A/N: I'm excited to keep going, are you?

As Sesshoumaru walked into his bedroom, he closed the door behind him and brought a hand to his forehead. The bleeding had stopped almost as quickly as it began, but the stain of blood remained on his forehead, proving his daughter's strength and skill when it came to fighting. He had such an incredible amount of pride for his pup at that moment. He was going to take even greater pride in testing her talents, as well as refining them. After watching her train and sparing with her, even for a few minutes, he felt the great energy she was trying to repress suddenly emerging from her. It was even stronger than the auras he had supressed earlier that day.

As his mind raced over the evening's activities, he stepped into the restroom and grabbed a rag, dipping it into the basin of water on the counter. At that moment, Kagome stepped in behind him and gasped, seeing the blood on his forehead.

"What happened to you? Are you alright?" she asked, taking the rag from his hand and blotting at the blood. She was relieved when she found no wound, dropping the rag and wrapping her arms around him.

"I am fine, my love. Do not worry about this Sesshoumaru."

"But Sesshou, what hit you? That worries me more than your wound," she said, frowning and looking into this eyes. When he smirked, she sighed a little and shook her head.

He bent to down to kiss her lips, dominating her mouth with his lips and teeth and tongue in a sudden moment of passion. She moaned and pressed herself closer to him for a moment, then pulled back and pouted.

"Sesshou, what happened? And did you find Sari?" Sesshoumaru straightened and wrapped an arm around her waist to lead her out of the bathroom.

"I did. Yoru was right about where to find her," he spoke, watching the tension start to drain out of his mate's body. "She is unharmed, Kagome. In fact, she was in the middle of a self-training session. Sari is the one that made me bleed," he said and watched Kagome's eyes widen as they approached their bed. "Sit down and I will explain everything."

As he told her exactly what had happened, he watched her reactions carefully. The shock, the hope, the anxiety, and the puzzlement that she felt all displayed themselves in the depth of her eyes and in the motions of her hands as she brought them to her face and shifted them with each passing phase.

"I just.. It's hard to believe that after all this time, she had all of that hidden. Sesshou," she said, turning toward him, her hands tangling together in her frustration. "How could we not have known? Any of us? We're her parents!" Kagome stood up to pace the floor, still twisting her hands. "Of all people at least one of us should have figured out something was going on. I don't understand!"

Sesshoumaru stood up as well and stopped her pacing by reaching for her hands. He simply held them in his own and looked into her eyes as he spoke.

"Kagome, she is a brilliant child. It is not our failings that we did not know, it is Sari's aptitude for harboring her feelings and talents that has kept us from knowing our daughter's abilities." He watched Kagome take a deep breath and calm herself before stepping closer and wrapping her arms around her husband. He held her tightly and let loose a low rumble in his chest, comforting her with his presence.

"Oh Sesshou, Sari must be so torn up inside right now," she spoke softly into his chest. "All these years, hiding herself from us and now we learn that she's much more than we knew about, without her wanting us to know..."

Sesshoumaru lifted her chin to look at him once more. "It will be fine. Her training will begin tomorrow. She has a warrior's spirit, something I have not allowed her to express. Sari will feel better tomorrow when her training begins. Now, my love, this Sesshoumaru wants you to stop worrying about Sari and begin to worry about yourself," he warned, his eyes bleeding red around the edges as his beast begged to take over. "For you are in heat... And I want you."

Kagome might have protested if he hadn't let out a possessive growl. It made her shiver in pleasure, which is exactly what Sesshoumaru wanted. She sighed into his kiss and resigned herself to knowing she wouldn't be able to focus on anything but her mate. Not that she minded, she thought as his mouth traveled across her body.

Sari sat quietly in the corner of Ah and Un's pen, desperately trying not to sob while she sorted through the events of that morning in her head. Everything had been revealed, her secrets exposed. Her father had seen both her weakness and her strength, no thanks to Yoru. His betrayal had lead to her father seeing everything and even getting hurt!

No, that was her fault. She didn't control herself enough to not fight back. It was just so incredibly stupid! It isn't any sign of strength to lose control like that. Ah huffed and nudged her shoulder, pushing his head under her arm until she complied and stroked his face the way he liked. She stared at her hands, the hands that struck her father, and cursed inwardly at herself once more.

"Ah-Un, what am I going to do?" Sari asked, leaning her face against Ah's as her resolve finally dissolved into tears.

Seiya had silently approached the stall, unsure of how to address his sister, when he heard her soft question and the quiet breakdown. He stepped back, fisting his hands, unsure of how to progress. It was great that she was finally expressing emotions... or so her thought. He didn't want his sister to be sad, and he'd caused her a lot of sadness by pushing Yoru. If they hadn't been scheming, maybe he wouldn't have felt obligated to bring them to Sari in her training spot. She would at least have had some secrets remaining. Then again, now that everything was out, or just about everything, maybe the wall between her and their father would break down? Whatever the future held, he knew that right now, his sister was hurting. It was an uncomfortable feeling.

Rounding the edge of the door, he hesitated when he saw Un looking at him wearily as Sari continued to press her face to Ah's and cry. Seiya lifted his hands in a gesture of peace, taking a hesitant step into the stall. Sari's head shot up at the sound of his sandal grinding into the hay.

"Just go, Seiya," Sari spoke quietly, hiding her face behind Ah's as she wiped away her tears. Her tears had made her come to a decision. Seeing Seiya now might change her mind and she couldn't let that happen.

"I can't do that. You're my sister, Sari. I just-" Un growled at him and he heaved a frustrated sigh back toward the creature. "I know you hate me, but give me a break! I care about her, too, Ah-Un, now let me in!"

"Lady Sari, I need to take Ah-Un for his night walk and finish cleaning up his stall," Kazuki, the stable handler, spoke from the next stall over. "Maybe you want to go with Lord Seiya until I can finish my duties here?"

"I apologize for interrupting your work, Kazuki-san," Sari spoke quietly, her voice breaking subtly with emotion as she stood up. "Ah, behave yourself and try to stop instigating Un. And you, Un, listen to Kazuki and eat properly."

The creature nuzzled her until she left the stall, seeing Seiya had already backed out in self preservation. She closed the stall gate, her face pale and her eyes puffy from breaking down, but otherwise calm.

"Please continue to take good care of them, Kazuki-san. I know they can be troublesome but they are goodhearted," Sari spoke as she stepped up to the next stall where he continued his work calmly.

"Of course, Lady Sari. I hope you come down to visit us soon," Kazuki said with a smile and a bow toward her, not seeing the sadness flash across her eyes.

"Goodnight," Sari said and walked off, her brother behind her.

Sari's behavior was continuing to prove strange. It wasn't like her to be so formal with the stable hand or Ah-Un. Stepping closer to her, he brought his hand to her arm to stop her as they entered the corridor beside the stable. She stopped, but kept her gaze down.

"Sari, talk to me. I know tonight was hard on you. Let me be here for you," he tried to pull her into his arms but she stepped back from him with haste.

"I'll be fine, Seiya. I don't wish to talk about anything. I appreciate your concern, but I need you to let it go. You've always been a great big brother to me. You're going to be a fine successor to the Western Lands when the time comes," his brow furrowed with concern and confusion at her words. "Goodnight, Nii-san." Sari was gone before her could collect his thoughts and stop her.

First Kazuki and Ah-Un, now him? And why did she bring up his future? It was a puzzle. Maybe it was best if he spoke with his mother. After all, it was only natural for a daughter to need her mother when her heart was broken, right? At least, it seemed helping her as her brother wasn't going to be an option for now. He ran off to find Kagome in hopes she could break through to Sari.

Sari was quietly rummaging around her room. She had dismissed her servants so that she could be alone for the night. There was no point in having any of them involved and getting in trouble for what she was about to do.

Delving into her drawers, Sari pulled out a small box. She lifted the lid to see a cresent moon necklace that her mother had gifted her for her birthday when she was 8 years old. It was a special item, reminding her of a time she felt really and truly happy, without feeling consumed by the weight of her warring sides or the pressure to be perfect.

She closed the lid and placed the box on the wrapping cloth she'd laid out on the floor that held several other small things she'd decided she would like to keep on her journey. She had some jade pieces she'd saved up from previous shopping trips with her mother. There was also a change of clothes, a handkerchief, and a small scroll with one of her favorite legends about the bamboo cutter and the moon princess.

Sari tied the cloth into a bag and set it beside her dresser just as she heard a knock on her door. She pushed the bag further back before moving to answer it.

"Mama," Sari swallowed hard, not expecting anyone at her door, much less her mother.

"Sari, may I come in?" Kagome asked, seeing her daughter hesitate before nodding and moving back to let her in with a short bow.

Kagome stepped in and looked around the modest room. Most of the decorative cloths and paintings had been chosen herself, wanting to try to put a little bit of color and happiness in the room to help her daughter express herself. What a thought.

"Your father told me he caught you sparring by yourself in the woods. You surprised him, you know. And not just because you were able to land a hit on him," Kagome tried to ease Sari's tension with some humor. When Sari paled, Kagome knew she'd taken the wrong approach. "Seiya also came to me and told me you were crying. You haven't cried in front of anyone for years. I know you must be feeling pretty upset. Can we talk about it?"

Sari clenched the edges of her kimono tightly in her hands. She wanted to run to her mother and cry like a child. She wanted to tell her about all of the emotions that swirled in her chest, mixing with her chaotic aura to make her feel ill. Instead, she shook her head.

"I had a moment of weakness I do not intend to repeat. I won't lose control in front of you or Papa or anyone again. I promise this," she said with a quiet determination.

"It's not weak to feel, Sari," Kagome spoke, moving closer to Sari to cup a hand on her cheek, feeling the trembling of the young woman before her. "Emotions are powerful, and they can make you powerful. No one believes you to be weak."

Kagome stepped back and turned to look at the painting on the wall of their family that she'd made them pose for several years ago. She smiled and turned her head back toward her daughter with a grin.

"How about we talk about Yoru? Hmm?" Kagome saw the flush of color that rose to her daughter's cheeks.

"There's nothing to talk about pertaining Yoru. He was my friend. Then he betrayed my trust."

"Sari-"

"Mama, I'd like to rest now. It's been a long and particularly exhaustive day," Sari saw her mother come to her once more, kissing both of her cheeks.

"Fair enough. We'll table this for now. But we both know there's more to the Yoru story than you're telling me. I happen to be an expert in these things. How else do you think I was able to get your father's attention?" Kagome said with a wink, hoping for some kind of reaction. Sari loosed a grunt of acknowledgment and nothing more. "Goodnight, my baby. Tomorrow will be busy and better."

"I know it will be," Sari said quietly. She looked into her mother's eyes, studying her intensely.

"What is it?" Kagome asked, seeing Sari shake her head.

"It's nothing. I just wanted to take in your face. You look beautiful, Mama, as always."

Kagome's face scrunched a bit in puzzlement.

"Thank you. Try to get some rest," she said, leaving the room with a quiet click of the door behind her.

"Goodbye, Mama."

Kagome returned to her mate after visiting with their daughter. Seiya had been right. While she couldn't place her finger on it, Sari was behaving strangely. Though she hadn't wanted to burden Sari anymore after a harsh day, she couldn't help but fret to herself as she entered their bed chambers.

Sesshoumaru rose from his seat at the dresser as she looked over at him from the door, her concern written all over her face. He walked up to her and embraced her quietly, hearing her sigh into his chest as she decompressed.

"Sari is so lost right now and I don't know how we can help her," came Kagome's voice as his chest rumbled with a comforting growl.

"We'll let her be for tonight. Sari is much like me as I once was. She'll need time to herself to quietly sort out her thoughts and feelings. I'm sure that she will be at least somewhat better in the morning. Let her soothe herself tonight so that we may begin to mend this complicated situation in the morning."

Kagome nodded, sighing once more and soothing herself with her husband's scent.

"You're right about one thing. Sari is definitely just like you," Kagome and looked up at Sesshoumaru with love. "Stubborn and guarded. Except she has my pretty left eye and miko powers."

Sesshoumaru leaned down to kiss her, countering her sass with his lips and tongue, making her moan slowly as she clung to him. When he pulled back, she was flushed and looking too satisfied with herself.

"Why, Lord Sesshoumaru! What would people think if they saw you kissing me like that?" she teased, smirking up at him. He chuckled and pressed his lips to her neck.

"They'd be jealous, of course, that I have the perfect mate and partner that they could never match."

Kagome smiled sweetly, pulling him closer as he feathered kissed across her neck and shoulder.

"I think someone is going to get very lucky tonight," Kagome said, pulling back with a grin before running toward the bed. He caught her, of course, and gently tossed her down as he positioned himself above her with a predatory growl.

"Very lucky indeed. Prepare yourself, mate. This Sesshoumaru does not intend to go easy on you," he spoke, cupping her chin in his hand and leaning in to look her in the eyes.

"Challenge accepted!"

Jaken was nervous. No, he was down right terrified! Lord Sesshoumaru was sure to take his anger out on poor Master Jaken when he delivered the news. Oh, why couldn't that brat just show up for lessons like she was supposed to?

"M-Milord?" Jaken stuttered as he knocked on the bedroom doors. Of course he had to interrupt the Lord and Lady of the house in their morning routine on top of it all.

Sesshoumaru cracked open the door and stared blankly at the demon before him, seeing him cower in a cold sweat.

"What could possibly be so important to risk waking my mate?" Sesshoumaru demanded quietly, still hearing the soft breath of his woman in slumber behind him.

"Milord, a thousand apologies... but L-Lady Sari did not report for her lessons this morning. I-I went to her room to find her b-but her maids reported they hadn't seen her since last night when she dismissed them to be alone. I even checked the stables when o-one of the maids said she s-sometimes visits with Ah-Un but the stable hand said she hadn't been there either."

Sesshoumaru pulsed his aura out through the castle, searching for his daughter. When he didn't find her, his brow furrowed slightly.

"Find Seiya and have him report to me right away," Sesshoumaru said, firmly closing the door in Jaken's face.

"Y-Yes Milord! Right away," the demon replied, scurrying off to do what his Lord ordered.

"Was that Jaken?" Kagome spoke through a yawn, sitting up and stretching up toward the sky.

"Unfortunately. Sari must have ran off to her training ground again. She didn't report for lessons. I'm going to send Seiya to bring her back so we may have a long overdue discussion," Sesshoumaru said quietly, moving to sit beside his mate as she frowned.

"This is really strange. She never breaks her routine like this. And she's never disobeyed your orders like this, to not show up for lessons.

A quiet knock interrupted their conversation. Sesshoumaru called in their son, holding Kagome's hand to calm her as he stepped through the door.

"Good morning, Mother, Father. You summoned me?"

"I need you to find your sister. She's not on the grounds. I presume she's at her training grounds preparing for our lesson today."

"Right away," Seiya said, giving a short bow before taking off with haste.

"Now, my love, we must get ready. Lord Koga and his family are expecting us at the breakfast table within a half hour." Sesshoumaru watched Kagome's eyes widen before she threw the blankets off and jumped out of bed.

"Why did you let me sleep in so late? We have company!" Kagome yelled as she ran into the bathroom.

"I'll send your Lady's maids in to help you ready," Sesshoumaru said, smiling to himself as she mumbled in frustration to herself in a way that he found incredibly adorable.

Sesshoumaru was listening to Koga tell a tale of one of his favorite battle moments against the cat demon clan. He barely paid attention as it was a story the wolf lord told frequently when their families came together. Kagome smiled politely and Ayame sighed, knowing that once he started, there was no stopping it until it was over. Yoru sat quietly, his fork fidgeting with the food on his plate as his father slapped the table with a hearty laugh to finish out his story.

"Yoru, is there something wrong with your breakfast?" Kagome asked, glancing over to see he hadn't eaten much, if any.

"No, Lady Kagome. Forgive me. I just don't seem to have an appetite this morning. The food is wonderful, as always," Yoru replied properly, earning a nod from his father.

Sesshoumaru reached for his glass as Kagome and Ayame began to talk about the gala. He stopped and stood abruptly, bringing the table talk to a halt as Seiya burst into the room and up to his father.

"She wasn't there. I searched all around the training spot and by the river. There's no new tracks and I can't smell or sense her having been there," Seiya reported, his hands fisting at his sides.

"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome stood, coming to his side as her fist clenched at her heart. "We have to send out a search party. What if something happened?"

"Sari is missing?" Koga asked, standing up.

"Could someone have kidnapped her?" Ayame asked before seeing Yoru move to Seiya's side.

"Father, let's send the wolves to track her," Yoru spoke, ready to take action.

"Good thinking, Yoru. We'll need an item with her scent but our wolves should be able to find her trail, no problem, Sesshoumaru," Koga said, seeing the dog demon nod.

"Kagome, lead them to Sari's room to find her scent. Koga, I'll meet you out front at the gates. Seiya, you'll stay here with your mother in case she returns of her own accord or there's word. If needed, send Jaken on Ah-Un to find us."

"I'll continue searching in the castle and out in the grounds. She can suppress her aura with her miko abilities. With luck, she's hiding somewhere nearby," Seiya added, his father nodding in approval.

"I'm going with you to search. I'll be able to find her if the wolves cannot." The Lords and Ladies looked at him as Yoru spoke with determination. Koga nodded to him.

"Yoru is the best tracker I've seen. If anyone can find her, it's my son," Ayame added.

Sesshoumaru looked down at Kagome, seeing her tense form. "I'll find our daughter and bring her home, Kagome. You have the word of This Sesshoumaru."

"I know you will. Follow me, Koga. Her room is this way," Kagome spoke, hurrying out of the room.

Sari had been walking for most of the night and was in dire need of a rest. She had taken one of her mother's archery gi's to cloak herself from the villagers in the area outside the palace that might instantly recognize her royal garbs. It had taken all of the willpower she had left to run away.

Yoru, the man she had loved for years, the only one she'd ever confided into, had broken her trust by leading her father and brother to her training grounds. She had been provoked into battling and injuring her sire on top of losing her composure and showing him her warring auras and all but fainting. There was no way for her to be of any use to the Taisho family with the utter disgrace she had made of herself yesterday. For once, Jaken was right. They would do far better without an inadequate half-breed to burden them.

She paused by a river, taking the bag off of her shoulders to lay beside her as she cupped her hands and drank. The cold water on her parched throat was refreshing.

"You seem quite thirsty, there, Miss," came a voice from behind her.

Sari turned and looked to see an older man with a walking staff shuffling up to her, one hand behind his back to brace himself as his head hid below a bamboo hat.

"Excuse me," Sari said quietly, lifting her bag as she stood up.

"Oh forgive me. I didn't mean to startle you. I, too, enjoy coming to this spot to refresh myself. I was just coming to get a cup of cold water. Would you care you join me for a drink?" he said, pulling a pair of clay cups from a pouch at his side.

"That's most generous but I should be on my way," Sari said, bowing gently to the man. He sighed.

"We could have done this the easy way," he said, his voice changing as he spoke.

Sari's brow wrinkled a fraction. Her guard had been down, not sensing anything strange from the old man even as his words confused her. She felt the change in the air around her as it thickened with a demonic miasma. Suddenly she jumped back as what looked like an insect leg pierced the ground where she had been standing. She was too startled and didn't see the other legs that were behind her until they wrapped around her like a cocoon.

"Release me at once!" Sari demanded, struggling against the legs that bound her. The sharps hairs on the legs chafed her skin, cutting her in several places as she fought.

"I cannot. I have big plans for you, child of Sesshoumaru," said the figure before her. What was once a harmless old man was now a tall figure with pale hands and long black hair, his face still hidden under the bamboo hat. Or that's what she thought she saw. Sari coughed as the miasma thickened, choking her and clouding her vision.

"Papa..." she whimpered, her body going limp as she lost consciousness.

"What a powerful little princess. It took much more energy than I expected it would take to knock her out," a voice said from behind him.

"Indeed, Muso. We cannot let this opportunity go to waste. Are you prepared, my son?" Naraku asked, turning to the spitting image of a younger self.

"Of course, Father. Years of planning and the princess just falls into our lap. It would have been fun to seduce her at the gala, but I suppose this gives us an edge."

Naraku smirked down at the demoness he held in his clutches.

"Then let us begin."

A/N: Naraku is such a bastard... Always has been, always will be. /Shrug.