Chapter One--- Once a Life, Now a Dream

Author Note: I know, I know. I’m insane. Five other stories and I put out ANOTHER one!!!? *sigh* I’m in the middle of an academic crisis…therefore…I MUST write!!! And just think—just a few more weeks and I’m out of College and on summer break in early June! Then I can update a~all summer and write all I want!

Genre: Romance/Humor/Drama/Angst -_- lots’ of feelin!

Story Note: Here is another AU fic. What once was not my style, apparently now is—because now I’m writing AU fics as if it’s almost normal…Scary neh? Well, this one was hard to make the summary fit in the space given, so please read the full summary below. By the way—the main factor that makes it an AU fic, is that the well is irrelevant. Kagome and everyone else exist in Inuyasha’s time, no time traveling included. There’s actually quite a lot of flashbacks into Inuyasha’s childhood and his relationship with Sesshoumaru. And don’t think it’s stupid before you read it all _ Eee!

Complete Summary: In a world where Inuyasha’s father still ruled the Western Lands, all flowed accordingly. Then the Lord’s domain was attacked and everyone under him was separated and scattered amidst the fighting and escapes; including the two sons of the Western Lord—disappearing. Inuyasha is now traveling, searching, for the one person who ever gave him a purpose when he had lived under the shadow of his brother.

Errors: This was a really long story written as fast as I could and although I used spell check and went over it a few times for mistakes- I suspect it probably has a few erors still. The most common error I had typing this story was with capitalization. Example: Demon Lord of the West/ demon lord of the West. Please bare with me -_- You have no idea how annoying it is to try and remember what I decided to capitalize and what not. Sorry about that if it bothers you. I know I messed up capitalizing the titles a bunch.

Episodes: I just downloaded episode 69 of Inuyasha! It showed Musou’s nasty nudie butt!!! That dude has the nastiest rump I’ve ever laid my eyes on in all of my anime viewing history! (Don’t mind me, I was just surprised they stuck his butt in the picture so many times, it’s not all that bad I guess. It’s just…a butt!) Eeeew! I would hate to die by getting killed by a naked guy!

Okaa- short for ‘mother’

Haha-ue: old-fashioned formal for ‘mother’

Hentai- pervert

Itai- ouch

Oi- hey

-jiji: rude for ‘old man’

Youkai- demon/evil creature

Hanyou- half demon

Gomen- casual for ‘sorry’

Bouzu- insulting term for ‘monk’

Keh!- Feh!

And now a new story for you….

~*********~

Inuyasha mused to himself as he sat, cross-legged at the edge of a cliff overlooking the land, stroking the scabbard of his sword casually. The sun was in position to enter high noon, signaling the end of his short break from traveling. He was located near the border that marked the end of the Western Lands and the cliff he sat upon gave him a view of as much of the familiar area as the horizon could provide. He had seldom traveled beyond the Western borders during his childhood, but that didn’t discourage him in the least.

‘It doesn’t matter where I go, though, does it?’ He sighed to himself, unfolding his legs and letting them hang off the edge, dangling for a minute, before standing up. No… It didn’t matter to him where he traveled, as long as he found what he was searching for. But he was almost positive now, that she… wasn’t in the Western Lands. There were only three more small locations left to look, and then it was onto the East he went…

He secured his sword to his left hip once again, smiling bitterly at it—the one important possession of his that it seemed he could actually keep hold of. It hadn’t always been that way…

At one time in his life, keeping track of and protecting things had been just about the only thing he could do… And he would give anything just to have that fulfillment back in his life.

…To have a purpose again…

Part of him regretted not staying to fight, when they had been attacked. The other part of him regretted not running sooner… If he had stayed and fought, as his father had been; protecting his domain and his mother… Then maybe he would at least know if they were still alive. If he had made to escape sooner… maybe he could have at least saved her…

Kagome…

She, perhaps, even though he hoped his mother and father were alive, was whom he wished he would’ve saved. If he‘d kept her beside him in the heat of the battle, she would still be with him now. He would’ve protected her like he had since the day of her birth. Everyone had been separated that day—the battle raging on through the day and on into the night. The worst day of his life, and it would always be so.

He glared out at the land below him. There was only so much land that could be searched. And he would search all of it. He wanted her back, and also, there was no other way to make up for that day…

~*******~

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha jerked his head around at the sound of his name being called out among the battle cries and wails that echoed through the air. His eyes searched frantically for the source until he registered the voice as his father’s and set to deciphering his location by scent. He turned back to the youkai stressing against his sword and made small effort of twisting the blade and decapitating his opponent. He almost leapt into the air to aid his father, but the gentle weight on his arm made him think otherwise. Kagome was clinging to his arm, as she usually did, so nothing could come near her without coming near him. She coughed, dust heavy in the air, from various legs and feet kicking up the dry soil beneath them.

"Inuyasha!" She cried out as another youkai came at him. He frowned and sliced the demon down the middle without another thought. "Inuyasha!" His father called again and Inuyasha gritted his teeth. He couldn’t be two places at once, but his father seldom needed his help, and it was no doubt important. There were about thirty yards of violently battling warriors and youkai in between he and his father, but he couldn’t get near him without Kagome getting hurt.

He grunted and looked around frantically for a place without bloodshed or warriors present. He grabbed Kagome around the waist and scaled the warriors blocking his path to the location he spotted in one leap. The moment he set her down behind the pile of wreckage near a wall away from the battle, she panicked, catching his intentions. "Inuyasha!?" She questioned in fright, grabbing his arm before he could leave her.

"I’ll be back in a second Kagome, I must tend to my father. It’s too dangerous. Don’t move, you’ll be safe."

"Inuyasha…" She backed up against the wall and hugged herself; already nervous he was leaving her side. He growled and gave her a quick embrace before leaping away. "Don’t move, I’ll come back for you!" He called out over his shoulder and she sank to the ground behind the rubble, waiting.

When he landed near his father he could barely step without bumping into one of his father’s warriors or a youkai that was fighting one. Trying not to accidentally cost anyone their lives, he struggled to shove his way through the carnage, and get closer to his father.

"Inuyasha!" His father called when he spotted him. Inuyasha grew unnerved when he noticed the position his father was in. He was in his humanoid form, holding a sword out above his head, arms trembling under the pressure of several youkai that had swords wielded against it. Sweat was collected and dripping down his face. Inuyasha could not remember ever seeing his father so disconcerted or overwhelmed. It scared him.

"Father?" He called out almost uncertainly. His father roared and managed to defeat his opponents, then reached out towards his son. Inuyasha ran forward and his father panted, eyes pleading with him.

"Inuyasha, go! I want you to leave." Inuyasha stared at his father in horror and immediately retorted. "Are you insane? I’m your son, I have to stay! We’re under atta-

"Go!" His father interrupted and would have shoved him away if more youkai had not come up behind him. "Inuyasha…" He gritted out, under his sword once again. Inuyasha slashed out at one of them, hacking off the other youkai’s arms. "I want to help you!"

"Then leave! I want you away from the battle." Inuyasha clenched his fists and snarled. "Protect Kagome, if for anything—make sure she lives! Let her live, Inuyasha! Go!" Inuyasha’s jaw dropped at that and he opened his mouth to reply, but a loud explosion smothered his words and sent him flying backwards off of his feet. He heard his father call out for him to escape again and he trembled for a moment, seething, before he roared his disapproval and made to leave.

A scream pierced the air and Inuyasha and his father both turned to look off in the distance. ‘Mother…!’ His father saw him and gestured him to leave again before he quickly left into the air and tend to his mate.

The occurrence made Inuyasha more than concerned, and he rushed through the bodies of comrades and enemies to get back to Kagome trying to ignore the number of casualties he was tromping through. In mid-leap he was jerked aside and threw back by strong arms. He uttered a startled yelp and skid to a stop on his rear end, watching as the area he had previously been suddenly erupted in flames and exploded, youkai near it crying out in pain.

Who…

"Brother…" Inuyasha jerked up to his feet, seeing his brother standing over him, looking a little more rustled up than usual as well, though he was not sweating like their father had been. His silky white hair was dull with dust, and foreign blood and fluids spoiled his clothing for whatever he had been killing. His observing was cut short when another explosion wracked the earth and his older brother’s fist connected with his jaw. He stared in anger at the older youkai but he saw only impassiveness and order on his face, arm still outstretched in the motion of his strike. "GO, Inuyasha! Protect your bitch before she ends up like you…"

Without gracing one another with another look, both brothers leapt in separate directions, avoiding another blast of dust that filled the air. Inuyasha came to the area he had left Kagome and looked around frantically. "Inuyasha!" He heard her cry out but could not see nor smell her in the blood-saturated air. "Kagome!" He called out, unable to see anything but shapes and silhouettes of the corpses and fighters behind the smog.

"Kagome!!" He cried out, running in the general direction of her scream. "Kagome, where are you!?"

"Inuyasha! Help me!" Her voice was distant and he vaguely caught sight of her shadow, arms outstretched towards him, slung over the shoulder of a large youkai that was retreating. "Kagome!" He pulled out his sword, transforming the Tetsusaiga, and slicing through those in his way with a furious roar. Numerous youkai intercepted him and he swung at them angrily, trying not to lose sight of Kagome’s shadow but he could no longer see her or the youkai carrying hers’ shadow.

"Kagome, no!" He yelled and struggled to run after her. Youkai seemed to be in every direction and his name on her lips had finally faded away. He had to get after her…she was calling his name… He furled around to see himself enclosed in a circle of youkai.

The sounds of his brother and father fighting in the background faded out, as did the growls and snarls of the youkai closing in on him. His ears buzzed and his vision lightened to pastel tones. They were all just…in the way!

"KAGOME!!!" He yelled her name and swung his sword in a circular arc, reducing his entrapment of enemies to split bodies and slabs of discolored flesh. His father and brother paused to stare at him in astonishment, but he was already in the air rushing away.

Sesshoumaru shook his head and returned his focus to his own opponents until he too was stopped by the Great Lord. Sesshoumaru scowled lightly; confused as to why he was being stopped when he was handling himself fine.

"Leave."

Sesshoumaru frowned, making eye contact with his father. The Demon Lord’s eyes held exhaustion…but most of all they held sadness. There was an aura about him that held his authority. Sesshoumaru shook his head and disposed of the youkai nearest to him before sheathing his sword bitterly.

"As my father wishes."

The Demon Lord watched his eldest son’s shadow disappear in the distant blanket of dust and bowed his head. His rule had come to an end…

Inuyasha ran across the flat meadows that stretched out before his home, staring blankly ahead. There was no one in front of him, behind him, or in sight. Everyone was gone, but he continued running forward alone, solemnly making more distance from his home and out into the lands. Kagome had been taken in the same general direction, but somehow all who had escaped were long gone. All he could hear was the pounding of his footsteps and the distant calls from the war being waged behind him, though even those cries seemed to have died down.

An ear-piercing howl resounded loudly out across the lands, booming and echoing, nearly knocking Inuyasha off his feet in surprise. His paces slowed to a stop and he froze; slowly turning to look over his shoulder at the domain he was leaving behind.

His father had transformed…

He bit the inside of his lip and forced himself to turn away from the thick smoke that was now leaking out across the meadows from the battle. His pace quickly sped up again as he ran away and looked for any sign of life that could lead him to Kagome. He felt his stomach sink as he watched the sun slowly setting on the horizon in front of him.

It was soon dark, and he was left standing in the center of a field staring down at his sword in disbelief and regret as the first moon after the fall of the Western Lands lifted over his head.

~******~

Inuyasha stared sharply down at his sword, in much the same manner as he had on that first night, where he had stood staring at his sword alone in that field for hours. When he had looked away, he had already decided he would search all of the lands until he found what he was looking for.

‘And that’s what I’m doing now…’ Inuyasha grunted as he leapt off he cliff he had been perched at and ascended to the ground with little effort. There were two towns just about two miles away from his standing point, and then the third and final town was only three miles from those. He looked up at the sun and nodded. He would make it to the third town by dusk and then stay the night there, and then leave for the East at dawn.

It was usually rather easy to get a room somewhere in town in the Western Lands. He wasn’t sure it would be the same for the other regions, but he was comfortable with trees if that became a problem. The only reason he didn’t avoid rooming now was because of the weather. It rained at night and the morning dew that collected at this time of year was too moist for his comfort.

His father, as the Demon Lord, had treaties and peace agreements with almost all of the human settlements in his territory. They followed the rules—and he never bothered them. His father actually protected most of the humans in the Western regions. So confident in their peace they were, that any demon under his father’s name could walk through the towns with hardly a second glance. That’s why the majority of the people he encountered recognized him and let him stay. They respected him because of his father. If they didn’t recognize him, they respected him because he was one of the only demons who wasn’t slaughtering all of the humans in his path. When the rule of the Western Lands had collapsed, demons no longer had a reason to obey the Great Lord and keep peace with humans.

Inuyasha forced himself to be as decent as possible to all of the people he asked for information or assistance, rather than rattling them violently. It had taken very few trials to discover that being polite and decent in town got much better and more cooperative responses from villagers than yelling and threatening them did.

The first town on his agenda for the remainder of the day came into sight and he quickened his pace. Clearing his throat and taking a deep breath to calm himself, he readied himself for the usual routine he followed. It was somewhat degrading, but it got him pleasing responses, and talking about Kagome always made his voice immediately quieter and less harsh from the emotions that plagued his mind any way.

He entered the village and the first few villagers took notice of him, freezing up and stumbling backwards, wondering how violently he would attack. Inuyasha almost smirked to himself as he saw their fear and anticipated the looks of confusion and embarrassment that would soon cross their faces when he did nothing but speak politely and leave them be.

Inuyasha approached the first somewhat calm person he came across, which happened to be a surprised middle-aged man who was doing nothing but stare blankly. He bowed slightly; keeping his head tilted, and spoke calmly and simply.

"I am searching for my lady, may I ask if you have seen her?"

The man stared at him with wide eyes, looking like he’d seen a ghost when Inuyasha kept his head bowed in respect. Inuyasha smirked in spite of himself. This was how it went. He would ask the same question every time, though they really didn’t have much of a choice to answer in his mind, and then the person would ask him what she looked like—stuttering and gaping at him in awe. "W-What does she look like?" The man stuttered and Inuyasha forced away his smirk, standing up straight again and taking mild notice that the entire town was silent and watching the exchange.

He proceeded to describe Kagome and state briefly that she had been stolen from him. The man had no information and bowed low in apology, most likely wondering if he would be killed for his uselessness. Surprising the whole town once again, Inuyasha shook his head and said nothing other than to keep an eye out and send word to him if she was spotted or else he would be angry if he found they had met her and he not been contacted. The man nodded rapidly and hesitantly asked his name, so that he might know whom to send word to if Kagome was spotted.

"Second son of the High Lord of the Western Lands. Inuyasha."

The man analyzed his looks and features for a brief moment before gasping and dropping to a kneeling position in respect and asking forgiveness for his rude behavior. Inuyasha rolled his eyes as the man kneeled before him and most of the town followed suit. He hated it when people bowed to him, it was so annoying. When the people in a town recognized him it wasn’t a problem. It still wasn’t much of an issue, but the whole town bowing like they were made his firm resolve waver slightly.

"Do not bow to me, human. I want nothing but the return of my lady. See that you keep your eyes open." Inuyasha sighed exasperatedly and walked past the man. He asked a few other people on his way through the town, and since most everyone had been gathered around to watch him the first time, he had little explaining to do. He just asked, and everyone replied they were sorry that they had not seen her. He did not ask everyone in town like he was sometimes forced, because he knew they were smart enough to step forward if they had information.

The next town was similar to the first. He assumed that people living in the towns so far into the outskirts of the Western territory had never actually met their Demon Lord, since they seemed to double-check his hair color, eyes, and dog-ears to verify he was whom he claimed to be-- which suggested they only knew him by description. He got no information at the second town either, but he did have one small encounter with a little girl that unnerved him.

He had been about to leave town when a little girl looking about age 8 blocked his path. He stopped and watched with mild amusement as she bowed clumsily and tried to address him correctly. He frowned and kneeled in front of her, watching the women out of the corner of his eye tremble with fear for the child. Stupid women. He cupped the little girls cheek surprisingly gentle, but firm, in his clawed hand and made her look up at him.

"Don’t bow to me, little one. And you need not address me ‘-sama.’ What is it you want?"

She seemed to like this turn of events and therefore seemed completely oblivious to the sharp claws almost touching her face. "Are you really the son of the Demon Lord?" She asked timidly. He snorted when he saw her mother off to the side, waving disapprovingly at her child’s disrespect. He nodded. "Then do you know why he’s letting the youkai attack our village? Because mom said they weren’t supposed to…" Inuyasha tensed and watched her twiddle her thumbs shyly and continue talking. "Since you’re his son, could you tell him to make them stop? It’s scary… and I want things the way they used to be."

Truthfully, Inuyasha didn’t have the slightest clue of how to respond. What had become of his family had been a question in the back of his mind since he had heard his father’s howl the day he made his escape. The fact that his father should have regained control and rule of the youkai in the region, if he were alright, also bothered him. There wasn’t really much he could offer on the subject. Even Sesshoumaru had disappeared, so he heard… not that he really gave a shit about his brother at the moment.

"I don’t know where my father is right now, kid. I wish I did." The little girl pouted, but looked sympathetic with him. Inuyasha frowned as he watched a lot of the villagers start whispering and looking at him with pity. He narrowed his eyes at them… what right had they to pity him? The girl made a noise in the back of her throat and tugged on his kimono as he stood up. "What is it?"

"Can you protect our town instead, Inuyasha-san?" Her mother looked like she was going to faint. Inuyasha snorted. He liked this kid. She seemed to see his father’s family as sort of hero-type figures to save her home and protect them. It actually made him feel kind of bad that he couldn’t comply with her innocent wishes. It wasn’t that he approved of the youkai attacking so suddenly either though. He just didn’t have the authority to turn any of their actions around. The youkai couldn’t touch him, but as long as they respected him they didn’t have to listen to a damn thing he said either. The speaking and leadership was his father’s job. "I’m sorry kid, but I can’t stay here. Somebody I know is in trouble, and I have to go save her." Inuyasha wrinkled his nose as he said ‘somebody I know’ but he really didn’t know what to call Kagome. He usually referred to her as ‘my lady’ when he asked villagers of her whereabouts, which was acceptable, considering he was basically nobility and she was under his watch.

The little girl sighed sadly, but didn’t drop the conversation. "Is she the girl you’re asking everyone about?" He nodded. "Is she going to be okay?" Inuyasha shifted on his feet. "She will be if I find her." He reassured her and himself. Other than the fact she had been kidnapped, he refused to let himself ponder what exactly could have happened to her. Finding her was the only option he set before him. "Is she your wife?" Inuyasha actually spit all of the air out of his mouth in a sputter of surprise. "No, kid. She’s not."

The little girl clasped her hands together and gazed up at him with a small smile. "Then where is your wife? Because everyone always talks about the pretty lady who’s always with you. They say it’s your wife." Inuyasha smacked himself in the face, amazed at how out-of-the-norm this conversation was, compared to the depressing interrogations of where Kagome could be that he usually held with villagers. What that really what everyone thought? He knew there were rumors about him and Kagome, thanks to his brother and his apparent belief that it was his responsibility to alert him of every single annoying taunt that was said behind his back. But…did the entire Western region really think that Kagome was his lover? He thought he had kept it pretty clear whenever the matter came up.

"I’m not married, kid. Kagome _is_ the one who is always with me, but she’s just my…" He frowned and wrinkled his nose again. ‘Friend? Lady? Oh hell.’ "…She’s not my wife, okay?" The kid giggled and he wondered vaguely if he was blushing since he felt so awkward. Leave it to a kid to go and muss his calm resolve. He heard a few guys nudging each other and snickering in the background, along with a few comments that made him brood darkly. He sorely wished that he could act the way he did at home and just blow everybody off like he did with all the servants that tried to buzz around him. He hated being treated like royalty, but he liked the authority and respect it brought. At home he basically stayed away from everyone, except Kagome, and didn’t pay attention to them unless he felt like quarreling with someone, which usually ended up a sword fight with his brother.

Inuyasha then wondered why he was thinking of all this and shook his head. He’d had Kagome ‘on the brain’ for so long that he had forgotten about his family. His mother…

He eyed the sun and saw it rapidly advancing towards the horizon line. He grumbled and turned back to the little girl. "I have to go now." He started walking and she tugged on his kimono again. "When will our home be safe again?" She asked. He thought for a moment and regarded her thoughtfully, ruffling up her hair atop her head with a free hand. "I don’t know. But whenever I’m around here, I’ll make sure it’s safe, okay?" He briefly wondered what exactly he was promising and dismissed it. At least she would stop making everyone sound so helpless. "Arigato, Inuyasha-san. I hope you find Kagome-san!" He nodded at her in reply and started up walking away again. He made a face at a monk that was watching him with a little too much interest for his comfort, and scowled, quickening his pace a little.

The girl’s mother ran over to her when he left and checked her face frantically for any wounds Inuyasha’s claws could have inflicted and the little girl batted at her mother’s hands in annoyance. The mother sighed in relief and watched the Demon Lord’s son walk away. "He was nice, mama." She looked down at her daughter with a small sweat-drop. "Amazing…" She breathed in reaction to the youkai’s encounter with their town and the fact that her daughter was completely fine and unscathed. The villagers immediately broke out into chatter about the events and Inuyasha’s behavior. The monk Inuyasha had scowled at for staring minutes ago raised a hand to his chin in thought. After a few minutes he shrugged and left the village, traveling off of the dirt road Inuyasha had left on, and made his way in the same direction through the forest.

~*******~

Inuyasha wandered into the third town and cursed to himself. It was already getting dark and almost everyone was off of the streets and in their homes eating supper. He had wasted too much time talking to that little girl… And he would have to wait until morning before he could ask for any information or rumors of Kagome’s whereabouts. A scowl quickly formed on his face and he growled at the difficulty he had suppressing it before he reached somewhere to stay the night. Clouds were forming above and darkening the sky further. His nose told him it was going to start raining any second. He had nothing else to wear and rarely got the chance to wash his clothing, so he loathed the thought of having to sit around in a towel, naked all night waiting for his clothes to be washed and dried.

He saw a promising looking temple down the street and sighed in relief. Thunder cracked above and a cloudburst dumped a rain waterfall down from overhead. Maybe not. He growled low in his throat and stomped the rest of the way to the temple as quickly as his anger let him manage. Once he was under the roof he sputtered the moisture from his lips and his ears twitched madly, trying to rid themselves of moisture. He wrung his hair out once and tried to keep his bangs from hanging low in his face before stepping inside of the structure and searching for the owner. Hmmph. If he told the owner who he was, they probably wouldn’t believe him now. He looked anything but someone of importance, sopping wet and drenched.

It happened to end that the owner found him first, noticing him wandering the hallways while he patrolled them responsibly. Inuyasha sighed and straightened his clothing as the elderly man approached him.

"You’ve come along way, young lord. What brings you astray to my temple?"

Inuyasha blinked at the old man, his mouth slightly parted in surprise for being recognized. Then, with a tired breath, he offered a helpless smirk and bowed a little to the old man. "Man, if you can recognize me that easy, I must really look like shit all the time, eh?" He mumbled gruffly. The old man chuckled quietly and pointed to his head. "Only so many people are born with the ears of a dog and hair long and white as a blanket of snow…" The old man explained. Inuyasha snorted at the description and brushed some remaining moisture off of the mentioned ears.

"If you don’t mind my presence, I would appreciate a room for the night." Inuyasha stated his business and sincerely hoped he wouldn’t be sent away to trudge through the rain again. The old man didn’t seem bothered standing near him, so he didn’t think he would. But the old man frowned and he felt his hopes falling.

"All of my rooms are full, unless you mind sharing it with someone else. It’s a rather large room, but I gave it to a young man awhile ago. If you don’t mind his presence I’m sure he’ll agree to let you room with him."

Though the monk tried to hide it, Inuyasha could tell he was very wary of admitting the best he could do for him was to let him room with another. Inuyasha snorted at the notion. Rooming with someone else wasn’t his concern. It was whether or not that other person would be able to sleep knowing there was someone with youkai blood in the room. Well, if they ran out into the rainstorm screaming their lungs out—it wasn’t his fault.

"That’s fine." The old man looked slightly surprised, but led him to the room and stopped outside the doorway. "If he’s asleep, I wouldn’t rouse him, lest you startle him…" The old man warned hesitantly. "There is already other bedding laid out, young lord. I’m sorry I can’t do more for you." Inuyasha nodded heavily and rolled his eyes. The old man slid the door open for him and Inuyasha stopped him again just as he was closing the door again.

"Jiji?" The old man raised an eyebrow at the title, but gestured for him to continue. "Don’t call me young lord." He said it in such a tone that the old man shook his head and smiled, shutting the door.

When he heard the old man’s foot steps fade away, Inuyasha turned to find out just who he was going to have to make peace with—just in time to see the towel that came flying to hit him right smack in the face. He let out a small yelp and jerked away the towel to see a man crouched over his Buddhist staff across the room. His back was facing him and he was polishing the golden surface of the instrument. Inuyasha blinked and glanced down at the towel bunched up in his fist.

"Thanks…" He mumbled and shrugged, starting to dry himself of with the thrown towel. Then the man placed his staff on the ground and turned around. Inuyasha paused and then immediately pointed an accusing finger.

The man pointed to himself innocently. "Who me?"

Inuyasha growled and put his hands on his hips. "You’re that monk that was staring at me strange!" He accused. The monk blinked and tried to look as oblivious as possible. "Staring at you strange? And what way might that be?" This gesture of innocence only served to frustrate Inuyasha further, but he refused to give the monk the satisfaction of his anger. "Whatever, monk. How lucky I am to be rooming with you…" Inuyasha sighed and walked over to the untouched bedding parallel to the monk, debating whether or not to sleep yet while he was still generously wet.

"Oh, no, Inuyasha-sama. It is I who am lucky to be rooming with you…"

Inuyasha dropped the towel he was holding and bowed his head, gritting his teeth. The sarcasm saturating the monk’s statement tried his patience to the brink of overload and he dug his claws into the floorboards beneath him trying to resist the urge to replace the wood with the monk’s neck. He slowly raised his head to meet the monk’s face and the monk actually jumped slightly at the golden danger burning behind his slitted eyes as Inuyasha glared up at him.

"Listen, monk. I don’t want to hear any more of your taunting…and if you say ‘Inuyasha-sama’ once more time—I’m ripping the tongue right out of your throat."

"Good, because I don’t want to say it again either. It sounds awful peculiar, don’t you think?"

Inuyasha gaped at the monk for having the balls to continue exploiting his, apparently annoying, personality to the world around him. He wondered when the last time he had had a good verbal-war with someone had been and snorted when the most recent occurrence that surfaced happened to have been with his brother. He wrinkled his nose in half amusement, half disgust, as he remembered how ridiculous their insults seemed to end up. He turned his attention back to the monk in front of him, who was now watching him amusedly. He scowled at him and the monk shrugged, laying down and appearing to plan on sleeping then and there. Inuyasha shook his head at the odd character and switched his attention back to himself.

"So what is the Great Lord of the West doing way out here on the border of his territory?" The monk asked nonchalantly without turning over to face him.

Inuyasha frowned and put down the towel again. "I’m his son, you idiot. I’m not the Great Lord of anything. Yet." Inuyasha spat and crossed his arms.

Though Inuyasha could not see his face well, since the monk was lying on his side facing away, the monk’s eyes noticeably widened. He seemed to think for a moment, and then realize something. Then he looked disapproving of whatever had crossed his mind. "What?" Inuyasha demanded. "Nothing… But, what brings his…son, this far out here then?"

Inuyasha wondered for a moment if it was possible the monk had done nothing but stare at him back in town and completely fail to catch any of the conversations he had had with the villagers. He was silent for a long moment, and the monk wondered if he were going to answer at all before he replied in a whisper.

"I search for my lady…"

The monk suddenly seemed interested and flipped over to face Inuyasha with a new interest. Inuyasha made a face at him and eyed him suspiciously.

"Search?" The monk asked.

Inuyasha nodded, his gruff look falling away slightly as regret scrunched across his features in a sorrowful grimace. "She was taken from me… while I was occupied with a battle." Inuyasha whispered, and wondered how much he would tell the monk before he had to stop talking to be able to sleep that night without Kagome plaguing his mind too severely.

"How long ago?" The monk asked again.

Inuyasha sighed painfully, and somewhat disappointedly. "About three months now…"

The monk whistled low in his throat and snapped his fingers, a finger then stroking his chin thoughtfully. Inuyasha stared at him like he had grown a second head, wondering what could possibly be so amusing about Kagome’s extended absence.

"Wow, you say you aren’t married and your still looking for her after three months? She must be quite a looker…"

There was the sound of rustled clothing and shifting cloth as Inuyasha was suddenly on top of the monk with his sword pressed firmly against the man’s neck with a threatening snarl plastered on his face.

"Who are you to even speak of her?" Inuyasha glared, pressing his sword a little harder against the monk’s throat as the monk stared up at him warily. "You have no right to even mention her…How dare you…" Inuyasha seethed and the monk tried to mumble something against the pressure of the blade.

"Keh…" Inuyasha growled and sheathed his sword, crawling off of the monk and letting him gasp for breath. Inuyasha shuddered, shaking the last of his apprehension from his muscles, and sat limply next to his bedding staring at the towel in his hand. So transfixed with blankly staring at the towel in his hand, Inuyasha didn’t notice the look of understanding that briefly crossed the monk’s face.

"I’m sorry for speaking in such a way about your… woman." The monk apologized. Inuyasha flashed a glare at the monk, deciphering whether or not he was being sincere. He seemed to be, and Inuyasha let his muscles relax some. "She’s not my…woman." Inuyasha grumbled. This seemed to intrigue the monk and he raised an eyebrow. Inuyasha saw his look and scowled. "But you referred to her as ‘your lady’…" The monk commented.

Rather than look annoyed, Inuyasha seemed to deflate some and laid back on the ground, being mindful not to get his bedding damp as his hair spilled out on the floor behind him.

"I don’t know what to call her…" Inuyasha admitted, tracing the patterns in the floorboards with a claw. The monk raised another interested eyebrow and Inuyasha suddenly sent him a scrutinizing glare. He didn’t even know him, what made the monk think that he would tell him about Kagome? The monk seemed to get his drift and stood up suddenly. Inuyasha looked at him questioningly and then the monk suddenly bowed and introduced himself. "My name is Miroku. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Inuyasha." Inuyasha grimaced and buried his face in his hand. Like that was going to help. "I’m not trying to pry…" Miroku insisted. "But I have quite the bit of experience with lady issues…" He sighed with what appeared to be mock-dramatics. Inuyasha scrunched his face in confusion. Weren’t monks supposed to stay away from women and such?

Inuyasha stared at the monk’s face. His personality had many flaws that he could already point out, but his face didn’t hold the air of an immature teenager… He was annoying, but he was an adult. Inuyasha sighed and shrugged. He would never see the man again any way, and if he ever babbled about their conversation—it would only help clear up the rumors going around, if anything.

"Alright…" Miroku’s face brightened a little. "What *do* you call a girl who’s been by your side since the day she was born?" Inuyasha asked, wondering what comment Miroku could possibly give to aid him in giving Kagome an appropriate title in his life. Miroku frowned. "That’s too vague… what did you two do together? My imagination tells me I agree with the public, if that’s all you tell people." Inuyasha sputtered and rubbed the bridge of his nose hoping he wouldn’t develop any worse of a headache than he already had.

"Stupid pervert." Inuyasha growled. "We never did anything perverted, like your mind is concocting… we…" Inuyasha looked down, memories on the tip of his tongue. He had never actually talked about what he and Kagome did…only what she looked like and what had happened.

"I was always with her…she was always with me…We ate, walked, talked, and just kind of…sat around together. The normal things anyone one does…" Inuyasha sighed and looked away. There was no easy way to explain it… Miroku stroked his chin again and looked to be considering his words deeply.

"I was there when she was born…" Inuyasha whispered and Miroku almost didn’t hear him, and looked at him in surprise.

~*******~

Inuyasha sat outside of the room, against the wall just beside the doorway, with his knees up to his chest and his hands over his ears. His father had said he could come and see the new princess if he wanted, but he wouldn’t have agreed if he had known if would be so terribly noisy.

His father was the Great Demon of the West, so everything in his territory was under his control. There were human’s of nobility within their region, and although none of them compared in importance to the demon lord, his father kept contact with all of them. The highest in stature of the human nobilities actually lived in a part of their very own home—for protection and communication purposes. As humans keeping in close contact with demons—many other humans were against them. And as humans allowed to stay close to the Demon Lord—many demons despised them. So here he was, sitting outside as one of the female humans gave birth. Why his father had even thought of the event in a positive manner—Inuyasha had no idea. He certainly couldn’t see anything good or important about being in a room with a lady that screamed a whole bunch and was apparently in a great deal of pain. He wondered if all mothers were like that when they gave birth and hoped that his mother hadn’t been in any pain. It was incredibly unnerving and he didn’t know how his father could stand to sit in that room with the mother’s husband and encourage them.

Inuyasha was so busy concentrating on keeping his ears pressed to his head that he didn’t notice his older brother’s approach. "Too noisy?" Inuyasha looked up with a start to see Sesshoumaru staring down at him. He let go of his ears, though they remained flattened, and hastily stood up in a huff. It was very seldom that the elder brother started the conversation, or came to seek him out for that matter.

Sesshoumaru stared down at his little brother, who made it roughly up to about his knee in height, and gestured towards the room. "Why did you come if you can’t stand the noise?" He asked.

"I didn’t *know* it was going to be so noisy!" Inuyasha protested and crossed his arms. His brother rolled his eyes at him and flipped some of his hair over his shoulder. "What did you think births were like?" Inuyasha frowned up at him. Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes again. "Someday you’re going to have a mate and she’ll be just as loud and making a ruckus of her pain. Then you’ll understand." Inuyasha wrinkled his nose in disgust and confusion at that statement.

Sesshoumaru continued, in no rush to be anywhere, and having no problem educating his little brother in the more crude sides of nature. "Females don’t just drop the baby without any effort. Your mother was in just as much pain with you, though I must admit—the female in there is definitely being more obnoxiously loud than I’ve ever heard before. Stupid humans." Inuyasha stared up at his brother in horror. "Haha-ue!?" He gasped in shock and tugged at his brother’s pants, demanding attention to his fears.

Sesshoumaru growled and batted at his hands. "Knock it off. You’re mother’s fine isn’t she? It can’t be helped; all mothers are like that when they have pups. Stop it. She’s fine." Sesshoumaru frowned as Inuyasha continued to tug at his robes. "But you’re mom’s dead…what if…" Inuyasha worried, but quickly quieted and let go of his brother’s robes seeing the look on his face.

"My mother did not die giving birth to me. And I don’t see how her or myself possibly relates to these human issues. Shut up, Inuyasha. You’re spouting nonsense again." Sesshoumaru scowled coldly down at his little brother, Inuyasha bowing his head to prevent the elder sibling from seeing his face. Inuyasha bit his lip, "Gomen…" Sesshoumaru just glared and turned abruptly away from him in a rustle of cloth and hair, refusing to look at him. "Whatever, little brother. Have all the fun you like, playing with the annoying little human baby. I’m sure it will prove better company for you than I." And with that, he stalked back down the hallway in the direction he had come and disappeared. Inuyasha frowned as his brother disappeared from view. Their conversations usually ended that way… It seemed he always said something wrong.

Inuyasha pouted and sat back down again the wall. His brother had too many buttons that weren’t allowed to be pushed. It was a concept too complex for his young mind to handle.

Inuyasha sighed and stretched out his fingers, looking at his claws restlessly. ‘How long could it possibly take to have a…?’ He paused and his ears perked up on his head in curiosity. The loud noises had stopped and he could pick up light chatter floating around in the air from inside the room and it was otherwise quiet. It seemed that the woman in labor was either finished or had been put out of her misery. Inuyasha shudder involuntarily and got up to place his hands unsurely on the door before deciding to enter.

He stuck his head into the room and cautiously looked around. Some men and his father were in the corner having a quiet conversation and the women were all standing around the bed on the other side of the room. He tried to listen and figure out what everyone was talking about but his father spotted him first.

"Inuyasha…" His father smiled and gestured him over. Inuyasha timidly stepped away from the door and shut it quietly behind him. His father sent a smile back towards the men he had been conversing with and came over to him. "The noise get too much for you, Inuyasha?" Inuyasha nodded, a bit of the unsure guilt from leaving the room earlier leaving his face. "Come on…" His father bent down and picked him up under the arms and lifted him off of the ground. His father brought him over to where the women were standing and they parted, allowing him to step up to the bed. There was a woman tucked securely into the covers and when she saw him she smiled weakly.

Inuyasha’s father set him down on the woman’s stomach and Inuyasha looked at her unsurely. She was damp with a light sweat and her hair fell unceremoniously around her face. Her breathing was calm, but deep, and everything about her seemed weak. Tired, Inuyasha decided as he watched her limply raise her hands to adjust something. It was then his nose told him that whatever she was holding happened to be another person and he realized it must be the baby. He was very light, but he glanced at the older woman for permission before crawling across her stomach and coming closer to observe her newborn.

The baby was much smaller than Inuyasha had actually expected, and he had thought he was small. It didn’t have very much hair, and it didn’t look like it could even hold its own head up yet either. He frowned and leaned over, sniffing at the baby suspiciously. It was a girl, and it smelled slightly of blood and something else, which unnerved him. It blinked up at him, staring with wide eyes. He stared back at it, unsure of what to really do with something so small and weak. The room fell silent as everyone watched in amusement as the two children stared at each other.

Suddenly the baby let out an ear-piercing squeal of delight and threw its chubby little arms up in the air above its head. Inuyasha fell backwards and nearly rolled off of the bed since his hands were covering his ears and unable to grab onto anything else. The adults in the room all chuckled at the scene and Inuyasha was scooped up again by his father. "Come on, Inuyasha. We’ll come back another time." His father started walking out of the room and Inuyasha glared accusingly over his father’s shoulder at the noisy little baby, still holding his ears defensively. His brother had suggested he use that as company? Most certainly not.

Some time later, Inuyasha’s father told him that he could come to visit the new princess again. He told his father that he didn’t see why he would want to see something that did nothing but squawk and coo at people. But his father assure him that the baby had grown a little and wasn’t as noisy. He finally agreed, and he trotted along behind his father contently. When they met up with the parents, they pointed down the hall and told Inuyasha where the baby was while they talked with his father. He looked up at his father unsurely and his father nodded, shooing him away down the hall.

Inuyasha readily opened the door when he heard no wailing from the other side of the wall. He closed the door behind him and looked around, surprised to see the little girl in the corner playing with some small toys. His nose told him it was the same baby and he was surprised at how different she looked now. She was dressed in a little silk outfit that had sakura patterns on it, and she had a sakura blossom in her hair—which now completely covered her head and fell around her face. She made funny little noises every time she brought her toys together, tapping them and apparently thrilled with the noises they made when they clinked together. She paused then, taking notice of him, and dropped her toys. With the apparent ability to move about on her own, Inuyasha wondered if she could talk.

"Oi…" He sat down cross-legged near her, but keeping a distance. She made a happy little noise and crawled over to him. "Hey…" The baby didn’t say anything, but it made happy noises in its throat and mumbled things as it reached up and tugged on his arms. He frowned at her, leaning away, though he knew the child couldn’t harm him.

He let it crawl around and over him, letting her do whatever her strange baby mind desired. But when she latched onto his hair and stuck it in her mouth to suck on it he gasped and jerked his hair away, grimacing at the wet tips of his rescued lock of hair. He growled at her and he was surprised when she stuck her tongue out at him. Amazing… a baby with an attitude.

He stood up and started to walk away, looking down when he saw the baby was being dragged by his pant leg where she had attached herself. He raised an eyebrow at her and started walking again, slowly. To his amusement, the baby tried to keep up by shuffling on its knees and keeping hold of his robes. "Keh. Can’t you even walk?" It tried to stand a few times, but landed heavily back on its rump and pouted.

At least it was entertaining, and he was eager to see what it would be like when she could actually talk. He wouldn’t have to bother his brother so much then, whom always seemed too busy to play. He helped her up again, and was actually sort of angry to see she was up to his shoulder in height now. She had better not end up taller than him…

Since …the little girl seemed so determined to stand up, he decided to see if he could get her to walk. Determined to be able to play with something that could do more than crawl around and gargle, he held her hands and helped her walk around the room. "Hey come on, uh…" He looked around and caught sight of the bracelet on her hand with carved wooden beads. Three of the beads had characters inscribed on them and he struggled to recognize them from what his mother had taught him. "Kago..me?" She cocked her head and he nodded, satisfied with her name. "Hmph. Well I’m Inuyasha, but you can’t understand me, can you?" She stuck her tongue out again and he rolled his eyes.

Kagome giggled happily, clumsily stepping after him and laughing as she went; even if she fell. A short time later, he smirked, now only needing one hand to pull her around the room while she laughed her head off. He really didn’t see anything funny about the situation, because he was teaching her mostly just so she wasn’t so boring. But pulling around a giggling little girl learning to walk was more amusing than he had thought possible.

The adults came in later, sure that he could watch the baby while they talked, and were surprised to see them tumbling around the room laughing while he taught Kagome to walk. Inuyasha caught sight of them and stopped suddenly, as if he had been caught doing something bad, but he yelped and fell forward when the extra weight of the baby that had been trailing him ran into him when he stopped. "Ooph!" He landed on his stomach and Kagome fell over too, looking at his fallen form quickly before making little effort of clambering up to sit on his back and proceeding to bounce up and down. "Gah! Hey, get off!" Thankfully, the mother rescued him and retrieved her baby from where she was making Inuyasha struggle to keep air in his lungs.

The moment Kagome realized she was in the air and away from Inuyasha, she started to wail and Inuyasha curled up on the floor still, clutching his sensitive ears once again. Her mother gasped and tried to hush her, wondering what had set her off. Her husband came over and tried to calm her as well. Inuyasha’s father eyed his son gritting his teeth and holding his ears down, and frowned. Kagome squirmed around in her mother’s arms and her mother tried to keep her from falling out of her grip. She creased her eyebrows, wondering if her daughter was in pain, but after the forth time of nearly dropping her child; she realized that her daughter wasn’t just squirming around… she was reaching out, like when she wanted to be held. And reaching…down…near the floor. She exchanged glances with her husband and the Demon Lord, and they all glanced down at Inuyasha who was still bunched up on the floor.

"Sh, sh, Kagome-chan…here." Her mother bit her lip and walked over to Inuyasha, lowering Kagome. The moment Kagome realized that she was descending- she quieted to sniffles, and Inuyasha opened an eye in time to see her get set on the floor in front of him. "Eh?" He blinked. She smiled and crawled over to him as he sat up and managed to get him to let her sit in his lap. She sat there contently, and Inuyasha smiled at her weakly, his ears still ringing, before he noticed the adults staring down at them. "What?" He asked defensively, flattening his ears in fear.

Kagome’s parents stared at each other and then at Inuyasha’s father, who was laughing to himself. The two men exchanged something through their eyes and then grinned, turning to the wife. She blinked at them. "My comrade…" The Demon Lord smiled at his human friends.

"I do believe we have ourselves here, a match…"

*

From then on, Inuyasha spent almost all of his time with the little princess, Kagome. That was, at least, until she could walk and run. Then the roles switched and little Kagome followed Inuyasha everywhere, just as effectively as his shadow.

Sesshoumaru, for one, hated the young princess. The thing that bothered him most about the little girl was that no matter what he said of how he treated her, he couldn’t get her to cry or scare her away. She would just tilt her head at him curiously and look to Inuyasha for a response.

It was usually Inuyasha who came to find him whenever the two brothers spent a little, if any, time together. But with Kagome following Inuyasha around Sesshoumaru avoided them both as if they were a plague. Neither brother seemed to care about this, since Inuyasha disapproved of his brother trying to scare Kagome senseless every time they crossed paths and Sesshoumaru had always generally ignored him any way. But Inuyasha could not figure out just why his brother seemed so angry with him after the arrival of Kagome.

Some of the servants were worried when the children were left alone for long periods of time, thinking Inuyasha would get annoyed by the little girl following his every move. But Inuyasha never so much as growled at her, nor did he ever try to lose her when she followed him around. Everyone, to say the least, was surprised. Even the demon lord sometimes came in to ask if Inuyasha wanted be left alone every now and then, but every time he asked it as either a shake of the head or a "Keh. She’s not doing anything bad, just leave her there."

And even though her first word was still "Okaa…", her second word was "Inuyasha" and remained the largest word in her vocabulary for quite awhile. By the end of a year, the reply to his father and servants Inuyasha gave had changed to "Kagome’s fine." And then he would shoo them away. Inuyasha had never had much to do around home, even though it was understandable since he was a kid. But Sesshoumaru always had something important lined up to keep himself busy. Now that Kagome was with him, Inuyasha kept her from getting into trouble or hurt…which happened a lot. And he felt needed. It felt good.

~*******~

"I protected her…." Inuyasha sighed, his eyes clearing up from their foggy appearance as he focused back on reality and let the memories seep back into the depths of his mind. Miroku was watching him impassively, waiting to see if he had anything else to say. Inuyasha watched him blankly, wondering what he would say about Kagome now. He cursed himself for saying even as much as he did, but he supposed having a dangerous conversation with an annoying monk was better than having to try and convince some villager that he was not going to eat them or kill them, but only want to sleep.

"Do you love her like a sister?" Miroku asked, sitting up and looking very intently at him. Inuyasha gave him a look and turned away, uncomfortable under the stare, and grumbled to himself a little.

"No… Can’t picture her as my sister." He mused, trying to put Kagome standing next to him and his brother acting ‘sibling-like’ in his mind. Nope. "Like a daughter?" Miroku asked again. Inuyasha snorted. "Are you kidding? I was this tall when I met her!" He scoffed, gesturing with his free hand to about two feet off the ground.

"Have you ever been with another woman?" Inuyasha gaped and immediately shouted back a "No!" Miroku paused and then asked another question, "Well has she ever been with another man?" Inuyasha trembled with offence and anger at the question, hissing his answer, "NO!!!"

Miroku shook his head and put his hands on his knees, giving an ‘it can’t be helped’ appearance. "What?" Inuyasha asked defensively. "Oh my dear young Lord…" Miroku sighed dramatically. "What!?" Inuyasha shouted again, trying not to be *too* loud since everyone else was most likely sleeping. "I do believe you’re destined to be lovers!" Miroku proclaimed optimistically. Inuyasha stared at him. "What…?!" Miroku sighed and made show of seeming giddily pleased with his discovery. "Don’t you see it? Childhood bonding, blossoming into love! A princess that fell in love with her protector! Love at first sight, and together every moment of their lives… soul mates!" Miroku grinned widely.

"Now wait just a damn minute!" Inuyasha growled in annoyance. "That’s exactly what everyone thinks is going on but it’s NOT. I spoke to see if you could put a title to her in regards to me, not tell me I’m in love with her you idiot!"

"But if you’re going to stick to one another like glue, why haven’t you just gotten married?"

Miroku looked confused as to why Inuyasha looked at him like he was stupid. "Are you blind? I’m an Inu-youkai! Princesses don’t marry demons!"

"But I thought your mother was supposedly a princess that the Demon Lord fell in…"

"That’s different. I’m not the Great Demon of the West." Inuyasha mumbled and Miroku raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And being his son completely excludes you from that category?" Inuyasha nodded and Miroku shook his head. "You know…" He raised a meaningful finger. "They say denial is more dangerous than the consequences of the problem itself." Inuyasha fixed him with a glare. "Denial, monk? To be in denial would first mean I’d have to be in love with her." Miroku returned the look. "Are you denying you do?" Inuyasha nodded stubbornly and Miroku whispered low, "suuure.." he whispered sarcastically. Inuyasha started to reach for his sword and Miroku continued talking before he could be stopped. "But what about her? Does she love you? Certainly to stay by your side for so many years…" Miroku nodded to himself. Surprisingly, Inuyasha did not blow up, but instead he sighed and stared hard down at the flooring again.

"Love is a strong word, priest. Of course I care for her and I know she cares for me. But I can’t imagine her wanting to marry me, it sounds wrong. I protect her and she needs me—that’s all that I care about right now. She’s mine. The only thing I wanted a comment on is "she’s my what?"

Miroku regarded Inuyasha in surprise at his unusually meaningful words, considering them thoughtfully. Perhaps that was enough teasing for the time being then. He truly could relate with the distraught youkai, though. He had one of those unmentionable woman that had no certain place as a role, but played an important part in his life also.

Inuyasha had rolled over, facing away, and most likely fed up with the conversation. But Miroku still had two cents to put in.

"What does your family refer to her as?" Miroku asked casually, trying to pull together a conclusion.

"Keh. My brother calls her ‘my bitch.’ Everyone else calls her Kagome!" Inuyasha scoffed over his shoulder. Miroku sweat dropped. Ah…the trials of the royal families…

"Well then, from what you’ve told me… I’d say ‘companion’ sounds too suspicious, ‘friend’ sounds like your obviously hiding something, and ‘lady’ makes it sound like your married. I’d just stick with ‘lady’ if I were you. Then people won’t just think she’s just your concubine or something. It’s common for nobility, you know…"

Inuyasha groaned and placed his face in his hands. Yeah it was common. But it wasn’t a practice that his father or anyone else in the Western Lord’s name participated in. And Kagome… she was usually formally and decently dressed, and the most they ever did together was…hug. She was too innocent and fair in appearance to be mistaken for something so dirty. But her appearance never stopped the assumptions that they were married. It was annoying.

"You’re blushing…" Inuyasha glared at the monk who was smiling at him. "And you’re asking for a slit throat…" Miroku frowned and Inuyasha took the role of smiling. Satisfied with the monk’s lack of response, Inuyasha let out an exasperated breath; the stress of the day taking its toll as he felt exhaustion pool within him. It only took a few seconds for him to notice he lying off of his bedding and in his own little puddle of moisture. He cursed and used the towel to dry the floor. He was pleased to note that his hair was mostly dry now, but his clothes were another matter.

If he wanted to leave early in the morning he wasn’t going to have the time to have his clothing washed…and he wanted to leave early. With a grimace of displeasure he peeled his upper clothing off his chest and set them out to dry. He would have to stomach sleeping in his pants, damp as they were, because he didn’t want to sleep without them and risk embarrassing himself in the presence of an…almost complete stranger.

Inuyasha crawled into his bedding and lye on his back with his arms folded behind his head, staring at the ceiling. This ‘Miroku’ character was a pain in the ass, but he was entertaining. It felt rather good to have an actual conversation with someone again. When he had been little, he had always stalked off to find his brother and converse or annoy him whether the older demon responded or not.

When Kagome had come along, and learned how to talk of course, he had grown accustomed to talking with her every day and night. They didn’t actually say much, during the day; and just liked to enjoy themselves and comment on things that amused them or how they felt. But at night, Kagome liked to talk. He had smartly neglected to mention that he and Kagome also slept in the same room to Miroku. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what the ‘female-educated’ monk would get from that information.

At night Kagome would talk until her words slurred and she fell asleep mouthing them. She would tell him what she wanted to do the next day, and comment on what they had done the previous one. She would poke fun at guards and other nobility with him and usually get him to laugh with her as well. She would ask various questions about his family, usually concerning what it had been like before she was born; making sure she knew as much about him as possible. Any question he asked of her was always an opinion or an emotional question, because there were no events of her life he was unaware of, always in her presence. And they would just …talk…about everything…and them. And every night, before they fell asleep, she would tell him how much she liked to be with him, and thank him for allowing her to stay near him; because it was always obvious that many people looked down upon him for being so close to her. And every night in reply, he would always assure her that he enjoyed her company just as much, and that he would protect her.

That was why it was so hard to sleep at night… like it was now. It was just a natural part of the day before, but now; after having hours of conversation every night for over sixteen years in a row, it was not something his mind was taking lightly.

Inuyasha sighed sadly and curled up on his side. He needed to find Kagome… She had been calling out to him for help and he had lost her. Every time she ever needed help or protection, all she needed to do was call his name and he had always followed through. He wasn’t about to let her suffer any longer than necessary; until he managed to find her and protect her like he was meant to.

"Kagome…"

He slowly dozed off, from exhaustion rather than peace of mind; and stayed on his side with a sorrowful expression remaining lax on his face. He missed her scent, he missed her voice, but at least he could satisfy the need somewhat through his dreams.

While the young Youkai Lord had drifted asleep, Miroku remained sitting up in bed, watching the hanyou solemnly. He was truly a complex character: this Inuyasha. He heard him whisper his lady’s name tiredly and smiled. Honestly, he had expected the second son of the High Lord of the West to be much more unsociable and unpleasant to be around than Inuyasha had been. The prince certainly had a temper to be reckoned with, but he made an obvious effort to keep from killing anyone. The girl, Kagome, his ‘lady,’… she was definitely a soft spot on the prince’s hard set exterior and talk—which alternated between formal and strings of curses.

Miroku had been very intrigued by Inuyasha’s conversations with the villagers and, specifically, the conversation with the little girl who had stopped him. It hadn’t taken long for him to make up his mind on confronting the young lord, and cutting him off by using a short cut and making sure to find a place to sleep in the same temple so that he could confront him by morning, if not that night. He had lucked out to be coincidentally forced to share the same room with him.

He had confirmed most of his suspicions, and now the only problem left was to get Inuyasha to agree with him. He could bet his staff that the Western prince was unfamiliar with the three outer territories outside of the Western boundaries. It was small talk in town when the Demon Lords crossed boundaries and met with other Lords and nobility outside of their lands. But his memory had little recall to the Western demons leaving their territory often. Keeping a bunch of demons and humans under control when they were being ruled by both—the Great Lord and his human mate—was no doubt a difficult task.

He had nothing against youkai- as long as they weren’t trying to kill him. And hopefully, his open mindedness would gain him a little leverage with the lost Inuyasha tomorrow.

~*******~

Inuyasha woke before the dawn light could creep across the floor and shed morning light upon his face. Rather, he was awakened by the cold chill of the morning air against his bare chest. He sat up groggily and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, looking down to see that he had wriggled out of his sheets in the restlessness of sleep and they were pooled at his feet. Cursing quietly at how the dampness of his body sent a rare shiver up his spine, since temperature changes didn’t usually bother him, he stood up and stumbled over to his shirts; pleased that they were dry. As he secured the cloth across his chest and tied his sash, he paused, and looked up to see Miroku watching him amusedly.

"Is this how royalty awakens every morning? Funny, I always imagined them gracefully slipping out of bed, rousing without a single shadow of sleep under their eye, and somehow managing to have kept their hair in perfect condition during the night…"

Inuyasha growled and combed his hair quickly with his claws in spite of himself. "Just ‘cuz I was born into it, doesn’t mean I have to act like some stuck up rich guy and fret over my sleeping habits. I slept, I woke up, I look like shit for awhile, and then I’m on my way again. Got a problem with that?"

Miroku smiled, silently happy with Inuyasha’s carefree and somewhat rugged demeanor. He would not be talking to him right now if he were like one of the many noblemen who seemed to think they were god. The only rumors that ever reached him of Inuyasha were like the little girl has said- that the second son of the Demon Lord was married to a human and she never left his side. The village women loved to talk about that one, and, well… he tended to mingle with the lady folk. He supposed getting very bias rumors was the downside of it… There was always plenty of information on Inuyasha’s brother though, oddly enough. No one ever knew exactly where he was, since the first-born son seemed to make himself nearly invisible when he was staying somewhere. But it was no doubt the elder son definitely got around more than Inuyasha did. And now he knew it was probably because of the princess.

"Not at all, Inuyasha." Inuyasha glowered at the monk, looking for any sort of fault in him. Finding none, he sighed and made to leave.

"Oh, and, Inuyasha?" Inuyasha stopped and looked back at him impatiently. "You don’t know the lands outside the Western borders very well, do you?" Inuyasha growled and turned away. "So? It makes no difference if I plan on searching every inch of land any way…" Miroku tried to make himself look as non-precocious as possible.

"Why? What business is it to you?" Inuyasha shifted his weight, very uncomfortable on being reminded of how foreign everything out of his territory was going to be. He meant his words though, Kagome would be found.

Miroku paused before answering, considering what he had in mind one last time before deciding to voice it. He had been much more understanding of the Inuyasha’s story than the young lord was aware. There was the typical male sympathy that he understood over the loss of…companionship- that being of the female gender. And aside from that, Miroku saw the whole event as something not to be taken lightly. He had heard of the heartless ways of the eldest Demon Lord’s son. And though he had more heart than his eldest son, and cared for humans, the Demon Lord was still a powerful youkai ruler—and was irreversibly full-blooded youkai, no matter how compassionate he may be. So to see Inuyasha now, whom one would suspect to have taken after either his brother or father’s ways, devoting himself to finding a human girl… If he didn’t help, and he could, he would forever corrupt his honor and peace of mind for not doing so.

"Actually, it *is* my business. Because I was thinking of coming with you…"

Well, now, that was direct…

Inuyasha sputtered and gave a muffled laugh. "You!!?" He crossed his arms and turned away again. "Stop joking around, bouzu! You think I’m stupid? The only thing you could want from me is either publicity or to exorcize me!" He started walking away but Miroku placed a firm hand on his shoulder and stopped his tracks.

"You are mistaken, Inuyasha. I considered your story, and I want to offer my assistance." Inuyasha kept his vision straight ahead. He didn’t want to be bothered; he just wanted to find Kagome… Miroku couldn’t understand. "What nonsense are you babbling about now, monk?" Inuyasha snapped, but his tone was weak.

"I’m a wanderer, Inuyasha. I know all of the lands that you don’t. I want to help."

"You’ll slow me down." Inuyasha growled. He bowed his head low so the other man could not see his face. He didn’t like company, and he definitely wasn’t a ‘people person’, even if he could act the part on occasion. And even though he hated getting help from anyone… he had actually considered finding a guide when he had begun to realize his search would be going beyond the Western Lands. He wanted to find Kagome, he didn’t care how he did it or who helped him…But he didn’t want to waste the time finding a suitable one… and hadn’t wanted to risk them slowing him down. He traveled all day, rested at night, and sometimes sacrificed his rest at night if he felt he hadn’t traveled enough during the day…

"I think you underestimate me, I’ve traveled since I was young." Inuyasha glared but Miroku smiled. He could tell that the hanyou was trying to come up with reasons to send him away, but he was determined to help. Besides, it wasn’t as if he was doing it *all* for Inuyasha… because doing a good deed without personal gain wasn’t any fun now, was it? Miroku’s smile widened.

Inuyasha seemed at a loss of words. He could admit to himself that he sorely wanted a guide, but he certainly didn’t approve with fate’s choices of person. Miroku’s jaunty and lively ways were also something he wasn’t sure his sanity could handle. And having such a brisk personality did nothing to convince him the monk could manage to be responsible and devoted. Inuyasha decided to voice this fact-

"Your perverted mind and lively nature do nothing to convince me you can handle the lifestyle I’ve set before myself."

Miroku shrugged. "Don’t think you know me so well. I had expected different from you, and you have proven me wrong. If I still believed you to be the stuck up bastard I had expected, I could care less about you finding your princess." Inuyasha gritted his teeth in both anger and resentful consideration. Then he suddenly seemed to realize something.

"What’s the catch?" Miroku blinked at him. "Don’t kid me, monk. There’s no way someone like you could possibly want to do this and get nothing in return."

Miroku nodded and raised his hands innocently. "Ah, I see you’ve found me out." Inuyasha looked about ready to stalk off right then and there. "I will be losing nothing by traveling with you, because I am searching for someone as well. And the way I see it, we both benefit if I travel with you. And why travel alone when we could team up and both get what we want, right?"

Inuyasha’s mouth fell open in surprise. "You’re… searching for someone also?"

"Coincidence, yes? I am searching for a woman I’ve known for awhile now…has the awful tendency to slip away and disappear for awhile, she does."

Inuyasha looked disbelieving and put a cautious hand to his sword. "You’re not making this up…you’re actually looking for someone too? And the only reasons your helping me is because you have to search any way, and because it would benefit us both…?" Inuyasha almost growled the words, not liking the idea that Miroku might have been playing him for a fool the whole time if it turned out to be lies.

Miroku sweat-dropped. "Well…actually, I wasn’t searching for her until you told me your story…" Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "I guess you could say…you made me lonely." Miroku sighed dramatically and Inuyasha scrunched his face in odd puzzlement at the strange revelation.

"And *ahem*…" Miroku coughed into his hand roughly, looking the slightest bit shameful. Inuyasha’s suspicions raised his eyebrow yet again. "Well…Traveling with a youkai prince would keep us rather…assured…of course…" Inuyasha groaned and secured his sword back into the scabbard. So that was it, huh? The stupid monk was going to be traveling with him for benefit of a bodyguard eh? It made sense, but the priest looked like he was going to be a pain in the ass. No wait… he was ALREADY a pain in the ass! But Kagome…

"I really don’t like you…." Inuyasha glared at the priest, sizing him up one last time.

"Ah, you may not like me, but you need me…" Miroku grinned.

"Not ‘need’, it’s more like ‘could use’…" Inuyasha sneered. Miroku frowned, but quickly resumed his optimism.

"Very well. I’ll take that as an agreement. Pleased to be of assistance, Inuyasha." Miroku bowed and Inuyasha just shook his head wondering what he’d gotten himself into.

And so, after Inuyasha had asked the majority of the town for information on Kagome’s whereabouts with no helpful information whatsoever, he and Miroku both set off for the Eastern Lands. Inuyasha was slightly offset and found it hard to set a comfortable pace again, not used to having the company. Miroku seemed rather content with himself and the whole situation, and grinned as the river separating the Eastern and Western Lands came into sight. Inuyasha glared at the border, wondering just how much trouble the people of the East would give him. He was not their Lord, and so in theory they didn’t need to obey him even though he was still their superior. If they resisted giving information and he suspected them knowing something…he would be…violent…

"Well looks like the search for Kagome-sama really begins now, doesn’t it Inuyasha?" Miroku mused as he scanned the river for the simplest way across. Inuyasha sighed and was about to agree, but he paused.

"Huh?" Miroku looked back over his shoulder from where he stood, currently jumping stones to the other side. "Aaagh!" Inuyasha was on him in a second, holding him by the collar of his robes off the ground, his feet dangling over the water. "What now!?" Miroku called out, trying to breathe normally while suspended in the air. "How do you know her name!?" Inuyasha demanded, giving Miroku a good shake. "What?!" Miroku cursed when he realized he was losing one of his shoes and tried to keep his feet still to discourage it from falling into the river. "You heard me, how do you know Kagome’s name!?" Inuyasha shook him again.

"You are an idiot!" Inuyasha blinked at the man in his grip. "You told me yourself yesterday! AND you said her name while you were falling asleep!" Inuyasha paused, thinking for a minute, and then cursed. "Dammit! I didn’t mean to…" He mumbled and dropped the monk. Miroku gasped and managed to land on a stone rather than in the water. "Sheesh. What’s so wrong with knowing her name?" Miroku brushed himself off.

"Because no one outside of my family and hers knows it, they only know she’s the princess. And that’s why everyone in town just knows her from rumors as ‘the girl who’s always with me.’ And if some youkai idiot out there has her, I doubt she’ll tell them her name any way. I don’t think the youkai who had her knew who she was…"

"Oh, why is that?" Miroku asked, happy to be over the river and into the next region. "I’ve never seen them before, though I didn’t get a good look at all… I just saw his shadow. It was rather…large. And all the people I know who are familiar with our courts and people are pretty well kept and small, since they stay in humanoid form most of the time…"

"What? So you’re saying some big bug has her?"

"NO!! I’m saying that they’re LARGE and bulky. Not some noble little twerp!"

"Ahhh…."

Inuyasha crossed his arms and stomped angrily beside the priest. He didn’t like the scents of the foreign land around him and all he could do was follow the annoying little monk and trust his knowledge. Dammit. He also hated being reminded that he didn’t know who had Kagome in the first place, and that in turn led to the guilt of not being able to save her from them. The shadow of her captor was fresh in his mind. Damn youkai bastard. Stealing Kagome… The stupid shit-head was sending him out of his lands to search for her. Fucking idiot... they certainly had no idea how precious their prisoner was...

Miroku sensed the tension in the atmosphere and frowned. Thinking for a moment, he pondered a change of subject.

"Sooo…when you said her name last night…" Miroku started.

"What?!" Inuyasha snapped.

"What were ya’ dreaming about?" Inuyasha stared in disbelief and shock as Miroku smirked and did a quirky little eyebrow dance of suggestive nature.

"…….!!! "

"Oooooh. That good huh?"

"Why you---!" Inuyasha bunched up and flexed his claws ready to tear Miroku to shreds. "Ah,ah,ah-- Miroku waved a ‘no no’ finger at him ---it wouldn’t do to kill your guide now, would it?"

Inuyasha’s fists trembled in anger at his sides. "You LECH!!! How dare you suggest that I…"

"First town is about four miles ahead."

"Hmm? Aren’t you interested in searching? Inuyasha! I’m surprised!"

Inuyasha stared at Miroku blankly, trying to figure what had just happened. The lecherous priest changed subjects faster and more often than his brother managed to do when he was trying to trick him into attending social gatherings!

He was eager to search, but… that priest… Grrrr, he was stepping out of line! Did he use psychological warfare? What had happened to all that anger he had been feeling a minute ago? He had been so confused it had disappeared…

"Oh and, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked humbly.

"What?"

"Don’t be ashamed, we’re just men after all….."

Inuyasha gawked again as the monk managed to switch conversations to save himself, and then turn around and dig himself another hole again.

"………I HATE YOU!!! You sick, roguish, knaiving, disgusting, lecherous bastard!!!!"

"Ah, hurry up or we won’t make good time."

"Grrrrrr….!!!!"

~**********~

To be continued…..

Ehehehe. That was a lot longer for the first chapter than I had planned to write originally. 32 pages of glory baby! What did you think? Different from my other stuff, huh? I know I said that I would be updating Chaos Comes in Many Forms next, but I couldn’t help myself. Sorry about that ^_^ I plead forgiveness. Hopefully you liked this story and you forgive me because of it. Well- Review away!!!