Author: Tenma
Disclaimer: This applies to all chapters; Inuyasha and all related characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
Story Summary: She is a miko heiress and has the perfect life. She is secure, happy and content. She needs nothing more than what she already has. But her life belongs to her sister, and her sister belongs to the Lord – Inuyasha.
New Characters in this Chapter:
Sei Inuyasha: Lord of the Northern half of Japan. Is a half-demon. In human years, 20; in Hanyou years, 200. Arrogant, self-conscious, proud, courageous, sarcastic, can be caring, thoughtful, smart.
Sei Kikyou: Lady of the Northern half of Japan. Is a healer miko. 19 years of age. Quiet, smart, proud, curt, sensible, loves only her sister.
Chapter 2: Beloved Date Written: 4/18/05It was the moment of truth. Kagome and Kikyou were to meet again. She was so looking forward to seeing her sister that she even wore a green and cream kimono, one of her sister's favorites. She also wore the silver hair adornments her sister had given her. Miroku wore nice purple and black monk robes and Kouga wore the usual.
As Kagome sat at her place at the dining table seated next to Kouga. Miroku had eaten earlier and he wasn't needed to see the Lord and Lady anyway. He seemed calm about it.
But Kagome was a nervous wreck. She was going to see her sister again. A few more minutes and she would walk in the room.
"Kagome, your hands are shaking." Kouga pointed out.
"Oh. Ummm…" they wouldn't stop shaking. So, doing what she did when she was a child, she sat on them. Kouga chuckled.
"Nervous much?"
"How could you tell?" she asked sarcastically.
"Very easily." Kouga responded.
She was about to comment but the doors suddenly opened and in walked a beautiful and curvy figure bedecked in pearls, jewels, red velvet and white satin.
The two of them stood and bowed deeply waiting for the Lady to take her seats before sitting again.
But when Kagome sat down, her nervousness wore away. Handing the white lily to her sister, Kikyou smiled and handed her a white lily of the valley. Kagome smiled back.
"Welcome, Kagome-chan. You seemed to have grown up so much." She giggled softly. "Mother was right, we do look a lot a like."
"Except I've always loved your hair better than mine, it's just a little bit longer, but still." The laughed together.
In all his years, Kouga had never heard such a beautiful sound. When Kagome laughed alone, it was like the heavens shined upon you. But when the two of them laughed together, it was like a chorus of nymphs and sirens, enchanting you to forever want to listen to their music.
"How have you been these past few years, Kikyou? We haven't talked much, but you look so much more relaxed than you did when you left home."
"Home was a wreck for me. I still don't know how you handle it Kagome. All that racket and confusion, it was just too much for me. So I went out to look at the world, get a little peace. And that's when I came to the kingdom. I wanted to give our Lord a blessing for his future reign and, in the end, we got married. Funny how that works, huh?" Kikyou said with a smile.
'She's much happier here. But, no matter how much we need you at home, I guess you'll never come.' Kagome thought sadly. She opened her mouth to speak.
"Yes, it is. Well, I am glad for you, my beloved sister. You deserve your happiness. But I must ask, where is our Lord?" Kagome asked. He was the main reason she was here after all.
"He said he had a long day with his advisors and wanted to freshen up before coming to see you. But anyway, " She turned to Kouga, "How are you, Lord Kouga? I hear you have been betrothed to my beloved little sister."
He cleared his throat. He was nervous, there was something about this woman. Something not right. "I am fine, my Lady. You are merciful to ask. And yes, I am betrothed to your sister, but as she and I have agreed, it is for our families only. I have another in my heart, and Kagome is like a younger sister to me."
"How terrible for mother to have to make you wed this way, Kagome! It should be for love. And please, Lord Kouga, call me Kikyou. Kikyou-san if you must." Kikyou requested.
"Only if you call me Kouga. Niceties have always unnerved me," he responded.
She laughed, but to Kouga, it was only half the beauty. "Alright then Kouga. Kagome –"
The doors burst open and it was silent. The three of them stood and bowed deeply in respect. He walked very briskly, Kagome noticed, not at all like Kikyou's small, light steps.
Kikyou sat down first, then followed by Kagome and Kouga together.
"Kagome, meet my husband, Sei Inuyasha. Inuyasha meet my beloved sister, Higurashi Kagome and her betrothed, Tamou Kouga of the Wolves."
Kagome looked up. Oh shit. It was the gardener. The gardener she yelled at gardener. The gardener she thought was hot gardener.
That gardener.
Kagome's POV+
Crap…no, double crap! The guy that I thought was the gardener, I had yelled at, and it ends up that he was the Lord! The Lord! And I thought he was hot! Oh, who am I kidding? He could have me beheaded and I'm thinking about his looks!
Uh oh, he's smirking. Crap!
Inuyasha's POV+
So this is Kikyou's sister. Wow, they look so much a like. Heck, I'm surprised they're not twi - …Wait a minute, that's the girl that yelled at me this morning…heh heh, I smirk and her face lights up with horror. Ooooh, she's gonna get it now…
Normal POV+
Kagome bowed her head slowly, "I am honored to be in your presence, Sei-Sama." She said, her head still bowed in recognition.
"As am I, your honor. " Kouga said, following Kagome's lead.
"It is my…pleasure." He said slowly.
But Kagome knew, she was in deep trouble, and the next month or so was going to be hell. She gulped.
"Inuyasha, be nice!" Kikyou scolded. She knew he was just being silly. "This is my sister you're talking to, and she's about to help you save your kingdom!"
He snorted. "What could a little girl do that my advisors could not? I appreciate your help Kikyou, but I can handle this myself."
'O, no. He did not just call me an incompetent fool.' Kagome was riled, no one insulted her or her sister and got away with it.
Kouga, too, was angry but said nothing. Kagome's actions would be enough for the both of them.
"Excuse me, but I can too outsmart your advisors. Just because I am a 'little girl' as you say, does not mean I am incompetent! You are lucky my sister was the one who asked me or I would not even have bothered coming!"
"Good, I have enough to deal with and I don't need a whiny little girl's crap. Even if you are my wife's sister, I don't have to listen to you. Look at you, flaring with emotion. Geez, why couldn't you have ended up a bit more posed like Kikyou! She's not spouting words like buffoon." He said indifferently, poking at his food.
Kikyou gasped. How could her husband be so mean! He was never like that before!
She looked over at Kagome. She knew the remark about her being more like Kikyou had struck deep. The family always thought Kagome was too reckless for her own good and had continuously put her down for it. But Kikyou had never liked it. She would get angry and say that Kagome should be whoever she wanted to be.
Kagome said nothing. Whenever people shot insults at them she would either retaliate, or she would ignore it. But it hurt. It hurt so much. So many reopened scars. Everything was tight in her chest and it was painful to breath. Tears blurred her vision. In a choked voice she spoke shakily,
"Please excuse me." And she ran off, tears full of pink miko energy burning holes in the marble.
Kouga stood up. "Always I have thought of you as a great Lord, Sei-Sama. You think for your people and not for yourself. But now, I see no difference between you and a buffoon." With a small swirl of wind he was gone.
"Hmph. I didn't need any advice from her anyway. Besides, that wolf stank." He said sipping at his tea. He was a bout to put it down when a streak of blue light shot through the cup and shattered, at the same time cutting his cheek. He was in shock,
"What the hell are you doing Kikyou!" he shouted. But she did not answer, her eyes glowed blue and her hair was starting to flow around her.
When she spoke, her voice was full of genuine hurt, her eyes showing her broken and appalled feelings.
"Inuyasha! How could you! That was my younger sister! And you practically shot her where she stood! You broke her into a million pieces and left her to lay dead! She came on the pretenses that she was here to aid you! YOU! She is the only person I can love freely! The only person I care about! Look what you did to her."
He scowled, his anger covering his guilt and hurt. "And what of me Kikyou? You say you love only her and yet you stand there, my wife. What of me? What of us?"
She looked away from his eyes. Those molten eyes that burned into her very soul. Quietly and with meaning she responded, "You know of our situation. Do not ask me questions you already know the answers to."
And she was gone.
He sipped at his sake, the dining hall now silent. 'As it used to be.'
Okay, by now, you're all wondering whether this is going to be an Inuyasha and Kikyou story. Well… NO!
To me, Kikyou is a good character. She's actually one of my favorites, but I absolutely DESPISE the Inuyasha/Kikyou coupling. They seem too much like family to be anything else, so…yes, this is Inu/Kag. There will also be Miro/San and a little Kou/Aya.
Special thanks to my Beta: Holy Pancake
In the next chapter: Kagome locks herself in her room. She won't come out and won't let anyone come in. visions of past memories plague her. Kikyou breaks into Kagome's room and they talk. A dark lie is revealed and pervert meets warrior.