Summary: Kagome, one of Lancelot's younger twin sisters, evaded her fate at the Magic Tower years ago, but the one pulling the strings in the shadows is still after her. She knows that before long, plans will fall into motion. However, capturing the elusive Princess of Hearts is no easy task- even for the most powerful of men.

Pairing: Kagome x Harr; Sango x Lancelot

Disclaimer: I don't own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owners.

Note:
Will contain spoilers for Routes.
Flashbacks/past told in bulk Italics.
Inuyasha!AU.

Prologue

"Stop following me. Just… leave me alone already," Kagome huffed as she made her way down the school halls. Hot on her heels was the last person she ever wanted to see again.

"Are we really not gonna talk about this?"

That voice so full of disbelief caused the angry ravenette to come to a stiff halt, shoulders squaring as she slowly let her body turn so she was facing the figure that'd been chasing her down the semi-crowded hallway, just trying to keep pace with her. She was irritated that he kept at it, despite her all but screaming in his face to go away from her, not to follow her, not to even let their paths cross lest one of them do something they'd regret- that person most likely being her. She tightened her grip on the book clasped in her right hand, the left soon raising to grip the other half. If she'd been able to, the book would have easily bent in two, but the thick binding thankfully held. Furious blue eyes glared into gold, and she took a step forward before she restrained herself.

"Oh. Talk about what, Inuyasha?" she hissed out cooly, her expression twisting into mock confusion. "Me walking in on you and my sister locking lips? Hm?" she hummed with a tone too sweet, and the confused look faded in a matter of seconds as it got replaced by a cold sneer. "Or- or how about when you and Kikyo were laughing about me not catching on? Oh, I know! How about when you said that I-!"

"... C'mon Kag, that's not-"

"I don't wanna hear your excuses or whatever feigned apology speech you've got prepared," Kagome snapped back at him without waiting to hear what he'd try and convince her to believe. She shook her head and sighed, sounding more exasperated than anything. "Really? Couldn't you have cheated on me with literally anyone else? Why with my twin sister?" That was honestly a new low, even for him.

He glared at her. Despite knowing it'd be better in the long run for him if he'd just backed down and left her alone so she could cool off, he stood his ground. "Geeze, you're not even gonna let me explain my side? This all falls back on you, anyway!"

"Excuse me?!" Kagome growled at him. "This is not about me," she said, punctuating it with a dangerous step towards him. "This is about the two of you. I told you to leave me alone!"

"It is about you!" He pointed at her. A second later, he drew his hand away and held both of them up by his head. He turned to her with a mocking tone. "Ooh I'm Kagome, I can't do anything that's fun. I always gotta focus on school and ignore my boyfriend then get mad and cry when I realize this is all my fault-!"

Kagome felt her face stain crimson in anger, and she forcefully threw her book onto the ground at his feet with all the strength she could muster. Inuyasha took a step back out of surprise when the heavy book nearly landed on his foot. She followed him as he moved, and she brought her hand down on the side of his face as hard as she could. The people navigating the halls paused at hearing the echo of skin colliding against skin. Most, if not all, turned to observe as the fire steadily burned hotter.

"You're horrible!" Kagome yelled at him, tears burning angrily in her azure eyes. She lifted her hand to hit him again on the other cheek, but her downswing was interrupted by a gentle, yet sturdy grip around her wrist. She was tugged back a few paces before a familiar voice reached her ears.

"Now, now, Little Lady. It's time to calm down," Sirius said as he coaxed her hand back down to her side. He knelt to pick her book back up for her, handing it to her so her hands were full. He then turned to face the long-haired boy glaring at her as she stood partially behind him, a frown on his features. "And you- you should leave her alone when she asks."

Inuyasha swapped his glare to the upperclassman, soon scoffing and turning away. "Whatever."

He turned to leave, and the hallway traffic returned to normal. Kagome was silent for a moment, idly looking down at her book. Sirius turned towards her and offered her a sympathetic smile. "Are you okay?" he asked now that eyes were off of her.

"I…" Kagome tightened her grip on the book she held, her brows furrowing before she squeezed her eyes shut tight and shook her head to clear her mind. Her long, raven locks whipped up around her, the rose-red ribbon tying a few strands of her hair back getting loosened up a bit. She started walking back down the path she'd been on moments ago as she nodded slowly, working as hard as she could to ignore the sting in her eyes and the heavy weight she felt in her chest. "Of course I am," she said after a moment. "Why wouldn't I be?"

He followed behind her, letting her lead the way as he kept a careful distance from her. Once they rounded a corner, she came to a brief halt when she heard him hum thoughtfully in response.

"I'll admit, I showed up pretty late to the party, but I think I get the gist of what happened back there," Sirius commented, and Kagome clutched a bit tighter onto her book.

"What of it?" Kagome responded with a nonchalant shrug, and she missed the way Sirius looked at her with a strained and worried frown. She glanced down at her feet and sighed softly. "If he wants to be a pawn to my sister, well, I won't stop him. Not the first relationship- nor friendship, for that matter- that she's ruined."

"Ah, Kagome-"

"Oh! Speaking of relationships she's ruined," Kagome said, momentarily glancing back at the taller man, "I need to go find Sango. She'll definitely want to hear about this from me before anyone else. Thanks for stepping in earlier Sirius, otherwise it would've never ended."

She left before anything else could be said, using the flow of students to get to her destination faster.

A sigh of relief fell from her lips when she saw that Sirius hadn't followed her any further. She came to a halt where she stood, soon letting her weight rock backward until her back rested against the wall behind her. It was quiet around her, and an aggravating pain surged through her mind. She winced and nearly dropped the book she held as she lifted a hand to her head, burying slender digits into the mass of raven locks.

After a few minutes, it slowly began to fade, and Kagome breathed an automatic sigh of relief. She let her spine straighten, resting her head along the wall she used to support her weight.

"I've got tons more to worry about, opposed to my sister and some dumb guy," she whispered, her voice never straying loud enough to be heard even in the echoing hall. She felt a frown pull her lips into a deeper curve. The sixteen-year-old remained like that for a long while, even after the noise in the hall faded away entirely, signaling most all had either left or gone on to lessons. Before long, the faint thump of footsteps began to creep closer to where she was hidden away, but she didn't try to scamper off to where she was meant to be at that time. Kagome opened her eyes as the steps drew closer, and she craned her head to the side just in time to see the silver-haired man pause as he rounded the corner.

Long, silver hair pulled back by a crimson ribbon was the first thing she always noticed about him. It was pulled over his shoulder, sweeping down past his hips. The next were the molten gold eyes that gazed coldly at her. A face teetering on flawless perfection, almost as if he was nothing more than a prince plucked directly from a fairytale, watched her. As beautiful as he was, his eyes were devoid of any known emotion, and it was like she was looking into ice, despite the molten shade.

He was silent for a moment, and Kagome let out a long sigh. "How come you're not in class?" she asked, but she knew she didn't have any room to judge him. She wasn't in class either, after all.

He closed the distance between them, letting himself fall to mirror her pose against the wall, eyes sliding closed as he folded his arms. "It doesn't take long for gossip to travel, especially when it's to me about how… irritating that fool is."

Kagome felt as the frown on her face deepened once again. "Eh… I really couldn't care less," she said, and he was keen to pick up on her distracted tone. "This entire thing is pretty low on my list of concerns, anyway."

"Is that so?" Sesshoumaru's low voice rumbled in her ears, monotone and lacking any sign of genuine interest, even if he might've had any. "You've been distracted lately. Something's happened, has it?"

"Oh, what do you care?" Kagome snorted at his questions.

"I don't," he answered. He saw no reason to lie or offer her false comforts. She knew him well enough, and she'd see through every one of them. "Although..." he paused, seeming to think over his words before biting the bullet and saying what he wanted to anyway. "You don't seem like you're focusing on anything anymore." He wouldn't admit it, but it was… odd, to say the least, to witness the girl go from her previously outgoing attitude into the distracted and, for lack of a better term, lackluster personality she seemed to have adopted over the past few weeks.

She glanced down at her feet when he said that. "Yeah, well…" she trailed off when she realized she didn't have anything to say that'd help her case any. "I'm just distracted."

How could she not be…? Her future was crawling even closer, and it terrified her. It wasn't like she could really tell anyone why, either, and that was the worst part. It was set in stone, and she knew what awaited her following her graduation. Before, she thought she still had another few years at least, but now that seemed to be getting slimmer. Now that there was talk of her being taken into the Magic Tower sooner. It didn't matter how brave she played herself up, not when she knew what was waiting for her in the shadows there.

She closed her eyes, hoping the simple gesture was enough to hide the uncertainty and fear she knew was showing on her face. She knew that, if he looked, Sesshoumaru would easily see what she hoped to hide from the rest around her. She'd always been an open book, never able to hide anything even if she wished to.

"What do you mean?" The astonishment in her voice was crystal clear, and she saw the way Lancelot tried to steel his expression in order to help her stay calm, not that it had any effect as her heart started to thump erratically in her chest in panic. "No, no…! The deal was I'd go after I finished school," she said, fighting to keep her voice hushed up in the noisy dining hall. "That's what I agreed to! They can't- he can't just change it!"

Panic and fear bled clearly into her words, but she was unable to mask it. She hoped no one else could hear her, and she spared a quick look around the semi-full dining hall. To her relief, no one was within hearing distance. After all… no one would understand her fear over her situation of going to the Magic Tower. They didn't know the real show behind all the things they did for the citizens, not like she did.

"L-Lance… I'm not ready," she whispered, feeling the stinging heat of tears welling up in her eyes. "I didn't think I'd be ready before when it came time, and I'm definitely not ready now."

They wanted to research her… They wanted to figure out the cause of her unnatural, powerful magic. Why her magic never faded, why it rejuvenated, and why it never depleted… They wanted to make her an experiment. They wanted to conduct experiments on her. She knew what her fate was destined to be, and she knew fighting it was pointless now. She'd resigned to accept it, but she wasn't ready. She was supposed to have a few more years.

"I know," Lancelot's voice was quiet as he said those words. His voice was normally comforting for her, but this time it only sent shivers of fear down her already trembling spine. It sounded so… so subdued. So unlike the man she knew. Like he knew there were limited things he could do. She wanted to cry.

The memory of that conversation faded from her mind as she opened her eyes. Kagome pushed herself off the wall and sighed. "You know what? I feel a migraine coming on. I'm gonna go take a nap. I'll just borrow Sango's notes later."

She didn't wait for a response before she left, not that'd he'd try to give one. She made a beeline for the dorms, and she knew her posture reflected the heavy thoughts in her mind. She kept her gaze focused on the floor she slowly treaded over.

At least one good thing came out of her walking in on Inuyasha with her sister- she knew Sango wouldn't be too worried if she didn't show up for classes that day. Especially since she sat directly in front of the aforementioned silver-haired boy.

Dark lashes fanned against pale, porcelain skin the longer she slept tucked away in warm blankets. Duo-colored eyes peered down at her with an amused light twinkling in them, and a grin slowly spread across Loki's face. However, just as he was about to reach and rouse the raven-haired woman, a soft voice stilled his hands.

"Let her sleep, Loki."

Loki turned towards the opened door- opened by him when he sneaked into the quiet bedroom- and he saw Harr standing in the doorway.

"Huh? But she's usually the first one up. I'm just worried is all~" Loki sang playfully. "Will she be happy sleeping in so much?"

A soft smile was on Harr's face as he motioned for Loki to leave her be. "I made breakfast this morning, so come eat."

Loki sighed and moved away from the bed, listening to the older man and heading downstairs. After he was gone, Harr looked at the lump on the bed and stepped into the room on quiet feet.

"So how long have you been up, Kagome?"

As he said that, the girl in bed slowly sat up. Her eyes fluttered open, dark lashes giving way to deep and captivating azure. The covers rustled some as she drew her knees up to her chest, a soft sigh tumbling from her lips as she rested her cheek on her knees. "A while now," she admitted, "I just didn't feel like getting up."

Harr stepped further into their shared room, brows quirked at her answer. "Are you sick?"

Kagome hid a laugh and shook her head. "Oh, no, I feel fine," she assured him. "I just…" she trailed off, unsure if she wanted to finish her sentence the moment she felt it slipping free from her throat.

"What is it?"

Kagome tightened her grip on her legs, blunt nails digging into her skin, and lowered her gaze when her sight began to blur. "It's nothing new," she whispered, wanting to reassure him before he might start to get concerned. "I just…" The words caught in her throat, getting lodged like nails through wood. "I just had some nightmares about… you know," she felt her voice getting softer, vulnerability showing on her expression.

It was rare for her to let her vulnerable side show so easily, but when she did, it was only in the presence of a select few.

Harr frowned and sat down next to her on the bed. Silence settled around them, one that she found comfort in. It seemed like just being around him was soothing enough. The memories of her nightmares were slowly fading. "They can't get you," he said, and there was something calming about how assured he sounded. "I won't let you get taken."

She smiled and let her weight sway to the side. She felt him tense up slightly under her as she rested her head on his shoulder. "... I know," she whispered. She sighed and soon drew away from him, letting herself slip out from under the covers she'd remained under. She was about to change out from her nightgown, but she paused the moment she got up. Kagome turned to face Harr, still seated on the bed. That silence fell over them again as she watched him.

The jagged scar that trailed down below his left eye caught her attention as she looked at his face. Without saying a word, she stepped over to where he sat watching her. She rested a hand on the left side of his face, cradling in her palm. She let her thumb drag along the scar, the gesture not disturbing his gaze any, not even when her thumb grazed his lashes. After a minute she smiled and bent forward to close the tiny gap between them, pressing a quick kiss to the tip of his nose and watching with a beaming smile as a flush of red spread across his cheeks like a wildfire.

"Morning~" she sang cheerfully, and a gentle smile formed on Harr's face. "Go ahead and join them for breakfast. I'll get dressed and be down in a minute," she promised.

Her words coaxed him into leaving, and he pulled the door closed on his way out, leaving her standing on her own in their room. She quickly changed and brushed the tangles from her hair, pulling the long tresses back into a lazy ponytail to keep her hair out of her face.

Before she could leave, the sparkle of a pink jewel caught her eye. Kagome froze and reached to pick it up, tying the string around her neck securely. She glanced at it and sighed softly. Sometimes that part of her life felt like a dream, and truthfully… if it wasn't for the presence of the jewel and the scar it'd left on her when it'd come out of her skin, she would've believed it all to be a dream.

Kagome shook her head without saying a word. It was better off left unsaid.

She left the room, pulling the door almost closed as she left, leaving a gap the size of a few inches. She followed the voices downstairs to where the three were already sitting down to join them for breakfast.

As soon as she stepped into the room with the others, a pair of hands instantly found their way around her hips. She would've fallen if she hadn't been expecting it. She smiled and gently rested a palm on a head of dark locks.

"Kagome!" Rin's excited voice pulled her attention down, and the woman looked down at the young girl. "Guess what!"

Kagome laughed and nodded her head a fraction in Rin's direction. She had an idea as to what had made the girl so vibrant and excited- well, even more than usual, that is. However, she decided to play along, letting a curious look rest on her face. "Huh? What is it?"

"Loki told me he was gonna take me to see Lord Sesshoumaru today!" Rin's excitement was hard to ignore, and Kagome beamed down at her.

"Oh, really?" Kagome sang. "That's great!" It'd been a few months since she'd last seen him. She gently urged Rin back towards the table where her breakfast was. "Well, hurry up and eat, okay?"

Rin nodded, abiding by her words, and Kagome sat down in her usual seat. She listened to the conversation going on around her as she ate, not pitching in unless she was asked something directly.

It'd been two years since Rin began to stay with them, the girl now thirteen years old. She hadn't been found by Harr or herself, but, instead, she'd been brought to them on a rainy day.

The rain drizzling outside had put a damper on her plans. She'd been hoping to go pick some fresh fruit from the trees of the forest, but a sudden downpour canceled that plan. She'd given it time to clear up, but it was obvious that it wasn't gonna stop raining any time soon. She'd planned to go on her expedition after lunch, but now it was already late into the night hours.

She sighed and shook her head. "Maybe the weather will be better tomorrow," Kagome mused quietly to herself. She turned to face the man at the table, soon enough going to sit on the opposite side of him. She watched idly as Harr worked on his task, listening to the drumming of rain on the roof and windows. Loki was in bed now, so that left the two at the table as the only ones awake. The silence between the two was comfortable, and Kagome could feel sleep slowly winning her over now that everything was so calm and quiet.

"You should head to bed," Harr spoke softly, and she let out a quiet hum, startled by his voice. "I won't be much longer."

She felt tempted to give in, but a series of knocks at the front door stole her words away before she could let them form. She turned towards the door, Harr doing the same, as the knocks came again. Something pulled her to answer, despite being well aware of how unlikely visitors were. She headed over to the window that provided a clear view of the front entrance as Harr put his mask back on, the silver covering his left eye and scar.

Kagome peered out the window, and she was unable to suppress the surprised gasp that fell from her lips upon seeing who it was. She was hesitant for a moment before she went to the door and pulled it open.

"Sesshoumaru?!" The surprise in her voice wasn't hidden. "W-Why are you here? And in the rain, no less!"

She didn't know if she should be more concerned or surprised at the moment.

"I came to speak to you," he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Kagome felt her face twist in confusion.

"How did you know she was here?" Harr's cool voice caused both of them to look at him, asking her next question before she could get it formed. Sesshoumaru arched a brow, and a second later he held a hand up to reveal an odd, circular pink stone. At once, her complexion blanched. She knew who'd given him that.

"Shall I spell it out for you, Silver?" Sesshoumaru drawled out in his monotone voice. He looked at Kagome, rolling the jewel between his thumb and index finger. He offered it to Kagome, and she reached for it with a flicker of hesitation in her eyes. It felt heavy in her palm, and she slowly closed her fingers around it, hoping that the unnatural shine would fade if she did so. She knew it wouldn't work, yet she did it anyway if only to pretend it was something else- anything else.

She'd left this with a specific person before she went to the Magic Tower all those years ago. Her brother returned to the front of her mind for a moment before she pushed all thoughts of him far from her focus with a harsh shake of her head.

"I was told to use that, and it'd bring me to where you were," Sesshoumaru said, and Kagome pursed her lips as she nodded.

"Yeah, I get that, but… what if it'd taken you someplace else?" Kagome frowned. "What if I was gone? You really took a stupid chance like that, and for what?"

"Oh, was I supposed to believe you to just completely uproot and vanish? Just like that?" Sesshoumaru challenged her without any malicious intent, yet she flinched at his words all the same. "Not just me, but Lancelot, too? He did request that I return that jewel to you, after all."

Kagome folded her arms over her chest, displeasure showing on her face. "What does he care…" she snorted. She glanced back at the silver-haired man, and it was then she noticed a small figure clinging tight to his leg, their body mostly hidden cloak that shielded them from the rain. "Who's with you?"

Sesshoumaru froze for a moment before setting a hand gently on the top of the small figure's head. He coaxed them forward, and they took slow, cautious steps forward with the reassurance he was there. When they let go of his leg, they sought out his hand to cling to as if it was a lifeline. Both Kagome and Harr watched in silent confusion.

"This is Rin," Sesshoumaru said after a brief pause, and he used his free hand to remove the hood that covered their face. The hood fell away, and underneath was a young girl with dark hair and brown eyes. Kagome felt her eyes widen in astonishment. "I… took her from the Magic Tower," he said, getting right to the point.

Kagome's eyes widened even more, if that were even possible, as surprise filled her. "Huh?" Kagome struggled for a response for a moment, taking a slow step closer to Sesshoumaru. "N-Nothing against you or anything, but you're the last person I'd ever expect to go through with a risk like that." She paused and looked from him to the girl. "Why did you do it?"

"That's none of your concern," Sesshomaru responded. He hadn't gone through all the trouble of barging into the Red King's office in a demand to know where the azure-eyed woman was, obtaining the odd pink jewel from the man, and then resorting to its strange magic to locate her just so she could question him. "I have a favor to ask of you."

"Favor?" Kagome arched a brow. "Woah, guess there really is a first time for everything."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Yes, a favor." He glanced down at Rin, and Kagome got the gist of what he was gonna ask of her. Still, she waited for him to form the words himself. "Well, I suppose this is me asking something of both of you," he said then, looking between both Harr and Kagome. "I need a safe place to hide Rin at. For now, at least."

Kagome let her gaze return to Rin, and she found her watching her curiously, a slight glow in her wide, chocolate orbs. Kagome could feel Harr's gaze on her, and she slowly turned to him. In the end, they both knew what the other would do without even having to say a word. Harr certainly had the habit of taking in strays, and she was just like him in that aspect.

With a soft smile on her face, Kagome approached the girl at Sesshoumaru's side. She crouched in front of her, her skirts bunching up as she settled on her knees. "Hello Rin, my name's Kagome."

She still didn't know what'd driven Sesshoumaru to make a decision as he had, but she also knew she didn't need to know.

Kagome tuned back into the conversation around her. The jubilant peace of it all made her smile. This was her family, after all.

Auroua-chan: Okay, so a bit of information on this chapter. The first part was of her school days. Kagome was 16. (For the current story, she's 26.)

Pairings for the most part are final. Not sure if Alice will be in this yet. If she is, not sure who she'll be paired with.

Kagome and Kikyo are Lancelot's sisters.

So I hinted in this chapter that Kagome had a similar incident as she did in canon. (The jewel and Feudal Era) It won't be the same in this story. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll leave it there.

Anyway, that's it for now. Thank you all for reading, and I hope you all enjoyed! Hopefully I caught all the errors before posting, but if not sorry.

Please remember to Review&Favorite&Follow, thank you!

Bye for now~