Standard Disclaimer Apply
　
True Identity
By Sunflowerobi
Chapter Two: Abduction
　　
The day, to Kagome, FINALLY had passed by so ever slowly.
　*YAWN~*
　"I'm so tired..." Shippou rubbed his eyes.
　"Go to sleep, Shippou-chan." Kagome's eyes, by now, had turn to Inuyasha's strange golden color. They had been trying to figure out why the whole day, with no clue still. In addition, Shippou had pointed out that Kagome's ears had turned slightly pointy, like a youkai's.
　"hmm...alright. Oyasumi nasai, Kagome-chan." Curling into a small ball in Kagome's sleeping bag, Shippou slowly drifted off to dreamland.
"Oyasumi ne, Shippou-chan." Slipping into her sleeping bag, Kagome also drifted off to sleep.
***
　
Inuyasha watched Kagome sleeping under the silvery moonlight.
　...Kagome...Kikyo...Kyoko... They all look so similar, yet so different in their manners. ...Kagome...Kikyo...
　...KYOKO!! Inuyasha's eyes suddenly widened in realization. ...where have you been all these years...? Where have you disappeared off to...? Where are you...? Kyoko...please...please come back... I want you back...
　Bit by bit, Inuyasha drifted off into dreamland, just as Kagome and Shippo had, though to the hell side - nightmare.
　*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
　Blue sky... Green forests... A wonderful summer afternoon...
　Children's laughter as they play...
　It's...It's...
　"Kyoko-chan!!" Inuyasha, still in his childhood, ran towards a girl of his age with similar long silver white hair to his.
　"Inu-chan!!" Giggling, the little girl leapt toward him, hugging him with all her might.
　A light pink blush covering his cheeks, Inuyasha held out a bunch of wildflowers he'd pick earlier in the woods. "For you, Kyoko-chan."
　She took it in her own tiny hands, looking from him to the sweet-scented flowers and back again. Then, little by little, she started to grin at him. "Arigatou, Inu-chan." She now has a big innocent smile on her young face. After hugging him again to show her gratitude, Kyoko released him and asked him whether he wanted to come or not.
　"Where?" He asked.
　"I don't know. But chichiue-sama and Inutaisho-sama(1) asked me and Sesshou-chan to meet at the big Goshinboku. Wanna come with me?"
　"Okay!!" Enthusiastically, Inuyasha jumped up and down to show his excitement.
　Kyoko giggled, then held out her right hand as an offer. Inuyasha took it, and together, they trotted down the path towards the big Goshinboku.
　***
　"Come here, my daughter." In his humanoid form, the Lord of Eastern Lands and best friend of the Lord of Western Lands, Shiroinu(2), opened his arms in a welcoming gesture to his only daughter.
　"Hai, chichiue-sama." Kyoko obeyed.
Setting his daughter on his lap, Shiroinu whispered into her pointed youkai ears quietly enough only for her to hear, even though there's no one around to hear anything he has to say. "Kyoko-chan, I have a surprise for you."
　
Looking at her father in confusion, Kyoko had a curious expression on her face. "What is it?"
　Before Shiroinu can answer, however, some rustlings and a pleasant voice sounded out from the other side of the Goshinboku. "Ah, I see you're earlier than us, Shiro(3), Kyoko." Inutaisho stepped from behind the Goshinboku with his son, Sesshoumaru, following him. Sesshoumaru flashed Kyoko one of his rare genuine smile, which Kyoko, in return, ran over to give him a hug. In the background, Inutaisho and Shiroinu exchanged an amused glance.
　"Ahem-" Inutaisho began, clearing his throat.
　Immediately, Kyoko released her grip on Sesshoumaru, and stood at attention like a ready soldier. "Yes, sir." She said.
　"As I said, Kyoko, that here's a little surprise." Shiroinu began gently like a patient father he is.
　Kyoko nodded. This whole business here is about the surprise, she can understand that.
"Well..." Inutaisho began, but he sighed and lost his courage as he turned to his best friend. "Do you want to say it?"
　
"Ahem." Shiro cleared his throat importantly. "Well, Kyoko, Sesshoumaru, you two are engaged to each other."
　*gasp*
　Kyoko sucked in some air in pure surprise as all colors are gone from her.
　Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes slightly. No, he does not hate Kyoko. Rather, she's one of the few females he respected. However, the problem was, why didn't his father tell him? Surely he knew that this is a very important matter, so why didn't his father discuss it with him? Or tell him? Or, at the very least, hint? Was he not trustworthy or even at all worthy to his father? What's the case? Hmph. Maybe these questions shall be answered later on, but not for now. The real question for now, is: does he care about Kyoko? He doesn't know for sure.
　Kyoko, on the other hand, was so shocked that she couldn't speak or think straight. As a result of that, Kyoko forgot the little "guest" that she invited moments ago.
　***Behind the High Bushes...*
Behind the high bushes that surrounds the clearing of the Goshinboku, Inuyasha stood at attention, listening to the conversation quietly and intently.
"...Kyoko, Sesshoumaru, you two are engaged to each other."
*gasp*
He can tell from the way the air whooshed that the gasp was made by Kyoko.
Engaged. ENGAGED. The word, engaged, imprinted itself into his brain. His brother - half brother - was engaged to Kyoko - his Kyoko. That son of a bitch(4) which is his half brother stole his Kyoko from RIGHT under his nose.
Curling his clawed hands into tight balls at his sides, Inuyasha vowed to get a revenge on this, to his damned half brother, Sesshoumaru.
　
Sesshoumaru...Just you watch, and you'll pay DEARLY for what you've done to my life. I PROMISE.
　Because of this engagement, a hatred sprung up between the inu-youkai brothers. An unspoken hatred that was planted deeply in the heart.
***
　
"Sesshou-chan!!" A cheerful voice called out from behind him.
　Turning gracefully, Sesshoumaru saw Kyoko walking up to him, a little bundle of wild flowers in her hands.
　"How are you doing, Kyoko-chan?" Sesshoumaru inquired as they walked down the path together.
　"Great!! How about you, Sesshou-chan?" If anybody other than his parents and Kyoko called him Sesshou-chan, they'd feel better being dead.
　"Fine." He replied, keeping his eyes on the road that they were passing.
　"Great!! Well, I'm going on a little exploring adventure, wanna come with me?" She asked, keeping her eyes on their surrounding scenarios instead of the road.
　"No thanks. I have lessons to do later in the day."
　"Oh." She sounded a little disappointed. "Well, I'll see you later, then." She dashed off at a supersonic speed, even for someone that's a pure youkai, and especially someone that's a three-quarter youkai. Apparently, she had had some training for that.
　He didn't know how much his reply had cost him until later that day. That day when the dear Kyoko disappeared. That fateful day when the dear Kyoko was last seen. By him.
　Shiroinu became sick after a month of searching for Kyoko made no improvement. They believed Kyoko was dead, as one of the searching parties found a sleeve from the kimono that Kyoko wore that day when he saw her, and stains of her blood near a dried well, although her scent just "disappeared". After a week when he became sick, Shiroinu was so grief-stricken that he died from it. Now the Eastern Lands were temporarily run by Shiroinu's brother, Kuroinu(5), the black-furred inu-youkai, until "Lady Kyoko" comes back.
　That they have yet to see.
　*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
　***The previous night at the Castle of the Western Land Lord...***
　Sesshoumaru tossed and turned in his feverish sleep, restless.
　"...uhn...uhhh..."
　*^^*^^*^^*
　"KYAA~!!" Kyoko scrambled away from an ugly-looking snake youkai.
"I wantssssss your beeeeaaauuutiful flessssssssssssssssssssshhh..." The snake youkai hissed as it looked coldly at the frightened Kyoko.
*spurts*
　Blood splashes everywhere as the snake youkai happily devoured its victim.
　"Delicccciiioussssssssssssssssssssssss..." It hissed again once more, grinning maliciously.
　*^^*^^*^^*
　"UGH!!" Sesshoumaru suddenly sat up in his futon, sweating and breathing hard. Pressing his face into his palm, he tried to calm down.
　...no...not this...this kind of dream again... Kyo-Kyoko... WHERE are you...? ...P-PLEASE come back...if you're alive... PLEASE...
　Looking up, Sesshoumaru glanced through the opened window at the full moon. Slowly reaching up to his forehead, he touched the crescent moon mark there. ...Kyoko...66 years...it'll be 66 years tomorrow since your disappearance. Are you...are you alive and well...? Please come back...to me.
　Standing up from the futon, Sesshoumaru got dressed into his traveling clothes, then picked up his swords, Tenseiga and Toukijin, on his way out to the castle halls. Jaken, sensing his master's presence, scurried up to his lord.
　"Se-Sesshoumaru-sama... Wha-what are you planning to do this late?" Jaken's huge bulging eyes glowed slightly in the dim halls.
　"Go, Jaken. I will do some... hunting tonight. Make sure you guard the castle well." Gliding down the halls, the Lord of the Western Lands commanded without turning back to glance at his retainer. Not once.
　"H-hai, Se-Sesshoumaru-sama."
　He said nothing more as he continued down the halls.
　***
　He had been watching them for an entire day now. They wouldn't know he's here, of course, since he's concealed in a magical shield. He had been careful when he thought of this plan. Not only is he going to destroy Inuyasha physically, but emotionally as well. That's what the brat gets when he challenged a superior one like the Lord of Western Lands all those years ago, after Kyoko disappeared - especially after Kyoko disappeared. He had only one objective in mind as he laid in wait to kidnap the wench that follows his lowly half-brother.
　Something odd was in the air, though. He could definitely sense it.
　***At Night...***
　After placing a complicated sleeping spell over the entire group, Sesshoumaru leapt down from his perch on the tree branch. Dismissing the magical shield that concealed his form, Sesshoumaru - not so gently - tugged the wench from her attachment - the little kitsune brat. Even as he detested the idea, the Lord of the Western Lands wrapped the wench by his furry tail, and took to the air, on his way to his castle.
　We'll see, Inuyasha... We'll see who's the better one...
　***The Next Morning...***
　*YAWN~*
　Sango turned over in her sleep. She hadn't slept this good for, well, years. ...Why didn't the others wake her up? This thought bugged her as she strained to sit up. Shielding her eyes from the blazing sun, she squinted around the camp, expecting to see her companions all up and around. What greeted her was a snoring group consisting of a houshi, a dog-ear hanyou, and two youkai. Sango couldn't help but smile a little. But, suddenly, she snapped her attention towards Kagome's sleeping bag. Her eyes widened in utter surprise.
　"MINNA-SAN!! WAKE UP!! KAGOME-CHAN IS MISSING!!!!"
　----------
END OF CHAPTER TWO: ABDUCTION
　----------
TRANSLATIONS:
　-youkai: demon
-oyasumi nasai / oyasumi ne: good night [you only say it before you go to sleep]
-chichiue: formal way of saying father
-Goshinboku: sacred tree [I'm not exactly sure about "sacred tree", but it's the tree similar to which Inuyasha was pinned to. (*)]
-inu-youkai: dog demon
-kitsune: fox (youkai) [one such as Shippou]
-houshi: {Buddhist} lower ranking monk/priest [one such as Miroku]
-hanyou: half demon [one such as Inuyasha]
-minna-san: everyone
　----------
SIDE NOTES:
(1)Inutaisho: I know a lot of people put the name Inutaisho when it comes to Inuyasha's dad. It's got something to do being a dog demon lord, I think.
(2)Shiroinu: If I'm correct about this, I think it means "white dog", named for Shiroinu's white fur.
(3)Shiro: Since they grew up together as children, I think it's fitting that they have nicknames for each other.
(4)son of a bitch: this is technically/genetically/whatever-you-call-it true. I mean, think about it. Sesshoumaru's okaa-san in this fic will be a inu-youkai, so won't that make him son of a "bitch" as in female dog??
(5)Kuroinu: IF I'm correct about this, it means "black dog", named for Kuroinu's black fur. um, I realized after I typed this that hika-chan used this name for Sesshoumaru's uncle in her fic, Once in a Blue Moon, even though I had no intention of stealing... I'm sorry, hika-chan!! i.i
(*)Goshinboku...tree similar to which Inuyasha was pinned to...: Apparently, the Goshinboku here is not the one in the original Inuyasha storyline, thus, this Goshinboku is not located near Kaede's village. ^^