Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, nor do I own its characters. I do own the ideas of this story and the characters I have created for this story (i.e. Saphira). Please respect patent laws. Comments and reviews are appreciated.

Chapter 8: Saphira's Mask

Saphira stiffly made her way back to the room they had cramped her in, but she turned when she reached the doorway.

"I want another room," she stated calmly forcing both Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru to acknowledge her. "I want a room with windows facing this garden, and with walls that aren't a dull color."

Rin looked to Sesshoumaru for approval, when he nodded she hurried into the castle to change Saphira's arrangements.

Inuyasha shot Sesshoumaru a suspicious look, for the only rooms that faced the garden were Sesshoumaru's private rooms. Sesshoumaru shook his head, this was neither the time nor the place to question his decisions.

Saphira turned to follow Rin into the castle, but was stopped when a hand grabbed her arm.

Saphira turned to meet amber eyes, but these burned into her own chilling gaze.

"You're welcome," was all Sesshoumaru said.

Saphira looked down and said something softly in another language, but when Sesshoumaru didn't release she looked up at him. "Thank you."

When he released her arm she went into the castle to find Rin. She found the woman bustling back and forth between her old room and the new one. Saphira stood in the doorway of the new room in amazement. The room was decorated in every shade of blue imaginable. The bedcloths and the curtains were sliver and moving with breeze coming through the windows.

Saphira smiled faintly and climbed into the huge bed to sleep off the exhaustion that had suddenly overcome her.

"Your own personal chamber!" Inuyasha cried as they walked into the library.

"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru warned. "Mayr, does the name Doragon ring any bells?"

The old man looked up from his novels, squinting slightly. "Doragon? Yes, yes, I know that name!"

The old man hurried to a pile of books, pulling the book from the very bottom of the pile. "Here! Here! Master Sesshoumaru! Look at this!"

The old man turned the pages of the dusty volume with ease and experience. "Here!"

The page had the drawing of a dragon, one whose resemblance to Saphira was uncanny. Inuyasha gasped at the likeness.

"Doragon was the great-great-great-grandson of Ryuu," the old man said proudly. "He was the last child born to Ryuu's line."

"What?" Inuyasha asked. "How do you know that, old man."

"Inuyasha!" Scolded Sesshoumaru.

"Phhhfffttt..." the old man huffed. "I make it my business to know! Anything that once involved this family, I've learned all I can about it. Doragon's child would be bethrothed to one of you!"

"What happened to him, Mayr?" Sesshoumaru asked patiently, for the old man was valuable.

"Well," the old man began. "He was banished from the family. Good thing too, if he hadn't been banished he would have been slaughtered with the rest of his family."

"Who killed his family?" Asked Inuyasha.

"Ryuukotsusei," the old man said quietly. "They were rival dragon clans, always fighting each other for the upper hand. When the pact was struck between your family and Ryuu, Ryuukotsusei became jealous and worried that the pact would lessen his power and authority. He caused your father's death by taking all his strength, he only used the marriage to Lord Inuyasha's mother as a cover up. He wanted to disguise the real reason behind his attack, which was jealously and fear of what was to come. Inutaisho, however, sealed Ryuukotsusei up, but when Naraku realeased him he finished what he had started."

"So, her family is dead then?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"All but Doragon," Inuyasha said. "Remember? He mated with Kagome in the future. Mayr, why was Doragon banished from his clan?"

"For falling in love with a mortal," came Mayr's chilling answer.

"My Lady?" Rin's voice broke through the haze of Saphira's dreams.

"Hmmm?"

"Would you like to bathe, my Lady?" Rin asked coming into the room.

Saphira sat up in the bed. "Yes, a bath would be nice."

"Come along, then, I'll show you to the bathhouse," Rin said collecting extra clothes for Saphira to change into.

Saphira followed Rin out of the house and through the garden to a small hut. Steam was coming from the bathhouse's roof. Rin pushed the door and Saphira was hit by a blast of fragrant steam.

"Almost like home," Saphira sighed recalling the hot baths she had loved taking.

Rin glanced at Saphira, 'This girl must have come from a very wealthy family to know more of luxury than even what Sesshoumaru has known.'

"Fill a tub," Rin ordered the bathhouse girl, the girl bobbed and quickly went to work.

Once Rin had Saphira settled in a hot tub of water, she was unsure of what to do.

"Would you like me to wash your hair, my Lady?" Rin asked.

"No, thank you," Saphira said politely. "If you could show me where the shampoo is, I'll do it myself."

"Shanpu...oh!" Rin exclaimed. "You mean the senpatsu! Yes, it's over here by the towels."

Rin brought the shampoo and wash closer to the tub. "I will fix you something to eat while you are bathing."

"Thank you."

When Rin left, Saphira sunk deeper into the tub. The hot water was relaxing her muscles and easing the tension. She was in this new world she had never known much about. After her clash with Saibairyuukotsusei, she was beginning to doubt sense of coming into this world, but she was drawn here. The well had been softly calling her name since her father had died and she had returned to Japan and her mother. But, her own mother had been afraid of her. Every time Kagome had caught Saphira with her wings or tail exposed. Even with her mother she couldn't be herself. When she had been with her father she had to hide her human half, and with her mother she had to hide her dragon half. With both her parents she had only been half the person she really was.

She growled inwardly at her parents for forcing her to hide herself from them. But she was neither human nor dragon, she was a halfling and neither of her parents had wanted to accept that. Her mother had been too afraid and her father had been too proud.

She gazed at her reflection in the water. She was still wearing her mask. But she didn't want to wear this mask anymore! She didn't want to have a secret person dwelling inside. She didn't want to pretend to be someone else anymore. She wanted to be her, Saphira. She was a halfblood and she would no longer conceal it or be ashamed.

She would forever remove her mask, and her reflection would show who she was inside.

Finding peace, she dunked her head under the water, came up and started to wash her long hair.

As Sesshoumaru stepped outside and into the garden, he saw Rin hurrying from the bathhouse.

"Rin."

Rin stopped when she reached and bowed. "Yes, my Lord?"

"Where is the girl?"

"The bathhouse, my Lord," Rin answered. "I was going to the kitchen to fetch her something to eat."

"Carry on."

"Yes, my Lord," she bobbed and hurried off.

Sesshoumaru settled down under the cherry tree to meditate on all the information he had absorbed. Inuyasha knew what the markings on the girl's arms and face meant. The fact that they matched Sesshoumaru's own markings had a great impact on him. It was him that she was meant to mate. But, did she know that? This girl from the future? How could she possibly know about a prophecy made more than five hundreds before her birth?

"How indeed?" He murmered to himself.

"How what?" Came a soft voice. He looked up to see her standing there, her wet hair was clinging to her face.

She sat down next him. "Well?"

"You and I are betrothed," he said bluntly.

She giggled, surprising him. He lifted his eyebrows at her.

"No, really...what did you mean?" She managed to say inbetween giggles.

"That is what he meant," came Inuyasha's voice.

Saphira swallowed her laughter. "Wh...what?"

"What do you think the markings on your face and forearms mean?" Inuyasha asked.

She looked down at her arms and gasped, the markings had become darker, more noticeable.

"But...but I'm from the future!" She cried. "There's no way we could be betrothed!"

"There is a prophecy," Sesshoumaru said calmly. "About your family and mine. Our ancestors made a pact that the fifth generation, starting with their children, would marry. Inuyasha and I are the fifth generation of our family. Doragon is the fourth of yours, making you the fifth."

"That means that I was supposed to come back," Saphira whispered. "Back to the past."