InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Young Ones ❯ Chapter 2 - The Young Ones ( Chapter 2 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Inumimi 
We meet a very different Kagome and InuYasha!
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 05.11.2009 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 922 | Status: Completed
We meet a very different Kagome and InuYasha!
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 05.11.2009 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 922 | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: InuYasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and her Publishers. No profit is made from this story. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 2 – The Young Ones
Kaede sat in her little princess’s beautiful garden enjoying the late afternoon sun. She thought of Princess Kagome as her princess, she had cared for the King’s only child since the day she was born, the day her beautiful mother Queen Hikari had died. Kaede had been Queen Hikari’s most trusted servant and it was only right and proper that she take over the day to day details of little Princess Kagome’s upbringing and become her most trusted servant. Queen Hikari’s marriage to the powerful King Daichi had added a small, wild, forested province to protect the Northern border of the King’s own, vast, powerful, desert realm, though it was soon obvious to all that this was a love match. After the death of his beloved Queen the King had vowed never to wed again.
Kaede sighed; as the King’s only child Princess Kagome was expected to wed a powerful prince who could rule her kingdom. The only problem with this plan was Princess Kagome. Little, sweet, beautiful Princess Kagome was also smart, shrewd, and had no intention of ever letting any silly prince rule her land for her. The little Princess hadn’t always been so headstrong. No that had started two years ago when HE had come into her life.
Kaede’s mind wandered back to that day two years earlier when her little 8 year old princess had played in this very garden. It had been a beautiful day the sound of carts and horses gently drifting over the high garden wall. Kagome was amusing herself in the garden with three of her little playmates. Her playmates were all daughters of high ranking nobles and suitable companions for a royal princess.
A sudden scream shattered the day’s peace as the little princess spotted a knot of monstrous lesser youkai swooping down from the cloudless sky. Playing a childish chasing game Kagome had become separated from her companions and would be an easy target for the flying serpents’ attack.
Before Kaede could draw breath to call for help a small figure bound over the high garden wall flinging itself at the large knot of youkai. Within moments the half dozen monsters were laying dead in the garden, torn to shreds. Kaede realized the small figure was a shirtless, shoeless boy no more than 10 years old, with a beautiful mass of waist length silver hair, his throat encircled by a gold slave collar - no not a boy, but a golden eyed hanyou with perfect little dog ears perched on the top of his head.
When the boy realized that Princess Kagome stood only a few feet from him he froze before the mountain of now dead youkai, his head bowed down. Aware of the princess’s sharp gaze he attempted to hide his bloody clawed hands behind his back.
Within moments the garden was filled with royal guards - and then a powerful, tall, broad shouldered figure – the King. Princess Kagome was the only child of a powerful King and no threat to the princess’s life would be taken lightly; lesser youkai such as these would never have attacked a mighty fortified castle unless they had been directed to by one much more powerful than themselves.
As the King advanced on his daughter and the small boy Kagome ran to her father exclaiming in an excited rush “Oh Papa you should have seen it! He tore them to shreds with his bare hands! He saved my life! Who is he? Can I keep him?”
Just at that moment the guards escorted Yasushi, the castle’s chief slave master into the presence of the King. Bowing low he began “Liege I beg you to forgive the child, we were in the adjoining courtyard unloading a wagon when InuYasha spied the youkai descending and feared they might harm someone. He is a loyal and obedient slave and only wished to help, I beg you to be merciful.”
Ignoring the slave masters words the King inquired “The child wears the gold collar of one noble born, who and what is he?”
Casting a quick glance at his liege Yasushi began “InuYasha’s mother Izayoi was a royal princess of a minor realm and his father was the great Inu no Taisho. InuYasha’s father perished shortly after his birth and his mother died when he was but six years old. Upon his mother’s death he was sold into slavery by his full youkai older half brother Lord Sesshomaru.”
“I see, and how did he come to my castle?” was the great King’s only reply.
Taking a deep breath Yasushi continued “No one at the slave market wished to purchase a hanyou, especially one of noble blood, but he was young, strong, and could both read and write, so I purchased him thinking he could be of some use to the palace. It was late when I arrived home with him and my wife thought him too small and fair of face to be put in with the general slaves, she insisted that we keep him in our own home where he still resides. As it turns out he has been of great assistance to me –despite his size and age he possesses many times the strength of a human. He is hard working, intelligent and loyal. There is no slave I trust more than InuYasha. He is Inu and his loyalty is pledged to your great house for life.”
As Yasushi finished speaking, Princess Kagome planted herself in front of her father proclaiming “Papa – give him to me!”
“And what would you do with this dog boy if I did give him to you?” was the Kings gentle reply.
Kagome thought for a moment and stoutly replied “I bet he would be the best bodyguard in the whole world! No one could ever hurt me – I want him, draw up papers of ownership and give him to me!”
The great King cast his eyes on the object under discussion and realized that the boy had not moved a muscle, eyes still cast down, little dog ears almost flat against his head and his bloody hands still hidden behind his back. He realized the child wore nothing but loose black hakama in the style all slaves wore – tied at the waist and gathered at the ankles, his chest and arms while obviously those of a child were lean and hard.
Sighing and knowing that his daughter would keep at him till he gave in, the King addressed the little princess. “Kagome, it is not proper for an 8 year old girl to own a 10 year old boy.” Noting the firm set of his daughter’s jaw and how hard her eyes had become; the great King saw his own unrelenting determination in his daughter and almost smiled. Relenting he continued “You may have the boy as your bodyguard, if in 6 months I find that you have been a responsible mistress then I will give you the boy, but if you have been irresponsible…”
“Don’t worry Papa” the little princess interrupted “he will be the best bodyguard ever!”
The great King sighed “Boy come here” InuYasha quietly moved to stand before the great King, eyes still lowered. “You will protect my daughter the Princess Kagome. She is now you mistress and you will obey her, but remember you are her bodyguard and her safety comes first even if it means disobeying a direct order. Do you understand?”
“Yes your Majesty I understand” These were the first words InuYasha had uttered and the King was surprised at the clear soft voice.
Grabbing InuYasha by the arm Kagome started to pull “Lets get all that blood off of your hands! Oh dear you’ve got blood in your pretty hair. Kaede, dismiss all of those silly girls; we have to get InuYasha cleaned up. InuYasha that’s a silly name, of course you’re Inu, what else would you be with those pretty ears. Your name is Yasha from now on.” InuYasha, now Yasha obediently followed the little princess, a sight that would soon become familiar to all.
Quickly dismissing the princess’s terrified and forgotten playmates Kaede hurried to Kagome’s rooms only to discover that the little princess had already taken charge, ordering the bath to be drawn and supervising the young hanyou as he diligently scrubbed his hands in a large basin of warm water.
Clucking over the poor boy like a mother hen Kagome instructed “Make sure you scrub under your claws or you’ll just get blood in your nice clean bathwater.”
Noticing Kaede’s arrival Kagome continued “Kaede order up some nicer clothes for Yasha everything from shirts to shoes” At this request the small hanyou seemed for the first time to panic.
“Please mistress may I speak?” Kaede realized these must be the first words Yasha had spoken to the little princess.
“Of course you may speak – how silly, but I don’t like being called mistress – makes me sound like an old lady, we’ll have to come up with something better.” was Kagome’s quick reply.
“Please - my princess - I don’t need shirts or shoes, please don’t make me wear them, please” Yasha seemed genuinely upset by the thought of having to wear so much clothes.
Shrugging her shoulders the little princess replied “If you don’t want to that’s fine, BUT you do need to have nicer hakama, those are all patched up and you are now my personal bodyguard and I will not have you running around in rags.”
As if in reply to the young princess’s words there was a knock at the main door to Kagome’s suite of rooms. Through the door the guard called “The chief slave master requests an audience with the Princess Kagome.” Kagome and Kaede returned to the main sitting room and at Kagome’s nod Kaede replied “Let him enter.”
The doors opened and Yasushi entered carrying a small bundle. Bowing low to Kagome he began “If it pleases your highness I have brought some of InuYasha, I mean Yasha’s things.”
Kagome, curious as to what a hanyou slave might own, took the bundle to a small table and opened it to reveal a pair of black hakama made from much finer cloth that those he currently wore, a clean fundoshi (Kagome had the good graces to blush at the sight of a boy’s undergarment) and a small portrait painted on ivory depicting a beautiful woman. Turning towards Yasushi with the portrait in hand Kagome inquired “Who is the beautiful lady?”
“That was Yasha’s mother the Princess Izayoi. That is all he has left of her.”
Under the watchful gaze of Yasushi, Kaede, and Yasha, who now stood in the doorway to the bedroom, Kagome took the portrait and set it on a small table next to an equally beautiful portrait of her own dear mother. Returning she gathered up the small bundle and took it to Yasha with the words “You better get that blood out of your hair before the bathwater gets cold. Then you can change into these.” Wordlessly Yasha took the bundle and passing through the bedroom returned to the bathing room shutting the door behind himself.
***
Over the next three months Yasha diligently took over all aspects of little Princess Kagome’s protection. He insisted on locking the servant’s doors to Kagome’s rooms and required that all be forced to enter via the guarded main door. He had trees cut back and vines removed so that none could gain entrance via the large balcony which overlooked her private garden.
Kaede had been shocked the first night Yasha was with them when the boy ignored the small couch that had been set up outside Kagome and Kaede’s bedroom and insisted on sleeping on the floor, arms hugging his legs, his back resting against the side of Kagome’s large bed. After that first night Kagome had a large flat cushion placed on the floor along with a blanket, never questioning the propriety of the boy sleeping in their room. Kaede could see from her small couch against the wall that Yasha slept lightly. She often woke to realize the boy’s golden eyes were open, scanning the dark room for possible intruders.
These were not the only changes that occurred over the months. Kagome and Yasha became inseparable, whether playing in the garden (the little princess’s old playmates forgotten and ignored),exploring the vast castle and it’s many secret passages, or just sitting quietly on the princess’s large balcony as Yasha let the little princess comb his long hair, they were always together. Kagome’s tutor finally even insisted that if the boy was going to stand guard during her lessons he might as well sit and study alongside the princess. The unexpected side effect to the new tutoring situation was that Kagome found herself enjoying her lessons more knowing that Yasha was also benefiting from them.
Yasha, eventually, was even able to partly explain his odd dislike of shoes and shirts. His dislike of shoes was easily explained, they pinched his clawed toes and made it nearly impossible for him to run and jump. His dislike of shirts was harder to explain, the best reason he seemed to come up with was that his older brother had stolen his rightful inheritance, a firerat haori that being youkai made always seemed to fit him perfectly. He refused to wear anything else.
Then there was the first night of the new moon after Yasha came to them. The little hanyou had been extra cautious that day, checking doors and locks repeatedly. Finally as the sun began to set the boy settled at his princess’s feet and head hanging begged for his princess’s forgiveness for being nothing but a weak hanyou. Then before their eyes InuYasha’s long silver hair turned black, his claws and fangs disappeared and his dog ears seemed to vanish only to reappear as perfectly normal human ears, finally the boy raised his now deep violet/black eyes towards his mistress. Princess Kagome’s reaction was immediate, she shut all the windows drawing the shutters, she instructed Kaede that no one, no guard, no servant, not even the King himself was to set foot in her chambers. The young princess grabbed a blanket and a large book and sat down on the floor next to the now human boy, reading stories out loud and keeping him company throughout the night, not slipping into her own bed till the dawn and Yasha’s retransformation.
***
Then one night it happened.
Kaede remembered being awakened from her sleep by a heavy thump. As she sat up in her bed she saw that Yasha was no longer on the floor by Kagome’s bed. Quickly uncovering the small oil lantern she kept lit by her bed Kaede was shocked to see InuYasha standing over the bloody body of a huge man dressed in the tight fitting body armor of a master assassin. Yasha’s hands were once again covered in blood, but this time blood also streamed from a deep cut running the length of his right arm. Giving Kaede no time to react, Yasha bound to Kagome’s bed easily lifting the half awake girl and depositing her on Kaede’s cot.
“Don’t let her out of your sight” Kaede could only nod mutely at Yasha’s command.
Kaede heard Yasha run through the outer sitting room and open the main door to the suite of rooms. She then could hear Yasha calling for guards, alerting the castle that the Princess’s guards had been killed and an assassin found in Princess Kagome’s room. Within moments Yasha had returned to kneel next to the now fully awake princess taking her hand and gently asking if she was alright. With the oddest sense of Déjà vu Kaede watched as their bedroom filled with guards and then the King entered. As the King paused to gaze at the dead intruder it became obvious that Yasha had killed the assassin within seconds of his entrance into the room. Before the King could advance towards his daughter and her protector a guard rushed in to inform the King that the assassin had killed a total of nine of their finest guards in his effort to get to the sleeping princess. That the entire castle was being searched, though master assassins like this one generally worked alone. Dismissing the guard the King walked over to his daughter. Once Kagome had assured her father that she was perfectly fine she proceeded with a request.
“Papa, Yasha was hurt because he has no weapon save his claws, may I give him a sword and have him instructed in its use?”
The King hesitated for a moment glancing at the dead assassin and then replied “Kagome, come to my chambers tomorrow, I am turning ownership of Yasha over to you. You can then have him trained any way you wish. It seems you were correct when you said he would be the best bodyguard in the world.”
Ignoring the guards who were removing the body of the would be assassin Kagome ran to the bathing room, returning with a wet cloth to clean Yasha’s arm, the hanyou insisting all the while that his arm needed no tending and would be fully healed by morning.
The great King shook his head as he left the room. The sight of the dead assassin and all that blood didn’t seem to bother Kagome in the least. His little girl didn’t have a squeamish bone in her body; she was ruthless and shrewd, if only she had been born a boy, what a king she would have made.
***
Ownership of Yasha only seemed to strengthen Princess Kagome’s headstrong nature. She persuaded the best swordsmen in the castle to train Yasha (after wheedling the finest of swords from her father) and then insisted that she too should learn a weapon. The only weapon deemed suitable for a princess was the bow so while Yasha trained with the swordsmen Kagome practiced with the archers.
Despite his youth and size, Yasha’s immense strength and agility soon made him a swordsman to be reckoned with. Privately his instructors agreed that once fully grown the hanyou would be a warrior that none of them would ever wish to face in battle.
Kagome, determined to prove that one day she would be strong enough to rule her own kingdom, proceeded to hone her skill with the bow to a deadly precision.
As Kaede sat in Princess Kagome’s beautiful garden she reflected on the fact that months had turned to years, Kagome was now10 and Yasha 12. Only one other serious attempt had been made on the princess’s life, the three would-be killers torn to shreds by Yasha. Still Kaede worried, Yasha’s presence might put an end to outright physical attacks, but there were always other, more subtle, ways to bring down royalty.
***
Shortly after the incident with the three killers Kaede noticed a disturbing change in her little princess. Once or twice a week she would wake in the middle of the night only to realize that her princess had slipped out of her bed to sleep curled up in the arms of her young protector, only to return to her bed before the break of dawn.
Kaede worried as she could not but overhear some of the children’s whispered conversations. Kagome stressing that they both must remain innocent children for as long as they could. That the moment they started to grow up they ran the risk of Yasha being taken away. While two small children were seen as cute playmates, a young lady and man would be seen as unsuitable companions, especially if one was a princess and the other her hanyou slave. Kagome was determined that no one would ever have an excuse to take her companion and guardian away from her, she thought Yasha the bravest, most beautiful, wonderful creature in the world. In turn, Yasha’s devotion to his princess bordered on worship, her safety and happiness his reason for living. What complicated the issue was that fact that Kaede knew that the two children’s love for each other only grew stronger each day and that someday their love would no longer be so innocent. For the moment, thought, they were still children - and innocent.
Kaede sighed; she knew her loyalty lay with Princess Kagome. The princess’s happiness was to be preserved at any cost and if that meant keeping Kagome and Yasha together, so be it.
The objects of her thoughts were currently playing one of their favorite games. Yasha was running along the castle’s parapets making impossible leaps from one roof to another with the princess perched on his back squealing with delight. As Yasha made the last leap down into their garden a sudden rush of wind blasted them. Time seemed to stand still and then a flash of bright blue light. When Kaede could see once again she beheld an unbelievable sight. There stood Princess Kagome and Yasha hand in hand staring wide eyed at a couple that had suddenly appeared before them. A beautiful young woman with long black hair dressed as a miko held the hand of a tall broad shouldered, golden eyed, silver haired Inu hanyou dressed in a red haori and hakama. The mysterious couple returned the children’s stares, though theirs were filled with confusion.
Chapter 2 – The Young Ones
Kaede sat in her little princess’s beautiful garden enjoying the late afternoon sun. She thought of Princess Kagome as her princess, she had cared for the King’s only child since the day she was born, the day her beautiful mother Queen Hikari had died. Kaede had been Queen Hikari’s most trusted servant and it was only right and proper that she take over the day to day details of little Princess Kagome’s upbringing and become her most trusted servant. Queen Hikari’s marriage to the powerful King Daichi had added a small, wild, forested province to protect the Northern border of the King’s own, vast, powerful, desert realm, though it was soon obvious to all that this was a love match. After the death of his beloved Queen the King had vowed never to wed again.
Kaede sighed; as the King’s only child Princess Kagome was expected to wed a powerful prince who could rule her kingdom. The only problem with this plan was Princess Kagome. Little, sweet, beautiful Princess Kagome was also smart, shrewd, and had no intention of ever letting any silly prince rule her land for her. The little Princess hadn’t always been so headstrong. No that had started two years ago when HE had come into her life.
Kaede’s mind wandered back to that day two years earlier when her little 8 year old princess had played in this very garden. It had been a beautiful day the sound of carts and horses gently drifting over the high garden wall. Kagome was amusing herself in the garden with three of her little playmates. Her playmates were all daughters of high ranking nobles and suitable companions for a royal princess.
A sudden scream shattered the day’s peace as the little princess spotted a knot of monstrous lesser youkai swooping down from the cloudless sky. Playing a childish chasing game Kagome had become separated from her companions and would be an easy target for the flying serpents’ attack.
Before Kaede could draw breath to call for help a small figure bound over the high garden wall flinging itself at the large knot of youkai. Within moments the half dozen monsters were laying dead in the garden, torn to shreds. Kaede realized the small figure was a shirtless, shoeless boy no more than 10 years old, with a beautiful mass of waist length silver hair, his throat encircled by a gold slave collar - no not a boy, but a golden eyed hanyou with perfect little dog ears perched on the top of his head.
When the boy realized that Princess Kagome stood only a few feet from him he froze before the mountain of now dead youkai, his head bowed down. Aware of the princess’s sharp gaze he attempted to hide his bloody clawed hands behind his back.
Within moments the garden was filled with royal guards - and then a powerful, tall, broad shouldered figure – the King. Princess Kagome was the only child of a powerful King and no threat to the princess’s life would be taken lightly; lesser youkai such as these would never have attacked a mighty fortified castle unless they had been directed to by one much more powerful than themselves.
As the King advanced on his daughter and the small boy Kagome ran to her father exclaiming in an excited rush “Oh Papa you should have seen it! He tore them to shreds with his bare hands! He saved my life! Who is he? Can I keep him?”
Just at that moment the guards escorted Yasushi, the castle’s chief slave master into the presence of the King. Bowing low he began “Liege I beg you to forgive the child, we were in the adjoining courtyard unloading a wagon when InuYasha spied the youkai descending and feared they might harm someone. He is a loyal and obedient slave and only wished to help, I beg you to be merciful.”
Ignoring the slave masters words the King inquired “The child wears the gold collar of one noble born, who and what is he?”
Casting a quick glance at his liege Yasushi began “InuYasha’s mother Izayoi was a royal princess of a minor realm and his father was the great Inu no Taisho. InuYasha’s father perished shortly after his birth and his mother died when he was but six years old. Upon his mother’s death he was sold into slavery by his full youkai older half brother Lord Sesshomaru.”
“I see, and how did he come to my castle?” was the great King’s only reply.
Taking a deep breath Yasushi continued “No one at the slave market wished to purchase a hanyou, especially one of noble blood, but he was young, strong, and could both read and write, so I purchased him thinking he could be of some use to the palace. It was late when I arrived home with him and my wife thought him too small and fair of face to be put in with the general slaves, she insisted that we keep him in our own home where he still resides. As it turns out he has been of great assistance to me –despite his size and age he possesses many times the strength of a human. He is hard working, intelligent and loyal. There is no slave I trust more than InuYasha. He is Inu and his loyalty is pledged to your great house for life.”
As Yasushi finished speaking, Princess Kagome planted herself in front of her father proclaiming “Papa – give him to me!”
“And what would you do with this dog boy if I did give him to you?” was the Kings gentle reply.
Kagome thought for a moment and stoutly replied “I bet he would be the best bodyguard in the whole world! No one could ever hurt me – I want him, draw up papers of ownership and give him to me!”
The great King cast his eyes on the object under discussion and realized that the boy had not moved a muscle, eyes still cast down, little dog ears almost flat against his head and his bloody hands still hidden behind his back. He realized the child wore nothing but loose black hakama in the style all slaves wore – tied at the waist and gathered at the ankles, his chest and arms while obviously those of a child were lean and hard.
Sighing and knowing that his daughter would keep at him till he gave in, the King addressed the little princess. “Kagome, it is not proper for an 8 year old girl to own a 10 year old boy.” Noting the firm set of his daughter’s jaw and how hard her eyes had become; the great King saw his own unrelenting determination in his daughter and almost smiled. Relenting he continued “You may have the boy as your bodyguard, if in 6 months I find that you have been a responsible mistress then I will give you the boy, but if you have been irresponsible…”
“Don’t worry Papa” the little princess interrupted “he will be the best bodyguard ever!”
The great King sighed “Boy come here” InuYasha quietly moved to stand before the great King, eyes still lowered. “You will protect my daughter the Princess Kagome. She is now you mistress and you will obey her, but remember you are her bodyguard and her safety comes first even if it means disobeying a direct order. Do you understand?”
“Yes your Majesty I understand” These were the first words InuYasha had uttered and the King was surprised at the clear soft voice.
Grabbing InuYasha by the arm Kagome started to pull “Lets get all that blood off of your hands! Oh dear you’ve got blood in your pretty hair. Kaede, dismiss all of those silly girls; we have to get InuYasha cleaned up. InuYasha that’s a silly name, of course you’re Inu, what else would you be with those pretty ears. Your name is Yasha from now on.” InuYasha, now Yasha obediently followed the little princess, a sight that would soon become familiar to all.
Quickly dismissing the princess’s terrified and forgotten playmates Kaede hurried to Kagome’s rooms only to discover that the little princess had already taken charge, ordering the bath to be drawn and supervising the young hanyou as he diligently scrubbed his hands in a large basin of warm water.
Clucking over the poor boy like a mother hen Kagome instructed “Make sure you scrub under your claws or you’ll just get blood in your nice clean bathwater.”
Noticing Kaede’s arrival Kagome continued “Kaede order up some nicer clothes for Yasha everything from shirts to shoes” At this request the small hanyou seemed for the first time to panic.
“Please mistress may I speak?” Kaede realized these must be the first words Yasha had spoken to the little princess.
“Of course you may speak – how silly, but I don’t like being called mistress – makes me sound like an old lady, we’ll have to come up with something better.” was Kagome’s quick reply.
“Please - my princess - I don’t need shirts or shoes, please don’t make me wear them, please” Yasha seemed genuinely upset by the thought of having to wear so much clothes.
Shrugging her shoulders the little princess replied “If you don’t want to that’s fine, BUT you do need to have nicer hakama, those are all patched up and you are now my personal bodyguard and I will not have you running around in rags.”
As if in reply to the young princess’s words there was a knock at the main door to Kagome’s suite of rooms. Through the door the guard called “The chief slave master requests an audience with the Princess Kagome.” Kagome and Kaede returned to the main sitting room and at Kagome’s nod Kaede replied “Let him enter.”
The doors opened and Yasushi entered carrying a small bundle. Bowing low to Kagome he began “If it pleases your highness I have brought some of InuYasha, I mean Yasha’s things.”
Kagome, curious as to what a hanyou slave might own, took the bundle to a small table and opened it to reveal a pair of black hakama made from much finer cloth that those he currently wore, a clean fundoshi (Kagome had the good graces to blush at the sight of a boy’s undergarment) and a small portrait painted on ivory depicting a beautiful woman. Turning towards Yasushi with the portrait in hand Kagome inquired “Who is the beautiful lady?”
“That was Yasha’s mother the Princess Izayoi. That is all he has left of her.”
Under the watchful gaze of Yasushi, Kaede, and Yasha, who now stood in the doorway to the bedroom, Kagome took the portrait and set it on a small table next to an equally beautiful portrait of her own dear mother. Returning she gathered up the small bundle and took it to Yasha with the words “You better get that blood out of your hair before the bathwater gets cold. Then you can change into these.” Wordlessly Yasha took the bundle and passing through the bedroom returned to the bathing room shutting the door behind himself.
***
Over the next three months Yasha diligently took over all aspects of little Princess Kagome’s protection. He insisted on locking the servant’s doors to Kagome’s rooms and required that all be forced to enter via the guarded main door. He had trees cut back and vines removed so that none could gain entrance via the large balcony which overlooked her private garden.
Kaede had been shocked the first night Yasha was with them when the boy ignored the small couch that had been set up outside Kagome and Kaede’s bedroom and insisted on sleeping on the floor, arms hugging his legs, his back resting against the side of Kagome’s large bed. After that first night Kagome had a large flat cushion placed on the floor along with a blanket, never questioning the propriety of the boy sleeping in their room. Kaede could see from her small couch against the wall that Yasha slept lightly. She often woke to realize the boy’s golden eyes were open, scanning the dark room for possible intruders.
These were not the only changes that occurred over the months. Kagome and Yasha became inseparable, whether playing in the garden (the little princess’s old playmates forgotten and ignored),exploring the vast castle and it’s many secret passages, or just sitting quietly on the princess’s large balcony as Yasha let the little princess comb his long hair, they were always together. Kagome’s tutor finally even insisted that if the boy was going to stand guard during her lessons he might as well sit and study alongside the princess. The unexpected side effect to the new tutoring situation was that Kagome found herself enjoying her lessons more knowing that Yasha was also benefiting from them.
Yasha, eventually, was even able to partly explain his odd dislike of shoes and shirts. His dislike of shoes was easily explained, they pinched his clawed toes and made it nearly impossible for him to run and jump. His dislike of shirts was harder to explain, the best reason he seemed to come up with was that his older brother had stolen his rightful inheritance, a firerat haori that being youkai made always seemed to fit him perfectly. He refused to wear anything else.
Then there was the first night of the new moon after Yasha came to them. The little hanyou had been extra cautious that day, checking doors and locks repeatedly. Finally as the sun began to set the boy settled at his princess’s feet and head hanging begged for his princess’s forgiveness for being nothing but a weak hanyou. Then before their eyes InuYasha’s long silver hair turned black, his claws and fangs disappeared and his dog ears seemed to vanish only to reappear as perfectly normal human ears, finally the boy raised his now deep violet/black eyes towards his mistress. Princess Kagome’s reaction was immediate, she shut all the windows drawing the shutters, she instructed Kaede that no one, no guard, no servant, not even the King himself was to set foot in her chambers. The young princess grabbed a blanket and a large book and sat down on the floor next to the now human boy, reading stories out loud and keeping him company throughout the night, not slipping into her own bed till the dawn and Yasha’s retransformation.
***
Then one night it happened.
Kaede remembered being awakened from her sleep by a heavy thump. As she sat up in her bed she saw that Yasha was no longer on the floor by Kagome’s bed. Quickly uncovering the small oil lantern she kept lit by her bed Kaede was shocked to see InuYasha standing over the bloody body of a huge man dressed in the tight fitting body armor of a master assassin. Yasha’s hands were once again covered in blood, but this time blood also streamed from a deep cut running the length of his right arm. Giving Kaede no time to react, Yasha bound to Kagome’s bed easily lifting the half awake girl and depositing her on Kaede’s cot.
“Don’t let her out of your sight” Kaede could only nod mutely at Yasha’s command.
Kaede heard Yasha run through the outer sitting room and open the main door to the suite of rooms. She then could hear Yasha calling for guards, alerting the castle that the Princess’s guards had been killed and an assassin found in Princess Kagome’s room. Within moments Yasha had returned to kneel next to the now fully awake princess taking her hand and gently asking if she was alright. With the oddest sense of Déjà vu Kaede watched as their bedroom filled with guards and then the King entered. As the King paused to gaze at the dead intruder it became obvious that Yasha had killed the assassin within seconds of his entrance into the room. Before the King could advance towards his daughter and her protector a guard rushed in to inform the King that the assassin had killed a total of nine of their finest guards in his effort to get to the sleeping princess. That the entire castle was being searched, though master assassins like this one generally worked alone. Dismissing the guard the King walked over to his daughter. Once Kagome had assured her father that she was perfectly fine she proceeded with a request.
“Papa, Yasha was hurt because he has no weapon save his claws, may I give him a sword and have him instructed in its use?”
The King hesitated for a moment glancing at the dead assassin and then replied “Kagome, come to my chambers tomorrow, I am turning ownership of Yasha over to you. You can then have him trained any way you wish. It seems you were correct when you said he would be the best bodyguard in the world.”
Ignoring the guards who were removing the body of the would be assassin Kagome ran to the bathing room, returning with a wet cloth to clean Yasha’s arm, the hanyou insisting all the while that his arm needed no tending and would be fully healed by morning.
The great King shook his head as he left the room. The sight of the dead assassin and all that blood didn’t seem to bother Kagome in the least. His little girl didn’t have a squeamish bone in her body; she was ruthless and shrewd, if only she had been born a boy, what a king she would have made.
***
Ownership of Yasha only seemed to strengthen Princess Kagome’s headstrong nature. She persuaded the best swordsmen in the castle to train Yasha (after wheedling the finest of swords from her father) and then insisted that she too should learn a weapon. The only weapon deemed suitable for a princess was the bow so while Yasha trained with the swordsmen Kagome practiced with the archers.
Despite his youth and size, Yasha’s immense strength and agility soon made him a swordsman to be reckoned with. Privately his instructors agreed that once fully grown the hanyou would be a warrior that none of them would ever wish to face in battle.
Kagome, determined to prove that one day she would be strong enough to rule her own kingdom, proceeded to hone her skill with the bow to a deadly precision.
As Kaede sat in Princess Kagome’s beautiful garden she reflected on the fact that months had turned to years, Kagome was now10 and Yasha 12. Only one other serious attempt had been made on the princess’s life, the three would-be killers torn to shreds by Yasha. Still Kaede worried, Yasha’s presence might put an end to outright physical attacks, but there were always other, more subtle, ways to bring down royalty.
***
Shortly after the incident with the three killers Kaede noticed a disturbing change in her little princess. Once or twice a week she would wake in the middle of the night only to realize that her princess had slipped out of her bed to sleep curled up in the arms of her young protector, only to return to her bed before the break of dawn.
Kaede worried as she could not but overhear some of the children’s whispered conversations. Kagome stressing that they both must remain innocent children for as long as they could. That the moment they started to grow up they ran the risk of Yasha being taken away. While two small children were seen as cute playmates, a young lady and man would be seen as unsuitable companions, especially if one was a princess and the other her hanyou slave. Kagome was determined that no one would ever have an excuse to take her companion and guardian away from her, she thought Yasha the bravest, most beautiful, wonderful creature in the world. In turn, Yasha’s devotion to his princess bordered on worship, her safety and happiness his reason for living. What complicated the issue was that fact that Kaede knew that the two children’s love for each other only grew stronger each day and that someday their love would no longer be so innocent. For the moment, thought, they were still children - and innocent.
Kaede sighed; she knew her loyalty lay with Princess Kagome. The princess’s happiness was to be preserved at any cost and if that meant keeping Kagome and Yasha together, so be it.
The objects of her thoughts were currently playing one of their favorite games. Yasha was running along the castle’s parapets making impossible leaps from one roof to another with the princess perched on his back squealing with delight. As Yasha made the last leap down into their garden a sudden rush of wind blasted them. Time seemed to stand still and then a flash of bright blue light. When Kaede could see once again she beheld an unbelievable sight. There stood Princess Kagome and Yasha hand in hand staring wide eyed at a couple that had suddenly appeared before them. A beautiful young woman with long black hair dressed as a miko held the hand of a tall broad shouldered, golden eyed, silver haired Inu hanyou dressed in a red haori and hakama. The mysterious couple returned the children’s stares, though theirs were filled with confusion.