"You're making friends?" Sesshoumaru asked softly as Kagome did her cool down stretches after a run of the obstacle course.

"Hai," Kagome agreed. "Friends almost as strange as the friends I made before," she added with a smile.

"Explain."

"Kunogi-san has bad luck in her aura. The sort of bad luck that catches up the people around her if she and they aren't very careful. She tries to be cheerful despite that though. Watanuki-san can see spirits, and they are attracted to him, but he has no idea how to get rid of them. Doumeki-san is in the archery club with me, and had no idea he was an exorcist until the night before last, when Yuko-san – oh, that's Watanuki's boss – told him to take the bow and draw it, even though he didn't have an arrow, and he exorcised the spirits that were trying to grab Watanuki-san while we were telling ghost stories. Yuko-san herself, there's something different about her that I can't put my finger on. And Mokona-san," Kagome finished. "A black little puff ball with a stomach that must be bigger on the inside than the outside, since he sucked up all the spirits that Doumeki-san exorcised."

"A black puff ball," Sesshoumaru repeated.

Kagome nodded. "Yup! I'm not sure exactly what Yuko-san does, or what Watanuki-san does for her, but I'm fairly sure she has a good idea about the supernatural."

"Yuko..." Sesshoumaru mused. "Ichihara Yuko?" he questioned.

Kagome blinked. "You know her?" she asked.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "We only met once," he answered. "But I know that she attends the hyakki-yakou procession when it comes around each year."

Kagome blinked. "I thought any human that did that died," she said, sitting up from reaching for her ankles. She had a feeling that Yuko wasn't completely human, but –

"Unless vouched for," Sesshoumaru stated. "On which note, would you care to attend?" he offered.

"With this thing around my neck?" Kagome asked wryly, gesturing to where the Shikon rested against her collarbone. "Is that a good idea?"

"Miko, you should know that you would be safe. I do not generally attend, but I would not send you alone. You would be under my protection, and are hardly defenceless yourself if we should be separated," Sesshoumaru pointed out. "But you have plenty of time yet to make up your mind on this matter."

Kagome smiled. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru," she said softly.

"Hn. Just let me know if you'll be seeing Yuko again," he told her. "She hardly ever leaves her shop any more, and I do not generally attended the hyakki-yakou, and so do not see her there either."

Kagome nodded. "I will," she promised.

~oOo~

"Higurashi-san, will you come for a picnic in the park after you get out of club today?" Kunogi asked at lunch.

"Sure," Kagome answered with a smile. "The park just down the street from here?"

Kunogi nodded. "Hai!"

"Will I need to bring something to share?" Kagome asked. "Who else is coming?"

"Iie," Kunogi said with a shake of her head. "Watanuki-kun will bring a large bento to share," she explained. "And Doumeki-kun, Yuko-san, and Mokona-chan are coming as well.

"Alright," Kagome agreed. "I'll see you then!"

Except that, when Kagome eventually got to the park (she'd stopped by Sesshoumaru's office to let him know about the picnic with Yuko, and he was just a couple of steps behind her at present), Kunogi wasn't there. Doumeki, Watanuki, Yuko and Mokona were though, and Yuko had brought a red steel baseball bat along with her that had 'Executioners Sword' written on it in the thick black strokes of a permanent marker.

"Bring it!" Yuko ordered, focused intently on Watanuki, the bat raised high over her shoulders and her stance aggressive, especially in that short dress she was wearing. "Give it to me!"

"Hyaa!" Watanuki yelled as he threw the ball he'd apparently been holding.

Yuko smacked it and it was away.

"Nooooo!" Watanuki cried as he watched the ball helplessly as it went up, up, up – until it was caught.

Caught by Sesshoumaru. In his claws rather than his teeth, and yes, they were claws again. The black faded from his silver hair and the tan skin of most Japanese men faded to Sesshoumaru's fine alabaster complexion. His markings were visible too when he landed from his incredible jump to catch the ball.

"Sometimes," Sesshoumaru informed Kagome as he dropped the ball into her hand. "Just sometimes, the instincts of an inu are not so welcome."

Kagome bit her lip and did her very best not to giggle. "Will it make you feel better to know that I once got InuYasha to play fetch, and he brought the stick back in his mouth and just about begged me to throw it again?" she asked.

"Amusing as the visual is, no," Sesshoumaru answered, a very slight smirk tugging at his lips.

"Inu no Taisho-sama," Yuko greeted, eyes a little wide. "What a surprise."

Sesshoumaru raised a silver eyebrow at the woman. "Ichihara-san," he greeted in return. "Miko, I have not met your other friends," Sesshoumaru reminded Kagome.

"Sesshoumaru, these boys are Doumeki Shizuka-san, and Watanuki Kimihiro-san. The little black puff is Mokona Modoki," Kagome presented, "and we're still waiting on Kunogi Himawari-san," she added. "Minna, this is the great and terrible Sesshoumaru-sama, Inu no Taisho, and Lord of the Western Lands – upon which we are presently standing – and the most powerful demon in all of Nippon."

"D-d-d-demon?" Watanuki stuttered out.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Demon," he confirmed, and cocked his head curiously. "Approach me, Watanuki Kimihiro," he ordered.

Watanuki broke out in a sweat and hesitantly took a step back.

Kagome rolled her eyes, grabbed his wrist, and dragged him forward.

Sesshoumaru bent slightly, sniffed, and straightened again. "You are the one the Miko told me drew spirits and lesser demons to you. It is very interesting," he decided, then glanced at Doumeki. "I take it therefore, that you are the exorcist."

Doumeki nodded. "It seems that way," he answered warily.

"Approach me," Sesshoumaru ordered the other boy.

Doumeki didn't need to be dragged, and simply stepped up to stand beside Watanuki.

Sesshoumaru leant over and sniffed – not having to bend even as little as he had to for Watanuki – then drew back. "You will require training," he informed the boy. "Miko."

"Hai, Sesshoumaru?" she replied, though she had a fairly good idea of where this was going.

The Mokona started floating suddenly and projected an image from the bauble on his brow.

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at the sight, but otherwise showed no further interest in the matter before he continued. "I will hold you responsible for the training of Doumeki Shizuka. You may apply to this Sesshoumaru for scrolls on the matter, but it is in your hands," he informed the girl.

Kagome sighed. "Hai, Sesshoumaru," she agreed.

"I'm beginning to believe that nothing I see is real," Doumeki complained softly.

Kagome giggled. "Sorry Doumeki-san," she said, "but Sesshoumaru is as real as it gets."

"Why can I not see all the spirits and such that Watanuki sees, but I can see you?" Doumeki asked Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow and looked to Kagome, directing her to answer. He had just allotted the task of teaching the boy to her, after all.

Kagome sighed. "There are a few reasons," Kagome began. "First of all, Sesshoumaru is several orders of magnitude more powerful than the ones that normally hang around Watanuki-san, so powerful that not being seen is actually the harder. Second, because we ningen are not as connected with the land as we once were, we also lack the slight power it granted all of us inherently to see – and be able to respond to – all the threats around us, such as spirits."

"So why can I see them at all?" Watanuki begged.

"Because of your blood," Sesshoumaru answered the boy shortly. "You lack the power to do anything about that which you see, but it is because of your blood that you see them, and because of your blood that they are drawn to you."

"Minna!" a voice called from the edge of the park.

"Himawari-chan!" Watanuki answered, stars in his eyes, instantly cheered simply by her approaching presence.

"Sorry I'm late," Kunogi apologised as she reached them and set her bag down. "Especially when I'm the one who asked you to come! Oh, uh..." Kunogi stopped, blinking in surprise at Sesshoumaru's presence.

"Sesshoumaru, this is Kunogi Himawari-san. Kunogi-san, this is the great and terrible Sesshoumaru-sama, Inu no Taisho, and Lord of the Western Lands – upon which we are presently standing – and the most powerful demon in all of Nippon," Kagome said, repeating her introduction from earlier.

Kunogi bowed hesitantly before him. "Pleased to meet you," she said, eyes still wide.

Sesshoumaru nodded in return. He didn't need to smell the girl to see the bad luck that twisted in her aura. If he were capable of the emotion, she would have had his pity.

"I think it's time we broke out the bento," Yuko stated firmly, and soon the blanket was down and everybody but Sesshoumaru had taken something (he still disdained what he called 'human food', it seemed). "Now," Yuko said once she'd finished her first rice ball. "What was it you wanted to ask, Himawari-chan?"

"Actually..." Kunogi said, hesitating. "There's a girl who lives near me – she's a student too, but at a different school... and something... really bad seems to be happening there lately..."

"'Really bad'?" Yuko pressed.

"Angel-san has gotten really popular over there, and I'm not sure if it's related or not, but something really strange has been going on since..." Kunogi explained shyly. "I thought you'd be the one to know something, Yuko-san, so..."

"Angel-san?" Watanuki asked, curious.

"Also called 'Prophet-san', and 'Kokkuri-san', now called 'Angel-san' because it sounds nicer," Kagome said.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "That is not something foolish ningen with no knowledge of spirits should be playing with," he said firmly. "I have no tolerance for it."

"You write out fifty characters on a large piece of paper," Yuko explained to Watanuki. "Letters, numbers, and other things, then you hold a pencil or a ten-yen piece on the paper, call on a certain something, and get the answers to questions depending on how it moves."

"The 'certain something' is where the problem is," Kagome explained. "For a person trained in such things, 'Angel-san' is a useful method of divination. For someone who is just playing though, treating it as a game... they'll be taken advantage of by the very 'something' that they call on for guidance. That's if they actually have any power."

"If they don't?" Watanuki asked hopefully. "Most people don't have power, after all..."

"Then it's worse," Sesshoumaru informed the boy flatly.

"So it is dangerous!" Kunogi exclaimed softly. "I thought it might be..."

"You want to help this neighbour of yours?" Yuko asked Kunogi, almost bending over the girl as she asked the question – giving an ample view of her impressive cleavage to a person who didn't even glance at it.

"Hai," Kunogi answered. "I'm kind of worried, and if I can help..."

"Which school?" Sesshoumaru asked. Kunogi named it, and the gold of Sesshoumaru's eyes darkened briefly. He stood and started walking.

"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked before he got too far.

"Come, Miko. Bring your exorcist. We will deal with the matter at once," he ordered. "I will not have worthless trash causing trouble in my domain."

"He is not my exorcist!" Kagome protested, blushing.

"Miko," Sesshoumaru said. "Do not make this one repeat himself."

Kagome sighed. "Right," she grumbled. "Better come along, Doumeki-san."

Confused, Doumeki got up nonetheless, and followed after the demon he didn't know was his principle, and the girl who was in Watanuki's class.

~oOo~

The four of them stood in front of the gates – Yuko had ordered Watanuki to go after them, for reasons unknown, so they were four instead of three – and... weren't doing anything.

"Miko, what do you sense beyond the gate?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"It hardly needs sensing," Kagome answered with a pointed glance at the great coils she could see through the fence that were wrapped around the school. "But..." she sniffed. "Ugh, trash was the right word. It stinks in there."

"Exorcist?" Sesshoumaru called.

"I don't smell anything," he answered.

"Miko."

Kagome sighed. "Close your eyes, Doumeki-san," she said, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I want you to focus on whatever you felt when you were drawing the bow back the other night, and breathe deeply."

Doumeki inhaled and exhaled, his eyes shut.

"Can you feel the same power that flowed out of you that night?" Kagome asked after she'd watched him take a few deep breaths.

Doumeki's brow scrunched together, but a moment later, he nodded.

Kagome caught Sesshoumaru's gaze, and he flared his youki.

"Aah!" Watanuki yelped.

Doumeki's eyes snapped open – wide open – and he whipped around to Sesshoumaru, rather than the classmate who had made a noise.

"You felt that," Sesshoumaru stated with certainty.

Doumeki nodded.

Watanuki cried out again as the head of a great serpent loomed over them.

Doumeki frowned, he couldn't see whatever was making Watanuki act so pathetically.

Kagome lifted her hand from Doumeki's shoulder and moved it to cover his left eye. "Now stand on one foot," she instructed. "It looks stupid, and I don't know how, but it works. So it will have to do for until you can get the hang of seeing them normally."

"My Lord," the massive snake greeted Sesshoumaru.

Doumeki's single uncovered eye visibly widened.

"Kurochi," Sesshoumaru greeted the serpent in turn. "There is something rotting in your territory. When was the last time you cleaned?"

"Forgive me, my Lord," the massive snake, Kurochi, answered. "I have been enjoying sleeping in the sun too much, and then as the months finally begin to cool, I find it more difficult to muster the energy to move."

"Hn," Sesshoumaru grunted. "You are getting lazy. This Sesshoumaru granted you a responsibility when you were permitted this territory on his lands."

"Forgive me, my Lord," Kurochi answered, bowing his large head – and then his tongue flickered out, and his eyes grew wide. He swung around slightly to fix his gaze on the three teenagers. "So tasty," he hissed delightedly.

"Kurochi," Sesshoumaru growled dangerously, his youki and aura both flaring in a warning.

The snake backed down. "Forgive me, my Lord," he begged again.

Sesshoumaru snorted. "You are too base," he scolded. "You have duties to see to," he reminded the snake. "This Sesshoumaru will see you complete them this day."

The massive snake bowed his head again and slithered off, coiling around the school again and again until it reached the roof – where it opened its great jaws wide before it snapped them closed again, tongue flicking out in a satisfied manner.

Kagome sighed. "Much better," she approved, and removed her hand from Doumeki's face.

He set his raised foot on the ground again when she did so, and blinked a few times. "I don't see the snake any more," he commented.

"You just need practice," Kagome told him with a smile. "Ne, Watanuki-san, you can go and tell Kunogi-san and Yuko-san that the problem is fixed now!"

"Himawari-chan!" Watanuki cried happily, and practically danced away.

Kagome smiled after him, shaking her head. "He really is very amusing," she said.

"He is ridiculous," Sesshoumaru corrected. "If I believed I had such authority over you, Miko, I would order you to desist associating with him. However, this Sesshoumaru knows how to pick his battles, unlike his foolish half-brother."

Kagome bit her tongue to keep it from saying anything she would regret later, like bringing up his matchmaker threat, and simply nodded silently.

Sesshoumaru gave a nod, and turned to walk off. As he gained distance from them, his silver hair turned black again, he grew tanned, and his markings faded away.

"How does no one notice him when he has silver hair?" Doumeki asked.

Kagome smiled. "Sesshoumaru has had centuries to learn the magics he has deemed necessary," she answered, before the smile fell from her face. "But in that case, there's hardly any needed. People often skip over things they don't want or expect to see. A beggar in the street, someone being mugged, a person who looks different to the norm."

Doumeki nodded in understanding, and changed the subject. "What was it that the snake ate?" he asked.

Kagome canted her head, and silently gestured for them to walk, rather than just stand in the gate of a school that wasn't theirs as they had this conversation. "Simply put, the dregs of the students of that school," Kagome answered. "That is what Kurochi-san ate. Because the students had no idea how to really summon spirits to answer their questions, so for all their trying, it was only empty effort – which was boring," Kagome explained.

Doumeki nodded to show that he understood so far.

"Because it's boring, and not working, the students start to think that it would be better for bad things to happen. Whether that's scary or weird things appearing, or for someone to die. They don't care who, really. Just... someone. Because it would be interesting," Kagome continued. "All of that eventually piles up, but curses don't need much to take on a life of their own, even the 'innocent' curses of bored students. To those of us who know better, we call it trash."

"Uh-huh," Doumeki said softly. "And the snake ate this trash..."

"Because it was in his territory," Kagome said with a nod. "It's Kurochi-san's job to keep his territory clean, and curses never move on, so he couldn't just force it out of the school. Eating it was the most expedient method Kurochi-san had for getting rid of it."

"And I was brought along because..."

Kagome smiled up at the young man who was walking beside her. "Because Sesshoumaru was ready to get you to exorcise, or at least try to exorcise, Kurochi-san from the territory that had been granted to him if he had objected to cleaning up the mess."

"I could have exorcised that massive snake?" Doumeki asked, surprised.

Kagome shook her head. "Not on your own," she answered. "Not yet anyway. That's why I was there too, and Sesshoumaru of course. But, any practice is good practice."