Disclaimer: I don't own Inu-Yasha or any of its characters so please don't sue me. This idea is mine so please don't steal it. Suya also belongs to me.

Author's Note: As of 1/29/08 this story is undergoing extensive rewrite to bring it up to par with some of my newer stories. Please reread this story as several things have changed and will change over the next few weeks. Thank you and enjoy.

A strange new beginning

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Ch. 2: A Strange First Encounter

(Inu-Yasha)

"Oi, Kagome!" Inu-Yasha called.

He'd been up all night searching for Kagome, had wanted to undo the huge mistake he'd made. Her words still rang in his ears, haunting him and making him hurt in a way he hadn't since Kikyou had betrayed him. He hadn't meant to ignore the fact that she was injured, he'd just been so glad to see her that he'd overlooked it at first. After all, she had been away for awhile and told him that if he came through the well after her she'd sit him into oblivion.

His ears flattened against his skull. He had to find her and soon. He'd been so desperate that he'd even enlisted the help of the demon exterminator, monk, and kitsune to try to find her faster and to cover more ground in less time. Besides, Kagome would answer to Shippou if she heard the baby youkai call her while she may just sit him. She was missing now and had been since they had parted company the night before. Shippou and he had split away from the two humans so that they could travel faster. The humans had gone south while the two youkai traveled west. They all prayed that one of their parties would find the miko before another youkai did. Particularly if that youkai was Sesshoumaru, since the stoic dog demon frequently patrolled the lands.

"Kagome! Kagome, where are you!" Shippou called out, concern in his small voice. The poor fox kit had refused to be left behind, had refused to be left out in the search for his surrogate mother. She was the only family he had left, he didn't want to loose her because Inu-Yasha was an insensitive idiot.

(Kagome)

Bluish gray eyes opened after falling asleep during the long trip the night before. The first thing she saw was the gentle eyes of her companion. She sat up slowly, wincing when her injured leg gave a painful twinge.

Smiling, he walked over to the weakened miko and said, "Ah, so the vixen has finally awakened. How are you feeling this morning, fair vixen? Are you in much pain?"

Kagome shifted where she sat, wincing again at the pain from her leg. Man, what she would give to be back in her time and sitting in a hospital right now knocked out on pain killers. She couldn't tell the fox demon that, so she just forced a smile and spoke to him, "I feel much better this morning, thank you. Where are we?"

Suya looked around a bit before returning his gaze to hers. "About a mile away from m'lord's castle. Soon, vixen, you will be treated as one of your fairness should be treated. Now, we should be moving on."

Kagome once again found herself flying through the air courtesy of Suya express. After only a few minutes of travel she saw that they had entered the extravagant courtyard of an extravagant castle. As soon as Suya set her down she found herself under attack by a large, angry youkai. Kagome let out a startled scream then brought her miko powers to bare, hoping someone could end this fighting before it got out of control.

(Sesshoumaru)

He was not in a good mood. He was required to take a mate within the next year to secure his claim on his father's lands, to ensure that his bloodline would continue. Young Rin was also ill with a virus that even his Tenseiga couldn't rid her of. The child required his undivided attention and care at this time. There was no way he'd leave his charge there while he went out searching for a suitable demoness to be his mate. She could die while he was away and he refused to let that happen. The child had followed him faithfully for nearly three years, she deserved better than this. Sesshoumaru knew that he had few options, being that he needed to deal with finding a mate and still remain close at hand should the inevitable happen to the young human he'd become fond of over the years. He was pulled out of his brooding thoughts when he heard the voice of one of his retainers.

"Unhand yon vixen! You should not handle vixens so harshly! Stop I said!"

The silver haired lord picked up his pace, his curiosity perked. There were very few of his vassals that spoke with that old style chivalry. Perhaps…

'Vixen? Does that mean that Suya has finally returned?' He wondered as he navigated the halls towards the source of the disturbance. His ears told him he was getting close, and the smell of blood told him something had gone wrong. He could smell blood, though it was so charged with a holy energy that it was hard to tell if it was from some battle or if a miko had come into his castle.

As he neared the courtyard, and the scene within, he heard the fox demon ranting at another demon, "That 'tis not a proper way to treat a vixen! Let her go you cretin!"

Rounding the corner at a trot Sesshoumaru slid to a stop as he felt the eruption of spiritual energy from the woman that Suya had been trying to defend. It looked like something had happened before he'd gotten there. Irritation flickered briefly in his eyes before it was lost behind his emotionless mask once again. "What is going on here?"

Everyone in the courtyard went silent at the sound of the Western Lord's voice, each one turning to look at him. A crowd had gathered around the fighting pair, and he could only just see the guard that backed away from the one he'd been attacking. The pink energy died away immediately, leaving the miko to collapse on the stones. He shook his head, leveling a glare at Suya. "Suya, what is the meaning of this?"

All the gathered youkai moved as one as they backed away from the now bloody miko. Sesshoumaru approached the unconscious female at an even pace, curiosity getting the better of him. Suya didn't bring just anyone home with him, after all. The kitsune was very partial to lovely maidens.

Upon reaching the female the silver haired youkai lord dropped down on one knee to get a better look at what his vassal had brought home with him. Her clothes, what there were of them, were torn almost clear of her slight frame. Numerous cuts and bruises adorned her skin, though a more serious wound down the length of one leg seemed to be the greater source of injury. Despite this he would admit that she was a fairly good looking female, for a human anyway. Given her appearance he wasn't so surprised that the fox had brought her here.

Standing quickly he gestured for Suya to pick her up and follow him as he turned back towards the castle, letting his thoughts roam once again., 'Hmph, he disappears for a year and a half and returns with a human, and a miko nonetheless. Perhaps I should keep her to care for Rin while I search for a proper mate. I'm sure she'd be better off here as a nursemaid to my charge than with whoever did this to her. I'll have to find out who did this so Suya can kill them. He'd like that for certain. Noble fool. It's a pity she's human, fair as she is. Nothing to be done for it, and there's little use in dwelling on this. I have other things that I have to do.'

The lord stopped after only a few paces, turning to speak with Suya, one of his most loyal retainers, and a trusted comrade, "Where did you find her?"

Suya looked over to the youkai lord and said, "Ah, m'lord, I found the fair vixen in Inu-Yasha's forest east of here. She had been rough handled and mistreated horribly."

Sesshoumaru nodded then said, "And you wish to keep her?" He shook his head. "Who did this? You know too well that I don't approve of this sort of treatment, even if she is human." This was true as well. He'd never had much patience for men who struck out at their females, be they a mate or a child. It didn't seem quite right, to strike out at those that were either too young to be able to defend themselves properly or too weak from childbearing to have much fight.

Suya growled, his eyes flashing darkly, then said, "The mutt you call a half-brother did this! His scent was all over her when I found her! She even broke her leg trying to escape the cretin! Such a fair and bright-eyed vixen should not have been fleeing for her life. Tis not right!"

Sesshoumaru raised his hand to end his retainer's tirade, knowing where this was going. Normally, he'd refuse to allow anyone else to make an attempt against his half brother, but in this case he'd make an exception. He had thought Inu-Yasha had more honor than this, attacking a woman like this. He knew Suya couldn't defeat him, but it would be a deserved beating for the hanyou for sure.

"Calm yourself, Suya, the woman will be well taken care of while she is here. I give you permission to hunt down my half brother and teach him a much needed lesson in etiquette. No woman, even a human one, should be so carelessly treated. Why my brother harmed this one when he has a wench of his own is beyond me, but it doesn't matter in any case." He tilted his head towards the main gates, indicating that Suya could leave.

The fox youkai bowed carefully, shifting Kagome more comfortably in his arms before saying his goodbye to her. "I must leave thee here for a while, vixen, but fear not for I shall return swiftly. I swear to you that upon my return I shall find a way to convince m'lord to let me be your personal protector. I trust him with thy care, but some of my fellow retainers do not know how to treat a lady such as you."

Then he handed his lord the unconscious female and bounded off, leaving a very irate Sesshoumaru glaring at his back. The lord passed the human off to one of his female servants and gave her exact directions for the woman's care before turning and heading back into the castle to visit with Rin before he had to deal with more business.

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That's it for chapter 2.
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