Himiko was barely reaching six when she had her first travel outside of the Western Province Castle, which was her large home in where her and her two older brothers, her mother, and her father reigned as the noble family. Being so young, she would hardly leave her mother's side as the young pup followed her just about everywhere until she grew tired and retired for an hour or two in her bed chamber for a long nap. Her father, Lord of his domain, was often busy and so Himiko was not quite as familiar with him as, for example, the servants of her eternally youthful mother. He was nothing but a tall, vast tower of a pure white as he walked around the estate with an ever tempting large fluffy white boa over his right arm that dangled like a tail down to his ankles to slightly sway like a traveling wolf.

Himiko was already a small for her age, but, unlike her older brother that was seven years her senior that reached up to her father's elbow, the young hime barely reached his knees, which, to her point of view, gave her the impression that he imitated an unyielding mountain. And so, with this powerful white taiyoukai as her father, despite his stolid expressions and piercing golden eyes with cat-like pupils, Himiko couldn't deny the comfort of having a feeling of protection and ever more so whilst in his presence.

Himiko had, as said before, two older brothers. One, being the eldest of the two of them, Kurose, or Kuro for short. He was quite like his mother in personality, but he had undeniably taken his father's looks. He wore his hair up in a high ponytail with his unruly bangs always in his eyes and slightly spiky that seemed to be an epitome of his personality. He often annoyed their father with his brash attitude and stubborn nature. With Kurose being the eldest, he was naturally heir to the throne if something were to happen to their father and so he often had to follow the Lord around like a shadow with every political ordeal that the Lord had to attend to. So, along with her father, Himiko wasn't familiar with Kurose solely because the two taiyoukais were busy a lot of the time.

Then there was Genji, a quiet twelve year old who was often found following after Kurose whenever he could and ignoring Himiko entirely. He had his hair back in a low ponytail with a few stray strands that hinted of potential bangs that lingered in his face.

And so, with her brothers busy with following their father's rather large footsteps, Himiko had only the young Rin and her mother for companionship. With the combination of Rin and her ever-loving mother with her, Himiko never had a moment's thought of abandonment or feeling lonesome. Her mother took great care with her whenever she could and treasured her for being her only daughter, a child that is. Rin was considered as Himiko's sister and the young hime never questioned why the young woman did not look like her mother or her father. With her dark brown hair and chestnut eyes, which was not a trait her mother and definitely not her father have in common, Himiko couldn't help but notice the difference right away. Himiko's mother had long black hair that reached her down to her ankles, deep, soul-catching blue eyes that seemed to glimmer a faint trace of silver when the light hit the blue orbs a certain way; and a unique blue star-like marking over her forehead.

Himiko found herself comparing the physical traits of her family as she rested her head on her mother's lap in the garden as her mother's tender fingers combed softly through Himiko's silvery-white hair. The feeling the sweet call of sleep play onto her blue cat-like eyes when the sound of footsteps came to her small pointed ears, but the pup did not respond for she felt to comfortable in her mother's presence to care who was coming. A servant's voice to her ears next as her mother regrettably stopped playing with Himiko's hair to pay her attention to the servant who sought her attention.

"My Lady and Himiko-hime," The servant addressed as she bowed low to them, "The Lord wishes for the departure of the royal family this afternoon, shall I prepare your attire for your Ladyships and young Hime's journey?"

"Yes, of course.' Himiko's mother replied. "However, may I ask as to why the sudden departure?"

"The Lord must seek his brother to speak of political affairs that the Lord and his noble sons only know of." The servant replied obediently.

"Thank you, you are excused." Himiko's mother stated as the servant then bowed low to the ground before standing up once more to leave the Himiko and her mother alone once more.

"That's strange…" Himiko heard her mother mumble beneath her breath. Himiko sat up slowly as the pup looked up to her mother questioningly.

"Where are we going, Mama?"

"To your Uncle's home." She answered.

"Is it far?"

"A ways, yes." Himiko's mother answered with a sigh as the youthful woman's silk ruffled as she steadily got up. Himiko followed suit before following beside her mother as they left the garden to enter the castle.

As Himiko and her mother reached the castle gates, Himiko came to hold her mother's hand as they came near a group of Himiko's brothers as well as her father and Rin as they waited patiently. The servants quickly hurried out with their luggage and handed them to Kuro to hold.

"Are we all transforming?" Himiko's mother asked as she looked to bother Kuro and Himiko's father.

"Of course," Himiko's father replied. "Rin, you shall ride on Kuro."

"Oh crap!"

"What's so wrong about carrying me, Kuro-chan?"

"Don't call me that!"

"Why not? I am your senior!"

"Not enough to call me that! I'm an adult now if you didn't notice!"

Rin and Kuro's argument escalated into an amusing amount of child-like fits

As Himiko's mother sighed at the sight, shaking her head in defeat as Himiko watched the seen with a slight curiosity. Rin got into Kuro's face as she began to shout at him when Himiko's father cleared his throat, causing them to halt in their shouting. An awkward silence filled the air between the two as they stared at each other for a moment, then, with a blush spreading across their cheeks, they tore their faces away from the other. Himiko's mother gave a wicked laugh at the scene as it her father gave a slight, almost invisible, grin.

"All right! Let's get going already!" Kuro declared as he stormed a little away from his family members to give himself room. A spark glistened by Kuro's side before his body erupted in red flames to then build increasingly larger until what emerged from the flames was a tall and lean white dog. Genji and Himiko's father followed suit, then Himiko and her mother until a small pack of four white dogs appeared with one black, being the mother. The father towered over all of them as the mother stood as the second tallest, following Kuro, Genji and then, the smallest of all, Himiko.

Kuro, with the family's luggage dangling from his muzzle in a tight, protective box, turned to Genji to hand him the luggage before turning to kneel down to the floor as Rin climbed onto his the back of his neck where she would sit for the whole trip. The largest of the pack, the father, began walking past the castle gates before beginning to run across the field with powerful jolts of his legs that propelled him skillfully at unbelievable speeds that declared him as a demon. However, as fast as he could go, he still refrained himself to allow his family members, more for his pups to keep up. Kuro followed just behind as the Genji and Himiko ran with what their much smaller legs would allow. Their mother trailed behind them with ease as she protected them in case a demon would come to take her pups from her. Himiko breathed hard through her jowls as she trailed behind her older brother, she felt herself begin to tire as the sun began to go down over the horizon. It did not take long after for Himiko's mother to notice her pup growing tired and barked at her mate in front and he immediately stopped. Himiko took advantage of their stop as her body dropped to the ground as her lungs continued to gasp for air as she issued soft whines when she heard her father come padding toward them.

Genji padded over to Himiko and gave her a nip at her soft ear, teasing her for being so weak when their father growled at his son and the pup stopped, then stepped away from Himiko. Himiko watched as her father stepped forward, placing his feet on either side of her as he leaned his muzzle down and picked her up with his jowls. She hung limply from his mouth, though comfortable, as he began to lead the pack once more, though at a pace faster than before as Himiko fell asleep.

Himiko awoken to the sounds of voices chattering to one another as her eyes lazily drew open. She noticed, at first, how incredibly warm she was as her arms were curled to her chest as something cradled her. She felt the comforting sounds of a gentle heartbeat beside her, a scent filling her nose that, alone, declared to her that this was the scent of her parent. When her blue eyes drew open, however, she did not see the usual black strands of her mother's raven hair, but that of her father's white kimono before her. It was her father who held her whilst she slept, not her mother and certainly not Rin. Himiko yawned as her small fangs bared a little from her small lips, not noticing her father staring curiously down at her.

"The pup is finally awake!" A man's voice disrupted her peaceful awakening as she looked to what had spoken of her. Himiko felt herself being let down onto the floor as she shakily stood her ground, her small hand rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes before looking up at the red blob before her. The male hanyou before her had long silver hair like her father, but wild and unkempt. Himiko noticed the golden eyes that were somewhat like her father's when she noticed how tall he was. He, being unknown to her with the combination of him being tall, but not nearly as tall like her father. Himiko wanted to go to her mother, but she noticed that her mother was at the other side of the room talking to some human woman. Rin was beside her mother as well. And so, as a last resort for her, Himiko instinctively hid behind her father's white pant leg.

"So you're the only girl, eh?" the male in front of her spoke as he looked down at the small pup as she hid behind her solid-like-a-wall of a father.

"Not much of a charmer, are you?" The male said. "Has Midoriko been spoiling her? How old is she anyway?"

"Five." Her father answered. "She will be six by this spring."

"Really. She's younger than my girls." The male replied before crossing his hands over his chest. By this time, Kuro came walking towards them to stop before his father.

"Father, should we begin?" Kuro asked. Himiko's father nodded before looking down to Himiko as she still clung onto his white hakamas. Placing a hand on her head, he drew her attention from staring uneasily at the male in red in front of them. She looked up at him curiously.

"Go to your mother now." He said quietly down to her. Himiko nodded as her hands released his hakamas and she obediently ran to her mother. Her mother, as if awaiting her arrival, handed her a plate of freshly made Inari for her dinner as Himiko took her food to eat beside the fire in the center of the room. As she quietly ate her food, she watched as her father, brother, and whoever that male in red was, exit the large hut to disappear into the dark shadows of the night. She noticed that her father was carrying his swords as well as her brother with his oversized demonic Katana strapped to his back. Himiko turned to Rin who came to sit beside her and asked as to why they were leaving.

"There's a bad demon that Otou-san doesn't want on his lands," Rin explained softly with a kind smile. "So Otou-san, your uncle and Kuro left to take care of the demon."

"That red-guy is my uncle?" Himiko asked as Rin nodded enthusiastically.

"He's not as tough as he likes to play himself out to be, so don't ever be scared of him." Rin replied, though Himiko still wasn't too sure of the hanyou.

Himiko awoken the next morning to the gentle sounds of birds playing a sweet tune of a blissful morning and the young pup slowly drew open her eyes. Everyone appeared to be still asleep as the five-year-old sat up. She found her mother asleep beside her with her father missing from her mother's side. Himiko stood up and treaded carefully over the tatami mat flooring when she finally stepped outside. The bright sun blinded her for but a moment as her eyes adjusted to the light, Himiko noticed something suddenly rub up beside her. She squeaked and fell back onto the ground, when she saw the being that had rubbed against her. A yellow kitten with a black diamond over her forehead meowed at her as Himiko eyes the cat wearily.

"That wasn't funny." Himiko mumbled as she brushed strands strands of her silvery-white hair from her eyes. The cat came to nuzzle into her shoulder, but Himiko jumped back as she impishly growled through her pearly white fangs. The young pup stared at the cat as the feline just sat before her, calm and curious. After a moment, Himiko sensed that this cat intended no harm and so the pup eased herself from what she attempted as a threatening face to her previous calm state.

"Meow." The cat came padding up to her then licked her cheek as Himiko giggled.

"Ughh, what's going on?" Himiko was startled as Genji's voice came to her ears. Looking up, she found Genji with tired eyes gazing down at Himiko curiously then his eyes caught sight of the cat. "Where did the cat come from?"

"I don't know, she came up to me from somewhere." Himiko replied as she petted the cat atop her forehead.

Genji tore his gaze from his younger sister and the cat to search the area before them, he sniffed the air for any lingering scents before turning to Himiko.

"Have you seen father or Kuro?"

"Kuro isn't here either?" Himiko asked as she paused in petting the cat to look up at her brother.

"No, but have you seen father at least?"

"No."

Himiko got up to her feet as she turned to her brother, the cat mewed at her side as Genji continued to sniff the air for any traces of his father. When he turned to his sister, grabbing her by her elbow, he began to walk forward.

"Nii-san, what are…"

"We're going to find father and Kuro." Genji replied as he continued to drag her along. "You're not doing anything right now anyhow, so you can come along."

"But…but Rin-san said that there was…"

"…That there was a demon lingering around this area, right?" Genji interrupted as he turned a sharp look back at his sister. "If you're so scared then I'll take care of the demon if he attacks you."

Himiko, slightly reassured, refrained from struggling from Genji's grip and as the minutes passed, Genji released her. As they transformed and ran through the woods of the forest with the yellow cat following closely at their side, Himiko could not ignore the eerie feeling in her stomach.

Himiko and Genji stopped at a spring as they transformed back to their humanoid states and drank from the gentle flow of the pure waters that came from melted snow, causing it to be icy cold to Himiko's throat as she shivered. When their bellies were filled, Himiko turned to her brother as she began to feel the regret of leaving her mother.

"Genji, can we go back now?" Himiko asked when a bitter growl escaped his lips.

"If you're going to whine the entire time then you can go back by yourself." Genji hotly replied as he took a longer look at the area around them. He sniffed the air once more as Himiko watched him wearily.

"But mama doesn't know where I am." Himiko retorted finally when Genji huffed in annoyance.

"Are you always this weak?" He growled once more as he began walking. The cat beside Himiko who watched the scene, came up to Himiko and sympathetically licked Himiko's hand that rested at her side.

Himiko watched as Genji walked ahead of her without looking back, without any ounce of thought towards her, and she suddenly felt the pull of sadness way heavily on her body. Tears streaked down her cheeks as a puppyish whine escaped her mouth, she brought her hands to her eyes as the tears escalated.

"Why are you always so mean to me, Nii-san?" she cried as her knees gave in and she sat with her hands covering her eyes. At the sounds of her cries, Genji came to her side and uneasily placed his hand on her head, then, hesitantly kneeled beside her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm sorry nee-chan." He said slowly, hesitantly.

"You mean it?" She asked as she pulled her hands away from her blue eyes when Genji nodded.

As the moments passed they began to notice as the cat beside them began to viciously growl at something. Suddenly alert, Genji immediately reacted by transforming quickly to his true form as Himiko cowered behind her brother as he too began to growl. A large, dark presence came slowly treading toward them. The cat beside them suddenly erupted into a large flame before appearing large beside the two pups. The neko-youkai stepped in front of the two pups as she nudged them behind her as she snarled at the coming presence. A demon came walking out of the shadows, his long black hair swayed a bit as his crimson eyes eyed the pups behind the growling neko-youkai. A smirk issued from his deadly fangs, then a victorious chuckle came from his lips.

"Sesshoumaru's pups, eh?" He chuckled. "What a tragic turn of events…. For you, I mean."

Himiko shuddered at his words as she clutched onto Genji's fur in fear. As if noticing her show of fear, the demon's eyes looked to her with a sudden satisfaction.

"The youngest and only female child of that dog." He said as he began to tread toward the three of them, "You will do perfectly."

Genji snarled with building anger as the neko-youkai then charged toward the demon, her jaws clenshing onto his arm as he attempted to block her attack. Genji turned towards Himiko as she transformed and the two pups bolted from the scene, running as fast as Himiko could as Genji led just in front of her. When the sounds of a shriek came from the cat that tried with all her might to protect the pups and Genji urged Himiko onward. A shadow streaked across the trees before tramping suddenly onto Genji as his white form was crushed to the ground.

"Nii-san!" Himiko cried as she was suddenly in her humanoid form, she ran to him, but was stopped as the demon grabbed her by the back of her small obi and hit her across the head, causing her world to collapse into the shadows.

Himiko slowly awoken to the sounds chains clicking around her wrists and ankles, her eyes drew suddenly open as memories flooded into her mind when she saw the demon standing over her.

"Finally awake, runt?" He chuckled. A yelp escaped her lips as he suddenly grasped tightly onto her by her hair, pulling her face back so he may take a closer look at her. "You have some interesting eye color if your Sesshoumaru's whelp. You glare like him though."

With this said he ripped his grasp from her as he turned his back from her to stare out the cave they inhabited. Himiko began to emit puppy whines when separated from its parents when the demon sharply turned toward her and smacked her across the face, carelessly adding his talons into the strike as blood streaks came running down her cheek to drip from her chin.

"You shut the fuck up!"

Tears ran from her eyes, adding salt to her wounds as she fell back onto the cold cave floor to curl into a ball as she cringed. Her legs crushed into her chest, squeezing her arms that were bent in between as she curled inward. She silently cried for her parents and for the safety of Genji who was hopefully reunited with their mother and father.

Himiko could hear as the demon paced around the room before sitting down with his back to the cave wall. Himiko cried a lot during these long hours of silence, feeling as her eyes began to dry about midnight when she had eventually tired herself and fell asleep.

When she awoken again, Himiko found it to be morning as the chains felt icy cold to her skin and eventually began to make her the skin raw and irritated. She wanted to whine for her parents in the hopes that they would somehow hear her cries, but the demon that sat by the entrance of the cave made her to terrified to even utter a moment's sigh. Her body shivered in the cold, causing her to be ever more mournful of her mother's warmth when she so tenderly held her and hummed sweet lullabies as the dead silence that seemed to forever drag onward burned her eardrums. Himiko felt even more tears begin to build despite the dryness of her eyes and she shuddered.

Himiko's ears suddenly twitched with a new sound outside of the cave through the ghastly silence. The constant treading of paws hitting the earth floor as snarls, growling and howling came forth in a powerful cacophony of vocals like some dreadful song of hope. Himiko dared not to sit up, but her eyes traveled to the cave entrance as the demon quickly stood. He stared outside for a long while before turning quickly toward Himiko. Her eyes widened in fear as she cringed back into the cave wall behind her when he unhooked the long chain that was attached to the many linked chains that held her wrists and ankles bound to the floor. He then pulled on the chain like a leash on a dog, only he did not intend for her to walk obediently beside him, but to drag her along the floor as he exited the cave.

As he came down a hill that followed after the cave's entrance, a series of angered snarls roared nearby at the sight of them as many paws stomped on the ground.

"Looking for this, BITCHES!" The demon snarled as he whipped at the chain, sending Himiko smacking into the dirt in front of the demon. The demon then slammed his foot onto Himiko's back as he crushed her into the soil, sending ghastly cries from her as tears streaked down her face, the wound on her cheek that was beginning to crust over reopened and spurted as the blood trickled into her mouth. Weakly, Himiko looked up to find her family before her with her Mother emitting both furious spurts of roaring snarls and cries for her tortured pup. Her father crouched low, his large fangs bared and miasma spilled from his saliva, his talon-tipped paws gnawed into the ground as he treaded back and forth. Genji looked on with anger as well as sadness, knowing full well that he was partly to blame for the torture of his little sister.

"You want your pup, right?" The demon huffed as he dug harder into Himiko with his foot. "Then give me something worthwhile. Your bitch perhaps!"

Himiko's mother snarled viciously as her father growled in the inuyoukai language, biting hard and low into the old language.

"Give me back my daughter! Foul demon!"

A sudden snarl came from the air above the demon and Himiko when Kuro came crashing down into the demon. The demon quickly dodged, releasing his hands of the chains in order to slip away as he transformed into a large Lynx. Kuro quickly grabbed hold of his small sister as he shred through the chains with his talons. Himiko weakly watched as her father and Mother charged toward the demon as their crimson eyes screamed for bloodshed. Her father dodged several lashings from the quick tail of the lynx before driving toward him, striking his fangs into his flesh and shredding the flesh from the bones on the lynx's spine. Her mother went in as she grasped hold of the lynx neck and began tearing into the flesh before ripping her jowls away once she ripped out two of the arteries. The lynx staggered a moment as blood came pouring down his neck and side, making hard efforts to breath when Genji finally leapt in and finished the job. Tearing into his neck when his teeth hit the spine and cracked it with a shake of his massive head for a pup, the lynx limply fell to the floor, as his lifeblood drained from him, then grew cold.

Himiko felt Kuro hold onto her more tightly, as she had her chin rest on his shoulder, he nuzzled his cheek tenderly against her bloody one which now smeared onto his skin and clothes, though he didn't seem to care. Himiko felt slightly dazed and weak as she felt warmth in her as her eldest brother was holding her when she could briefly tell that she was being passed onto someone else. Her father's arms wrapped protectively around her, his tongue lapping at her blood as his healing saliva eventually healed the wound after a long moment as her mother came up to softly rub the pup's tortured back with her tender healing hands. She fell asleep to her mother's comforting words of safety and her father's strong arms that forever promised his protection as she rested her head onto his shoulder just beside his neck, taking in his scent that marked him as her parent. And so, while she slept peacefully, a word whispered from her lips in a tired and yet relieved tone.

As Sesshoumaru walked slowly on home with his wife at his side and his sons leading the way, he still cradled Himiko to him as her soft puffs of air tickled his throat. He had his free hand rest reassuringly on her small back, lightly massaging where he knew was sore from the torture of that dreadful demon. Himiko's small hand grasped onto the silk of his kimono collar before coming to drape over his shoulder on the opposite side of where her head wrested. A small smile graced her doll-like face as she gave a contented sigh.

"Papa." She sighed. At the words, his wife smiled and so did he.