Sanctuary

Author's Note: hey all! I decided to make this chapter longer so that Sesshou and Kagome can… well… meet and… stuff… lol I know their meeting was kind of delayed but them to be a bit far from each other. I mean, SesshouMaru needs a lot of thinking and Kagome's well heartbroken right now.

Disclaimer's Note: what? You still think… OMG! What in the world is that behind you!? It's a giant cockroach…

Inu: why did you dress me up like this?

-_-;; just read the story

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Jaken felt relieved. His master, Lord SesshouMaru was sending him to the North-Western lands to inform Lord Komashiro that he had accepted his invitation for him to stay at his castle until the banquet is to occur. Lately, not many youkais have wandered into the Western lands and a vacation would serve SesshouMaru well.

'I hope Rin does not irritate SesshouMaru-sama…'

As much as Jaken hated the annoying brat's constant babbling, he had grown quite accustomed to the child. Ningen or not, he felt that nothing would be the same if Rin was not present.

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"You WHAT?!"

Komashiro winced as Yumemaru started to shriek contrite names and even more distasteful words at him.

" Yume, I did this so you could be more… mellow," Komashiro said trying hard to soothe the hyperventilating woman. " It is better for him to know you are alive, my friend."

" Shiro… SesshouMaru has not seen me for nearly 60 years," Yumemaru said tersely. " What makes you think that meeting him now will be better for him?"

Komashiro smiled. " Ayame once said: that 'it is better to get things out in the open than to keep it buried with you in your grave' I believed her and I asked her to become my mate. Things worked well."

" Well for a while, Shiro… look what that got her"

Yumemaru's hand flew to her mouth. " I am so sorry, Shiro… do not mind my babble.. I-"

Komashiro shook his head. " It is alright my friend. I know you are hurting…"

Sighing, Yumemaru sat on her bed. " Shiro… how long is he to stay?"

Komashiro smiled and sat down beside her. " a month before the banquet 'till the banquet."

She faced him. " That brings up my question: why hold a banquet for a woman who may very well be an imposter?"

Komashiro stood and faced Yumemaru. He pulled out a small cloth from his pocket, and in another, he took out a small jade bracelet. " Because, Yume… I miss Kagome as much as Kouga does, and… I still hope that one day she will be back to reclaim these items."

Yumemaru took the cloth in her hand and noticed the elegant embroidery. " I remember when I taught her how to embroider… she took to it well."

Komashiro nodded proudly. " I remember it as well. You teased Ayame so much because Kagome could do better than even she could… and how proudly Ayame showed it to me… how proud she was of our child"

Yumemaru gently folded the cloth and placed it back in her friend's hand. " For your sake and mine, as well as Ayame… I do wish that Kouga has found Kagome… I truly do."

Smiling, Komashiro nodded. " So… I take it you agree to your son coming here?"

Yumemaru glared but sighed. " Might as well… I only hope he does not hate me"

"If your son takes after you, I am sure he hates that woman much more than he does you"

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SesshouMaru growled for the hundredth time. He was growing impatient and needed something to hunt. But with Jaken gone and Rin left alone, he had no choice but to stay and keep the castle well protected. Even though not many youkais dared to go through the Western lands, there were still the matter of Soul stealers who didn't count as youkais but more of drones that could travel a thousand miles from their masters.

He turned away from his desk and paced through his study and found a scroll that seemed to have eluded his senses. It looked old and torn, as he opened it, he smelled his mother's scent all over the parchment.

'Interesting… it seems to have been a letter… directed at… my father?'

InuTaisho, I assume you have not even noticed the lack of my presence. I see the logic in taking your friend to create your precious heir so that you can have the freedom to find your other half. Although, I fail to see the logic in just stripping off her title and taking a ningen as the queen of the western lands! I presume you now know of which I speak of. I shall be taking refuge with Ayame-sama. Do not even bother to come follow me. But then again, you were never one to care of my welfare. Nonetheless, you are making the biggest mistake of your life! You may not know it yet, but once that hanyou gets of age, do you think he will honor you like SesshouMaru does? No. And would you like to know why? Because that hanyou is destined to lead a life of which even his trollop of a mother has so selfishly brought him to…

SesshouMaru chuckled. 'Mother did have such… nice… vocabulary'

He was about to place the scroll back when he re read a line. ' …Ayame-sama…'

His frustration gone, he frantically searched for scrolls of royal families. After finding a rather large scroll from his father's library, he began to search.

'Ayame, daughter of Ryuma of the Inu clan, mated to Lord Komashiro of the Koma clan…' SesshouMaru's eyes widened and he backed away from the parchment.

'Okasan's alive… I… Otousan said… she… she died'

Angry tears blurred his vision as he clenched his fists. 'That ningen made him do this… yes… that bakayaro hanyou's mother did this… he will pay HE WILL PAY'

More bitterness for the hanyou coursed through his veins. Nothing would stand in the way of his revenge. Once he finds his mother once more, InuYasha would pay dearly for what his ningen mother did.

"SESSHOUMARU-SAMA!"

Wiping the tears from his eyes and placing his mask back on, he faced a red faced Rin.

" What is it?" he asked.

" ITS JAKEN-SAMA! HE'S BACK!"

SesshouMaru smiled slightly at the child's enthusiasm. " Go and greet him, then tell him to come here"

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Kagome stared in awe at the castle that she stood in. It was beautiful. It was not as dreary as she thought it would be.

" I had vowed I would get you back to my home someday, but I never thought that meant getting my sister back!" Kouga said humorously.

Kagome chuckled and nodded. " So… when do I meet the family?"

Kouga stopped and turned around. "Well… see, here's the thing. Otousan is busy with affairs right now and the only person you will meet for the next months is well, Lady Yumemaru"

"Yume…maru?"

"Hello."

Kagome turned around and gasped. The woman looked so much like SesshouMaru. Her markings were visible and they were the mirror image of the western lord's markings down to the mark on her forehead.

"H-hello" Kagome said finally. " I…I'm sorry for asking but… are you in any way related to SesshouMaru?"

Yumemaru seemed shocked at her question but answered anyway. " yes… I do not know whether I should be happy or not that you seem to know my son at such an informal way"

Kagome blushed and shook her head violently. " No, no… I used to travel with his half-brother… and he has tried to kill me numerous times but… it was the markings… oh, look at me… where are my manners! My name is Kagome Higurashi, I am very pleased to meet you"

Yumemaru gasped. " K-kagome you say?"

Kagome nodded politely. " Although I am still fazed by Kouga-oniisan's news, I think I remember my own name."

" I apologize if I may seem brash but, you surely must jest!" Yumemaru stammered struggling not to break down and cry. " Kouga, tell me this is just a lark!"

Kouga shook his head in confusion. "No, lady Yumemaru… this is Kagome. My sister. I finally found her!"

" Excuse me, I do not feel well… Yuki!" Yumemaru said. A young vixen came and bowed. " Show Kagome to her room."

Kouga followed Yuki and Kagome dragged her feet. 'What did I say? Did I offend her or something? Maybe coming here was a mistake…'

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Author's Note: wow… thank you so much for all the reviews! Unfortunately, I have no time to answer everyone's questions but hopefully I answered a few in the story itself.

Also, thank you to night kid who told me about the spelling error I made with musuko (my son). And I hope this chapter answers your question Mistress Fluffy.