A/N
~Dark~ We don't own InuYasha just OCs! Also we are extremely grateful for the reviews and PMs!
~Light~ Here's an extra long chapter in thanks! Enjoy!
"My lord!" "Lord Inutaishou!" Inutaishou heard people yelling and turned around to see several demons, some clad in armor and others in simple clothes, running towards him as he held onto a sleeping InuYasha and Kagome while Sesshoumaru held a sleeping Shippo and Rin.
"Hello, I suspect you have been told of our arrival then?" Inutaishou questioned as a small imp holding a large staff with two heads made it's way towards him.
"Yes m'Lord. We have yet to prepare the meal you requested and I give you my deepest apologies." A small old demon with a humanoid figure except with a snake head and claws with green scales that shone in the afternoon sun.
"It is fine, you need not give me an apology. Does Sakura still stay here?" Inutaishou asked as Jaken stepped forward and bowed to Inutaishou.
"M'Lord, the rooms have been prepared as you requested." Jaken said from his bowed position as a female demon stepped forward, her hair a soft pink and her eyes a bright teal that glowed with laughter. She wore a simple red kimono, slightly darker than InuYasha's fire rat robe, that made her light skin a shade darker, around her waist sat a sleek tail that ended in a light brown at the tip but grew darker as it wrapped around her.
"Thank you Jaken. Sakura! I'm glad to see you," Inutaishou said happily causing the two sleeping to stir slightly before settling deeper into his arms.
"Hello, Inutaishou. I could have sworn I had seen the last of you." The woman said teasingly as she carefully took Kagome from him and laid the sleeping girl against her before taking Sango off of Kirara who growled a warning lowly before allowing her to be taken.
"I thought the same, it seems I have much to explain." Inutaishou said as he gave a series of orders that Jaken happily enforced. Once Inutaishou lifted up a sleeping Miroku and wrapped his tail around the sleeping Kaoru he sent Ah-un to the stables while Kirara shrunk down to her kitten size and followed the trio into the castle.
"Sakura, I assume you know where the children's rooms are?" Inutaishou asked stepping to the side to let the female ahead of him as Sesshoumaru looked around slightly confused but not saying a word. Sakura nodded with a small smile and began to lead them down a brightly lit hallway that had it's doors open to let in the cool air and bright light.
"I see you have set room up in the east wing. If I do recall correctly this was also where a certain someone barricaded himself away when a healer came." Inutaishou said earning a laugh from Sakura as Sesshoumaru looked away with a light blush on his face.
"Each child has been given a room to share, Sesshoumaru you're room has been moved to be the first one in the hallway and is the only one that will not be shared. I assumed you did not want to be in the same room as a five year old." Sakura joked opening a door on their left to see a large canopy bed with a large suit of armor beside it. Sesshoumaru nodded and turned to look at her, still holding Rin and Shippo in his arms.
"Come, those two will be sharing a room over here." Sakura said smiling at Shippo and walking over to another door. Sliding it open she revealed two small beds on each side of the room with a chest at the foot of each bed.
"The light blue is for the young Kitsune and the orange and white is for the young girl." Sakura said pointing first to the right than to the left at each bed as Sesshoumaru walked into the room. Giving her a nod he set each toddler on a bed and walked back out and into his own room, sliding the door closed as he did.
"Inutaishou you have one minute to start talking or you will be facing a very angry cat demon." Sakura demanded as she slid the last door closed and turning yanked the top of the chest plate down to look the taller dog demon in the eye. Inutaishou smiled nervously before rubbing the back of his head trying to figure out how best to explain the situation.
"Well you see, I was dead one minute than the next thing I know I'm alive. I watched as Jaken and the small human boy, Miroku, with the help of a the two-tailed Kirara and the small girl in the grey kimono, Sango, pull Sesshoumaru, InuYasha, and the other young girl, Kagome, out of the well. When they had set them all down I made my presence known and helped as best as I could. When I left to find food I came back to find them as they are now with no memory of anything except what they knew at that point. I believed it to be the work of an enemy at first but then discovered that the water in the well is very pure and very powerful. I doubt there is a cure for it but if there is I will find it." Inutaishou said his voice growing serious with each word, slowly Sakura nodded and let go of his armor with a sigh.
"What do you plan to do until then?" Sakura asked the Lord, who sighed and motioned for her to follow him. After walking into the West wing of the castle he found his old study and walked in, happy to see it had been kept clean and neat.
"Until we can figure out a cure I would like the children to stay here where they can be kept safe. It would not surprise me if enemies tried to take advantage of their current state. Starting tomorrow I want you to keep an eye on the young ones and I will get Sesshoumaru a tutor." Inutaishou said sitting down at his old desk and looking at a small stack of scrolls that had yet to be opened. Sakura nodded and bowing, left the Lord to get down to business silently lost in her own thoughts.
Kagome woke up with a stretch and looked around at the unfamiliar room slowly feeling fear settle around her. Moving carefully she crawled off of the large bed and fell to her feet patting her ruffled kimono till it was smooth.
"Were are ya going 'Gome?" She heard Sango asked and turned to see Sango sitting up in another bed next to her's. Kagome didn't answer because at that moment the door slid open to reveal Miroku standing next to an angry InuYasha.
"Told you!" InuYasha said angrily as Miroku ran into the room and jumped up onto Sango's bed hugging her tightly.
"Sango!" He yelled and a split second later he fell off the bed as said girl kicked him off her face beet red.
"Pervert!" She yelled at him her hands behind her back as she glared death at the black haired boy sitting on the floor looking up at her with a hurt grin. InuYasha laughed loudly until Kagome spun to look at him making him shut up real quick.
"Why are you even here?" Kagome asked the hanyo who crossed his arms and looked at her with a slightly angry look.
"None of your business." He muttered before turning around and stomping away. Kagome huffed in frustration before chasing after him leaving her two friends behind to settle what had happened which in Miroku's case ended up giving him a very sore head and bruised legs.
"Yasha!" Kagome yelled running after the fleeting figure in red. "InuYasha...when I get you!" Kagome threatened as she ran down another hallway just catching sight of bright red turning down a corner.
"Why won't you sit down and wait, Yasha?" Kagome yelled just as a loud crash sounded from ahead of her making her run faster. Just as she skid around a corner she caught sight of InuYasha laying down in the middle of the hallway groaning.
"InuYasha! Are you okay?" Kagome yelled running over to the fallen hanyo who only groaned in reply before opening his eyes to look up at her angrily.
"What just happened?" He growled angrily sitting up and crossing his arms as he pouted a little of his hair covering his face.
"Are you crying?" Kagome asked just as a demon wearing a red kimono walked towards them seeming lost in thought.
"No!" InuYasha yelled drawing the demon's attention to them. Immediately Kagome frowned and sat down in front of the pouting hanyo who refused to look at her. Neither noticed the female demon watching them.
"Yes you are," Kagome said in a matter of fact voice making InuYasha jerk his head up to look at her.
"Am not!" He yelled and stood up angrily glaring down at the small girl who also stood up and looked at him.
"Are too!" Kagome yelled back stomping her foot angrily.
"Am not!" InuYasha yelled back his eyes burning a fierce gold as he stomped his foot angrily. Sakura watched the two curiously a small smile playing on her face as she did. Suddenly both turned away from each other but neither walked away. Sakura watched as Kagome stood with her eyes closed and her face bright red before her breathing calmed a bit and she turned back around still not noticing her.
"Are you okay?" Kagome whispered lightly tapping InuYasha on the shoulder. Sakura watched as InuYasha ignored her for a minute before turning and making 'keh'ed' sound before nodding his head a little.
"Come on let's get going," InuYasha said before pausing as his eyes found Sakura standing at the edge of the hallway watching them. When Sakura saw them watching her she smiled and quickly walked over to them. InuYasha pushed Kagome behind him and glared up at the woman as she sat down on her knees in front of him.
"Hello, you're InuYasha and you must be Kagome, right? I'm Sakura, a friend of your father's." Sakura said holding out her hand for him to shake. Instead of taking her hand InuYasha tried to growl and stepped backwards pushing Kagome further behind him as he did. InuYasha tried to growl again making the woman frown to keep from laughing and cock her head to the side. Suddenly before she could speak again InuYasha tried to push her away and jumped backwards dragging Kagome with him. InuYasha kept Kagome behind him not taking his eyes off Sakura as she carefully stood up and dusted off her kimono.
"What's wrong Yasha?" Kagome asked looking at Sakura nervously before looking at him. Without a word InuYasha turned and, grabbing her wrist, began to race away from the female demon, looking for the others.
"InuYasha! Where are you going?" Kagome asked as they stopped in another hallway behind a suit of armor. InuYasha looked at her with an intense look before grabbing her face and pulling on both her cheeks.
"What's wrong with you wench? We just ran into another demon!" InuYasha said as he stopped pulling on her cheeks and stared at her red angry face, just as Inutaishou walked by. Suddenly he stopped in front of them and a small smile touched his face.
"InuYasha and Kagome, you can come out now." He said looking right at their hiding place. Slowly InuYasha and Kagome peeked out from their hiding place and looked at him, InuYasha's ear twitching in uncertainty.
"Mr. Inutai, where are we?" Kagome asked politely as she stepped completely out of her hiding place and looked at the dog demon. InuYasha watched for a minute as Inutaishou debated on what to say just as Sakura appeared.
"M'Lord, I see you have found InuYasha and Kagome." Sakura said with a respectful bow of her head.
"Sakura, a question if you don't mind. Why are these two so far away from the East wing?" Inutaishou asked standing up carefully and smiling at the feline demon. Sakura shook her head calmly to show she didn't know and looked down at Kagome who smiled up at her sweetly while InuYasha continued to stay behind the suit of armor.
"M'Lord! Dinner has been prepared for you in the dining hall!" Jaken said excitedly as he came into the hall and saw the proud demon.
"Very well, if you would go get the children?" Inutaishou asked sending Jaken off in a flurry of movement. Once he was out of sight Inutaishou knelt down and quickly grabbed InuYasha by the back of his fire rat robe causing the young boy to squeal and fight his grip for a moment before stopping and glaring at him instead.
"I believe dinner is waiting." Inutaishou said to Sakura as she expertly lifted Kagome up into her arms making the girl laugh before she began walking to the dinning hall with Inutaishou leading the way. After walking for a minute InuYasha managed to work his way out of Inutaishou's grasp and jumped to the floor calmly walking behind Sakura at a quick pace falling behind every few steps but running to catch up when that was the case.
"It seems he is as stubborn as me. Dinner should prove to be...interesting." Inutaishou thought as they finally walked into the large dining room filled with the wonderful aromas of cooked meat, vegetables, and more.