Disclaimers: I own Nothing

Authors Beginning Note: Just a note. Keade will be portrayed as fairly young, since she was only 18 when Kikyo died in child labor, and then the 16 years added since the child was missing. So roughly 34 yrs old.

Oh! And to those of you in the US merry Independence Day, same to those in Canada (I know its near the forth as well) May all ur special dynamite light up the sky in delightful colors

Chapter 7

The True Heir

A light, was small but visible, caught Sango's eye. She stood up and walked down the steps gingerly, looking down the well to its source. Just a slight purple glinting.

"I wonder…" With graceful ease, she swung herself down to the padded dirt and picked up a purple glass shard. She turned it in her hands and looked at it in wonder.

"I'll save it to show to Kagome." She slipped it in one of her pockets.

"What the…." And her sentence fell to a scream as the floor disappeared and swallowed her whole. Sango's form was wrapped in glowing darkness with pinpoint stars surrounding her, like being in the vast night sky.

"Somebody help me! Where am I going!" She threw her arms over her eyes, shielding them from a blinding white light. Her feet touched some thing solid and she fell off balance, landing roughly on her back. She kept her eyes closed, concentrating on breathing, having no room in her lungs or diaphragm.

Finally, getting over her fit of having the wond knocked out of her, her eyes hesitantly opened.

She found herself looking up the large well and into a bright blue sky wonder, hints of tree leaves splashing on its edge in the mild breeze. Making sure she was ok, and in one piece, she climbed the well and fell over the lip.

"Where…where am I?"She looked at her strange surrounding, of green grass and flourishing trees. The small shrine was no where to be seen.

"You are near the sacred forest my dear." Sango jumped at the voice of a women. This stranger stood only 5 feet tall. Her hair was gracefully long, pulled back in a crude wrapp at the nape of her neck. She was a pleasantly plump woman, not fat, but not thin. Her one eye was a warm brown, while the other was covered by a black patch. In her arms she held a basket, bountiful with flowers and herbs.

"Who are you?"

"I am called Keiko. And you?"

"Sango."

"How is it that you have come to be in this ancient well so far from the village, and off the path?" Sango stared stupidly, she didn't know how to answer. She herself barely knew what was going on. The woman sighed.

"Come with me. I will feed you and you can tell me your story." Not knowing what else to do, Sango followed this matronly figure through the forest and over the crest of a hill where a small quiet village was harbored.

"Here." Kagura threw down a much larger sack on the dirt at Kagome's feet. Kagome ignored her to continue sewing. She bit the thread and looked at the stitches. They looked clumsy in the places she had started, but slowly they began to grow into a smooth pattern line. Nothing perfect or professional came of it, but her work was done and sturdy.

"Damn you woman! Its clothes and food! You're to where a new kimono in the presence of the royal court!"

"I am not a doll, I will not be paraded in front of some stuck up royalty, and I will not be used as a toy, for Naraku's selfish game."

"High words, coming from a mere child. If I didn't know better, I'd think you'd been practicing." Kagura stepped in and snached the Haori out of Kagome's hands.

"Give that back!"

"Stand your ground!" Kagura hissed. Kagome's movements faltered, but her temper didn't drip away. Kagura examined the cloth and smelled it.

"Disgusting. I think I'll be keeping this however, until you finish complying with our demands. Now get dressed and eat." Kagura walked out, Kagome ran at her, only for the painful shock of the barrier to push her back.

No…now what can I do…that's Inuyasha's…I have to get it back…

She looked at the bag forlornly. Opening it, silk robes spilled out and an even smaller bagcontained bread and cheese.

If I ever wanted to see that arrogant self-centered boy…now would be a good time…

Kagome slowly ate, starring in contempt at the luscious clothes. Dreadfully, she rose and began to slip them on with untrained skill over her uniform, not taking the chance that those 'spies' Kagura had talked about might see her naked.Minutes passed, and she begrudgingly placed finished by wrapping the Obi around her waist.

"There now, that wasn't so bad, now was it?" Kagome's eyesscorned Naraku's presence as he gloated adn gave her an almost appreciative look over.

"Its time for your grand entrance. Empress Elect." Kagome's arms were bound and Kagura guarded her closely as they were taken, by horse, to the palace courts.

"Hotaru, will you please boil some tea. We have a guest." Sango entered a little hut, and a girl about her age picked up a wooden pail.

"I'll have to get some water."

"Quickly then." The girl ducked out of the hut with haste. Sango stared at the spot the girl once stood.

"But she looks just like Kagome." Sango whispered. The girl indeed bore a grand resemblance to Sango's charismatic friend. Hotaru stood tall and lean, her hair was raven black but stickly straight. It too was tied at the nape of her neck, like Keiko's. Her bangs were cut short to her chin. Her eyes were a creamy honey. Sango shook her head.

They could be sisters…at first sight twins…but looking again…no…they are so different but the same…

"Sit down my dear. You can set that weapon of yours by the door along with your bag." Sango did, but her backpack tipped open. Its contents, the robe and two dolls, fell out and Keiko's eyes widened.

"Kami above, it's a sign. Child! Where did you come across such items." Sango scooped them up quickly, to stuff them back into her backpack but it was too late, the deed was done. Keiko slumped to the floor and stared at the fire in the center, seeming to have aged years in the matter of seconds.

"Mother!"Hotaru rushed to the woman's side- dropping the bucket to the floor, though only sploshing some of its contents-and shook her shoulders in worry.

"What's wrong! Has she done something to you? Mother!" Keiko shook her head solemnly and gently took Hotaru's hands in her own. With a great and deep sigh she stood up.

"Hotaru, I wish you to stay here and prepare the herbs I've gathered. This woman and I have much to discuss in private." A weight suddenly gathered upon her shoulders

"But…" Keiko held up her hand and shook her head.

"Please do as you are told. Now, Sango, if you wouldn't mind coming with me." Sango gathered her things and followed Keiko out of the hut, glancing back at Hotaru's worried face before turning her gaze to the woman's back.

Kagome's wrists burned as the rope rubbed against her smooth skin in a course manner. She was seated in front of the cold woman Kagura on a rather large dapple gray horse. Tethered to him was a white mare with elegant decorations. They stopped on top of a winding peak they were to descend and below it was a vast wooden castle surrounded by a glorious village encircled by farms, watered by a huge aquaduct system using a river at the edge of the valley which was surrounded by smooth grass only to meet a lush forest edging that collided into the grand purple mountain majesties.

"Welcome home princess." Kagura muttered. Shudders ran down Kagome's spine. The horses began to move again, down through the mountain pass, on the wide, well worn path.

Sango sat at the waters edge, against a tree as she finished her part of the story. Keiko looked deep into the waters depths, as if seeing something slipping over its crystal surfaces. Silence. And then another deep sigh.

"So, he has come back. I had hoped to never see this day, and if what you have said is true, than darker times are not far from us. The Emporor's life is in jeopardy as well as his kingdom and kingdoms around it."

"I don't think I quite follow."

"You see my dear, it began a long time ago with Kikyo. She wasn't perfect, though she could almost have been. She was in love with two men, and played with their hearts, though not completely with intention. She was young, she didn't know how to say 'no' to one and crush the heart of the other. One of those men was Naraku. A slippery, powerful man with the grace and charm of a snake who could woo just about any woman. He was a greedy lord, and cunning, Kikyo's match. He was the darkness to her light some said. The other was Inuyasha. A half-demon, cast from his own kingdom after his brother became ruler and had nothing to give to her but his heart and loyalty. He was harsh on the outside, but slowly something began to melt as Kikyo stayed with him more. Her mind was confused as she spent more and more time placing pieces of her heart in the hands of each man."

"So she didn't love one more than the other?" Kieko shook her head.

"Then she fell ill. It was small at first, nothing to worry about. Slowly though, it began to take over and she couldn't even get out of bed. Delusions of demons attacking haunted her sleep and wakefulness. No one knew what to do, except Inuyasha."

"Inuyasha?"

"Yes, after finally being allowed-by her command- into the palace; Security had been especially guarded when her illness aroused; he took one look at her, and claimed to know the cure. The whole court was astonished, but he did not wait around. He quickly left, with his companion Miroku."

"Where did they go?"

"Only they themselves know. It wasn't until Kikyo's body had finally almost given up living that they returned. A small wineskin full of liquid, was put to her lips. The monk lifted her up and Inuyasha carefully poured the elixir down her throat. All of it. They locked the doors and no one was allowed inside except Keade, and a handful of Kikyo's ladies. Inuyasha guardedly watched over her with the patience of a kami. Miroku was in and out repeatedly, often saying prayers over her. On the morning of the third day, Kikyo awoke into full consciousness. By the time she was fully healed and her kingdom rejoicing, she announced that it was Inuyasha she would be wed to. Such an announcement was met with mixed emotions. There were those who saw his actions as chivalrous and worthy. Than there were those who saw his half-demon blood and wondered if it would be wise to let such to enter the royal blood line."

"What did you think?" Sango asked, trying to stop the woman for a moment, if only to let all of her story sink in.

"I thought the right was fully his to take. He was good enough to Kikyo, and though many of his traits were…undesireable at best and he was untrained to be king, he could protect her and make her happy."

"But what about Naraku. He couldn't have been pleased with her announcement."

"Indeed not. He was what stirred up all of the trouble and split them apart. He was furiouse to see a half-demon take his place."

"But wasn't…isn't Naraku a half-demon now?"

"Well, yes and no. I'll get to that part. So as was saying, Naraku was none to pleased about such arrangements. He quickly began spreading a treasoness rumor that the only reason Inuyasha could cure Kikyo himself was because he had been the one to put the illness upon her in the first place! It did not take long for word to spread through palace walls and into the ears of her mother, the Empress Azmaria. Conflicts and confrontations aroused between Kikyo and her mother."

"What about her father?"

"Died in a war 3 years previous. But back to my tale. Her mother ordered the engagement to be broken, outraged Kikyo threatened to abdicate her place as Empress Elect. Finally it was pressed upon her to ask Inuyasha how he knew the proper cure. When questioned, he provided no answer. When Miroku was asked, he too chose not to directly answer, but with much more eloquence. Outraged and hurt at their secrecy, feeling betrayed, Kikyo cast the first piece of dark magic she as a priestess had ever done."

"She turned them into dolls."

"Precisely. But her heart would not allow them to be just dolls, defenseless and eventually broken. The exception of the curse was that they could become human if their lives were in danger, and that they would live forever. Inuyasha probably suffered even more. He was cast as a human doll. A fate worse than death for him." Sango looked down at her hands.

What must it have been like…to be turned into a doll…to be betrayed…and turned on... by the same woman you loved…and what about Miroku…he knew he would suffer…but he stuck by Inuyasha's side…would I do the same for Kagome…of course…within a heartbeat…

"But Kikyo didn't marry Naraku."

"You're right. Naraku disappeared and it was in that time he sold his body to a band of powerful demons to become one himself. In those years, Kikyo became Empress by marrying another nearby lord, Iwamoto Hojo, and was pregnant not long after. All would have gone well if Naraku hadn't shown his ugly face around these parts. He came back, on a trade expedition with our kingdom and tried to get close to the queen."

"To try and steal her back?"

"That was the common speculation. Kikyo refused his presence in the palace. Little did she know that by doing this, his plot quickly set into motion to exact revenge."

"Should she have excepted him? From the sound of what you've said so far, things would have been even worse…"

"Who knows what should have been done, all I know is what was. One night, quite by accident, wondering around the streets herself, Keade happened to overhear a startling plan to kidnap the babe to be. Keade quickly ran to her sister to report all that she had heard. They stayed up all night contemplating what was to be done. The baby was due over the course of the next few days. They would have to be quick. So as to buy time, they had it be announced that the babe would not be due for almost another week and that Keade herself was to play the part of midwife, not being completely foreign to the practices herself."

"What about Hojo? Did they tell him?"

"No. Kikyo knew her husband well enough to know that if her were to find out, only bloodshed would come of it and possibly war. While they had allies from other kingdoms, Naraku was no power to be challenged frivolously."

"So what did they do?"

"Spies were everywhere. Kikyo stayed in her room, only allowing a few very trusted hand-maidens and her sister in her presence. Hojo of course. Then came the night they had hoped and dreaded into coming. A 2 hours of waiting and the babe finally came into the world. Quickly,the babe was named, bathed, and bundled. Kikyo barely had time to kiss thenewborns forhead, before being stolen away."

"Stolen?"

"It was all part of the plan. Keade was to run away with the child, so that Naraku would not get his hands on her. She would raise her, and maybe someday bring her back, if all was safe and right. Unfortunately, Kikyo did not die in child labor, but was visciously killed."

"By who! And what about the baby? Was it a boy or girl? Where…"

"By whom…I can only suppose Naraku or one of his henchmen or a traitor in the palace. As for the babe. The child was a darling girl and the name Kikyo bestowed upon her was…Hotaru."