Queen Marietta's Farewell and the Beginning of a New Adventure.

"Has anyone seen Shippo anywhere?" Kagome looked around, worried for the little kitsune. The servants had given him his own room, when they had first come here; but after the first night when she healed the Lady of the house, he had taken to sleeping in her room. Last night though, he never came to bed.

"No, is he missing?" Miroku turned to look at her, concerned.

Sango looked around and added, "Come to think of it, I haven't seen Kirara since last night." Suddenly concern, the three went to Inuyasha, asking if he had by any chance seen their missing companions.

"Why the hell would I know where those two got off to?" He scoffed. "They probably crashed somewhere else for the night, that's all."

"If I may," They turned to the manservant, who seemed to act as the messenger of the house. He continued when he gained their attention. "The Lady of the house; Her Majesty, Queen Marietta requests your presence." He turned and walked off, expecting them to follow.

"What about Shippo and Kirara?" Kagome frowned, not sure what to do.

"I guess we'll just have to wait until after we meet the Queen and then we can search for them." Sango sighed as she went to follow the servant.

"Perhaps we can ask for the Queen's assistance in finding them, if they haven't shown up by then, that is." Miroku encouraged, following suit.

Inuyasha looked over his shoulder at Kagome as she held behind, still worrying. "Come on Kagome, stop brooding and let's go."

She looked out on the garden they had been standing in, before following.

They were grateful to know that the queen, apparently hearing of their reaction to her throne room, was residing in a garden as well.

Like before, Sesshomaru and his company joined them halfway there; having been put in rooms on the other side of the mansion.

They entered the garden through a particularly large room that was, they found out, used for large meetings and special occasions. The whole of the room was made up of the same buttermilk colored shoji that was commonplace in all of the buildings of the mansion.

From the way it looked, the back wall had been made to slide open, similar to what their personal rooms were like. It would have completely exposed the room to the outside air and garden beyond, but the servant only opened one part of it, allowing them to just enough room to step outside.

"Oh, wow!" Kagome exclaimed.

They stood looking out of the garden, taking in the sight.

The largest of the mansion's gardens it was located behind the main house and, Kagome was beginning to realize, made the others look mundane and dreary when compared to it.

Unlike the others that they had seen, this one had cherry blossom trees growing within it; sadly they had yet to bloom due to the cold weather. But even without their aid, the garden took her breath away.

She gazed over it, taking in the small lake that took up a back corner, its water cascading down the side of the hill and disappearing out of view into a life size waterfall. Pathways of rock formed intricate designs all through the garden, winding around flowerbeds and the dormant trees.

The sound of laughter, water, and birds filled the surrounding air, adding more to the garden's beauty.

Wait, laughter? Kagome blinked and looked towards where the sound came from.

Sitting on a stone bench underneath one of the trees, a tall willowy woman smiled down at a familiar little fox demon, perched on the bench beside her.

"…And then Inuyasha hit me, he's always being mean to me. He's just jealous because Kagome likes me more than him." The woman beside him covered her mouth with a pale finger, in attempt to hide her giggles caused by the funny little fox.

Thunk!

"Who says I'm jealous over Kagome?" An angered Inuyasha flexed his hand, having used it to form a large welt on Shippo's head. Kirara mewed; peeking her head around the woman she was sitting on the other side of.

"Kirara!" Sango said, relief clear in her voice.

"Ow! See what I mean! You better be nice to me Inuyasha, or I'm telling Kagome!" Shippo growled up to the tall Hanyou with tears in his eyes. Kagome sighed as she came up from behind them. "Inuyasha, can't you at least try to be nice to Shippo while the Lady of the house is watching?" Kagome bowed apologetically to Queen Marietta. "I'm so sorry Your Majesty; they do this all the time." She smiled nervously as she realized this would be her first time meeting a queen.

"So I have heard." The Queen said. Although she attempted to hide her amusement behind a serious, business like face, she couldn't quite disperse it from her eyes as she stood up.

Kagome realized that, like her sister, the lady of the house looked relatively human. The only differences this sister had were eyes with slitted pupils and, at the corner of those eyes, spanning out to her temples, there were skin colored scales that shimmered when light hit them. Were it not for that shimmer Kagome probably wouldn't have even seen them.

She kicked herself mentally for being caught up in studying the Queen's features, and listened as she spoke with the delicacy and eloquence one would expect of a person in power.


The time they had spoken to Queen Marietta had been short, since she was still recovering from her yearlong illness. She had mostly stated things that her sister had already said to them, adding her own appreciation to that of her sister's and welcomed them to stay in her kingdom should they fail to find a way back to their world.

She had spoken with the kindness and sympathy they had heard from all they had met in their time as guests in her home, and even the air around her had felt warm, despite her dark appearance. In that since, she had been the polar opposite of her younger sister. Preferring long dark colored dresses that exposed very little of her pale skin, and her hair had been black and longer then Sesshomaru's.

Kagome ponder this all as she and the others made their way down to the city's main gates. It was the morning after they had met and spoken to the Queen. She had held a grand feast for them the night before they were to leave; saying that it had also been the wish of the citizens living in the city, and each one had brought a dish of food cooked by their families. By the time they had to start rejecting the citizens bringing food to the palace, the walls of the dining room were lined with hastily set up tables to accommodate it all. The dining table itself overflowed with food, and those that ate at it had to hold their plates, as there had simply not been enough room for them.

Lady Tarresa and Haji, who they had learned was the captain of the city guard and general of Arnos' army, were present for the feast. Queen Marietta was there as well, though the senior healer accompanied her.

The scene had been remarkable with all the varieties of food there, some of it good, some bland, and some had made Kagome's face turn purple, despite her best efforts, and the healer had worried herself sick over her before Kagome could convince her she was ok.

Near the end of the feast, one of the tables lining the walls broke underneath the weight of all the food it held. Food had flown everywhere, not to mention landing on everyone. It had been a sight to see everyone, including ever stoic, turned slightly irritated, Sesshomaru covered in an assortment of food.

Inuyasha upon seeing this, had burst out laughing at his brother's misfortune, wherein Jaken began to defend his Lord's honor. Although everyone had gotten covered in the mess, it was particularly funny to see the Daiyokai with food covering his clothes, face, and hair; Kagome admitted to herself.

Everyone had stopped cleaning themselves however, when the laughing Hanyou was suddenly hit in the face with a large piece of seafood. No one really knows who threw the first piece of food, but it had started a fight for survival and dignity; food flung everywhere, servants, guests, and hosts alike, ducking, diving underneath tables, or joining in the battle for supremacy over the dining room. It lasted for quite some time before everyone settled down.

Kagome secretly suspected Sesshomaru as the culprit to starting the fight when she found out that he, without anyone noticing, had snuck out of the room before it was over. But she decided it was safer not to point that out.

Though she had felt guilty for wasting the food the towns' people made for them Lady Tarresa assured her, as she pulled something that looked similar to seaweed out of her hair, that the servants and cooks would try to salvage some of it and send it back to the people of the city.


They were at the city gates now, and found that quite a few people from the city, including Haji, had come to wave goodbye.

She looked out over the crowd of smiling faces, unable to keep from smiling herself, and waved back. There was a warmth and contentedness in this city that made Kagome silently tell herself that, should they not find a way home, she really wouldn't mind staying here in this world. She would miss her family in modern day Japan terribly, of course, and even the friends they had left in Feudal Japan; but this place certainly beat having to deal with Naraku and all of his incarnations.

Naraku; Kagome's face darkened as the name passed through her mind. Naraku was the reason why they couldn't stay here. He had to be stopped, and she knew, deep in her heart, they were the only ones who could do it.

They had to tear themselves, or rather Miroku; who seemed to have acquired a gaggle of worshiping ladies in the short time he had spent there, and who clung to him now, teary eyed, and begging him not to go, away from the crowd. A swift smack of Sango's Hiraikotsu to the head however, helped him to remember his priorities. They were finally able to set out, down the same path they had come in from.

"Sango, must you always hit so hard?" Miroku grumbled, as he rubbed his head. Sango glared at nothing particular as she walked in front of the monk. "Well If you weren't such a lecher, I wouldn't have to hit you at all!" She responded, doing a good job of sounding like an angered yokai.

"You two have a funny relationship." Rin stated as she rode by them, perched atop Ah-Un. "Tch, Humans and their strange ways of showing affection, I certainly will never understand them." Jaken added, walking past.

Sango's face suddenly went red, and she turned on the little imp. "I do not have any affection for that perverted, lecher of a monk!" She was able to hold her voice to a notch just below screaming, but it was enough to make the small yokai jump and sweat profusely.

"I see, so this is what Haji warned me about." Lady Tarresa turned to look back in amusement at the scene playing out. She walked at the front of the group, acting as their guide to make it easier for them to travel in unknown territories. When she had stated she would join them, Kagome had found it odd that a woman of her position would subject herself to being a travel guide. But then she had remembered that the yokai herself promised to help them find a way back to their world.

Kagome had also noticed that she seemed far more comfortable outside the walls of her sister's city; the few times Kagome had seen her when they were there, she looked rigid and stressed, as if something was bothering her. But since she hadn't known her for very long, she figured it would be rude to ask.

"Is there something wrong, little sister?"

Kagome blinked, not realizing that until now she had been staring curiously at Lady Tarresa. "No! No, nothing's wrong." Kagome said hurriedly, bowing respectively.

"Please, there is no need to bow to me. If you would, as well, simply call me Tarresa." She looked to the others, indicating that they could do the same.

They nodded affirmative as she continued to speak. "I do not know where Jacques lives, as he once told me his people considered him a hermit and therefore an exile. However, I believe were we to speak to his people they may know his whereabouts. Thus so, we will be heading north, to the mountains." She pointed to her right, over the farm fields and off to the horizon.

The land was clear as far as the eye could see, but still, they couldn't see any mountains.

Sango stepped up, searching for the mountains. "How long will it take us to get there?"

Tarresa let her arm drop to her side. "Three days travel on the back of a Plainstrider. On foot," She managed to study Sango without seeming judgmental, before she estimated, "Two weeks time at a human's pace." Clearly unaware that they were capable of faster travel.

"A day and no less, were we to fly." She added as an afterthought, though the idea of having people on her back, were she to turn into her larger form, was quite unappealing. However much she cared for these people.

Sesshomaru spoke, a hint of irritation in his voice. "We will fly."

Tarresa turned to eye the Daiyokai closely, before nodding. "If you can do so, then that would be the most appropriate choice."

The comment intensified the look of distaste in Sesshomaru's eyes, making Kagome look between the two speakers and wonder if she shouldn't warn the tanned yokai about who Sesshomaru was.

Sesshomaru turned, apparently deciding it wasn't worth his time, and went to mount Ah-Un; as Rin scooted down the saddle to make room for him and Jaken jumped up to sit behind Rin.

Kirara shifted into her larger form; Sango automatically jumping on, and was followed by Miroku. It was when Kagome saw how little room there was left on Kirara's back after Sango and Miroku, when the problem arose.

"I don't think we can all fit on Kirara, can we?" Kagome asked curiously. There was only enough room for one other person.

Even at Inuyasha's pace, they would still lag behind a day or two more then what they had to. And asking Sesshomaru to let one of them ride with him was completely out of the question.

"I can take one passenger. " Tarresa offered. She looked to Kagome. "I would prefer it to be you. It would be less stressful for me."

Kagome thought back to the first time she had flown with the giant yokai, how she had dealt with the fear of sliding down her chest and falling to her doom, and was unsure if she would be willing to do that again.

Tarresa added, "You would be riding on my back, were you to agree to it." Trying to assure her. A kind, almost mischievous smile playing at her lips. She too remembered how the poor girl reacted to flying with her.

Having no other option left to them, Kagome agreed, and Tarresa walked a ways out, clearing enough distance so she wouldn't accidentally step on them, before light encompassed her. Inside the light, she grew and morphed.

The giant cat demon that stood where Tarresa had just been looked down at them with a kindness in her large crystal-like eyes. Some of the jewels that made up the small intricate pattern on her forehead in her human form had grown into the shape of three tall, bent horns gathered closely together.

She wasted little time, lying down to let Kagome climb up onto her neck. Using her fur like a ladder, shivers went through Kagome, as like last time, the fur seemed to have a life of its own; crawling over her hands to wrap itself lightly around her wrists. She pushed it aside, not wanting to know if it wasn't just her mind playing tricks on her.

"Wow…" She said with a shaky voice, looking down at the others. "I'm really high up." Please don't let me fall. She closed her eyes as a wave of vertigo hit her.

As if sensing her fright, the strange sensation of Tarresa's fur sliding up her skin came to her, and she looked down to watch it slowly crawl over her bent legs, holding her in place. She stared at the fur, her mind refusing to process what her eyes were seeing, despite all the other things she had seen before.

"Hold on tight, little one." The demoness spoke, with the same rough voice as before.

Kagome's stomach jumped up into her throat, not being use to the sudden, harsh movement it took the yokai to propel herself into the air from a standstill point.

In the air the others, each taking their own side, flanked them, and they began the journey in silence.


A little while later, it was suggested by Tarresa that they descend, when Inuyasha and Sesshomaru picked up the smell of a storm brewing in the distance.

They found a cave suitable for them all, including Ah-Un, hidden in a forest not unlike the one they had passed through to get to the city. A few moments after they entered it, a large clap of lightning struck and a heavy, drenching rain came down.

An awkward silence came over the group. This was the first that Inuyasha's and Sesshomaru's group had been paired together for a long period of time, and though Kagome was unsure about the others, she knew it was only a matter of time before the two brothers would irritate each enough to start a fight.

It wouldn't do any good if they both killed themselves now, as they would most likely take everyone out with them in such a tight space, so Kagome piped up, hoping that conversation would distract them.

Unfortunately, she realized, she couldn't think of anything to say.

There's got to be something to talk about. She thought, looking around the cave for something, anything.

She looked at Tarresa and a question that had been bugging her ever since she had first seen the people of Arnos popped into her head. "Tarresa…?" She started, suddenly becoming bashful at bothering the woman.

Tarresa turned her head to look at her, a warm questioning smile coming over her features. Realizing it was too late to turn back now, but also being comforted by her smile, Kagome continued with her question.

"Why is it that you and your sister are the only people that look like humans here?" Her fingers fidgeted in front of her, as she looked down at them. "Are there any human villages around here?" She looked up at Tarresa, as the other woman blinked in surprise.

"Humans, you say?" The female yokai seemed to be at a loss for words.

"Well," She started, tentatively, as if picking her words carefully. "No, no you will not see any villages with humans in them, I fear." She looked down, eyes clouding a bit. "Mine and my sister's appearance is... unique." The yokai looked out of the cave, unwilling to say more.

"What does that mean?" Shippo added, and Kagome realized that her plan worked, the others were clearly interested in this new and intriguing information.

They were all spread out across the cave, Inuyasha's party closer to the back darkness of the cave, and Sesshomaru's group near the front. With the exception of the latter yokai, they all looked at Tarresa, waiting for her to answer.

The demoness looked back into the cave, obviously feeling their eyes on her. When she realized it would be easier to entertain their curiosity then to deny it, she spoke with a sigh. "Human's in this world are, essentially, extinct."

A wave of silent shock spread throughout the cave, as more than one pair of eyes widened in surprise.

"Lord Sesshomaru, what does "Essentially" mean?" Rin, being the only one who was unaffected by the news, turned to the impassive Daiyokai she sat beside. Her brows furrowed, confused, as she added, "What does "Extinct" mean, as well?" He did not answer, unwilling or unable.

Instead, Tarresa spoke, "You are still young, child; you need not know the meaning of such a word. Simply know that once, a long time ago, bad things happened here." She spoke kindly, and wisely. "Humans once walked in this land, but have long since found another place they need be."

In her child's mind, Rin wouldn't comprehend most of what had just been told to her, but by the way she went silent, Kagome knew she understood enough.

"Tch, good riddance, I say! A world without human's is a yokai's paradise!" Jaken declared.

It earned him a good thwack on the head by Inuyasha. "Do you know how irritating your voice is?" Inuyasha flexed his claws and looked down at the hurt imp.

The movement had caused the Hanyou to come dangerously close to his brother.

Sesshomaru stood, and glared at his younger brother. "Must you always bark, Inuyasha." Venom dripped from his words.

Inuyasha turned to face his brother, and Kagome realized the thing she had hoped to avoid was going to happen anyway. In fact, she may have caused it herself.

"What's it to you?" Inuyasha snarled back.

Oh no… Inuyasha! Kagome tried to come up with something quick that would stop them from fighting, even thinking of using the beads around Inuyasha's neck to distract him, but was unsure if that would stop Sesshomaru's anger.

"Enough," Tarresa spoke sternly, moving to stand between the two brothers. "Listen."

The way she said it made everyone stop and strain their hearing.

It took a moment for Kagome to hear anything over the rain, but as the sound came closer, she could distinguish a definite shuffling noise. It made them all look into the pitch-black darkness of the cave's back wall, as they waited for whatever it was to show itself.

A/N The food fight scene is slightly occ, I know, but I felt compelled to put in something cute and sweet. Also I figured, without the constant threat of Naraku hanging over their heads, this would quite probably be a possibility, a great stress reliever after all they've been through.

Story Notes

Plainstriders: Taken from another of my books, Plainstriders are big multi-colored flightless birds with long tail feathers and are extremely agile. In this book, however, they have taken the place of horses, which are sadly extinct.

Geography explained: So as not to confuse you, or myself, I've come up with a similarly realistic idea of how Japan looks, three thousand years after Kagome's time, (Keep in mind, this is post-apocalyptic; everything bad that could've happened, did.)

Japan sank sometime in the early centuries after the fall of Humans. All that remained of it were its two largest volcanoes, Mt. Fuji and Mt. Kiso Ontake. Before Japan's decent into the sea, massive earthquakes disrupted Mt. Ontake's inactivity; plummeting it into a state of constant activity, causing the mountain to grow to enormous proportions (Aprox. half the size of Japan itself) and finally outdoing its sister volcano, Mt. Fuji, who in turn went into a state of dormancy.

When Japan sank, the waters rose quickly, destroying everything in its path and wiping Japan clean, before it came to circle around the two drastically changed volcanoes. The water, however, was unable to reach the tops of the volcanoes and spill over their bowls. Over the next two and a half millenniums and after Mt. Ontake joined its sister in dormancy; growth and new kinds of animals grew unhindered by outside interference and human cruelty within the protection of their craters. Thus awarding Japan with a new name: The Twin Islands.

The only thing left of human cultivation,

A single cherry blossom seed.

Well, I hope that clears some things up, and hopefully it doesn't sound too ridiculously unrealistic

Next up:The Mole Hermit