THIRTEEN YEARS, SEVEN MONTHS AGO
When guards in Western sigils appear at the gates of the village, Kagome's first thought is that Sesshoumaru-sama is finally returning.
Instead, a boy greets her. He stands a hand taller than her, and his hands are shoved into the red sleeves of his haori. Kagome is tempted to touch the triangle ears nestled amidst the white strands of his hair, but temptation falls to the wayside as he glares at her.
"You don't look like a powerful priestess," he says.
The way he sneers is so much like his brother that Kagome would laugh if she wasn't instantly annoyed. "Well you don't look like a powerful demon, either!"
A long-suffering sigh draws their attention as a female youkai steps up behind the boy. "Inuyasha-sama. We told you to wait for the scouts to return."
"Keh. I'm not a pup. I can take care of myself!"
Another demoness appears beside the first. Kagome is struck by their unearthly splendor. She's never seen youkai like them before. Both have feathers crowning their brows in shades of crimson and gold. Beneath the feathers, thick strands of ebony hair fall just past their chins in sharp points. Three thin lines lay across each of their brows, the same shining gold of their feathers. Though Kagome notes these beautiful features, her ears devour the majestic wings draped behind each female, held just aloft so they do not touch the ground.
"You have wings!" Kagome sighs, dreamy desire decorating her young features as she stares. "I wish I had wings!"
One of them crouches down so she is on eye level with both of the children and rests her chin in the palms of her hands as she grins. "That's right. I'm Honoka. You must be Lady Kagome."
Kagome's eyes go wide. She's never been called a lady before.
Inuyasha scoffs and kicks at the dirt at his feet. "She's no lady. She's just a dirty human villager. I don't get why Sess likes her so much." A firm hand at the back of his head forces him down into a bow.
The other guard, though there is no warm smile on her face like there is on the first, stares down at the young Lord fondly. "What did we discuss about manners, young master?"
Honoka winks at Kagome and points at the other guard as Inuyasha grumbles and tries to break free. "That's my sister, Tsumugi. The Great Inu no Tashio assigned us to guard Inuyasha-sama while he visits your shrine." She leans forward and motions Kagome closer. In a mock whisper, clearly designed for the young hanyou to hear, she says, "Inuyasha-sama practically begged his father and honored mother to come see what the fuss was about. He's very protective of his big brother."
"I did not!" crows the boy and tries to turn his head (still held in a low bow by Tsumugi) to glare at Honoka. "Let me go, Tsumugi!"
"Apologies, young master. I thought I heard you say you were capable of taking care of yourself." Tsumugi continues to stare straight ahead, unfazed by the furious writhing of the pup beneath her hand.
Kagome giggles, but eventually crouches down in front of the boy so she can make eye contact in his bow. "I'm Kagome. Sesshoumaru-sama is teaching me how to use my powers. I'm not powerful yet, but I will be one day. Sesshoumaru-sama is a very good teacher."
Inuyasha scowls and averts his eyes. He's silent for a long moment as Tsumugi and Honoka look on, before he sighs. "Sorry for calling you a dirty human villager."
Tsumugi withdraws her palm and stands at attention again while her sister grins. "Inuyasha-sama is a good boy," she says and though there is no humor or smile on her face, the warmth in her tone is clear as she stares straight ahead.
Another giggle and Kagome take's a step closer. "Do you want to play with me and my brother and the other village children?" She really wants to ask if she can touch his ears but thinks her mother will disapprove and so refrains.
Inuyasha's eyes narrow. "What game?"
"Papa brought home a new mari ball!" She stands up and sets her hands on her hips, her chin tilted in challenge. "I bet you can't play without your demon powers."
"Can too!" he crowed and strode past her through the village gates. "I'll prove it. And if I can, then you can't call me a weak demon again!"
Laughing, Kagome spins to join him and taking his hand, drags him through the village to the shrine.
Honoka stands and glances at her sister as they watch the children run off. "Told you it would be good for Inuyasha-sama to come here. A little miko who makes friends with Sesshoumaru-sama wouldn't be able to resist the little master's charm."
"Is charm what we're calling it now?" Tsumugi murmurs. She does not take her eyes off the children, or her ears. She hadn't wanted to bring the young half-demon here. He'd been scorned enough in his own court, and she'd seen how humans reacted to hanyou.
"You'll see," her twin says, and nodding at the guards remaining at the village gate, strides after the children.
"Hn."
o.O.o
"Can I practise with Inuyasha?"
Tsumugi pauses, holding her hand out to halt the downward swing of Inuyasha's bokutō. "Do you think it's appropriate for you to train with a son of the West?"
Kagome's lifts her chin. "Sesshoumaru-sama thinks so."
Inuyasha snorts and rests his chin on the handle of his bokutō.. "You're just a girl. And a human. What do you know about swords? Shouldn't you go play with a bow and arrows?"
The tengu female spares a glance for her pupil and ward. "Manners, young master."
The little miko grins and holds her own bokutō over her shoulder. "He's not wrong. I am a girl and I am human. But so is he-half, at least."
"Half-youkai, too!" he reminds and sneers. "That's enough to beat you and any human who gets in my way."
Tsumugi closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "Inuyasha-sama—your words will land you in more trouble than you can handle one day." Shaking her head, she opens her eyes again and studies the miko-in-training. "Very well. I will permit it. But if you lose, you will not be permitted to train with the young master again."
Kagome launches herself at the older female and hugs her legs, burying her face in her stomach. "Thank you Tsumugi!"
Tsumugi, unused to such open affections, stares down at the girl with wide eyes. The show of warmth is over faster than she can react as Kagome lets go and moves to stand opposite the young master.
Kagome is very good. She's spent months training with her father's soldiers and Sesshoumaru-sama before that. She fights like a demon with the tenacity of a human, her attacks swift and deadly.
But Inuyasha is better. He manages to parry almost every attack or block sufficiently enough that she is pushed back. He is better, but he is breathing heavily as he keeps only steps ahead of her. When he finally manages to knock her down and put his bokutō against her throat, he is struggling to keep his own feet.
The moment Tsumugi calls the match, he flops down onto the sun-warmed stones of the shrine courtyard. He can smell the disappointment rolling off her in waves as he soaks in the heat of the midmorning sun and waits for his racing heart to slow.
Kagome, chest heaving and legs trembling, whimpers. Tears pour as she lets go of the bokutō. "I really wanted to win," she mumbles and uses the sleaves of her white haori to wipe at her cheeks as they coat with tears. Sitting up, she sets her weapon in her lap and swipes at her tears viciously, leaving red marks across her cheeks. "It was so much fun. I really wanted to do it again."
Inuyasha planned on asking Tsumugi to reconsider her decree, but the sour tang of her disappointment and the salt of her tears sets him on edge. Standing, he clutches his bokutō and levels his gaze at the Tengu female, his chin tilted in challenge. "I order you to let Kagome train with me. I'm a prince, and that's what I want. Do you understand?"
Tsumugi, for her part, is impressed with the girl's skill. She knows most young human girls are kept sequestered and cossetted, raised to be wives and mothers. Even most miko only know how to handle a bow and maybe a small blade. But she is even more impressed with the young master. He has never stood up for someone else before. So she nods. "Very well, Inuyasha-sama."
Kagome sniffles and wipes her eyes, glaring up at Inuyasha. "I didn't cry so you would take pity on me."
He snorts and crouches down in front of her, the blade of his bokutō tossed over his shoulder. "'Course not." Holding out a hand, he grins at her the feral grin of his father. "Want to go again?"
o.O.o
Inuyasha is not accustomed to being treated so kindly as the Higurashi family treats him. His family loves him, but they don't play. Kagome plays with him. They all play with him.
What he likes most is that none of them call him 'sama' or 'young master'. He's just Inuyasha. He doesn't have to take lessons on diplomacy or etiquette, only maths and writing and reading with Kagome and her brother.
But he loves playing with them the most.
Even though some of the other village children are scared of him at first, and especially of Honoka and Tsumugi, Kagome's easy nature lulls them all into playing. He's never felt so welcome in his life.
It's the first time he hasn't had to prove himself to anyone.
If Inuyasha didn't love his big brother so much, he might consent to stay there in the little village of Edo.
His favorite part, not that he'll ever admit to it openly, is sparring with Kagome. She hasn't managed to beat him yet, but she keeps trying and it's thrilling to be challenged. And she hasn't cried since that first sparring match.
So when it comes time to leave after barely a month has passed, Inuyasha hesitates. They are leaving to protect his secret, he knows that, but still—he wants to stay! He likes it here.
He wants to trust the Higurashi's with his secret and so he approaches Honoka and Tsumugi the day before their departure. "I wish to remain at the Higurashi shrine."
Tsumugi raises a brow and pauses in the act of sharpening the blade of her naginata, but says nothing.
It's Honoka who leans forward, her kusarigama and the rag in her fingers forgotten. "Inuyasha-sama, are you sure? We will need your father's permission to allow such a thing. He does not wish the information to be given into the wrong hands." She has never seen the young master so clearly state his wishes as he has now—it seems to be a trend since arriving at the village of Edo.
"Why do you wish to remain?"
He looks to Tsumugi at her question and watches as she resumes her weapon care. The truth is that he likes Kagome and her family and he likes the village and the shrine. Instead, he says, "It's a waste of time to leave. I just want to come back afterwards anyway. What's one night here to save travel time?"
Honoka chuckles and leans back in her chair. "What do you think, Tsumugi? Should we believe the little Lord?"
Tsumugi shrugs and puts away her tools before she takes the rag Honoka has forgotten. "Little Lords who tell half-truths have perhaps been listening in their diplomacy lessons. A reward could be negotiated."
"Keh. I already said what I wanted. I'll write a letter to Father and you can send it by fire message." He crosses his arms over his chest and tilts his chin up in challenge. He's been doing it more since arriving at the village.
Honoka sets aside her weapons and stands before crouching down in front of their young Lord. "Inuyasha-sama. You will be most vulnerable tomorrow night." She is uncharacteristically serious, no laughter dancing in the fire of her russet eyes. "If we allow you to remain, you must do everything we tell you to. If we tell you to run, you will run. If we tell you to abandon the shrine, you will do so. No life here is more valuable than yours."
The idea of leaving the Higurashi's is a sour thing in the pit of his stomach. It hadn't occurred to him they might face danger too. If his father's enemies attacked the village tomorrow night, many lives could be lost because he chose to linger. "Do you think someone will attack tomorrow?"
Tsumugi studied him. "You are a son of the great Inu no Tashio. As a hanyou, you will always be seen as the weakest and easiest target to take or eliminate. You should consider that every day you might face attack and assassination." She does not like the shame that closes in on his young, bright eyes. "However, other's views of your heritage are inconsequential. You are the son of the General. Neither fully human, nor fully youkai. You will have a unique advantage in any battle because your opponents will always underestimate you. They will not know that you spend more hours training than even the most poorly skilled of foot soldiers. They will not consider the strength your humanity and youkai natures brings you."
"What strengths?" he mutters. "I'll never be as fast or strong as Sess."
Honoka hums and holds up a hand to stop her sister from continuing. "Your strengths are for you to discover, Inuyasha-sama. If we give you all the answers, how will you grow?"
He snorts and shoves his fisted hands into the sleeves of his haori. "Do you really think the Higurashi's and the village will be in danger if we stay?"
"Those around you will always face attack," Tsumugi says, "but…no, we have no credible leads on threats in the coming days. Most believe you to still be in the citadel."
"So, we can stay?"
"Honoka, send a message to the Inu no Tashio and tell him of his youngest son's request. We will see what he says."
o.O.o
The Inu no Tashio consents, but not without sending a small contingent of youkai soldiers to further guard the village.
Kagome is thrilled to see so many youkai. When Sesshoumaru-sama visited before, he came alone. Now she is seeing Tengu and Kitsune and Kuma and ever so many more youkai she can't even put names to. Some are impossible to tell and she remembers Sesshoumaru-sama telling her that only the most powerful of youkai can maintain complete humanoid forms to disguise the beast within.
She supposes it's true—if the whole of Japan hadn't known the West was ruled by Inu, Kagome wonders if she would have been able to tell what he is.
Inuyasha at least would have been easy, she thinks, spying his ears as he wanders over to stand next to her. The white fur on his ears glitters in the gold of the evening sky, matched only by the gilt flash in his eyes.
The little miko likes having him here, even when he pushes her past annoyance straight into livid rage. Sometimes he can be so infuriating! He's a good match for her in training and he's the only one that can find her when they play hide-and-seek, even when she makes him not use his demon senses. "Your papa sent a lot of soldiers." She watches as they take up posts at various points around the village.
"Yeah well. You know."
The discomfited gruffness in his tone is stronger than normal, like ash clings to the back of his tongue, coating all of his words with his disquiet. Determined to help ease him into laughter and insults, she grabs his hand and drags him towards the shrine grounds. "Mama and Papa have prepared lots of games and stories for tonight. They say we're all going to stay up as long as possible and laugh and eat all night until the sun rises again." Peeking at him as she drags him along, she asks, "What does your family usually do on these nights?"
He snorts but grips her hand so tightly his claws bite into her hand—but she only smiles and keeps pulling him along until they reach her family's house on the shrine grounds. "Father and mother prepare the den with Sess and Fuiasu-sama. Father and Fuiasu-sama spend the night telling me stories until I fall asleep."
"Who is Fuiasu-sama?" she asks as she toes off her waraji.
"Sessshoumaru's mother."
The way he says it earns him a giggle. "Is she scary?"
His ears flick and lay low. "No. I'm not scared of her!"
"Not scared of who?" asks a female voice.
Inuyasha pales, but Kagome stares in awe. The demoness who asked the question is possibly the most beautiful youkai Kagome has ever seen—and she looks just like Sesshoumaru-sama. "Fuiasu-sama?" she ventures.
"That's right, little miko. You must be Kagome. Sesshoumaru has told me much of you." She smiles beatifically before turning her attention to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, won't you greet your second mother?"
The hanyou scoffs but approaches on bare, quiet feet. Crouching in front of the reclining youkai, he rubs his cheek against hers. "Fuiasu-sama."
She can tell he wants to make a run for it, so Fuiasu firmly snuggles him closer, pulling the boy into her lap just as his hair starts to lose its color and his eyes turn to violet. "Let the stories begin," she says, and motions the miko closer. A fizzle of magic and her pelts, large enough to swamp the main room of the small shrine house, spread around them in fantastic luxury. "Come cuddle, little human. The night has just begun."