Chapter 1

Lord Sesshomaru of the western lands casually walked outside his castle, his icy mask in place. Servants bowed at the waist in greeting before carrying on with their duties. Every so often he'd give a small nod or 'Hn' in acknowledgment. He made his way to the front gate where armored guards bowed before opening the doors.

Though he was merely taking a walk outside the surrounding grounds, they dared not question his whereabouts. They were used to him coming and going as he pleased, most of the time gone for weeks at a time as he scouted his lands.

The day so far was…uneventful. Boring, actually. He'd overlooked the training from his soldiers, went over the dishes for dinner tonight, read and answered letters from the other lords and generals among the lands. He'd read every book and scroll in his study countless times over the years. His fighting skills were as perfect as they could get.

And now there was nothing more for him to do. With a small sigh, he ambled through the forest, spreading his aura widely to let anyone nearby know he was there, and not to disturb him. At this point he wished someone would try to attack him just to relieve his boredom for a little while.

With his absent mind, Sesshomaru soon found himself standing before a great maple tree. He swallowed thickly, feeling a painful clenching in his chest. The tree was over 50ft high, with bright orange, red, and yellow leaves.

He stared up at the thick branches. He knew no one would be there, but he couldn't help from searching anyways. He stepped closer, using his open palm to lightly caress the trunk, tracing over the carved characters spelling out 'Itai doushin.'

He sat down in the soft grass at the base of the tree, closing his eyes in remembrance.

FLASHBACK

With a mischievous snicker, 7-year-old Sesshomaru crept through one of the gardens in the courtyard, crouching to stay low to the ground. He was avoiding Jaken, the annoying little imp his father assigned to watch his every move when he wasn't at his studies. Sesshomaru had finished with his classes for the day, and not wanting to be bothered with the squawking and nagging, he had decided to hide for a little while.

He made it to the wooden gate surrounding the castle grounds, and slid through an uneven slit, stepping out onto the other side. He knew he'd be in biiiiig trouble if father found out about him leaving the castle grounds, but he would return before anyone noticed him missing. Besides, he wouldn't go far. He just wanted to explore a little bit.

And so he took off running, grinning happily at the wind blowing his hair behind himself. He hopped over fallen branches and ducked under low hanging limbs, enjoying his temporary freedom to the fullest.

Soon, he burst through a clearing, gasping in awe at the large maple trees in all bright colors. They were all tall, reaching high into the sky. There was one in the center of them, however, that was considerably smaller than the rest. It was skinny and barely taller than his father. As if it were a child among adults.

As he approached, he soon became aware of another presence. Though he knew he should leave right away, his curiosity took over.

"Who's there?" he called out. He'd been working on his fighting skills, but he had never faced a real opponent before. Not that he was afraid.

There was a rustling and Sesshomaru got into the defensive position he'd been taught, prepared for an attack.

After a few moments he saw a bare foot descend from somewhere on the tree, followed by another. A figure hopped down, landing in a couch before rising. As she turned, Sesshomaru felt his cheeks heat to scorching temperatures. The girl watched him quizzically, her head tilting slightly to the side.

"Can I help you?" her voice was soft and sweet.

She was dressed in a kimono of different orange and red shades, bringing out the bright honey color of her eyes. Her hair fell past her shoulders, the color a deep black with a blue sheen where the sunlight touched it. He could look at her and tell she was a hanyou. She had two little triangular ears perked up on top of her head, and behind her he could see a thick fluffy tail swaying gently around her ankles. She didn't have any markings on her face but based on her scent she was an inu. A very, very pretty inu.

"Wh…who are you?" he asked nervously. She looked similar to his age, only a hair shorter than him.

Her honey-colored eyes blinked. When she smiled, her canines were just a bit longer than the average ningen, which only further proved her inuyoukai heritage. She bowed at the waist. "My name is Kagome. Kagome Higurashi. And you are?"

He bowed in return, though it wasn't required since she wasn't a royal. It just felt so…natural. "I am Sesshomaru Taisho."

Her eyes widened significantly. "Taisho? As in the Taisho bloodline? Son of InunoTaisho?"

Sesshomaru felt pride in his father. His name was known far and wide across the lands. "Hai, he is my father."

Kagome visually appeared uncomfortable. "Excuse me! I did not know you were the prince. Please forgive me for my rudeness."

Now Sesshomaru was the one who was uncomfortable. "S-stop that, please." He was used to the servants bowing down to him, but for some reason he didn't like her doing it. When she didn't raise her head, he crossed the short distance between them, squatting to be face to face with her. "Ne, you do not need to do that." He hesitantly placed a hand on her lowered head, amazed at how soft and silky her hair was. His fingers twitched slightly, and it took sheer will to prevent himself from touching her little doggy ears.

She raised her head slightly, her face flushed.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

Sesshomaru nearly fell onto his bottom. He abruptly stood up, using his sleeved arm to cover his face. His other hand clutched his chest as an odd sensation came over him, making his breathing become irregular.

'What…is this feeling?' he thought to himself. It was strange. He'd never felt such a thing before. His chest felt tight and his heart felt as if it would explode from his chest. He didn't understand it at all.

Kagome's face was still red, though she was looking at him with worried eyes. "S-Sesshomaru-sama…are you okay?"

His own face was still flaming, but he did his best to feign dignity. The odd feeling in his chest lingered, but he forced it to the back of his mind for fear of looking weak. "I am fine." He looked around, realizing there wasn't anyone else nearby. "So…what are you doing out here all by yourself?"

Kagome looked around as well, rising to her feet. She then turned to face the small tree she'd hopped out of. "I am not by myself. I call this tree Haku. When I was younger, I found this little sprout in the ground, but it didn't look like it would make it. Mother once said that even plants have feelings, so I thought perhaps one day with enough love and care it would grow into a beautiful flower, so I tended to it every day. I would water it, talk to it, sing to it, and pray over it. Soon enough Haku became my one and only friend." Her eyes slid over to him. "Saying it aloud, I realize I must seem like a lunatic, huh?"

'Yes!' Sesshomaru thought in his head. But aloud, he said, "Nai. Well…I have never heard such a thing as plants having feelings, but hearing the way you talk about it, it seems real."

She smiled shyly. "The truth is, I do not have any friends in my village. The other kids…They do not like me. Mother and Father say it is because I'm different." She shrugged, looking back at the tree. "After a while, I realized Haku wasn't a flower after all. It was a baby maple tree. And now after just a few years-" she waved her hand at the tree. Though it had years to come before it became as tall as the other trees, Sesshomaru could hardly imagine it being a mere sprout. However, it was pretty miraculous that she'd nurtured it back to health.

She continued. "I think one day Haku will grow larger than all of the other trees around here. I can only hope I live to see the day."

Sesshomaru raised a brow in question. Something about the quiet way she said that last line didn't sit right with him. It sounded…sad.

He turned to her, but before he could say anything, she gasped. "I need to get back home before they notice!"

"W-Wait a minute!" he said, just before she took off. She paused, looking over her shoulder at him. He hesitated a moment, then said, "I…I do not have very many friends either. Perhaps…if it is okay with you, we can… I mean… I…" At his stammering, she frowned. He inhaled deeply to steady his nerves. "What I mean to say is, Kagome-san…I would like to be your friend." Immediately after saying it he felt foolish.

But Kagome's face lit up with a smile. "I would like that, Sesshomaru-sama." With a wave, she took off, her voice carrying in the wind as she yelled "Come back again tomorrow, okay?"

Even when she was out of sight, Sesshomaru grinned to himself. "Okay." He too turned around and made his way back to the Western castle.

END FLASHBACK

Sesshomaru's eyes opened just a bit. He hadn't thought about Kagome in a long time. He'd also avoided coming to this spot in just as long so as not to relive the pain she'd left behind in him. He absentmindedly rubbed the spot above his heart, feeling the familiar dull throb. Now he remembered why he forced himself to stay busy all these years. Even for a moment if he stopped to let his mind wander, he'd always go back to thinking about her.

He tilted his head back, looking high into the tree. Haku had indeed grown taller than the other surrounding maple trees. Even though he'd thought talking and singing was beyond strange, he'd learned that a lot of things surrounding Kagome had been out of the ordinary. But he'd gone along with it. She had opened his mind to look at life in a different way. For someone with such a sad background, she brought life and happiness and love wherever she went.

FLASHBACK

three years later

"Tag! You're it, Kagome!"

Sesshomaru took off running, laughing merrily as Kagome chased him. Though she was a hanyou, she was far faster and stronger than he would've guessed. Which was just fine with him, because he enjoyed not having to take it easy on her every time they played together. They'd become the best of friends in the last three years. She had easily become an important person to him, and he wanted her to forever be by his side.

With each passing year, Haku had grown thicker and taller, as if in unison with the bond of their friendship. Sesshomaru soon began to talk to Haku as well, even greeting other trees and plants every so often. Several of the servants had eyed him as if he'd grown two heads, but he paid them no mind. No one still knew about his secret excursions, though there had been a few times when he'd come home too late and his mother and father had questioned him. If they ever found out where he really went after his studies nearly every day, they would for sure never allow him to leave again. And he wouldn't be allowed to play with Kagome anymore.

Speaking of Kagome, he peered over his shoulder, expecting to see her right on his heels. Instead, however, he saw her several yards away. She was bent over, her hands resting on her knees for support. Worried, he ran up to her. He frowned at the way she wheezed with every breath she took.

"Kagome, what is it? What's wrong?"

She stood up, waving it away. "It's nothing," she said with a smile. Her smile quickly disappeared, however, when she broke off into a fit of coughing. However, her coughing sounded…off. He enhanced his hearing and focused on her heart, frowning even more at the irregular beating. What's more, it wasn't the first time he'd caught her having one of these bouts of wheezing. He'd merely assumed it was due to her overexerting herself whenever they played.

He patted her softly on the back, leading her to where Haku stood tall and proud. He made her sit on the grassy ground, ignoring her protests. He sat across from her, folding his arms across his chest. "Ne, Kagome…be honest with me…What is really going on with you? Does playing too much tire you out? Do I move run too fast for you to keep up? If so, you do not have to push yourself so-"

He cut himself off when she placed a soft finger to his lips. He blushed deeply. "It's nothing like that," she said softly. She wrapped her arms around herself, lowering her lids sadly. Her thick black tail curled around her waist. "The truth is…my father is ningen, and he was born with an illness in the lungs and heart that cannot be cured. It has been passed down through his family for generations. When he met my mother and fell in love, they got married and had me. However, my father's illness grew worse over time. He does not have very long before he leaves this life." Her eyes lowered to the ground, and her sadness filled his nose. "When I was only five, I caught a fever one day. After the village doctor did a bit of testing, I overheard him tell my parents that I, too, had my father's disease. To this day they do not know how long I have left to live."

For the first time since he was a baby, Sesshomaru felt tears sliding down his face. His heart stopped dead in his chest, all the blood seeming to drain from his head. Kagome…his best friend…the one person he could tell all his secrets to, the one person whose company he enjoyed the most…was dying.

Without looking at him, Kagome rose to her feet, turning her back on him. "Gomen-nasai…I didn't want to tell you. Other than me being hanyou, it is the main reason none of the other kids in the village want me around. They think they will get sick, too." She looked over her shoulder at him, giving him the saddest smile he'd ever seen. "Don't worry. It's hereditary, not contractual. But I understand if you no longer want to be friends with someone like me. Thank you for everything."

She began walking away, and all Sesshomaru could do was watch her leave, tears still streaming down his face. He didn't understand. It's been three years since they met. Why didn't she tell him? He told her everything about himself, even the embarrassing little details no one else knew about. So why didn't she think she could trust him? And why were the kamis so damn cruel? Out of all the kids around his age, Kagome had been the truest one. And now there would soon be a day where she would be gone from this life. Forever.

It just wasn't fair.

Sesshomaru wiped his eyes and ran after Kagome. It took only a moment to catch up to her. When he did, he reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Wha-"

Before she could guess his intentions, he spun her around and pulled her tight against his body, hugging her firmly. She didn't struggle, nor did she try to pull away. Even still, Sesshomaru squeezed her. After a few moments he felt his haori top become warm with wetness. He pulled back just a fraction, peering into her eyes. Her face was red, her eyes shimmering in the sunlight with the tears falling from them.

He gently wiped her hair from her face. "Three years ago we made a pact to be friends forever, Kagome," he said softly. "Nothing, not even death, could break that promise. I will always be here with you."

His words only made her cry harder. She wrapped her arms around him, sobbing into his chest. He just laid his head on top of hers, holding her. In his mind, he swore, 'I promise, Kagome. I won't give up on you.'