Reconciliation

by Universally Sound

When Inuyasha is overcome by a new ability he inherited from the Inu no Taishou, Kagome goes on a journey to find and help him only to find that Sesshoumaru has already decided the hanyou's fate and will not be moved. Now, Kagome must reconcile her love, her purpose, and a future she never could have imagined. Post-manga. CU. Slow burn. Gonna be long.

36. Chapter 36 - Separation: Year 2:Winter 2

Author's Note: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for violence, sex, and language so be warned.

...

Reconciliation

Chapter 36 – The Separation: Year 2: Winter: Part II

Far southeast of the Western Fortress, Haruna's lithe leopard form dropped a bloody kill at the mouth of a cave hidden in the gnarled roots of a thick grove of magnolia trees. This ancient forest lay in secluded, unpopulated, and uncontested territory deep in the epicenter of the four youkai Lands. Here was a vast expanse of forgotten groves where no birdsong broke the pressing silence. Haruna knew that older and more foul demons than she lay quietly hidden or else long forgotten and rotted away. Youki rose and swirled as the feline beast receded and the female stood tall. White blond curls and flashing green eyes glowed in the darkness and pierced the veil of shadows all around for any signs of movement or danger.

Another sniff of the air and the Lady of the North was hauling the freshly slaughtered deer inside over one shoulder. The interior of the cave was padded with moss that was thick and soft. Water trickled down in rivulets along the walls, funneled in by the tree roots penetrating the black stone above and it pooled in a well at the center of the cave. Haruna slung the warm deer carcass down to the floor and rinsed her hands in the cool water.

"Tsuneyori?" she called softly to the unmoving body a few feet away. "Tsuneyori, you must wake and eat." A raspy groan was his only response but even that chased the worry from her eyes. He was alive. The Lord of the West's poison was vicious but the only surviving son from her first litter was fighting for his life. Had been fighting for days. "Can you sit up?" Sharp eyes watched the shake of his head. Still too weak then. "Be still, little one." Carrying the kill over to him, Haruna punctured the deer's throat with a claw and blood began to trickle slowly down its neck. "Drink. I will help you sit."

Angry, vermilion eyes cut through her in the dark. His glare was desperate and mistrusting, and she couldn't blame him. He still didn't believe who she was. The young male's nose like all of his other senses was stifled by the poison and the seal on his power, and his mind was muddled by the fever. Sousashujin, or whatever her first Mate now called himself, had done his job well. Her cub hated everyone and everything.

Tsuneyori had fought like hell to escape until the poison finally doubled him over in agony. Haruna had cloistered him here to heal with or without his permission.

There was time to right this wrong done to her cub if only Tsuneyori would listen. He could be made to understand what true family meant if given time. If not, Haruna was already preparing for the battle to keep her cub at her side. Her first Mate would not understand. Katsurou would not understand. Her younger cubs would not understand. The other Lords might not understand- but Tsuneyori was the last link to the unweighted happiness of her younger days. He was an innocent in this violent world and had to be protected.

Haruna watched the flash of his throat as he drank, delighting in his strength of will. "You are healing. I can hear your heart grow stronger by the day. A few more days, and your legs will return to you."

Tsuneyori coughed and sputtered, and Haruna sat him up further with care. "You would… not be so… forgiving," he panted, blood dripping from his mouth, "if you knew what was coming."

The instant sadness in her forest green eyes made him pause. "Oh, my cub, there is nothing more he can take from me. The North will never again be caught unaware."

"Then you… have not been paying… attention. The inu… is probably dead. Your Mate… is next. You… will all die," he rasped, "whether I live… or not."

"And yet you struggle to survive," she cooed in the dark. "If you truly thought it pointless, you would surrender to death. Your doubt is a hope I choose to cling to for your sake and mine." Something like regret and sorrow flashed in his swollen, red eyes but Tsuneyori slumped, boneless, into her lap. Haruna brushed the short, dark hair from his face with gentle, loving claws. "Sleep, little one. I will watch over you."

Tsuneyori barely registered the words she spoke but the tone of her voice was like a warm embrace of its own, promising safety and comfort and care. Facing away where she could not see, his eyes filled with tears as the poison took him down once more, and he wished more than anything that this strange but wonderful fever dream would never end.

…

In modern Tokyo…

Clothes hangers rustled and old fabric brushed the dusty floor in an out-of-the-way thrift shop in Tokyo as an unusually stunning young woman in an equally out-of-place midnight gown pored over much less appealing articles of clothing for just the right fit...

"How about these?" Kagome asked innocently.

Sesshoumaru scowled at the grease-stained coveralls she held up for his approval before shaking his head. "No."

"These?" she tried, peering at him around a pair of rust colored cargo pants that were ripped at the knees.

"No."

"You're being difficult," Kagome huffed, "and it can't all be related to scent, Sesshoumaru. We'll be here all night at this rate."

The disinterested clerk chose that moment to pipe up over his magazine. "Um, we close at ten? You have fifteen minutes, miss."

"Oh no! See?" She wheeled flashing ocean eyes on him. "Stop being so picky and go find my outfit and I'll find yours. Whatever it is, you have to wear it. No more complaining," Kagome warned, fisting hands on her hips. "Oh, and what's your shoe size?"

"Thirty-two."

"Th- thirty-two?" she gaped. The young woman's cheeks flushed a severe pink as her brain burrowed a hole in the proverbial gutter.

'And he's tall, disgustingly overconfident…' Kagome internally squealed, 'Kami in heaven…'

"Hm," he confirmed, tilting his head just slightly in confusion. "Why are you," he sniffed the air, "…distressed?"

Kagome jumped and looked back down at the rack. "Nuh- nothing. No real reason. It's just that there is no way they'll have shoes that big." She winced at her own words, slapping a palm on her forehead to clear the dangerous thoughts about exactly how accurate her assumptions might be… "Guess you're keeping yours," Kagome shrugged emphatically, turning around to hide her red face behind a rack.

"A small mercy," he said slowly, still trying to assess her rapid change in mood – he tested the air again – and the change in her scent. Yuzu and juniper and… something darker… His mind clawed for the answer but a gentle shove of her hands on his back broke his concentration.

"Oh, quit grumbling and go find my outfit. This is supposed to be fun!"

"After such 'fun,' miko, the drinks you suggested will be welcome," he grumbled.

"Grouchy dog," she mumbled, watching his eyes narrow as he walked past her.

"Stubborn miko," he retorted, golden eyes smiling with challenge.

Kagome giggled and trotted away to disappear between the racks, humming happily once again. The scent of her happiness was indeed floating throughout the store now and her reiki blossomed like a halo of summer clouds. Her dark hair was still pulled in a hand-spun twist over her left shoulder but bounced as she suddenly yelped with excitement and hugged a dark jacket close. Happy blue eyes met his from across the store and she pointed him towards the women's clothing with a pursed lip.

"Get to it!" she mouthed at him.

Sesshoumaru shook his head with a sigh and trudged over to the dusty racks of forgotten fashion. Nothing here looked bright or special enough for his Mate to wear. Too drab, too dark, too worn… It was a sea of human inventions that would make her look just like them. In the midnight gown, she was perfect. Elegant and beautiful, and true to the timeless beauty of her very soul.

Fifteen minutes later, with a raised eyebrow from the store clerk, the couple stepped out into the night and crossed the parking lot with their dinner finery tucked under an arm.

"I still can't believe they had a wall of shoes and none of them fit you," Kagome chuckled, opening the rear door of the car and laying her dress on the seat.

"A true shame," he scoffed, doing the same with his dark gray suit.

"Seriously?" Kagome quipped. "I have to wear these," she whined, waggling a high-top, chrome-finished boot, "and we couldn't find a single pair big enough for you? Not fair."

"Does my lack of ridiculous footwear ruin the effect?"

He rounded the car, crossed his arms, and Kagome slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle the laugh before replying.

"Pfft- No," she nodded firmly, smiling wider, "No, it doesn't. You look – pfft! – a little like a yakuza hippie! Ha ha!"

Oh, it was definitely laugh-worthy and he knew it. Her hard-won outfit for Sesshoumaru consisted of a red Hawaiian shirt patterned with large colorful birds, and a track jacket with a massive, sequined tiger emblazoned across the back but the words "Tame My Tiger" branded in wide gold lettering on the left shoulder. The pants she picked out were – to compliment the shirt she had said – neon yellow, boot-cut corduroy slacks. Every time they swished over the tops of his polished, black leather Oxfords, Kagome swore she saw him flinch. Sesshoumaru had refused accessories of any kind but that hadn't stopped her from trying everything from costume beads to a reflective headband to rainbow suspenders.

"You are an equally offensive sight, miko," he smirked.

As ridiculous as he looked, with his disguised dark hair now loose and flowing around that huge glittering tiger, Sesshoumaru had paid Kagome back in spades.

"Am I now?" she smiled widely, clearly enjoying the game.

"Most definitely."

She twirled and curtseyed to show off the knee-length, magenta, plaid wool skirt which collided spectacularly with the high-top, mirror finish boots. Her t-shirt was a comfortably worn statement piece consisting of a hundred or more different smiling dogs all crammed together to create a gaudy hodgepodge of furry faces. He had nearly snarled at her when Kagome cracked a joke about wearing his family portrait. And, lastly, because the night was cold, Sesshoumaru had opted for an oversized, shearling coat that drowned its wearer in sky blue fluff.

"Why, thank you, sir," Kagome bowed with a flourish.

He grinned at the sight of her. Not because she looked ridiculous, because she most definitely did, but because none of it did anything to dampen that spark of pure life in her eyes. For playing along with her strange game, the glittering joy in her eyes made the scents of this horrifically mistreated jacket worth it. In all seriousness, though, if someone had not soiled themselves multiple times in these pants, he was no judge of human smells.

"Now that we are outfitted, where would you like to go? You mentioned a drink?"

"Yes!" Kagome pumped a fist in the air. "Now we head to an izakaya and relax! Get some greasy food and just talk," she beamed.

"A street bar?" A silver eyebrow lifted suspiciously. "That is the goal?"

"Mm hmm," she nodded sweetly, "I never got to do that with friends or in college." Kagome shrugged. "Never got to go to college either, you know? I was too young before I left and now… I still can't be here to start a new life as an adult." Kagome shook the disappointment away and forced a small smile for his benefit. "So, humor me?"

It was all true. Kagome would miss the average human moments involved in university studying and socializing. Instead, she had fallen literally headfirst into a violent and unforgiving world full of nightmares. Sesshoumaru decided he wouldn't remind her that if they successfully changed the past, he could guarantee her universities and dinners for as long as they lived. Happily. She was under enough pressure already without adding more of her own dreams to the stack of to-do's already waiting. No, tonight Sesshoumaru resolved to be her escort on this strange but entertaining date. To take her wherever she wanted, do the things she wanted, and give her a small dose of the normalcy that her human peers took for granted. That would have to be enough until he could give her the world they had dreamed of together.

"I did agree to any destination of your choosing," he said with a barely audible sigh.

"Then we're on our way," Kagome nodded, and held out her fluff-enveloped, open hand.

"So we are," he agreed, accepting the warmth she offered.

…

In the West…

Rumbling roars and snarls echoed in the carved plateau between the sand-colored mountains that held up the Western Fortress. Youki crackled against the crystal barrier, constructed as a glowing cerulean dome. Encompassing all of the outdoor training fields, the glittering ice-blue barrier shuddered again against the frantic pounding of a raging inudaiyoukai who had finally lost his grip on his rational mind and a dwindling well of youki.

Ryota was nearing his wit's end. Sesshoumaru was fighting the curse from within but his body had long since lost control and sought only to gore anyone and anything he caught unaware. Three soldiers capable of transformation were shredded before Ryota forbade anyone else from entering. Rarely, the rabid beast stilled and lowered its head to the dirt with a snarl, its eyes flashing a bright turquoise, but in seconds the reprieve was gone and the battle continued. The great bear General kept the temperature within the barrier below freezing in an attempt to slow the tiring and injured inu, but even Ryota's strength and youki reserves wouldn't last forever. He was only borrowing time while Kikuko rested and planned.

Hours into the night, with the waning quarter moon high overhead, Kikuko awoke from her fitful nap and immediately dressed for the cold night in a thick magenta kimono patterned with elegantly gnarled pine trees. Her cream-colored pelt trailed the sleeves and lapel, and whipped in graceful arcs in the nighttime winter wind. Sprinting from the Palace rooms to the Fortress, Kikuko's panic rose until her eyes rested on the barrier and she exhaled. He was still alive. He was still moving. His heart was still beating.

Immediately, the Lady Mother resumed pacing back and forth outside the barrier as she rifled through centuries of knowledge for how to combat this curse. The library had been no help and the servants found no clues in the carvings of the ancestral grave dens. Suddenly, Sesshoumaru's head bashed against the translucent wall just over her head, startling her and bringing a fresh wave of terror for her son's life. How could they combat a curse that was eating away at his very life energy? Youki was as much a part of a demon's existence as air or blood. You cannot remove it entirely without killing the youkai. They were all running out of time.

The miko might be able to extract the curse if they could locate her- A thought raced in Kikuko's mind, seizing a trail of clues like snatching birds from the air. The miko. Once married to the hanyou. The hanyou. Frozen in time until she released him. Could Sesshoumaru be sealed in such a way until the cure was found? Was that the only way now? It was better than death until they could find his future Mate and design a solution. What miko was capable of sealing powerful youkai?

'Kagome spoke of a mentor in her human backwater… The old miko in the village? Is it possible? Is the human worth the effort?'

There was little choice now. Ren was waiting at the village and would return with Kagome as soon as they were able, but there had been no howl on the wind yet to confirm her return. Kenshin was resting in his quarters from the mad sprint to the North and back to fetch Ryota. One more glance inside the barrier at her son's staggering form was all Kikuko needed. His breaths were ragged, his legs shook as he hauled himself up from the dirt, and the trickle of venom from his fangs was slowing. Sesshoumaru was running out of time. The former Lady stepped closer to the barrier and caught Ryota's attention.

"Ryota! I have an idea. Hold him! I am leaving for the human village to fetch the old priestess!"

"Hurry!" Ryota snarled, dodging the lazy snap of Sesshoumaru's venomous fangs, "He is weakening!"

"Keep him alive, Ryota!"

"Yes but- Grrah!"

In the split-second Kikuko distracted him, the feral Sesshoumaru had seized the chance and clamped down on the back of the kumadaiyoukai's thick neck, dragging Ryota down into the dirt. When the inu released him to get a better grip, the great bear had only a second to roll away.

'Forgive me, brother, but you leave me no choice…'

A frustrated roar echoed in the barrier and the scattered frost that was cooling the air began to condense into massive spears of ice. With gritted fangs, the General let them loose and struck the staggered inudaiyoukai. The cursed inu howled as lances of ice pinned him to the ground but Ryota had been careful not to pierce the festering wound or any vital organs. With Sesshoumaru down, Ryota flopped into the dirt and let the rapid healing start, swirling his youki heavily around the gashes at his neck.

While the Lord of the West laid prone – shivering, bleeding, and snarling – the Lady mother was scribbling a quick message in the great hall and tried not to wince as her son howled his rage at being subdued. Golden eyes flashed as the Lady Mother handed the letter to a tawny lioness youkai sheathed in black. The female's wheaten hair and eyes sharply contrasted to her dark skin as she waited patiently for her orders.

"Suri, deliver this to Lieutenant Kouji in the South. Allow him to speak privately – and quickly – with Fushijirou before returning. They may both have information we can use."

"Yes, milady."

"Define haste in your delivery, Suri. My son-" Kikuko's voice broke and she shook her head, silver hair shifting in great waves across her back. "Your Lord and master requires our speed and our discretion."

"I understand, my Lady. I am ready to leave now."

"Go then, and stop for nothing, Suri. Please." Suri bowed and disappeared into the cloudless night.

No one should learn about this crisis outside of the West and the South. Fushijirou and Samidori had pledged their confidence in maintaining peace, and reaffirmed it when Sesshoumaru promised to aid them in repelling the humans and reptilian youkai from encroaching on their ancestral home. They were allies to be trusted and Kouji was well-learned with a quick mind. If there was any information to be gleaned from the ancient phoenix, his son would learn it quickly and return to the West to report. Beyond Kouji's position as scribe and scholar, Ryota would need his Mate's presence after this was over.

Moments later, Kikuko stood at the edge of the central courtyard and looked out into the valley. Asking yet another human miko for help felt like a new low. On the other hand, utilizing a tool – any tool – necessary to secure Sesshoumaru's safety was a sacrifice she was willing to make. Decision made, Kikuko allowed the transformation to take her and leapt from the gardens into the frigid sky. The thrumming growl of the great female inu echoed between the mountains and from his place in the icy barrier, Ryota heaved a deep sigh of relief. Help would finally be coming.

…

Back in modern Tokyo…

Sesshoumaru picked a speck of dust from the arm of his hideous track jacket and watched Kagome as she took in the busy side street. Crowds of people flocked down the packed sidewalks and into noisy clubs and shops with bright neon or lanterns swaying in the breeze. Signs and sandwich boards dotted the sidewalk and promised great food or cheap drinks or good sales. Some of the patrons were packs of young humans like his Mate but there were groups of older adults out as well. Kagome's scent remained happy and curious as she tugged him along the sidewalk, pointing every now and then at something bright or curious or delicious.

"Oh, this one looks good…" Kagome said, peering into a small bar from the street. "Smells good, too."

The bright red and yellow lanterns and steam leaking from above the black curtains was a promising sign. Despite their nice meal earlier, the smell of savory hibachi made her mouth water. Raucous laughter billowed from within and Kagome grinned over at her date. Unimpressed, Sesshoumaru merely lifted his nose to the air and tested it. Chicken livers, old beer, older human men, and the scents that accompanied all old buildings. But then the scent of grass and dew-draped trees caught his attention.

The inu turned and found the small park across the street with its stone gate, manicured hedges, and few towering trees. Pale street lamps lit the cement paths. The scents of the small woods and leaves called to him more strongly than the grease and alcohol-soaked floors inside the building. Kagome suddenly filled his vision and smiled at the small grassy park, too.

"Ah," she nodded, understanding, "you'd rather go there, huh? Okay, we can-"

"No," he said firmly, "your choice was to relax in a bar. I was merely noting our surroundings." Sesshoumaru tapped his nose. "The possibility that we walk into a questionable atmosphere is high." The inu jerked his head towards the door. "All older men."

"What? Are you afraid we'll end up in a gay bar or something?" she grinned.

"Hardly," he scoffed, tugging the lapels of the tiger jacket. "You forget youkai do not share the same prudishness you humans do."

"Well, if I was as handsome as you are," she grinned, clasping her hands behind her back, "I'd be nervous about walking into a gay bar."

"Indeed? Then," he rumbled, leaning closer, "my future Mate should claim her male openly to ward off unwanted attention."

"Should I?" Innocent ocean eyes blinked up at him, soft and wondering at first but then something like determination pinched her eyebrows together just slightly. She was so easy to goad and yet still so hard to predict. Even in so short a time, his young Mate had made life… fun.

"Hm." His eyes flashed golden for a split second. "Remember lesson two, miko."

"Right," she nodded seriously. "Touch. Bonding." Emboldened by the wine, the shopping, and the fragile new intimacy between them, Kagome acted before thinking got the better of her. She grabbed the open flaps of the tiger jacket and with a surprising strength, hauled him against the brick wall just outside the izakaya. It didn't matter to her that he could have pushed back. Didn't matter that they were in public. No one cared about two oddly dressed people on a greasy sidewalk at ten-thirty at night. Sapphire eyes dancing with nerves and determination looked up at him as she grinned and a blush lit her chilled cheeks. "Be still then," Kagome said, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt.

"Why?" he challenged, curious eyes flicking down to her full mouth.

"Because I don't want to do this wrong."

"Do what-"

But his words died because she was already leaning against him, pressing his back against the cold stone. Brushing her nose against his pulse first, she felt him go rigid as her tongue experimentally lapped against his throat. For a moment, Sesshoumaru forgot to breathe, to move, lest she stop.

Beneath her tongue, his skin felt as smooth and perfect as she thought it would but the static prickling of his youki rising to the surface was unexpected. He couldn't see her fascinated grin at her discoveries and his reaction. He was centuries old and the most powerful daiyoukai she had ever met but he froze against the brick wall like a cornered deer and all because of her. Instantly, Kagome felt emboldened and excited, and she idly wondered if he always tasted like this… What kissing him tasted like… If everything about him tasted this way. And knew in the same moment that she would find out in the coming autumn.

Kagome's wonder was cut short as Sesshoumaru hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him – a silent command not to stop. He was demanding her attention and another second's hesitation elicited a low growl. Her courage returned and the miko tipped her head back for a better angle, wetting her lips before softly flattening her tongue against his pulse as he had done last year.

Seconds or hours could have winked by as his Mate dragged her warm tongue up the column of his throat, inch by tantalizing inch. She was marking him as he had marked her so many years ago in his timeline. An ache borne of centuries alone gnawed at his chest and his youki threatened to snap the leash again. Focusing on only feeling her small tongue and warm body against him diverted all of his conscious thought. So many years since he had felt her against him this way… This intimate marking had happened only twice for her but, the way she was pressing her body to his, Kagome would know exactly how much her mouth was affecting him if she dragged this out too long. Finally, the daiyoukai felt her flick the tip of her tongue just behind his ear. He heard Kagome swallow and felt the breath of her small sigh on his neck as she stepped away.

"There," she said quietly, still reeling from the electricity and the smooth taste of him rolling around in her mouth, "Now you're mine."

Breathe. It was natural. His brain was hardwired to do it without his interference. Why, then, was the air too thin? Glamoured mahogany eyes crept open as the air filled his lungs and the scents and sounds of the street brought his mind back into focus.

"Sesshoumaru?" she asked sweetly, sounding slightly concerned while he recovered, "are you okay? Did I-"

"Miko," he breathed, his voice low and hungry, "you are ready for lesson three."

Feminine pride swelled in her chest. Taking the initiative this time, her hand found his hanging loosely at his side, she squeezed it tightly, and Kagome jerked her head to gesture they should go in. She wanted his attention and she had it. Now it was time to enjoy it.

…

Back in the past…

Through the night, Kikuko soared and watched. Observing the activity of lesser youkai in the forests and waters below. The territory her Mate had won by his own hand. The territory her son had inherited and maintained. The same lands the young miko would rule with him.

'An absurd path Fate has put us together on. And now the young human has abandoned him in his time of need!'

A kernel of doubt and mistrust settled in her mind. No, Kagome had not known about Sesshoumaru's affliction or the possibility of it. Or had she?

'With her knowledge of the future, perhaps she knew this was to occur and has disappeared until my son is dead in order to guarantee the invasion of the humans…'

Dread clenched her heart. It could be so. They knew so little about her and the human female kept such strange company that it seemed likely she might have come across someone who could convince her to- No.

'Fear will not rule me,' Kikuko snorted, '… but the truth must be known before I allow her back in the West. That is certain.'

Curved claws dripped with venom at the thought. A small dose and the former Lady could wring the truth from the female. It could be done if she was careful… It could be done with no harm to Kagome and no one else would know…

But they were running out of time. If the great inu wasn't careful, the holy power they were all relying on could be compromised. No. The miko Kagome would be watched. Carefully. Any sign of failure, or weakness, and the human could be killed before her potential treachery revealed itself. Humans were never to be trusted.

…

A few hours earlier in modern Tokyo, Kagome was fighting a very different kind of battle then she was used to while her date quietly sipped his sake.

"Kami in heaven, that's so strong!" Kagome winced, shivering in disgust.

"What is your basis for comparison?" A dark eyebrow lifted into his bangs. "Here is your warning: This is water compared to the liquors you will encounter at the Bonding ceremony. Youkai liquor sometimes has- had the strongest of us in a puddle of our own making in the dirt." Kagome shivered and stuck out her tongue at his gross imagery. Sesshoumaru lifted and sniffed her now-empty glass. "You asked to try shochu and so you did."

"So I did. Check that one off the list… and never again," she chuckled, the pink of her cheeks glowing brighter. "You said that's what I smell like when I'm- Wait, which one was this?"

"Guilt," he grinned.

"I smell like liquor when I'm guilty for something? You're shitting me."

"I will not attempt to unpack that human idiom," he frowned, though the corner of his mouth lifted with his sake cup.

"See?" a gruff voice called from the bar, "Told ya you wouldn't like it, missy!"

"Okay, okay, you were right, Hatsumori-san," Kagome chuckled at the salt-and-pepper elder man at their end of the bar, "but now I know and – blech – knowing is half the battle."

Kagome giggled but guilt of his own, sharp and bitter like the shochu, stung Sesshoumaru's gut. His Mate was right and there was so much she didn't know. Needed to know and soon. Maybe though… maybe for just a little while longer, he could stave off the heavy talks of curing the curse and returning her to the past. Maybe he could allow them both just a few more hours of playful glances and intimate touches in the name of happiness. Her infectious laughter had drawn the attention of the bar when a sequin had fallen from his jacket into his sake cup, causing him to nearly spit wine all over the table as it slipped past his tongue. Kagome had laughed until she cried and made a bad joke about the "tiger taming him instead." It was ridiculous and simple and uncomplicated… and there was an expiration date to this happiness.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and reflex had him ripping it out to check the message.

'Have you told her yet?'

'Sry. Are you having a good time?'

'Has she asked about me?'

Sesshoumaru sighed at the phone, typed a simple reply of "No, Yes, Yes" and glanced back up at Kagome… who had disappeared from the table. His eyes scanned the small room. No sight of her in the bar. He sniffed the air and grimaced. No scent either. His nose wasn't as powerful under the glamour and her scent was too deeply mingled with that of the bar. Frustration and fear began to cloud his mind. Their enemy had shifted identities since her last visit. He hadn't kept his senses open for rogue youkai. This was his fault. Why had he let himself get lost in this ridiculous evening? He had let his guard down for too long. Fear rose like bile in his chest. If she was gone – taken - everything was lost…

"Kagome, where-"

"To the bathroom, prince charming," old Hatsumori groused unconvincingly, his unshaven face wrinkled with mirth and age. Sesshoumaru froze and glared at the unperturbed male on the bar stool. "Ah, to be young and in love," the old man sighed wistfully.

Sesshoumaru scowled and rose from the table to verify. Finding the small single-stall bathroom, he listened. Kagome was inside. She was humming one of her mysterious tunes and washing her hands. Fine. She was fine. His nose was teasing the air to verify her safety when suddenly, she was in front of him. Her hair was now gathered in a loose braid over her left shoulder and a smile bloomed on her alcohol-flushed face.

"Hey there," she said sweetly. "Need the restroom?"

"No," he frowned.

"Oh… do you need something else?"

"No."

Kagome's eyes glittered with cautious joy. "Would you like to tell me why you're pouting then?" A choked laugh echoed from the end of the bar.

The inu was less amused. "You left the table without a word."

"The word would have been 'busting'," she said gently. "Not flattering. I'm fine, see? Feel better now?" Kagome took his hand with ease and led Sesshoumaru back to the table, sitting to sip her beer once more. She raised a hand and caught the eye of the bartender who nodded and laid two more skewers of sesame chicken livers on the grill.

"To verify your safety-" he started mechanically, then sighed. "Things have changed since the last time you were here."

"I thought so." She elaborated when his brow pinched. "You're a bit stiff in public. On guard. I know that look very well. I walked around like that in the past for years. How have things changed?"

"I will tell you later when we leave here. Just know that it is not safe to wander around on your own while in Tokyo and when you disappeared-"

"I'm safe, Sesshoumaru. I know that much."

"An odd sentiment given the late hour, the potential danger I just revealed, and ratio of the sexes in this bar. You would not feel quite so at ease if your senses were as sensitive as mine," he growled.

"I meant with you, idiot."

His eyes widened and dilated as Kagome face erupted into a dazzling smile. That was the third or fourth time she'd caught him off guard tonight. Sesshoumaru found himself perilously caught between wanting to growl in frustration or kiss her until they were both breathless. He'd forgotten how infuriatingly good she was at disarming him.

"Oh ho… speechless, I see," Kagome said with a cat's grin.

Her hand closed the distance of the table, gliding over the gouged wood and greasy finish, until her finger slid over the back of his hand. He stared down at the picture of her delicate, calloused finger tracing the line of his ring finger. The past and the present slammed together in his head and her claim, that suggestive smile, and her warm touch was as good as sinking her teeth into his neck – and his youki's response did not disappoint.

Powerful, invisible bands of energy snapped and exploded in the small space, heating the room, and Sesshoumaru's death grip on the table rattled their glasses. Kagome startled too but, thinking quickly, rubbed her knee emphatically and sent an apologetic smile to the bartender who wondered why their drinks were sloshing onto the polished wood. The man only shook his head and went back to his grill. With no one paying them any attention, Kagome leaned down to look at Sesshoumaru.

"Are you okay?" she whispered.

"Park," he growled. "Across the street. Now." When his eyes briefly met hers, the fleeting glimpse of glowing crimson beneath his ebony bangs was enough to cause her to panic. Again.

"Shit," she hissed, "Hold on." Kagome stepped quickly over to the counter, laid down a generous bill and a cheeky thanks, and then hauled Sesshoumaru from the booth and out into the cool air. "Breathe," she reminded him, sucking in the cold air herself. "Keep looking down and I'll tell you when it's safe. Trust me, okay?"

Golden eyes ringed with crimson focused only on her face, blocking out the rest of the world. The honesty laid bare in his eyes made Kagome grip his arm tighter. Unfocused chocolate eyes turned down into a lost and lonely expression of rage. "Mate," was all he could manage. He hoped it was enough to convey his faith.

That was what she was to him. Why he trusted her above all others. It wasn't the first time she had asked for his trust… or the hundredth. In fact, less than a year into their Mating, he found he did inherently trust her with nearly every facet of their joined life. It wasn't until everything fell apart that he realized what a gift that unwavering faith had been. Now that she had returned to his world, he would trust her again. Trust her to find the new source of the evil plaguing them, trust her to make those critical decisions that would stabilize the West, and trust her to find the answer to the darkest truth of their shared life he had yet to divulge.

As they made their way to the park, the dry, cold air was a balm to the fire in his blood and the tug of her small arm through his was a grounding wire for his irascible energy. Her reiki shielded them both – she was actively using it now – and he felt… safe. If Sesshoumaru were a lesser male, he might have wept in relief. There is no soft landing for a remnant youkai Lord. Much less one that had made the hard decisions he had to keep his own small pack alive. For the first time in five hundred years, Sesshoumaru remembered what it was to feel singularly cared for. A shiver of knowing raised the hair on the back of his neck that had nothing to do with stifling his youki. Kagome needed the truth of her trial. And then, she needed to return to the past to face it.

For now, the miko hauled him deeper into the park. Another wave of power had his jaw clenched tightly and his breath caught. He felt rather than saw his Oxfords leave the sidewalk for grass and tracked their progress through the park with his nose instead. Kagome's familiar aura, the cold air, and pale moonlight were beginning to work their magic on his youki. Breath after breath brought him back to himself as the scents of nature began to erase the unnatural ones. When his grip started to slacken on her arm, Kagome slowed walking at a normal pace and tried talking to him again.

"Is it getting better? What can I do?"

"Hm," he growled, clearing his throat, "Slowly."

"Thank the kami… Whew! Let's sit down somewhere then." She slowed their walk and took a deep breath of her own. He heard her heart slow to a normal pace and felt the tense muscles of her arm relax. "Can you open your eyes? I'm so afraid I'm gonna fall out here in the dark and take you with me," she chuckled nervously against his cheek.

When he looked over at her nervous, grinning face, Sesshoumaru's eyes had returned to their disguised, deep brown but were still bloodshot and fierce. An indomitable scowl was still contorting his face when Kagome hauled him down onto a wooden bench littered with dry-rotted leaves and sat beside him with her ankles crossed, waiting for him to regain control. She watched him take several steadying deep breaths and, finally, his shoulders relaxed. Youki continued to lash out in her direction, roughly caressing her natural shields. Every few seconds, her date clenched and unclenched his fists as he reined in the last stubborn waves of power.

His fist eventually unfurled with the tension in his face, and fell limply onto the bench. Kagome scooted closer and entwined her fingers with his. Sesshoumaru squeezed her smaller hand in return and closed his eyes again. Another few minutes of silence and Kagome felt his youki smooth into choppy but manageable waves as his thumb stroked her hand. A final, intentional deep breath left his lips and his young Mate visibly relaxed beside him. To her surprise, his next action was to pull out his phone and send a text. When it was sent, he tucked the phone back into the sequined tiger jacket and faced her. She was still watching him curiously when he shook his head, squared his shoulders, and lifted his chin in that way only he could. "Thank you."

"Of course. I'm only sorry I can't help-" The miko sighed wistfully. "I feel like this is my fault somehow."

'Her intuition is frightening,' he marveled to himself, 'but the guilt she would carry to the past is not worth the truth… this time.' "It is not, Kagome." Decision made, Sesshoumaru prodded Kagome out of her concern. "This was to be your outing but may I make a request?" he asked.

"Okay…"

"I have delayed the inevitable as long as we can afford to. I would like you to come to my apartment to learn the truth of the trial that awaits you in the past," Sesshoumaru said seriously. "I promised I would tell you before you left but we may be running out of time. Will you come?"

"To your apartment?" she asked nervously. "Out of time for what, Sesshoumaru?"

"Shippou will be meeting us there to help explain the situation," he said quietly. "I would prefer to discuss it there."

"This is about the past, isn't it?" Kagome's face knit with worry when he nodded, and she brushed imaginary lint from her thick magenta skirt. "Okay. I'm ready. Should we get the car?"

"No need. I think, given the late hour, it would be safe to travel a more traditional way. It would also seem I need to expend some energy given the events of this evening." Sesshoumaru rose from the bench, brushing leaves from his offensive pants, and pulled her up with him, her hand still in his.

Still confused, Kagome rose and looked around for a clue. "So… we're walking back to your apartment?"

"Walking is for mortals," he scoffed down at her, releasing her hand. The barely visible smirk on his lips made Kagome smile, too.

"I resemble that remark," she chuckled and buttoned her sky-blue Sherpa jacket against the cold.

When Kagome looked up at her date again, Sesshoumaru was kneeling on the sidewalk, his back to her. His head lifted and tested the air while brown eyes scanned the forest's edge around their small clearing. Kagome was just before asking what he was looking for when he dropped the glamour with a gentle shake of his head, melting the enchantment away like water sluicing over his body. Darkened hair was chased away by a dye of pure, silver moonlight. His skin paled and ancestral markings splashed magenta against his cheekbones. Harmless human fingernails lengthened into deadly claws. Sesshoumaru's overwhelming aura flooded the clearing and Kagome inhaled deeply to steady her own from reacting. He, too, breathed deeply and then cast his eyes back over his shoulder. The gold of those predatory orbs glowed brighter than the sulfuric streetlights nearby. He was as beautiful and terrible as she remembered and he was kneeling for her.

"Come," and a jerk of his chin was his patient demand. The luminous amber of his eyes flashed in the dark once more and the butterflies in her belly took flight once again. Nostalgic warmth filled her eyes and the miko stepped forward.

"It's been a really long time…" Kagome said reverently, bracing her arms on his broad shoulders and leaning into his broad back.

With a short hop up, her thighs gripped his waist and Sesshoumaru felt the heat of her warm his skin through the ridiculous jacket. Determined not to let his thoughts linger on where that warmth was centered, he focused instead on making sure she wouldn't freeze at the higher altitude and checked the park for potential spectators to what was about to happen. "For me as well," he said over his shoulder, brushing his cheek against hers. He gathered the voluminous pink wool skirt around her legs to shield her from the cold and settled her against his back with a gentle lift. "Are you ready?"

"Yes!" she said happily, tucking her face into his neck in preparation.

And they took off like a shot from the ground, rising quickly into the air. Sesshoumaru's silver hair whipped behind him in the cold wind and her jacket fluttered around her wrists but Kagome couldn't help the giggle that bubbled up her throat. She laughed and hugged his neck tighter, conveying her happiness. His hands adjusted on her thighs and the inudaiyoukai leveled out far above the city. Kagome watched it slowly go by beneath them and wondered how often he was able to fly like this in the modern day.

Hugging his neck again, Kagome whispered in his ear, "Thank you."

Sesshoumaru looked over his shoulder with a fang-revealing smirk, and narrowed and mischievous ochre eyes. Before she could ask what he was so smug about, the inu stopped in mid-air, his youki died around them, and Kagome gasped in alarm at the frigid air… and sudden free-fall.

"Sesshoumaru?" No answer. Another second ticked by and then another as the cold night air roared in her ears. Kagome's voice squeaked with panic as she said his name again and squeezed him tighter.

Without explanation, clawed hands tightened on her thighs as a rumble of laughter vibrated against her chest. Sesshoumaru's youki exploded in a sphere around them, stopping their fall. The couple were now hovering in midair and his youki continued to thicken around them, warming the air again as he slowly began to fly back upward into the clouds. Kagome's scent filled the bubble and he inhaled deeply, nose twitching with the incensing burn of pepper. A light slap to the shoulder made him look back to see her brows pinched and lips flat as his miko fought a grin.

"I thought there was something wrong with you, you ass! Why didn't you-"

"An ass, am I? Then why does your reiki pulse with joy, Kagome?"

Another moment of false anger passed but then Kagome threw her head back and freely laughed.

"Fine, you win. That was fun… Terrifying but fun."

"That statement might very well summarize our entire relationship, miko."

She settled against him once more and brushed her cheek against his shoulder. "I can live with that."

With a chuckle of approval, Sesshoumaru took off again. They ventured deeper into the city and passed over neighborhoods and business districts. The scrolled beneath them in a sea of twinkling lights and steel structures. Kagome's grew heavy as the warmth of the inuyoukai seeped into her chest. A yawn against his shoulder was his warning she was tiring and Sesshoumaru put on a burst of speed. Finally, a glass skyscraper came into view and he angled down toward it. He felt Kagome perk up, her reiki swirling with curiosity, and she was eagerly taking in their destination.

Four floors from the top and too many from the ground, a row of floor-to-ceiling windows was lit and a wide balcony door swung open. Sesshoumaru slowed their descent and landed in two long strides, holding her tightly against him. Lowering himself down, Kagome let go of his neck only to run around him and jump onto it again with a breathless "Thank you…" and a quick peck on the cheek. While he recovered from this unexpected but easy intimacy between them, Kagome looked around. The tiled, black-railed balcony was clean and sparsely furnished with only a small glass table and two modern chairs, a neglected hedge tucked into a far corner, and an auburn-headed kitsune who was shifting from foot to foot waiting for permission to pounce.

"Shippou!" Kagome squealed, opening her arms.

"Hey, Momma," he said warmly, appearing instantly in front of her and lifting her from the ground in a tight hug. When he released her, the miko ruffled his bangs and chuckled.

"Missed you, kiddo," she said warmly, appraising his casual appearance. "Like the longer ponytail."

"Akari wants me to grow it for a while," he shrugged and smiled. "I missed you, too, buuut I still think Pop missed you more."

She laid a palm against his more matured face and caught his eyes. "I was so worried about the both of you after that attack. I'm glad you were okay."

A soft smile told her he understood her worry. "We cleaned 'em out in no time after you left. Everything's fine," he started, pinched his nose in disgust and looked her up and down, "or it was until you brought whatever dead animal you're wearing to Pop's house. Wait-" Shippou paused to look over at his adoptive father, then his mother, then the kitsune's emerald eyes blew wide with disbelief and unguarded glee. "What- pfft- what in all the hells are you both wearing?!"

"Ask your mother," the inu frowned down at himself. "This was her idea." Sesshoumaru breezed past the both of them and had already removed the sequined jacket when he reached back for Kagome's hand. Her teeth chattered a little as she nodded and clasped his fingers in hers. Sesshoumaru quickly led his young Mate into the glowing, warm apartment.

"Make yourself at home," Sesshoumaru gestured. "We should change and then we will talk." Kagome nodded and watched while Sesshoumaru immediately retreated to what she assumed was his bedroom.

"Come on in a have a look around. He'll be a minute." Shippou smiled sheepishly and walked across the open floor plan to the kitchen. "I'll start some tea."

The crisp space was wide open, multi-level, and decorated with dark exposed beams. Gold accents were scattered in corners and on the walls in a way that reminded her of the impeccably decorated stone halls of the Western Palace. Ivory carpet blanketed the floors and gave the space an airy and ethereal feel. The kitchen was toned in dark charcoal and chrome, and modern and well-equipped.

Sesshoumaru reemerged in a clean, much less-threadbare outfit and joined Shippou in the kitchen. The whistle of a tea kettle echoed in the large room as Kagome kept looking around. Paintings and various antiques dotted the walls and small tables, but nothing notable caught her eye until a splotchy photograph of a small family and a worn torii arch made her do a double take. She rushed over, noting the unmistakable tree in the background.

"Sesshoumaru, is that-"

"Hm? Ah. The Higurashi shrine, yes." Sesshoumaru joined her at the picture. "This is the last photograph taken before the altar as you know it in the past was torn down."

A sad shine gathered in Kagome's eyes but Sesshoumaru kept his distance beside her and watched her process. "So, this family, they're my ancestors? Jii-chan's never showed me this picture…"

"He may have misplaced such an old photograph. I will see that he gets another copy. Yes, this is your grandfather's grandfather, his wife," he pointed to each stoic face in turn, "and their two sons. This young boy is your grandfather's father, Tomochiro."

Shippou piped up from behind them, leaning his head over Kagome's shoulder. "He loved it when I played tricks on his old man."

"You enjoyed the deception. Tomochiro paid the price," Sesshoumaru said sternly.

Shippou made a non-committal grunt. "Gah, he was fine. Kept asking for new ones, didn't he? Until he got married and serious anyway," the kitsune shrugged.

"You really have-" Kagome shook her head at the both of them. "You really have kept up with us all these years."

"It was weird at first," Shippou said, reverently touching the family in the picture, "Knowing these were the people who would lead us to you. Over time, lots of time, I was glad to be a part of their lives. There were times we needed each other as everything changed."

"That will always be true, Ship," Kagome said firmly, reaching back to touch his cheek.

"Yeah, I know." Shippou sighed and stood up. The kitsune and Sesshoumaru shared a look that Kagome did not miss.

Sesshoumaru left them to go to the open kitchen on the other side of the room. "Tea?" he asked, distracting them both.

"Oh, yes please. I'm still chilly."

"Let's get comfortable then," Shippou said, his grin returned. "Can I take your… coat? Fur? Rug?"

"Oh, ha ha, Ship," Kagome rolled her eyes, "and yes."

When she unbuttoned it and Shippou saw the shirt beneath, a hundred-plus dogs with wagging tongues, he burst out into laughter all over again. Kagome made it worse when she repeated the joke about wearing Sesshoumaru's family tree.

"Just as clever the second time, Kagome," Sesshoumaru sighed from the kitchen and pointed to the right side of the room. "If you go into the master bath, you'll find a warm, less-offensive change of clothes lent to us by your mother."

"It's funny and you know it," she chuckled, "and I won't ask why you knew I'd be coming here tonight until I come back out, Sesshoumaru."

A dark eyebrow lowered over her sapphire eyes but Sesshoumaru only quietly returned to making tea. Kagome disappeared into the bedroom in a flurry of magenta wool skirt and ebony hair. Sesshoumaru's eyes followed her light steps into his personal space, and his inhuman hearing caught the sounds of her gentle humming and the telltale whispers of fabric as she changed. Her heart was beating more quickly than usual. Her scent was concealed beneath layers of the places they'd been and the hideous outfit she wore, but there were stronger wafting currents of rainwater and blossoming camelias now that she was nearly naked in his-

"-think, Pop? Earth to Sesshoumaru?" Shippou waved a hand in front of the daiyoukai's face. "Whoa. You were really gone for a second. That bad?"

"Worse," Sesshoumaru admitted, releasing the mugs and rubbing his temples. "The Bond has flared three times this evening alone. Twice in her presence."

"Shit."

"Indeed."

While the youkai made tea and conspired, Kagome walked into Sesshoumaru's spacious bathroom and found a pair of dark jeans, a large cream-colored sweater, and a full change of underwear. As Kagome shimmied out of the thrift store special and grabbed the stack of new clothes, a small note fluttered to the floor. She picked it up and immediately recognized her mother's handwriting.

"Kagome, if you're reading this, I hope this evening has
been everything you hoped. Before you leave, if I'm not awake, please stop
by the house and say goodbye. I have something to give you.
Love, Mom"

Kagome turned the note over in her hand.

'Before I return? Return to where? Not to mom's?'

Alarm bells were ringing quietly in the back of her mind but Sesshoumaru had most definitely brought her here to talk in peace, so maybe he would have answers in the next few minutes. Confused but much warmer and less itchy, Kagome exited the bathroom and pocketed the note.

Sesshoumaru and Shippou were deep in conversation when she walked out with an armful of thrifty clothes and a yawn. Kagome took a moment to appreciate their closeness and her date's attire. Sesshoumaru's new outfit consisted of a black button down, and he was leaning against the counter in a pair of low-riding dark jeans that framed his hips and ass in a way even a sleepy miko could appreciate. His sleeves were rolled up and she traced the lines of his delicate magenta markings with her eyes up from his hands, over his forearms, and around his elbow until they disappeared into the black cuffs. How far did they go?

The two youkai didn't hear her emerge, being too busy arguing to notice. Kagome could only help but hear parts of their conversation as she walked to the kitchen.

"-have to tell her!" "I do not… -it is uncertain…" "Pop, come on!" "-is up to us to determine how-" "No, before she goes-" "-too great a burden! If they die-" "-their mother! Don't lie. Not to her. Not this time."

Kagome was only a few feet away when she loudly and pointedly coughed, startling both of them out of their conspiring. Sesshoumaru resumed gathering mugs for tea but Shippou was less stoic.

"How much of that… did you hear?" the kitsune grimaced.

"Not enough to understand but enough to know you were bickering," she chided, placing her pile of thrift store clothes by the door.

The inu scoffed over the stove. "This Sesshoumaru does not bicker."

"If you say so. Continue whatever you were not bickering about, I'm going to look around some more," Kagome said, turning away from them. Shippou chuckled nervously but turned around anyway to resume whispering loudly to his adoptive father.

Kagome stopped trying to listen in and continued to quietly explore Sesshoumaru's home. There were the traditional touches Kagome expected like the silk scrollwork depicting an inuyoukai family history that spanned an entire wall. It was a richly colored tapestry covered in fantastical imagery of monstrous inu and small details about their violent reigns. It didn't escape her notice that his true form was the last inu visible on the far left where the fabric was cleanly cut and stitched. The end of his line. Her heart dropped. He walked past this reminder every day. For five hundred years.

Moving past the large tapestry, Kagome found herself touching and marveling over each of his décor choices as if knowing his material things might tell her more about who he was and what had happened. On a large built-in bookshelf that abutted the kitchen, there was a collection of mismatched novels and medical reference guides. Knick knacks were scattered throughout the shelves, punctuating the impressive collection with what she assumed were personal memories.

One item on the lowest shelf caught and held her attention: a small, finely-tipped dagger with a plain ivory handle rested in an open, velvet-lined box. When she reached a curious hand forward, the metal instantly warmed, anticipating her touch. When her fingers made contact with the pale metal, a soft chartreuse glow joined the unnatural warmth and the dagger hummed with power. Kagome felt the weapon call to her. It knew her in the same way Tessaiga had known her. But why?

"Sesshoumaru, what is this?"

Silver hair trickled over his shoulder when he turned around to answer her and his ancient golden eyes lit with knowing. "Ah. A spoiler," he said liltingly, "which you requested I not divulge."

"I guess I did. Kinda stabbed myself in the foot there."

"A poignant choice of words, given the artifact, but yes. That blade you will see again, I assure you."

Kagome opened her mouth to ask about the knife again but thought better of it. "Tonight is all about spoiling the future isn't it?"

"Yes and no," Sesshoumaru said, sitting a tray with their refreshments on the coffee table. "Tonight is first and foremost about saving two lives."

"What?! Whose?"

"Calm, Kagome. We will discuss everything in a moment."

"Yeah, and before she falls asleep we should probably get-" Shippou's pocket chose that moment to shriek loudly. A smile lit up his face as he answered. "Hey, babe. -No, she's here. -Yeah, just settling in. I'll call as soon as I'm done. -Wait, what? Akari, we talked about this. – No, I know but- This might not work the way you think. We still don't anything about what really happened. -No, I know. -I agree. It's worth a try if-" Shippou looked over to see Kagome's eyes looking worriedly in his direction. "I'm gonna take this outside, guys. Don't start without me."

"Okay, Ship, but is everything okay?"

"It will be," Sesshoumaru cut in, waving Shippou away. The kitsune nodded gratefully and jogged out.

"If you say so." Kagome rubbed her arms nervously, turning back to the bookshelf. Suddenly, a familiar spine caught her attention. "Wait a minute…"

"Hm?" Sesshoumaru rumbled.

Tipping the volume down from the shelf, she thumbed through it then held the book up with a girlish grin. "This was one of my favorite books. You read her stuff, too?"

"I know it is, and yes, occasionally." His golden eyes glowed with anticipation as he watched her put the pieces together.

"How? These are… And that one too…" She traced an entire row of modern novels with her finger. "Now that I look at them, most of these are my favorites."

"Indeed?" Sesshoumaru said. Kagome could hear his amusement without looking back at him.

"Something's not right here," she chuckled, her sapphire eyes smiling back at him. "Why on earth would you want to read a weird hodgepodge of YA fantasy, romance novels, and posthumous youkai fairy tales? Hardly seems anything like something you'd enjoy - especially when you lived the latter."

Sesshoumaru rounded the coffee table, grabbed two steaming mugs, and walked to stand beside her. Kagome watched him with quiet, curious fascination.

"Like so many subjects," he began, handing her the hot tea, "these records of youkai are a pale but sensationalized version of the truth but your mother mentioned your limited efforts to learn more during your hunts for Naraku. The simplest explanation is that I wanted to know what you knew. Knowledge is power in all things."

"You asked my mother about my favorite books?" Kagome asked curiously, eyeing the shelf again.

"Hm. Time is something I have too much of. Using it to know you better seemed a worthy effort." Guilt welled up in his chest. 'Because I failed to do so the first time.'

"I don't know what to say," she said shyly.

But there was a sadness in the resigned way he admitted this pastime and Kagome understood the implication. He was preparing himself for her eventual return. He had known all along she'd be back, what they would become, and when. Knowledge is power in all things, indeed. The miko found herself turning away from the books and padding back to the large sectional couch, mug in hand and lost in thought. She felt rather than heard him follow. A modern fireplace crackled away in the wall across from them as Kagome watched him sit.

"But the romance novels?" she continued. "Why in all the hells would you read those? Making a study of French kissing and reckless, inappropriate heroism?"

"I did make a casual study of your modern notions of love," the daiyoukai said as he sat down beside her on the couch.

"And how was it?"

"Drivel," he scoffed.

"Ha! I figured you'd hate them," she chuckled again, sipping her tea.

"It seems you learned nothing from them either."

"Ouch," she winced. "Was I that terrible?"

"Quite the opposite actually," he said honestly. "It would seem that you completely ignored the behavior of those simpering, brainless females and cowardly, incompetent males. If we had behaved as those characters do, my mother would have executed us both after the ceremony… and with good reason."

Kagome's mouth hung open for a moment but when his eyes sparkled with mirth, she relaxed back into the plush gray couch with a bark of a laugh. "At least I did that much right, then."

Sesshoumaru's eyes checked the front door for Shippou before he continued. "You did many things right, Kagome. Do not let current circumstances give you doubts. The path ahead is difficult, true, but the result is worth the struggle. In fact," he said more quietly, "even the younger more untamed version of myself is not immune to your relentless affection."

"Why do you say that? What did I change?"

"Me," Sesshoumaru said sharply, "so much more than the Land we ruled."

"You don't sound happy about that," Kagome shivered.

"I thought I was prepared for a Bond with a human – with you. In the months we spent together before the Bonding, I thought I knew your emotions well enough to understand what feeling them would be like. I was very wrong."

Kagome's light giggle made him grin. "I have a lot of feelings."

"More than the stars in the sky, miko. I was not prepared. No youkai would be but that is not why. I was unprepared for the likeness of our emotions. The similarities in the notions I had no name for. Justice, selflessness, kindness, empathy… love. It may be hard for you to comprehend but those ideas had no place in youkai society. You – we – changed that." Instead of the happiness he expected, her scent shifted to a melancholy combination of ash and juniper.

"That is quite a lot to take in." There was a question she needed to ask. Neither of them would like it and she might like the answer even less but the young miko needed to know. "Do you regret it?"

"The novels," he quipped, "were a waste of money and space but a question answered is its own reward." The mug stilled hallway to his lips and Kagome watched. Sesshoumaru understood what she had meant.

"No. Stop being obtuse," she said quietly. "If you had it to do over, would you find a way out? Find a way out of the contract? Stop all these changes?"

"Let me answer your question with a question: Could you excise the memories of Inuyasha from your life, even knowing the scars he would leave you? Can you separate yourself from a presence and a person that has become a part of your very soul?"

"But we aren't Bonded yet so your soul is still all yours. You, the past you, could walk away with it intact." Kagome swallowed thickly but her steel-blue eyes were resolute. "I would leave you alone, willingly, if you tell me that's what you want."

"I know," Sesshoumaru said quietly. "It is not as simple as that anymore, miko." His hand left the teacup and cupped her cheek. Kagome blinked slowly and leaned her face into his palm. "I cannot expect you to understand yet but you will in time. Our fate is tied to so many others. We have much to reconcile. Even without a Bond, I would have preferred to die with you in that cave in the end. Honor dictates that I should have but that is not the only reason. Your suffering is laid at my feet alone."

"How can you say you wished you had died?" Kagome's voice wavered. "If you had, you wouldn't be here now to- to make tea and help me understand all of this. You wouldn't have raised Shippou and been a part of his life. You wouldn't have become someone in a position to help others like you do. How could you not see what you mean to all of them? That man is worth the heartache, isn't he? He's worth it to all of them. He's worth it to me and I barely know him!"

"And now you have answered your own question, Kagome. You have just described yourself," Sesshoumaru said seriously, "I do not regret our Bond, and you and the future of what we will build are worth what pain comes from it."

Doubt and exhaustion made Kagome shake her head to clear her thoughts. "I'll trust you then but I'd understand, you know, if you made a different decision."

A few minutes later, Shippou came back and raised a curious eyebrow at the only parents he'd ever really known sitting together with tea, talking quietly, their shoulders brushing one another. He had missed how this felt, how her happiness flooded a room when they were all together, and it suddenly made Rin's absence all the harder. Shippou steeled himself for the conversation ahead as he closed the door and walked over to the couch. His adoptive mother's laughter echoed in the apartment as he rounded the couch. "Missed the punchline, did I?"

"No, no," Kagome waved a hand, "I was just remembering how ridiculous teenage girls are, that's all. I still can't believe you actually read those books, Sesshoumaru."

"Ah," Shippou nodded, "you must be talking about the romance novels. Yeah, you have some pretty tame tastes, Momma."

"That is not entirely true," Sesshoumaru said matter-of-factly, his amber eyes twinkling back at her shocked ocean blue.

"Please keep that to your- Ah!" the young woman sputtered, spilling tea on her ivory sweater.

Sesshoumaru set down his mug and offered her a napkin from the table, his golden eyes hooded and flashing with mischief. "Spoilers, Kagome."

Desperate for a distraction, the miko turned to Shippou. "Is everything okay? Your phone call?"

"Right! How would you feel about meeting my Mate, Akari?" Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed threateningly on Shippou but the kitsune barreled ahead anyway. "There's something she'd- that we'd like to ask you. We'll explain after we- just after and you can decide then."

"Yes!" Kagome beamed, "I'd love to meet her."

Shippou flashed a relieved smile and grabbed his mug from the tray on the glass coffee table. "Then I'll tell her to come by when we're done. Thanks, Momma."

"Okay," Kagome said resolutely, placing her empty mug on the table and hugging a plush indigo throw pillow. "Now, out with it. Why am I here?"

"Right." Shippou set his full cup down and crossed his legs on the couch. "This is going to take a little time and we need you to stay calm. Keep in mind that Pop's sitting here now, just fine, okay?"

"Yes, I can see that…" Kagome said, suspicion creeping into her words.

"Listen and stay calm," Sesshoumaru said gently. The inu waited for her silent nod and then continued. "About three weeks ago, just as last time, my memories shifted," Sesshoumaru began slowly. "The circumstances surrounding the change, I will explain, but the important fact is this time I awoke to find the curse affecting my youki had disappeared, along with the constant wounds that accompanied it."

"The curse you mentioned at dinner? That's great! Do you know why? I haven't really done-"

"Miko, we have discussed your efforts," he said flatly, "and yes, I have a theory as to why this particular change occurred."

"Okay, fine," Kagome conceded. "You're right. What I'm already doing is obviously changing things but what does that have to do with the curse and with this 'trial' you keep mentioning?"

Sesshoumaru's amber eyes bored back into her wary ocean gaze. "In the past, at this moment, I have already been afflicted with the curse."

Silence.

Kagome blinked once and Sesshoumaru's nose burned as his young Mate's intense emotions diffused throughout the room. Confusion, guilt, and anger were the first and strongest. So many scents and emotions clouded the air and her stormy eyes that it was impossible to name them all. Sesshoumaru was about to attempt to comfort her when Shippou made it infinitely worse.

"Afflicted?" Shippou chuckled, "Sesshoumaru, you were rabid from what Kenshin had told me. Kiku-baachan came to get me after you were healing and asleep so I missed the worst of it. From the way she told it you were a few blows from death by the time Momma saves your ass."

"Kit-" the inu warned, his eyes flicking to Kagome.

Shippou realized a moment too late what he had done. "I mean, it'll be fine once you-" Reiki sizzled in the air and stung his face and neck. "Ah, shitfuck! Mom-"

"Dying?!" Kagome shrieked, stood, and glared at the two of them. "We've been out on the town while you were dying? You idiots! We went out to- I thought tonight was- At no point tonight did you mention anything about- Grrr!" Kagome stopped and pressed her hands to the side of her head. A moment later, they fell to her sides and clenched into fists. Shippou flinched when she raised a shaking hand and pointed at the door. "Take me to the well. Right now!"

"Look, I get it but we asked you to stay calm, remember?" Shippou said, rising to put his hands on her shaking shoulders.

Kagome ignored him to glare down at Sesshoumaru. "The 'trial' is saving your life? That's what you're trying to tell me?"

"It is," he nodded calmly, "Mine …and Ryota's as well."

"Your General?" Whatever ire she was building sputtered and died. "How did he die?"

The inu's face went rigid and his eyes turned cold. "I killed him."

"Sesshoumaru, it was a little more complicated than that," Shippou said sadly.

"Was it?" The inu's eyes hardened and his mouth turned down.

"You kill- Did you mean to?" Kagome asked, hoping she knew the answer.

"No. He was trying to stop me from destroying everything and let his guard down," Sesshoumaru growled, "and it was my jaws that tore him apart."

"Oh, Sesshoumaru… Poor Ryota and Kouji-san, too…" Kagome closed her eyes to say a silent prayer. Her voice was quiet, serious, when she broke the silence again. "Lying and time-wasting aside, Sesshoumaru, if you defeated Ryota-taishou while cursed and weakened, what hope do I have of beating this?"

"Every hope and you do succeed. A spoiler I will share."

"Ill-timed humor really is your forte," Kagome shook her head.

"Right?" Shippou agreed, letting her shoulders go and sitting back down.

"So tell me this," the miko continued, still berating him, "you said there were two trials of both commitment and power. Which is this?"

"Power," Sesshoumaru said smoothly. "As for the other: the evening did serve a purpose, Kagome. It was not deception or pure selfishness that I kept your company this evening. There was much you needed to ask and to know. Now that your fears have been voiced and laid to rest, you are prepared for the trial of commitment as well."

"In that case, I have no choice but to believe you," the miko said sternly, still glowering at the inu, "but you can tell me the rest on the way back to the well! Why is no one moving?!" Her voice cracked as she finished and Shippou stroked her arm for comfort.

"There is time to explain and more information is needed. Sit. Please?" the daiyoukai asked earnestly. Kagome stared at him with a furrowed brow and tense shoulders before easing back onto the couch. Sesshoumaru didn't waste a second and leaned forward, bracing his hands on his knees. "Curing the curse is your task. To understand how to combat it, you need to first know its nature." He waited for her to nod before continuing. "This is a parasitic curse - transferred by an ensorcelled blade - and is an ancient kitsune magic designed to smother, drain, and twist youki to incapacitate even the most powerful youkai."

Shippou cut in. "I've been doing research since back then and can't find any written record of a curse like Sesshoumaru had which means it's old enough to predate daiyoukai and any of their clans. Primal kitsune magic is nearly evil, I'll admit. Kitsune blood magic is gruesome at best and genocidal at worst. We still don't know where it came from but you have to shut it down."

Kagome was growing paler by the second but Sesshoumaru continued. "Like so many other kitsune inventions, this curse plays the youkai against themselves, creating a fissure between our rational minds and our youki. By turning our energies against us, we cannot heal or fight or live." Kagome's hand covered her mouth as she shook her head. Shippou wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder as Sesshoumaru barreled ahead. "The parasitic curse is clever: it grows on its own by using our youki to feed itself, and it cannot be extracted or transferred once unleashed. Eventually, even a daiyoukai will deteriorate into its bestial form in desperation. This buys us time but we are powerless to stop it from the beginning."

"What happened?" Kagome whispered.

"The short story is that an assassin captured Rin, bargained for a fight, and then backstabbed Pop to infuse the curse," Shippou said quickly. "The muddy part is why. That's another change we're tracking."

"A very succinct summary," Sesshoumaru shook his head, "but essentially the truth. Katsurou and my mother aid the fight, but the perpetrator is stolen away before they can meet justice. The injury is grave and, before this new development, over five hundred years passed and I had never recovered my strength. In the past, this meant that the Lord of the West remained weakened and enfeebled in secret, and capable of only minor youki manipulation when needed. The Lands suffer because of my absence, and our territory is secretly divided among humans and other youkai behind my back. The curse would have killed me within a few years if not for our extensive preventative measures."

Her voice was thick as Kagome asked the first question: "How do you expect me to heal something that has attached itself to your aura? To every part of you?"

His pale amber eyes flashed with purpose. "You cannot heal it. You must obliterate it. You must purify the curse in place and leave what is left of my youki intact to ensure I survive."

"But you said the curse absorbs it - smothers it - so how…"

"You must untangle my youki from the curse first, then purify only the foreign energy from my aura."

"That sounds like-"

"Impossible? Sorting lentils from the ashes?" Shippou chimed in. "Yeah, it is. Don't worry though. We've been working on a strategy to help you… we think. Two things," the kit held up two fingers. "You need another daiyoukai to help you 'sift' his aura. The best solution would be to use Ryota's but that's not an option by the time- Never mind. Next best choice is using Kikuko's youki in tandem with your reiki. With it, you can create a bubble of sorts between your auras to protect his youki and purify the corruption. Kikuko can surround Pop's aura, and you can purify the rest."

"That sounds complex," she said, rubbing her eyes. "Can you show me?"

"Yes," Sesshoumaru cut in. "We will show you the method as soon as this conversation is over."

"Second," Shippou continued seriously, "Pop needs to be still for this to work, he's seriously injured, and he's lost control of himself so it won't be easy but we figured out how to pin him down while you work."

"Lost control? Pin him down?" Kagome frowned and Sesshoumaru shifted closer on the couch to place a hand on her knee.

"There is more." His thumb stroked her leg. "First, understand that I approve of this method only because of the dire circumstances, but also my physical and emotional recovery from this curse and these methods we will teach you may take time and patience on your part." Sesshoumaru squeezed her knee once and then retreated across the room, opening a drawer. The sound of wood scraping filled the tense silence and he turned back around holding a small, dark wooden box. Something rattled inside when Sesshoumaru sat down on the couch and faced her. "You will remember," he said slowly, opening the box, "the kotodama."

Kagome scooted away and shook her head. "I can see where this is going but… there has to be another way."

Sesshoumaru sat the small box on the coffee table but left it open. "Can your barriers withstand my bestial form? Can you maintain one large enough to hold me and disentangle the curse from my aura at the same time?"

"No, no one could." Her eyelashes fluttered with resolve and understanding. He was right.

"Short of sealing my body into a state of suspended animation, there is no way other than this."

Kagome covered her mouth and sighed. Her voice came out small and guilty as her shining, ocean eyes met his. "You're going to hate me. Not just need my patience. The past you is going to- to want to kill me for this."

"I will not. Do you think me some beast incapable of discerning necessity from malice?"

"Well, no… but you don't even like being circumvented. That much I am keenly aware of. You don't like it when I order ONE of your soldiers around, Sesshoumaru. Never mind putting a literal collar around your neck!"

"It will take time but I understand the need. More importantly, I believe I am healed of the curse because I choose to give the kotodama to you now." His eyes bored into hers, willing her to understand. "I awoke healed the morning after I resolved that, uncomfortable as it was, this was the best way to deal with the kitsune's curse." Sesshoumaru opened his palm, asking for her hand. "I have put aside my pride to give you this chance to heal the curse and reclaim my strength. In doing so, I believe we take another step forward to saving your life."

Kagome slipped her smaller hand in his and squeezed. "But I'm still… not alive in your timeline."

"No, but there are many more decisions to be made going forward. This is only one."

"We think," Shippou said warmly, "that each small change we make gets us closer. This time, because you nix the curse, Pop is healthier. Stronger. Able to protect you. Next time, the changes you make might mean our enemy is weaker or you gain more allies. There are any number of moving parts that could turn the tide."

"Wait-" Curious and tired sapphire orbs probed Sesshoumaru for the truth. "You made this change." Realization lit her eyes with hope. "It's not just the things I have to do differently, is it?"

"It is not," Sesshoumaru said quietly. "Through this and centuries of self-reflection, I have come to understand that fault lies on both sides of our Bond and always has. My hope is that if we right our respective wrongs, we are allowed another chance to live. Together."

"You mean if you fix your issues, and I fix mine, nothing goes to hell?"

Shippou chuckled. "Yeah, something like that."

"One more problem, though," Kagome said, rising from the couch again and pacing the room. Sesshoumaru watched her, his head tipped slightly to the side.

"And that is?"

"You want Kikuko-sama to help me…"

"Yes, and?"

"Your mother hates me?"

Shippou laughed aloud again. "Ha! She hasn't been around to see you yet but trust me, Kikuko does not hate you."

Sesshoumaru scoffed. "My mother is one of your biggest supporters, Kagome. I cannot say why or when it happened because my mother is evasive and willful but trust me, she will help you."

"If you say so…" she mumbled, rising from the couch. "Now, can you please take me back? I have to go. You know I do. You can show me how to sift auras at the shrine."

"Agreed," the daiyoukai said, grabbing the wooden box and striding to his bedroom. "Shippou, gather what you need." Sesshoumaru flung the French doors to the balcony open wide and took a deep breath of the cold night air. "We will travel as before. There is less time to waste."

Shippou jogged into one of the other bedrooms and Kagome heard drawers slamming and papers rustling. He hurried back to the balcony doors and held out a hand for Kagome. "Come on! You can ride with me this time!"

"As long as you watch your speed," the inu warned, slinging a small bag over his shoulder.

"I know, I know," Shippou shrugged. "I'll take it easy."

"Please do. Apparently, I'll need all my strength as soon as I go back," Kagome said in a frustrated tone.

Sesshoumaru tugged the fluffy sky-blue jacket tighter around her shoulders. "Your strength is immeasurable and I am glad for it. Are you warm enough?"

"Yes, are you?"

"I will be fine," he said simply, turning to Shippou. "To avoid-" His eyes flicked to Kagome. "-delays, you should conceal us."

"Can do, will do, Pop." Emerald eyes flashed with power and Kagome's vision of the balcony wavered like a hot sidewalk in the summer then he caught Kagome's eye. "Watch this." A moment later, Shippou chuckled darkly and disappeared into whorls of foxfire. The beast that replaced him was a magnificent nine-tailed kitsune with piercing green eyes, wild russet fur, and dangerously sharp fangs. Kagome only rose to the top of his shoulder and the great fox looked down at her with a cat-like grin. "Ready?" the fox Shippou growled.

"So you finally figured out how to transform?" she grinned.

"Very funny," the kitsune rolled his eyes and buffeted her with a tail, "Yes, I can fully transform. Wasn't so hard once I figured out I had to be less human and more youkai to get it done." Sesshoumaru scoffed and Shippou cleared his throat with a flash of deadly teeth.

When he lowered himself to make it easier for her to climb on, Kagome leapt onto his back and hugged his powerful shoulders. "You're amazing, Ship."

With an appreciative yip and one great leap, the fox leapt and galloped into the clouds above the city and Sesshoumaru gracefully followed, his eyes scanning the ground and the air around them. Kagome knew the inu was scanning for attackers, though he hadn't elaborated at any point on who or what they might be now. Shippou was enjoying bobbing through clouds and swinging around the antennas of skyscrapers before Sesshoumaru growled loudly enough for even Kagome to hear. The kitsune sped up, straightened out, and made a beeline for the Higurashi shrine. Shippou felt her hands tighten in his fur as the lowered toward the ground and the shiver that he knew had little to do with the cold. There was time for playing later. There was work to be done now.

…

In Edo, in the past…

Ren paced the perimeter of the well and sniffed again for any sign the old wood would spit Kagome out. The grass was wearing thin beneath his boots and the leather bindings around his left arm were beginning to chafe his elbow. Damn this arm. Damn this quiet, peaceful night. Damn this assignment.

"Damn it all," he swore again, bracing his right hand on the lip.

"Cursing at it will not hurry her back," a male voice called out, chuckling. Miroku breached the hill with his usual and casual swagger. "Trust me, we have tried."

"Not now, monk," the young inu growled.

"Not now or the previous two days either, Captain. Sango was quite angry that you did not come down for dinner so dinner is delivered to you." Miroku closed his eyes and his shoulders slumped as a gentle smile lit his face. "Kagome will return when she returns. Not when you want her to, mind you, but she always does."

Ren shook his head at the human man as Miroku passed over a covered bowl with hot stew in it. The sensei Kagome spoke so highly of had revealed himself over the past few days to be little more than a lazing monk, even if he was a devoted family man. Yet, there were moments when the human knew exactly what should be said, exactly how to calm the storms of the heart and mind. That was a kind of wisdom too, Ren decided.

Shoulder-length black hair and oddly reflective, unique violet eyes peered down into the empty well. A night breeze fluttered the hem of the monk's pale blue yukata and rattled the rings of his shakujou staff. Somehow, Miroku's knowing smile was pissing Ren off even more than his Lady's absence. The monk and slayer were in the dark about why he was so antsy for Kagome's return. Kikuko-sama had been more than explicit about how Sesshoumaru-sama's condition was to be kept quiet.

"Thank you for the food, but how can you be so sure she will ever return?"

"Has anyone ever told you the story of the final battle with Naraku? Sesshoumaru would not have volunteered, I imagine," Miroku chuckled.

Damn his inu curiosity. The monk knew exactly what he was doing.

"Damn it all. I need a distraction, Miroku-san, so I will bite. How did the battle with the evil hanyou end?" Ren sat down and spooned stew into his mouth, grinning at the warmth and care Sango-san's food always seemed to have.

"This story eventually has a happy ending, Ren-taii, and it will help. When the final battle was all over and the evil hanyou lay dead, we began to celebrate our victory. Kagome, my Sango, Inuyasha, young Shippou… we were celebrating as more than friends, but Fate likes to play with our family in the cruelest ways…"

The night wore on as the monk delivered the details of the years of waiting for Kagome to return and how the village was rebuilt, and how Inuyasha was never really in the moment but always casting his eyes up this hill. Ren knew how Inuyasha had treasured his wife and in turn told Miroku how Inuyasha had told their story to him in the small grove outside Niigata. The monk grew quiet and listened, nodding and once or twice wiping a stray tear from his eyes, and before long Ren found his own eyes growing tired and his soul soothed from worry.

"I have visited his grave a few times since coming here," the Captain admitted. "He was an honorable inu, powerful and loyal. I would have been proud to call him a friend. He did not deserve his end though I could not see another way."

"He would not have told you that story if he did not consider you a friend, Ren." Miroku sighed and stared up at the stars. "Inuyasha was many things but vulnerable, or talkative, was not one of them. He must have seen something he liked in you."

Ren stayed silent and thought, absorbing this new information. That he'd had a friend he never really knew. Maybe the first of his life. "I suppose she will not return tonight."

"I think you are right. Would you like to stay with us?"

"No, thank you, but I promised Kagome-sama I would watch over her house."

"Very well. Then I bid you goodnight."

"Sh- shall I come back to the shrine tomorrow? I did not finish repairing the roof today."

"Please do," Miroku inclined his head. "You are always welcome."

…

Back in modern Tokyo…

The Higurashi family shrine would always be her first home. Through a thin veil of clouds, Kagome could see the dark forests atop the tall hill that shielded the cluster of dilapidated buildings from the modern city all around. A winter breeze ruffled the tops of the ancient trees and Kagome inhaled deeply as Shippou dipped lower toward the shrine courtyard. Warm light spilled onto the gravel outside the kitchen and living room windows. The well house and the grounds were dark, as they should be so late at night.

What time was it now anyway? Even Souta's bedroom light was off and her grandfather never stayed up past nine o'clock or so. Kagome realized she never let her family know whether she would be back tonight. It was a moot point, however, since Shippou was landing in the front yard.

The night was quiet but for the crackle of cold branches and the morose call of the occasional owl. Everything was as it should be… except that her mother was now standing in the doorway with a sad smile and a laden backpack. Kagome felt Shippou transform behind her but it was Sesshoumaru's gentle hand on her shoulder that told her this was not a coincidence.

"Momma?"

"Kagome," her mother said solemnly, "welcome home… I am told you may need this."

The young woman looked up at Sesshoumaru over her shoulder and there was solemn resolve in his eyes as he affirmed the need. "We have prepared Higurashi-san for this. She knows what must be done and the risk."

Kagome understood his implication. "My knowing was the last piece of the puzzle, wasn't it?"

"There is no puzzle. We have had years to prepare while you have had only hours. Your mother was informed shortly after we left this evening. A trusted ally delivered the information and helped pack you to leave."

It was then that a silken voice she'd heard only once called from within the house. "Now, pup, there is so much more to the tale than that."

"Kikuko-sama?!" Kagome startled. Reiki danced on her fingertips as her feet shifted into a defensive stance on instinct.

Sesshoumaru growled and Shippou coughed into his hand, trying to stifle a laugh.

"Dear, such formalities died with the West. And you," the graceful inu rolled her eyes at her son. "Oh, Sesshoumaru, really. Stop growling. If our Kagome wishes to learn to meld our energies, who better to teach her? I did as you asked. You were right: Mariko is lovely company." She smiled back at Kagome's mother. "I gave you boys all evening but now it is my turn. Come, Kagome, we have much to discuss."

Kagome held up her hands and backed away as four pairs of eyes watched her reaction. "Wait, the 'ally' was your mother?"

"Little miko," Kikuko sauntered closer and captured the young miko's gaze with her own intense golden orbs. "Hear me: I have been your ally since this night in our history. I will teach you what you must know to save the West and my son's life, for they are one and the same. I have watched the ages creep by without your light to stave the darkness and wished I had done more." Kagome backed away a little more as Kikuko continued to purposefully walk toward her, framed by a halo of the bright porch light beyond. "This One has the chance now, tonight, and you must succeed. Too many lives are at stake."

A low growl stopped the Lady in her tracks and Sesshoumaru stepped in her path. "Mother, do not speak of more than this trial. Our timelines have changed. There is no predicting the future anymore."

"I hear you, Sesshoumaru, but she should know what to expect when she meets you in the West." Kagome stopped her silent retreat and looked up as the Lady Mother rounded her son. Long, silver hair waved in the cold night breeze and a proud face that hadn't changed in five centuries smiled gently down at her. Kikuko laid her hands on Kagome's shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze. "Relax and begin to trust me, and what I say. We must work quickly tonight. A new version of your armor has been upgraded and is prepared for you in that pack. Eat well and rest on the journey to the West. You will need every ounce of strength to save them."

A couple of hours later, Kagome sat heavily on a stone bench in the shrine yard as sweat dripped down her neck. A bottle of water appeared in her vision and Sesshoumaru gave her a pointed look.

"I need sleep, not hydration," she growled.

"You will sleep on the way back to the West, I assure you. Drink."

"That was better, dear," Kikuko chirped from nearby. "You almost struck him that time."

Shippou rolled his shoulders behind Kikuko. "Nah, never got close. You're gonna have try harder to get past my false curse."

"The fundamental problem is that I don't want to hurt you." Kagome took a huge swig of water and rose from her seat. "There's something missing," she thought aloud, "My reiki knows your energy too well, Ship. It naturally welcomes you. This isn't helping."

"I must agree with your clever Mate, Sesshoumaru," his mother chimed in, "I think it would be more effective to simply focus on blending our power, miko. Then, at least, that sensation will be familiar to you." Kikuko watched Kagome's eyes flick nervously in her direction as the elder inu stepped closer, and she felt pangs of regret for their past. "Come. Take my hands. Let your reiki learn your ally."

Kagome's eyebrow did its best impression of Sesshoumaru's dubious gaze. "Are you my ally?"

"I am," Kikuko said with an air of finality. "Focus your power, surround mine, and I will do the same. Now, listen and continue to thread our energy together… Listen only to my voice and my youki. Let me tell you a story, young Kagome, of a mother and a miko…"

…

Back in the past…

Ren and Miroku had strode away from the well and halfway down the hill when a roar split the night and rattled the forest. Ren's eyes went wide and fixed on a glowing spot in the sky.

"What was that?" Miroku demanded, raising his staff.

"My Lady Kikuko…" he said slowly. "But why is she here?"

"Who?"

"My Lord's mother, Kikuko-sama," Ren said respectfully.

"Sesshoumaru's mother?!"

Miroku planted his feet and brandished his staff, calling a barrier against the massive youkai aura. The same towering inuyoukai landed on the hill and stared down her snout at the human man before her. A rough growl made the hair on his arms stand on end and must have been a demand for information because Ren ran away from the well and bowed respectfully before rattling off why he was here.

A cloud of pale gray youki erupted, hiding the beast from view, and an impossibly beautiful woman strode from the mist. A woman who looked exactly like Sesshoumaru with a few extremely notable and feminine differences undulating beneath her robes. Ren fell in step behind her as naturally as breathing and continued to deliver his report.

"Thank you, Ren," the lilting female voice called over her shoulder, "and who is this?"

Golden eyes narrowed and Miroku was speechless for the first time in a long time.

"I am- I- They call me-" he floundered.

"Is he always so loquacious?" Kikuko opened her ebony fan with a flourish and sighed aloud, the weariness of the situation and the long sprint from the West beginning to sap her energy. "I do not have time for slack-jawed mortals. Tell me, human: where is the old miko?" Kikuko frowned at the frozen human. "Be quick!"

Miroku startled back to life and quickly bowed. If this daiyoukai was Sesshoumaru's mother, respect was the wise choice. "Kaede will be sleeping at this time of night, Kikuko-sama, but I will wake her. Ren, would you please show the Lady to the shrine? I will rouse Kaede and meet you there."

"No," Kikuko commanded, looking back at the Captain and ignoring Miroku completely, "Ren, I must see the old miko now. Take me to her."

The two inu shared a look that told Miroku that more was going on than a pleasurable visit to Kagome's honored teacher. Without another word, Ren nodded and started down the hill. Kikuko didn't spare Miroku a glance as she folded her arms and stepped gracefully behind him. Both youkai were surprised when the human sprinted past them and stopped in the road with his arms spread wide.

"I will lead the way, then," Miroku suggested quickly, dropping his arms and planting his staff.

Kaede was not without power of her own and Ren had proven himself to be trustworthy, but the old miko would be asleep and defenseless at this time of night. A great inuyoukai was more than enough of a threat to garner his protection and suspicion. As they passed his house, Sango peeked her head out and Miroku merely shook his head and narrowed his eyes. Sango nodded and slipped back inside. Miroku swore he heard the rasp of Hiraikotsu being hefted down from its bracket above the door. He grinned with pride.

The odd party reached the old miko's hut in a few more minutes of painfully silent walking. Upon waking her, Kaede was as groggy as Miroku thought she'd be but when the inudaiyoukai darkened her doorway, her ample aura flooding the room, Kaede was up and grabbing her bow with impressive speed for so old a woman.

"Demon! Leave this village at once!"

"Calm yourself, old one. I mean you no harm," Kikuko said with a tired sigh. "I come on behalf of the miko Kagome's intended Mate, the Lord of the West."

"Sesshoumaru?" Miroku blurted.

Kikuko's golden eyes narrowed on the unassuming human. "You dare address him with so little respect?"

"Once you have spilled blood together as we have, such respect is understood, Kikuko-sama," Miroku said seriously, then chuckled, "though Sesshoumaru- Sesshoumaru-sama, I mean, might think differently."

"Hm. Indeed," the Lady considered the male a moment longer before flicking her hand, "but enough! I have need of your power, human."

Kaede coughed with the rasp of deep sleep and stood as tall as her old frame would allow. "I do not assist demons in their conquest, youkai. No matter how noble they believe them to be. Your son must fight his own battles."

Miroku shivered as a cloud of youki solidified into a barrier around the house. Kaede looked up and around but scowled at the inudaiyoukai standing in her home.

"The battle he fights is for his own life," Kikuko growled, "The life he once risked to save this village. Do you still refuse me?"

"Sesshoumaru is dying?" Miroku gaped.

"Hm. And losing his fight. A curse afflicts him which separates him from his youki. Without aid, he will die."

A single black pupil opposite a clouded gray one considered the female demon from across the room. "How would ye use this old miko then?"

"I would command you to seal him until such a time a cure can be found."

Ren gawked and shook his head. "No! No, my Lady, you cannot be serious!"

"Silence!" Kikuko roared. "I will not hear such disrespect, Ren. Be still."

Ren grunted and bared his throat for her, backing back into the corner of the room. "Yes, milady. Forgive me."

Kaede watched the exchange then sat by the dying embers of the fire and sighed heavily. "I cannot help ye, I am afraid," the old woman admitted. "Not many years ago, I had the strength but it wanes with the many years of my life."

"What of Chisato?" Miroku asked from the doorway, thinking of the young initiate. "She possesses the knowledge."

"But not the power," Kaede said sternly. "Few do. My sister did. Our Kagome does, but no others that I know of."

"Kagome-sama is our only hope?" Ren said sadly, turning to the other inu. "How dire is his need?"

"Ryota's strength, and a day or two at most, are all that stand between my son and the veil of death."

"No…" Miroku and Ren muttered together, both glancing back at the hill where the well sat dormant.

"Why do you watch the forest?" Kikuko barked.

Ren and Miroku shared a look. Ren spoke first. "Milady knows some of Kagome's story but not all."

"Oh, for kami's sake, is that the portal to her homeland? That crumbling well?" Her fan flicked with irritation. "Males are as dense as granite sometimes."

"Ye- yes, Kikuko-sama," Miroku stuttered, "The Bone Eater's well is the portal to Kagome's land."

The Lady Mother wilted, already plotting another possible solution. "If she is indeed our only hope, we may be too late to-"

The great inu was interrupted as power flooded the hill and everyone in the small house fixed their eyes on the dark well. When light began to glow from within, Kikuko felt her knees go weak beneath the voluminous kimono. The only weakness she let manifest. These humans didn't need to know how dire their need was. Ren was less reserved in his relief.

"Fuck!" he barked, sprinting out of the house and back up the hill. "Kagome!"

"Thank the kami," Miroku said quietly, dashing out behind him.

Kikuko paused in the doorway, watching the two males sprint away, and cast her eyes over her own pale, exposed shoulder back to the old miko. "Can she save him? The most powerful daiyoukai our clan has yet seen? Is her power enough to overcome him?"

There was a slow but firm nod of the elder's head. "I have known them both. If your need is so great… If not her, no one, but," Kaede said seriously, "she will need your support, Lady. Make no mistake: the power of the kami lives in that girl but beside the tempest lives a woman, young and vulnerable. You must nurture one to have benefit of the other."

This old bat was asking her to mother a miko. Fate was an ironic bitch, but the elder miko made sense. The inu herself had sensed the power and the fragility in Sesshoumaru's future Mate. The power to challenge him and the fragility to truly awaken him to the gifts and power born of love. It irritated Kikuko how well matched they seemed to be as time wore on. But still, stifling her own feelings toward humans would take time. Time Sesshoumaru did not have. The young human herself was not at fault and for now, that would have to be enough. There was time to seek reconciliation with her history with humans after her son's life was saved.

"I hear you," was Kikuko's simple reply.

"Do you?" Kaede gruffed. "Do any of you? Does that self-righteous son of yours know the power he wields in her?"

"Careful, old woman," Kikuko growled.

"Caution is for those with something to lose, youkai."

"That is why I am here," Kikuko said haughtily. The inu narrowed her golden eyes and lifted her chin. "I wish to lose neither of them in this fight but Sesshoumaru's death is assured if she cannot bring him back to himself."

"Then tell her so. Her strength comes from her heart. You can bolster it for the fight ahead with honesty and courage."

Kikuko snorted… but reconsidered. The truth was enough? The second strongest inu alive turned in the dusty doorway and lifted her chin. "I hear your council, old one. If she saves him from this curse, the miko Kagome will have my support until the end of her days." Cat-like golden eyes glowed in the dark and fixed on a frail old woman whose breadth of spirit matched her own. "I swear it."

"Then the blessings of the kami and this old woman go with you. I will pray your son lives to overcome this curse for both of their sakes."

"On that we can agree, old one." Kikuko stepped out into the night, spied the odd group coalesced at the top of the hill, and prepared herself for the long night ahead.

…

In modern Tokyo…

The shrine yard illuminated with the combined powers of a great inu and young miko. Sesshoumaru shielded himself from the waves of purity emanating from Kagome but Shippou simply stood nearby and watched. Ghosts of jealousy bloomed in Sesshoumaru's mind as he watched her power roll over Shippou with affection while whorls of her aura pressed against him like pedestrians on a crowded street. They did not yet know each other - not truly, he reminded himself - but they would soon enough.

Kikuko finally finished her story, released her iron grip on Kagome's aura, and stepped away. Tears were slowly dripping down the young miko's face and Shippou rushed forward to hug her with concern in his emerald eyes. She didn't fight his embrace but stayed very still.

"You spoke with Kaede for his sake? To seal him like Inuyasha had been? Was it that bad?"

Kikuko nodded solemnly. "It was, and yes, I did. I would do it again if need be," the inu said honestly, "but I will not have to. Even I do not fully understand what power you used that night because I am unfamiliar with the gifts of the kami, but know that I will help you until my last breath. Take comfort in that if nothing else."

"I would but the version of you in the past has never even spoken with me. I find it hard to believe that one visit to Edo changed our relationship so completely."

Kikuko chuckled knowingly. "If your kit was in danger, would you care who came to your aid as long as he survived?"

Kagome's sapphire eyes narrowed with guarded suspicion. "Maybe not but I might care what they wanted in return."

"You begin to think like a youkai, girl," the Lady Mother chuckled.

"You didn't say I was wrong, either. And what payment can I demand?"

"You may have anything you wish, I assure you, but the greatest gift the West has to offer has already been given to you. You have only to reach out and make it your own." The young woman's eyes flicked over to Sesshoumaru then away. Kikuko smiled. "You will know what to ask when the time is right, I'm sure," Kikuko said honestly. Kagome opened her mouth to ask more but the great inu held up her hand. "Now, we blend our auras once more and then begone with you."

Mariko watched from the porch as Kagome gritted her teeth and shook her head before stalking back to her place opposite Kikuko. Shippou appeared at her side as a warm and gentle presence. The Higurashi matriarch rubbed her arms as she watched Kagome and Kikuko begin to amplify their power for the tenth - eleventh? – time that night. "She's- she's so much more than I realized."

The kitsune smiled warmly. "Yeah, and Momma was like this when we hunted Naraku, too. She wants to help so she gives. Too much." Mariko looked up to see his emerald eyes turn sad with longing. "At the end of this, I promise we'll give back. Forever. Until we're all dust." He finished quietly but Mariko heard the adoration and sincerity in his voice. "She deserves it." Shippou left her there and jogged over to the two women as they released their power and the world went dark again. The kit hugged Kagome's neck and nuzzled the top of her head. Sesshoumaru walked over and laid a gentle hand on her lower back, offering water once again. Kikuko stepped away and joined Kagome's mother near the house.

"Will she be okay?" Mariko asked quietly.

Kikuko frowned and crossed her arms. "The future is never certain. We have named this a 'trial' and so it is. Our memories and my revival are proof that events are never written in stone."

"I worry for her… but you mentioned that you watch over Kagome? In the past?"

"Of course. At first, it was out of suspicion, then curiosity, and finally affection. I hope that timeline will accelerate now that we have a stronger position in this battle."

"I wish there wasn't a battle at all." Mariko's voice wavered with emotion. "Kagome's been fighting for so long."

"As have we all, Mariko. There will always be another battle." Kikuko's eyes grew unfocused and warm as she watched Sesshoumaru and the kit fuss over the sleepy young woman who swatted their meddlesome hands with a huff. "Perhaps not against rival youkai or curses or an idiotic Mate, but always another battle. I am not her mother but our combined support may yet turn the tide in a centuries-long war waged invisibly by youkai all across the land."

"What war is that?"

"The war against time and change. Kagome defies the former," Kikuko flashed a fanged grin at her cohort, "and accelerates the latter. You should be proud of her."

Mariko smiled a watery, knowing smile and met Kagome's blue gaze from across the yard. "I am."

The miko left her companions with a gentle "Give me a minute…" and walked over to her mother. "You okay?" Kikuko placed a warm hand on Mariko's shoulder before quietly stepping away to speak with the two youkai staring holes in Kagome's back.

Mariko smiled gently and nodded. "I will be," she said, grasping her daughter's hands. "Promise me you will come back and let me know you are all right."

"Of course, Momma," the miko said gently. "Though you might know before I do since," she gestured to the cluster of youkai by the well house, "their lives may change before I can make it back."

"I suppose that's true," her mother chuckled. "Please try to be careful, Kagome. I keep hoping, each time we send you off through the well, that this is the last time."

"I thought it was but every time I get to see you all is another gift." Kagome stepped into her mother's arms and hugged her. The moment stretched until a voice broke the silence.

"Kagome," Sesshoumaru called, reaching out his hand. "Are you ready?"

"Let me change first," she nodded, "then I'm ready. Shippou, come with me?" Kagome started walking to the house and grabbed the backpack from the ground.

"Okay…" the kitsune said warily, glancing at Sesshoumaru. When the inu turned and started for the well house, Shippou shrugged and strode into the house. "What do you need me for?"

Kagome called from the small bathroom downstairs and Shippou followed her voice through the living room. "You said you wanted me to meet Akari but this doesn't seem the right time. Can I meet her next time?"

"I'll just tell you what's up if you have a minute."

"Sure. It's gonna take me a second to get into this thi- Kami in heaven, the zipper is amazing! This is so much easier…"

Shippou chuckled. "Thought you'd like that." He swallowed and then began again. "What I wanted to tell you – ask you really – was to help Akari's siblings." Kagome paused dressing at the solemn tone of his usually cheerful voice. "You see, there's a day coming this summer when Chinatsu and Akari visit you in Edo. They stay for a few days and then head back home. Now, Akari doesn't know why they visit you but when they get back to the village, all of her siblings had been murdered." He heard his mother gasp through the door.

"Why? No one can get into the village. The kits should all be safe. They should all be untouchable."

"It didn't happen in the village. Daichi-sama had taken them out into the forest to teach them to hunt when a band of monks attack them and murder the kits. Daichi-sama survived but he was scarred and eventually died from the seals they placed on him."

"How awful… So what would you like me to do?"

"If you can, visit the village in the spring and warn them all. Make sure they have guards watching the forests for humans before the summer. Tell Daichi not to take the kits from the village. Make up any reason you need to. Chinatsu lost five kits and a Mate because of one attack. Akari lost them all too. This is my one selfish request."

Kagome stepped out of the small, modern bathroom like a shadow trimmed in indigo. The slayer's armament highlighted the hard work his mother had done over the summer. Lean muscle trailed her once-emaciated body as she stretched in the improved suit. The reinforced leather creaked with newness and the plates covered more of her shoulder and her legs than before. The sash that hung around her waist had been replaced with a wide band of pale silver and amber silk that housed small pouches for her seals and tools. She tapped the toes of the knee-high black leather boots against the floor and settled her weight. Her hair was gathered away from her face with a silver cuff but left long down her back. The staff, he knew, was still back in Edo and she would need it.

"How do I look?"

"Ready to kick ass."

"Sesshoumaru's ass," she chuckled, then grimaced at her own dark humor. "Shippou, you know I'll do everything I can to help your Mate's family. I have no idea how any human could have gotten past Daichi and a village of kitsune but it must have been terrible to have led to his death. You both have my word that I'll do whatever I can to stop it from happening."

His relief was visible. Shoulders slumped and the shine of gratitude lit his eyes. "Thanks, Kagome."

"Akari's family right? Pack is pack, Shippou. I'll do whatever I can."

"Whoa. Living with the dogs is really getting to you, huh?"

"I'm sorry," she grinned, "who is it that has innumerable children with an inu grandfather?"

"Nice try but I've been youkai my whole life, my Lady." He opened the front door for her with a flourish and a bow.

"Oh, stop," she chided, jogging into the moonlight. "I'm not a Lady."

"Not yet," Kikuko chimed in from near the well house. "In time, little human."

Sesshoumaru met her eyes and slid the well house door open as she and Shippou made their way across the yard. Her eyes swam with uncertainty and resolve. Kagome's mouth was no longer smiling and her chin lifted with determination. Her aura swelled to twice it's normal size and crackled with power. The inu knew that countenance well. His young Mate was preparing for war.

Mariko embraced Kagome briefly then stepped away. "I've said what I needed to say. Come back home soon, Kagome, okay?"

"I will, Momma. I promise."

Kikuko handed her the back pack and laid a hand against her cheek. "You are strong, miko. The West is at your mercy. Your future home requires salvation at your hand and we will stand with you to deliver it."

"I trust you. I'll trust them, too," she said, thinking of Ryota and Ren and everyone else that might be there. "Thank you."

Shippou bear hugged her from the ground. "You never stay long enough," he whispered into her hair, "and I have so much to show you here. Come back soon, okay?" His voice broke over the last word and her heart clenched. She hugged him tighter. "If not for me, for Pop," the kit said, releasing her and clearing his throat. "He gets so grumpy when you leave him alone."

Her hand palmed the back of his head. "Love you, Ship. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Kikuko shoved the kit away and down the stairs. "And now we must leave them alone, little one." Mariko waved goodbye once more and turned around to walk back in the house. "Yeah, yeah… I know…" the kitsune grumbled.

The night was suddenly deadly quiet and dark. Kagome looked into the depths of the well house and then over at Sesshoumaru. The glamour was still gone and his eyes glowed in the late night. He blinked once and then again, then turned and walked into the dark shed. Kagome followed, slinging the backpack over her shoulder.

It was darker than she anticipated inside and at the bottom of the short stairs, Kagome threw her arms out to feel for the well and bumped into a warm, solid chest instead.

"Ah! Sorry, I was trying to-"

"I know."

The silence was suffocating her. What could she possibly say?

"Sesshoumaru, I wish I didn't have to leave-"

"I know."

"I'll come back as soon as I can-"

"I know."

"Is that all you can say?"

"Without betraying my duty, yes."

"What duty?"

He sighed. She couldn't see it exactly but felt the press of his aura against hers, savoring their last few minutes together, and then Kagome heard him lean against the well. "The West, my life, and your future all depend on your return and success in the West tonight."

"I am aware… and?"

"It is my duty to send you through this crumbling artifact to the past and yet," he rumbled in the dark, and wood creaked as Sesshoumaru lifted himself from the well, "against what I know is the correct course and against my own common sense, I wish you to stay." A warm palm pressed against her cheek. "Forgive my selfishness. You should have returned sooner. However, these few hours may not make a difference in the past but holding you, feeling you warm and vibrant again, is a gift I will treasure until the next time we meet."

Soothing reiki enveloped him at the same time she did; rocking forward on her feet, past his gentle hand, and nuzzling her face into his chest as her arms encircled his waist. "Don't make it sound like this is goodbye. Today was wonderful and you were right: I needed to make peace with you and this shift in our relationship. I'm ready now. To face the trial and to face you as your future-" She swallowed thickly but Kagome lifted her chin and her ocean eyes bored into his ancient gold. "-future Mate," she finished. "Trust me to do this. I won't stop trying to change the fate of the West. I swear it."

She felt the deep rumble of his chuckle as they held each other. A clawed hand rose and brushed a wisp of dark hair from her cheek. "I trust you implicitly. Be wary when you return to the West. Now that the flow of events has changed, we cannot predict next steps. Keep your allies close and share what you find with your advisors. Use the tools you have been given to decloak this new villain. We will help when we can and share more when you return." He hesitated then and a sad shine glossed his amber eyes. "Save Ryota from me. He did not deserve to be betrayed by one he called 'brother.' Even if you must injure my youkai form, save him. My instincts tell me he is critical to the survival of the West."

"I will try," Kagome said quietly, hugging him once more. "Now, I really should go."

"Yes. Return when you can. Your spring and summer will be busy, I assure you," he said mysteriously.

"Keep your secrets then. Somehow," she grinned back from the edge of the well, "it's still the autumn I'm most worried about."

Sesshoumaru walked over the well and caged her with a feral grin, bracing his arms on the dry wood. "It is not worry but anticipation you feel, Kagome, as you should. I envy him the many hours of carnal worship the autumn brings."

Embracing her new self-confidence where this male was concerned, Kagome leaned forward and brushed her nose against his. "Maybe I can convince him to share." The swell in his aura and bleeding crimson of his eyes told her the comment struck home. Before he could recover, Kagome laid a gentle kiss against his cheek and leapt onto the ledge, crouching like a cat. "Until next time, Sesshoumaru."

"Until next time, Kagome."

The miko dropped into the well and crouched low. Her reiki exploded in the small space and the sky-blue light shone like an icy sunrise in the dark shed. Sesshoumaru shielded his eyes against the sudden brightness and then it was gone. She was gone.

And now, just as he had for the last five hundred years, he would wait.

...

AN: See? I haven't forgotten it. International move, more classes than I should have taken in one semester, etc. Hope you all feel it was worth the wait and let me know what you think! Next time, the battle begins and the West is forever changed...