For the first two days of their stay in the Southern castle, there was no talk whatsoever of Izayoi's urn, the Sugureta hanyou or the mysterious person who had murdered him. Kokoro believed both Kagome and InuYasha needed time from their near death in the wastelands, so he left them to their own devices for the most part. While his brother kept them entertained, the lord of the Southern domain was engrossed in his texts and scrolls, pouring over each and every document he possessed, trying to find anything that could shed some light on this mystery.

If there was one place Kokoro treasured above any other, it was his archives. Built long ago by his father, the Fenghuang-no-Taishou, the archives were comprised of several huge rows of square stone cubbies. Each cubby contained several hundred documents, some of them dating back hundreds if not thousands of years. Kokoro had spent much of his youth buried in these precious documents, soaking up the knowledge they contained like a sponge. Even now, years later, he was still enraptured by the smell of old parchment and the shapes of letters written by authors long turned to dust. This place was his safe place, and the place where he was happiest.

He was deep in a five hundred year old list of famous criminals when he heard a dry chuckle from behind him. "Fancy seeing you here, young Kokoro." It was Akira, the old archivist cum recorder of the Southern castle. Long ago, he had been one of the South's most famous warriors, a tengu of the highest skill whose blade was feared throughout Nippon. Many years before Kokoro came to power, an accident had rendered the great warrior unable to fly, and therefore powerless. After that, he had settled in for the quieter life of a scribe, and here he remained for many years. He was bent with age and quite wrinkled, with liver spots on his hands and on his balding head. His eyes were milky-white; he was almost blind, but not quite. In his gnarled hands he held a staff, which was decorated with vines and flowers. His long robes were white save for a black sash tied about his thin waist. He smiled at Kokoro and shuffled toward him. "Haven't you got anything better to do, young Kokoro?"

"This is quite urgent, I assure you, Akira-sama," Kokoro replied. "And I am no longer a chick, so stop calling me 'young'."

Akira laughed, his yellow fangs flashing in the torchlight. "When you are as old as I am, young Kokoro, everybody seems like eggchicks to you." His expression abruptly grew serious. "Be there anything I can help you with, Kokoro-sama?"

"I suppose," he replied. "Kagome and InuYasha-you have met them, right?"

"They have seen me, and I have seen them, but we have not been formally introduced," Akira quavered.

"Well, they are searching for an artifact of great importance, something that was stolen by the White Tail, Sugureta Zoku."

Akira hissed. "I remember that foul creature. Ran rings around all the lords and made them look like complete fools. Sometimes I think he only did it for the rush. I must say, I wasn't too sad when I heard his head had gotten lopped off. It served him right."

"That's just it, though." Kokoro brandished one of his documents at the elder youkai. "According to this manuscript you wrote not too long ago, there were rumors that he'd retired and gone to ground. Nobody even knew he was still alive until he turned up dead in the Eastern domain."

"Hmm…yes, I do remember hearing that he'd given up his thief-for-hire gimmick." Akira rubbed his wrinkled chin thoughtfully. "Hmm…why would he come back if he had retired?"

"Good question." Kokoro set the document aside and began to pace. His 'cape' swirled behind him; little frissons of energy were starting to run up and down the iridescent black fabric, revealing bright flame-colored feathers. "Did somebody offer a price he couldn't resist? Was he threatened? Or was he just bored? Also, who would kill him?"

The old tengu let out a derisive snort. "Plenty of people on that list, young Kokoro."

"Maybe so, but most of those people also thought he had died long ago, meaning whoever killed him not only knew he was alive, but where he was and what he was doing, which would suggest…"

"You can't mean he was killed by the person who hired him!"

Kokoro stopped pacing, and the little energy surges ceased at the same time. "It's what Kagome and InuYasha seem to think, and I happen to agree with them. Whoever wanted the urn probably wanted to cover their tracks and tie up all the loose ends."

"By decapitating him and leaving him in the forest to rot? There are less ostentatious ways to kill a person, Kokoro." Akira's withered hands twisted about his staff in an agitated way. "Iya, if he had wanted to hide would have killed him more discretely…have I taught you nothing, little fenghuang?"

Kokoro deflated a little bit. "I…you do have a point, Akira-sama. If he had wanted to hide, he would not have left the body in the forest, or have murdered him in such an obvious manner. He would have made it look like an accident so it couldn't be pinned on him. And just because we don't know who he is doesn't mean he's trying to hide."

"Now you're thinking like a scholar, boy." Akira's thin lips curved into a small smile. "But you've been working in this darkness for far too long, Kokoro. You are young, though you deny it, and you belong out in the world of light. This musty old room belongs to this equally musty old man, and I'd like to have it back for a while."

"If that's how you feel, then certainly I'll leave you alone for as long as you need." Kokoro started heading toward the door. "Send word along if you find anything."

"Wait!" Kokoro turned back to his elder, one red brow quirking slightly. "How is InuYasha? I have not seen him for many a year."

The youkai lord looked away and shuffled his feet awkwardly. "The years have not been kind to him, old friend. The loss of his mother at such a young age embittered him toward the rest of the world. He trusts no-one he does not know, he's violent and he's angry."

"Much like Hikari, wouldn't you say?" Akira chuckled a bit when he saw Kokoro's bony cheeks redden slightly. "You know it's true; if they were not different breeds, I would almost think them siblings."

"I don't think Hikari would be too appreciative of that," Kokoro chuckled.

"Not at all, but it's an interesting thought." Akira sighed once, long and deep, while his smile faded as quickly as it had come. "Poor little pup. Such a tragic thing to happen to a boy. We must show him kindness, in any case."

"I've been doing my best, but two hundred years of failure creates a debt that cannot ever be repaid."

"Then you'll just have to do your best from now on." Akira hobbled over to Kokoro and grasped his taloned hand with both of his. "Remember, he is not the only one who has loved and lost. Tell him the story, Kokoro…he deserves to hear it."

Kokoro blanched. "Are you sure? He…he may not-"

"No matter what your impression of InuYasha is, the boy you once knew is long gone!" Akira snapped. "He is a young man now, and one in desperate need of answers. He has no idea what happened to his family, Kokoro. You owe him that."

Kokoro sighed deeply. "I just…would it pain him to know?"

"Even if it does, you still owe him, Kokoro." Akira's voice was more kindly now as he gave his advice to the lord. "The truth hurts, as does the past, Kokoro. You know that just as well as anyone. However, not knowing either hurts even more. Would you rather InuYasha go the rest of his days never knowing the truth about his family's demise? Could you live with that, Kokoro?"

The fenghuang-youkai looked at his feet, acting like a child being reprimanded by a favorite teacher. "You're right, but-"

"No buts, Kokoro. Tell him." Akira released Kokoro's hand and stepped back. "I'll continue where you left off, so there's no need to worry about the research. You have guests to attend to."

Kokoro nodded and strode quickly out of the room. Akira shook his head as he took a seat and reached for the nearest scroll. "Sometimes I wonder if he'll ever truly become the lord of the South," he muttered.

Since Kokoro had vanished and she didn't want to be around InuYasha at the moment, Kagome had chosen to try to get Hikari to like her. Doing this meant spending time in the one place she wasn't sure she wanted to be: the Southern castle's forge. Kami, she hoped this would be worth it.

She wasn't surprised that the Southern castle would be the one with the forge, but she didn't expect it to be so hot. Located in the heart of the castle, the forge was powered not by coal or wood, but by the flaming intensity of molten lava. It was ingenious, really; it would never need refueling, so the blacksmith in question would never have to worry about restocking stuff to burn. Plus it was superhot and could melt almost any metal near instantly.

Surprisingly enough, Hikari ran the forge all by herself. She kept her hair tied back in a long ponytail and wore a large leather apron over her breeches and tunic, but wore no other protection besides this. More than once Kagome winced as Hikari reached into the yawning depths of the forge to pluck out a piece of metal. Then the cacophony of banging would start as Hikari hammered the metal into shape. It gave Kagome quite a headache, but she was determined to make Hikari understand there was nothing between her and Kokoro. She'd only just met the guy, for Kami's sake!

Hikari glanced up from whatever she was working on and saw Kagome still sitting in the same place she'd been in for the last hour. A scowl darkened her sweat-streaked face. "Why the flying fuck are you still here?"

Kagome shrugged. "I just wanted to watch you work. It's really cool."

Hikari's brow furrowed. "It's not cool at all, dipshit."

"I didn't mean…never mind." Kagome glanced at whatever Hikari was holding and attempted to change the subject. "What are you making?"

"New blade for Sohei's katana. I swear, he breaks the damn things faster'n I can fix 'em. If he does it again, I'm just gonna chuck the Kami-damned pieces back in his fucking face and tell him to forget it!"

Kagome laughed at this, then quailed when Hikari glared at her. "Sorry," she muttered.

"Why are you really here, anyway?" Hikari demanded. "You can't just be here to watch me work. You'd have left hours ago."

Kagome sighed. "There's nothing between me and Kokoro-sama, Hikari. Even if I hadn't just met him, he's just not my type. And I really don't think he thinks of me like that at all. He seems nice, but not in a womanizing sort of way."

Hikari started banging on the katana blade again; it seemed like she was whacking it a bit harder, in Kagome's opinion. "How do I know I can trust you, huh? You could just be lying to placate me."

Kagome looked away and stared at nothing in particular. "Because I'm not in love with Kokoro-sama, Hikari. I'm in love with…with…"

The tora-hanyou stopped banging the metal and stared at her. "You can't mean you're in love with the Western brat."

"He's not a brat!" Kagome shouted, a little too quickly. "Well, he might be a little…undisciplined, and a bastard, and a two-timer, but…" She trailed off, her heart pounding painfully in her chest. The wounds were still too raw to talk about InuYasha like this. She clenched her hands, feeling her nails digging into her palms. "It's hard to explain, but he is the one I love, for whatever Kami-forsaken reason."

Hikari seemed uninterested, but she had that same look in her eye that InuYasha usually did; the kind that said feigning disinterest to mask curiosity. She turned her back to Kagome and stuck the blade in the fire. "Sounds like you're hidin' something."

Kagome's lip trembled. "I'm…I'm not…" Then, before she could stop herself, the words burst from her like water breaking free of its dam. She told the Southern blacksmith everything; about how she had run away from him to prove herself, how she had ended up needing him to escape the Sugureta hanyou, how they had kissed in the Eastern castle, how she had almost given herself to him in the camp beneath the tree, and how he had betrayed her by kissing Kikyou shortly thereafter. Tears beaded her eyes as she told her narrative, but if Hikari noticed, she didn't say anything. She just kept on forging the katana blade, seemingly not hearing a word Kagome said.

When Kagome had finally finished, Hikari remained silent. She tossed the sword blade aside and sat down on a nearby anvil. Her tail twitched behind her, restlessly flicking this way and that. "Even after all he did to you, you still love the douche?" she finally asked.

Kagome hung her head. "Unfortunately."

"Then either you've got serious brain damage, or your heart knows something your head doesn't."

The miko looked up, her eyes widening. "What? What do you mean by that?"

Hikari shrugged. "Maybe you should listen to what he has to say. You could be reading him entirely wrong, you know. Kami knows InuYasha is pigheaded and rock-brained, but the pup's honest to a fault." When Kagome opened her mouth to argue, Hikari held up a hand to silence her. "Think about it, miko. Has he ever lied to you on purpose before this?"

Kagome was about to say yes when she realized that she couldn't think of a single occasion when InuYasha had been dishonest with her. He hadn't always told the whole truth, and sometimes he didn't say anything at all, but he never lied on purpose. It was like Hikari said: he was honest to a fault. Could that mean that…that he was telling the truth back in the camp? Had he really almost gone full youkai?

"I…I don't know what to say," she mumbled.

"Well, I don't know what else I can tell you, so I guess that makes us even." Hikari picked the sword blade up again and took it over to the workbench. "Trust me, though, the solution ain't gonna hand itself over to you on a platter. You gotta take it for yourself, or else watch it slip away."

Kagome thought about it for a second before nodding and standing up. "Arigato, Hikari."

"Don't mention it." Hikari waved her hand dismissively, as if she had done nothing more than help a lost stranger find their way. "S'nothing."

"Still…thank you." Kagome smiled slightly as she turned toward the door and started walking. She had a lot to do now, but at least she had come to an understanding with Hikari. That was something, at least.

Now, what was she going to do about InuYasha?

Kagome was still avoiding him. This, like many things in his life, pissed InuYasha off. When InuYasha was pissed off, he liked to have a vent, like shouting or fighting. However, in the Southern castle, there seemed to be no such outlet for him. Nobody said if there was a training room like in the Eastern castle, and nobody seemed willing to argue with him about anything. They were all too damn nice to him; just once he wanted somebody to start a row or a fistfight or something. What made him even angrier was that it made him miss Kagome all the more: she was always up for a good fight.

The only person who seemed willing to hang out with the grumpy hanyou was Sohei, and he was the last person InuYasha wanted to be with. Kokoro's younger brother never seemed to know when to stop; he flirted nonstop with every single woman who crossed his path, he talked endlessly about subjects that made other people uncomfortable…and he never stopped asking about his relationship with Kagome.

Today was no different. InuYasha was meandering about the castle with Sohei on his heels, grinding his teeth as the fenghuang-youkai gabbled on and on about everything and anything that crossed his mind. Mostly, it seemed to be Kagome. "Sooo…you and Kagome aren't, y'know, mates or anything, right?"

"Fuck off," InuYasha growled. This was his usual reply to the question, but Sohei never heeded him.

"Does that mean she's available?" Sohei wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, his tongue poking out from between his teeth. "Cause she's one hot little bitch. Damn, I'd like to get a piece of her."

InuYasha's hackles started rising. "You stay the fuck away from her."

"You know the rules, 'Yasha. You ain't mated to her, she's up for grabs."

"Yeah, if she was a fucking youkai, which she's not. She's a human woman, and if she don't want you, that's fucking it." If Sohei kept this up, InuYasha would throw caution and goodwill to the winds and tear the motherfucking bastard's head off. Kagome was not some piece of treasure he could just take for himself, dammit!

"Well, you don't seem to want her," Sohei commented. "Thought I'd try my luck."

InuYasha snapped. He whirled around and lashed out at Sohei's neck. Several passersby screamed as the inu-hanyou's claws clipped a few hairs from Sohei's head, but the fenghuang-youkai dodged the blow before he could come to serious harm. His cape transformed into a great pair of fiery wings to steady him as he leaped away. He landed several yards away, his wings shrinking and shriveling until they resembled a black cape once more. "Now now, no need to get cross." He held up his taloned hands in an effort to calm the hanyou down. "Just speaking the truth."

"Fuck off before I really get mad," InuYasha snarled. His fingers cracked as he flexed them; he flattened his ears and bared his fangs at the oversized bird, showing him that he was one hundred percent serious. 'Just let him try anything with Kagome!'

Before Sohei could come up with a retort, another voice spoke up. "Sohei! Enough!" Kokoro seemed to appear from out of nowhere. He seemed to be on the verge of transforming; his body glowed with heat-like waves of youki, and his cape had transformed into two wings. His glasses were hanging precariously from one pointed ear, but he took no notice. The youkai lord's blazing yellow eyes were fixed upon his brother, who quailed and shrank away. "InuYasha is our guest, not some servant you can kick around like a child's plaything! And Kagome is not some common whore to use and toss away! If you don't cease this ungentlemanly behavior, I will punish you, brother or not."

Sohei muttered something, but didn't seem willing to risk his brother's wrath. He stormed away and was gone almost instantly. Kokoro sighed and readjusted his glasses. The great pair of wings shrank back down into a cape as his youki subsided. "I'm sorry about that," he said, directing his gaze at the hanyou, "but it cannot be helped. Sohei's been that way for a long time. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you."

InuYasha took a step back. Minami's conversation with him had brought up a lot of painful memories, and he didn't want the same to happen with Kokoro. "About what?"

"There's something I need to tell you…in private." Kokoro's face was mournful, as if he were announcing the death of a good friend. "At your leisure, of course."

InuYasha thought about it a bit. Then he shrugged halfheartedly. "Not like I have anything better to fucking do."

"Then follow me." Kokoro turned and began walking away. InuYasha followed him, arms tucked inside his sleeves and mouth set in a grim scowl. They ducked and weaved through the thinning crowd, and soon they were alone in the corridor. Kokoro stopped outside a grand set of shoji doors with phoenixes painted on them. He swept them aside and strode into the room. InuYasha strode in after him.

As he expected, this was the lord's bedroom; it was decorated with rich, fuzzy-looking red cloths and golden silks. The phoenix and fire motif was strongly echoed in the paintings and vases, and the tapestry hanging over the grand four-poster bed had a great phoenix embroidered upon it. Its beak was open in a fierce caw, and it gripped a flaming wheel in its claws. Kokoro pulled several plush cushions down from a closet and set them upon the floor. "Sit," he urged.

InuYasha glowered at him; he felt like Kokoro was treating him like a dog. Even so, he sat down upon the cushion, arms still crossed and glower still in place. "What did you want to talk to me about?" he demanded.

"I've been trying to find out about who hired the thief, but no luck so far. Then my good friend Akira reminded me that…well, that I owe you for two hundred years of misery." Kokoro let out a long sigh. "I cannot ever begin to apologize for failing to find you, InuYasha. In my own pitiful defense, I really did think you died in the fire that destroyed your home. I should have known better, of course. No son of the Inu-no-Taishou would have died in such a dishonorable way."

InuYasha squirmed uncomfortably. He wasn't sure he liked it when the youkai referred to him with such respect in their voices. "S'all right," he muttered.

Suddenly Kokoro erupted. "It is NOT all right!" he thundered. He smacked the floor with one clawed hand and let out a strange, keening cry. "It is not all right," he repeated, a little more calmly. "For reasons I shall now explain.

"This story begins thousands of eons ago, when the world was still young and mankind had not yet emerged from their caves. There were two youkai not like any other of their kind, two extraordinarily smart and kind youkai who saw the world through a different lens. One day they met each other, and quickly became the best of friends. Many years later, when they found two other youkai and created the foundation of what would later be called the four kingdoms, they became known as Fenghuang-no-Taishou and Inu-no-Taishou.

"Yes, my father and yours were the best of friends, if not the greatest. Even after they created the kingdoms, they still kept in touch. The Inu-no-Taishou visited so often I took to calling him 'Uncle' in my youth, which pleased him greatly." Kokoro smiled at the memory. "We were not related by blood, but my brothers and I-"

"Wait a second," InuYasha interrupted. "Brothers? You have more'n one brother?"

Kokoro's cheeks pinked. "I…well, yes, I do have one other brother. I…I prefer not to talk about him." He sighed and quickly changed the subject. "My mother died giving birth to me and my brothers, so it was just us and Father, and Uncle, of course, when he visited. That was good enough for me, and good enough for Sohei.

"Many years after the kingdoms were created, it became apparent that Uncle was the only lord who had not mated or sired an heir. Ryū-no-Taishou had Shiranui, Minami had become lady of the East and my father had me and my brothers, but he was still alone. Father and the other lords…pressured him to find a mate, but he said he wasn't ready yet. He wanted to share his life with someone he loved, not find someone who might only want him for his status. When he refused to yield, my father asked his closest servant to-"

"I know about this," InuYasha said. "Hattori told Kagome about how Father was tricked into mating with Sesshoumaru's mother."

"I see. Poor Hattori; he never forgave himself for that. Father never forgave himself, either. He hated seeing his old friend so unhappy. Ochiyou-san was cold and unforgiving as the North Sea, and her son is no different. I never thought of her as my family, and she never saw me as such. When it was reported that she died in childbirth, nobody shed very many tears about it. The Inu-no-Taishou had his heir, and he was free from that woman at last. I shouldn't speak so cruelly about her, but it was clear that she did not care for Uncle.

"Sesshoumaru wasn't like family to me either. Far too cold and unfeeling for that. As I said, he came by that honesty, so I didn't hate him, but Uncle was quite sad about it. Sesshoumaru blamed him for everything that happened to his mother, and the Inu-no-Taishou couldn't make him understand. Father tried to help, but since they weren't related by blood, Sesshoumaru didn't believe him. Father blamed himself for that as well; he tried to give his friend happiness, and all he got was a cold mate and an even colder son.

"Then, five hundred years later, Uncle went missing for a couple of weeks. When he returned, he was a different youkai. His eyes were brighter than they had been in years, and he gamboled about like a young pup. When we asked why he was so happy, he would only wink and laugh like a mad fool. Seeing him happy made my father happy, too, and for a time we didn't care that we didn't know what made him so happy.

"Several months later, we found out. The Inu-no-Taishou was late to the semi-annual meeting of the lords, and when he arrived, he had a human woman at his side. Even though she was surrounded by youkai who were possibly hostile, she was smiling at us without fear. He introduced her as Izayoi and said that she was his mate. There was an uproar, of course; how could there not be, with an announcement like that? The Ryū-no-Taishou said it was an unforgiveable offence, and Minami seemed to agree with him, but Father called them heartless idiots and said that the Inu-no-Taishou deserved a bit of happiness.

"It was only then that we noticed something else; Izayoi had placed her hands upon her belly when the argument reached its peak, and Father realized that she was with child. 'It is moot to argue about this,' he said. 'They are already mated and expect a pup. All we can do now is give them our blessing.' The lords argued even more, but they agreed to give Izayoi their blessing and welcome her as the Inu-no-Taishou's mate and lady of the Western house.

"They visited us quite often after that, and I grew to like Izayoi a lot. She was kind as summer and just as warm. It was clear that she loved her mate with all her heart, and loved the child growing with in her just as much. Her voice was beautiful, like clear bells and birdsong…" Kokoro trailed off dreamily, his gaze fixed on a spot ten feet over InuYasha's head.

"It was only four or five months later that you were born, InuYasha. My family was the first to meet you, you know. You were barely a day old, but you never cried once. Even to this day I swear you glared at me; Izayoi wouldn't let you feed while we visited, and I'm sure you resented us for that. Still, you were the Inu-no-Taishou's son, and I felt the same vibes from you as I did from him.

"I only knew you for three brief years, but in that time I got to know you better than I had known any of the other heirs. The Inu-no-Taishou didn't visit as often as he used to, unfortunately, but he tried his best. Izayoi was always kind and courteous, of course, but you were a real terror. You weren't afraid of anything, nothing at all, and we spent much of our time trying to keep you from falling in a lava pit or provoke the youkai in the stables. Even so, I enjoyed your company.

"As you might expect, the happy times soon came to an end. A powerful youkai by the name of Ryuukotsusei came to the West from the East and started attacking indiscriminately. We heard nothing of this, so we went about like everything was normal.

"Several days later, one of the patrols reported a strange woman riding toward our lands. It turned out to be Izayoi, riding as hard and fast to the castle as she could. I was shocked to see her; she looked unkempt and filthy, which was not like her at all. Her eyes were red, and I knew something was desperately, horribly wrong. She told us about Ryuukotsusei and how the Inu-no-Taishou had gone up against him by himself. When Father asked her why she had come, she begged him to help the Inu-no-Taishou."

"What?" InuYasha goggled at him. "That's why she left?"

"Yes. She knew your father wasn't as strong as he once was; he was an incredibly old youkai, older than you or I can ever imagine, and he hadn't had a fight like this in many a century. Even worse, his great sword Tetsusaiga was being repaired at the time Ryuukotsusei attacked. She loved him, InuYasha. She only wanted him to survive." Kokoro's shoulders sagged at the thought. "My father was getting on in years as well. He looked so old when he heard her beg for his aid; for the first time, I could see the gray in his hair, like ashes at the base of a fire, and knew that he was not the youkai he once was. But he couldn't deny his best and greatest friend aid, not when he had failed him so many times before, so he agreed.

"I remember that day well; Father turned to me after reassuring Izayoi that he would help the Inu-no-Taishou. 'Kokoro,' he said, 'my son, this may be my last fight. If I die…'

"'You won't die, Father,' I said. I couldn't believe this was happening; I didn't want to believe it. 'We'll come with you. We'll help you.'

"'No! I must do this myself. But…perhaps you should bring Izayoi along. If something bad were to happen…the old dog'll want his mate at his side…' He looked so worried, like this was the last day before the apocalypse. Well, I suppose he wasn't wrong there.

"We flew out just fifteen minutes later. Father was ahead of us, in his true form, and we followed, bearing Izayoi between us. It only took us half an hour to reach the place where the Inu-no-Taishou and Ryuukotsusei were fighting.

"Kami, I can still see it, even two hundred years later. A great purplish dragon was tearing at the Inu-no-Taishou with fang and claw, his roars echoing like thunder throughout the land. Their fight had carved a huge canyon in the Earth, and it grew wider and longer as the fight continued. Uncle was horribly wounded; his white fur was stained completely scarlet, and there were pools and smears of blood all over the earth. He was battling valiantly, but in vain.

"My father let out a horrible screaming cry when he saw this, and swooped down to grasp Ryuukotsusei's neck in his talons. I've seen him tear horses in half with his great beak, but when he bit down at the scales of his neck, there was a great ringing like metal on metal, and Father rocketed back, shrieking in pain. Ryuukotsusei turned to him. I couldn't hear what he said, but his second face was sneering. He opened his great jaws, and I saw as if in slow motion the great ball of lightning forming between his fangs. It shot out and…and hit Father square in the chest. He fell from the sky almost instantly, and when he hit the ground his fire had gone out.

"That turned out to be the chance the Inu-no-Taishou needed. He pounced upon the great dragon, pinned him against the wall of the canyon, and drove his great claw through the monster's heart. He thrashed about and roared madly, but he couldn't fight for long. Soon he had collapsed against the wall, as motionless as a statue.

"We landed shortly thereafter; Izayoi went straight to her mate, but my brothers and I were more worried about our father. I had hoped that I was mistaken, that Father had just been knocked unconscious, but when we reached him, his body was gray, ashen and as cold as the North. He was gone, and the lordship passed to me, as he had predicted.

"Then the Inu-no-Taishou hobbled over to us. He was back in human form, but was so badly wounded he had to lean up against your mother for support. He apologized for our loss, stating that he had never intended his friend to die for him. 'I will never be able to repay this debt,' he told me. 'My old friend gave me the opportunity to seal Ryuukotsusei away forever, and I thank him for that.'

"Me and my brother carried Izayoi and the Inu-no-Taishou back to the West before taking our father's body home to the South. He was committed to the flaming lava he loved so much, and to this day I hope he's in a better place. Barely minutes after his funeral ended, a messenger came to me and announced that the Inu-no-Taishou had died shortly after returning to his castle. Sesshoumaru was now the lord of the West, and I feared what might happen to you and your mother.

"I traveled as fast as I could, but I was too late. Sesshoumaru had already exiled you and your mother from the only home you'd ever known. She was long gone by the time me and the other lords arrived at the West. All three of us were furious with him, but we couldn't punish him, and he knew it. He was the eldest son of the Inu-no-Taishou, and the only one who could rule the West, so we spared him.

"Because of this, as you might have guessed, my father's involvement in the fight that claimed both his and the Inu-no-Taishou's life was quickly forgotten. My heart was in pain; my dear father and uncle lost on the same day, and Uncle's dear family exiled! What a way to start a lordship! I'm sorry to say I wasn't the best of leaders back then, but I wouldn't be the one who suffered because of it.

"Three years later, a youkai from the neutral lands came to me while I was patrolling the Southern lands. She was exhausted, but she refused all aid and told me that she had seen a human castle burning not far from where I was. I didn't have to ask her why she was bothering me with the information; it had to be about Izayoi. I rounded up the other lords and went to investigate. By the time we arrived, it was already far too late to do anything. Clouds of smoke had darkened the sky, and the flames were spreading to the forest surrounding the castle, transforming the whole area into a hellish inferno. Any hope of your survival was crushed when…when we found Izayoi's body." InuYasha was shocked to see tears shining in Kokoro's yellow eyes. "It was obvious that she hadn't been killed by the fire; her entire front was stained with blood, and a crimson pool was slowly seeping into the soil beneath her. Whoever set light to the castle had slain her." Kokoro fell silent, his eyes fixed on the floor in front of him.

"That can't be it," InuYasha said incredulously. "That can't be it! Didn't you catch the fucker who did this?!"

Kokoro pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger; he looked like he was suffering from a horrible headache. "…we searched the area for hours, but we couldn't find hide or hair of you. You were presumed dead, so we gave you and your mother a double funeral." InuYasha was annoyed at how Kokoro had ignored his question, but decided to let the matter rest…for now. "Two hundred years passed, and we did our best to put the matter to rest. It was hard, especially for those who knew and loved you, but we were convinced the wounds were healed.

"It was only two or three weeks ago that Shiranui called a meeting of the lords and announced that you were still alive. I couldn't believe it; I was absolutely convinced that you had died. Shiranui was telling the truth, and for the first time in a very long time, I was happy. It was juvenile of me, I know, but I thought that if I could take you under my wing, I could be forgiven for everything."

"For what?" InuYasha didn't think Kokoro had done anything wrong. It sounded like he hadn't done anything at all, really; maybe he felt bad about that?

"I failed you, InuYasha. I should have watched out for you, but I was too busy wallowing in my own misery to notice you. I'm so very sorry, InuYasha. You deserve so much better than what you have. I just hope I can make it up to you." Kokoro gave InuYasha an imploring look over the lenses of his glasses. His hands were practically tying themselves in knots out of guilt and worry. "My castle is at your service, InuYasha. Whatever you need, I will give it you. Your word is my bidding."

InuYasha shrank back, a little intimidated by the strange tone in Kokoro's voice. He wasn't used to people treating him with the utmost of respect; hell, he wasn't used to youkai tolerating him, period. "S'all right," he mumbled. "Just…help with the urn, that's it. An'…shit, you don't haveta be all…all sad 'n shit. It…it ain't that bad."

Kokoro smiled at this. "You know, you look so much like Uncle…it's surprising, actually. Everybody says Sesshoumaru favored him more, but he didn't have the same spirit he did. You, on the other hand…your spirit is much the same as his."

InuYasha felt much more embarrassed than ever. "Uh…"

The fenghuang-youkai didn't seem to notice. "There was something else I wanted to talk about…what was it?" He thought for a second, and InuYasha wondered if he should leave. "Ah, that's it!" He fixed InuYasha with the same look Minami had back in the Eastern castle; the look one would give to a puppy who soiled a favorite carpet. "It's about your lady friend, Kagome."

"Fucking hell, not you too!" InuYasha leaped to his feet, his teeth bared and ears flattened. "I keep telling you fuckers; Kagome is none of your business!"

"I'm not going to court her, InuYasha. I was just wondering about your…well, your relationship." Kokoro was standing now. He fixed InuYasha with a concerned stare. "I've seen you, InuYasha; you pine after her without even realizing it, but she doesn't even glance your way. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," InuYasha growled through gritted teeth.

Kokoro raised one eyebrow in an almost condescending way. "You leaving her for another woman is not wrong?"

"What? How did-"

"You were in a relationship with her, whether you realized it or not, and you hurt her by leaving her in the lurch without explaining it, and betrayed her by running to another woman…who was dead?" Kokoro sounded confused. "Yes, a woman who is nothing more than a soul locked in a clay jar shaped like a body. How strange."

InuYasha backed away slowly, one hand moving to the hilt of his Tetsusaiga. "How do you know this?" he demanded. "What the hell's going on here?!"

"Sorry, I should have explained earlier." Kokoro tapped his forehead with his talons. "I can read thoughts, InuYasha. I've been trying to control this for hundreds of years now, but recent events have shaken my control. Believe me, I didn't mean to pry, but I…I couldn't help it. I saw everything that happened between the two of you as clearly as if I had been there myself. All I want to say is this; why would you push her away, InuYasha?"

InuYasha turned away, intent on heading for the door. "I am not gonna talk about this."

"InuYasha, she's thinking about leaving you."

The hanyou stopped dead in his tracks. Heart pounding in his throat, he turned back to face the youkai lord. "Wh-wh-whuh?" he stuttered.

"You hurt her deeply, InuYasha, and from what I heard, it wasn't the first time, either. She's beginning to wonder if staying with you is worth breaking her heart." Kokoro smiled sadly. "I can't really blame her, though. She has good reason for wanting to leave."

"She can't!" Anger flooded through InuYasha; at least, he told himself the burning emotion coursing through his veins was anger. "Fucking wench won't listen to me! If I could just explain what happened, she wouldn't-"

"Whatever your intentions may have been, InuYasha, Kagome thinks you do not love her. She might have been willing to wait for you before, but she is not immortal. If she wants what most women want, she won't wait for you to make up your mind. She'll find someone who won't be afraid to love her."

"Who the fuck say's I'm afraid?"

"You did when you pushed her away."

InuYasha growled at this, but couldn't argue with the fenghuang-youkai's logic. Instead he said, "What give you the right to analyze my fucking life?"

"My mother didn't name me 'Kokoro' for a laugh," he said softly. "My insight gives me a unique perspective of people's lives. I've seen the way you look at her, heard the way your heart pounds when she smiles at you. You're happy when she's happy, and you try your best to cheer her up when she's sad. She's the only person you've been able to argue with, and even though she's collared you, you don't mind it at all. Without even realizing it, you started orbiting around her, and she you."

InuYasha goggled at him. Kokoro had just taken every moment between himself and Kagome and bared it for the world to see. Every feeling that rampaged through his body, every beat of his heart and rush of hormones: Kokoro seemed to have experienced it all. He was so shocked by this sudden revelation he couldn't even think. All he could get out was, "Do…do you know what this means?"

Kokoro sat down on his bed, his taloned hands in his lap. He smiled serenely at InuYasha, his eyes shining kindly from behind his glasses. "Surprising how something so simple can be so hard to grasp. I suppose you've never experienced anything like this before, though, so I shouldn't be surprised." When InuYasha gestured at him to get on with it, he said, very quietly, "It seems to me like you're in love with her."

"I-I-I-In l-l-l-l-love?" His voice seemed to be stuck in his throat. "I'm…I'm n-n-n-not in love with her!"

"Then let her go," Kokoro stated. "Let her find some other man who will love her."

InuYasha wanted to tear something apart. True anger was coursing through his veins now; he felt angrier than he had in a very long time. His inner youkai reared at the thought of another man getting his filthy paws on Kagome. Suddenly he recalled the dream he'd had before his falling out with Kagome: Kouga with his arms around Kagome, and Kagome submitting to him without a backward glance. "Never!" he howled. It wasn't until he heard Kokoro's soft chuckle that he realized he'd said it out loud. "She doesn't…nobody else could…" His voice trailed off as he flushed bright red with embarrassment.

"Just think about it, InuYasha." Kokoro strode toward the shell-shocked hanyou and gently grabbed his elbow. "Now, I've kept you long enough. If I'm not mistaken, it's about time for lunch; you should get down there before it all gets eaten." He propelled the hanyou out the door and closed it with a soft click.

For the first time in his life, InuYasha wasn't hungry. Instead of heading off for lunch, he traipsed back to his room. His legs felt like they were weighted with lead, and his heart wasn't much different. When he saw the familiar shoji doors, he reached out and tore them aside, trudged through, and slammed them shut again. The bed had been made while he was out, and he sank down onto the pristine futon without bothering to move the pillow or blanket.

Kami only knew how long he sat on the unmade bed, staring at nothing in particular and thinking about what Kokoro had told him. Thoughts of his mother, father and half-brother chased their tails in his head, until it hurt to think about them. He'd learned so many things in the past few days, but it still wasn't enough; it still didn't answer all his questions. What the fuck had happened all those years ago? Why had his mother died?

If it was painful to think of his family, it was sheer torture to think about Kagome. He had always wondered why she bothered staying with him, even if she did love him. It wasn't like he wanted her to go, but he didn't think she would actually leave him. Hadn't she promised to stay with him? 'I know I hurt her, but…but I didn't even get to explain! If I could just…'

"InuYasha?"

He was startled and nearly jumped out of his skin. Turning around, he saw Kagome standing in the doorway. She strode into the room and slid the shoji door shut behind her. His heart plummeted when he saw the solemn look in her eyes. "What…what is it?" he croaked.

"I've been looking for you all over the place. Kokoro-sama said you might have gone back to the room, so here I am." She looked down at her feet, her teeth worrying her lower lip. "We…I need to talk to you."

If InuYasha hadn't known any better, he might have thought somebody had reached into his chest cavity and crushed his heart. Kokoro was right; she was going to leave him. It was too late to try and explain what had happened now. He'd already lost her forever. All the blood drained from his face and his hands went numb as the shock washed over him.

"InuYasha? Are you all right?" Kagome eyed him worriedly; she'd seen how he'd suddenly paled. "You seem sort of down."

He couldn't look at her; just the sight of her made his heart break. How could he be stupid enough to think such a beautiful miko could ever be meant for him? No hanyou deserved someone like her, no matter how noble their blood might be. Not to mention the fact that he'd betrayed her with a woman who tossed him aside as soon as she saw his inability to make up his mind. Now Kagome was going to do the same, and this time he knew an "I'm sorry" wouldn't cut it. She would be gone forever. The thought made him want to howl with pain.

"InuYasha? What's wrong?" Kagome hurried over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "What happened?"

He glared at her, trying to inject all the anger he could into the look. "If you're going to leave, just go already," he snarled. "There's no need to comfort the fucking heartless hanyou."

Kagome jerked back as if he had burned her. "What? What are you talking about?"

"You want to leave, don't you? Don't like hanging around a filthy hanyou, right?" He sneered at her, acting as hateful as he possibly could. If she was going to leave, he wanted to make sure she didn't regret it. Even if it meant he had to languish in misery for the rest of his days, InuYasha wanted Kagome to live a long and happy life, and if she didn't want to spend it with him, he wasn't going to stop her leaving.

He gave a weak, hoarse laugh. It looked like Kokoro was right again.

He did love her. He loved her with all of his heart, body and soul. He hated it when Kouga flirted with her because he loved her. He liked to hear her laugh because he loved her. He carried her around on his back because he loved her. He fought hard to stay as a hanyou because he loved her. He had accepted the other members of their group because he loved her. He had chased her halfway across Nippon because he loved her. Now he would let her go…because he loved her. 'Why did I only realize it now?' he wondered bitterly. 'Why couldn't I have realized it sooner? Why couldn't I have realized it before…before all this happened?

Kagome looked very hurt. "But…but I thought…" Her voice was weak and barely above a whisper. "Didn't…weren't you…weren't you going to explain something to me?"

"Why should I?" he asked bitterly. "You don't fucking care."

"I do care!" she yelled. Seizing his silvery forelocks, she pulled him around to face her. "You've been trying to explain something to me, and I haven't been listening to you. I'm sorry, InuYasha, but I'm listening now, if you want to talk."

He shook his head dumbly. What did it matter? "It doesn't matter what I say. You're going to leave," he mumbled. "You want to leave."

She shook her head. "I thought about leaving, InuYasha, but I never wanted to go. I was hurt; we were sharing something personal, and you threw it away."

Without warning, the dam within his chest burst open. "I was trying to protect you!" he thundered. "If you really want to know what happened that night, my youkai almost possessed me because it wanted to ravage you. Kami only knows what would have happened if I hadn't stopped myself! Fucking hell, I didn't want to stop, but you…you deserve so much more than me, K'gome. Why can't you see that?" He hated that he sounded so weak, but the burst of emotion had stripped him of all his hubris and bravado. He felt like a pup again; defenseless, helpless and broken beyond repair.

Kagome looked at him strangely, her brow furrowing as she thought. "Is that what really happened?"

He hung his head. "Yes."

Kagome's heart hurt to see the hanyou looking so thoroughly defeated. She couldn't understand why he was so upset; had her refusal to talk to him hurt him so badly? Hikari was right, wasn't she? She should have listened to him before this happened. Feeling like the worst sort of heel, she reached out and embraced the hanyou's shoulders. She let her head rest between his shoulder blades; his mane was just as soft as she remembered. "I'm so sorry, InuYasha," she whispered. "I should have known you wouldn't make something like that up. You…you just don't have it in you. Please forgive me. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Kami, when she held him like this, InuYasha could almost believe that she still loved him. Could she? Could she really love him after all he'd done to her? "You're an idiot," he said without thinking. When she stiffened, he quickly added, "…for thinking I wouldn't forgive you. I mean, it's you who shouldn't forgive me. I'm the one who cheated on you, and for what? Almost getting dragged to Hell and getting tossed aside like trash!"

"Wait a minute-Kikyou dumped you?" Kagome sounded incredulous.

"Why wouldn't she?" he asked wearily. "I'm a cheating hanyou, remember?"

"Stop saying that! You're not a cheater! A cheater wouldn't care that he was breaking hearts, and you obviously do! Please stop beating yourself up about it; if Kikyou really did place you under a spell, then it isn't your fault that you did what you did. And as for what happened back in the camp…I realize that you were protecting me now." She smiled at him, and the look in her eyes made his heart lurch painfully.

"Why can't you just let me go?" he snapped "Fucking hell, Kagome, do you love me so much you can't fucking see straight?" As soon as he said the words he knew he had made a grave error. He'd never told her what she'd said to him at the Eastern castle; how would she know how he learned it?

Kagome's smile vanished faster than he thought possible. She let out a sharp squeal and leaped backward, nearly falling over herself in her haste to get away. "How…how…" she whimpered. "I…how…" She whirled around and started running for the door. "I gotta go!"

"No-wait!" He snagged her wrist before she could get away. The sudden halt in her forward motion caused her to lurch backward, and InuYasha, not expecting this, was sent crashing to the ground, and Kagome landed right on top of him. Blushing furiously, he sat up and gently pushed her away. "You, um, told me," he explained. "Back in the Eastern castle, don't you remember?" She blinked dumbly at him, which he took to mean 'no'. His ears drooped again. He could have kicked himself; what was he thinking, reading so much into a sleepy little murmur? She probably hadn't even been talking to him then. "Fucking shit, I'm sorry. It…I…shit." He thought about fleeing, but where could he possibly go? What refuge could be found in this fucking castle?

Kagome, meanwhile, was thinking back to that night in the Eastern castle. She did indeed remember saying 'I love you' to InuYasha, but she thought he hadn't heard her. When she woke up later that morning, she remembered what had happened with a jolt, but had been relieved and slightly disappointed when InuYasha seemed not to have heard her. Apparently he had heard her sleep-inspired confession. 'Come to think of it, he did ask me about what I said; I must have misread his intentions or something. Could he…could he have been asking about when I said I loved him?'

"Did I really say that out loud?" she asked. "I thought I dreamt that."

"You said it out loud." Kami, his heart seemed literally torn between raucous joy and horrendous sorrow. He wished it could fucking decide already. "Who did you mean, anyway?"

Kagome raised an eyebrow at him. "Did you see anybody else in the room? Who did you think, baka?" She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, just like she had the morning after she said I love you. "I wasn't delirious and I wasn't talking to somebody else. I love you, InuYasha. It took me a while to realize it, and for a long time I wondered if I shouldn't just try to hide it, but I can't anymore. If you don't feel the same, I can respect that, and we can just go back to being friends." She smiled at him, but it didn't reach her eyes. If he said he didn't feel the same, it would probably break her heart into a thousand tiny shards.

InuYasha knew in his head that it would be better for them to remain friends. Wasn't that one of the reasons he had stopped back in the camp? His heart wasn't listening to reason, though; she had said I love you, coherently this time! He felt like he could defeat Naraku with one hand tied behind his back, like he could jump over the moon in one great leap, like he could swim an ocean's worth of water and never get tired…

Some of his rampant emotion must have shown on his face because Kagome was starting to look a mite concerned. "Um…InuYasha? Are you all right?" She was starting to draw back and away from him, seemingly a tiny bit frightened.

"Yeah, I'm…I'm fine." All the air had vanished from his lungs; his voice was hoarse, raspy and more than a little quiet. Something about it made the miko blush, and her scent spiked in the way that made his mouth water. "M'all right, K'gome."

"You sure?" There was a hint of teasing in her voice now, as if she knew exactly what was going on in his head. InuYasha wouldn't be surprised if she did, or maybe that was just the aftereffect of dealing with Kokoro's little revelation. "You seem a little, um, pink."

"Pink? What the hell do you mean 'pink'?"

Kagome's cheeks went bright red. "Well, um, you know, you're blushing. Pink."

Kami, she looked so…so cute when she was blushing. How had he never noticed before? Before he could stop himself, he leaned forward and kissed her right on her lips. 'Fucking shit! Control yourself, dammit!' But before he could pull away, her arms were wrapping about his neck, pulling him closer, and she was kissing him back. It seemed she had forgiven him to the point where she was allowing him to touch her. Or perhaps she was just as lonely as he had been. Whatever the case, he wasn't about to overanalyze the situation. Damn, but he had missed her!

"I do not blush," he informed her as soon as they had parted for breath. "Men do not blush."

"Call it whatever you want, but most people call it blushing." Her eyes were so bright now, like twin stars of pure brown. They were more beautiful than anything the hanyou had ever known, and for a moment he forgot whatever the hell they were talking about.

"Feh." He swooped in for a kiss, but Kagome turned her head at the last second, so he got her cheek instead of her lips. "What'd you do that for?" he complained.

"You still haven't answered me," she replied. A hint of nervousness crept into her tone, and her rich scent became diluted with a pungent whiff of fear. "I love you, InuYasha, but I don't want to have a relationship with you unless you feel the same for me. I made that mistake once, and I won't make it again."

He almost went off on her for that, but relented at the last second. InuYasha thought he could understand her concern; he didn't think he'd want anybody who wasn't sure. It was nice to know somebody loved you (having just found out for himself) and he could see why she would not want to be with him unless she knew.

However, when he tried to tell her his feelings, it was like his throat had swelled around his tongue. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get a single word out. Dammit, he just had to tell her, he just had to! What ended up coming out was more or less a weak gurgle. The poor hanyou flushed bright scarlet and looked away. 'Damn me to hell and back again.'

To make matters even worse, Kagome started giggling at him. "What the fuck's so funny?" he snapped irritably.

Kagome kissed his cheek again and pushed herself to her feet. "You are, baka. Now, I think I'm going to go to lunch. Maybe we could talk again later?" There was a note of hope in her voice, as if she knew exactly what he had been trying to say.

"Wait a damn minute!" She turned back and raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm coming with you," he explained. She smiled and held out and arm. For a second, he had no idea what to do. Then, tentatively, he grabbed her elbow and escorted her from the room.

Throughout the short walk to the dining hall, the same thought reverberated in InuYasha's head: 'I love you, Kagome.'

Kokoro had just sat down to lunch when there was a commotion at the door. One of his lieutenants had burst into the room, ran right into a knot of aristocrats and was sent tumbling to the ground. He got up again, ignoring the peals of laughter from his audience, and ran straight to the high table. His face was flushed and sweaty; he had obviously been running for quite some time.

"There's…people here, Kokoro-dono," he panted. "Human folk!"

"Humans?" Kokoro's brow furrowed; he leaned forward, examining the lieutenant. "What sort of humans?"

"A youkai-taijiya and a houshi, Kokoro-dono. They were riding some sort of neko-youkai, so I couldn't get a good look at them. They were heading straight for the castle, so I flew back here as fast as I could, my lord!"

Sohei, who had heard every word of this conversation, turned toward his brother. "D'you think they could be a threat, Nii-san?"

"Two humans is hardly an army, Sohei. Even so, we should be wary." Kokoro tapped his chin with one taloned finger, his mouth curving into a frown. "A youkai-taijiya, you say? I thought they'd all died out. Strange that one would come to my castle…"

"When you're quite done with your woolgathering," Sohei interrupted testily, "maybe you could decide what we're going to do about these human intruders."

"Nothing, as of yet. For all we know, they're just passing through."

"Where the hell would they be going? There's nothing beyond the Land of Fire except the sea, and nobody goes there." Sohei waved his hand as if to physically dismiss his brother's theory. "No, they gotta be heading here."

"Hmm." Kokoro turned back to the lieutenant, who was standing nervously before his lord and heir apparent, obviously unsure of what he might contribute. "Just keep an eye on them for now. If they do anything suspicious or untrustworthy…"

Here Kokoro glanced at his brother, who nodded and rolled his eyes.

"…you have my permission to subdue them in any way you see fit."