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Little side note, yeah Inuyasha's nice. But he's basically just the caring hanyou we see on TV, just all the time =)

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Chapter 7 - Cousins and Friends

"Grrr… when I find the two of you, you are so dead."

Giggles alerted the older prince towards the back of his parents room. His brother and cousin were around here somewhere, and when he got them, they were gonna get what's coming to them.

Sesshomaru heard a snicker from beneath the bed, followed with a muffled smacking sound and someone going shh… Grinning wickedly he jumped on top of the bed and proceeded to jump up and down as hard as he could.

"I wonder where they went. O well, I guess I'll just pass my time jumping on mom and dad's bed."

"Ow ow ow ow. Sesshomaru stop!" A grumpy hanyou followed by a small boy crawled out from under the bed. Both boys sat on the floor and rubbed their backs.

"Serves you two right," Sesshomaru started, "I can't believe you told her I wanted her to kiss me. It's gonna take forever to get her to leave me alone."

The young boy started to panic imagining the torture the older boy would bestow upon the two of them. "It was all his idea!" he yelled pointing to his companion. "Everyone knows Rin has a crush on you."

The hanyou glared at his cousin as menacingly as he could, which didn't work too well being that he was four years old.

Sesshomaru laughed at the two boys and walked out of the room. "Just wait til mom finds out who REALLY put all her makeup on dad when he was sleeping."

"Sesshomaru wait!" Both boys yelled in unison and leapt after the older figure.

"Memories returning?"

Inuyasha awoke to find Miroku leaning over him, way too closely. He jumped up smacking his head on Miroku's causing both of them to fall back in pain.

"You're my cousin Miroku."

"Yup." The monk smiled at his cousin's recollection. He had really missed him when he eloped. "So how's the marriage going, I'm assuming not well if you can't remember anything."

"Marriage…"

"Don't tell me you can't even remember your own wife. Wow you really must have hit your head or something. I mean from what I remember she was beautiful. Most men don't forget a gorgeous woman like Kikyo, I mean her eyes, hair, and not to mention chest…"

"KIKYO!"

"Yeah, you guys eloped. Or so your note said. Your mom cried forever because you never said goodbye. Sesshomaru was just happy she wasn't around to bother him and Rin anymore. Kikyo never got over the fact he chose a servant girl to mate over her."

"Let me get this straight," Inuyasha stuttered out. "I left my family a note saying that I was going to elope with Kikyo? And you haven't seen me since? And Rin…I remember that name, Sesshomaru too. He was my brother, and she was a girl who liked him when we were little."

"You okay?" Miroku asked with concern.

"I have to find Kagome."

"O yeah, it was weird seeing the two of you together considering how much you guys fought when we were all kids. Heh, I remember when we took her and Sango's clothes when they were in the hot springs and they chased us wearing nothing but towels. Fourteen is a wonderful age, women start to bloom…"

"Miroku shut up. Take me to Kagome."

"Kagome I've missed you so much," Sango gushed to her best friend. "When we found your room empty that morning, the whole palace went crazy trying to find you. Your father believed it was some conspiracy between the North and the West and almost declared war. We were lucky that Kouga's father Lord Ookami managed to calm him down. I have so much to tell you…but first I have a question for you. Why did you show up with Inuyasha?"

"Inuyasha, you know him?" Kagome gasped.

"Well sure, I mean I didn't recognize him last night. But Miroku explained that it was the night of the new moon. None of us have ever seen his human form before."

Kagome's mind was racing. Her two best friends knew Inuyasha, and acted as if it was no surprise that she knew him too. What exactly was she not remembering?

"Kagome is something wrong?"

"Sango, I need you to explain why you all know Inuyasha, and why I can't remember knowing him before I was kidnapped."

Sango stared at her friend in shock. She didn't remember her childhood? Or at least Inuyasha's role?

"I guess I'll explain as much as I know about the history of the four lands, would that be best?"

Kagome nodded and waited for her friend to begin.

"There are four kingdoms: North, South, East, and West. Original names, I know. Your father, Lord Higurashi, is ruler of the South domain. Kouga's father, Lord Ookami, is lord of the East. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's father, Lord Akuma, is lord of the West. And Kikyo's father, Lord Nisou, is lord of the North. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha are half brothers, sharing a father. Sesshomaru's mother died in childbirth. Lord Akuma later remarried to a human, the mother of Inuyasha and aunt of Miroku. As a young child, Miroku's entire family had been killed by bandits, and Inuyasha's family took him in. It turns out we're actually from the same village, my family being killed by the same bandits. Our mothers had been friends in childhood, and so I was adopted into this family shortly after I was born. When you, me, and Kikyo were about three, Miroku and Inuyasha four, and Sesshomaru and Kouga seven, the four lords decided that we should all meet, in the hopes of inter-marriage to promote peace. The four lords wanted to remain strong in case our homes were ever attacked by an outside force. You and I had never seen demons before, and were amazed when we met Kouga, Inuyasha, and Sesshomaru. You even pulled on Inuyasha's ears calling him a cat."

Sango paused to chuckle at this memory as she looked over at her friend.

Kagome's eyes were downcast, as if she was trying not to cry. She felt so hurt; all the memories were slowly coming back to her. Especially when she remembered her relationship with Kikyo as children. She had been jealous of her even then. She looked up at Sango and nodded for her to continue.

"Well after this initial meeting the lords decided upon the matches they would find suitable. They paired up Sesshomaru and Kikyo, you and Kouga, and Miroku and I. Although Miroku and I technically aren't royalty, we have been treated as such by our adoptive families our entire lives. The lords decided they would announce their choices once their children were of age, and all left feeling satisfied. After that first meeting your mother and Inuyasha's mother became great friends, allowing Miroku and Inuyasha to come over here often as children. The four of us soon came to be quite close. When Miroku chose to study to become a monk like his father, Lord Akuma sent him here, seeing as the South was in need of a spiritual advisor."

Kagome held up her hand for Sango to stop. She remembered everything after that. Her emotions were crashing like tidal waves of the ocean, and she needed some time to herself. She stood up and looked down at Sango.

"I thought he had eloped. I died that day."

Sango simply nodded as her friend left the room. She remembered that day all too well…