Kagewaki sat in the silence of his room. The sun was beginning to go down, but the young princess was yet to have awoken. Inu-Yasha was flitting around impatiently, annoying his cadres, while Sesshoumaru busied himself by strolling the garden.

The blinds to his room had been drawn, showing through the slits only the last rays of the western sun. With footsteps as silent as a phantom, the young master of the castle quietly stole up to a chest, half buried under books, scrolls, and maps. By himself, he lugged the giant chest out from its place, raising up a storm of dust. He sneezed, but continued to brush the dust away. Then lifted the lid of the chest.

Lady, he thought quietly to himself as he pulled out various objects and set them aside. How long has it been? It has been a while. He stopped for a moment and took a deep breath, before pulling out a small carved ivory box. Your daughter has grown up to be a fine young woman. A very fine young woman. How proud you would be, Lady.

A sigh followed on the words, Kagewaki felt a queer regret over Mikazuki. The child he had learned to love had vanished somehow and here was this tall, serious-eyed girl of fifteen, with the thoughtful brow and the proudly poised little head, in her place. Kagewaki loved the girl as much as he had loved the child, but he was conscious of a queer sorrowful sense of loss.

He blew on the box, to clear it off, before opening the lid.

Inside the ivory box were the last items of the Lady that had been left. Oh Lady, Kagewaki thought silently. How cruel had fate been when it tore you apart from your daughter. It had supplied me with more meaningful smiles, but you…more unshed tears.

He took out an ivory comb and fingered it lovingly. Lady's hair had been as long as Mikazuki's now. Kagewaki remembered how he loved the silkiness and softness of Lady's hair. How he loved to curl about it to take a safe, secure nap.

Setting down the comb, he lifted up a pair of delicate, redwood fan. That had been part of Lady's dowry, originally made by her father to her mother as a wedding gift. The silk linings were sensitively and artistically embroidered with the most intricate design.

Next, Kagewaki picked up a tiny bouquet of lilacs mixed with lavender. The bouquet had been picked by him right before Lady died. And after she died, he had set the dried out blossoms along with the rest of her belongings. He held the flowers to his nose right now and took a deep sniff. Yes, the fragrance brought back memories. Lady had always smelt like lilacs and lavender, which was why he picked them for her in the first place.

At last, he took out the slim envelope at the bottom of the box. He held it, deep in thought.

Well, Lady. He closed his eyes. I guess the time has come. To hear your last words…

Mikazuki glided silently down the hallway. The sun had almost finished setting and her strength has finally been regained. She grimaced. Last time I help that demon. She thought angrily. And that puppy, I can't believe he was so shameless. He must have noticed that the crescent only shows when I'm emotional, excited, or exhausted, or no doubt he would have done it earlier. She stopped in front of the supping room and pulled the door aside.

"Kagewaki," she began, then stopped short. The young prince turned to her, as well as the two dog demons that sat with him.

"Ah, Mikazuki." Kagewaki sat down his cup, and beckoned her to his side. "Feeling better?" He held out a hand and she placed her own there.

"Yes." She arranged herself elegantly against the pillows, her wonderful hair strewn around her, as she eyed the demons with steady, questionable eyes.

"We've never had a proper introduction, have we?" Kagewaki began pleasantly, playing the part of the host perfectly. "This is Lord Sesshoumaru, Prince of the Western Lands." He turned to Inu-Yasha and hesitated just a little. "And this is hanyou Inu-Yasha…his brother." He finished.

"Hanyou?" Mikazuki echoed curiously, eyeing Inu-Yasha, who scowled.

"Yes," he answered sarcastically. "That means I'm only half demon."

"Then how—"

"Sesshoumaru and Inu-Yasha shared the same father but different mothers." Kagewaki ended quickly, giving Mikazuki a warning look. Mikazuki caught on, and learned that this was a sensitive topic.

"Ah, yes." She said brightly, turning toward Inu-Yasha. "Pardon my rudeness for my earlier display. I have not yet thanked you properly. Though your actions afterwards were…questionable."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Let's hear your appreciation." Was the snotty reply. Mikazuki frowned at the bluntness.

"Thank you." She forced out stiffly. But before Inu-Yasha had time to nod with satisfaction, she matched him shot for shot. "Let's hear your apology."

"What?!"

"For your ill-mannered performance right afterwards."

Inu-Yasha glared at the girl without speaking. Alone, Mikazuki of the Kagewaki Palace was unaffected by his piercing gaze. The girl's soft violet eyes held Inu-Yasha's. In the end, Inu-Yasha looked away.

"Feh." He snorted. "It was not ill-mannered. It was called 'helping-myself-get-some-answers.'"

"Answers of what? My—"

"Silence." Came of voice lined with boredom and authority. Eyes turned toward the demon lord, who sat quietly throughout the exchange, sipping his drink.

"Inu-Yasha," he continued. "We're here strictly on business. None of your fooling around will do."

"My fooling around?! Who are you to—" Inu-Yasha began, but a look from his brother's golden eyes silenced him.

There was an uncomfortable silence after that. Until Kagewaki cleared his throat and explained more to Mikazuki than the whole group.

"They're here upon family matters." Mikazuki looked mildly interested.

"Oh? Family business? What sorts? What does it have to do with us?"

Inu-Yasha let out a humph. "Oh, you'd surprise of how you're related to all of this."

"Me? Do explain, my dear hanyou." The princess's voice was dripping with sarcasm. Kagewaki eyed his protégé and the demon, who flushed deep red, and sighed. If this was supposedly a pair of siblings, how are they going to get along?

"Ha! You want to know how you're related this all this, let me tell you—"

"Inu-Yasha," Sesshoumaru interrupted with an emotionless, calm tone. "I do believe I told you to shut up."

"Listen, you—" There was a hiss from the demon lord and Inu-Yasha once again became silent.

"Child," the Prince of the Western Lands directed his steady voice toward the raven-haired maiden.

"Yes, my lord?" Inu-Yasha scowled at the respect in his sister's voice as she spoke to their brother. Why didn't he receive any of this respect? After all, the respectable brother in the family was him, not Sesshoumaru.

"Where are your parents? Why does your scent not represent either mortal nor demon?"

"My parents?" She echoed, before glancing at Kagewaki. The master nodded encouragingly. Mikazuki lifted her chin up and faced Sesshoumaru squarely. "You are sharp, my lord." A small smile twitched on her lips. "And it is as you say, I am neither demon nor human." She turned to Inu-Yasha. "I may be human physically, but like you, Inu-Yasha, I, too, had human mother and a demon father. Demon blood runs through my veins."

"Then why are you not half-demon?" Inu-Yasha pressed. Mikazuki shrugged.

"Speak to my gene pool. I have no earthly idea."

"Child," Sesshoumaru again addressed. "Have you ever know your family?"

"Unfortunately no." She replied. "I was very young when I lost my mother. My father passed before I was born. I fear that he had not known my existence before he passed."

"Oh, he had known of your existence, pup." Was the abrupt reply. "He had left something for you as well, and to this day, I've been waiting for you to grow up."

Mikazuki struggled to stand up. Even standing up, next to Sesshoumaru's sitting form, Mikazuki wasn't too much taller than him.

"Who are you?" Her velvety violet eyes were wary. Sesshoumaru let out a rare chuckle.

"No, no. That's not the question. The real question is: 'Who are you?'"

Mikazuki remained silent. Kagewaki, listening quietly from the side, grew anxious between the siblings' exchange. As much as he wanted to go through this conversation, he knew that this was something Mikazuki had to go through alone.

"Sit down, pup. Let me tell you the whole story." Sesshoumaru beckoned, waving a clawed finger. Inu-Yasha also settled on the floor more comfortably. To Kagewaki, it was as if it was story time as both younger siblings scooted closer to the demon prince.

"It was a long time ago." Sesshoumaru began. "All over the lands, war was breaking out. My father was a taiyoukai and also king of the Western lands, which I now possess." Inu-Yasha gave a silent snort. Sesshoumaru gave him an icy glare before continuing. "I was a very young pup when my mother passed away, from the wound results of a especially gruesome battle." He heard the soft gasp from Mikazuki. He smiled ruefully. Human girls were more sentimental than demonesses all right.

"Father mourned for the loss of my mother, but could not take proper care of me by himself. He soon fell deeply in love once again and remarried. But not to another demoness, as I have expected, but to a mortal human."

"Was she beautiful?" Mikazuki whispered, stars in her eyes.

"Yeah, was she beautiful?" Inu-Yasha egged on, though a bit stiffly. This was about his mother after all. Sesshoumaru was quiet for a minute.

"I suppose she was the beauty of the land," he replied, also rigidly. "But that did not improve my feelings for her. I disliked her, because she had taken away my father's love for my mother, his devotion to her after her death. And she was human, an insult upon my late mother."

"How tragic…" Mikazuki murmured.

"Keep going, keep going." Inu-Yasha urged. "Tell the part where I came in." Sesshoumaru cringed.

"Yes, after several years of taking care of me, Inu-Yasha was born. How I wish I had drowned myself back then."

"Was he cute?" Mikazuki squealed. "Was he cuddly and soft and adorable? And his puppy ears!" The hanyou turned several dozen shades of red.

"Yes," Sesshoumaru replied dryly. "Too cute. So cute that he was a pain in the a—" Kagewaki cleared his throat. "Yes, anyway, he was cute. And very fun to torment. He proved to be a worthwhile entertainment."

"Hey, you—"

"Keep going." Kagewaki hastened to say.

"Inu-Yasha was a toddler when his mother once again conceived with child. However, she was only several months into the pregnancy when Father passed, protecting her. Now, that woman had taken away my mother as well as my father. I soon ran away—"

"So you left my mother!" Inu-Yasha jumped up and shouted. "She took care of you and you left her at her moment of need!"

"Inu-Yasha, sit down." Sesshoumaru's voice lined with authority and was not to be trifled with. His brother sat, though the fire in his amber eyes had yet to die.

"I did not leave your mother. Not totally anyway. I watched over her in discreet until her child was born. I felt that was my last duty to Father. Inu-Yasha, you were too young to remember you had a sister, but I…I was with her when she was born, and I was with her as she was taken away along with her mother to be taken care of. But after I had known for sure that she would be taken care of properly, I left. And I have not returned since."

"What happened to Inu-Yasha's mother?" Mikazuki asked, her elegant brow arched and furrowed.

"She had always been a weak and delicate human. She had not been well since Father died and by the time her child was born, she was feverishly ill and weak. It was a miracle that her child survived through her heartsickness. The village women were sure the child wouldn't make it through the winter."

"What happened to Inu-Yasha and her newborn child?" Mikazuki pressed, for the story had captivated her curiosity fully. Sesshoumaru waved a hand under the elaborate kimono.

"Inu-Yasha was a infant toddler. He was always playing and curious in his surrounding. He was lost during the time, and his mother had been too sick to realize that he had wondered off far away."

"What about the newborn?"

"She was brought here. To Kagewaki's castle. Inu-Yasha's mother, with her last strength, was searching for her lost son. But because of her weakened body and feverish heart, she collapsed in the rain—right in front of the Kagewaki gate."

"You knew this all along but you never helped her?" Inu-Yasha's voice cracked as he thought about his mother. "You saw her sick and weak and you never did anything?" He stood up, and pulled out the Tetsusaiga. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru. Thank you for reminding me why I needed to kill you!" He looked up, and Mikazuki saw the burning embers burst into flames.

"Now, now, Inu-Yasha…" She jumped up and petted Inu-Yasha's hair. "Let Sesshoumaru finish talking before killing him." She looked up and saw his puppy ears. With her fingers itching, she couldn't help but gave in to her temptation. She reached up and touched his ears, massaging them between her fingertips. Inu-Yasha turned to her with a look of shock, and she saw the fire in his eyes die down.

"Isn't it exciting, Kagewaki?" The princess smile excitedly as they all sat back down. "Knowing that Inu-Yasha and Lord Sesshoumaru's sister lives with us?" She turned toward the brothers. "What's her name? How do you plan to find her in the castle? We have many maidens here, it would be difficult to tell her apart after fifteen or sixteen years. Human's age a lot faster than demons."

Mikazuki was suddenly aware of the thoughtful look in Sesshoumaru's eyes. She turned to Inu-Yasha and he was also eyeing her with a look she could not identify. Kagewaki looked back and forth uneasily.

"That child, born fifteen years ago, and grew up within the Kagewaki Palace, was you, Mikazuki." Came a voice, so softly it was almost part of the air.

"Me?" Mikazuki felt numb all over. Her heart stopped. She thought about screaming. She thought about running away. She thought about collapsing. But all she was able to do was stand, rock solid still, rooted to the floor. She was surprise, but at the same time, she realized deep down, the child in the story was herself. And the mysterious lady was her mother. For a moment, Mikazuki saw black.

"My father was a dog demon?" She finally cried after her view cleared. "But that's impossible!" She reached out blindly for someone's support, and Kagewaki's arms fell around her, pulling her into an embrace.

"It is true, Mikazuki. It is all true." His voice was husky as he rocked her. She clung onto him.

"What's wrong with having a dog demon for a father?" The brothers seemed offended, though Sesshoumaru's expression remained monotonous.

"It was not meant to be offensive." Kagewaki explained quietly. "The princess suffers from a—personal crisis."

"But what if you are wrong? What if…" Mikazuki searched for the correct words. "What if I am not who you think I am at all? What if it was somebody else? How do we know it was me?"

"Your scent—" Sesshoumaru began.

"Your temper—" Inu-Yasha said at the same time. They both stopped and glared at one another. Now that the story was over, the hostile feeling came back between them.

Kagewaki pulled away from Mikazuki and reached for the envelope in his sleeve.

"I think we shall find the true answer in here." He set the envelope down and set Mikazuki up. "This was the last words left by your mother to you. Before she passed, she had instructed me to give you the envelope on your sixteenth birthday." He hesitated. "Though you're not yet sixteen, I'm sure your mother wouldn't mind if we open it early. I fear this letter might held some answers to the questions that needs to be answered."

Mikazuki nodded and tenderly opened the thin envelope and pulled out the sheets of paper. Soft fragrance of lavender gently wavered from the paper as she read silently to herself.

My dearest daughter,

If you are reading this letter, it means I am with you no longer. Today should be your sixteenth birthday. I'm so sorry I am not there to witness my darling mature from a child to a young woman. My sweet, sweet child, I feel the woe that you have to grow up alone. I never wanted things to happen this way, you are the last thing I have from your father. He passed before you were born, but knowing there was you, he left you something. My daughter, I have held back this message until you're old enough to understand. And now, I believe you are. But keep in mind my sweet, this is a long and dangerous journey, in which you'll need more than yourself. You have two brothers, Inu-Yasha and Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands. Search for them and ask for their help. You must not make this journey alone. And my love, even though I am not with you throughout this time, note this: I do love you, with all of my heart and I will watch over you every day of your life. Find Inu-Yasha, for he is my son… Find both he and Sesshoumaru, for they are both your brothers… Give them my love, for I have loved them both equally as my sons. I love you all, oh, how I love you all. I pray that fate would not be so cruel as to take you all away from me…

Tears trickled down Mikazuki's face as her eyes swept over the letter. The writing, instead of elegant, flowing letters, was faltering and unsteady, undoubtedly written by an ill, shaky hand. Several splashes of teardrops blotted the now faded ink that burned a pain in Mikazuki's heart that she had never known existed.

Through the short, painful few words of her mother, Mikazuki felt the love radiating. Though it was no where near making up her childhood without a mother's love, for the first time, Mikazuki felt as if she had a mother. A mother that had cared and loved and cherished her, though her presence was absent.

They studied her face and saw that it went still, like a mask, as if someone had just turned off a light. Then her face crumpled. A choked –off sob escaped her throat. A hand flew to her mouth, and she dropped the letter, covering her eyes.

"Mikazuki?" Kagewaki's concerned voice shook her from her thoughts. "Are you alright?"

She handed him the letter and brushed her tears away. "Read it out loud, Kagewaki. My brothers need to hear Mother's last words." Kagewaki breathed in sharply.

"So it is stated." He said softly as he took the yellowing papers. He read aloud and Mikazuki sat stiffly on the tatami, her body numb and her fingers cold. The second sheet of paper was left by her father, indicating where her father had left her the legacy.

"What do you propose we do now?" Kagewaki finally asked after the silence.

"I'm going, Kagewaki." Mikazuki found herself saying. "It was both Mother and Father's wish."

"It sounds more like an excuse for the three of us to work together." Inu-Yasha cocked his head.

"It is." Sesshoumaru spoke up. "Both the Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga are needed on this mission. And, where potion is, it's in the Western Lands—my territory."

"Potion?"

"Yes, what Father had left for you, is a purification potion. Or at least something with the same importance."

"How do you know?" His brother wrinkled his nose and his ears twitched back and forth.

"I'm the oldest, I should know. Give Tenseiga to the elder son, Tetsusaiga to the younger…" That was their father's last wish. "Father left the Tenseiga and the Tetsusaiga for us, and the potion—which is as valuable as the Shikon no Tama—is left to his only daughter."

"Why not another sword?" Sesshoumaru fixed his golden eyes on Inu-Yasha with an ennuyé look.

"You don't want Father to die without any teeth, do you?" He asked sarcastically. "No, the Tetsusaiga was given to you to seal your demon blood, as well as give you discipline. Tenseiga for me, to learn to be compassionate. Breath of Divinity however, could do whatever Mikazuki wants it to do. She could purify unclean souls, she could make herself full human or full demon, she could make one wish, she could heal, she could grant people wishes, she could do fundamentally anything with the purification potion—but, only if she has a pure heart."

"Breath of Divinity? Sounds…fancy…" Inu-Yasha remarked.

"Mikazuki, you sure you want to do this?" Kagewaki's disturbed expression was one of concern and worry.

"Yes," her expressions softened at his tone. "That's the only thing I have left of my father. Think of all the good it would do for the village, Kagewaki."

"Or the world." Sesshoumaru put in with a smirk.

"Well, it is getting rather late." Kagewaki stood listlessly and turn to the demons. "Do stay for the night. We shall discuss this more in the morning."