Dulcet: OMB! I am SO sorry this took so long! I've been writing up this other story for so long that I hardly noticed that I haven't updated! Sorryx10,000!

Chapter Twenty-One: Peace Behind Castle Walls

The journey had been long and full of caution. The moment that he had recovered Kazuhiko had been sent back to the Western Lands, supposedly to watch over Yuki as she came closer and closer to the day that she would finally birth Sesshomaru's children. It was only a matter of weeks now. Kazuhiko was to go and make sure that Yuki was well. Sesshomaru had said that he would soon follow.

So, there he was standing in front of Sesshomaru's castle. It was as Kazuhiko stared at the closed gates that he wondered how soon 'soon' would be. Would he be coming in a day? Three days? A week, maybe? The young demon only shook his head and sighed to dismiss the thought. Sesshomaru would come when he would. There was no use worrying about it.

"Who goes there?" a man's voice called from a source that Kazuhiko could not see nor determine.

"Lord Kazuhiko sent by Lord Sesshomaru," he answered.

"What's the password?" the man questioned.

"Password?" Kazuhiko repeated, a bit confused by the request. Sesshomaru hadn't alerted him of any password. "There is no password!"

"Yes there is. I made one up."

"Then how is anyone else supposed to know it?"

"That's it!" the voice called, no longer that of a man, but of a young boy, "That's the password!" A puff of smoke exploded nearby, clearing to reveal a small kitsune where a bush had been before.

"Shippo!" Kazuhiko scolded, "You shouldn't play around like that! This isn't a time for games! We're in the midst of a war!"

"You're no fun, Kazuhiko," the young fox pouted, "If anything, this should be the perfect time for games. It beats being so serious and depressed all the time. I mean, if we didn't have a little fun here and there, we'd all go crazy!"

Kazuhiko took this into consideration and nodded. He would go easy on him. He was just a child after all. "Play all the games you want," the demon urged, "But I want you to play them behind the safety of the castle walls. Is that understood?"

"But there aren't even any enemies in the area!" Shippo protested.

"You don't know that…" Kazuhiko pointed out with his eyebrows far up on his forehead.

This seemed to make Shippo a bit uneasy, his large green eyes looking out into the once distant trees that no longer seemed so far away. Could those once familiar and friendly trees be shielding the enemy from sight? Could they be harboring secrets that he shouldn't know? Would those trees that he had once played amongst betray him one day?

"Let's go inside," Kazuhiko suggested, pulling Shippo out of his thoughts.

"Yes," the child nodded, "I'm sure Yuki will be glad to see you."

With that Shippo crossed over to the large doors and knocked upon them thrice. "Who goes there?" sounded the voice of what Kazuhiko assumed to be a real guard.

"It's Shippo and Lord Kazuhiko," Shippo answered.

The doors then slowly began to open with a low groaning noise, like a monster that was unhappy with being awakened from its peaceful slumber. As he listened and watched the gate as it was opened, Kazuhiko couldn't help but think about the amount of times that these men would have to open the gates and how many people they would have to turn away. This was a time of war. These gates could never be left open nor could they be opened for just anyone. Then, as if to prove his point, after the two had passed through the gates the big heavy doors began to close again.

But as Kazuhiko came into the courtyard, he could already see how drastically things had changed. The flowers were significantly less in number, variety, and quality. There was less human activity as well. There were no servants rushing about tending to their chores. That was probably due to the fact that there were no guests to look after and fulfill the needs of. But what Kazuhiko had never expected to see in this courtyard when he had stood on the other side of these walls was the huge demon spider that was standing idly and alone in the courtyard. "Ranza?" Kazuhiko called as he approached the familiar beast, who instantly turned to face the man.

"Lord Kazuhiko!" the spider returned cheerfully, "It's been a while."

"Fifty years," Kazuhiko nodded.

"How have you been?"

"I've been better… What are you doing here?"

"I'm here with the Fate," Ranza answered.

"The Fate?" Kazuhiko repeated, obviously confused, "Not for Yuki, I assume?"

"Lady Yuki is exactly the reason that she has come," Ranza contradicted, "She says that she is to give birth in about a week."

"A week?" Kazuhiko asked with surprise. But Yuki wasn't due for another month! The ice demon pointed this out.

"Oh, you didn't know?" the spider began, "Multiple births increase the likelihood of premature delivery. It's perfectly normal."

"I didn't know that… and unfortunately neither does Lord Sesshomaru…"

"Yeah, but I hear he's due back any day now, right?" Ranza pointed out.

"Supposedly."

"That doesn't sound good."

"I need to go talk to Yuki," Kazuhiko explained while simultaneously changing the subject, "Any idea where she is right now?"

"My best guess would be in the garden," Ranza answered.

Kazuhiko gave a small bow. "Thank you."

With that he set off into the halls, leaving Ranza to wonder one thing: 'Why doesn't anyone ever want to talk to me?'

But of course Kazuhiko's concerns were obviously not the same as the spider's for he was hastily going through the hallways that were barely inhabited by people. It didn't take long for him to find Yuki either, sitting amongst friends, which included the Fate. The group was talking and having tea just like they would have before the war. Besides the unoccupied hallways and the lack of the usual amount of guests it seemed as if the war had barely touched this place. Those people were living proof as they sat so calmly, so merrily, sipping tea and bantering back and forth. It made Kazuhiko smile and yet it also caused his heart to sink a little. He just sighed it away though and went on, his presence finally becoming noticed.

"Kazuhiko!" Yuki called in excited greeting, "What are you doing here?"

"Lord Sesshomaru sent me back," he answered, not explaining the whole truth about how he was attacked before being ordered to come. He didn't want to worry anyone about the new dangers that were arising.

"Really?" she questioned, "Why?"

"To make sure that you're taken care of," Kazuhiko told her.

"What? Sesshomaru didn't trust us to do it?" Inu Yasha questioned with a bit of edge in his voice.

"No… No, I don't think that was it," the other man defended, "I just think that he wanted someone with a bit more military experience to make sure security stays in shape around here."

"When is he coming back?" Yuki asked, "When is my husband coming back?"

"Soon, my lady."

"How soon?"

"Soon."

"When you say 'soon' do you mean a week or a couple of days?"

"I can't say that I rightly know."

"I see…" Yuki said with a bit of disappointment in her tone.

"I'm sorry," he told her at seeing her look of disappointment. Then as quickly as it had come her sadness seemed to disappear as it was replaced with a smile.

"Very well then," she said, "Kazuhiko… will you join us?"

He paused for a moment. "I would love to."

And so he took a seat, just like he would have in days of peace. It was as he sat at that table that he slowly began to realize something… The war hardly existed within these walls. It was barely spoken of here. With this realization Kazuhiko became torn in opinions of it. He wasn't sure to look down upon this chosen ignorance or to partake in the peace and happiness it allowed these people.