Chapter 1

He was a beautiful child; with laughing amber eyes, fine features and a mane of silver hair. He was finely clothed as befitting his station, it looked like he wore only a plain white yukata, but looking closer the fine stitching made of silver threads was seen, and a crescent moon emblem with four red lines was stitched on the back that left no doubt to the boy's heritage.

It was this same fine yukata that the small boys' feet kept tripping over as he made his way down the forest path. A look of aggravation stole over his features, which would later in his life no doubt make him look fierce and have his enemies shaking in fear, as it was, the pup only managed to look adorable.
The autumn wind brought the scent of wildflowers a moment before the boy ran into the field, arms spread, and hair flying behind him as he sped through the flowers with a wild grin on his face before he abruptly tripped over his feet again. A chime of laughter broke over the clearing, feminine and light. The boy's head popped up from the field and he looked around, his look of irritation fading, his small fluffy tail twitching excitedly.
He crouched down into the field, a playful smile on his lips as he stalked closer to the source of laughter, his tail stilled, and then after of moment of stillness he pounced--only to be stopped midair as a blur of black intercepted him. The boy struggled, arms flailing, a small growl rumbling from his small frame.
"Not fair!" The little boy shouted at the figure. The figure dressed in the plain black yukata held the boy by the back of his white yukata, the boy stopped flailing and was held there limply for a moment before he looked up to meet the matching amber eyes of his father. The father looked stern at first, but his eyes were dancing and his lips twitched for a moment to suppress a smile.

The little boy was glaring for as he was worth, perhaps trying too hard with his eyebrows furled intensely. The father couldn't help it, a small chuckle rumbled from him, which made the boy try to swipe at him with his small claws. One talon caught his father's arm and the Taiyoukai didn't even flinch as a thin line a blood appeared. Several seconds later it healed itself just as fast as it had appeared.
"Now, now Sesshou." A woman appeared at their sides. She was stunning, almost foreign looking, with violet eyes and a cascade of raven hair, penned up where it was streaked with silver, a crescent moon on her forehead. She pulled the boy from his father's grasp. He didn't struggle as she pulled him onto her lap, the boy sniffed delicately at the woman's neck and immediately calmed, snuggling closer.
"Yasuko, you're going to spoil him."
"No, I'm not. Well, perhaps just a little bit. I don't want to see him grow into someone like the Northern Lord's sons." Toga sighed and sat on the grass beside his mate and his pup. He looked pointedly at the boy.
"Sesshoumaru." His son peeked up at him, "today was a lesson in awareness. I masked my scent from you but you need to be able to use your other senses when your nose fails you. If you rely too much on one sense your other will weaken, you understand?" The boy nodded, looking solemn.
"Hai, Chichiue."
"Your enemies will take every advantage. Don't let them exploit your shortcomings. Just be diligent." His son nodded again, looking so very serious. Toga let a moment pass, then nodded and ruffled his son's hair. After nuzzling his mothers' neck again Sesshoumaru pounced at his father, earning a bark of laughter. The pair began to wrestle; the boy in earnest using all of his strength, the father smiled indulgently, and began to lecture his son again on the proper grip on a mans arm to break it, on the correct pressure on a man's hand to force him to release his grip on a weapon. Sesshoumaru listened eagerly, his tail betraying his excitement. Yasuko was twirling a flower absently through her slim fingers. Before Toga could break into the next part of his lecture on decapitating lesser demons, Yasuko interrupted.

"Sesshoumaru." Sesshoumaru looked almost startled for a moment, so engrossed in is father's lessons, he recovered and turned to wards his mother.

"Hai?"

"Come here a moment. Toga, you don't mind me supplementing his lessons too do you, love?" She received an understanding nod from her mate. Sesshoumaru crouched in front of his mother, head cocked to the side expectantly. "What is the most important trait a Lord should have whilst he governs?" Sesshoumaru's eye brightened, and he shot off his answer that had been drilled into him,

"'Honor; honor despite fear and honor without remorse.' " The boy looked so proud of himself. A small smile touched Yasuko's lips.

"Yes. Honor is very well and good and your father is a great Taiyoukai because he lives by his. Now it is time you learned my maxim. In my House in the Night Courts, which is also your heritage Sesshoumaru we live by this, 'Passion before duty.'" The little boys face fell and he scrunched his forehead in confusion, and he asked slowly,

"Doesn't that mean then not to follow honor? Isn't duty your honor?" His mother smiled fondly at him and gathered him close, pressing a kiss onto his forehead.

"What it means, Sesshoumaru, is that you must love as you will and never forsake honor. It may seem complicated now but your father's and my ideals actually blend quite seamlessly. You'll understand when you are older." Sesshoumaru still looked confused but he nodded uncertainly, he glanced at his father who nodded at him,

"'Passion before duty,'" he tried the words out, then smiled at his mother, "'Love as you will and never forsake honor.'"

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The first thing she was aware of was how cold her feet were. She awoke groggily to glace down to see that the sleeping bag had unzipped at the bottom, she sat up and zipped it back up.
"Kagome?"Shippou asked sleepily from her side.
"Sorry I woke you, go back to sleep."
She shivered and snuggled more closely into herself, absently pulling Shippou closer to her chest. The small kit sighed and nuzzled into her neck, sniffing contently before falling asleep again. She smiled. Then like at itch, a nagging sensation sparked in her mind, something seemed familiar about how Shippou had just nuzzled her. Her brow furrowed she tried to shift through her mind, hating the feeling of loosing a thought. She concentrated for another moment and sighed, giving up, whatever Shippou had just reminded her of couldn't have been too important for her to forget so quickly. She yawned and fell back asleep, shaking off the lingering feeling of forgetting. The next morning came fast. She gave Shippou a quick caress, and covered him with the sleeping bag. Kagome stretched, squinting as the sunlight glinted through the leaves. She didn't feel refreshed at all. Slowly she rose to her feet to headed towards the river bed. Maybe the cold water would shock her awake.

"Kagome! Where are you going?"Inu yasha called from his perch on the tree.

"Just going to the river!" He nodded and she rolled her eyes. Ever since they had defeated Naraku and completed the Jewel a half a year ago he had become almost doting. Granted the completed Jewel attracted more demons than before, but after the long battle with Naraku she really didn't hold much fear of other demons. She tightened her grip on her bow on her shoulder with a soft smile, not to mention she had become a pretty decent shot. Glancing around the river for signs of life she concentrated and put a small amount of her energy into drawing out the Shinkon no Tama, it was hard, harder than when Kaede had shown her how to do the exercise at the village.

The Jewel responded, flaring pink, and Kagome felt her body become infused with the Jewels strength and some of her weariness fled, Kagome closed her eyes and focused on the main objective of the exercise. A bead of sweat formed on her brow as she tried to force the energy outwards. The energy hesitated, pulsing, then shot out from a 360 degree angle from her, streaking the air around her with purple. A moment later it returned to her, and she let out her held breath. The energy she had released had checked the area for any signs of life. She couldn't send the energy very far. She just didn't have the strength, or concentration, only perhaps 70 yards in each direction. There was nothing and no one by her except for a family of quails. She stripped, and with a squeal jumped into the cool water. She had run out of soap so she scrubbed herself down with sand from the river. She looked curiously at the pouch of flowers Inu yasha had brought her last night when she had mentioned her lack of soap and shampoo. He had thrown the pouch at her and mumbled something about his mother having used them in her hair wash. Kagome untied the sting holding the pouch and immediately a sweet, herbal scent came to her. She breathed it in, and smiled. She really didn't mind Inu yasha's sweet side. Using the flowers she scrubbed her head, and wondered absently if it would be strange for her to smell like Inu yasha's mother. She rinsed the sand off her and dipped under the water again to shake the flowers loose from her hair. The water wasn't half bad for September. Her eyes widened. Had she been living off and on in the feudal age so long she really was beginning to forget things? She tried to think and couldn't for the life of her pin down what day it was. In a rush she dried and put her clothes on, practically running to camp. Sango and Miroku had joined back up with them a few nights ago; the newlyweds had taken a belated honeymoon to the southern islands where it was more tropical. Miroku had faint sunburn on his nose, and a stupid grin on his face. Sango just kept blushing and twining her fingers in and out of his. They had built a house for them selves in Kaede's village, Sango had wanted to reestablish roots, and with Miroku's encouragement had finally decided to re start her family's tradition of demon slaying. Sango had wanted to forsake the demon slaying way of life all together ever since the last shard of the Jewel had been taken from her brother and he had died. It had taken a long time for Miroku to make Sango realize that would be a shame to Kohaku's memory, and so Sango had taken to training the people of the village.

"Morning Kagome! You want dried meat or eggs? We were lucky enough to find several nests not far from here." Sango chirped happily.

"Eggs," Kagome replied absently, "Hey do any of you guys know what today it?"

"Stupid why does that matter?" Inu yasha said with a mouthful of dried meat. Kagome glared at him. Miroku looked up,

"I believe it's the seventeenth day of September." Kagome squealed excitedly. Shippou looked up from pouncing after a cricket, his prey hopping away unnoticed,

"Whats the big deal Kagome?"

"Tomorrow's my birthday."

"Oh, I vaguely remember you getting excited about this last year too," Inu yasha replied, uninterested.

"But Inu yasha! Tomorrow is an important age for humans of modern Japan! I'm going to be twenty! Man, that's kind of old…but I'm finally looked at as an adult!"

"Well, congratulations?" Inu yasha mumbled. Kagome threw her arms around him in a fast hug, releasing him just as fast to embrace Shippou who jumped eagerly into her arms. Inu yasha sniffed after Kagome, a strange look on his face. "Kagome your scent…"

"Oh? Is it weird? Do I remind you of your mother? I was wondering about that.." Inu yasha shook his head and jumped over to her again, sniffing her.

"No it's not the flowers. Weird, you have like a sweet scent coming from you." Kagome sniffed at her own wrist,

"I don't smell anything on me." Shippou sniffed at her and his eye widened,

"OH!I can smell it too!"

"Well? What is it? I don't like smelling weird you guys."

"I'm not sure. You still smell like you," Inu yasha sniffed again, "just different, sweeter."

"Maybe because I'm getting older?"Kagome suggested. Inu yasha didn't look convinced,

"Yeah, maybe." Kagome shrugged, putting it from her mind.

"Okay so don't give me a hard time, but Inu yasha could you please take me to the well? I couldn't make it there on my own in time, and tomorrow is really important in my time." She placed her hands together, begging.

"Kagome-----"Inu Yasha began irritably,

"Please?!" He glared at her bowed head for a moment before sighing,

"As long as you bring extra ramen this time." She squealed again and rushed over to her things to pack them together quickly. As to be expected Shippou pouted and had to be thoroughly kissed and hugged before he allowed Kagome to leave with a smile. Miroku and Sango were completely engrossed in each other but managed to hug her and wish her happy birthday before she climbed onto Inu yasha's back. Inu Yasha took off at a run, and Kagome smiled into his back. It had been far too long since she had ridden like this. Without the pressure of Naraku and searching for the Jewel shards, traveling around the country on errands for Kaede and for the rebuilding of the village was never pressing enough to travel in haste. Being like this was nostalgic; a warm feeling unfurled in her chest before she could stop herself.

Kagome studied the silver of his hair, the soft fur of his ears, bracing herself for the sharp pain these thoughts were taking her towards. And it came, a gentle throbbing in her chest. Would she ever be able to stop loving Inu Yasha? She didn't hold anything against him, for his part he had been completely honest. It had been during their last battle with Naraku, that Kikyou had thrown herself into the melee, using all of her powers to bind Naraku so Inu Yasha and Sesshoumaru could use their respective weapons at full power without Naraku escaping. In the end Kikyou had scarified herself to kill Naraku. Inu yasha had been torn up; holding her still form to his chest, he had even begged Sesshoumaru to save her with his Tensaiga. Sesshoumaru had looked disgustedly at his brother,

"You cannot bring to life the long-dead." With that Sesshoumaru had left. And Inu Yasha had howled out his grief. Kagome had known from then, that no matter if in the future Inu Yasha came to accept her; she would always be second to his love for Kikyou. It hurt, it hurt more than any flesh wound she had ever received, the aching pain in her heart, but part of her was relived to finally have her answer. As if sensing her melancholy mood, Inu yasha looked back at her,

"Kagome are you okay?" Kagome mentally cursed dog demons and their infernal ability to scent emotions.

"Yeah I'm fine; I just realized how much I miss my family." Inu yasha just grunted in reply, but he sped up. They reached the well in record time, before the sun had even begun to set. Kagome straightened her bag and bow over her shoulder. She turned to Inu yasha with a smile,

"I still say we just make up a birthday for you so you can get just as excited as us silly humans when it comes to our birthdays."

"Feh! The day of birth is a pointless thing to remember when you live hundreds of years!" Kagome was surprised that Inu yasha had actually made a valid point but just went on like he hadn't,

"Okay, June 10th it is! You're energetic enough to be a Gemini!" Inu yasha gave her a blank look, then growled out,

"What did you call me!?" At his outraged expression Kagome began to laugh,

"I called you a Gemini."

"Take it back! I ain't no Jim-ee-nigh!" Kagome gave him a fast hug and ducked before he could grab at her, still laughing over his protests she jumped into the well.

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"Mom? Grandpa? Tadaima!" Kagome yelled as she entered the house, slipping off her shoes and leaving her bag at the entrance. She heard a clatter in the kitchen and headed towards it. Her mom jumped out of the door and quickly shut it behind her,

"Okaeri!" Her mother gathered her in her arms, "I always miss you so much!" Kagome smiled and hugged her mom back. Pulling away she got a good look at her mom's face and let out a giggle. "Whats so funny?" Kagome swiped her mother's cheek, taking away the bit of frosting from her cheek and stuck her finger in her mouth,

"Vanilla frosting is my favorite. Thanks mom!" Azusa Higurashi sighed,

"So much for the surprise! Well you might as well come into the kitchen, I'll make you some hot tea." Kagome entered the kitchen and just blinked. There was flower everywhere, and Souta was standing on a stool frosting a misshapen cake. "Souta insisted on doing as much as possible by himself. And I'm afraid this is the result." Kagome giggled again. Souta looked up sheepishly,

"Hey sis! You can't have the cake until tomorrow! But happy early birthday!" Kagome ruffled his hair,

"Thanks. There's not going to be egg shells in the cake are there?" Souta swatted her hand away,

"That was last year; I'll have you know I've gotten some serious skill over the past year. Don't doubt my culinary talent!" Kagome laughed and sat down at the kitchen table as her mom brought out some onigiri from the fridge and poured some hot tea into a ceramic cup. Kagome was on her second rice ball when Souta let out a cry of triumph.

"Done!"

"Good job dear. Now how about you go bathe and get into bed? You do still have school in the morning." Mrs. Higurashi suggested as she covered the cake with a plastic container. Souta yawned and nodded,

"I'm glad you're home again Kagome." He smiled a little sleepily and headed out of the kitchen. Kagome smiled to herself, when Souta was sweet he reminded her of Shippou. Kagome became aware of the silence after breaking herself out of her musings. Her mother wasn't puttering around the kitchen or muttering about nonsense like she would usually do. Kagome looked up to see her mother leaning over the kitchen sink, a serious look on her face.

"Mom?" Kagome's mom jumped and a smile quickly appeared on her face, too quickly. Kagome looked at her mother suspiciously. "Okay spit it out. What are you hiding?" A look of apprehension came over her mothers face that shocked Kagome. She had only been teasing her mom. Was something actually the matter? Kagome got out of her chair and went to her mom, "Hey, whats the matter?"

"Nothings the matter, sweetheart. I just got lost in my thoughts," Kagome just stared at her mother, "truly. We'll talk tomorrow. Enjoy being a teenager for one more night, ok?"

"We'll talk tomorrow?" Kagome prompted. Maybe something was the matter with Souta, maybe Gramps…

"Yes, tomorrow," Azusa patted Kagome's cheek, "you should get some rest too." Kagome nodded and went to her room. After getting ready for bed she let herself worry about her mother again before falling asleep.

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She awoke again with the lingering feeling of forgetting something. It was mildly irritating to know she was dreaming but not to be able to recall her dreams at all. Then she realized what day it was and all thoughts of dreams left her and she grinned. She was twenty. She hurriedly got dressed and shot down stairs. Her family was waiting for her. They sang a birthday song and celebrated with Souta's misshapen cake, then not too later Souta had to rush off to school and her Grandfather said a handful of prayers over her. Her mom took her shopping in Shibuya, and she bought Kagome several outfits. Her mom left her midday when she took her to a restaurant, to surprise her by setting up a meet up with some her old high school friends. She was surprised that they were all in college, Miyo was actually engaged, and it seemed Hojo had begun to study abroad in America for an undergraduate program in medicine. She enjoyed the lunch, laughing and catching up, but Kagome couldn't shake how surreal it all felt. They all cheered her on when she ordered her first alcoholic drink, just some girly fruity beverage, but she smiled, liking the feeling of independence the small act brought her. Then she laughed to herself that she felt more adult for being able to order a drink when for the past five years she had trudged through feudal Japan, fought demons…somehow that seemed strange to her and she kept laughing.

The time spent with her old friends ended too fast and before she knew it she was on the train home. She watched a group of high school girls in their uniforms idly, as they chatted about shopping and boys. She wondered if she should feel sadder that her friends had all moved on with their lives, that they had all started college and she hadn't, that they all had such normal lives. She tried to imagine her life without the well linking her to the past and couldn't. The feudal era and the people there were more important to her than college and modern conveniences. To never see Inu yasha or Shippou or Sango and Miroku again…She couldn't imagine it. She arrived at the shrine to see her grandfather trying to sell some sutras to a couple of foreigners. She just sighed at her grandfathers antics and entered the house.

"Mom?"

"In the living room!" Her mom was folding laundry, but when Kagome entered the room she stopped and smiled, "How was your lunch date with the girls?"

"It was good! Everyone has changed so much!"

"That's good to hear sweetie." Her mothers face had again taken on the serious look from last night.

"Can we talk now mom? Whats the matter?" Her mom just sighed and sat up straighter.

"I suppose I don't have an excuse to put this off anymore." Kagome came closer and sat by her mom.

"Is something wrong with Souta?" Her mother blinked, surprised,

"OH heavens no! Your brother is fine!" Kagome sighed in relief.

"Whats the matter then?" Her mother was silent for a moment; she looked like she was figuring out what to say so Kagome didn't interrupt her.

"Do you remember that fight we had when you were twelve?" Kagome frowned. How could she forget that?

"Of course I do. It was the only time I had ever yelled at you. I had asked you about my dad, and I didn't like your answers so I got mad and yelled at you." Azusa Higurashi nodded.

"Yes, you wanted to know more about your father. And I'll I would tell you is that he lived far away, and didn't know how to contact him. You thought I wouldn't let you call him." Kagome nodded the old pain resurfacing. It had always been hard not having a father for the father daughter dances, to look up to. Even Souta had had his real father in the picture. Granted her mother and Souta's dad were divorced, but Souta saw him every other weekend. He knew his dad. Kagome didn't even know her dad's name.

"You wouldn't even tell me his name." Kagome muttered bitterly. Mrs. Higurashi sighed and ran her hand through Kagome's hair.

"Truth be told he wouldn't tell me his real name. He said that those were too important. He gave me one name he went by though; he said some called him Ayumu."

"Ayumu," Kagome tested out the name, wondering at how familiar it felt on her lips. Then something about what her mother said occurred to her, "he wouldn't tell you his real name? Whats so special about a real name? Did he have the yakuza after him or something?"

"No, nothing like that."

"What did he look like?" Azusa smiled.

"He was quite handsome. Silver eyes, dark, dark hair. It was his smile I liked the best. You have his smile Kagome, both of you held nothing back when you laughed." Kagome smiled, then smiled wider and touched her mouth absently thinking of a mysterious stranger named Ayumu with her smile and silver eyes.

"Silver eyes? Was he a foreigner?"

"Darling how else did you think it was possible for your eyes to be this beautiful bluish gray color? No Japanese man would give these eyes to you."

"…but his name is Japanese. Where is he from?" Azusa was silent again. Kagome looked up to see her mother staring out the window towards the shrine. "Mom?"

"When you were fifteen and first got dragged into the feudal era didn't it seem strange to you how calmly I took it?"Kagome looked blank; she had never really thought about that before. "Probably not, you were just a child why would you think of that?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Kagome, you aren't the first person to use the well." It took a moment for the implication of those words to sink in.

"Mom? You traveled back in time through the well? But how is that possible?"

"My guess is that even though you are Kikyou's reincarnation, our family is descendant from whoever the maker of the well is. It would make sense that the well would recognize and receive members of that line. There have been other similar stories in our shrines history in old scrolls Grandpa unearthed for me." Kagome just sat, shocked still. So it wasn't just becasue of the Shinkon no Tama that allowed her to cross the borders of time so freely? Part of her felt relieved. Even if she hadn't been Kikyou's reincarnation she would've been able to go back in time through the well. She might never have been dragged in to the well by the centipede demon, but that was beside the point. She felt free from a part of Kikyou. She blinked at her mother, realizing she had again been distracted.

"Then my father...is….a demon?"

"I think it's a little more complicated than just that."

"How can you get more complicated than being a demon?!" Thoughts raced through her head, first most of Inu yasha would react to her being a half demon, then thoughts of the Shinkon no Tama, would she corrupt it? Would she still be able to use her holy powers if she were half demon?

"Kagome calm down! From what I understood he wasn't a demon!" The words took a moment to break into her racing mind. Not a demon? She sighed in relief.

"A human then?" Azusa shook her head.

"No he was not a human either. He didn't really sit down and explain it all to me. I wasn't with him there for very long. He said he was part of something called the Day Courts and he was a dream weaver. He said he was drawn to me because of my dreams." Kagome didn't really understand. All she knew was that she wasn't a half demon.

"Did you ever go back through the well and see him again?"

"No. He said where he was going humans couldn't go to." A thought occurred to Kagome,

"Does he even know about me?" Azusa's eyes filled with tears.

"I tried Kagome! I went back through the well a number of times after you were born and no one had ever heard of him! I tried to make a normal life here, I married Souta's father and you had a step dad for awhile. I'm so sorry Kagome!"

"Mom, shhh! It's ok!" She held her mom while she sobbed into her shoulder. After a minute her mom recovered enough to speak again,

"I felt like such a horrible mother not telling you about your father, but I thought I should wait until you were older to talk about this. Especially with you going back in time through the well all the time and dealing with all those bad demons, I didn't want you to be distracted."

"No you did the right thing mom. You're absolutely right. I would've been distracted from finding the jewel shards and tried to look for my father."

"So you're not mad?" Kagome kissed her mothers damp cheek.

"How could I be mad? You've done what you thought was right."

"I was so worried that you'd hate me for not telling you."

"Don't be silly mom. But I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave sooner than I promised."

"Leave? Already?"

"The Jewel is complete. There's nothing to hold me back now." A look of comprehension came to Kagome's mother's face.

"I hope you find him."

"Inuyasha and I have gotten good at finding things together, I'm sure my father won't give us too much trouble to find. Now what else can you tell me about him?"

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AN:I know a lot of people don't like InuYasha fanfiction where Naraku is already gone, but get over it. You have to admit it gets a little old. How about some new villains?! Now just to set something straight from the get-go I rated it M because I'm thinking in the future I'll probably add some racy, violent scenes. Well, thanks for reading, I hope it makes sense and is interesting…it kind of makes me want to pick up my old stories!

Oh, also. I'm assuming most people who read Inuyasha know the basic basic of Japanese. If I ever use a term that isn't clear, or you feel like I should make a glossary just let me know and I will.