The Lost Prince by Natasha

The pup

The sounds of splashing water caught a young woman's attention. She was bathing in a river near her camp alone when she heard the sound. Sapphire eyes searched for the location of the sound. She then heard wailing and to her horror she saw a toddler like a demon attempting to stay on a drifting log as to not drown. Swimming as fast as she could she reached to the boy. He was jumped from the log, scared of her but began fighting to stay above water again. She managed to grab him feeling the sting of his claws piercing through her flesh. Red began to taint the clear water that surrounded her. Holding him close she laid on her back to kick back to shore while holding the sobbing child. He wasn't much bigger then Shippo but she could tell he was much younger than her kit. When she came to a spot her feet could touch she walked the crying boy to shore. She wrapped her towel around them all the while telling the boy it was okay she was there and nothing more could hurt him. The little reassurances seemed to help calm the boy. He drifted off to sleep soon after. She looked at the small child a minute, he had Silver hair that reached to the middle of his back. Two magenta stripes on his face, similar to Sesshomaru's. When she saw his eyes they were the same color as Inuyasha's but not. She wondered if he was an Inu like Inuyasha but she wouldn't have known. The young woman decided to dress before packing up her bathing supplies to return to camp. Picking up the still drenched boy she cradled him in her arms with the towel around him. His skin was ice cold and she knew she had to get him to the warmth of her blankets and fire soon or he would become hypothermic.

It wasn't long until Kagome walked into camp. Inuyasha instantly knew something was off and rushed to her side. Miroku, Sango, Kirara, and Shippo were close behind. Inuyasha looked in her arms as Kagome kept a determined walk straight for her sleeping bag. She heard him take in a deep whiff before growling.

"Why the hell do you have an Inu pup?" Inuyasha was not happy. Inu was very protective of their pups and one wrong move would have them all killed.

"He was drowning, so I saved him." Everyone watched as she pulled off his soaking clothes, she gently wrapped him in her sleeping bag before sitting beside him. Sango gave Miroku a look. She did not like this at all.

"You're not keeping him, get rid of it. That thing being here is endangering us all." Sango and Miroku silently agreed with Inuyasha but both knew Kagome was not going to give up the boy.

"No Inuyasha! I am not leaving him here to die. You know I would never do something like that. And how is he a danger to us! He can't even swim?"

"It's his parents who are the danger to us. I don't know how he got in the river but when his parents find out where he is, we are all dead." sango was the first to agree aloud with Inuyasha, she new demons and Inu were not a breed to mess with. SHe was taught that unless a village or another human was in danganr of a Inu, you were to leave them be. Odd's would always be against her.

"I am not leaving him. That's final, take us back to the well, I need to get things for him."

"Oh, hell no. I am not watching that thing while you run home to get it stuff to stay with us longer."

"Sit boy!"

With that, the conversation was over. Inuyasha decided to run up the river to see if he could find any trace of its parents while the rest stayed in the camp for the night. When morning came Kagome looked to Inuyasha hopeful.

"I found it's mother, she was dead. Her body was limp by the river. The kid probably fell in when she fell." He smelt Kagome's tears before he saw them. Miroku gave her a shoulder squeeze before returning to pack up the camp. Shippo had stayed curled up by the Inupup to help keep him warm and to comfort him. After hearing Inuyasha he too began to feel a connection to the poor kid.

" What about the father?" Sango decided she would answer on Inuyasha's behalf, the Hanyo was clear disheveled, whether it was from the gruesome scene he saw or the fact he was stuck with the kid. She wouldn't know.

"Well Kagome, Normally the male protects the female. And if the female was dead at the river. Odd's are the male is also dead. He is most likely an orphan now."

Kagome looked at the small child in her sleeping bag. He wouldn't be an orphan, like Shippo she would take him in.

"Inuyasha, how long does it take for Inu to reach adolescence?" she didn't get a response. Sango just sighed. Shippo was the one to pipe up about it.

"Kagome, demon age differently. It depends on the breed, and how powerful his parent is. The stronger the parents the faster they grow, they need to protect themselves so aging comes quicker. Judging by what he just experience he probably just grew from infant to what you guys call a toddler stage. I would also say considering he is in a human form, his lineage is powerful. He may be a full-fledged adult in three years. By the end of this first year, he will most likely look like a teen human."

"Kagome sat down by the kit and hugged him. When did you get so smart?" Their moment was rudely interrupted by Inuyasha. He huffed on about getting back to Edo so she could visit her precious home. All the while complaining how he refused to watch the worthless child. The little boy sat up from the sleeping back when Kagome was grabbing his clothes by the now stomped out fire. She was happy to see him up when she walked over to him.

"Hello, I am Kagome. I pulled you from the river last night. I have your clothes here that I am going to dress you in. Is that okay?" She watched the pup nod at her before she began dressing him. Once dress she asked him to wait by Shippo. The pup gladly obliged and the two instantly began a slow game of tag. It was more of Shippo would run for a bit then wait for the pup to teeter after him before taking off again. Kagome laughed with Sango and Miroku at their antics. Packing her bag again she called for Shippo and the pup to come back. She carried the Inu in her arms while Shippo took perch on her shoulder.

It took the small group a couple of hours to reach the well. Kagome and Sango rode upon Kirara while Miroku rode on Inuyasha's back. Inuyasha probably heard the snickers coming from the group upon the cat but was clearly to interested in ignoring Kagome to say anything. They all agreed they should get Kagome to the well fast by riding the demons of the group. Unfortunately, with Kagome needing to hold on to the pup, it meant she couldn't hold onto Inuyasha's back. So of course who would get that honor. Poor Miroku, the man most definitely did not wish to be seen on another man's back but he was left with no choice. They all landed beside the well, Kirara transformed back to her smaller form before jumping into Sango's ars. Shippo was sitting by the well while Miroku laid in the grass, happy to be away from Inuyasha, who happened to have bolted off before leaving. No one knew why he seemed so irritated.

Kagome continued to hold the pup before a wicked idea came to mind. Sitting by the well she felt the magic calling to her. She wondered if the pup would be let through. Inuyasha was Inu so maybe it would work.

"Sango, I think I want to try taking him with me."

"Havnt we tried this with Shippo before?"

"Yeah but I think it will let me with him. It feels like it's calling to me." This caused Miroku to pop up from his laying position.

"Kagome, are you saying the well is pulling the pup to it?" Kagome was about to answer when the pup decided to suddenly bite her wrist, hard. She began bleeding and almost dropped the poor thing on the ground. Miroku shot up to see what happened. What made Kagome more freaked out was the fact that the Inu began to lick her wrist shortly after. Worried she looked at Sango.

"So uh, what just happened?"

The pup wiggled to make himself more comfortable on her hip that she was holding him on. He watched as the small group of humans, and the one kit looked at her wrist. He beamed up at them when they turned back to him. He was proud himself. With some small growling of approval at the human woman's new scent, he rested his head on her shoulder. The neko cat mewed to shippo so she could tell the very confused group what had happened.

"Kirara, say's he just marked you as his new MaMa. His scent now mingles with yours, I can smell it. He will always be able to find you now." Shippo looked at her wrist, he wished he was a pack demon so he could do that. But it was something fox demons did. Kagome thanked him and Kirara for the explanation before making her way onto the well.

"I hope it works Kagome." It was Miroku. He was by her side with a warm smile. She inched herself over the edge as her and the pup fell down into the well. She felt him cling to her before the blue light wrapped itself around them. It wasn't long until they were on the other side of the well. She heard a whimper from her neck and noticed the pups nose all scrunched up. How could she forget how bad it smelt in her time. She soothingly ran her finger through his hair before rubbing his back. Not to climb out with one hand. Grabbing the ladder she started her task at getting out of the old bone eaters well.

_! #$%$# !_

"Where are they!" A ferocious growl shook the castle. Servants ran into hiding while troops trembled before their lord.

"M-Milord. We have been reported that Yuki threw the pup into a river to drown before she was killed."

"Search the river."

"We have Milord. He is not there. His scent is gone as well."

The castle shook at the growl that came from his chest. His son was dead. His mate had betrayed him and his lands. He killed the two guards before him. Leaving his office he stormed out of the castle. He found Jaken in the stable with Au-Un. In barely a whisper he ordered the imp to fetch his ward.

The night breeze kissed his face as he sat along the mountainside. His castle below him as he watched. Soldiers frantically tried to ensure everything was perfect in place while others went to report the news to his mother. She had picked out his mate. He only agreed because he needed an heir. The loss of his mate was nothing , but his son, his son was everything. He was alone, the tears ran down with only the stars as their witness. With a deep breath, he let out the heart-wrenching howl as he grieved.

All through the night, the western palace heard their masters cry. They felt the heartache in his aura that pulsed throughout the palace. Their master's pain brought some to their knees. None would find sleep that night.

! #%$#

"Kagome, doesn't this sweet little guy have a name? Her mother was currently rocking the small pup in her arms. She, however, was currently on the couch with all sorts of items around her. She was packing up her bag to leave the following day as much as she wished she could stay for the rest of the week.

"Ah no I haven't thought of a name yet and he doesn't seem to know his given name." She loved her mother, they had gone that morning to get everything she needed for the feudal area. Ramen, powdered soup broth, clothes for her new pup. Of course, she got new hygiene items for the whole group along with some pocky for Shippo.

She also bought a lot of seasonings to dry meat. Her mom bout some real bone from a pet store, Kagome hated them but agreed the larger expensive cow bones would work great for teething when the pup started to go through it. His small fangs would need to sharpen as well.

"Well dear, if he marked you as his new mother, you will need a name for the little prince." Kagome smiled at the endearment her mother gave him. She couldn't help thinking of Sesshomaru when she said though. The boy seemed to have an uncanny resemblance to the Lord of the West. But everyone new the great Lord wouldn't have had a mate nor would he allow harm to come to them. He had made many visits to Edo to see Rin and not once has a female been with him.

Although thinking of Sesshomaru she decided on a name for the pup. She wanted him to be strong, like Sesshomaru. To have people fear him for his power but also love him for being kind. Even if Sesshomaru was only one of those.

"What about Takashi." Takashi, noble, prosperous, esteem, and honor. Everything she would raise her new son to be. Shippo followed these rules, he will too.

"Takashi." He mother mirrored back. "I like it."

Kagome continued to smile at her mother and little Takashi. He was already feeling the effects of the bond he had created between them. She just was not sure what it meant yet.