INUYASHA

Okay, this is pretty cool. Everything is explained in the story's beginning.

I thought I'd lost this! I was looking for it to pu in this story. I'm so glad I found it, but I was looking for something else when I did. Ironic, huh?

Kindred Dragon

Long ago, in a land far away from any you have ever been, there was a country. It was a beautiful country, with rolling hills and tall mountains, pristine lakes and flowing rivers, thick forests and open fields. The people were young in this natural, airy world of beauty, and they accepted the nature, took part in it. The valued the aspects of the flora and fauna of their natural world, knowing of no other way to live. This was a good thing, for their were many flora and fauna that would not have been accepted under our circumstances. There were elves and trolls, centaurs and dragons. There were fairies, and mermaids, and demons. Most of them were considered as people in their own right by the others, so everything was peaceful.

Now, every good country has it's faults, but those faults, like the beauties, are always in the eye of the beholder. Scattered between some countries are deserts, bogs, and barren lands. Sometimes these 'barren lands' are covered in a thick miasma fog, which make them uninhabitable.

There are seven legal countries on this continent. Mekai, Inutaiyoshoru, Kikuton, Kirataiya, Tou-Yii, and Bushino are the largest and most common, Niokon, Metokon, Riutukin, and Sassheto being hardly known.

There is a large, prestigious school in a forest in Kikuton that students from many other countries come to, to try to master their respectable arts. During the school year's teaching term - ten months is a term, and with five months in between, fifteen months makes up a school year - the students reside at this school, which is called the Midoriko Miko Hime (MMH) Academy, the upper grades going on to the second part of the building, referred to as the MMH University. The students usually travel home to their families during the Grace Term, their five-month break from school, or else the reside in the local towns until school starts and they are readmitted to class and the living quarters. Normally only youkai and human are permitted into this school, but this is not always the case. It's only because they won't enroll that they are not accepted.

This is the way the world works on this little continent, called Jidai. This little corner of a large, global ocean is were our story takes place. The story of a boy and a girl. As always, there is more to it then that, but this is still the story of a boy and a girl, their jouney, their ordeal, and their treasure...

"Does anyone know when the Hills of Wyi went into the Battle of Elves?" the teacher asked the class. "Kagome? Do you know?"

The young woman in the center of the class, whom every pair of eyes fell upon but one, blushed a little at having been called on, but her silvery blue eyes remained facing ahead at the teacher. "In the year 1264, also known as the year the battle over Mount Kukui in Mekai began, right?" she asked hesitantly. She heard a soft snicker, and thought she heard someone whisper "show-off" before she heard the sound of a heel on someone's toes.

"Yes, Kagome, that's correct. How did you know of the battle over Mount Kukui?. We haven't gone over that yet." The teacher only looked slightly surprised, and she smiled kindly when Kagome blushed again.

"Well, my mother told of the year of that battle, and when I read that it was the same year the Hills of Wyi went into the Battle of Elves, I kind of put the two together, and that's how I remember." Kagome said quietly, finally looking away from the teacher to her desk and open notebook.

"Well, that's a good way to remember, Kagome." the teacher said, causing Kagome to look back up at her.

"Yes, Namaki-sensei." she whispered, nodding her head.

"If any of the rest of you would like to try this way, go ahead. But if you don't think it would help, then I wouldn't advise it." The teacher turned back to the board and went about wiping away the chalk dust and writing. "Clean up your things, and push in your chair when you leave." she said to the class behind her. "You may talk quietly until the bell rings. Oh, and Kagome? Would you mind staying after to help me clean up a bit, or did you get homework from Kire again?"

"No, Namaki-sensei. I'd love to help." Kagome said. She tidied up her notebooks and pencils, sliding them into her satchel, and then walked over to the wash bin to get a small bucket of water and a rag to wipe down the board.

She walked up to the board and wiped down the remainder of dust and washed the board as Namaki filed some papers. When Namaki was done, she came over to see how Kagome was doing.

"I love to clean." Kagome replied. "I makes me feel like I really have a reason to work."

"Is that so, Kagome-chan?" Namaki replied. She added a 'chan' to all her students' names after class. "Well, we have visiting royalty from the castle coming this weekend, and I was wondering if you'd like to clean up the guest room. I would have some others help as well, unless you'd like to do it alone..."

"Oh, that sounds nice, Namaki-sensei." Kagome replied, delighted. "I'd love to!"

Kagome shook her head at the sight of the room in front of her. Next time Namaki asked her for a favor, she was going to have to ask for details...like how bad the room was.

Looking in, she could have sworn the room was adorned with all black decorations, but then she realized that it was just because of all the layers of solid black dust that covered everything.

With a sigh, she got to work. First she dusted down the walls and furniture, then went after the bed. She cleaned up the clothes and took them out for washing later. Cleaning might have been a fun pass-time, but this was a bit much!

After a few hours she heard a snicker from in the hall. She crept up to the door to see who was there. It was open a crack, and she opened it a bit farther to see out.

It was three kids from her classes. One she recognized as Inuyasha Taishono, the best student, but the worst kid. He was the smartest, and the strongest, but he didn't behave. He was a youkai - you could tell from the dog-ears on his head. The other boy was named Miroku Kazaana, and, while he was Inuyasha's best friend and not seen as a star student, kept up an innocent act for every second of his life. He was human, and training to be a buddhist monk. Oh yeah, and he liked girls.

The third was a girl with dark hair and violet eyes, Sango Taijiya. She had a look to her that reminded one of the panther. She was beautiful and lithe, and looked oh-so dangerous. And she was. You couldn't see it because she was wearing her back-pack, but she had a boomerang-bone attached to her back called Hiraikotsu, and she was one of the best fighters at the school. Kagome knew her; had spoken with her a few times, and had done a project with her for Herbs once.

They were talking about the royalty coming from the castle. The Kikuton castle. They didn't know that she was there, and they had stopped because they had seen the door and the subject had come up.

"I'll bet that no royalty besides me has ever spent more then one week in here. And they've never come back, either!" Inuyasha was saying. Kagome's eyes widened. She hadn't known he was royalty; he sure didn't act like it!

"Hai, Inuyasha." Sango said. "I'd like to see the day someone besides you tried to stand this school for more then a month."

"Be careful what you wish for." Kagome said, stepping from behind the door, hands around the bundle of cloth that had been the sheets (The ones on the bottom had been relatively clean, and they were the ones on the outside).

"What are you saying?" Inuyasha suddenly asked as he turned to her. "Are you implying that this person is going to stay here?"

"No." Kagome said. "I wasn't talking about the one who was coming. I don't even know who it is. I was just saying that you should be careful what you wish for; it might come true."

"Is the room that bad, Higurashi-sama?" Miroku asked, eyeing the flop of upper sheets that fell from the side of her bundle.

"Oh, it's worse." she said, shaking her head. "Taijiya, would you mind helping me? I won't hold it against you if you're busy, but..."

"We'd love to help, Higurashi." Sango said, smiling. Inuyasha snickered, and was about to say something, but Sango stomped her heel on his toes.

Kagome smiled. So that's where all the noise came from in her classes. "Oh, thank you. And you can just call me Kagome."

"Sure, Kagome-chan." Sango returned, taking the load of blankets from Kagome. She plopped them into Inuyasha's hands. "Wash room." she said. Grumbling, he walked away. "Miroku, you go with him. Wash those, and then come back here."

"Hai, Sango-sama." Miroku replied, walking after Inuyasha.

Sango followed Kagome back into the room. "Let's see what we've got in here."

A few hours, rags, and buckets of water later, Sango and Kagome emerged from the guest room. Inuyasha and Miroku had come back and helped them place the sheets, pillows, comforter, and the bedspread on the bed.

"Ack! I hate cleaning!" Inuyasha had grumbled every five minutes.

When they were done, they all headed to Kagome's room, which was the closest, and plopped down, each with a different spot. Inuyasha had the chair nearest the kitchen, Sango the one nearest the front door. Miroku was lounging on the left side of the couch in the middle, so he was beside Sango.

"Soda?" Kagome asked from the little kitchen alcove, a cellar door open before her, an icebox below. Every room had one.

"Yeah." Sango called from her spot on her chair. A grunt of agreement from none other then Inuyasha and a similar one from Miroku accompanied it. Kagome returned with two glasses of Sugar Melon Soda, handed them to Miroku and Sango, and went back into the kitchen. She came back with two more, and handed one to Inuyasha. She then sat on the floor, leaning back against the other end of the couch from Miroku, her head leaned back to look at the ceiling.

Inuyasha caught sight of a something small and shiny around her neck, but that was as much as he saw before she looked up at the sound of rustling clothe as Miroku stood. "Nani? Where are you going, Miroku?"

"I've got to get going." Miroku replied. "Sorry, Kagome-sama. Thank you for the soda, but I have a prior engagement with a friend." He wrinkled his nose on 'friend', so it made her think that he was probably obliged to go.

"It's all right, Miroku. Thank you for helping me with that room." Kagome smiled sweetly.

"It was nothing, Kagome-sama. Oh, Sango-sama? Would you join me?" Miroku asked, turning suddenly to the other female.

Startled, Sango blinked. "All right, Miroku. I guess." she said, standing up and following him out the door. "Goody-bye, Kagome-chan." she called over her shoulder.

The other two watched the door close. Then Kagome let her head fall back to the couch again.

"I'm so tired." she murmured. Inuyasha then caught sight of what it was around her neck, and his eyes widened in shock. His fist latched out and clasped around it.

"Nani!" Kagome cried, trying to pull back from the crazy boy. But he had turned his fist so he could get a good look at the metal around her neck.

He stared a moment at the delicately designed pendant. It was of an elegant dragon, tail curled up it's back, wings spread high over it's crest. In it's claws, held over it's chest, a faceted garnet jewel was clutched. It looked down it's snout, like royalty, at who-so-ever happened to stop to study it.

"What's that?" he asked. "Where did you get it?"

"Ah, my father gave it to me..."

Inuyasha pulled back his hand with nod, and stood. Then Kagome noticed the ring he wore. She snatched it in a similar fashion to how he had grabbed at her pendant, and held his wrist as she studied the ring.

It was made of the same metal as her own pendant was, and it was of a dragon like hers. It looked back snootily, clutching a garnet jewel to it's own chest. Where hers had looked slim and petite, and it made you think 'she' instead of 'he' or 'it', this one was more masculine.

"Wha...where...did you...get this?" she asked, her breath catching. Was it...possible?

"My father," he stated blandly, "has me betrothed to some matriarch in another country."

"Ah, I would hate that." she said dispassionately, looking away and dropping his hand.

"That's why I wanted to know. That symbol of the dragon is the seal of a truce between two countries, the kind usually bound by a marrage." he said with a smirk. "I've been trying to find a loop-hole in the treaty since I found out about it."

"Who?" Kagome inquired quietly.

"Who who?" Inuyasha asked.

"Who are you betrothed to? What other country? Why is there a treaty?" she asked, not looking at him. "Would you mind telling me?"

"No. I don't know her name, though. All I know is that she's from Mekai, and that she has a younger brother. Not much else. Ah, as for the treaty...I don't know. It didn't say anything about it on the document, and I've read it a couple thousand times. Sometimes I think they were both just trying to get their kids hitched and used a treaty to do it. My father and the king of Mekai, that is."

"I've never heard of a war between Mekai and Inutiayoshoru." Kagome still wouldn't look at him, and he was wondering what was wrong. "So maybe you're right." She turned a smile on him, finaly. "Did you know I'm from Mekai?"

"You wouldn't know the princess, would you?" Inuyasha questioned anxiously.

She shrugged. "Not really any more than you might, or Sango, really." she said evasively.

"Also, I was wondering how you came to pass of a jewel that important." he said, drawing back to a subject she wanted to stay off of. "You didn't steal it, did you?" He grinned evilly.

"No! I told you, my father gave it to me!" she cried, jumping back. She ended up spilling her soda all over the front of her clothes. "Ack!" She tried to dab at it with the clothe that was sitting on the nearby table, but it didn't come out. She would have to wash it then, and she would need a shower, too.

"Inuyasha, I'm going down to the bathing house. You can stay here while I'm gone if you'd like, as long as you don't make a mess, dog boy." she said with a smile as she walked to the door.

­

They were back in Namaki-sensei's class, later, and Sango had brought Miroku and Inuyasha over to invite Kagome to their table. She sat with Sango on her left, Inuyasha on her right. Miroku was on Sango's other side.

The teacher noticed Kagome sitting with them and smiled to her. The girl didn't have many friends, as Namaki knew, and she knew that this group would be kind to the girl. They were good kids, if not to the teachers.

"All right, students, since today is the last day before the two week in-school break, and I'm in charge of keeping track of you over this break, you're going to have to tell me where you intend to be. And after that, we might do something...interesting. No, Kichani, it doesn't have anything to do with classwork."

She went around the classroom getting a list of where everyone would be. You could stay at the school during this break, or you could leave.

When she got to their table, Inuyasha said he would stay here, at the school. Everyone else at the table agreed, and said that they might go down to check in the village near there.

Eventually she got back to the front of the classroom, after asking all the students where they would be over the break.

"Oh, class, I forgot to mention, but we're going to have another member of a royal family coming over this break. He'll only be here a few days, he's visiting someone, but I want you to be kind to him. He's younger then all of you, and he doesn't act like the prince he is. No, Inuyasha, he doesn't act like you, either." Namaki glared at Inuyasha a moment, before smiling.

"Namaki-sensei," Sango asked, raising her hand, "Who is it?"

"The prince of Mekai, Higurashi Sota. You will call him by his formal title, thank-you-please."

"Namaki-sensei," Miroku started, mimicked Sango, "Where will he stay?"

"With the person he's visiting. Now on with the game."

"And who is that?"

"I don't know, Kazaana. Now. On. With. The. Game."

"Kagome, what are you doing?" Inuyasha asked, leaning against the doorframe of Kagome's room.

"Cleaning."

"Why?"

"Because I have relatives coming to visit over the break."

"Really? Who?"

"My brother."

"What's his name?"

She smiled over at him. "You'll find out when he get's here." she said. "Want a soda?"

She didn't know how she was going to get out of things this time. How was she going to get around explaining who she was with her brother coming? Oh well, guess it's time to let the cat out of the bag, as they say.

"You know, Kagome, I think you're room is clean enough." Inuyasha said. She'd been at it all day since after Namaki's class, and that was before lunch. It was dark out.

"Mother will kill me." she muttered, closing her eyes and flopping onto the couch. "She's a neat-freak. I'm glad she's not the one coming, but my brother isn't going to come alone. Someone is bound to tell on me if this place is a mess."

Inuyasha came over and sat beside her. "Hey, I heard somewhere that Mekai is full of mikos, and I've been wondering. Are you a miko?"

"A little." Kagome said quietly, laughing. "My grandfather thinks he's a priest, with all his talismans and ofuda charms, though. He wants my brother to become a priest after him, but he doesn't want to."

"He? "

"My brother."

"Why don't you tell me his name?"

"Because you'll find out later."

She was dodging the subject, he knew. But he coulnd't get it out of her.

"You're stubborn, you know that?"

"So're you."

"I'm glad I'm on your good side."

Kagome cracked open an eye to look at him. "And who said that?"

She laughed. "Just kidding. I'm glad I'm on your good side, too. You'd be one heck of an enemy to deal with."

"So, what's your brother's name?"

"Not telling."

"The prince of Mekai is going to be arriving in a few moments." Namaki said from where she was standing by the road. Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, and Miroku were there as well, waiting for Kagome's brother.

"I hope your brother get's here before that prince does. I hate royalty." Inuyasha said, wrinkling his nose.

"You are royalty." Kagome objected.

"All the more reason to dislike."

Kagome shook her head. "I'll never understand you."

"Here's the prince's carriage!" Sango cried, pointing. "I never get to see royalty!"

"Hey!" Inuyasha growled.

"You don't count." Sango muttered, looking back.

Kagome ran out into the road beside the carriage. "Kagome, what are you doing!" Inuyasha cried. She was going to get hit! Like a royal carriage would actually stop for her!

"Hey!" she called up at the door. "You can stop now!"

"She's crazy." Miroku muttered.

"She's homesick." Sango corrected. "She comes from Mekai, remember? She said she hasn't been home in a long time."

"That's no excuse to jump in front of a royal carriage!" Inuyasha snapped, nearly crazy with worry for the girl.

The door swung open on the carriage, and a little boy about eight wearing royal clothes leapt down into her outstretched arms. She ran her fingers through his hair, smiling. "I missed you." she said quietly. "It's been too long."

"Nee-chan!" the boy cried. "You didn't come home during the Grace Term! Momma was so worried!" He laughed. "You should have seen the look on the messanger's face! Inutaiyoshoru sent a young inu youkai messanger to get you during the grace term, but you weren't there! Momma wouldn't tell me why he came to get you, though."

"I know why." she said quietly, ignoring the boy's questioning look. She looked up at the carriage driver in front of her, and smiled. "You can take that around to the school, now. We'll go back together."

"Even after two years at school, you're still the same, Kagome-hime." the driver said, laughing at the sour look that crossed her face at 'hime'.

The four people still beside the road stood in shock as the carriage rumbled past.

"Oh, Inuyasha! I want you to meet my brother, Sota. I told you you'd learn his name when he got here." Kagome said, walking up to them with the boy-appendage on her arm.

"Sota-chan, this is Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku. Sango-chan, Miroku, this is my little brother Sota. And Namaki-sensei, you can just call him Sota-chan, if you don't mind."

"Higurashi-sama gets boring." Sota said from her leg.

"Kagome-chan, why didn't you tell us!" Sango screached. They were back in Kagome's room. It had become the place they spent the most time in over the last week, since it was closest to most everything, and more stuff then anyone else's room, even Inuyasha's.

"Oh, well, you see...I just didn't want Inuyasha to know..." she said quietly. Inuyasha hadn't said anything yet.

"That's why you wouldn't look at me when I mentioned it." he said quietly, finally speaking.

"Yeah..."

"And that's where you got..."

"Yeah..."

"It doesn't matter, you know. You're still the same." he asid, looking at her finally.

"But if I had told you then, would I still have been the same? No, we wouldn't have gotten to be such friends if I had said anything about it."

"Did we miss something?" Sango asked, cutting in between the two, who blushed and looked away.

"I...A while ago, a few years back, there was a 'war' between Inutaiyoshoru and Mekai." Inuyasha said slowly. "Neither of us have ever heard of it...but I've certainly heard of the treaty."

"What was the treaty?" Miroku asked, grinning. He knew where this was going.

Inuyasha looked away again. "Betrothal." he said quietly. He held out the hand with the dragon seal on it. Kagome lifted her necklace, cringing at Sango's gasp.

"You mean...Really? You? When? How? What?"

"Yes, yes, yes, next year when I'm sixteen, I don't know, and we're betrothed." Kagome said quickly. "We already went over that."

"And...why?"

"We think they just wanted to hook us up. There was no war." Inuyasha said.

"That's what Higurashi-sama meant with the inu youkai messanger, wasn't it, then?" Sango asked.

"Just call him Sota." Kagome said. "He hates it when you do that. I think my mother is the only one who likes all the special attention...even father didn't like it."

"Please, Kagome, don't avoid the subject." Sango said.

"What do you mean, 'father didn't like it' ?" Inuyasha asked. "Past tense?"

"Inuyasha..." Sango muttered. "You're not helping..."

"My father...died a few years ago, didn't you hear about it? I would have thought you would, since my father and yours were such good friends and all." She spoke sarcastically, even though it was the apparent truth.

"Come on, guys..." Sango reached out a hand to her friends in a profitless gesture.

"Well, I guess they wanted to be closer friends." He also spoke sarcastically.

"Be serious for once..." Sango put her hand to her face. "Every single time..."

Suddenly Inuyasha perked up. "Hey, there's this coffee shop I found down by the library the other day, you wanna go check it out?"

"Wait a minute!"

"Sure!" Kagome said, and they stood up, nearly running from the room to get away from Sango.

She let out an exasperated sigh. "I would have expected this kind of thing from Inuyasha...but Kagome? Maybe they're meant to be together, after all."

Inuyasha and Kagome paused just down the hall, gasping for breath. "Man, I thought I might never get away!" Kagome muttered, putting a hand to her forehead.

"Come on, that coffee shop really looked nice." Inuyasha said, smiling to her. "They even had these faint incense burning. You'd like it."

She smiled to him. "Thanks. Let's go." They walked down the hall, hand in hand, towards the library, not noticing the looks they got from a certain youkai as they passed.

"Kagome is my woman, dog breath!" the dark-haired youth fumed, walking the other way. "You won't take her away from me!"