
"Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about! Mommy and daddy love us and you." Ryu cried out. "And you," he added pointing to Etui, "if you are truly our uncle you would let us go and stop making Kashe do all those mean things to daddy."
"I am your uncle. Your father has to pay for what he has done."
"Uncle, you never told me what he really did to deserve this punishment." Kasheru said to her uncle.
"One day I will tell you the story but before that time, there is much to be done," he said simply before walking out of the room with Kasheru following.
"Ryu, we have to get out of here but I don't want to leave without Kashe."
"But how are we going to get her to come? She follows uncle everywhere."
"Kasheru is under a spell, Ryu. If we break it, then she'll come."
"How are we going to break it?"