Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Ichiro stood in the entrance to the home he shared with his sister, glad that he had taken her away all those years ago. It was pure coincidence that he heard later, there had been an attack on the palace and his father was killed and a new lord ruled in his place. He had hidden them away long before he had heard the fate of his father. While he mourned the man, he still could not forgive him for how he tossed Kagome aside.
She had really flourished in the last century that they’ve been in their home boarding, hidden, on the Western lands and the Southern lands. He was staring out into the clearing, looking at the woman his sister had become. She had really grown up, and it was probably time to start looking at going back home, or trying to claim it back at any rate. Ichiro watched as she moved through the moves that she has been taught by her most recent sensei and thought back to when he first noticed any change in her and took her to a witch to find out what was wrong with her.
“What do you mean, she’s blessed,” Ichiro asked, looking at the form of his sleeping sister across the room.
“I mean that the kamis have blessed your sister, why it took so long for it to appear, I am unsure, but that upside down moon with the small star above is a sign of other worldly blessings. She has powers, and will need to be trained. Take good care of her, my lord.”
It took a few different teachers, but she finally gained control of her powers, and became a warrior in her own right. It was time to reach out to the one ally the Northern family had had, in all of the times of tribulation. The Western Lord, Inu no Taisho. He only hoped that he would help him and his sister return to their ancestral home. He had already dispatched a scroll, and was currently awaiting an answer. Soon, it was time to start moving some chess pieces.
Finally, Ichiro was broken out of his thoughts as Kagome’s current sensei came closer to him. “She has learned all that there is for me to teach her. She is ready for what you have in store. Be careful though, all of the ones blessed by the kamis are always closely watched over.”
Ichiro nodded his understanding as Kagome walked up to him, her face closed off.
Kagome heard what was said, and knew Ichiro had plans to take their home back. She was ready, and was now strong enough to go back to the home, where she had felt so unwanted in. She was also ready to help destroy the man who took away any chance she had at even trying to connect with her father now that she was older. Ichiro wasn’t the only one who had a plan, and Kagome was more than willing to help in his.
She nodded goodbye to her sensei as he left their home, and finally let her mask slip off. “You don’t have to keep hiding yourself.”
“I do, brother. I learned from my first sensei, no one is trustworthy.”
“Except me. I know.”
“Hm.” Kagome hummed noncommittally. “When do you expect to hear back from the Western Lord?”
“I hope soon. However, I think it’s about time we packed our things and started headed that way. Our messenger will find us no matter where we are.”
Kagome nodded as she went inside and packed what she was going to take. The last two centuries had been hard on her. First, she was sequestered away with Ichiro because her father couldn’t stand to look at her. Ichiro had told her that their mother survived birthing her, but remained quiet weak, until a virus took her around a year later. He said their father blamed her for their mother’s death, since it was because of her that mother had been weak.
Then for the short time she had lived at the palace, her father was nothing but cold to her. It wasn’t fair.
Plus the added bonus of being “blessed”. She snorted in her head. Yeah, right. Kagome let out a sigh as she closed her sack. She was ready to get a move on, as soon as Ichiro said go.
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“Interesting,” a voice called out.
“My Lord?”
“It seems that the Northern children are ready to come out of their hiding and take back their world. This could be the opportunity I’ve been waiting for. Bring me my son,” the man replied, as he leaned back in his chair. His dark silver hair tied up at the top of his head, as his golden eyes read over the missive once more. Nothing was really said about their location, just a request to come to the palace.
The Inu no Taisho had wondered what had happened to his friend’s pups all those years ago. There had been talks of betrothing Sesshomaru to Kagome, in fact, his friend had sent signed paper work, in fact it was all signed and legitimate. It was only the fact that Ichiro and Kagome where gone that he never made it public knowledge. Maybe now was the time.
The door then slid open to show an almost perfect replica of him. His silver hair was lighter and his eyes a honey golden color, and magenta markings instead of blue, but aside from those differences, his clone in every way.
“Ah, Sesshomaru! I have a task for you. You see, you’ve been betrothed to the old princess of the west, from the House of Eternal Moon, since her infancy no less. Well, she and her brother have finally resurfaced after years of being hidden away. Your task, go find them and help bring them here for me. Their names are Kagome and Ichiro.”
“Hn.”
“And Sesshomaru, I expect them both alive and well.”
Inu no Taisho watched as his son turned and walked out of his office, no doubt to go get prepared and to leave. His plans were finally starting to take place. Maybe while Sesshomaru was gone, and his mate would leave while he was away, he would go and see his secret mate. Yes, that sounded like a good idea.
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“Mother.”
“Sesshomaru, my son, why have you sought me out? You’ve not done so, since your father practically forbid it.”
“Why did you never tell this Sesshomaru he was betrothed?”
“Betrothed,” spat out his mother. Her white hair pulled off the side in two pony tails, falling over her shoulders. “Why, your father and I never discussed such things. Why?” she asked, her silver eyes trained on her son.
“Because he is sending me to fetch her, and her brother.”
“For now listen my son. We will see about this betrothal. Did he even bother mentioning who it was?”
“No. Just that she was from the House of Eternal Moon.”
“Interesting.”
“Lady Kimi, an important missive has just arrived for you,” a servant called out bursting into the room, interrupting their meeting.
Sesshomaru glared at the man from the corner of his eyes, making the small kitsune cower away from him. “This Sesshomaru shall inform you of his return.”
“Good. I shall want to meet this woman.”
Sesshomaru gave a slight nod of his head before turning around and leaving. He vaguely had memories of a warm family, then suddenly it had changed. No clue as to why, but it left a jaded child that created a cold adult. His face always had a mask of ice around it. Sesshomaru didn’t need to look hard to try to find Ichiro and Kagome. He had already known where they were, having come across them on travels and helped train Kagome for a while. He had helped keep their identity a secret as well, when anyone would get to close.
They were just inu youkai like him, and he felt a kindred with them. They were the only two people with whom he spent any amount of time with. He left the courtyard at a sedated place, and when far enough away, he shot off in his ball of light to where the two lived. Maybe, they could take the long way back.
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Seeing a ball of light touch down in front of her, Kagome raised her eyes from polishing her sais. “Sesshomaru.”
“Kagome.”
They both nodded to one another as Sesshomaru went and sat down by her side. “Ichiro went off to get some supplies for leaving. He should be back soon.”
“Hn. How has your training progressed?”
“I just finished with my last sensei today. He says I’ve completed. They all have said the same thing though, that I need to discover my ‘secret’ and ‘blessed’ power for myself. Stupid idiots.”
Kagome continued to sharpen her knifes, as she and Sesshomaru then sat in companionable silence. He was the only other person aside from Ichiro she let anywhere near close. She still remember how she stumbled across him. Or rather, how he found her and returned her home.
“Ahh,” Kagome yelled as the large oni demon swung its club at her again, as she continued to run away. She had been out hunting, when the beast found her and decided she was dinner. The club landed on the ground with enough force it sent her tumbling through the air, knocking the wind out of her when she landed. Hearing him upon her, she braced herself for the pain, when it never came.
Opening her eyes, she saw a figure in white cut the beast down where it stood, effectively, saving her life.
“Hey Sesshomaru?”
“Hn.”
“I never did say thank you for saving my life that one day.” Kagome said, finally setting her sais down.
Sesshomaru slightly lifted a shoulder, before letting it fall, as Kagome rested her head against his shoulder. “I don’t want to go back to that society. The brief time I was in it, I felt nothing but disgust. But Ichiro deserves better. Have you even talked to him about us?”
“I won’t need to now.”
Kagome lifted her head and looked at Sesshomaru, question burning in her eyes. “Our fathers had apparently seen fit to betroth us. So Ichiro will have no say. The contract has been around for a long time.”
“Hn,” Kagome replied, stealing Sesshomaru’s typical catch phrase.
“But I had talked to him, and he had already approved.”
“I approved of what,” Ichiro called out as he walked back into the clearing with the supplies needed to make the trip to the Western Fortress. Since he and Kagome could both hunt, it was mainly royally and noble clothing that he had gone to pick up.
Kagome lifted her head from Sesshomaru’s shoulder, and studied her brother before responding, “Father made me a betrothal contract, one we apparently don’t need.”
Ichiro stopped and looked at Kagome. “Well, that’s interesting. Old man didn’t care one lick about you, but just enough to mate you off huh. Who was the bastard he tried tying you to? I’m sure Sesshomaru will kill them for you.”
“Unless he likes suicide, I don’t think he’s going to kill anyone. However, he and I are what you approved of.”
“Yes. I had. I knew he could take care of you. Now, what are you doing here Sesshomaru?”
“My father has required me to ‘find and escort’ the two of you to him. My thoughts are to take as long as possible so we can work up a plan, so they don’t catch on to the fact that we’ve known each other for years, and that Kagome and I were already together. There is the fact I feel my father is up to something.”
“Well taking our time seems like a good idea. I guess it’s a good thing you two are waiting on mating. Or if you don’t, we’ll come up with another plan. Like some idiot tried to claim her too,” Ichiro replied.
“Like I’d let anyone else close enough, unless they want to taste their own blood,” Kagome offered, picking her sais up and sliding them into their scabbards. “Well, are we going to stay here all day, or are we going to head out.”
“Maybe tomorrow. I want to start out with a whole day, instead of the end of one.”
“As you wish.”