Betrothal of the Warrior Hime

Miyako looked at the young dark female knelling down to her, she was proud, respectful and powerful, above all she was family. Kagome knew to keep her eyes low, she was no hime here, no, she was just a grandchild of the mistress. Kagome had never met her grandfather, he had been a great youkai, that she knew, her grandparents were strong together, but he had fallen in battle protecting the West. Miyako had slain them all in the hellish fury that was her wrath, truly Miyako was a warrior. Miyako, like Kagome had been shunned for her coloring, also like Kagome, Miyako didn’t want anything to due with her near royal heritage, not one to live with those who would put her down for things she couldn’t control, she left and forged herself into death incarnate. Her grandfather, had barely beaten Miyako in the rights to mate, and that was how they’d joined. Miyako respected that about him, he was her opposite, and they went well together because of it.



“Rise child.” her deep silky feminine voice came. “Why have you come to me Kagome?”



“I have run from my father.” She knew honesty was the best with her own kind, for lies usually meant death when lies were told to inus. “I wished to learn to fight, I yearn to battle, I feel it in my blood like no other feeling I have. But…” she trailed off feeling ready to implode.



“Your father wants to make you a prefect female for a mate?” Miyako sneered, Kagome looked into eyes like her own, deep ocean locked with clear water. She felt for the first time that someone understood her, and looked at her for who she was, not the place she held.



“Yes.” she whispered, darting her light sapphire jeweled eyes away.



“I cannot promise to make you a perfect lady for court, but I can make you into the warrior you were meant to be. Do you know why you feel so strongly, why it feels as natural as breathing to battle and war?” Kagome shook her head to indicate ‘no’ and Miyako laughed, a deep pure mirthful laugh amused by the pup. “Well then young one, we shall have to teach you your history before you learn to battle. Come.” She turned and lead the way to her study through her palace and all its winding halls, Kagome could not help but notice her long onyx hair sway in her wake it was memorizing, vaguely she wondered if her own locks might look like that. Entering first she allowed Kagome to follow, sitting at her desk she motioned for Kagome to take a seat. Kagome listened as Miyako began her story.



“ Long ago, when the West, North, East and South of Japan belonged to the mainland, there were large Inu clans. Then, it was cold here, and very seldom were there summers. For this reason, our kind became lighter in coloring with pelts, and furs of natural and light tones, it was natural to adjust to nature, as all living things do, we adjusted to survive. One day a pup was born having hair as dark grey and murky as thunderous sky and eyes as blue as the sea, she was skilled beyond all in all her endeavors, and her beauty was hard to parallel. What was even more of a problem was that her mother, Emi had not been mated, not officially, she was a lady of court and had shamed her family, so she ran with the thunderous pup, a female whom she named Hitomi and made a home in what is now the West. Hitomi grew, and Emi eventually mated with a great warrior of the lands arm, he was not a lord, or wealthy, but he was a warrior that many respected. Many inu’s in the land grew jealous of Hitomi as she grew up, males and females alike, her dark coloring brought so much attention, she herself hated it. But soon Hitomi was of age, and was won by the most powerful of males, he too was beautiful, strong, and cunning like herself, a lower General in the lands army, like Emi‘s mate. They had pups, three males, all like their father light and with all his coloring. Time went on and she’d become to much like her mother Emi, who was defiant, and proud, not many knew of her esteemed heritage, but Hitomi was not boastful, or distrustful, but she seemed perfect, and her goddess like ways were what caused her death.“ Kagome felt sad knowing this, in all her studies she’d never found this story of their family history.



“Finally Hitomi was with pup again, it would be her last, in her perfection she had some how angered the rest of the Inu’s, they turned on her when her mate was not there, Tying her pups they were forced to watch her destruction. She survived long enough to killer her attackers, and birth her last pup, a pup she willed all of her energy, aura and power into. The pup was stronger then any, and grew faster then any, his fur and hair were as inky onyx as yours or my own. When her mate returned home, he found her dead, the onyx pup clinging to her, crying sorrowfully, their older pups beaten and left for dead, the smell of Inu’s all around them. No wolf, or kitsune, nothing that would be a danger to them, only the smell of his clan and death. He took his family away and trained all of his sons in the art of war. His last son, he named Kain, he grew stronger then any, he’d memorized the scent of his mothers attackers, each hand that had caused her death had been imprinted upon his new born sense of awareness, when he finally could, he came and killed the clan that brought death upon his mother, taking great care to torture those who’d had a direct hand.”



“After the bloodbath, Kain was enraged to the point were non could take him down. It is said then that the skys opened bringing a cold rain, and a Kami descended to the earth. The kami calmed him and said ‘he could not hate Kain for what he’d done, not when it was his fault that his precious Hitmoi died that way. Kain questioned him, why would a Kami care what happened to a demon? He answered, Hitomi was my only daughter, as you and your brothers are my grandsons, she did not know it, but any power she had as a dimi-goddess were willed into you upon her death and are now your own. It is for this reason why you are faster, stronger, and wiser then all. It is also why your wrath is like hell opened upon the earth. My child is dead, and though I mourn her and the site of you makes my soul weep at her passing. I know she would not wish it, but I will teach you to control your birthright.’ Since then it has been said that within ever generation since that of Kain, there would be at least one, one that held the same power or more. He or she would always be beyond talents of the norm, and would be hated for stregth, that jealousy might always result in their death, and that death would bring a hell upon those who sought it. That is why you have been cursed by the clans before. As I am sure you have been aware, they fear us, they know the legends and have seen us at our best, I have slaughtered many over their hateful behaviors before. Some for my own sake, many more for your father’s, and some just because they stared and I did not like it.” She said looking bored, “Tomorrow we will begin your training Kagome, rest tonight. You will need it. Sakura!” she called out, and a small human woman came to the door. “Take my granddaughter to a room where she may rest.”



Kagome bowed her head low, respectfully, and left after the human. The human looked to be about thirty, but unlike all humans Kagome’d ever smelt before she didn’t stink. “Here you are my lady.” she said respectfully bowing to Kagome.



“Thank you.” the human smiled and walked away. The room was lovely, though small, her ‘prison’ at home was twice this size, but Kagome found this room was warm unlike her own, having deep crimson walls, silk everywhere, and deep cherry wood all over. She felt at peace here. There was a small cheery wood deck that looked soft and like black ink spilled upon the earth, it led to a small garden that had a fountain, a small stream, and a few trees, mostly what stuck out were the sounds of the bamboo fountain dipping up and down as it pulled water with it, and the soft call of wild peacocks on the estate. It was late afternoon now, she knew training would start early the next morning, so she tried to rest, it was odd, she had not seen her grandmother since she‘d been a must younger, and yet she opened her door to Kagome so easily, evening came, and a calm sleep claimed Kagome.



Elsewhere…



Kikyo had been worried about her twin, unlike all of her previous angry moods that ended like this, some how this one felt different, finally feeling like she wouldn’t care if Kagome ripped her head off she went to her sisters room. Lunch had come and gone and no one had seen Kagome since the afternoon before, at least the rest of the house had not, her father and brothers had seen her just before dinner. But even that was a while ago, entering the room, it felt cold, unlived in, Kikyo looked around for her sister, and saw nothing, felt nothing, and could not smell anything more then the lingering scent of Kagome. There no trails to locate her, which meant that she’d been gone for a long time. Her eyes finally found they way to Kagome’s bed, and then the letter.



Ripping the seal and opening it, she read before she started to cry. “MAMA!!!!” screamed Kikyo, collapsing into a heap on the floor clutching the letter to her heart in a silent sob. Sayuri ran with graceful speed, her senses of high alert as she entered into the room, alarmed at her daughters state, and followed by her sons, mate and the head of guards.



“Kikyo! What is the matter my child?” came Sayuri’s unnerved voice. Kikyo could not answer, only holding the letter meekly in the air, her mother took it and read aloud. “To my family, I have not been the same since my beloved brother was taken. I awoke that day and have felt as though I was hidden in a golden cage like a bird with clipped wings. If you cared at all you would have let me fly, but as you have not I will escape, and when the times comes, I shall return of my own will, but not a moment before. To my mother, I love you, and I know you will understand the need I have to be free from this. To my brothers, you have been tutors in life I value so much, I adore the bonds I have made with you, To my beloved sister and twin, I’m sorry, I know it is you I will hurt most, for you have never wronged me as I will wrong you with my absence. Forgive me, I love you. To my father, Shinosamu, Good bye. Your gilded caged bird, Kagome” the letter had been ripped from her hands into Shin’s, reading it again to make sure he’d heard correct. What have I done?, he questioned himself.



“You knew of this?” his angry voice bellowed angrily to Kikyo. She only shook her head and sobbed more, her mother sinking to the only daughter still there and clutching her as though she were still a pup. “Jin! Mugen! Find her! NOW!” His eldest pups left without another word being said, while Shin looked around the room, and then to his mate and Kikyo. “Why did you search her out pup?” biting out the last word, and for once Kikyo’s answer was more like Kagome then he’d ever noticed her to be.



“Because she is my other half! Because without her I feel empty, as empty as she has felt for years without Souta. You pushed her away from us! YOU ARE THE CAUSE OF HER PAIN!, and I can see why she might hate you for it.” Kikyo roared as she stood and glared at him, her golden brown eyes shining near silver with fury. He’d never seen his eldest daughter angry, Kagome’s anger was like a tsunami rivaling that of the gods, while Kikyo‘s had always been like a light rain, so much the same as her twin, she had always been an opposite, usually very calm and submissive. This side of her was a shock to see, though now as he thought on her words they were one, complete only when together, and without her sister she would be lost to her own emotions, an up and down nightmare of emotions. He left his now crying mate there on Kagome’s futon and called for a messenger. He would have to send word to the General, not only because she missing, but she was the betrothed to his youngest son. He was shamed that this would be her choice, and ashamed that he’d forced her hand into it.



The messenger arrived at the Palace of the Moon within the day, Shin had wanted to the letter to go to the General, only it was intercepted by the heir. Sesshomaru had taken the letter with little thought of the messenger, to his father’s dojo he went where his younger brother and father were training today. Entering, he came at the right moment to see his father send the pup flying across the room, his father paused to give the boy time to get up. His training was going well, he might even be to Sesshomarus current level when he was old enough to mate. “Father, this has just come for you, from Shinosamu.” He handed over the scroll and took his father’s place in thrashing his brother. Inuyasha had never been one to say ‘no’ to a fight with Sesshomaru, as easily as his father before him had tossed the boy, Sesshomaru too was sending him in the distance.



The general read the scroll twice before sitting down with his hand to his head. The mere sight caused his eldest to be distracted enough to allow Inuyasha to land a blow, cutting his favorite Kimono. The growl Sesshomaru let out woke Taishou form his daze just in time to stop his eldest from killing his youngest. “Sesshomaru!!” he growled in a tone unlike himself the heir came to a sudden stop knowing his father, that tone was not one to go against ever.



“Yes father?” he questioned as though he was not intending to kill the pup.



“Take this to your mother, she will want to go to Sayuri. Inuyasha we are done for the day. It seemed your bride as disappeared.” he said with a heavy sigh, and Sesshomaru’s questioning expression.



“My what?” barked his youngest.



“Kagome, Shin’s youngest, she was to be your betrothed,… she has run from her home and is no where to be found. They have no scent to follow, and it is as though she has vanished. Only leaving a letter saying she’ll be back eventually. “ Inuyasha huffed.



“I never wanted her to begin with, let alone mate with the bitch.” came his brash voice remembering the stubborn thing that had chastised him years before.



“Watch your tongue whelp!” spat Sesshomaru, who advanced on Inuyasha, catching him by the throat much to all three of their surprises. He growled threateningly and dropped him to the floor, Sesshomaru let out another growl looking down at Inuyasha while he rubbed his head. Kagome had always seemed much like a litter sister to himself, he could only figure that because his equal, his second, Souta, the night to his day had loved her so that it had rubbed off on him. Though he might never admit it, he felt sad that she needed to run from her life, What happened to make you flee like that Kagome?, he wondered. Turning he bowed to his father, who sat watching the whole scene with an odd smirk, and then left his father and younger brother in his wake, in silence, to find his mother.



Elsewhere & later…..



Morning was dawning over the Palace of the Sun, Miyako’s Palace. Kagome had woken up just before dawn, the sky was dark still and she could feel her sisters pain eating away at her, she felt horrible about leaving her, but Kikyo was not a prisoner in their own home, when she had been. She was safe from the world, safe from any that could harm her, but unable to live her life, Kagome had to leave, she’d been so miserable. Kagome knew she was going to have a tough time being away, she missed her sister, her brothers, and she could not visit Souta now, he would be lonely. Rising from her bed there was a new outfit laid out for her to put on, looking like male clothing, she quickly realized it was similar to that of Miyako’s clothing, though different in color, it was a pale silver blue, even now her grandmother was showing how much she cared for her.



Dressing quickly she went to a small alter in her room and lit small incense to honor her brother, and her family, making her way to the kitchen she asked for cooked eggs, eating her meal quickly she then went out to the dojo and waited. She had not been waiting long when her grandmother arrived. “Today I will assess what you need to learn. Tomorrow I will teach. And from that day on you will learn.” It was a simple statement, but Kagome knew she was going to get the beating of her life with this. Assessment took two days longer then planned, Kagome knew far more then Miyako would have thought. Her defensive skills were superb, as well as her sword play, Kagome had even mastered the use of her own youkai powers, though not as much as fighting skill. Miyako, knew training was going to go easy, because Kagome knew the basics, now it was just a matter of growing that raw power Miyako could feel, molding into her ever fiber and being, and building up her stamina.