*I don't own InuYasha, Harry Potter, or any of their characters.

During her long reign as the Lady of the West, Lady Satori was considered to be an enigma for many of the younger generations, with only her son Sesshomaru being known as a bigger enigma. Playful yet devious, she was best known for either putting down her enemies ruthlessly or stringing them along until she got bored and put them out of her misery. However, there was one thing she had dreaded above all else, something that had affected her entire relationship with Sesshomaru to the point where many wondered on whether or not the two actually cared for each other.

She dreaded her son's reaction to the long-held secret she and her former mate had ordered concealed from him. One that, in all honesty, had and continued to have affected him most of all.

Lady Satori knew, however, that the time had come for the secret to finally be told.

In order to not have to see Sesshomaru's cold angry eyes, she glanced back down at the portrait he had thrust at her with a commanded, "Explain." She had thought that Tōga had destroyed it oh-so long ago… clearly, however, she had been mistaken. Almost greedily, she studied the minute details of the only portrait that ordinarily would've held a place of honor in the Western Stronghold, which despite it being her birthright she had abandoned as soon as she could.

Losing composure for the first time in Sesshomaru's memory as the faint howls of her worst memory echoed slightly in her ears, she whispered, "Where did you find this?"

Narrowing his eyes slightly as his anger changed somewhat (but was not fully abandoned) to confusion, he answered, "When I went to fix the mess that Masashi left behind when he abandoned his post, I happened to notice the deplorable state of my childhood home. I immediately ordered to bring the Western Stronghold back up to where it should have been, and expected that to be the end of it. Imagine my surprise, however, when there was a room that could only be opened by the Lord of the West, and imagine my utter shock for this room, which I had expected to have items too dangerous to be allowed amongst lesser beings, to be dedicated to what appears to be a pup that obviously has a close tie to my family and bears a certain similarity to not only me, but to you and Father as well. Not only that, but my instincts are telling me that I should know this pup, despite the fact that up until now I had never even known of her existence. Tell me, Mother, who is this pup?"

By the end of this speech, Sesshomaru was almost snarling with his anger and confusion. In fact, Satori could tell how deep his feelings ran for him to abandon his normally formal speech. Even the news that his father had sired a hanyou and had left it the powerful Tessaiga while he had only gained Tenseiga had never shaken her oldest pup this much.

Taking a deep breath to gather the strength needed to re-open old wounds that had never truly healed, Satori glanced back up into her son's eyes. "That, my son, is a lengthy answer that will require privacy," she replied. Standing up swiftly, she wordlessly beckoned Sesshomaru to follow her.

Together, the two royal Inu walked through Satori's second home. The castle had belonged to her mother's father, who was her paternal grandfather's greatest spy. As a reward for his hard work in several key battles to help suppress an attempted coup, the Lord of the West had offered both a minor castle and the offer of a marriage contract between his son and the newly-made lord's daughter. Accepting the offer, the spy then promptly proceeded to make changes to the already impressive castle. One of those changes happened to be a study with shields that, when activated by one who carried his bloodline, would be nigh impenetrable. Secrets that were told in there would only leave the room by the verbal consent of every person involved.

It was to this room that Satori led her son. As soon as he walked in, she closed the door and quickly activated the shields. She could almost feel Sesshomaru raising a brow at this, but as he said nothing she couldn't be sure.

Oh, it was so, so hard for her to do this. Turning back around, Satori stared steadily into her son's eyes as for the very first time she let down her emotional shields in front of him. Ignoring her son's raised brows, the Lady of the West studied the heir to her highest birthright. He had definitely grown into someone she could be proud of, even if he had inherited his father's tendency to pick up random humans. Realizing that her mind was distracting her from the matter at hand, the regal Inu shoved those thoughts to the side.

"Mother," Sesshomaru began finally. "You still haven't answered my question- who is the pup held in Father's arms in that portrait?"

Raising her chin slightly as she walked over and placed the portrait on the desk, Satori answered, "That, my son, is Kie… your younger twin sister."

For the first time since he was a young pup, Sesshomaru's surprise forced his own shields to falter. "You lie!" he snarled.

"You think I would lie about my own daughter?!" Satori snarled back. Having her emotions running all over the place already definitely didn't help the situation, but if she was truly honest she didn't care. It was always hard to even think about Kie, let alone talk about her precious baby girl, and having someone try to deny her existence (however indirect it was) definitely caused her more animalistic side to come out in defense.

Sesshomaru took an involuntary step backward at her snarl. Obviously trying to recollect himself, he glanced back towards the portrait. In an attempt to calm herself, Satori looked back towards it as well. She barely managed to suppress her tears as she saw the delicate twin jagged violet crests on each cheek, the white mop of hair that looked destined to be as thick as Tōga's, and those golden eyes that had once been filled with so much curiosity. Truly, just like her brother Kie was a perfect blend of her parents.

"Tell me everything," Sesshomaru finally ordered neutrally.

Taking a deep breath, Satori began, "As you well know, females of our race are rare. So too are twins. However, when you and Kie were born, all of the Western Lands rejoiced, for the heir to be twinned with a female could only be an omen of extreme good fortune- hence, Kie's name, which we intended to mean Uncommon Blessing. Seeing as you had the crest of the Heir upon your brow while Kie did not, your father and I suspected that you would be the twin with the most power while Kie would be the one with better control. After a while, we were proven right- while you would be the first to take your first steps, Kie wasn't far behind and had soon figured it out better than you.

"Even from the very beginning, you and Kie were extremely close. If one of you was upset, the other would be there to help calm them down, and vice versa. Tōga found it funny, though, that Kie was the more curious pup while you were the one who would show more caution.

"It seemed, however, that your more cautious nature would help save you while Kie's curious nature..." here Satori trailed off as her throat tightened with sadness. Taking another deep breath, she was able to continue, "Her curious nature led to her being lost to us… although Tōga and I were assured it will not always be so."

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Sesshomaru inquired, "What do you mean?"

Closing her eyes as she allowed the memories of that awful day to come to the forefront of her mind, she began, "It was shortly after you and Kie had become comfortable enough switching between your true forms and your two-legged forms, and Tōga had returned from the North after working on a treaty between us and the Dragon Lord Ryūkotsusei…"

The Western Lady was waiting in the courtyard for the arrival of her mate, who was due to come home today after a reportedly successful negotiation with the Dragons. Musing on this, she wondered if her pups would be able to grow up in a world of peace. Considering how powerful the two of them had just proven themselves to be, she very much hoped so, for while she could already see Sesshomaru thriving in a land that was constantly filled with battles she just couldn't see her daughter doing the same.

"The Lord approaches!" soon came the triumphant ceremonial cry of one of the guards.

Seconds after, the imposing gates opened to reveal her equally imposing mate. As soon as he caught sight of her, however, the imposing effect lessened as he smiled.

Desire lightly coursed through her at the sight of that smile. Tōga truly was handsome, she admitted silently, especially when he smiled.

"My Lady," he greeted warmly. While ordinarily it would be the Lady's duty to greet the Lord first, since Satori was the one who inherited the Seat of the Western Lands she was considered to be higher ranked than her mate (although admittedly, not by much). Hence, Tōga greeting her first.

Inclining her head, she responded, "My Lord. I take it that negotiations went well?"

As he offered an arm to his mate (who promptly took it), Tōga replied, "I think they went very well indeed. If things keep going as smoothly as they have been, Sesshomaru and Kie may yet be able to grow up to a world of unprecedented peace."

Satori opened her mouth to congratulate her mate, however an explosion suddenly rocked the palace grounds. Even over the sounds of the explosion, several very distinctive roars were heard.

"Dragons?! What do they think they're doing?!" came the surprised roar of Tōga.

Lady Satori, however, had a far more chilling realization gripping her heart. "The pups!" she cried as she abandoned all semblance of aloofness. Quickly, she raced towards the nursery with her mate not far behind.

The chill only increased when they saw the dismembered body of their loyal nanny, who had been there when Satori had been a pup herself, lying outside of the broken nursery door. It was obvious that she had put up a valiant fight, but it was equally obvious it hadn't been enough.

Panicking, Satori began to move aside the shattered pieces of wood, with Tōga joining her scarcely a second later. When enough of the debris had been cleared, the Lord and Lady rushed into the destroyed nursery. Reverting to her instincts, Satori howled out a searching call.

She almost sobbed in relief when she heard her son respond. As she repeated it, she soon managed to pin down Sesshomaru's location. Picking him up from underneath a loose floorboard, Satori quickly nuzzled him reassuringly while simultaneously checking him for injuries.

As she did this, Tōga howled out his own searching call for Kie. Unlike with Sesshomaru (who was growing increasingly agitated in Satori's arms), however, Kie didn't respond.

Quickly scenting the air, Tōga's eyes turned blood-red with sudden rage.

"Those despicable dragons KIDNAPPED MY PUP!" he roared.

As he rushed outside to safely transform, Satori flared her youki urgently. To her relief, it was the Captain of the Guard who responded first.

Knowing that he had a male pup of his own, she quickly handed Sesshomaru over as she ordered, "Take care of him until we return."

"Yes, my Lady," he responded, bowing even as he settled the agitated Sesshomaru more comfortably against him. Satori barely comprehended his soothing growls as she too rushed outside. Transforming, she quickly took off after her mate. Soon drawing even with him, the two single-mindedly rushed after their pup.

For miles this chase went on, the Inu chasing after their pup and the Dragons who took her. It did not matter which obstacle arose, whether it be a human village or an idiotic youkai who didn't realize the danger that two dominant Inu in protective parent mode represented, Satori and Tōga simply knocked them out of the way in their haste to retrieve Kie.

Unfortunately for them, these particular Dragons were of the clan notorious for their speed and magical prowess, and little by little the Dragons edged on ahead. Soon, Tōga and Satori were forced to track them by scent… which thanks to their Inu nature they excelled at.

Finally, they came across where the scent of Kie and Dragon lay thickest. It was obvious from the lack of large Dragon bodies that her daughter's kidnappers were powerful enough to assume a humanoid form. As they approached the clearing filled with an abandoned well and her daughter's kidnappers, Satori's eyes widened with fear as she heard chanting over Kie's frightened, pain-filled howls. She recognized those words- the Dragons were going to turn Kie human and let the chaos of her suppressed and untamed youki kill her from the inside!

Her fear reflected in her snarls, she turned back into her two-legged form in order to prevent the possibility of accidentally stepping on her pup and allowed her natural poison to rise up into her claws. Beside her, Tōga also resumed his humanoid form and drew Sō'unga.

Although she was unfamiliar with the Dragon who was casting that awful spell, Tōga seemed to know him well as he roared, "RYOHEI! You DARE dishonor the treaty that your honorable father has helped create between the North and the West?!"

Obviously refusing to allow himself to be distracted from his task, Ryohei gestured to his men to distract the rulers of the West while he finished the spell that a rogue created hanyou had once made to take vengeance on her unfaithful youkai lover. The youkai lover in question had been the beloved third son of the Southern Lord, and upon hearing his son's fate the Southern Lord had incited his fellow Lords and led the lands to brutally slaughter any hanyou he could, regardless of their innocence. It was thanks to this one act that hanyou became as despised as they were, for to forcibly change someone and allow their own nature to destroy them from the inside was considered to be the height of cruelty. Even those humans who wielded 'holy' powers never went that far.

For several long minutes the sounds of battle and of a pup's pain filled the air. As they finished off the last of Ryohei's men, Tōga and Satori watched with horror as the spell was completed and Kie's youki was sealed.

"Finally… now watch, rulers of the West, as the opening salvo of the West's destruction is completed!" the second son of the Northern Lord boasted as he walked over to the well and proceeded to toss the crying pup down into its dark depths.

"NOOO!" cried out Tōga and Satori as they rushed towards the well. As Ryohei's triumphant laughter rang through the air while he used his magic to teleport away, the two parents frantically searched the inside of the well. However, it was all in vain- Ryohei had chosen the infamous Bone Eater's Well to be Kie's final resting place, and their daughter had been lost to the well's magic.

Together, the Western Lord and Lady howled their anguish to the heavens.

"'Opening salvo'? Is this the 'great betrayal' that began the War between the North and West?" interrupted Sesshomaru, whose face took on an unreadable quality as Satori told her story. However, his eyes betrayed him- Satori recognized a lesser version of those eyes when her son found out that Tenseiga could only resurrect a person once.

Nodding, Satori explained, "Yes. Our spies later found out that Ryohei had been acting upon his father's orders, thus rendering the treaty broken. You remember the rest- the War lasted until your father finally sealed Ryūkotsusei while an unknown ally destroyed all of those who were in line for the Northern Throne and supported Ryūkotsusei's actions and ideals, leaving only those few descendants who protested against their Lord… and Ryohei himself."

"And Ryohei's fate?"

Shaking her head, Satori answered, "To this day, I have sent my best spies to find his location. However, he wasn't known as the best sorcerer of the North for nothing- he has somehow managed to seemingly disappear without a trace. Whether he is dead or alive, I have no idea… however, I pray that he lives so that I may finally take my vengeance on him for what he did that day." As she spoke this last statement, the Lady of the West's eyes flashed red with the promise of future bloodshed should she ever finally manage to find her prey.

For several seconds, silence reigned once more. Then… "What did you mean when you mentioned that you and father were assured that 'it would not always be so,' Mother?"

Despite the topic, Satori couldn't help but smile slightly as she recalled what had occurred. The hope that she and her mate had been given that day was only surpassed by the sheer bizarreness of what had happened next…

"Oh, no! I was hoping we'd get to prevent this vision!"

The anguished parents, who had momentarily stopped howling, spun at the sound of the male voice. Their eyes widened as they beheld a… rather strange human couple.

While the female at first glance appeared to be normal (when compared to other humans) by her shorter stature and her dark hair, a quick glance at her silvery-blue eyes quickly laid that assumption to rest. When her eyes met Satori's, the Western Lady was shocked by the feeling that coursed through her- the feeling that those eyes, while seemingly distant, could see directly into the darkest depths of her soul if they chose to.

On the other hand, the male that had spoken that strange statement was odd from the first time you glanced at him. With dark blue eyes that were slightly crossed, hair that had the oddest stringy texture which was a peculiar shade of white that almost made it seem a dark grey, and some of the most eye-searingly colored clothes Satori had ever seen on any being, he was certainly quite memorable.

Together, they made quite the odd couple… however, even through her grief Satori could see just how well they fit. If there ever were two humans who were bound together by the red string of fate that Satori had once heard about, it would be this particular pair.

Nevertheless, their presence here so soon after her daughter's disappearance into the well was quite suspicious. Tōga apparently thought so too, for his youki began to rise up to battle levels and a dangerous growl rumbled through his lips.

"Hey, hey, easy, we're on your side!" protested the strange man as he took a step back and raised up his hands to show he was unarmed.

Satori's brows furrowed slightly as she noticed that the man's lips did not sync up with what she had heard. Yet another oddity to be placed upon the couple…

The man's companion, obviously noting her confusion, explained, "We actually don't speak your language naturally, so we're using an obscure translation charm in order to make communication easier."

"And why would two obviously foreign humans be concerned with us?" growled Tōga.

"Because I've seen your daughter's future," answered the man, to the shock of the two Inu.

Satori stopped breathing as the implications of the man's statement coursed through her. If her daughter's future could be seen… Kie was still alive!

Tōga, apparently, felt just the same as he breathed out, "Her future… you mean…?"

"Yes, your little one is still alive," reassured the strange man. "However, you won't be able to see her for a very long time."

"How long?" barked out Satori.

Taking a deep breath, suddenly the man's eyes uncrossed as they seemed to fall out of focus. As his spine stiffened to a point where the Lady of the West knew it had to be painful for him, one of the woman's eyebrows rose.

"Well, this is unexpected," she murmured.

Glancing towards her, Tōga inquired, "What's unexpected?"

"Well, normally when my husband sees the future, it happens as a vision- easily seen, somewhat easy to interpret, and able to be changed if you can understand and act in time. However, he's about to recite a prophecy, which no one has yet been able to change. They can also be somewhat hard to interpret, as well, although there have been some that were pretty straightforward," came the explanation.

Before the two parents could inquire as to what she meant, the man began to speak in a loud, harsh voice.

"YIN AND YANG… HUMAN AND YOUKAI… TWO GIRLS SHALL MEET THEIR DESTINIES ACROSS TIME… THE GIRL WHO FELL BACKWARDS, AND THE GIRL WHO WAS THROWN FORWARDS… ONE SHALL UNKNOWINGLY BLAZE ALONG HER PATH, WHILE THE OTHER SHALL KNOWINGLY WORK FROM THE SHADOWS… SHE WHO FALLS SHALL FIND HER HEART LIES IN THE PAST, WHILE SHE WHO WAS THROWN SHALL LEARN OF HER PAST IN THE FUTURE… BOTH BLESSED BY GODS, THEY ALONG WITH THEIR MATES SHALL TRAVERSE ALL ALONG TIME USING THE PORTAL THAT TIES THEM BOTH TOGETHER… WHEN THE GIRL WHO FALLS APPEARS, FIVE HUNDRED YEARS SHALL PASS… BEFORE THE ONE WHO WAS THROWN REGAINS… WHAT SHE HAS LOST…"

As he stated those final words, the man seemed to stumble. If it hadn't been for the quick actions of his companion, Satori was sure the man would've fallen.

Breathing heavily, he turned towards to his companion. "Did I…?"

"Yes," answered the woman, obviously knowing what he was asking.

"What was it about this time?"

"We finally learned when we can find the lost little one, plus it turns out she won't be the only time-traveler."

"Really?"

Before the two humans could continue their conversation, Satori snapped, "Will you tell us about our daughter already?!"

Looking up into her eyes, the female human held up a hand as she soothed, "Peace, my Lady. As soon as my husband recovers, he'll be able to answer all the questions that he can."

Satori felt like snarling by this point, however the comforting weight of her mate's hand on her shoulder stopped her. Glancing at him, she could see that it was only through his iron control that he wasn't snarling at the humans himself, and his eyes begged her to reinforce her own control.

We need them alive and whole, they seemed to say. She laid her right hand on his to show her understanding of this. Feeling the responding squeeze, she turned her attention back towards the foreign couple.

The man had obviously recovered enough for him to give out necessary explanations, for when the Lady of the West's gaze landed on him he promptly began, "Okay, so first thing's first- my name is Hywel Lovegood, and this is my wife Clarimonde. And you are the Lord and Lady of the West, correct?" At the youkai couple's nod, he continued, "Great. So, next thing- your daughter. As you've probably figured out from what I said earlier, she is alive… just not here."

"Where is she?" demanded Tōga.

"She's in our home country many years into the future," came the answer.

Suspicious, Satori questioned, "And how do you know that she's in your home country?" As a horrible thought struck her, she added, "For that matter, how can we trust that what you say is the truth? The prophecy you just recited aside, this could be yet another trick of the Dragons."

Suddenly, it seemed like Clarimonde was about to protest the way the youkai were treating her husband (which, in a distant part of Satori's mind raised the amount of respect for her- after all, to be willing to stand up against she and her mate was a testament to the human's bravery- but also condemned her, for to go against two Inuyoukai who had just lost their pup was the height of stupidity) however before she could open her mouth Hywel mirrored Tōga's earlier actions. Bending down, he quickly whispered something into his wife's ear. Out of common courtesy, the Lady of the West refrained from using her superior senses to hear what he said.

It seemed to work, however, for the woman nodded (albeit reluctantly) and calmed down. After a brief kiss to his wife, Hywel turned back towards the anxiously awaiting parents.

Taking a deep breath, Hywel pulled a polished stick out of his right sleeve.

"Hywel, why are you getting out your wand?" his wife asked. "I thought we agreed that we wouldn't use any magic beyond what we cast before we came here."

Never taking his eyes off of the Inuyoukai, her husband answered, "This is the only way to get them to realize that we're on their side, Clari." Raising the newly-identified wand over his head, he intoned, "I, Hywel Lovegood, do so swear on my life and magic that everything I have and will say to the Lord and Lady of the Western Lands is the truth. So mote it be!"

Blinking at the sudden swirl of magic that surrounded the man, Satori was surprised and pleased to see that he had gone so far as to put his life on the line in order to assure she and her mate of his honesty. Glancing quickly at Tōga, she saw that he had raised an impressed brow at the display.

After making the tip of his wand glow to prove that he still had his magic, the human placed it back in its original spot as he continued, "To answer your original question, in many of my visions about her—"

"Wait, many?" interrupted Tōga.

Grinning, Hywel elaborated, "Yes. For the past several years now, the majority of what I Saw centered around a young female being and what I eventually discerned to be her adopted human brother, who has a soliwō rune on his brow which indicates that he has a great destiny as well. In fact, it was through helping him with his destiny that your daughter is able to reclaim what is rightfully hers.

"The first time I ever Saw her, she was standing against a powerful army headed by a snake-like man who reeked of the Darkest magic imaginable. She stood with our old school behind her, her inhuman features in prominent display while another army was positioned behind her. At that time, I had no idea what she was, for she was unlike any other magical beings I had ever come across… it wasn't until several visions later that I finally had the word youkai in connection to her."

"She was standing against an army?" Satori breathed. Meanwhile, Tōga couldn't help but beam with pride when he heard that his daughter would be following in similar footsteps to him.

Nodding, Hwyel continued, "Yes. The fact that she was standing in front of our old school was how I was able to determine that she would be in our home country. However, she herself radiated a foreign energy… energy that was at least similar, if not identical to the energy that radiated from her two weapons. In her right hand, she held a wand that felt related, but not identical, whilst in her left she held a sword that seemed to be a part of her very being."

The two youkai parents glanced at each other, for the man's words about their daughter's sword could only mean one thing- Kie had performed the most powerful of youkai techniques and forged a blade made of nothing but her own youki… which could only be done when she was fully restored to her heritage. Tōga was obviously very impressed by this feat if the look in his eyes was any indication and rightly so, for even he with all of his power could never replicate such a feat.

This, more than anything else Hwyel had said, gave the Lord and Lady of the West hope for their daughter.

"Eventually, I was able to See how she was able to escape the spell placed on her- and what a nasty piece of work that spell is, I must say- and this by far was my most impressive vision. For you see, when your daughter was tossed down the well it was none other than your gods that saved her.

"I'm not exactly sure how they do this- and in all honesty it's probably for the best- but I do know that they shall adjust the seal that was placed on her in order to be able to break over time, thus allowing her natural energy to reintegrate safely. After I Saw this, I was able to guess that by the appearance of the wand in my first vision about her suggested to me that they shall give her magic as well, although whether it helps with the seal I do not know."

"My goodness," Satori breathed. The gods themselves had saved their daughter! Pride in her little girl swelled in her heart, for now it was proven that the Princess of the West lived up to her name.

The Lord, however, had a different thought pop into his head. "What of her twin bond with Sesshomaru? Will that be affected?"

Sadly shaking his head, the Seer replied, "I do not know. I didn't see your son in any of my visions until after your daughter had fully reclaimed her powers, and he was a full-grown adult by then."

"Mother," interrupted Sesshomaru, "what is this twin bond that Father spoke of?"

Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Satori nonetheless replied, "No matter the species, it has been a proven fact that should two higher-level youkai be twinned they would be bonded in a way that very few understand. Just like with you and Kie, one twin is generally the powerhouse while the other is the one with the most control over their power. The bond between twins, however, would enable them to combine their respective abilities to create a team that very few can defeat… however, since this is such a rare occurrence very few know of it. You and your sister had displayed this several times, however once Kie was stolen you acted as if you had lost half of yourself, and took measures to seemingly regain the control she brought. Those measures had turned you into the cold-hearted youkai you had been before you allowed that human child to follow you around."

For several moments, the Lord of the West was silent. Then, "Do any known twins speak of how they felt the bond?" As his mother shook her head in answer, Sesshomaru was silent for several more moments. It was obvious from the look on his face that he was contemplating something, yet whatever it was it seemed he was determined to keep his thoughts to himself. Eventually, he nodded for her to continue the tale.

"So, Clari dear, can you please repeat what I had just recited earlier?" requested Hywel. As his wife opened her mouth to obey, however, the Lord of the West stole the job from under her nose.

Satori couldn't help but smirk at the small huff that emanated from the human female. It was funny to see the woman become so offended over such a small thing…

When her mate finished his recital, the Seer closed his eyes and nodded in thought. Finally, he opened his eyes and stated, "Well, that was pretty straightforward for a prophecy. The clearest part, however, is when we can find your little girl."

"When would that be?" inquired Satori, taking her attention away from his wife.

Looking at her, he answered, "There will come a day when a human girl will also travel through time." Gesturing towards the Well that had swallowed the Princess of the West, he continued, "Using this very well, she will more than likely go back and forth between her time and what she would consider the distant past. When she appears, you must wait 500 years before you can finally approach your daughter once more."

Looking sharply at this, Tōga demanded, "What do you mean, 'before we can approach her'?"

Suddenly looking sheepish, Hywel apologized, "Oh, I'm sorry but I forgot to mention this- the gods' work on your daughter's seal has one catch. Should your daughter learn of her heritage and the circumstances behind her becoming human before it is intended for her to learn it, everything will be undone and the seal will work as it was originally intended."

"WHAT?" roared out the two parents.

Raising his hand in surrender, Hywel quickly interrupted the rapidly increasing tension by continuing, "That doesn't mean, however, that you can't work from the shadows to help her along!"

His more analytical mind enabling him to calm down faster than his mate, the Lord narrowed his eyes as he barked, "Explain!"

Slowly lowering his hands, Hywel obeyed. "In one of my visions, I managed to See a youkai with five fox tails teaching at Hogwarts during what I gathered to be her and her brother's worst year. This particular youkai managed to teach her various things without fully explaining why he was teaching her, and also helped protect her from the shadows against a lady that looked like a toad and yet was fully human. I got the sense that he was a member of the House of the West, although beyond that I couldn't tell."

Glancing at each other briefly, the two Inus marveled at the news. While Five-Tailed Kitsunes were uncommon, they were not unheard of… Satori was nonetheless pleased to hear that a normally solitary youkai of that power would eventually join the Pack of the West.

Who else, after all, would they trust enough to watch over the Princess but a fellow Pack member?

Fully calmed down at this point, Satori looked at the foreign human couple as she asked, "What else can you tell us about Kie?"

"Hywel Lovegood then told your father and I everything else he could tell us about Kie's life," Satori explained. "One of those things was what became her inheritance from Tōga - just as he had left you Tenseiga and the hanyou Tessaiga, so too did he leave her a tool made of part of his being. Apparently, due to her heritage Kie could not use what he and Clarimonde called a 'traditional wand' that normal magic-wielding humans used. Instead, Clarimonde would have to create one specifically for our daughter using the skills of her family, which according to her had created these wands for almost as long as humans had started recording their history. In order to make this wand, however, she needed two things- a piece of wood that would help guide Kie's magic, and something she called a 'core' to help connect to it.

"Your father, during the course of his career as General of the Western Army, had heard of a powerful magnolia youkai whose wood, if freely given, contained very unique properties."

"You mean Bokuseno," interrupted Sesshomaru, a light of realization beginning to dawn in his eye. Satori wasn't sure if her son realized just how much emotion he was showing, but then again he was in a shielded room. Perhaps he (at the very least unconsciously) recognized that this was the safest place for him to let his guards down. Nonetheless, it was actually slightly fascinating to see her son show such emotion.

However, it wouldn't do for him to catch on to this fact, so the Lady of the West remained silent… on that matter, at least.

Other matters, however… Satori continued her tale as she responded, "The very same. Together, the four of us traveled to Bokuseno's forest, where we entreated with him to donate some of his wood. For several minutes I admit I thought he was going to refuse us, but then suddenly he agreed. His reason was that he had heard of Tōga's deeds and found him worthy… but I admit that I am not so sure he was telling the whole truth. Either way, he assured us that he would donate whatever Hywel's wife would need for our daughter's wand.

"However, one more thing was still needed- the wand's core. At first, none of us were sure where we would find such a thing. When I asked Clarimonde what was traditionally used, she replied that easily discarded parts of magical animals were the most commonly used. It was then that your father realized that he himself could give what was needed for the core. After all, while I was the stronger of the two of us when it came to youkai magics, he still had an aptitude for them. Add to that his sheer amount of youki, and the core should be strong enough for what Kie would need, even if it turned out the gods gave her a significant amount of magic.

"Upon hearing his suggestion with the reasons behind it, Clarimonde agreed that he would be the best donor for our daughter's core. In fact, she believed that due to the familial connection in the core the wand would respond to Kie with little to no effort on her part, and when her youki started to re-establish itself the youki that would remain in whatever Tōga donated would recognize it and still respond as well to her as it will when she first receives it. With a little discussion, it was eventually decided that he would donate a strand of hair from his two-legged form and a piece of claw from his true form."

Furrowing his brows slightly, Sesshomaru questioned, "Why his claw and hair, and not one of his fangs?"

"Because his fangs were- and still should be, in fact- so powerful that they could only be forged into blades," came the answer. "The only time he had tried to use a fang for something other than a blade was when he had tried to create my courting gift." As she stroked the necklace that she always wore around her neck, Satori continued, "He had thought that his youki would be able to create a powerful barrier around me and those I cared about should I ever be attacked when he wasn't around to protect me himself- not that it was ever necessary, but I admit it is quite a noble sentiment. However, according to him every time Totosai tried to add a fang to the unfinished necklace it would be destroyed in a spectacular way. Eventually, the two of them realized that it was the sheer amount of youki in his fangs that was the problem, and Tōga was forced to find an alternative- thus, learning that his claws worked much better for more delicate items."

Sensing that Sesshomaru was eager for this particular story to end, the Lady decided that the rest could be summarized rather than told. "Once Clarimonde collected what she needed from your Father, Bokuseno then gave her enough wood to create Kie's wand while warning that once the wand was created it would violently reject those who it did not belong to. After that, we all said our respective thanks, with both your father and I announcing that the Lovegoods were official Allies of the West for the valuable information they had passed on to us. Shortly after that, the two humans left for their own country, and I have been searching for the Girl Who Fell Backwards ever since."

Seeing her still stroking the necklace that contained the Meidō Stone, Sesshomaru's eyes widened with a realization greater than before. "You truly loved Father, didn't you?" he breathed, utter shock filling his voice.

Nodding, Satori clarified, "Yes, I still love your Father, and he- despite his affair with Izayoi- still loved me until the very end."

"What?!"

Realizing herself that her son was rightfully stunned by this revelation, Satori decided to elaborate on the full relationship she and her mate shared in order for him to finally understand why she seemed to never be bothered by what most Inu would see as unacceptable to even consider when mated. "For many years after Kie was stolen, your Father and I never even entertained the thought of having another pup. We were afraid at first of how you would take the separation from your twin, and then of course your training began, keeping us busy. When you were old enough to begin striking out on your own, however, Tōga began to yearn for another pup to care for. At first, I had thought that, too… but then when my next heat came, something in my heart reacted violently against becoming pregnant. After several tries, I eventually gave up the idea of bearing another pup. Part of me was afraid that any other pup I may have would be kidnapped again, and I think another part of me just couldn't bear to try and replace my little girl.

"Tōga, however, was starting to become desperate for another pup. Finally, I could bear his pain no more, and chose to go against every instinct I had in order to give him his happiness. However, I would not allow any threat to your inheritance. Eventually, we reached an agreement- I would allow him to find another female to sire only one other pup, and in order to prevent my instincts from forcing me to kill that pup I would move to this palace. In return, I would choose what that pup inherited, and I had the sole right to either accept or deny its status within the House of the West, unless you chose otherwise. I had thought that he would, at least, choose to breed with an Inu female, or at least a youkai of decent power. Imagine my surprise, however, when he chose a human female instead."

Remaining silent for several moments to gather her thoughts on the scandal, Satori eventually admitted, "To be frank, if Izayoi had been a miko or another human with power I don't think I would've minded as much, but to me she was nothing more than a pretty face. I had thought that her weakness would overpower your father's strength in the future pup, and would be a burden on the West. When I had heard of the successful conception, with these thoughts in mind I chose to reject Izayoi and her pup from the Pack.

"During Izayoi's pregnancy your father and I rarely saw each other. In fact, the day he gave me the Meidō Stone to use when you needed it was the last time I ever saw him alive… and despite the sadness I sensed in him from our separation, I also sensed his excitement over his unborn hanyou pup and his worry over how his powerful youkai blood could conflict with Izayoi's powerless human blood. It was in that moment that I finally chose what that pup would inherit should something happen to Tōga. I told Tōga that the Robe of the Fire Rat and Tessaiga would be the hanyou's inheritance. After all, the Robe (which had been sitting around in this very palace for many years unused) would give the pup limited protection, and I could ensure that Tessaiga, in addition of being an extra tool to help his continued survival, would control his youkai blood enough to allow him to keep his mind."

"You mean you were the one to place that infernal barrier around the fang?" Sesshomaru half-mumbled, obviously thinking of his repeated failed attempts to gain Inuyasha's inheritance.

Giving him a stern look, Satori retorted, "Yes, and I was alerted every time you tried to take what wasn't yours. I decided that the barrier would be a great reminder of a lesson that I know I taught you (yet you seem to disregard every time it's convenient for you) and allowed it to burn you every time you tried to grasp it."

While most would've submitted instantly at the Lady's look, Sesshomaru merely blinked in response.

Suddenly, a dawn of realization and oddly enough hope filled his eyes. "Mother, what was the defining characteristic of the Girl Who Fell Backwards?"

Looking sharply at her son, Satori replied, "She is a human girl who uses the Bone Eater's Well to travel back and forth in time."

"The Bone Eater's Well… it is near the village of Edo, correct?"

"What are you getting at, Sesshomaru?"

As he walked towards the door, Sesshomaru glanced over his shoulder back at his mother. "Rin has told me about how Inuyasha's miko returned from wherever she had previously called home. If what she says is correct, and from what I have heard about the girl during the hunt for Naraku… then Inuyasha's miko is almost certainly the Girl Who Fell Backwards."

Gasping at this bit of news, Satori felt the hope that had started to wane rise once more. "Are you sure, my son?"

"There's only one way to find out," Sesshomaru replied. "We must go to Edo at once."

A/N: OH. MY. GAWD. So much freaking necessary exposition... So yeah, this is a plot bunny that has hijacked my muses into creating NINE stories plus (at least) one sequel to the series. Seriously, I've tried working on some of my other multichapters, and I can only pick at them.

So anyway, just to be helpful- even though they won't make another appearance in THIS story, you'll want to keep the OC characters Hywel Lovegood and Masashi in mind. Just saying~! Although, if you also follow me on dA and read the excerpt from 'The Western Daughter and the Order of the Phoenix', then you'll know how they fit in the story.

And yes, Clarimonde's maiden name is Ollivander. It may be a hand-wave, but hey why NOT have two of the most insightful families be connected at some point?