Disclaimer - I don't own any of the characters from InuYasha. If I did, I could afford a new computer instead of the old POS I'm currently doing everything on.



Author's Notes - My deepest apologies go out to all my readers who were waiting for a chapter last Friday . . . one that never showed up. For the last two weeks, our computer has been having major issues. My husband downloaded a virus, which messed us up terribly. I lost a lot of my work to that hard drive wipe. On top of that, our floppy disk drive is no longer working, which caused problems in reinstalling many of our programs. Add to that a new cable modem that didn't want to work, and the computer throwing a general fit, and it has not been a good two weeks for me. But, I continue to trudge on, and here is the next chapter, finally. I hope you all will forgive me : )

Now, on to my latest amusement . . . I got my first flame! Some kid apparantly got dared by his friends to read the lemon scenes section of Starlight and Shadows. His review was something along the lines of 'sick, sicker . . . disturbing and disgusting . . ." something like that at any rate. If he thinks MY lemons are disturbing, he should read some of the ones I've READ. So, anyway, I sent him an email back telling him he shouldn't take dares. What you think all? Should I have just ignored him? *shrugs* ah well . . . one flame in over 500 reviews isn't bad I suppose. Although that was annoying.

Anyway, enjoy the read, and continue to leave me your reviews : )



Chapter 19 - Up To New Mischief



Kagome emerged from the well house slowly, looking around the shrine grounds of her home carefully to be sure they had no visitors before signaling to the group behind her. Stepping out of the doors, she turned to watch the expressions on the faces of her visitors.

InuYasha stepped out with his usual air of impatient arrogance, Shippo directly on his heels, his small eyes wide as he took in the place his surrogate mother truly came from. Next came Sesshoumaru, who had insisted on coming to be sure of where Rin was going to be. Kagome had laughed quietly at this . . . she knew the real reason behind the youkai lord's insistence on coming with them - he had not believed that Kagome traveled through time by means of the well. His face had been priceless enough as they jumped into the well in the Sengoku Judai . . . the expression on his usually stoic countenance at this point threatened to leave her without breath for a very long time.

He looked, in a word, stunned. The mask had slipped, allowing Kagome to see underneath to a very surprised, very confused Sesshoumaru. She suppressed the urge to giggle at the expression, instead returning to his side to pry Rin out from behind him.

"It's okay Rin . . . this is my home . . . where I grew up. You are going to be staying with my mother and my brother Sota. Trust me, okay?" Rin nodded at her hesitantly, her eyes wide as she stared around at the grounds. While Rin was distracted, Kagome turned to Sesshoumaru. "Umm . . . Sesshoumaru? You might want to get yourself composed . . . here comes my mother." Golden eyes met blue ones that were twinkling with amusement, and a graceful brow arched gently as he schooled his expression into his more usual mask. She smiled slightly at him, and nodded before turning to greet her mother and younger brother.

"Hi Mom! We're here!"

"I can see that," her mother answered dryly, stopping a few feet away to study the newer arrivals after sparing a brief welcoming smile for her son-in-law. Kagome stepped forward with Shippo in her arms.

"Mom . . . this is Shippo, the young kitsune that travels with us. My adopted son, sort of." Shippo looked out from Kagome's arms with an expression of curiosity. So this was the woman who was mother to Kagome. He could see the resemblance . . . and the kindness of heart. He allowed Kagome to pass him over to her mother, who smiled gently at him before running light fingers through his tail. She then moved to his head, rubbing lightly in a most relaxing manner. He began to rumble gently in what could only be called a purr.

"Well . . . I would say there's going to be no problems here," her mother said softly, smiling down at the young kitsune as he snuggled into her arms further. She glanced up . . . and got caught in golden eyes that were both distant and alert. "Oh my . . ." she murmured, her voice trailing off into silence. Kagome grinned from where she stood for a moment before moving to make introductions.

"Mother, this is Sesshoumaru . . . InuYasha's older half-brother," she murmured. Her mother's eyes widened as she turned to look at her daughter in horror.

"But, Kagome . . . you said . . ."

"It's okay Mom . . . we've called a truce." Leaning closer, she added in a whisper "Besides, we're slowly building a better relationship with him now. He's one of the good guys . . . at the moment." Her mother nodded slightly, and turned to regard the youkai lord solemnly.

"Since that is the case . . . welcome to my home, brother of InuYasha. I am Sakura Higurashi, Kagome's mother." Surprising everyone, the woman actually made a formal bow to Sesshoumaru. Even more surprising, the enigmatic youkai answered the bow with one of his own. Kagome and InuYasha exchanged a brief glance at this, Kagome's gaze questioning. InuYasha merely shrugged slightly in response. Who knew what was going through his brother's mind?

"Greetings, Lady Higurashi," Sesshoumaru murmured. With a gentle hand, he reached behind him, pushing Rin out into the open. "This is Rin, my charge. Your daughter said she would be staying here while we are . . . otherwise occupied?" Kagome's mother nodded at the question.

"That was agreed upon by Kagome and myself a few nights ago. Of course, if you don't feel comfortable with the arrangement . . ." Her voice trailed off as Sesshoumaru held up one delicate, clawed hand.

"The arrangement is more than satisfactory, Lady Higurashi. I could not ask for a better place for Rin to be than under the care of the very same woman who raised Lady Kagome. I am honored that you will take my charge under your care." Mrs. Higurashi was blushing at the sincere compliment from Sesshoumaru, while both Kagome and InuYasha were staring at him wide-eyed. Ducking her head, Sakura Higurashi turned her attention to young Rin.

"Hello Rin," she said softly. "I'm Kagome's mother, but you can call me Sakura. You'll be staying with me for a little while, if that's okay with you?" Rin nodded silently, her eyes solemn as she studied the woman. Coming to a decision, she reached out and took the hand that Mrs. Higurashi had held to her, giving the older woman a soft smile full of shyness.

"Well then," Mrs. Higurashi murmured, "shall we see the two of you to your rooms? Sota, dear, can you go retrieve Kagome's pack from her room while I show these two darlings where they will be sleeping?" Sota nodded and dashed off, Mrs. Higurashi following at a more sedate pace.

Sesshoumaru watched his charge walk out of sight into the house before turning his attention to the temple grounds. A familiar tree caught his attention almost immediately. Kagome noticed his sudden attention, and smiled.

"Yes . . . that tree is still standing, even in my time. It's actually the reason the shrine is here . . . well, part of it, at any rate," she murmured. "Well, while Sota is getting my pack, why don't I show you around the shrine. Inu, can you wait here for Sota? If I know him, he'll pull something before we leave . . . he can't resist." InuYasha grinned and nodded, flicking his ears at her, to which she giggled before taking Sesshoumaru's arm.

InuYasha watched them walk slowly away, Kagome pointing out where things in their time would have been to Sesshoumaru, who was looking around in interest. He shook his head slightly before settling down with his back against the well house. Rin and Shippo would be safe here, and out of their way while they sought the final confrontation with Naraku. In a way, he dreaded the final battle to come. What would happen after they had the full jewel? The jewel had brought Kagome to his time . . . would it allow her to stay once it was whole again? He ignored the pain his heart gave him at the thought that it might not. No matter what . . . he would be with Kagome. If he had to wait five hundred years, he would do so.



*------*------*-------*------*



Mrs. Higurashi sighed and glanced up wards towards the sounds from above. Sota and Shippo were getting along well . . . almost too well, in her opinion. She knew they were making a wreck of Sota's room . . . thank heaven's Rin was a quiet child. She didn't think she could handle it if Rin had been just as rambunctious as the young kitsune. She smiled down at the young girl as Rin stood at the sink, helping her prepare vegetables for dinner.

Kagome had told her of the young girl's past, and how she had come to be with Sesshoumaru. Mrs. Higurashi couldn't help but feel sorry for the child, and grateful at the same time. That the child had come through such horror with such a sweet nature was a miracle . . . and from what she knew of Sesshoumaru, the fact that he had taken the child into his care was a much bigger miracle in itself.

Noise from the stairway interrupted her train of thought as two young whirlwinds came rushing down the stairs and through the kitchen towards the back door.

"Hold on a minute, you two!" she called, stopping them in their tracks. "Shippo, you are going to have to use one of those illusions of yours if you two are going to go outside. The shrine hasn't closed for the day yet, and we may still have guests out there." Shippo nodded and pulled a leaf from his pocket, placing it on his head carefully. In a puff of smoke, where a young kitsune had once stood was now a young boy of approximately Sota's height, with reddish hair and a mischievous grin. "Be careful, both of you. Sota, Shippo is still from a different time. Be sure to keep an eye on him, understand?" Sota sighed and nodded before both boys took off out the door. "Why do I get the feeling that those two are up to no good?" she murmured.

Indeed, the two of them were currently intent on climbing the Goshinboku. Shippo had been telling Sota stories about his hero, InuYasha, and Sota now wanted to know what it must be like to sit up in the higher branches of the tree. While Shippo nimble hopped up the tree, Sota climbed slowly. Finally, they were on the topmost branches of the tree . . . on the very branch that InuYasha used to sit on from the looks of the claw marks dug into the bark.

Shippo was staring around in awe. So high up in the Goshinboku, he could see off the shrine grounds to the city of Tokyo itself. 'Wow,' he thought to himself. 'This is what our home will look like in five hundred years? What happened to all the forests? And what about all the youkai? Where could they all be?' He was distracted by a sudden yell from Sota.

He watched in numb horror as the young boy slipped, sliding off the branch and towards the ground far below. He could hear people crying out at the boy's fall, but it didn't register. Thinking fast, he turned into his bubble form, enveloping Sota within himself before the boy could reach ground. He heard Sota grunt with the impact . . . hell, even he took a few bruises from it . . . but at least they were both alive, which Sota would not have been otherwise.

It was with a distinct look of horror that he turned back into himself . . . only to discover that they were surrounded by people. People who were looking at him in wonder, and fear.

"What the hell is that!" one man shouted, pointing directly at Shippo. Shippo turned pale. There was no way to cover this up . . . they had all seen him turn into a bubble and back, and now he was in his fox form.

Mrs. Higurashi came rushing up, gathering both boys into a huge hug before turning to face the crowd. Surprisingly, she bowed to them all with a grin plastered onto her face.

"Thank you all. I do hope you enjoyed the show my boys just performed. We're still perfecting the act. Young Shippo here is playing a kitsune, a fox demon that supposedly existed back in the Feudal Age. It has recently come to light that not all stories about demons were horrible ones . . . actually, it is said that there were some good demons as well. This little play act was to show that." She turned to the two boys with an expression of annoyance. "And I thought I told you two that we only practice that act when the shrine is empty until we have it down perfect! Now, both of you, go up to your rooms right now! Shippo, get out of that outfit and into some real clothes. I don't want to see either of you out of your rooms until I call you for dinner. Do you understand?" Both boys nodded solemnly and ran off.

The gathered people muttered and grumbled, but generally seemed to accept her excuse and dispersed slowly. Once they were all gone, Mrs. Higurashi heaved a sigh of relief. Keeping those two under control was going to be much harder than she had originally thought.