Look, people. I have lawyers in my family. I know what happens to people who commit copyright infringement. I don't have the funding to do get away with it. Therefore, let it be known that I don't own xxxHoLiC by CLAMP or InuYasha: a Feudal Fairytale by Rumiko Takahashi. If I randomly do come into the possessions of those copyrights, then I'll let you know, because, to put it bluntly, I'll charge you to read this.

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Thus the quartet of Yuuko, Watanuki, Kagome, and Mokona set out upon an epic adventure to meet the great mysterious fortune-teller of Yuuko's acquaintance. Mokona was delighted to be carried by Kagome, who he claimed made so much less noise than Watanuki. Truthfully, Watanuki also seemed happy with the arrangement, something Kagome made a mental note to ask about later. However, his happy mood was soon punctured by Yuuko.

"I want to tell you what the deal is with 'divination'. Do either of you understand it?" The witch asked. Kagome shrugged.

"Sort of. I've only been to a full-fledged fortune-teller once, and I understand the general principal behind it, and payment, but not completely. It's natural, I guess, as I'm not a fortune-teller myself." Yuuko nodded in understanding.

"I suppose it isn't in your natural range of abilities. If you studied it, you would probably get the hang of it. Watanuki, I assume you don't understand it all?"

"I already said it!" The boy snapped, disgusted, "I don't have any interest!" Yuuko smiled sweetly at Kagome.

"But girls really like it! Divination, if you it understand, maybe you and Himawari will talk more! You might even be able to teach her something!"

"I WANT TO KNOW!" Watanuki yelled, immediately delighted and interested. Kagome tried to resist the urge to laugh at Watanuki's sudden change of attitude, and failed, dissolving into a strange choking fit. Meanwhile, Yuuko laughed openly.

"Magnificent smile, Watanuki! Good!" She complimented.

"So," Kagome said, once she had regained the ability to breathe, "The place we're going to right now?" She asked Yuuko.

"The place of a fortune-teller that I trust."

"A person that Yuuko trusts? Yuuko, you can just do it yourself, without being told by other fortune-tellers." Kagome shook her head.

"No, she can't. That's one of the few things I fully understand about fortune-telling. If you try to tell your own fortune, it gets totally messed up. You read too optimistically, or too pessimistically. Then there's the weird bit with predictions and automatic fore-telling that I totally don't understand. That's part of the reason why I'm not a big fan of fortune-telling." She explained. Watanuki looked slightly deflated.

"Oh. What's the other reason, Kagome-chan?" Kagome stiffened, her mind flashing back to words she had heard nearly two years earlier.

"You will love him, but he will never be yours. That which brought you here will claim you as its own, until you take action against it."

"There! Around the corner!" Yuuko pointed down the street. Kagome hurried forward, eager to escape Watanuki's question. She came to a stop in front of a house, with a sign in front saying "Fortune-telling". Kagome frowned, eyes narrowing.

That's odd, she thought, Normally, I can sense fortune-tellers, because they have power, but I don't sense anything out of the ordinary here at all. Her eyes narrowed further as she concentrated. No, wait, there's something residual here, but not much. Whoever had power here came and went a while ago....

"Eh?" Kagome heard Yuuko say behind her, followed by Watanuki's panting.

"What happened? Is it here?"

"It's not right." Yuuko said softly. Kagome could tell that Yuuko sensed the same thing she had. Or maybe it was just that the sign was a tad bit to conspicuous for a true fortune-teller. For a fake, however....

"The place is not right?" Watanuki asked, confused. Kagome fought the urge to roll her eyes. Watanuki reminded her of herself when she had first fallen down the well, pathetic, useless, and completely clueless. She supposed she couldn't blame the older boy; he hadn't had the same lessons she had, after all.

"It's the right place," Yuuko said flatly, "But it's not right." Kagome nodded, underscoring Yuuko's sentiment.

"Then, are we going back?" Watanuki asked, confused.

"Let's give it a try!" Yuuko said with a slightly angry expression. "I want to know what kind of divination is in her 'field' of power!" Kagome resisted the urge to shiver. That look screamed 'I'm going to send the fake off to the lowest level of Hell if it's within my power!', and Kagome was quite happy not to be on the receiving end.

They were escorted into a prettily decorated room, and all three were handed questionnaires, Kagome glanced at the questions, then turned to Yuuko.

"This is to collect information on the subject of divination?" She asked, confirming her suspicions that this fortune-teller was a fake.

"I suppose I need to put down the truth?" Watanuki asked cautiously.

"Anything will do!" Yuuko said brightly, "Anyway, this is all for your 'fortune-telling'... if you fake it, you must take the consequences." Watanuki gulped.

"I will be truthful." Kagome giggled, filling out her own questionnaire truthfully... except for moving her birthday by a few days from July 1 to July 3. Somehow, she doubted the fortune-teller would require pinpoint accuracy, as the questionnaire hadn't questioned her about the time, or location of her birth. July 1 and 3 were both dates within the realm of Cancer, at any rate. She and Watanuki passed their completed surveys to the maid, who went to fetch the fortune-teller.

"Sorry for making you wait!" Kagome took one look at the fortune-teller, and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. This one had the low-cut, dramatic, black ensemble down to an art form. Watanuki stood.

"Please be of guidance to me." He asked with a bow. Kagome stood, and followed suit murmuring

"And me as well." The fortune-teller immediately disregarded them, and turned to Yuuko.

"Are you the one?" Yuuko shook her head.

"I'm here to chaperone them." She explained. The fortune-teller looked between Yuuko and the high school students, then back, before finally glancing at Mokona, who sat next to Kagome. She made no comment, and took her seat.

"Please, relax." She said sweetly as she took the questionnaires.

"She's miles from Yuuko!" Kagome heard Watanuki mutter. Yuuko turned on him in a flash.

"I can hear that, you know!" She snapped.

"Oh no! The voice in my mind!" Watanuki whimpered, causing Kagome to hide her eyes with her hand.

"Watanuki-senpai..." The fortune-teller giggled, distracting Yuuko.

"Then let's begin." She said, still smiling.

"Y-yes..." Watanuki stammered. Kagome nodded in agreement.

"Young man... Your father is no longer here!" The fortune-teller stated firmly. Watanuki recoiled.

"What?" He stammered, then nodded dejectedly. "...That's right. He passed away when I was young." The fortune-teller nodded sadly.

"Girl, your grandfather... he stands upon the brink." Kagome blinked, resisting the urge to laugh. Jii-chan was standing on the brink, alright... on the brink of murdering Souta for continually destroying his 'priceless artifacts' during mess ups in his target practice for soccer. Somehow, she didn't think that was quite what the fortune-teller had in mind.

"Yes... I suppose he is." She agreed. The fortune-teller smiled at her reassuringly.

"Don't worry, he will be in a better place, if he falls." Kagome kept her face schooled blank.

Oh yes, because Jii-chan will be soooo much better off in prison for murdering his grandson! The fortune-teller turned her attention back to Watanuki.

"Your mother?"

"Also dead." Kagome felt a stab of pain for Watanuki, and anger that the fortune-teller would play on his emotions like this.

"Any siblings?"

"None."

"So you've had a lot of hardships since you were young?"

"Oh, you can tell!" Watanuki asked, astonished.

Of course she can tell, silly! Kagome thought in exasperation, Don't all kids who lose both their parents early in life have it hard? The fortune-teller turned back to Kagome.

"Girl, your emotions are volatile, and you are loving and protective. You are very close with your family?"

"Yes." Kagome nodded, wondering if she was supposed to be impressed that the woman had basically read her the definition of a Cancer from an astrology guide. The fortune-teller moved back to Watanuki.

"You're living by yourself now?"

"Yes, I live in an apartment."

"You also possess self-reliance and strong independence, and you are optimistic in life." Like every other Ares! Kagome thought, irritated.

"You're good at domestic chores, aren't you?" Kagome glanced at Watanuki's uniform. It was clean, and if he lived alone....

"I have no dislike for them." The fortune-teller turned back to Kagome.

"Sports?"

"Archery." She answered calmly.

"And I imagine you're quite open to strangers." The fortune-teller added. Kagome shrugged.

"I guess." The fortune teller smiled, and turned back to Watanuki.

"You are energetic, and you seem to have a bright mind."

"Not really..." Watanuki muttered, blushing.

"Recently, you are bothered by social relationship problems."

"Umm, yes. You can say that."

Like every other teenage boy! The fortune teller looked back at Kagome.

"And you as well, my dear." Kagome fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"Who isn't?" She answered sweetly.

"But it's no big deal, for either of you! Young man, you're an extremely honest person, so if you treat others with sincerity, they will understand you! My dear, your kindness shines like a light, drawing others to you. If you make a decision regarding your relationships with others, stay the course, no matter how much you may wish to change your mind!"

That's what I'm doing... and that's what's causing the social relationship problems!

"Will that work?" Watanuki asked eagerly.

"Isn't that what I've said?" Yuuko asked dryly.

"Is there anything else that's bothering you?" The fortune-teller asked sympathetically.

You're a fortune-teller.... shouldn't you already know?

"Um, yeah... Well, there is, kind of...."

"Is it something you would prefer not to tell?" Kagome inspected Watanuki as he screwed up his courage, and tried to answer.

Probably something to do with the spirits chasing him. She thought meditatively.

"Never mind then! It's the heart that counts."

"Eh?"

"Do you know that negative thoughts will make everything unpleasant? If you try hard to look on the bright side of everything, I think your world will change! Maybe this sounds difficult, but if you were to stop because of that, you wouldn't be able to make any differences, so fear not, and try!"

"Y-yes..." Watanuki seemed a bit disappointed.

I don't blame him.

"What about you, dear?" The fortune-teller asked Kagome, who decided to play it up.

"Well... the guy I like...."

"Will surely like you back, if you keep your eyes up towards the sky! Like I told your friend, unpleasant thoughts make everything unpleasant! Anymore queries?" Yuuko looked straight into the eyes of the fortune-teller.

"How's the weather tonight?" The fortune-teller smiled.

"Like the weather forecast says, the weather will be fine!" Yuuko smiled slightly.

"...Really." Kagome hid a smile, happy that she had stashed an umbrella in Mokona's bag. Judging from Yuuko's expression, they were in for some rain.

"Yuuko-san?" Watanuki asked, confused.

"The time is up." The maid said quietly.

"Extend this session?" The fortune-teller asked, a bit eagerly. Yuuko stood.

"No. It's enough." Kagome nodded in agreement, and got to her feet, gathering Mokona on her way. Watanuki just looked confused, but also stood, and joined them in walking out.

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"That was indeed a proficient fortune-teller!" Watanuki said cheerfully, as the group sat in a small park near the house. Kagome and Yuuko stared at him in shock, stunned at his gullibility.

"Proficient?" Yuuko asked dryly.

"Because... she said right away 'your father is not around'." He answered eagerly.

"But.... you can mean two things by that." Kagome said quietly, looking down at the ground from her perch on the edge of a bench.

"Huh?"

"'Your father's passed away, he's not alive anymore.'" Yuuko stated coolly, "'Your father is not with you any longer, but he is still alive'... The sentence can be explained either way, whether alive or dead!"

"It was you who stated your father had died, Watanuki-senpai." Kagome agreed. "And you'll notice that she didn't pick up on the fact that my father is dead, as well."

"But, she also said that I didn't have an easy life since the time when I was young."

"I think... for children who lost their parents when they were young, life is never easy." Yuuko said quietly. Kagome nodded in agreement, then continued.

"Possessing self-reliance, being strongly independent, and being optimistic in life, these are the traits of Aries that are most widely used, just like having volatile emotions, being loving, and being protective are for Cancer, my astrological sign. Every horoscope book ever published will tell you that!"

"What about being good in domestic chores?" Watanuki asked desperately. Kagome raised an eyebrow.

"If you'd ever seen my little brother's school uniform, and compared it to yours, you wouldn't have to ask." She said dryly. Yuuko laughed.

"Though you said you live by yourself, your uniform is clean, and tidy. Wouldn't that be impossible if you couldn't handle household chores by yourself?" she asked the startled boy.

"She also asked if I am bothered by relationships with others..."

"Like I said in there, who isn't?" Kagome asked bluntly. Watanuki was silent.

"Treating others with sincerity... this is common sense, not advice!" Yuuko muttered darkly. Kagome nodded in agreement.

"And her advice to me was complete garbage- most of my social problems are caused by the fact that I'm doing exactly what she told me, even if I am causing them deliberately!"

"When you were asked if you had any other problems, Watanuki, were you thinking about your ability to see the supernatural?" Yuuko asked.

"..Yes."

"Do you remember what her suggestion was?"

"She said 'from the heart'..."

"If you could precent yourself from seeing the supernatural by will alone, wouldn't you have done so a long time ago?"

"She never expected anything supernatural." Kagome agreed. "She thought it was trouble in your love life, or something. She said what she did, because they covered a lot." Then Kagome laughed. "And let's not forget that the guy I like, or, well, used to like? Yeah. The last time I saw him was on his wedding day. He's not going to like me back, no matter how much I 'look towards the sky'. Besides, it's not like I'm ever going to see him again."

"...So in other words, that fortune-teller..." Watanuki started, depressed. Yuuko sniffed.

"She didn't detect Mokona, did she? If she had any magical power, she would have reacted to Mokona."

"One can be a fortune-teller without magical power," Kagome mused, "But it's tricky, and she didn't even look at our surveys, so she was implying that she had power. And I'm pretty sure that's against some sort of unspoken rule of fortune-telling...."

"She broke the rule by pretending to have power." Yuuko said flatly.

"The fortune-teller you trust isn't of that kind?" Watanuki asked, hopefully.

"No..." Yuuko said slowly, then stood. "Let's look for that person. I want you to know what a real fortune-teller is like." Swiftly, she took out a yellow handkerchief, spread it flat on her palm, and held it out to Watanuki. "Fold it in half."

"O-ok..." Watanuki did so, as Kagome and Mokona watched, curious.

"Fold it again." Watanuki did. Yuuko swished her hand over the folded handkerchief, summoning a magic circle. Kagome leaned forward, intrigued. She had not really had the chance to watch true witches and sorcerers at work in the Sengoku Jidai, she hadn't had the time, but she had always found their methods interesting. "Seeking things, seeking people, seeking places. Seeking things, seeking people, places ought to be looking for. Show the way! Thing that flies, fly to the person that I'm seeking." With those words, the handkerchief rose, and took the shape of a butterfly.

"A butterfly?" Watanuki asked, confused.

"Great, if it's a butterfly, it means that the person is near. Just follow it!" The group took off after the bright yellow butterfly. Hurrying alongside Yuuko, Kagome asked.

"Yuuko-san, the handkerchief turns into something besides a butterfly?"

"Uh-hum. It will turn into a bird or something similar if it's far." The group continued to follow the butterfly, until it came to rest on the gate of a small house. Once they reached it, the butterfly crumpled back into a handkerchief, which Yuuko replaced in her pocket.

"Found it!" She said, delighted.

"What? Here?" Watanuki asked, startled.

"Right, this is the place." Kagome agreed, sensing the striving power of a fortune-teller all around the house.

"But there's no sign, and it's an ordinary house!"

"Oh, there's a sign, alright, Watanuki-senpai." Kagome said softly, "You just don't know how to read it." Watanuki glanced askance at Kagome.

"Kagome-chan, you sound reeeeally creepy right now..."

"Yuuko, nice to see you here." The teenagers whirled to face an old woman who had appeared in the doorway to the house. "I was expecting you." Kagome could sense the strength of this woman's gift, and believed her words. Yuuko ran forward to embrace her.

"It's been a long time!" She said happily.

"Indeed," the old fortune-teller agreed, "And Yuuko hasn't changed at all!" She then turned her attention to Mokona, who was hiding in Kagome's purse, as he had been for most of the trip. "Adorable. And what's your name?"

"Mokona Modoki! Shake hands!" The old woman laughed.

"So it's Mokona! Shake hands!" She reached up to take Mokona's paw, much like Kagome had earlier.

"She can see Mokona?" Watanuki asked, awed. Kagome smiled.

"Of course she can, Watanuki-senpai. She has power." The old woman chuckled.

"I would expect a young priestess as powerful as yourself to be able to tell." Kagome blushed.

"I'm not that powerful..."

"Now, now, just because someone told you that for his own reasons, doesn't mean that it's true." The old woman scolded. Kagome looked away.

"Yes, Obaa-san." The old woman turned to Watanuki next.

"It's very admirable that you live alone at this young age!" She congratulated him. Watanuki looked as though he had been hit with a sledge hammer.

"W-what!" The old woman headed back into the house, calling

"Don't just stand around here, come in!" Over her shoulder. Kagome followed, giggling.

"Can I help you with anything, Obaa-san?" She asked politely.

"Yes, dear. The kitchen is in there, can you fetch us some tea?" The old woman asked. Kagome nodded, and headed off to prepare tea. By the time she returned, everyone else was seated at a small circular table. Kagome set down the tray she was carrying, passed out cups, and poured everyone, even Mokona, a cup of tea.

"Now, dear, may I know your name? I've already asked this fine young gentleman." Kagome resisted the urge to laugh, knowing what Watanuki's reaction must have been like.

"Higurashi Kagome." She answered. The old woman nodded.

"Your grandmother's name, wasn't it?" Kagome nodded.

"Yes ma'am." The old woman got to her feet, and fetched a large, circular disk filled with sand, that had a pendulum hanging over it. From the top of the arch suspending the pendulum, there were two handles.

"What's this?" Watanuki asked.

"This is my divination tool." The old woman answered. "Come, put your hand here, Kagome-chan, you'll go after Watanuki-kun." Kagome nodded. The old woman took her seat opposite Watanuki, and set her hand on the other handle.

"May I know..." Watanuki asked tentatively, "Why don't you ask what I want to know.

"She already knows it." Yuuko answered calmly. "Watanuki is destined to be here... the fact that you came shows that there are things you yearn to know. So what Watanuki wants to know the most, she already knows." Kagome resisted the urge to shiver. Something similar had happened the last time she had visited a fortune teller, and the idea gave her the creeps. "She will correctly interpret the divinations. Only the conclusion will be told to the recipient. Anything else will not be spoken. Only what you want is given. This seems simple, but it's actually of great difficulty. Once foreseen and thus wanting to let others know what has been foreseen, no matter what. 'You will become this', or 'the future will be like this'. Those words, that's not the way of things."

"Why is that so?" Watanuki asked.

"'Because divination is a contract!'" Kagome said softly, quoting what Kaede had told her when she asked the same question after her own fortune-telling session. "It's an exchange, you see, between the diviner and the recipient."

"An exchange of what?" Watanuki asked, surprised. Kagome shrugged.

"Lots of things. Money, or possessions, usually, in exchange for information, even the occasional object that's so precious it's almost like someone's soul. But that's only if the diviner's putting their own soul at great risk."

"That reminds me of the rules at Yuuko's shop." Kagome nodded.

"Divinations are a lot like wishes, so the rules are really similar. That's the only reason I can actually follow them."

"But divinations like those in magazines aren't like this..." Watanuki began.

"Of course, divination comes in many forms, too." Yuuko interrupted. "For example, divination in magazines, almost everyone reads those just for fun, right? Even if one takes it seriously, the divination is not of a one-to-one basis. There are too many people, so the responsibility for the divination is scattered. However, in the case of a one-to-one divination, if the recipient is serious about the results, then the diviner has to answer that, with the best they can accomplish." Kagome nodded.

"It's the same as for any other job, or like the Law of Equivalent Exchange in FullMetal Alchemist; 'To obtain, something of equal value must be lost'. That applies whether what's lost is a possession, or time and effort, like we're giving Yuuko. That's just the way things work."

"Exactly." Yuuko agreed. "So pretending to have power that you don't possess to customer's sincerely wanting a divination is completely rude. No! To affect others' life decisions because of divinations that you made up is much more than just being rude! Because of that, true diviners will put their own life plans to risk in divination!" Watanuki's eyes widened.

"Rest assured, your parents are at peace." The old lady broke in softly, immediately catching Watanuki's attention. "They died during a severe road accident, to protect Kimihiro... but they are not in pain anymore, both are at peace. They are happy Kimihiro grew up to be such an excellent person." Watanuki's head was bowed, and Kagome wondered if he was about to cry. Goodness knew she was. That was so sweet, and so close to what she wanted to hear about her own friends.

"Is it..." Watanuki croaked out, "That's great..." Yuuko smiled softly, and Kagome lost the battle to hold back her tears. They began silently flowing down her face.

"Ah... but, that's strange, you're worried about seeing lots of things! Oh, I see, it brought you to my house." Kagome looked down at the sand covered disk, and gasped. Drawn into the sand was an elegant, elaborate butterfly design. "A butterfly," the old woman continued "Symbolizing a journey, a sign of change; you should be going through changes. And the reason for the changes has come into existence."

"Huh?"

"And now... there seems to be a girl you like. Since it'll be too boring knowing the outcome before hand, I won't tell you."

"EHH!" Watanuki cried.

"You'll also have a male friend whom you will always fight with, and your relations will run deeper."

"EH?"

"Isn't that all you want to ask?" The old lady said with a smile.

"You won't be able to pay the price if you continue asking!" Yuuko warned.

"Err..."

"Excellent! Kagome-chan, it's your turn!" The old woman said cheerfully, sweeping the design from the sand disk. Hesitantly, Kagome took Watanuki's former place, and set her hand on her handle, bracing herself for the worst.

"Hmmm...." The old woman said pensively as the pendulum swung, drawing a maze of twisting lines. Kagome bit her lip nervously. The last time she had gotten her fortune told, it had not brought her very cheerful results. Hopefully this time, things would go better. "Your friends are at peace." The old woman finally said, as the pendulum slowed. "They died to protect those they cared about.... they are pleased to be able to protect you now as they did in the past, especially the one affiliated with foxes." Tears began flowing down Kagome's face, silently. Her friends from the Sengoku Jidai were dead, even little Shippou.

"Th-thank you." She whispered.

"You have been hurt many times in the past," The old woman said softly, "Mostly because of the jewel you bear, which has claimed your life, but you are taking it back. The labyrinth. Your journey to control your own life will lead you down many twists and turns, and you may get hopelessly lost, but you will achieve your goal." Kagome smiled through her tears.

"Well, that's good."

"Indeed.... there is a young man in your future, but you don't need to know about the details just yet." Kagome's tears stopped, and her eyes widened.

"Huh?"

"And there is a female friend whom you will come to trust greatly." She continued.

"Really?"

"And that's all you were wondering about, correct?" Wordlessly, Kagome nodded. Yuuko smiled.

"Now, about their payment?" The old woman chuckled.

"Ahh, yes, payment. Watanuki-kun, you're good at cooking aren't you? Just make us up some dishes!"

"I've brought it." Yuuko added, and Mokona popped out of Watanuki's bag, holding a large bottle of champagne.

"I'd be delighted if you can whip up something from the things in my kitchen. And Kagome-chan, I believe you know how to make beads of protection." Kagome nodded.

"Yes, Obaa-san."

"All the necessary materials are in my closet. Please, make a set for my granddaughter." Kagome nodded, and rose to her feet to find the closet in question.

"These things will do?" She heard Watanuki ask in surprise.

"Dishes made from the heart, and a strand of prayer beads with true and genuine blessings upon them... how can they be called mere things? And you learned that from your father, who was a good cook, and Kagome-chan from her first mentor, who was like her grandmother?"

"I'll try my best!" Watanuki called cheerfully as he hurried into the kitchen.

"Mokona wants to help too!" Kagome smiled, then bowed.

"I will also do my best, Obaa-san." She said, then moved out of the room to find her supplies.

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Whew! This chapter was a lesson in why you shouldn't procrastinate! I meant to write the chapter this afternoon... then put it off so I could go into town for a few hours.... Then put it off so I could talk to a friend on Skype. The upshot is, that when I finally got started at around 10:30 pm, I figured I'd be done by 11:30 pm. 12:30 am tops. Well, some of you have anticipated the punchline. Because I wanted to get the entire fortune-teller arc in one chapter, it got longer. And longer. And longer. It's now 1:57 am. I hate life, sometimes.

Thanks to everyone who favorited/alerted this story, and hugs go out to all those who reviewed! All such things are much appreciated, and were part of the reason I decided to keep writing instead of getting some sleep!