"This," Kagome stammered, eyes wide as she looked back at the youkai woman, then at Haruto, "this is your mother?" Her voice came out high and thin, almost a squeak. It wasn't like Haruto's mother had meant to scare her, or act like she was going to take a bite out of her, or anything malicious, but she was a dragon, regal and imposing and eternal, and Kagome was very… mortal. She was so different from the three beings surrounding her, and that disparity had never been clearer than it was now. They were powerful in ways she would never know, never understand. She was just a human. What am I doing here? It was very overwhelming, she thought absently, to think that she was just human, one of many hundreds of thousands in the empire, and yet to be in the presence of such powerful youkai, the heir to the throne and the royal advisors. She felt lightheaded. She was vaguely aware of Sesshomaru, standing just off to her side, his hands no longer clenched into tight fists. Her thoughts swirled, and the buzz of an oncoming headache pulsed through her head. I really should have had something for breakfast this morning, she thought woefully. Too late now. She felt, rather than saw, Sesshomaru come to stand next to her, his presence alleviating some of her nerves.

"Kakedashi."

The woman's voice rang out in the clearing, soft but clear. Kagome looked at Haruto, confused by the name his mother had said. She calls him fledgling? It was a strange nickname, or maybe a childhood term of endearment from mother to son, or maybe to dragons, Haruto was very young and inexperienced. He didn't seem young and inexperienced, but maybe-

"Kakedashi, look at me."

The command was firm, yet held no threat nor malice. Kagome turned to face Haruto's mother, who had moved much closer and now stood within a few paces' reach. She was surprised that the woman was not looking at Haruto when she spoke; her gaze was leveled at Kagome, and the young woman once more felt the dragon's hot, sticky breath wash over her skin, but instead of fear, it left behind comfort and calm. The woman had not come to harm her— at least that much was clear from the tender look in her ancient eyes. An easy contentment settled over Kagome, and Haruto's gravelly voice all but floated into her ears.

"Muther haz waited long tyme, Kagome-zan. She wish to zpeak weeth you," Haruto said, his eyes flashing as he stepped around her to meet Sesshomaru's burning glare, "and you."

Sesshomaru's brows furrowed together, and. What could the dragon matriarch want with Higurashi and me? No doubt he would have to update his father on this development. It was strange for the matriarch to come away from the mountaintops— she had passed the mantle of imperial advisor to Haruto many decades ago. He had not seen her for nearly a century and half, back when Inuyasha had been but a pup, screaming and sobbing and irritating the entire palace. The matriarch had not changed much in the years, but he remembered her frightening beauty as she visited his father's council rooms, then left in a vision of opalescent light. Now that he was taller, more experienced, and had come into his own power, the threat posed by the dragon had lessened. Still, the way she had greeted Higurashi had stirred some fleeting concern for the young woman, and he couldn't help the growl that had escaped. He had stepped up by her side, but now he advanced again so that Higurashi was a half-step behind him. With a less imminent threat to the human, Sesshomaru responded as his father had taught him.

"Of course. One always seeks the guidance and insight of dragons. But how may we be of service to you, Hikaru-samsa? " His tone was polite, but distant. His words held the deference given to someone noble and respectable but dangerous and unpredictable, and the forced politeness came from a desire to not tread on toes-or claws, in this case-, and to not disrupt the tenuous peace between himself and the dragon matriarch.

"No need for zuch formality between friendz. Come. Come with me, and lizsten," the matriarch said, gesturing them closer with her graceful clawed hands, her skin shimmering in the light. Kagome noted her accent was less obvious than Haruto's, yet the slightest lisp gave away her exotic nature. "I muzt tell a tale, and you muzt lizsten." The matriarch stepped towards them, hands still extended and expectant, and Sesshomaru stifled the urge to growl. He settled for curling his upper lip, and the matriarch smoothly retracted her proffered hands with a widening smile, her teeth bared and bright. Without another word, she turned towards the mountains and set off, the train of her dress fluttering in the wind behind her.

"Sesshomaru-sama…," Kagome's voice was uncharacteristically subdued, her blue eyes wide and innocent. Her hands, ever-fidgeting with the stray threads of her yukata, stilled momentarily; then one tentatively moved to grasp the inside of his elbow, in much the same way that Sesshomaru had led her out of the garden the previous night.

"You follow," Hikaru's voice carried on the breeze, a gentle but firm request. Kagome looked at Haruto, who waited by her side expectantly.

"Come, Kagome-zan. We talk much on way, I anzer questionz," Haruto said, gesturing towards the path his mother had taken. Without further fuss, Kagome tightened her grip on Sesshomaru's arm, and the three set off after the dragon queen.

Their path was long and winding as they followed Hikaru towards the foot of the mountains. They had been walking for nearly an hour, not that Kagome minded the walk. She was more preoccupied with what Haruto had said- that his mother had waited for a long time to speak with her; thoughts and questions and confusion swirled in her head as she tried to muddle through them to form questions for Haruto to answer. At some point while talking with Haruto she had let go of Sesshomaru's arm, though he stayed near her side and matched her pace. Hikaru had slowed a little, but still led the trio from several paces ahead, her shining hair a beacon for them to follow.

Now, Kagome mulled over what Haruto had shared with her and Sesshomaru. He had told her the history of the dragons here, which was interesting but still did not explain Hikaru's desire to speak with them. Haruto explained his mother's gift of sight, and that she had anticipated their presence and was waiting for the opportunity to speak with them. He told Kagome of their history; for many centuries, the dragons had kept to the mountains, only sending an advisor on occasion. In fact, Hikaru had been the one to settle the pact with Sesshomaru's grandsire. The original pact with Inukouji settled the boundaries of the Emperor's power, and very rarely since then had any member of Inukouji's line been invited to the dragonlands. If Haruto did know why his mother had summoned herself and Sesshomaru for a private conversation, he was very good at hiding it behind his storytelling. When she asked Sesshomaru if he had met Hikaru before, the prince responded with a succinct "Once."

The mountain loomed above them now, jagged peaks in the distance. Massive rocks and boulders stood guarding the mouth of the canyon, and the ground changed from grass and dirt to pebbles, rocks, and broken shale. A few sharp pieces of the shale had already jabbed Kagome's feet through the soft soles of her slippers, and she began carefully picking her way over the rocks. High above them, a few small dragons danced around the peaks of the mountains in a game of chase. The sight brought a soft smile to her lips, and she remembered the days not that long ago when she had chased Souta and the other children in her town in the very same game. Though she couldn't see any other dragons, the occasional roars echoing from the canyon mouth confirmed that there were many more residing in the unseen cliffs and caverns of the mountain range.

Hikaru headed for the mouth of the canyon, but before reaching it she turned abruptly, disappearing into the side of the mountain. Kagome blinked. Hikaru had, apparently, stepped into a boulder. As they came to the very same boulder, Kagome shuddered. Whatever the boulder was made of, it wasn't rock. It made her skin crawl, and she wanted to keep walking, to return to the palace. Her breath caught as Haruto caught her hand. Beside her, Sesshomaru frowned.

"Do not be afraid, Kagome-zan. Heere," he said, lifting her hand to the boulder's face. It was warm, like him, and it felt like it was humming. It was a strange feeling, but as soon as she had touched it, the desire to turn back to the palace left her. Then, even as her hand rested on the boulder, it turned insubstantial, allowing her hand to pass through. Kagome gasped softly, jerking her hand back from the rock and Haruto smiled widely, his eyes crinkling in genuine amusement. Then, repositioning his hand to grab her wrist, he stepped through the boulder, pulling her along with him.

*Fun fact: Hikaru means light or brightness, and I found that fitting with Hikaru's character and her role in the story.

Thanks all for the reviews! I'm absolutely floored by the support. I'm going to try and strike a happy medium for chapter length- but sometimes I just like posting and when it's a lot easier for me to revise before posting with shorter chapters. So, I'll try to make chapters at least a couple of pages long, and generally at least two scenes.
Long chapters intimidate me to write. For reference, my plot has scenes written out as one sentence, so this entire chapter was: Haruto and Sesshomaru introduce her to the queen of the dragons, the one who originally made the pact with Inukouji. The queen calls her Kakedashi- fledgling. So many chapters have whole paragraphs of plot to get through, and I get intimidated. And tired. So I hope this chapter was a good length for you to get into the narrative, but let me know.

Also, it's been so long since I started writing this story, and I was gone for a long while. I'm hoping that the characters are consistent, but I'd like your feedback:

Are Kagome and Sesshomaru out of character?

Also, do you want to see more of Kikyo and Inuyasha, or Sango, or anyone else?

For SaV21, the romance is coming, but I don't want to rush it. Kagome didn't come to the palace to find a husband, she came out of duty to family and country, and Sesshomaru is keeping track of her because of his father's orders. They have a long way to go before they get physical, but they're building a good foundation for their relationship. Also, your comments always make me think I can do better as a writer, so thank you for pushing me!

Obrigada queridos!