Okay, firstly I would like to dedicate this chapter to AleuFireGoddess, since she was my very first review. I'm just glad she didn't flame me. *gives sigh of relief* Anyways, again thank you for your very generous review, Aleu. I certainly didn't think anyone would even like my story. And no this is not a Shippo/ Kagome story, even those are cute and all (when Shippo isn't as young as he is, of course), but I also am I HUGE fan of Sesshoumaru and Kagome, so it will be kinda obvious that this will be a Fluffy/ Kagome centered story. So enjoy!
Secondly, I forgot the disclaimer in previous chapters, but I don't in any way own Inuyasha or its characters.
It was right after Kagome and Shippo had turned eleven; three years after they met and became friends. Once or twice a month either Shippo or Kagome would take a trip to see each other and they would spend a week together. Their parents didn't mind taking a week out of their schedule so that their children could play together.
The adults were planning for their children's official announcement as their heirs to the throne. Though they began planning right after Shippo turned eleven, the celebration wasn't to occur until Kagome had turned eleven also. That way everything would even out and they wouldn't have to arrange two separate parties for the young youkais.
Even though it would seem obvious who the successors were most kings liked to keep that information under their tight security so that no one would try to harm their children. Plus, the ceremony was a tradition among royal society. So it would be quite a surprise to most when they found out that a young girl was to become the next Taiyoukai of the East. It would also be unfair to say that they were children for both Shippo and Kagome were looking more and more like adult demons as they grew.
Shippo wasn't gaining any markings but his bushy tail grew to more of a foxtail. His hair took on more gold and his tail took on a whiter appearance but still contained more of the golden-red like his hair. His eyes were also changing and instead of being the deep green that they were they were a vibrant, grass green, and he would soon begin taking on a more manly figure.
Kagome was also changing. Her hair which had been a dull black and turned into a midnight bluish-black, and her eyes went from brown to crystal clear blue. Unlike Shippo she had gained markings on her face; they were a deep mauve color and appeared around her upper eyelids and along her cheekbone and two smaller lines beneath that. Her tail had also changed; it was the same color as her hair and silky soft and it grew considerably, and she would be taking on a more womanly look.
Kagome and Shippo's parents knew that their children had finally reached their coming to age when both of them changed into their true youkai forms. Shippo's family had been visiting the Higurashi family in order to make more arrangements for the up coming celebration.
The children had been playing in the garden when one of the servants came running in screaming about of youkais possessing the children's bodies. The parents were skeptical considering that their children were already youkais but they followed none the less.
They were surprised to see two transformed youkais standing in the garden. One was a kitsune the size of a horse, with golden-red fur and snowy white paws and nose and there was white around the eyes and the tip of the tail and on the chest, and it had jade green eyes. It was showing its pearly white teeth at the creature standing next to it.
The other animal was a midnight black neko with dark blue streaking its fur, light blue eyes that were just like a normal neko's. It was also the size of a horse, maybe a bit bigger, and its back was arched and was hissing at the kitsune before it.
Higurashi-sama immediately knew of the youkais that "possessed" young Shippo and little Kagome. He walked over to the demons and called to get their attention. The two stopped their stand-off to look at him with curious eyes.
"All right you two, stop showing off and return to your ningen forms," Higurashi-sama exclaimed. The two youkais looked back at each other, staring closely at one another than examined themselves. They returned their gaze to the lord with pleading eyes.
Since neither of them turned eighteen, which was the age a youkai stopped growing and gaining their powers, they couldn't project their thoughts to the lord's mind and so they just looked at him. That was when Sakamoto-sama came to stand next to his friend. "Quite impressive, though I wonder why Kagome changed so early?"
Higurashi-sama turned his gaze to the kitsune lord, "It's probably because she was in the presence of a changing demon who was close to her and it somehow awoken her own youki." The red haired man nodded his head.
"Maybe you should try telling them how to change back, dear," Kagome's okaa-san yelled when she realized her little girl was still a giant neko.
The older neko-youkai looked from his mate to his daughter and then walked up to the two transformed children with Sakamoto right behind him. He stood in front of Kagome while Sakamoto placed himself in front of Shippo.
"All right, Kagome, you changed into a youkai and you should be able to change back. All you have to do is find the source of your youki strength and try to contain its power. Don't worry; it should be easier than it sounds. Just concentrate."
The koneko-youkai that was Kagome closed her eyes and concentrated, Shippo followed suite. Suddenly a yellow-green light enveloped Shippo and shrank showing that he was returning to his ningen form; when the light faded the more mature Shippo appeared.
He turned smiling towards Kagome's direction but the smile was quickly replaced with a frown. His friend still hadn't changed back into a ningen. Kagome slowly opened her eyes thinking see was going to be herself again. She looked around, and her eyes widened in distress when she realized that she was still a neko-youkai.
She frantically looked about, and saw Shippo in his new ningen form. Kagome quickly closed her eyes again and tried to concentrate but was so worried over the fact that she might not be able to change that she began to panic. Usually when a youkais panics it runs away…or goes into a killing rampage, but that isn't what Kagome did thankfully. Instead she ran off towards that palace walls and cleared in a single jump and than was out of sight.
Shippo quickly turned to his otou-san, terrified he cried, "Tou-san, why isn't Kagome a ningen? What happened?"
Before Sakamoto could respond, a flash of blue surround Higurashi-sama, and he transformed into a giant cat, but was with streaks of silver fur in the main black color. He too bounded over the palace walls and ran off after his daughter. Shippo turned back to his father; tears threatened to spill.
The mighty kitstune took his son into his arms, and held him close, "Don't worry, Higurashi will find Kagome. When a youkai changes into its true form too early, sometimes they're not able to change back for awhile. Kagome wasn't supposed to change until after her eleventh birthday, but …"
He stopped; he didn't want to tell his son that if Kagome hadn't been near him than she would never have changed. He knew if he told his son this Shippo would think it was his fault.
Shippo pulled his tear stained face out of the lord's clothes and looked up at his otou-san, "But what, tou-san? If Kagome wasn't around me than this wouldn't have happened? Is it my fault this happened to her?"
Fresh tears fell from his face. Sakamoto patted his son's head and reassured him, "It's not your fault, Shippo. No one knew you would change when you did. If we did than the proper procedures would have been taken."
Shippo heard Kagome's younger brother, Souta, crying for his sister, insisting to know what happened to her. Shippo hid his face deeper in the man's clothes; he wasn't able to look at the other people in the garden in case they blamed him for what happened to Kagome.
So Sakamoto-sama picked up Shippo and walked over to the fountain and sat down to wait. Kagome's okaa-san took Souta inside and the rest who witnessed what happened went in also; leaving the Kagome's best friend and his father waiting for the two missing cat demons to return.
So they waited, and soon it began to grow dark and both of the kitstune-youkais began to grow even more worried. That is when they heard yelling coming from the front courtyard and they quickly headed in that direction. Shippo got there first and saw an unconscious, and newly transformed Kagome lying in Higurashi-sama's arms. The servants cleared the area as soon as Sakamoto entered. He saw that little Kagome had changed into her new ningen form but she also looked a bit beaten up.
He looked at his friend, who was looking at his daughter in regret, "She put up a fight didn't she?"
He noticed that the neko also had a couple bruises. Higurashi looked to Kagome than to Shippo than to Sakamoto, "When I found her she was surrounded by lower demons. Usually that wouldn't a problem but she has had no training so she wasn't fairing well. I defeated the demons easily but she than turned on me. There was nothing else I could do." He looked back towards Kagome.
Shippo gave out a whimper; his friend was hurt because of him, and so was her otou-san. He put them both in danger because he transformed in front of Kagome. Higurashi heard Shippo and looked towards him and saw silent tears streaming down his face. He handed his daughter to his friend and went over to the crying pup. All Shippo could do was bow his head in shame.
"Shippo, this isn't your mistake. I don't blame you and I know that Kagome doesn't either. What would she say if she saw you crying because of something that was an accident." Higurashi quietly told the boy.
Shippo wiped away his tears, and gave a weak smile, "She would tell me that strong youkais don't cry over spilt blood."
The man smiled and ruffled the child's hair before retrieving his own child. He lead the small group to Kagome's room were he set her down on her bed.
The three waited while a healer attended to Kagome's injuries. Everyone came to check up on her, but Shippo stayed by her side the whole time. No one could persuade him to go back to his own room and rest. So his mother and Higurashi tried to make him as comfortable as possible. Then they quietly left him to watch over Kagome.
"They would make wonderful mates," Shippo's kaa-san said quietly.
Higurashi agreed with the woman, but both knew that their children had a friendship so deep that becoming mates would only cause harm to the relationship they've established, so no one had ever pressure the young demons to fall in love with each other. Which was a good thing because fate had something else in store for the two friends.
Shippo stayed by Kagome's side until she woke up a day later. Kagome was happy that Shippo had been there when she awoke but when he told her that he was sorry, she immediately told him to take it back. Shippo was startled by this this but some part of him knew that it would happen and was grateful.
"You know it wasn't your fault, so why are you apologizing?" she continued, not even giving Shippo a chance to explain, "You know better than that. It wasn't your fault that I happened to be around when you transformed. Now take that sorry back because I won't have it."
Shippo smiled thankfully and revoked his request for forgiveness. Kagome gave a triumphant smile, "Now, what about food? I'm starving!" and her stomach obviously agreed with her because it gave off a loud rumble that made both children go into a fit of laughter.
So Kagome quickly got dressed and they headed of to lunch since Kagome missed breakfast. Everyone was relived to see that Kagome was well again, and soon things returned to normal, or as normal as things could be.
The preparations for the celebration resumed once again and everyone waited anxiously for that joyous day to come. Especially Shippo and Kagome who've both been waiting to meet the other two heirs that were sure to attend to their party. So as the day for the gathering drew near the anticipation rose.
The two lords held the party at the Eastern palace because it was located in a more covenant place for their guests. The guests basically consisted of lords or powerful people of the lands. But the real guests were the Western lord and the Northern Lord and their heirs.
The Western Taiyoukai was Inutaisho, an inu-youkai, and the North was Asahiko, a tori-youkai (A/N: is that how you say bird demon? Also please forgive my horrible Japanese). Both lords already proclaimed their heirs. Lord Inutaisho's heir was his eldest son Sesshoumaru, while Lord Asahiko's heir was also his older son, Hojo.
It all took place about a week after Kagome's eleventh birthday. The Eastern palace never looked more radiant. Decorations were everywhere, and small appetizers were placed out on four long tables that would later hold everyone's dinner. The celebration was to start in an hour or so before noon; not many guests arrived at first, which made the two heirs nervous about whether or not people would attend.
But their worry diminished when they saw all the children that were arriving. Lord Sakamoto made a comment on how the families with young children usually arrived first while the people who were higher up tended to be "fashionably" late.
Kagome and Shippo could care less when they realized their were enough children to play tag, and hide and go seek. So they sped off to collect the others while Lord Higurashi and Lord Sakamoto just stood there and shook their heads.
"Oh isn't that nice. It's their party and they're allowed to miss out on the fun part," said Higurashi-sama greeting yet another couple of guests.
"Oh, yes. Standing around, and greeting guests is so much fun," Sakamoto gave an exasperated replied.
His feline friend laughed, "Just grin and bare it. They'll have to do this one day." Sakamoto sighed and nodded.
About half an hour after the first guest arrived the crowds started to thin, but still the two lords waited until the other two Taiyoukais arrived. Just before Lord Sakamoto was going to call it quits, they arrived together. Sakamoto gave a frustrated sigh. He was sort of hoping that nether of the lords showed up. The two lords that were arriving weren't what you considered allies, but they weren't enemies either.
The first of the two lords walked up, Inutaisho. He was a big youkai with white hair and golden eyes and a purple crescent moon on his forehead. He was accompanied by his older of his two sons, Sesshoumaru, who also had his golden eyes, but the boy had silver hair instead of white.
The second lord came, Asahiko. He was more of a lanky man, with auburn hair and brownish- red eyes, and upon his forehead was a simple red pointed arrow (A/N think of something like this ' ^ ', only bigger). With him accompanied his oldest son and child out of five, Hojo, who looked a lot like his father. Lord Higurashi judged that Hojo had to be the oldest, maybe nine or ten years older than Kagome and Shippo, while Sesshoumaru looked about seven or eight years older.
Lord Higurashi smiled at his fellow lords and greeted them kindly, Lord Sakamoto was more hesitant in the greetings. "I see you only brought one child, Asahiko, I'd hate to be you when you get back home," teased the neko Taiyoukai.
Asahiko laughed, "I more scared of what my mate is going to do with me."
Inutaisho decided to join in on the teasing, "I can sure give her a few suggestions." Asahiko glared at the inu, than returned his gaze to Sakamoto and Higurashi.
"Speaking of children, shouldn't there be two little youkais that we need to be introduced to?"
The two younger youkais looked up expectantly, when the tori asked the question. "Don't tell me you lost them?" Inutaisho asked when the two childless fathers didn't answer.
Sakamoto scoffed, "No, we just misplaced them." Asahiko laughed, "I know how that goes."
"He was joking, you baka," the Western lord replied.
Asahiko laughed again, "I still know what it feels like."
All three of the lords sighed, concerned whether or not the Northern lord was in fine mental health or not.
"Excuse me, sirs," interrupted Sesshoumaru, who eyes held fragments of curiosity, "if the two others aren't here then were are they?"
Higurashi-sama gave the boy a friendly smile, "As soon as I find out, I'll tell you."
Lord Sakamoto looked around hoping to catch sight of one of the playing children, "Everyone will see them at the banquet when we present them to the others, but they should have been here to at least meet you two."
He looked back to the two boys than to theirs fathers, "How about we discuss elsewhere. Preferably sitting down." The three other lords laughed while Sakamoto lead them away, leaving the two boys alone.
Hojo turned to look at the younger boy with a questioning look upon his features, "Why are you so interested meeting the others?"
Sesshoumaru was somewhat surprised by the questions, "Otou-san said that Higurashi-sama's successor was a girl."
Suddenly a look of disgust crossed the young man's features, "A girl, what is that man thinking? You're that man must have lost his senses."
Women while respected by some were regarding as nothing more than pleasure for some and a nuisance to others. Sesshoumaru glared at Hojo, "That's not what I meant, you baka. When was the last time there was a female ruler?" he paused to let his companion think, "Not for a couple centuries. So there must be something special about this girl if Higurashi-sama is going to let her become ruler."
Hojo snorted and began walked after the adults, Sesshoumaru followed closely, "Iie, she is probably just a little brat who likes to suck up to her otou-san and knows how to get what she wants, and all she wants is to gain control over the East. If you ask me, Higurashi-sama should think about his decision better unless he wants to be regarding as a unwise ruler."
Sesshoumaru just gracefully shrugged his shoulders and ignored the other's continuous ranting on how he felt about the fact a girl might become a Taiyoukai. He instead looked around hoping to catch sight of a girl with a sea blue teardrop which was the Eastern symbol of the royal family on her neck. He instead saw a young girl running straight towards him.
"Kagome, catch the ball," yelled one of Kagome's new friends, Kirara, a fire youkai and daughter of one of the lesser lords.
Kirara was a year younger than Kagome, she had soft red hair with hints of white and luminous orange eyes. When Kagome and Shippo first asked her if she wanted to play with them, Kagome could see Shippo's jaw drop. 'I'll just have to think of a way to get those two together.' she thought to herself, knowing that Shippo never acted that way around any girl, and giggling at the thought of her matchmaking.
"Ok, Kirara. Throw it real far. I'll catch it." She saw Kirara nod and aim, she then saw the ball disappear in the air. She quickly scanned the sky and found it and ran toward the direction it was heading.
Kagome was paying so much attention to the ball in the sky that she didn't see the young inu-youkai on the ground.
"Kagome, watch out." Shippo yelled from behind her.
She turned her head towards him, then back to the ball then finally she looked forwards. She was closing in on a older boy with silver hair and fast. She had to stop before she ran into him, or she knew she would get in trouble. The only problem was that she was running too fast and didn't know how to stop. So she dug her heels in the ground hoping that she could use the friction to stop herself.
Her plan didn't seem to be working because she was still moving forwards. She just barely stopped when she was right in front of the boy. She almost lost her balance but quickly recovered. However she felt a sharp blow to the back of the head and fell forward anyways. She fell forward and right into a pair of awaiting arms.
She heard laughter coming from behind her and in front of her but it wasn't coming from the person who holding her. Instead the boy asked softly if she was ok. Kagome untangled herself from the young man's arms, and blushing furiously she nodded.
"That wasn't supposed to happen," she muttered under her breath, while glaring at the ground.
"No I didn't think so," said the teenager's voice which held amusement.
"I'm sorry. I'll be more careful next time," Kagome replied refusing to look at the person.
"It was nothing. I just thought you've been embarrassed enough without having to fall on your face. How's your head?"
Kagome hesitantly looked up at the person and found herself staring into a pair of golden eyes, "I think I'll survive. Thank you."
The stranger smiled at her, which made Kagome blush even more to her horror. "Here I think this is yours," the boy said holding out the ball that had nailed her in the head.
She smiled at him, and took the ball and replied, "If you'll excuse me, I have a friend who has a date with the ground." she flashed another smile at the amused teenager and ran after Kirara who was trying to run away, saying it wasn't her fault.
Sesshoumaru let out a small laugh, and turned back towards his companion who was smiling but it wasn't a friendly one, but one of arrogance, "Now look there Sesshoumaru. What would happen to the East if a girl like that were took take over? You can't trust any of them with power, they were never meant to serve as rulers."
Suddenly Sesshoumaru felt as if he wanted to hit the young man. It was true that he thought some women were stupid and pathetic even, but some were just as good as men maybe even better. His okaa-san for example, who had actually offered to watch his annoying brother who would surly only get in the way. There were descent women out there, and Hojo was dismissing them all as to incompetent and treated them as a burden. Sesshoumaru thought everyone deserved some respect, it was something his okaa-san had taught him, but this boy didn't respect from anyone.
'I forgot to ask her what her name was.' He thought suddenly, he also forgot to look for the teardrop on her neck but he completely forgot about the Eastern heir when he saw the girl running blindly towards him.
The rest of the afternoon passed by quickly and soon the dinner bell rang, and everyone went rushing to the tables. Before the dinner could be served, the new heirs had to be present to the people which every new heir to throne had to do. It was a way of letting others get a glimpse at their future kings and in this case queen. So everyone was not only anxious to see the two new future lords but also get everything done and over with so they could finally eat.
Since Shippo was the older of the two he was presented first. He went up with Sakamoto-sama, and the Taiyoukai gave a formal speech and introduced the others to Shippo and then Shippo had to give a pledge that all new kings gave, and than he drank from a cup of ceremonial tea. The whole process was known by some already and had received a polite applaud from the audience.
The crowd was expecting another traditional heir and another traditional ceremony. So all most the whole audience was surprised when Higurashi-sama stood before the crowd with a little girl aside him. Sesshoumaru smiled a little when he saw it was the same girl who fell into his arms. However he could see the look of disgust coming from Hojo.
Lord Higurashi was introducing Kagome, when at the same moment he said her name, a man who was sitting by Sesshoumaru, scoffed, "Is this a hoax or something?"
Sesshoumaru was distracted by the other man and he missed what her name was. He silently glared at the person who hadn't realized what he just done.
The neko Taiyoukai stepped aside so Kagome could make the pledge like Shippo had. She then took the cup from her otou-san and bowed to the audience before taking a sip of the ceremonial tea which made her scrunch her nose in distaste at the disgusting beverage.
When she finished their was a silence, not even the crickets chirped. It was then that Kagome began to grow nervous. All of a sudden a women shouted, "Isn't she precious?"
Right after her someone shouted, "Is this a joke? What's wrong, Higurashi, that you had to pick a girl as your heir?" Then there was laughter. To Kagome, who was so sure that these people would except her because she was faithfully following the guidelines laid down for any Taiyoukai and they were laughing at her because she was a girl.
She looked around hopping to find someone who wasn't laughing. The only people were her parents, Shippo's parents, Shippo, Kirara, and the stranger with the golden eyes. She looked over to the kids table and was relived though still upset to that they weren't even paying attention. Something inside her changed, as she walked down with her father, defeated and embarrassed. She looked up to her father, tears threatening to spill, and asked if she could be excused early.
Her father knew it wasn't polite but he didn't care. He saw the determination that his little girl had crushed by these people resting in his daughter's eyes. He wanted to kick all these people out of his palace but he couldn't, he knew that his daughter had learned a valuable lesson but had learned it the hard way: not everyone will except and follow what you say just because you have the power. He excused her and Lord Sakamoto held Shippo back from running after her. The laughter faded as soon as the food was served and no one from the audience even realized she was gone. Of course, except Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru was absolutely appalled by how his fellow youkais and lords acted. They had no right to laugh at the girl. So when he saw her leave, he gathered two plates and followed silently. He followed her until she came to a cliff over looking the water. She quietly sat down, and began berating herself. Sesshoumaru was just about to introduce himself when it struck him that she wouldn't want formalities just a friend who would comfort her.
He quietly walked up behind her, than sat down next to her, his feet joining hers in dangling over the edge. He saw her wipe some of the tears from her eyes. She looked up at him, and when she recognized who it was a small sad smile crept across her face.
Sesshoumaru held out a plate, "You left without getting yourself a plate. I thought you might get hungry." Kagome took that plate gratefully, though she hadn't been worrying about food she knew that she was hungry.
"Thank you," she replied quietly, she hadn't even bothered to think of asking him for his name. They both began eating in a comfortable silence.
Halfway through her meal, Kagome asked, "What did I do wrong?" Sesshoumaru looked down at her but her bangs covered her eyes, but they didn't cover up the water droplet that fell to her hand. Sesshoumaru finished eating what he had in his mouth and thought for a second.
"Absolutely nothing."
Kagome looked up at him, "Why did they laugh at me?"
Sesshoumaru sighed, "My mother says that laughter can either relieve the soul or relieve the worry. They were just laughing because they were frightened by the fact you were a girl. The last female ruler completely changed everything, for the better of course, but she had almost complete power, and the other lords don't want t give up the power they have. They're just afraid of what you will do."
The plates lay forgotten with little tidbits of food left on them. Both were staring out into the sunset, taking every moment to memory. Sesshoumaru felt so relaxed in this girl's presence, he thought it was a bit weird that he was so calm when he was usually tense all the time, that is unless he was with his okaa-san.
Kagome also felt something she didn't feel with others. She couldn't explain it because she was still to young to know what it meant but never the less what ever it was she liked it. She felt safe but the same time powerful and fearless, and peaceful and it seemed like she couldn't stay in a bad mood when around this golden-eyed stranger.
She broke the silence, "Why would they be frightened by what I do, am not an adult yet." They had both moved unconsciously closer to each other so that they were almost touching hands.
"Because they're all bakas, everyone of them," he thought about Hojo and what he had said earlier and for some reason, Sesshoumaru felt anger, "They can't accept change, and when you become a ruler things will change and they don't like that. Like I said, they are just afraid."
Kagome sighed, "What's the point of even becoming the ruler if they laugh at me and won't listen to what I say?"
Sesshoumaru looked at the girl who was looking the water, "Don't give up so easily," she looked up at him, and saw him gazing intensely at her, "don't let what they say get to you. It isn't fair to you. Who knows you may be the next legendary Taiyoukai. You just need to be stronger and learn to stand on your own. You should at least promise yourself not to give up."
Kagome smiled, "Hai, I won't. I'll show them all, ne?"
Sesshoumaru looked at her for a moment, before laughing gently and shaking his head, "Hai. I don't think anyone could bring you down." With that he got up and placed a comforting hand on her cheek and looked into her eyes before smiling, "Well, little one, I'll see you around."
Kagome blushed and the hand that wasn't being held crept to her cheek and rested on top of the other's and stayed there. Sesshoumaru again smiled at her, a smile that seemed only for her, than he took his own hand away from her cheek and gather up the plates, stood and walked off in the direction in which they came. Kagome kept smiling after him, the red had faded, but the burning sensation which she felt when he touched her still lingered. Kagome then turned and watched the sun set and fade away to the stars.
~Oh wow, another chapter done so quickly, but this is probably going to be the only time I post three chapters *looks at prologue*, okay two¼ chapters, in two days. I really should be studying for finals. -.- Oh well. Sorry for the OOCness but it was necessary (or not?) for the plot. And I really apologize to any Hojo fans for making him a jerk but I really don't like him soooo…yea. Aleu, I hope that you like the little bit a fluff (okay so not really fluff fluff but close right?) and I hope it clears up the whole pairing confusion. Oh yea, please tell me what you think now that a bit more of the story if revealed. Thank You!
~Ryuu Madoshi