"It's you." She whispered in a shaky breath as she pushed herself up. "I found you." Her legs shook as she stood, staring up at the man.
Sesshomaru turned to face her. To his irritation, the scent he had been following ended here. Perhaps it had been too long. Perhaps he had forgotten her smell. The girl reached out shakily and he could only watch her as she stumbled closer. He turned away, wanting to leave quickly. His pesky younger brother was closing in. Surely Inuyasha would care for the runt.
"Don't go." The child's frantic voice called as he felt her cling to his leg. He stopped walking and stared at the top of her head. Even Rin hardly dared to touch him so. His gold eyes bore down on her and she met his gaze. Sesshomaru stared, taking her in. She smelled of the woman he had known long ago, but this wasn't her. It felt as though he was looking in a mirror. Her gold eyes were determined and the crescent on her head mirrored his. Takara's eyes welled with tears. She found him. "Please, don't leave me. I need your help."
"The others will help you." He told her coldly and removed her from his leg. It wasn't possible.
Takara, shocked at his coldness, ran to him again, grabbing onto his leg. She could hear a low growl of irritation but she didn't let go. She didn't risk everything just to turn back now.
"Let go." He ordered, his voice low and threatening. Takara shook her head and gripped tighter.
"I can't." She told him weakly. "I need your help. She said you would help."
"I have no time for your childish games." He told her and pushed her away once more. He began to walk only to feel her grab him once more. "If you don't release me, you'll end up like these men."
"I don't care!" She shouted.
"Takara!" Kagome shouted as she broke through the tree line first. She gasped and froze in shock at the sight. "Sesshomaru."
"That's Lord Sesshomaru, to you!" Jaken's shrill voice announced the arrival of Sesshomaru's entourage. Within seconds, Inuyasha and his companions joined them, much to Sesshomaru's annoyance.
"Please, please you have to come with me." Takara insisted, pulling his attention back to her. "Mother promised you would help us." Her voice began to break as tears ran down her dirty face. "Please, she promised." Takara begged.
"Your mother was a fool to make a promise on another's behalf." Jaken told her as he wedged his staff between her arm and Sesshomaru's leg in an attempt to pry her off.
"You have to listen to me." Takara cried and begged. "No, no please." She begged as she began to lose her grip on the man. He was as elusive as smoke and she had finally found him. She couldn't let go yet. She had to try. "Please, please help us."
Everyone watched as this crying begging child clung to Sesshomaru. While most looked on in pity, Rin sat atop Ah-Un watching curiously. She had no idea who this girl was and why she was sobbing into her protector's leg.
"Lord Sesshomaru," She called to him, "should we help her?"
"Please, just hear her out." Kagome spoke softly, stepping forward and kneeling beside Takara, trying to pull her away as well, gently prying her hands off of the man's pants, hoping to reason with the dog demon.
"My mother sent me to find the Prince of the West, my father. She told me he would help us." She began to explain in a rush as Kagome rubbed her arms, comforting her.
"Your father?" Jaken shrieked, outraged. "How dare you lie and claim to be kin of the great lord Sesshomaru!"
"I'm not lying!" Takara snapped, stomping her foot in indignation. She knew who she was and she knew this man was her father. She shook off Kagome' soothing hands and stepped forward, fixing her eyes on Sesshomaru and meeting his gaze. Takara squared her shoulders like she had seen her mother do before. She could hear her mother's voice telling her what to say. "My name is Takara. I am the daughter of the Prince of the West and the Daughter of the Queen Noa, I am the rightful heir to the throne and you will help us!"
"What did you say?" Sesshomaru spoke quietly, a dangerous shadow cast over his eyes. How long had it been since he heard that name? Jaken gulped and stepped away in fear and Rin gasped, her hands covering her mouth. Sesshomaru tilted his head and the shadow was gone. His gaze pierced right through her but his face was neutral. Takara gulped.
"My name is Takara." She repeated and swallowed, pulling back some of her courage. "I am the daughter of the Prince of the West and the daughter of the Queen Noa of Bonin Island."
"Noa." He repeated quietly as he stood in front of her. She looked up at him, his looming figure casting a shadow over her. She felt no more fear towards him as a spark of recognition flashed through his eyes. He wasn't imagining it and he wasn't smelling Noa. He was smelling their daughter. This child before him was his daughter, his flesh and blood.
"Noa." She spoke quietly. "My mother's name is Noa. She sent me to find you. She said you would help us."
Everyone watched, holding their breath, waiting to see what he would do, how he would react. Here infront of him was his daughter that he never knew existed. Takara smiled softly. She knew. He could smell her mother in her blood. He could smell his own.
"Tell me what you know."
Everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as he accepted her story. Takara's words flew from her a mile a minute, speaking so fast and hurriedly Sesshomaru struggled to keep up.
"Are you getting any of this?" Miroku asked Inuyasha quietly as they watched the child spill out everything. Her words rushed out of her and somewhere along the line her words twisted into a strange language they had never heard before.
"What the hell is she saying?" Inuyasha asked him.
"I don't recognize the language." Sango told them quietly. Kagome, still sitting next to the girl, watched in confusion and looked up to Sesshomaru. The man stood there, listening as she shifted to her native language. He did not stop her. He did not move. It had been decades since he had heard it but he understood her.
Eventually the girl slowed down and caught her breath. Takara panted after her explanation. Then she asked him something. Everyone held their breath as they waited for him to do or say anything. He had been as still as a statue. Sesshomaru opened his mouth and responded in her native language, much to the shock of Inuyasha and his group. Inuyasha stepped forward to ask what he had said, but Takara's smile told him everything he needed to know. He chuckled to himself as Takara laughed and once more hugged Sesshomaru's leg, thanking him over and over again. Inuyasha enjoyed the look of discomfort on his brother's face.
"I take it she was convincing enough." Sango said with a small smile to her friends.
"Come, come, I'll show you the way!" Takara announced and began pulling at his pant leg, pointing ahead of her. Sesshomaru reached down and grabbed the little girl by the back of her shirt, much to her surprise and she yelped as he sent her flying through the air towards Inuyasha.
"What the hell!" Inuyasha shouted as he caught her. "What if I dropped her?" He shouted at his brother and Kagome stood, walking back over to her friends.
"You will remain here, with Inuyasha." Sesshormaru instructed and turned to Rin, Ah-Un, and Jakken. "Jakken." He spoke, ignoring Inuyasha's and Takara's dissent. The little imp looked up at his lord. "You will watch over the two." He spoke, referring to Rin and Takara. He stepped past them. He didn't need a guide. He knew the way, but he realized something. Sesshomaru stopped and looked over his shoulder at his second daughter.
"What is your name?" He asked her and she blinked, still being held by Inuyasha.
"Takara." She told him. "My name's Takara." Sesshomaru looked at her for a moment before continuing off into the woods and out of site. They heard the dragon huff and Ah-Uhn startled Rin and Jakken by following Sesshomaru into the woods, even though Jakken tried to stop him.
"I guess that's our cue." Inuyasha said and followed, his friends following him. They would be traveling with Sesshomaru whether he liked it or not. He set Takara down and she ran off after her father, ignoring their calls for her to wait.
Sesshomaru could hear Jakken shouting at Ah-Uhn and sighed quietly, stopping. He felt the dragon nudge him gently with one of its heads. The dragon knew where they were going and would be accompanying him. At the very least, he would be able to ensure Takara was returned to her mother. He smelled his younger brother and fought back a scowl. It wasn't worth it to argue. He continued walking.
"If you are going to join me, you will keep up." Sesshomaru said, his way of accepting them.
"Hey! Do you want to ride with me?" Rin called to the girl who stood near by. Takara looked up at her smiling face and nodded, a grin growing on her face. Rin giggled and stuck out her hand. "C'mon, I'll help you up." Takara jumped but couldn't quiet reach. "You can do it!" Rin encouraged and Takara kept trying to jump but she was too small. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and picked her up by the back of her shirt and plopped her down on top of the dragon.
"Hey!" Takara shouted at him. "I don't need your help!"
"You'd be jumping all day if I didn't help you!" Inuyasha shouted back at her.
"Don't yell at me!" Takara shouted. "I'm just a child!"
"Yeah! Don't be mean!" Rin joined in, the two girls looking at him indignantly, Rin already deciding she would always take Takara's side. Sango and Kagome giggled as Inuyasha steamed.
"Hey, can I join you two?" Shippo asked from his perch on Kagome's shoulder.
"There's not enough room!" Jakken shouted, already unsatisfied with the two girls he was stuck with. Takara shot him a glare and kicked him off the dragon.
"Master Jakken!" Rin giggled, trying to sound concerned as he shouted at Takara.
"Now there's room." Takara announced and reached out to the small boy. Shippo smiled and jumped over, landing on the dragon's back, joining the two girls.
"It's crazy to think you have a niece, Inuyasha." Miroku prodded, ever the antagonist. Takara over heard this and glared at Inuyasha.
"Yeah, never thought Sesshomaru'd have a kid." Inuyasha smirked and looked to Takara, pointing at himself with his thumb. "That means you gotta be nice to me now!" He announced.
"I hate uncles!" Takara shouted at him and the two women tried to stifle their laughter as Inuyasha fumed.
"Hey! What the hell did I ever do to you?" He shouted at her.
"You stink!" Takara shouted.
"I do not!"
"Do to!" No one could see it as he led the group but there was a smirk resting on Sesshomaru's face at her dislike for Inuyasha. Perhaps there was more of him in her than he thought.
As he listened he could hear her mother in her voice. Takara held a closer resemblance to him, but her mannerisms and personality were closer to her mother. When she squared her shoulders and held her head high, confronting him, there was no more doubt left in his mind. Takara was their child.
Why didn't she tell him?