Disclaimer: I'll just let you people think up a witty comment on how I don't own Inuyasha. And while you're doing that, I'd just like to say that I would have updated sooner, but my comp's only just been rebooted after crashing, so sorry about that. I'm being lazy, so this chapter's going to start with the threesome just arriving at the castle.

Fearless

Chapter III

"Wow. You know, this place looks different than I...imagined." Kagome caught herself in time; it was getting easier to stop herself from mentioning important things from the future. But she was telling the truth. The Moon House was so much different in this time period. It appeared much larger than Sesshoumaru's House of the Moon. It was surrounded by a huge brick wall, with youkai guards standing at the ready before the huge gates. Both appeared to be inu youkai, although they had dark hair.

"Well, how did you imagine it?" Toga questioned, carrying Kagome on his shoulder, cuddled in one of his boas. On the second day of their travel, she'd fallen down a steep incline, and broken her ankle. To save time, he'd ended up carrying her. Humans were so troublesome sometimes.

Kagome laughed, and shook her head. "That's a no-win question. It's just different, that's all. You can set me down now, you know. Your guards would probably be pissed off if you sauntered into the castle carrying a human woman."

Toga scoffed at this. "Nonsense. They know better than to cross my word. I could kill any of them instantly. Kiyoshi, have them open the gate for us."

Without a word, Kiyoshi held up a hand, and the guards nodded, moving their spears and swords out of the way and pulling the giant doors open. They didn't make so much of a sound when they moved. Kagome whistled, watching.

"Those things have got to weigh a ton." She said, blowing a strand of her dark hair out of her eyes.

"I suppose to an onna they would. You are weak, after all. Hoshi-taichou!" Toga called out, walking through the gates after Kiyoshi.

With a small humming sound, an elemental youkai appeared to the side of Toga. He had hair a bright orange that turned into an even brighter orange color at the tips; it was set in two braids down his face. His eyes were purely green; no pupil at all. Below each eye was the tattoo of a golden star, and fangs and claws. He wore a simple haori and hakama, but wore a bright sash on which hung twin katanas with simple hilts. He stood at just under six feet, and bowed low to Toga.

"My Prince, you have returned. Shall I inform your father?" The youkai general, Hoshi, questioned, his eyes on the ground before him.

Toga waved his hand half-heartedly. "No doubt he already knows. No, actually, I was wondering if I could request a kimono of your wife's to lend to the lady here. She is dressed rather indecently, and I would prefer her to be dressed appropriately for the meeting with the Inu no Taishou."

Hoshi finally looked up, staring at Kagome. He nodded indifferently. "Selene can spare a kimono, that is true. Shall I take you two to our abode to change, then?"

The silver-haired youkai nodded. "Kiyoshi! Have my father and mother be prepared in the meeting room, and have the kitchen work on a meal. We'll be along shortly."

Kagome winced at the sharp pain in her ankle as she stood on both her legs to slide into the kimono. It was a deep red color, with the symbol of a star on the back. Selene, Hoshi's mate, hummed a soft tune as she helped Kagome tie the kimono, and then put her hair into a loose braid.

"I do not mean offense, Lady, but you have a much nicer scent than any human I've come across before." Selene commented, turning Kagome and allowing her to sit on the bed.

The younger girl shook her head, smiling. "That's alright; I'm used to comments like that. It's because I bathe more than other humans. I don't like being dirty."

Selene nodded. "That would explain it, then. Would you like something sweet to eat, before you meet the Inu no Taishou?" She questioned, holding up what looked like a mint.

"No, thank you. I'm ready now, actually. And thanks again for lending me such a beautiful kimono. I'll see if I can get it washed and returned to you."

"No, that's quite alright. I've got more than enough kimonos; I can spare one. If you truly are ready, than I will call Toga back in."

No more than a few seconds later, and Toga was in the room, picking Kagome up and depositing her on his pelt. They disappeared out of the abode, and Selene turned to her mate.

"She was quite a pretty thing, wasn't she, Hoshi? If she stays, I would like to befriend her."

Hoshi shrugged. "She's different, that's for sure. But if you do befriend her, I won't object to your bringing her here." He sigh was long-suffering, and earned him a passionate kiss. Yep, he was a happy youkai.

Kagome gulped as she stood before the Inu no Taishou and his mate, without even the subtle support of Toga next to her. Toga had been right; Kaemon was completely and utterly intimidating.

He was sitting on a high-backed chair, one hand holding his head up, wearing a white robe with blue sakura blossoms. He had the dark crescent moon on his forehead, and three maroon stripes on each cheek. Gray strands of hair billowed about him, mixing with his boa and his robe. His dark amber eyes had a bored look in them, and one extremely long, curling boa covered him and a quiet bundle. Sitting almost on his lap and to the side was his mate, Ayaka. She had silver hair, which was more Sesshoumaru's color than the gray of her mate's. And instead of amber eyes, she had pretty rouge eyes, and no markings on her face. She, too, wore a robe of the same making as her mate's, and had a bundle resting against her shoulder.

Smiling a little, Kagome tried for a curtsey, ignoring the pain in her ankle at the movement. Toga, standing to the side of his father's throne, had to admire her courage. Most people meeting his father the first time would be pissing their pants right about now.

"It is a pleasure to meet the infamous Inu no Taishou and his family." Hey, Kagome knew how to be courteous when it was called for.

Kaemon closed his eyes, yawning to show his sharp canines. He opened them again to study the unusual female. "My pup introduced you as a human onna, yet it is obvious to this one that that isn't the truth. Before we allow you a safe haven in this Moon House, this Kaemon will have the truth out of you." His voice was deep, with a constant amused factor to it. (a/n: If you've ever watched Saiyuki in english, his voice sounds like Homura. I've learned that he's voiced by Jason Douglas, by the way, if you know what he sounds like.)

Kagome nodded her head. "Of course; I would not wish to keep a secret from you. I am a miko, my lord."

This time he lifted his head off his hand to look at her. "This term, "miko," has not made its way around these lands. Explain further, before this one decides you are no more than a liar, and decides to kill you."

Kagome gulped again, and nodded quickly. "Of coure; forgive me. May I get something from my bag to help explain, though?" Kaemon waved a hand as if to say, "do what you want." She knelt at the large yellow bag, putting as much weight off her foot as she could, and took out some blank sheets of paper and colored pens. "Okay, well, as far as I've been told, mikos are priestesses, but they're not normal ones. They battle crazed youkai for villagers who request such things. From what I've learned, they usually kill the youkai, but I don't follow that. To me, a miko is a creature of nature, one of those who do their best to help those in need, no matter the species. A youkai I know told me that it's the miko in me that changes my scent and makes it less...human." She was drawing pictures to accompany her speech, and handed them to Toga, who snorted at them. They were actually quite amusing to look at.

"And how many youkai have you killed?" Kaemon questioned, casting a bored glance at the pictures.

"I haven't been keeping count, my lord. But I've only killed the youkai who've attacked my friends and I, and I've promised to kill one called Naraku, for all of the evil he's done." The sweet scent of her anger permeated the air at the mention of the hanyou.

"Why would youkai come after you, if you are not one who goes after them? Or rather, why have you promised to kill this Naraku?" This time Toga questioned her, earning an amused glance from his father. Anything to amuse the pops.

"Because of this." Kagome pulled at the sterling silver chain covered by the kimono, pulling out the almost complete, sparkling and shining Shikon no Tama which hung on it. "I became the guardian of this jewel, but ended up shattering it a few years ago. Youkai come after me because they want the power the shards of this jewel hold." She paused, tensing in case the youkai around her decided they wanted the jewel for themselves. After a few minutes, she relaxed; they apparently held Sesshoumaru's thoughts, that they were powerful enough on their own, and didn't need some petty object to grant them false power.

"And this Naraku creature of with incites such anger in you?" Kaemon again; he was actually getting interested in this girl.

"He was a human theif, who fell in love with the miko Kikyou." The bitch, Kagome added silently. "When he was badly injured, he chose to absorb hundreds of youkai into his body, and became a hanyou with a spider scar on his back. He holds the rest of the jewels with him, and has come after our group countless times to steal this jewel from me. He and his creations had spread across the lands, killing humans and youkai, any who opposed him. We promised we'd kill him to help the others." She sighed in relief when she was finally finished talking; even talking about that murderous fiend made her sick.

"Hm." Kaemon stood, giving Ayaka a pat on the shoulder and handing her his bundle. He stepped up to Kagome; she blinked, for he towered over her at nearly seven feet tall. He leaned down and took a long whiff at her neck; she heard a snuffling next to her ear. Through sheer force of will, she didn't flinch away, even when he was suddenly standing back up at his throne. "You smell of no deceit, and yet we've heard nothing of this Naraku. Would you care to explain that?"

Here Kagome hesitated. "Um, be-cause he hasn't decided to do such a thing here yet?" Somehow, that turned into a question.

"Heh. Funny. Very well, I'll accept that answer for now, but only because I'm hungry, and it's never good to keep an inu hungry. Are you joining us for lunch?"

"Am I allowed to?"

Toga stepped foreword with his arm outstretched. Shrugging, Kagome took it, and allowed him to take her weight. He led her to a huge dining room, following after his parents, who didn't both looking after them to see if they were following. The large table in the center of the room was covered in great amounts of food; Kagome's mouth watered just smelling it all. Toga noticed, and smirked somewhat, leading her over to the left side of the table, seating her to the right of him while he sat at his father's right. His mother sat across from him, both bundles in her arms.

"Your chef prepared all this in so few of time?" Kagome questioned, smoothing out the kimono as she sat.

"He is youkai; you cannot expect anything less of them."

The miko scoffed, but didn't do anything to contradict him. Instead, she watched Kaemon pile food on the plates before him. It was all mostly raw; meat, vegetables, fruits, and what looked like creatures of the sea. She swallowed her saliva, for it was definately different than ramen and fast food.

"Well? Are you going to feed yourself, or am I going to have to feed you?" Toga asked, sticking a piece of raw meat on his claws.

"Ah, no, I-I'll get it." Reaching, she grabbed the first thing she saw, something grayish and jelly-feeling on the inside. It was slightly open, and reminded her somewhat of clams. Frowning, she turned to Toga. "Let me borrow your claw."

He choked on his piece of meat. "W-what?" He coughed, stunned.

"Let me borrow your claw! Please." she amended, holding out a hand. Shaking his head, he placed his hand in hers, and she thanked him. Pulling the clam's shells apart, she gripped his index finger, and used the sharp claw to dig the meat out. It clung to his claw, and she frowned. "That can't be right." She murmured, and he snickered.

"Why don't you stick to the foods humans actually eat?" He placed what looked to be tubers and apples on her plate, and retrieved the clam shell after gulping the meat down. He hummed deep in his throat in satisfaction.

Kaemon watched the exchange with interest; it appeared his son had found a pet of his own. And they said humans weren't interesting. He glanced at his mate, noticed the twinkle in her eye, and nodded subtly. She grinned, and placed a cup of sweet juice at the infant Cho's mouth. Kaemon turned back to Kagome and Toga.

"Girl." She just resisted the urge to glare, but he smelled the spike in her anger. "Sorry, miko; none that I know of have heard of this jewel, and these creatures called mikos. It is my decreed that you will teach the inu prince about these things in the time that you stay here."

Kagome nodded; who was she to disobey that? Ayaka nodded at her mate, then at Kagome.

"Yes, and we will put you in the same wing as our son as well, so that he may help protect you. Once the youkai get wind of the fact that you can kill youkai, they'll probably want to attack you. Toga will help with that." Her voice was pure music, and Kagome felt calm just listening to it.

"I understand. But, if I may, I think that if I'm to be the teacher of the prince, I should get something in return."

Instantly, Kaemon's eyes turned cold. He should have expected something like this; it was true, after all, that humans were all the same. "If it's money you're thinking of, we've got plenty of that."

She was stunned for all of two seconds. Then she exploded. "What?! How could you even think that?! I mean, sure, you don't know me, but that doesn't mean you can automatically think the worst of me! God, I was just going to ask that Toga train me, but I guess that's too much to ask!" She stood from the table and stomped to the door, glaring at Toga when he got in her way.

"You will have to forgive us, Kagome. Humans are always looking for money, and why were we to think any different now? Are you full, then?"

Breathing deeply, Kagome counted to ten. "Yes, I'm full. I believe I'd like to retire then, if that's alright." Toga nodded, and led her away.

When they were gone, Ayaka grinned, and handed Chikako over to her mate. "She's quite feisty. Just perfect for our rebunctious son, wouldn't you agree, mate?"

Kaemon nodded. "I was just thinking that. Did you sense that power, too? Mates are meant to be powerful."

"Yes. And I've got a plan. Would you care to hear it?"

Kaemon leaned foreword, his eyes widening. Oh, this was just perfect.

Uh oh, someone's plotting against poor Toga and Kagome! Okay, yeah, this might have been a little off the wack, but I'm super tired. Next chapter will be better, I promise. It's also the chapter where each's "training" begins. Can't wait to see what that'll be like. So, won't you good readers review for me, please? And yeah, flames are okay too.

Ayame