Disclaimer: I do not own either Ranma or Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi has that honour. I'm just borrowing them for a little while.

Sesshomaru smiled to himself as he walked out of the room that was to become that of the newest member of the Inu family. They had a week to finish the room before the teen would take up residence for the Autumn Gathering. All that needed doing was for the appropriate linens to be fitted and the last few bits of furniture to be finished and placed into the room.

The wardrobe in the room was full of the appropriate wear for someone of the pup's new status. He would need guidance while he was at the Fortress but that would only be a minor thing to take care of. The pup would have Inuyasha and Kagome and their three pups as support. As host to the gathering, Sesshomaru would be unlikely to be able to spend much time with the youngest Inu. He was having Inuyasha and Kagome bring Ranma to the Fortress two days prior to when the other guests would arrive.

It would allow the youngster to acclimate to the comings and goings of the Western Fortress, to get used to the sounds and smells of the different youkai that dwelled and worked there. His great nephew's rooms were sequestered in between those of his grandparents and Sesshomaru's own. The daiyoukai knew that there would be those looking to approach the pup when he was unaware.

Sesshomaru had ensured that the pup would be the most guarded of all the guests attending the Gathering.

He also hoped that the threat of Inuyasha on his own would be enough of a deterrent.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Ranma swallowed as he looked out of the window of the inn they had stayed at for the night. In a few hours they would be at the Western Fortress and Ranma would be thrown into a world he knew nothing about.

He looked out across the grasslands in front of him, wondering where the Fortress could be. He wondered how it had not been discovered by the humans, especially with the technology they now held. Inuyasha had just smirked and stated that youkai had tricks of their own making them undetectable to the humans.

"Hey," Ranma turned, seeing Kazuhiko standing in the doorway behind him. "You ready to go?"

Ranma let out a sigh before grabbing his bag and following his uncle out of the room, preparing himself for what was to come.

Give him physical combat or complex training techniques any day over trying to figure out what was going to happen in what was essentially the youkai royal court.

"Don't look so freaked out," Hiko laughed, clapping him on the shoulder, "it's not that scary. You'll be fine."

"Easy for you to say," Ranma grumbled, causing another snicker. "You were raised there. You know exactly what's expected of you. I have no idea."

"Which is why you have us to help you," he walked out of the room, down to meet his father outside. Ranma sighed again, his eyes once again drifting over the grassy plains they would be travelling over. While they had arrived to the inn in modern vehicles, they would not be travelling the rest of the way in that way.

He had noticed the carriages that had appeared during the night. Large and ornate but not ostentatious as they sat there. He hadn't seen any horses or anything that would pull them but they could be anywhere.

He made his way out of the inn, thinking of the way it had been when he'd left the dojo the previous morning. He hadn't told them where he was going, just that he had some business to take care of and would be back in a week or so. His father and Soun had kicked up a fuss and Happosai had narrowed his eyes, not saying anything to him as he left. Akane had given him a supportive smile and a decisive nod to what he was doing – not as though he had a choice – which gave him a little more confidence. Kasumi and Nabiki hadn't said anything to him, other than Kasumi expressing a worry that he would fall behind with his school work. Nabiki was clearly suspicious but she had held back with any remarks while he was there.

He didn't want to know what was going to through her mind.

He walked outside, closing his eyes as the sunshine hit his skin before looking around at his family. Izumi and Masaru were bickering once again in a way Ranma had become used to since being introduced to the pair while Kazuhiko had disappeared somewhere. Kagome was still inside and Inuyasha walked over to him before taking his bag and placing it in one of the carriages.

"You ready to go?" He asked as Ranma walked towards the front of the carriages, seeing that there were indeed places for horses to be harnessed but not seeing any around. "What's the matter?"

"I'm just wondering how we're gonna get there," Ranma turned to look at Inuyasha. "I'm assuming something hooks up to these, right?"

Inuyasha chuckled, making Ranma feel a little self-conscious. "Of course, there is, kid. They're just a little . . . temperamental, is all."

"What do you mean?" Ranma raised an eyebrow and Inuyasha smirked a little. Inuyasha nodded towards the side of the inn where he knew some outbuildings to be and Ranma watched carefully. His ears twitched as he heard some yelling and stomping coming around the corner.

His jaw dropped as he laid eyes on what had to be the largest and most bizarre looking horses he had ever seen.

There were four of them, each looking as though they would tower over even Sesshomaru, their hooves looking to be about the size of Ranma's head. They were lean and powerful, each of them having four youkai trying to control them.

It didn't seem to be working too well.

But it wasn't just their size that had Ranma gaping. It was the animals themselves. They were all different colours and seemed to glitter in the sunlight. It wasn't until the first one got closer that Ranma realised the deep blue shimmer was actually scales.

Inuyasha pulled Ranma back as the rear end of the first horse swung round and while he wouldn't have been hit, those legs looked like they had some reach.

They watched as the youkai managed to wrestle the horses into place and strap the harnesses to the carriages where they seemed to settle down. There were two to each carriage, side by side, now calm and gently whickering to each other and Ranma couldn't help but stare.

"Come on, I'll introduce you," Inuyasha led Ranma towards the giant beasts, approaching the deep blue one that had first come past them first. "This is Nariko." He reached out and ran a hand down her long neck and she leaned into him before noticing the younger hanyou beside him and letting out a snort. "Just hold out your hand."

Ranma glanced at him before holding his hand up in front of her. She leaned forward and he felt her hot breath on his hand as she took in his scent. She butted his hand with her nose, pressing against it and Ranma's eyes widened as he saw that the entirety of his hand didn't cover the end of her nose. He looked up at her again, marvelling at the creature in front of him.

"You're good to go, kid. Just watch out for the feet." Inuyasha chuckled and Ranma glanced down again, seeing that her hooves were enormous. He examined her with fascination, seeing that she was indeed covered in shimmering midnight blue scales which glittered in the sunlight as she shifted, before shifting into long hairs just below the knee, that went on to cover her hooves. Her tail and mane were a deep black, the hair soft against Ranma's fingers. "You wanna meet the others?"

Ranma nodded, looking towards the others that had been strapped up to the carriages. "This is Yoko." Ranma could see why she had been given the name she had. She was a deep burnt orange, taking on the appearance of fire as she stomped and snuffled at the ground. She stared at Ranma, snorting as Nariko had done. He, as before, held his hand out as she sniffed his hand. Like Nariko, she shimmered in the sunlight, her tail and mane appearing a brilliant gold as she shook her head, letting out a gust of air.

The two of them walked over to the other carriage and the other two horses. "Meet Hikaru," Inuyasha placed a hand on her nose as she snorted and shook her head. "Careful, she nips."

Ranma looked at her warily, enraptured by her silver scales, shimmering like molten silver as her muscles twitched, her mane and tail shimmering the same colour. She watched him warily, shaking her head as Ranma placed a hand gently on her neck.

"And lastly we have Akira," Ranma's gaze turned towards the last of the horses, a pale pink, seemingly more docile than the other three. She ducked her head, watching Ranma with a curious eye as she pawed at the ground in front of her.

Ranma approached her carefully, running his hand down her neck as he had with the others prior to her. She raised her head quickly and he stepped back a little. She snuffled at his shirt and he marvelled at how big her head was. The four of them towered over him and he couldn't help but look at them all in awe. He felt a tug at his hair, turning to see Hikaru watching him.

"Told you, she nips." Inuyasha chuckled, rubbing the enormous beast on the nose. "Come on, we gotta get going."

Taking one last glance at the four horses, he followed Inuyasha and climbed into the carriage behind the older hanyou. He noticed that it was just Kagome waiting for them in the carriage, looking over and seeing Izumi, Kazuhiko and Masaru climbing into the other one. "Is it safe to have the three of them unsupervised?"

"They'll be fine. These carriages are built to withstand youkai remember?" Ranma nodded settling back into the plush velvet seats as the carriage started to move.

Ranma tried to steady his nerves as he watched the scenery roll by through the window of the carriage but he couldn't seem to settle. He noted that Inuyasha and Kagome were entirely relaxed as they sat together quietly, Inuyasha's nose buried in her hair. Kagome looked over towards Ranma, smiling softly at him.

"It's okay to be nervous," she said softly, her eyes not leaving his face. "I remember when I first came to the fortress, I was terrified."

Ranma faltered a little at her words, not being able to imagine the strong woman he had come to know being scared of where they were heading. "Really?"

"Uh huh," she nodded and Inuyasha snorted, wincing a little as she elbowed him in the ribs. "When we first came to the fortress, opinions of Inuyasha weren't what they are now. We weren't fully accepted and we didn't know what was going to happen." She leaned forward, placing a hand on his knee. "Its different for you. Word has spread that we've found you and, yes, people will be watching you but for entirely different reasons. Everyone wants to meet you, Ranma. Its really been only the threat of repercussions from Sesshomaru and Inuyasha that have stopped them flooding to our door."

"Apart from that wolf," Ranma countered and Inuyasha scoffed again, rolling his eyes.

"Koga never knows when to leave well enough alone." He growled and Ranma felt a little bad for the wolf. Not much but a little.

"Will he be there?"

Inuyasha nodded, shifting to lean against the back of the bench he and Kagome were sat on, resting his arm against the back. "His entire brood will be as representatives of the Northern Wolf tribe. But Ayame will be there to rein them in."

"She is good at that." Kagome smiled turning back to Ranma. "Sesshomaru will have everything in place for when we arrive."

Ranma nodded, feeling a little better as he turned to look out of the window again. He had been told that they would essentially have the fortress to themselves for two days before the other guests of the Gathering arrived. He couldn't help but feel nervously excited about seeing his ancestral home. He had been told that it had stood for thousands of years, being the Seat of the House of the West. In recent centuries, it had been hidden from the world of humans, only those that had been there before, guided by a youkai being able to find it. Since this had been put in place, knowledge of the place had fallen out of human knowledge which was a benefit to those that dwelled inside.

He thought back over the last few weeks at the dojo. School had remained the same as it ever had. Kuno still tried to challenge him every morning and Ranma still ignored him. His new instincts wanted to beat Kuno into a pulp when he mentioned Akane being his but he managed to hold back knowing he wouldn't be able to hold back.

The dojo however had held a tense air. Since Happosai had realised that Inuyasha's words of being Ranma's ancestor were true.

Ranma hadn't even realised that he'd drifted off until he was being nudged awake by Inuyasha. He motioned for him to join him with a smile on his face before pointing out of the window. Ranma quickly shifted positions and looking to where the hanyou indicated, his jaw dropping as he saw the fortress for the first time.

Having envisioned something almost like a human military base, the high white walls were not unexpected but what amazed him was the fact that they were shimmering in the sunlight, as the sun did off of the Nerima canal in the summer. It was as though the walls were moving when he knew that wasn't possible – though what he believed was and was not possible had been challenged many times in the not to distant past. He noticed the high towers made of the same material which he assumed were lookout towers due to their placement and he could see what looked to be the top floors of an ornate palace within the walls. Even from the distance they were at, he could see that the ground covered by the fortress was equal to that of a large town.

He was so going to get lost.

He was so enraptured by the structure in front of him, he didn't notice Inuyasha and Kagome exchange smiles as they advanced on the fortress.

It wasn't long before they were approaching the gate and a loud horn blew, signalling their arrival. The large gate it turned out was a drawbridge, which dropped quickly with a loud thud, revealing the bustling fortress inside.

Inuyasha leaned over and drew the curtain over the window as they crossed the bridge, earning a confused look from Ranma. "You'll see it all in time. But everyone in here is nosey and they'll all be clamouring to get a look in if they see the curtains open." Ranma raised an eyebrow at his ancestor who gave him a stubborn look back while Kagome giggled.

Ranma had the itch to open the curtain again to see what was going on outside but Inuyasha beat him to it, slipping in between Ranma and the edge, shifting him down the bench. The older Inu gave him a "don't even think about it" look and Ranma shot him a glare back.

Inuyasha chuckled, wrapping an arm around Ranma's shoulders and pulling the teen towards him. He rubbed the back of his head lightly with his knuckles and grabbed one of his pointed ears in between his lips. To an observer it may have looked playful but it was a subtle display of dominance, reminding Ranma of his place before they entered the palace. He applied little more pressure before releasing the appendage and resting his chin between the two twitching ears. He released him as the carriage came to a halt and the door was promptly opened.

Kagome stepped out of the carriage first, stretching, seeming grateful for the fresh air once again. Inuyasha nodded for Ranma to follow and he stepped out, his eyes widening at the sights around him. He looked back to see a pair of enormous gates closing behind the second carriage that held the other three and attendants quickly going to aid the siblings inside. If they're still in one piece, Ranma mused.

He noted that the walls separating the palace from the rest of the fortress itself were a light shimmering blue, reflecting in the same way as the outside walls. The colour reminded Ranma of a clear pool of water, glittering in the sunlight.

He turned to see a large set of steps in front of him, leading up to the palace where he would be residing for the next few days. He had to blink a few times to take in the imagery of it all. The blue stone made up the exterior of the palace walls making it look as though it belonged in some kind of fairy tale rather than right in front of him. He could see glints of silver littered around the building and noted that the window frames he could see and door supports were glinting in the sunlight. It wouldn't surprise the young hanyou if they were made entirely out of silver.

"Come on, kid," Inuyasha placed a hand on his shoulder, breaking him out of his stupor and guiding him towards the steps. Kagome giggled a little, remembering her reaction to seeing the fortress and the palace for the first time. She had been the same as Ranma, trying to take in the splendour around her. While she had seen much over her time in the feudal era, nothing had compared to the beauty of the Western Fortress.

They climbed the steps as the carriages rolled away, their luggage being taken care of by the palace attendants.

Sesshomaru met them inside, a small smile placing on his lips as he watched his great nephew's reaction to the new world that was being opened up to him. This was his world. This was the world he should have been raised in as Inuyasha and Kagome had wished for a long time. But he was finally here.

Where he belonged.

"I trust your journey was satisfactory, little brother," Inuyasha shrugged with the nonchalant air he had come to expect from the hanyou.

"Other than these three trying to rip each other to pieces, can't complain." He grinned as the pups argued with him as they always did. "Enough you three. Go to your rooms and freshen up. I'm assuming dinner will be served soon."

"You assume correctly." Sesshomaru watched as his niece and nephews made their way to their rooms, silently admitting to himself that the fortress had been a lot quieter and less interesting without the hanyou siblings around. "And welcome to the Western Fortress, Ranma."

Ranma turned to face Sesshomaru, seeing him for the first time in his full traditional garb. Inuyasha was used to Sesshomaru's current attire of the obi, armour and hakama that he had consistently worn throughout the centuries.

"Come on, kid," Inuyasha chuckled as he led Ranma after Sesshomaru towards the bedchambers that had been created for him. He could see the pup was drinking in everything around him. It wouldn't matter what he had seen or done before, seeing the fortress for the first time was awe-inspiring to everyone.

They walked through the palace following Sesshomaru until they stopped outside a large set of doors. Sesshomaru stepped aside and Inuyasha nodded towards the door with a small smile on his face. Ranma looked at the door seeing a shining silver plate with his name on it.

He had his own room?

He couldn't remember the last time he had had a room to himself. Even when he had been at the shrine, he had shared with Izumi, Kazuhiko and Masaru. His whole life he had shared a room or wherever it is they had wound up, with his father. Even at the Tendo's he hadn't had any real privacy. Now he had a room to himself?

He gripped the handle and pushed the door open. Ranma walked into the room, the torches on the walls self-igniting as he stepped further into the room. His eyes widened as he stopped in the centre of the room. The room he was standing in was easily twice as big as the dojo, the walls covered in beautiful, elaborate paintings of a world he was about to discover. He stopped, seeing the enormous bed, sitting on a raised platform, covered in furs looking incredibly inviting to the teen. He noted the silver curtains tied to four posts that stretched from over the bed. He assumed that these were to block out any light that may come through, though noting the heavy curtains that framed the large doors that led out onto a balcony, he didn't think that would be required.

He stepped towards the bed, noting a large painting of an enormous white Inu, standing protectively over the bed, bright red eyes standing out like jewels against the silver and white. His eyes roamed over the detail in the fur, the different tinges of white and silver around the Inu's shoulders, purple markings around the jaw, down the streamlined body and twin tails.

"Father," Inuyasha whispered stopping behind Ranma, eyes glued to the painting on the wall.

Ranma looked to him, noting the longing look on Inuyasha's face. He knew from previous conversations that Inuyasha had never known his father, only having met the spirit of the great Inu-Youkai. While his old man bugged him to no end, he couldn't imagine not knowing him. At the same time, Ranma wondered about his mother. He couldn't remember her and his pop always clammed up when he asked about her. So he'd just stopped asking.

He turned back to the room, noting the elaborate wardrobes and dressers lining the walls. He noted another door in the corner of the room. Walking over to the door, he gently pushed it open, seeing a large stone room, lighting the same way his main rooms had when he entered.

It was a bath chamber. The pool itself rivalled those found in the bathhouse his pop and Soun Tendo like to cause trouble at. He noted that the paintings didn't stretch this far and the glittering while of the stone was mesmerising to the teen.

There was a large screen at the far end which he reasoned was to dress behind. Not that anyone would be in here with him when he was bathing. Unless he would. He didn't know anything about life here.

"What do you think?" He turned, seeing Inuyasha enter the room behind him.

"This is all for me?" He asked, stepping up next to the bath, noting that it was easily deep enough to stand up in.

"Sure is kid," Inuyasha wrapped an arm around the teen. "Don't forget, you're royalty now. If I'd had it my way, this is how you would have grown up. If your father hadn't taken off with you when you were two this is where you would have been."

The two of them walked back out into the main bedrooms, seeing another door on the other side to the bath chamber. He couldn't help the inquisitive side to him as he walked over to it, not noticing the pleased look that passed between the two brothers behind him. He was greeted with the same white stone as the rest of the palace and he was surprised to find a dojo that had been created for him.

"Inuyasha has expressed how important your martial arts is to you so I took the decision to create you your very own dojo," Sesshomaru was the one to join him this time, with Kagome and Inuyasha waiting by the door. He had filled a large chest with everything he had believed the young martial artist would need and use to keep his skills up.

"Thank you," he said softly, looking at the three of them. "This is incredible. I-"

"You don't need to say anything, Ranma," Kagome smiled widely at him. "This room was always meant for you. This room is just a new addition since we found you again."

She wrapped her arms around him and he returned the hug, feeling overwhelmed. He had never had anything like this to call his own. The entire time he had been growing up he and his father had travelled, never settling down until they had reached the dojo. He remembered that his father had made him work for money to fill his stomach, taking everything Ranma had made. He had never had much to call his own so being told that everything in the rooms was his – and had been for a long time before he and his family had connected – was insane to him.

"You've got Kagome and I on one side and Sesshomaru on the other. The pups have their rooms down this hallway as well if you need anything." Inuyasha placed a hand on Ranma's shoulder as he and Kagome separated.

"There are guards stationed outside every room in this part of the palace. Being the Royal Quarters the only ones allowed here are the family and select guards and staff." Ranma looked towards Sesshomaru as he spoke, wondering why there would be a need for guards. "Its nothing more than a precaution. Especially with you now found and here, the likelihood of someone doing something idiotic is higher than usual. We're not taking any chances with you, Nephew."

Ranma blinked at the term. Sesshomaru hadn't referred to him as such before and it took him by surprise.

"We'll let you freshen up. One of us will come and get you for dinner." Kagome rested a hand on his shoulder and the next thing he knew he was alone in the enormous rooms he had learned were his.

He moved over to the bed, stepping up onto the platform and climbing onto the bed, sinking into the furs marvelling at how soft they were. He could definitely see himself getting a good night's sleep on this bed.

He climbed off of it, knowing that if he stayed on it for too much longer, he would definitely fall asleep. He walked over to the bath chamber, noting the large pool that would need to be filled with water. He remembered Inuyasha saying something about a pressure stone that would allow him to bathe but he couldn't remember where it was.

It took him a few minutes before he realised that it was the large intricately designed stone on one corner of the pool. Pushing it down he blinked when a large slot on the opposite side of the pool opened up. Filling the pool with water. He made sure the door was closed before stripping down. Realistically he knew that there wouldn't be anyone coming in but he had been walked in on so many times over the years, it was a subconscious action.

He pulled out the braid, letting his hair loose. It was longer than he'd had it before, coming to rest at the bottom of his shoulder blades. Part of him wanted to cut it unused to the length but another part of him wanted to keep it the length it was. He shook his head, settling into the steaming pool letting out a sigh of relief.

It really was like the bathhouse but he had it all to himself.

He flattened his ears against his head, moving out into the middle of the pool and sinking down. It was deeper than he had thought it was and he found himself sitting beneath the surface just thinking to himself about everything that he was getting himself into.

He pulled himself to the surface, finding various scented bottles lined up on the side of his enormous bath. He found that they were various haircare and body products. Smelling more expensive than he ever thought he would, he clambered out of the pool wrapping himself in one of the fluffy towels he had been left with.

Ranma walked out of the bath chamber and headed towards one of the many wardrobes that lined the walls. He opened one of the doors, finding multiple shelves and hanging rails filled with clothes. Reaching out he found that they were made of incredibly fine silk, smoother and softer than anything he had felt before.

He sighed, pulling out an outfit and pulling it on. He looked at himself in the mirror, wondering if the ensemble he had pulled out of a deep red hakimono with matching nu-bakama which tied at the bottom. He found the feeling of the clothes odd as they brushed against his skin. He had never worn something so luxurious.

He was brought out of his musings by a light knock on his door. He pulled his gaze away from the mirror turning to the door calling out for whoever it was to come in.

He was surprised to find an Inu he hadn't met before. She had the same bright silver hair and amber eyes as the rest of his relatives but she didn't have the dog ears that ran through the rest of them and rested on the top of his own head.

Sesshomaru's daughter.

She smiled at him as he stood there scrutinising her as she entered his room. "Good evening," her voice was light, similar to Izumi's and his ears twitched as her voice reached them. "I'm Sakura and you must be the infamous Ranma I've heard so much about. Or should I call you cousin?"

Ranma blinked, not having thought about the relation he would have to the hanyou in front of him. He knew that Sesshomaru was his great-uncle however many times removed which would logically mean the woman in front of him was his cousin.

The thought of family hadn't meant much to Ranma before but now that he was discovering the family he could have had, he found himself wanting to know more about them. He wondered how many more relatives he had out there.

"Everyone is gathering for dinner so I thought I'd come up and get you." She smiled at his confused look. "I know you were probably expecting Uncle or one of the other three to come and get you but I wanted to meet you so I volunteered."

"You wanted to meet me?" Ranma was once again confused and she giggled lightly.

"Of course I did," she walked over to him and he noticed the resemblance bore to Sesshomaru. "Father has told me about you and I remember how sad Uncle Inuyasha and Aunt Kagome were when you disappeared. None of us got to meet you before. I wanted to meet you on your own so you weren't overwhelmed. My mother will see to that on her own." She giggled once again, seeing Ranma's ears twitch at the mention of her mother. "Oh don't worry, she's not that bad."

She motioned for him to follow her and he slipped on his shoes, following her into the hallway. The guard which looked to be some kind of canine youkai nodded to Ranma who didn't have a chance to respond before he was pulled down the hallway.

"It's only going to be family there tonight." Sakura advised, to which Ranma was relieved to hear, "the guests for the Gathering will begin arriving the day after tomorrow so everything will be more formal but tonight everything will be relaxed."

Ranma swallowed at her words, having a sinking feeling that everything was going to get a hell of a lot more political once the guests of the Gathering started to arrive. Ranma knew nothing of politics. He knew how to physically get himself out of sticky situations and he could be sneaky when he had to be but he also knew the world of politics was completely different.

He could only wonder what lay in store for him come the morning.