Sanctuary
Author's Note: Hey everyone! Thank you so much for all the support and all the suggestions and grammatical corrections! You care about me! You really do! Thank you.
Disclaimer's Note: Ask me that again, and you'll see me with the unsheathed Testusaiga standing beside your bed when you wake up.
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" Kedou, stop pacing, you're giving me a headache!"
The great lord of the North-Western lands sighed and gracelessly slumped into his comfortable reading chair. His large white tail dragging behind him.
" I apologize for my childish behavior," he said as he gazed intently at the burning log in the fireplace.
The graceful Inu Youkai smiled as she walked towards the distraught lord. She regarded the man who now looked like a lost puppy and the stacks of paperwork still left undone. Something was obviously troubling him.
She placed a comforting hand on her best friend's shoulder, which he patted as he sighed.
" So Kedou, what seems to be troubling you?"
Lord Komashiro growled slightly at the nickname that the woman had given him, but sank even deeper into the chair.
" She's coming back."
The woman gasped, and he nodded. " It cannot be! " she said. " I mean, it's been half a century! We thought…"
"She was dead. Yes, as did everyone in our family." Lord Komashiro sighed. " I'm afraid of what to think."
"How did young Kouga react to this news?"
" He was the one that found her," he replied. " Yume, he was normal! You should have seen him! The fire that he had when he thought he found his mate had no comparison to the fire that his eyes held within them now!"
The woman's violet eyes gleamed with happiness as her best friend smiled, but it went just as fast as it came and her usually straight posture slumped a tiny bit as he became dark and moody.
" I had to humor him, Yume…"
Sighing, she slipped her arms around him and gave him a comforting hug. " Kedou, if Ayame was here in your place, she'd have done the same thing."
Lord Komashiro nodded. " But if this girl really is who Kouga thinks she is… why should she choose now to reveal herself?"
He turned and asked the woman beside him. Yumemaru was his wife's best friend. She had fought beside them both at the battle ten years after she had moved in. Her beautiful violet eyes still held the grief of Ayame's death. They both found comfort in each other's presence remembering Ayame in each other's friendship.
Lord Komashiro had asked Lady Yumemaru for advice for many legal problems and had often asked her to take care of Kouga when he was a child.
" To tell you the truth, Kedou… I do not have a clue," she said. " Kouga has been out of it for a long time, and it cannot be just mere coincidence that someone looks like Kagome-chan."
Lord Komashiro nodded in agreement. " By the way… why do you insist on calling me Kedou?"
Yumemaru smiled. " You influence many youths, so it seems fitting"
Lord Komashiro shook his head. " My lady, if you were not my wife's best friend as well as mine, I would think you were insane"
"Why thank you Kedou! I think your insane too"
Thankful that her best friend was now in a happier mood, she left the study and went on towards her own chambers.
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When she reached her room, she let go of the cheerful mask she wore and relaxed. She stretched her sore muscles and massaged her stiff tail. As she sat down in front of her vanity, she looked into the mirror and stared at her reflection with disgust.
The markings on her cheeks always reminded her of her status and her line. The crescent moon on her forehead was still clear and did not show any signs of fading. She turned away and looked around her spacious chambers.
There was a large bed assorted with blankets, furs and pillows of all shapes, sizes and colors. One would ask themselves why there would be so many, but it looked elegant. Like something from a fairy tale. There was a window that overlooked the gardens and would let the sun in come daybreak. There were fur rugs on the floor that kept Yumemaru warm when she felt like reading on the ground. Her oak closet was filled with kimonos and battle gear. But nothing was there to keep her company.
'This is a sad life I lead' she thought. ' Ayame… if only you were still here'
A small tear fell from her left eye and made its way down her cheek and finally dropping on her kimono creating a deep red circle on her red silk kimono.
Sighing, she walked towards the window and sat on the chair that was beside it. Muttering only one word as her gaze fell on the beautiful star lit sky.
" SesshouMaru"
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Kagome sat up suddenly as a cold wind blew at the nape of her neck. Something was not right. It was too quiet. She frantically looked around for her 'brother' and found him sitting on a branch InuYasha-like and staring at the blue moon in the sky. Remembering a few things about her past, she smiled. 'He hasn't changed much'
Careful not to make a sound, she crept up behind him. " What's wrong?"
"Kagome! You scared me!" he said proudly. " Wow, your youkai abilities are certainly getting better!"
She smiled half-heartedly. A question had been plaguing her mind for so long since she found out about her 'family'. If she was youkai, why did she become a ningen… and why was she still 17 and not 54? Kouga seemed to notice and placed his arm around her shoulders.
" You know, since I am your oniisan, you can tell me anything and everything you want…" he hinted.
Kagome nodded. " Why was I sent away?"
Kouga was silent. She hung her head and stared at the ground below. Her eyesight had improved tenfold and she could hear everything, even the low beating of Kouga's heart. Her senses had been heightened, and for some odd reason, she could detect colors around a person, and even smell their emotions. And right now, Kouga was enveloped in a dark blue hue and he smelled of pain and grief.
"To tell you the truth, imouto…"
Kagome raised her head and looked at him, staring into his beautiful blue eyes. Hers widened as she read his emotions. He was just as confused as she was.
"I … don't know…" he turned away and stared at the blue moon. " You were taken away from us by InuTaisho. After Okasan had informed a servant to tell father it was time… though for what I have no clue. I didn't even have a chance to say goodbye. He… he just took you."
"I… InuTaisho?" Kagome stammered as her eyes widened. " As in… SesshouMaru and InuYasha's father InuTaisho?"
Kouga seemed shocked. " I had no clue dog-turd was related to the lord of the western lands, not to mention the Great Lord of the Western lands…"
Kagome nodded. " Well… where did he take me?"
Kouga shrugged. " I was a pup then… I still am, but I was a younger pup. I was as little as Shippou over there. I could not keep up to a TaiYoukai."
As if hearing his name, Shippou stirred in his sleep and murmured Kagome's name.
" I remember being dressed up that day…" Kagome started. " Why?"
Again, Kouga seemed to be remembering repressed memories. Pain filled his eyes and his aura darkened quite a bit. " Okasan, Lady Ayame… your mother… she was going to adopt me as her own. She felt that I needed to accept her as my mother before she decided to fill my birth mother's place…"
Kagome kept silent as if knowing something had happened. " But… we never got to it… youkais from all over the country as well as rogue ningens came to fight."
"Oh"
" You know… we still had no clue how people found out about the second Shikon… we heard that it was burned with the priestess who was guarding it." Kouga said. " Then… the real one seemed to have attracted so many evil youkais and ningens… it was strange as if… something or someone had informed these youkai about its existence."
" Can anyone really tell the difference from the Shikon and the Youkai Shikon?"
" Well… there is a slight difference between the two…" Kouga said. " The Shikon that Midoriko and the youkai created are conflicted. Its not entirely pure, nor can it be entirely purified unless it is in the hands of its real guardian. The Shikon that our ancestor made is pure and strong. It can be turned evil by its holder, but any old miko can purify the jewel."
" Okasan?"
Kagome heard a small whimper and gracefully leaped down towards the sleeping pup. She scooped him up and placed him in her sweater.
" We should go. The castle's not far from here," Kouga said. " We should be there by noon if you get on me"
" You and I are at the same speed so-"
"No, I'm transforming. You can ride on me and get some rest" he said as he glowed a light blue and within seconds, stood a marvelous brown wolf the size of a two-story house.
'He's smaller than SesshouMaru… ACK!' Kagome slapped her forehead. 'Why am I thinking of HIM? Kagome… you're going nuts'
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Author's Note: Thank you for telling me that I misspelled shikon no tama! I hope you liked it!
Kedou-to influence someone or influencing a person
Yumemaru- beauty - its actually spelt Yumimaru to be beauty but it looks better if its Yumemaru in my opinion, so… :P
