Chapter Five: Orphans
Edo Period, Kyoto
The Honnoji temple was on fire, which meant that Oda Nobunaga had just been assassinated—forced to commit suicide—and the ribbon of her history was progressing in the right direction in spite of her tentative involvement. Although, it was a bit earlier then she'd expected. The surge of infantrymen wasn't supposed to arrive until much later that evening. Every history book she'd ever read had painted the siege in the romanticized darkness of predawn.
After falling through the well, Kagome's interest in history—previously her second worst subject in school, falling right behind algebra—had sparked with newfound necessity. The desire to learn more about the era that she had found herself indentured to had sown the seeds of knowledge and her grades had been all the better for it. In that one class at least. Not that school grades held a flicker of meaning between clashing blades hundreds of years before the final high school exams that she would never attend.
The knowledge, on the other hand, the names and dates of the events and figures that paved the path to the modern era that she knew, loved and missed oh-so-desperately, could have made history a malleable putty in her hands. She could have taken Akechi Mitsuhide off the chess board months ago, which would have saved countless lives. But it also would have done irreparable damage that would have brought about an uncertain future.
No, she meddled as little as possible; aiding in battles she knew were to win to ensure that the outcome remained cemented and strong, keeping an eye on the important events. Being witness to time and playing the role as fate keeper—Guardian of the Realms maybe, kind of, whatever—was both thrilling and empowering. She was a flea riding on the shoulder of her nation's narrative.
Small changes were inevitable, be them brought on by the influence of her pack or the creative license of historical authors, but she did her damndest to see that they progressed as intended.
She'd been about to infiltrate Akechi's men to perform some minimal damage control. The civilians of Kyoto were not the target of the coup, but any rowdiness by overzealous samurai could have resulted in injuries.
But destiny had other plans for her.
The Priestess scanned the shadows lying stagnant among the trees. Her unbound ears swiveled towards every ghost of sound, seeking further danger. Yet the forest was stripped bare. The distant ruckus and smoke of the fire had sent even the birds flying.
"You're alone?" She stated incredulously.
Surely the boy standing before her wasn't the same Kagami as the man targeting her in the future. There must have been an older Kagemono lurking nearby with the same name—the man that she had been preparing herself to face.
But no.
There were no others.
They were just children.
Stiffness fell from her shoulders. The girl held tight under her arm kicked and squirmed; the tinge of fear threaded itself through Rin's pine-tree scent. Kagami—kidnapped Yukina, injured Keiko, future psychopath and portal jumper, Kagami—stood shaking like a feral animal backed into a corner. His eyes flickered to his friend nervously, every emotion played out on Shippo's features in full technicolor, making them even easier for the kit's surrogate mother to read.
The real Rin scrambled to her feet and tried to lunge at the boy posing as her best friend, but Kagome caught her upper arm to hold her at bay.
"Wait." The Kitsune warned quietly.
"But Kagome! They attacked us!" The girl's Glamoured black hair was a disheveled mess hanging in front of her dark eyes, wide and frantic with the adrenaline still flowing through her blood. The false pup's struggles slowed before tapering out completely.
"Yeah, they did." Kagome took a slow, deep breath and leveled her hardened gaze at the little boy once more. He straightened his neck. "But they can see that they're outmatched now. It wouldn't be right to attack him. They've already lost." Her look dared him to say otherwise.
Kagami growled, but took a timid step back.
"But Shippo—!"
"Shippo is fine." The mother absently stroked Rin's short hair as reassurance, her eyes still trained on the boy. "He's knocked out, but his breathing is strong and steady, can you hear it? He'll be okay."
Reluctantly the preteen nodded, lowering her hackles.
The Priestess shifted the Shadow Beast under her arm; Kagami's eyes followed her every movement. The captured girl was panting. The muscles in Kagome's tail itched to flick and twitch, but she trained them still.
"I'm going to let you down and we're going to talk, okay?"
There was no response.
Gently she lowered the girl's feet to the road and untangled long strands of silver hair from her fingers. The moment her hold released, the young Kagemono swayed like a newborn lamb and fell to her elbows. Her chest heaved with heavy lungs. Only then did the Black Fox notice the sweat beading on the brow of Rin's mirror image.
"Hansha!" The diminutive Kagami cried. He jumped forward when she landed on her side in the dust. As soon as he was out of the direct path to Shippo—the real Shippo—Rin took the opportunity to sprint across the road, switching places with the boy. Toru joined her to check on the young Kitsune.
Kagome bent down to touch Hansha's forehead, but the barred teeth of Kagami made her pause.
She knew that she should have felt a smidge threatened, or at the very least she should have handled the situation with more delicacy, but she couldn't bring herself to. Not while he was wearing her son's face.
Shippo was about as threatening as a butterfly.
"That's enough of that!" Kagome scolded, using a matronly voice that would have made Mrs. Higurashi proud and her little brother tremble. "I'm not going to hurt her, so you need to chill out!"
He flinched away, startled.
"She's burning up... How long have you been alone out here?" When he bristled she added, "When was the last time either of you had anything to eat?"
Thoroughly chastised, Kagami wrapped tiny fingers around Hansha's forearm and tried to pull her away from the Kitsune's hold. "You're nosey. That's our problem, not yours. Let go of her!"
Kagome bit her lip. She wanted to change the future, which had originally meant keeping Kagami on her good side once they met... But the situation wasn't what she had expected; it was nothing like she had been planning for. He was a child. They were children. Kagome couldn't not interfere, not when she felt so bad for them. Not when they were wearing the torn and grubby clothes of street urchins.
It was decided before Kagome even really thought it through.
She was going to take it upon herself to make sure that they were off the streets and safe.
She was going to save them from the dangers of being alone in Ninjinkai.
She was going to intentionally change the future.
She was going to royally piss off a certain Youkai Lord by adding two more mouths to their pack.
"I'm making it my problem." The demoness said as she pulled the girl away from Kagami and into her arms. Hansha didn't protest, the last of her fight used up on grappling Rin. Her breath rasped and wheezed. "I'm taking her back to the hotel with us. Rin, can you carry Shippo?"
The pup nodded slowly.
Panic rose from the Shadow Beast when Kagome's power crackled to the surface so that she could weave a Glamour. it was one of Rin's, with shoulder length brown hair. Reusing a familiar weave was much quicker than creating a brand new one. And the girl already had Rin's body, which made it even easier. Nothing needed adjustment.
"Don't take her from me!" The little boy cried when his friend's image changed for a second time. He pulled frantically at Kagome's wrist, but he had no leverage. "She's mine! You can't take her! She'll be fine with me! It'll pass—it always passes! I need her!"
The knowledge that the girl's attacks were a routine thing worried Kagome even more.
She rounded on him. "And who said I was taking her away from you? You're coming too."
"But—!"
"No buts, mister! We have a room in the city where you can get some rest and eat a warm meal. I don't know why you're on your own out here, but you're really lucky that you made it this long, you know? It's dangerous, even for adults. There's an army in the city right now, and if any human saw you running around like that they'd start a hunt!"
Kagami looked back at the horned demon mask he'd dropped. Shippo's growing ears weren't going to be hidden behind that at all, let alone the tail touching the ground behind him.
The demoness didn't know the extent or specifics of the Shadow Beasts' powers. All she knew was that they had to touch their target to copy a form, but for how long? Could they switch between previous forms at will? Did they collect powers independently, or were they tied to the individual form? If the development of his abilities were anything like the kids in her pack, then he was still at an awkward and mostly unpredictable phase. That made him much easier to chew.
It also had the potential of making him more volatile.
Like when Rin had gotten mad and accidentally cut down a heavy bronze fire bell with a blazing arc of Youki in that village that they could never go back to again.
Kagome needed to be a bit more cautious.
With a deep, refocusing breath, the Fox dismissed him. Forcing him to go anywhere with her would have the opposite effect to what she needed to happen. "Alright, guys." She addressed her other kids in a firm voice. "Let's go."
Rin and Toru followed like ducklings when she turned to walk away back to the uneasy disorder of Kyoto's city streets.
Kagome paused when they were nearly out of the grove and Kagami hadn't moved from his spot. She spun to look at him and her expression softened at what she saw. There was agony and anger waging war behind green eyes. He looked lost and confused. Fight and flight reflexes were at odds, tying his feet to the ground where he stood.
Only fear kept the darkness inside of him at bay.
"Look." Kagome sighed. She wanted so badly to help him. "I won't force you to come with us. But your friend needs help and I can do that. I promise. You're more than welcome to come along to make sure I don't break my word."
It was better to give him the ghost of a choice than to uproot him against his will.
His face shadowed when his eyes fell to the ground.
"But that's a human city." Kagami wavered. Tiny hands crept to touch the points of his ears.
"It is, but there's food and shelter there. I can help you blend in with them if you let me. Can you play pretend?"
That ruffled his pride. "I don't play." He growled. "I become whatever I need to be."
"Great, well, right now you need to be human. For her—for Hansha. Can you do that?"
For a minute he studied her, scrutinized her like an ant. The gaze was so eerily similar to his grown self that it sent a shiver down the length of her spine. Kagome ignored it. After several long, drawn out heartbeats she turned away from him once more.
If he followed, perfect.
If not, that would be alright too.
So long as Hansha was in her care, she had a connection to the little boy. There was still time to reel him in.
It only took about twenty steps before the Priestess's tall lupine ears caught the patter of paws running to catch up. She kept her face stern, holding back her smile when the Kagemono planted himself like a boulder in the path before them. The two theater masks were clutched tight to his chest.
"I can do that." He declared. Matter-of-factly he added, "I don't trust you. But Hansha is more important than me."
Kagome met his steady stare, hardened by the protectiveness that he felt for his only packmate.
She nodded. "Then lets get going."
It was time to fix things.
═══════════════ 犬夜叉 X 幽遊白書 ═══════════════
Much to Kagami's dismay, Hansha had jumped at the opportunity to join Kagome and the others when the invitation was extended to them after they'd started looking a bit less like starving street rats and more like kids.
Finding medicine to sooth her asthma attack had won the Kitsune quite a few brownie points and the girl had agreed that there was safety in numbers. Having adults around and vigilant meant far fewer sleepless nights for the two of them taking turns keeping watch.
Since she was the older of the two and their elected leader, Kagami didn't have much of a choice in the matter.
A month had passed since that day in Kyoto, and the kids were still trying to find their footing among the Foxes, Dogs, and Birds. Introducing them to Sango, Miroku and theirs had been a feat; they'd masqueraded as human innumerable times, but had never actually held a full conversation with one. The little boy followed Hansha around like a shadow—pun not intended, though Kagme had laughed when Shippo pointed it out—and usually let her do the negotiations and small-talk when it came to mortals.
She shared quite a bit about her life within her Shadow Beast clan, but never about the events that lead to their abandonment.
They were orphans. Book closed, end of story.
Nobody pressed them on the details.
At camp and away from civilization, Kagami got along surprisingly well with Rin and Toru. Then again, the Priestess hadn't told them about the Shadow Beast from the future.
Shippo avoided him like the plague itself.
He seemed like a normal kid. He played in the woods, lamented collecting firewood, and took every opportunity he could to go swimming. He loved smelt, but wouldn't touch mackerel with a fifty foot pole. His obi was always loose and crooked because he hated feeling confined and he was easily annoyed by itchy socks. Kagome occasionally found him pushing boundaries to see just how far she was willing to yield to him, which he quickly learned wasn't very far.
The only real unusual thing about either of the Shadow kids was the masks that they never seemed to take off.
Kagami clung to his like it was his only life raft. They both did. They were masters at eating with them on and they didn't even come off when they bathed or at night when the two laid down to sleep.
Sometimes Kagome wondered if they even had faces under there...
Slowing in her chores, the demoness surreptitiously peeked over to the young Shadow Beast girl, scrubbing her new magenta Hakama while Rin and the twins chattered over their work further downstream.
Hansha was a bit taller than Rin in her real body, with skin so pale that her blue veins sprang visibly to the surface every time she became angry or excited. The back of her head was smooth and hairless, her neck thin. Physically she was delicate. The Noh mash showing the painted face of a young girl with smooth black hair parted at the center was weathered from years of daily use.
Curiosity itched like a tick at the base of the Priestess' neck.
Kagome realized that her hands had stopped working and she was staring. With so many people in their pack and growing—Sango and Miroku were eagerly trying for their fourth child—it wasn't often that she found herself alone with the little girl, so there may not have been a better time to ask.
"Why do you wear that?"
Hansha looked down at her hands then at the kimono she was wearing before she looked up.
"Wear what?"
"The mask," The Fox demoness pointed to her own face. "You take it off when you shapeshift, but never when you're you."
"Oh, right." Hansha must have blushed. She rubbed at the rosy lobe of her barely pointed ear. "I forget that I'm wearing it. All the adults wear these. We don't have to, but my father said its good practice to get used to it." She paused for a moment before explaining. "Adult Shadow Beasts that show their face too often become sick and lose themselves, so I keep it on. It doesn't need to be on all the time, but we do it without even realizing. It's just something we do."
"Just instincts?"
"Yeah, probably."
Kagome's eyes widened with understanding. "Like how Inu need to fight to keep their heads on straight."
The girl's face pinched with concern. "Do they? I would hate to see Mr. Sesshoumaru with a crooked head." Kagome had to bite her lip to hold back her laugh. Hansha continued. "I never had the chance to meet many other types of demons, so I don't know much about them. I was always with the clan. Kagami might know more. I think we're the only ones that use masks. Kagemono, I mean."
It was their urge.
From how she described it, it made perfect sense. Dogs needed battle, Foxes needed touch, Birds needed open space, and Shadow Beasts needed to hide. They didn't need to wear the mask when they were shifted, because their true face was already hidden behind someone else's.
After wringing out her pants and laying them in the baskets of clothes to be hung beside her, Hansha reached up to slowly untie the cord holding her Noh mask in place. "The strap broke last year, so I made a new one. See?"
Blinking, the Priestess took carved wood when it was handed to her, but her focus was locked on the sudden reveal of the girl's small face instead of the mask.
She wasn't just bald; the Kagemono had no hair to speak of. No eyebrows, not even lashes to rim her eyes.
Eyes that were large and black.
No.
Shizume's eyes were black. Toru's eyes were black.
Hansha's eyes were the absence of color and light. They had no sclera, no whites whatsoever as if she were wearing blackout contacts. It should have been unnerving, especially when the young demoness smiled to reveal an extra set of too-sharp canines. But the awkward legginess of her youth nullified the effect.
She was far from some of the ugly beasts that Kagome had seen. In fact, she was quite handsome with petite button nose, high cheek bones and round lips sure to be the star attraction when she filled out into adulthood.
By the looks of the Shadow girl age-wise she had just started her breed's puberty, which meant that soon enough she would need that mask for real.
Hansha fidgeted when the scrutiny lasted a bit too long for comfort.
"See?"
Kagome jolted and looked to the mask in her hands. "This! Right! You made this?" The flat cord was woven tightly with a consistency and skill that took patience and years to master. Kumihimo braids were easy to overlook in the modern era, but in the past they were a fine art with countless uses.
"That's really impressive, actually. How did you learn to do that?"
When the girl grinned one of her upper canines stuck out from her lips. "Mrs. Mae taught me! She was an artisan before my father hired her to be one of my teachers. I should have paid better attention, though. This is the only pattern that I remember."
The mask felt heavy in the Priestess' hands.
"What... happened to Mrs. Mae? To your father?"
Hansha's grin fell, her gaze dark gaze dropped to the braid that Kagome was twisting between her fingers. Her forehead furrowed.
She was easy to read. That made things easier.
The Kitsune hadn't wanted to ask any sensitive questions before, since it was sort of hard to judge the mood of a wooden face. Sure, she could smell the subtle shifts in their scent, but sometimes emotions changed faster than they could leave an impression. Pushing too hard was a risk. Building their trust was more important than answers.
Mine fields were easier to navigate when you could see the trigger switch.
"They disappeared with the castle." The young teen supplied slowly. "Kagami and I are all that's left of the main clans."
Kagome tested the ground.
"What castle? When the realms split?"
The comers of the little teen's mouth pulled taut as she breathed through her nose, avoiding Kagome's eyes.
Ah. That was the switch.
"This pattern," Hansha redirected before her new guardian could. She reached over to touch the Noh mask and its cord as if looking for a counterweight to regain her balance. "It's called a tortoise shell, not that you can really tell. I know it the best. When I jumped to more difficult patterns before I was supposed to, Mrs. Mae made me do the tortoise shell over and over again as punishment."
Kagome smiled and let the other subject drop away.
"Why all white? Usually these cords are bright and colorful, aren't they?" The Fox asked as she handed the mask back. The straps were white with subtle cream hexagons.
Hansha nodded, tickled. That was just the question she wanted to answer.
"It reminds me flower petals. We had this one flower in the garden that was really big with blossoms shaped like long bells. They made my room smell like summer."
"Lilies?"
"Yes! There were orange ones, too, but the white ones—"
"They're my favorite!" Both demonesses exclaimed at the same time.
The young Kagemono blinked when Kagome snorted and soon they were both laughing. Her face quickly turned red with joy.
"We only had one." She said after they settled. "But someday I want to plant an entire field of them!"
Blue eyes went wide before filling with warmth.
"That's a great idea, Hansha."
════════════════ With Reason ═════════════════
"Wake up."
Hansha groaned, swatted away the hand shaking her hip and pulled her blanket up to her neck.
"Wake up." The younger boy's voice repeated in an urgent whisper. "We need to leave."
Pulled from the comfort of her dreams, the young teen rubbed the sleep from her eyes and blinked up at the harvest moon hanging fat and heavy in the sky. Across the campfire from them sat Sesshoumaru, propped up against a tree and dozing silently with his sword against his unarmored shoulder. Kagome was on the ground in front of him, curled around the Dog's daughter and her own kit, sleeping deeply.
For the past week, the two demons had trained throughout the night and they'd finally given in to their fatigue. That left Shizume on patrol. She'd left early that evening with Toru so that he could learn the rounds. They would have been miles away.
The young teen rolled over to face the one responsible for disturbing her. "It's the middle of the night Kagami, what's wrong?"
He looked over her to the sleeping demons and lowered his head. "We can't stay here any longer. It's not safe." The tremor of his voice gave away the emotions that he kept hidden behind his horned Mazoku mask.
At that the Shadow girl sat up and touched the mask lying beside her out of habit. She wore it less after having that conversation with Kagome, but still kept it close.
"What do you mean?" She asked, making sure to keep her voice quiet under the crackling of the fire's embers. Although, she had a pretty good idea why her friend was panicked and ready to run like a rabbit.
"Kagome and the others, they're the Shikon group." He explained.
Hansha swallowed, her ink black eyes dropped to the ground. "I know." She admitted to him before he could continue. "I found out around the end of spring when they were celebrating Matsuko and Tsuru's birthday. I overheard Kagome talking with the humans down by the river about the anniversary of the fight."
Ten years, they said it'd been.
Ten years since the world had been flip turned upside down and told to adjust.
Ten years since she lost her life of luxury as the clan leader's daughter and was thrown into the wilds with just a handful of children and the shirts on their backs.
Kagami pulled his hands away. The mask on his face was always scowling, but that didn't hide his hurt from her. "You knew? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I knew you'd freak out. Like you always do." She gestured to the packed satchels that he had placed at the foot of her blanket. "Like you're doing right now."
"They killed Naraku." He hissed under his breath, checking the status of the sleeping adults again with a twitch of paranoia. When they didn't stir he continued, his voice cracking. "And because of that—"
"'I have a bad feeling about that Spider." The girl interrupted him. "'They shouldn't trust him. He's up to no good.' You told me that, remember? And you were right. You have the best gut instincts of anyone I knew. But you go haywire when you're upset." She grabbed ahold of his shaking arms to drag him back down to earth before he was too far out of reach. "Kagome would never intentionally hurt us."
The preteen boy searched her eyes for the lie, but all he saw was the reflection of the dying fire.
"Do you really believe that?"
Her grip tightened when she nodded. "Yeah. It's what my gut is telling me. Our chances really are better here. We've already lost the others. Please don't make me take the risk of losing you too..."
"Hansha. . ." She didn't resist when he took back his hands to wipe away the tear that betrayed her calm to roll down her check. If there was one thing in that strange new world that Hansha could still rely on, it was her best friend's protective streak. Even in a panic he would face down wolves if it meant keeping her tears at bay. "They couldn't shift yet. It wasn't your fault. You'll never lose me. I'm strong for my age. And I'll get even stronger. We can survive together, away from here."
With a frown, Hansha pulled the smaller boy into her arms.
"But I like it here." She said, ignoring the stiffness in his shoulders and resting her chin on the smooth of his head. "I'm happy here."
It was a strange pack, but being with other children again soothed the raw spot on her soul. Kagome, a den mother through and through, went out of her way to make sure that they felt comfortable and included. And being around Shizume, with all of her courtly knowledge, was like having her beloved teachers back.
Even Sesshoumaru, always cold and stern and flaunting his lordly airs, reminded her of her father. "If I stay, will you stay here with me? Even knowing who they are?"
He was silent for a long while, but she didn't need the words to be spoken to hear his answer.
Of course he would.
He followed her on even her silliest whims—had stayed by her side when a powerful Kitsune woman spirited her away into the unknown.
Instead of confirming what she already knew, Kagami simply stated his mind.
"I don't like this."
═════════════ Inuyasha X Yu Yu Hakusho ═════════════
One by one Kagome lifted decorative clay roof tiles from the shipping cart and tied them off into smaller parcels. She and Sesshoumaru wouldn't have cared if they'd gotten the plainest shingles on the market, but their resident Sparrow had insisted that they be embellished with the Mon of the lnu Youkai's noble clan; the stylized trio of narcissus blossoms encased by six sided tortoise shells that adorned his kimono for the longest time. Shizume believed that it was important for them to keep the symbolism of the Western house; it was a mark of pride that unified them as a collective and not just a ragtag group of demons wandering without a purpose.
She said keeping a familiar visual would be beneficial if they ever wanted to rebuild the House and recruit others that were lost like Kagome suggested.
The matching motif on the gold buttons Kagome kept from the army jacket she'd been given in the future told her that it stuck.
After years of camping, moving from inn to inn and crashing on Sango and Miroku's spare futon, the Kitsune recognized their need for a space of their own. Kaede had given her the hut in the village when the elder had gotten sick, but the tiny room could do little more than store their personal effects. So they mapped out a plot of land in the outskirts of lnuyasha's forest, as far from the village as possible, and started building.
After all of the additions that he had built to his own sprawling home, Miroku was quite the architect and a huge help since none of the villagers had stepped up or offered their hand.
A clatter of wood made the Priestess look up.
"I'm okay!" Shippo called as he fought to regain control of a heavy support beam from the pile of timbers he'd just tripped over.
He nearly had it back on his shoulder when Sesshoumaru walked by and casually picked it up, lifting the growing fox kit with it. The redhead swung his bright green boots over the beam and laughed—his biggest accomplishment that year was the ability to fully hold his human form and he had celebrated by buying a dozen different boots and sandals for his humanoid feet.
His tail dragging along the ground quickly became a target for Kirara to stalk as she nudged her four year old charge along, trying to teach the silly human child to hunt.
Rin followed closely behind them carrying a fussy infant.
"Hey Rin, Chiyo's gums are bothering her." Sango called down from the top of a thin scaffold at the top of the manor's unfinished frame. Kagome wasn't the only one with superhuman mom-hearing. The ex-slayer wiped sweat from her brow before brushing her hands on dust covered Hakama. "Could you get the wooden ring from my bag so she can chew on it?"
"Yes ma'am!" The silver haired preteen called. "Can you keep an eye on Tourai, Kirara?"
The old Nekomanta mewed in response, winding herself between the boy's feet.
Toting bundles of unfinished planks for the floors, Miroku and Shizume followed Toru to where they needed to finish laying them in what would be the great room.
That was one of Sesshoumaru's additions that Kagome hadn't been able to talk him out of. It wasn't as if they were going to be entertaining the Shogun, or many others for that matter. At least not anytime soon. To be honest, the floor plan was a bit of a mess. Bits and pieces of the three adult demons were scattered haphazardly throughout. Sesshoumaru's great room and dojo, Shizume's tea room and oddly placed alcoves, Kagome's close-to-modern kitchen layout and unconventional bathroom. It felt more like an art project than a residence.
But it was going to be home.
"Are you not embarrassed that your wife is working harder than you?" The tall Youkai woman asked the human beside her with a ruffle from her tan wings.
Miroku laughed and gently laid the planks close to where they had left off. "I have no reason to be. Her balance is far superior to my own, so she is better suited for the job." He beamed with pride before the expression fell to his more promiscuous nature. "And, naturally, Sango is far more attractive when she's disheveled and out of breath." His words rang loud and unabashed. "Her hard work brings me a great deal of joy."
A planing block fell from the sky and landed on his head.
"I'm so sorry, darling. " Sango yelled to him, sounding not at all sorry.
Kagome laughed and tied off her last parcel.
Across the clearing that would soon be their courtyard, she caught sight of the two Shadow kids talking. Hansha was carrying a jug of water from the brook, but the boy at her side was noticeably empty handed.
She could fix that!
Besides, there was something that she'd been waiting for the right moment to talk to him about.
"Kagami!"He jumped when she called out to him. "Can you help me move these if you're not busy?"
His steps faltered, but only for a moment before he continued walking as if he hadn't heard her speak. Unfortunately he wasn't very good at keeping it cool around the fox and his legs were far too stiff for a natural stride. The taller girl huffed and grabbed the collar of his robe to stop him. Only after she'd scolded him in clipped whispers did he turn to acknowledge the Priestess.
He made his way over to her like a dog being pulled on a leash with its tail between its legs.
Kagome didn't give him the chance to back out or protest; she lifted a bundle into his arms the moment he was close enough. Then she grabbed two for herself and led him across the mess of building materials.
With an easy, gravity defying movement aided by a swirl of Youki, Kagome stepped up onto the raised deck platform without jostling the delicate pottery. Her unbound hair swayed around her hips when she turned to see if the little boy needed help.
"We can put these in your room until we need them." The demoness said once he'd scrambled up and readjusted the heavy parcel.
"My room?" Kagami strained to lean around his shingles so that he could eye her skeptically. "You're building me a room?"
"Yup. Everyone else already agreed to bunk together and I figured that you would appreciate having your own personal space." She explained. "I want you to have room to grow without anybody stepping on your toes. A place you can go when you and Shippo get a little too hot-headed." They stepped over the mostly finished bones of the floor. She paused in what was going to be a hallway towards the very back of the building. "Shippo and Toru will be sharing the room across from you. Hansha and Rin asked to take that one at the end of the hall. This one," she stepped into a rectangular space and set down the clay tiles. "—is yours."
Kagami followed her slowly into the space. it was on the small side—four tatami mats at best—but it was more than big enough for one preteen to call their own.
"Yours is the only exterior room of the three, so you'll have a sliding door to the deck. But that doesn't mean you can just sneak out in the middle of the night, you hear me?" She points to her ears, her tone stern. "I'll know if you do."
The Kagemono's mask turned down to stare at the floor, his ears burned red.
Kneeling down in front of him, the Priestess offered him a gentle smile and straightened his sash.
"Kagami," She started. "You always tell things as they are and I've never heard you lie. You're a really smart kid and a pleasure to have around. I want to make sure that you know you can talk to me if something is ever bothering you. If I've done anything to make you upset, please let me know so I can fix it."
The din of construction continued around them as he stood in silence. Kagome let her primping stop when he shook his head and sniffed. His thin, sickly pale hands clenched until he finally gave in and pulled down his mask to smudge away the dew in his eyes with the heel of his palm. Kagami shook his head again before looking up at her. He didn't smile. His eyebrow-less forehead was pinched with a grimace, and those abysmally black eyes shimmered in the unfiltered daylight.
"You're... not a bad priestess." He said before the demoness's concern could start to grow. It made his skin itch. Kagome smiled when he added "I won't leave."
"I'm happy to hear that." A handkerchief appeared from the sleeve of her green clover Kimono and she used it to catch a tear that was traveling down his sternly straight nose.
Her careful treatment made him flush. His feet took a step back.
"Let's get back to work." Kagome said before he could duck back inside his shell. They were making pretty great progress and she didn't want to push her luck. She stood and brushed away the sweet cedar sawdust clinging to her long fabrics. "If we get done early today, I'll take you with me to catch dinner. I'm feeling quail tonight." Opting against the theatrics that she usually used to invite any of the other kids out for a chance to run, Kagome kept her tone neutral. "We could make it a fox hunt. Think you'd be up to that?"
Fox hunts, as Kagome had wittly coined them, were an opportunity for her and the kids to spend some time together one on one where they could be themselves and drop all bindings restricting them. Under her supervision, she allowed them to run rampant with their powers. Far from human villages they played games like extreme hide and seek or waged energy dart nerf wars—harmless, of course. It fine-tuned their motor skills and helped them to come up with creative solutions when their unique breed abilities or skills didn't quite fit the standard job description. For instance, Shippo wasn't able to disguise his demonic energy on his own yet, so he often created clones to use as decoys to confuse the seeker as he made his way to the safe zone.
Then, when all was said and done and they were exhausted from play, the real task began: finding dinner in the forest that they had just disturbed with their displays and ruckus. It forced them to work harder and rely less on luck. Great training for not just the kids, but for Kagome as well.
One great thing about the separation of the of the Demon Realm was that they could do things like that, could flaunt their energies, without fear or threats lurking behind them.
Well, they ran into a Priestess once. That was interesting. But the girl was so undertrained that she hadn't been able to recognize their Youki as demonic. Most holy warriors had done as Miroku had and retired from the profession years ago.
It was like Halloween without the razorblades.
Kagami was the only one of the kids that hadn't been on a hunt with her alone yet.
The scrunch of the Shadow Beast's brow fell away, but his expression was quickly hidden by his horned Mazoku mask. The moment it was secured into place he shifted into Shippo's slightly shorter form—about as tall as a seven year old human child. He was always more comfortable in a body other than his own.
With a hesitant flick from the redhead's too-long tail, Kagami nodded.
He would go hunting with her.
Baby steps.
══════════════════ Tsarashi ═══════════════════
"Do you know why Kagome only used bows given to her by another priestess and not just any bow from the village?" Miroku asked as he led Shippo to the shed behind his home.
"Probably because they were gifts?" Shippo suggested. His arms crossed behind his head.
He liked helping the once-monk with chores. It gave him the male bonding time that he craved. It was just so much harder to joke and banter with Sesshoumaru. He basically had the sense of humor of a rock with teeth. Toru was usually glued to the side of one of the women or girls, so 'guy-time' wasn't his forte. And Kagami...
Well, as far as the Kit was concerned, the further away from Kagami he was, the better.
There was something off about that kid and it wasn't just that the Shadow Beast had basically knocked a building on him in the future, either. He just couldn't put his finger on why.
"And they were always fancy, but not gaudy fancy. They suit her."
"Hmm." The human hummed. "While those are both very valid points, there is another factor that influenced her preference, whether she realized it or not. Had you ever noticed—back when she was human—that Kagome's purity was always more powerful when she used one of Lady Kaede or Lady Kikyou's bows?"
The little Kitsune thought about that for a moment before replying. "Yeah, she'd fizzle out when she used a random one. I figured it was 'cause she wasn't comfortable with the ones she found lying around."
Miroku nodded. "While it does help immensely to have a bow with a grip and draw custom tuned, it's actually their material that makes them special. You see, each of the bows and the arrows that Kaede had provided had been crafted from the limbs of the Goshinboku. They held a portion of the God tree's spiritual energy." He stopped at the outbuilding and turned to face the demon boy. "When your powers are still young and growing, they can be amplified using a sacred or demonic object."
Shippo perked when he understood. "Like the Tetsusaiga?" He asked.
"Exactly like the Tetsusaiga. The sword made Inuyasha's own Youki stronger until he had grown to match the power of the blade. Any strengths that he had achieved beyond that were all his own, but it was thanks to the demonic qualities of the sword that he had been able to advance so quickly in the beginning of his journey."
The apothecary opened the door to the shed and disappeared into its shadows. Items that had cluttered over time clanked and shifted as he moved them to the side. His voice echoed off the wooden paneling. "Your foxfire is still developing and it will be several hundred years until you are able to use it at its fullest potential on your own.
There was a jingle of metal. Shippo stepped away from the entrance to let Miroku join him outside once more. Cobwebs clung to the man's unbound, scruffy black hair.
"Which is why I think you will benefit from holding onto this."
Shippo stared at the gold monkstaff resting against Miroku's shoulder. It had been the guy's only companion for years before joining the shard hunting group. Had been his weapon of choice before even his talismans. The dust coating it did little to diminish its worth and sharp electric energy.
"I-I can't take that!" Shippo stuttered. It was iconically Miroku; he couldn't imagine a Miroku without it, even though it'd been a couple years since he'd actively carried it around. The boy searched for reasons to refuse the bladed staff. "It's too big for me!"
The father of four laughed. "You'll grow into it."
"Its a holy object. I have demon energy, remember?"
"Items embedded with sacred power do not discriminate between the energies of their users the way demonic items do, unless they are protected by a barrier." He spun the staff before sticking it out for the Kit to investigate. "See? Barrier free."
"Isn't it like a family heirloom, though?"
"All the more reason that I would like for you to accept and use it, Shippo."
"But you have kids." The little boy argued indignantly. Surely it should continue to be passed down the family line, right?
With a patient sigh, Miroku squatted down to meet the flustered Kit eye to eye. He laid the metal staff across the tops of this thighs, rested his elbows on it, and laced his fingers.
"The laws of this country are changing." He explained slowly in his best and most soothing dad voice. "People are no longer allowed to own weapons, unless they are a part of the warrior class. I stepped down to the merchant class because I'd already seen more than enough fighting to fill the pages of a lifetime. Now, if I am caught in possession of this, I will be punished by the law. It is a risk that I am no longer willing to take. This isn't something that I can easily disguise as décor, like Hiraikotsu."
"It needs a new owner, however I couldn't possibly let it fall into the hands of a stranger. It must go to somebody that is close to me, who I love and trust as much as my own children. Someone respectful of its history who can grant it a future with purpose. It needs to be someone who will benefit from it, Somebody who lives outside of the law. You are that someone, Shippo."
"But!" Shippo scrambled. Embarrassment tinged his cheeks scarlet. "I don't know how to use it!"
Miroku slapped his thigh and grinned. "I may be getting old, but I'm not completely useless! I fully intend to train you as long as I am able!"
The little redhead rolled his eyes. "You're not old, Miroku. You don't smell crusty yet." His humor sobered when he eyed the monk staff one more time. The wind sent the metal rings around the blade dancing and chiming.
"But... its too big for me." Shippo repeated mournfully. Would he even grow tall enough to even wield it in Miroku's lifetime? The guy was still pretty young, but small demon's growth rate wasn't looking promising.
The ex-warrior grinned, sprang to his feet, and then winced when his knees cracked. At thirty-five he was just beginning to feel the strain he'd put his teenage body through, but that didn't damper his spirits. He dug back into the shed and emerged with a stick much shorter than the staff. Only, it wasn't just any stick, it was a firm branch stripped of bark with a metal plate strapped to one end—a parody of the golden staff in miniature.
"Would this work?"
Shippo couldn't help but snort at the cob-job.
All it needed was some of Mrs. Higurashi's aluminum foil and they could use it to talk to aliens like in that movie he'd watched with Souta. The Kit fell back in the grass when he couldn't contain his laughter.
"How cruel!" Miroku pulled the mini staff back with dramatized pain. "I worked hard to create a perfectly balanced replica and you wound me!"
Shippo propped himself on his elbows and pointed at the disk. "Does Sango know you took her mirror!?"
"Of course not. And she will likely be gray by the time she goes to search for it, so I do believe my life will be spared."
"Sure, Sure!" Shippo let himself fall back into the wind swept grass that hadn't yet been cut down that month, his arms spread wide. He smiled. "So... when do we start?" As an afterthought, he added. "Master Miroku."
The smaller than average staff disappeared in the grass beside him with a dull clang.
"Right now, if you do not have any other obligations."
The little Fox blinked.
"You already know I don't. You asked Kagome to let me help you with chores today."
"So your schedule is free then? Wonderful! Let's get started!"
═══════════════ 犬夜叉 X 幽遊白書 ═══════════════
On a foggy autumn night, after a particularly grueling session with Miroku that made his upper arms feel like jelly, Shippo yawned as he made his way back to the not-quite-little manor through the dense trees of Inuyasha's forest. They met twice a week at the clearing by the river not too far from Miroku's home while their usual spot was under construction—the new head priest of the village was having a shrine built around the Bone Eater's well to seal it away. He wanted to prevent any demons from using it as a portal between the worlds.
They couldn't have, of course. But none of them had the heart to tell him that.
The villagers seemed to be in high spirits again since he came to settle there and Kagome had a suspicion that the priest was an ancestor of her family, so they kept their distance to avoid messing up her family's timeline.
As the little Youkai went along the familiar path, small noises caught his ear. The muffled crunch of a leaf, the brush of a branch, the light patter of wooden sandals.
He didn't pay them any mind.
A carelessly loud rustle in the bushes behind him made Shippo groan. There was no way he could ignore that one. He stopped and turned to face the one who'd been following him. It wasn't the first time the Fox had noticed the Kagemono watching him from the shadows like the creepy lurker he was, but it was the first time he actually had to address it.
"What do you want?"
Sheepishly, Kagami untangled himself from the shrub that had snagged his coat sleeve and stepped out from the tree line.
When he didn't say anything right away Shippo crossed his arms and cleared his throat.
Kagami lowered his gaze; his shoulders slumped forward, swallowed by the oversized blue Haori jacket he was wearing.
"Can you... Show me what you're learning from that guy?"
He wanted Shippo to train him?
No way.
"Ma put you up to this, didn't she?" Kagome was always trying to get the two to play nice together, always trying to convince the Kit that this Kagami and the one in the future weren't the same guy. Well, no, he wasn't yet. But it was only a matter of time until the kid snapped. He had this pool of paranoia simmering under the surface, only held at bay by Hansha, Kagome and Rin's gentle reassurances.
But what'll happen when one of them weren't there to do that?
"No!" The masked boy denied. If he had fox ears like Kagome they would have been flat to his head.
"No, she doesn't know I'm here."
"Just talk to Miroku." Shippo said in a dry voice, not that he wanted Kagami taking over his teacher, too. "He'll make time for you if you ask."
The taller boy shifted his feet.
Wait. Had Kagami ever spoken with Miroku?
"Your teeth are way sharper than his are, ya know." Shippo mentioned slowly, just in case the young demon wasn't aware of that fact. "He won't bite you if you talk to him." The splotches of humiliated red that appeared on the Shadow kid's ears were far more satisfying than he'd expected. Instead of stopping while he was ahead like he knew he should have, the Fox continued to antagonize. "You could just join Sesshoumaru and Shizume's lessons in the Dojo. I'm sure Rin'd love to spar with you. Head over heels. Or you could even ask Ma—she already dotes on you like a mother hen."
Jealous? Him? Nah!
Well... maybe.
Unfortunately Kagami didn't take the bait.
"I'd rather... if you taught me, Shippo."
"But why?" The Kitsune asked, flabbergasted.
He couldn't stand the Shadow Beast, so why would the boy want to work together with him, of all people?
Kagami straightened his mask and tugged at the ends of his long sleeves to make sure they were perfectly disheveled. He didn't say anything until there was nothing left to fiddle with.
"Because you're just so cool. " He finally admitted like a schoolgirl confessing a crush. "You're really advanced compared to the other kids, even though you are very small for your age. I can barely even light a candle with your fox fire."
Shippo let the height jab fly over his head. He deserved that.
"So?" He challenged. "The grownups are a thousand times better!" Not that he wasn't the raddest thing before sliced bread. His ability and skill wasn't even a drop in the bucket compared to Kagome, let alone a mighty beast like Sesshoumaru.
"Because you don't like me." Kagami explained, as if that made any sense whatsoever. He straightened to meet Shippo's challenge, but it was strained without Hansha around to back him up. "You don't force yourself to like me and you never tip-toe around me. That means you won't go easy on me. Everyone here is really nice, but they treat me like I'm made of glass. I'll never learn that way."
Huh.
That... was actually a pretty great reason.
Practicing with Kagami would give The Fox kit a chance to practice his new skills on someone his own size, which could only benefit him in the long run. It would also give Shippo a chance to let out some of his frustrations and rough Kagami up without actually being a bully and roughing him up out of spite. Come on! The kid was literally asking for it! There was no way Kagome could get mad at him!
Maybe, just maybe, they really could change Kagami's future.
And if he was able to change, maybe they could even be... friends?
Woah, woah, woah!
Littler steps, Shippo, littler steps.
"Okay."
"Okay?"
"Okay, I'll teach you what I learn." He pointed at Shadow kid, firm and serious with a mischievous glint to his eye. "But be warned. It's not easy being awesome like me! It'll take a lot of hard work. Are you ready for that? I don't take on pushovers as my pupils!"
At a loss for words, all Kagami could do was nod.
"Good. Right," The smaller demon spun on the heels of his boots and ducked into the thick underbrush that led them off the beaten trail.
"Let's find you a stick."
════════════════ With Reason ═════════════════
Kagome clambered under the blankets of the bed in the largest bedroom in the manor, slumped onto Sesshoumaru's bare chest and sprawled out. It was warm under the furs that she had given him their first winter in the human realm manor. She hummed, but the noise rolled in her throat like a purr.
"Just when I believed that your moods couldn't possibly become any brighter." Sesshoumaru said with an amused huff. "Was this human festival somehow better than all the others you've insisted on attending?"
The Priestess tried to hold a scowl when she looked up at him, but her smile wouldn't back down. A radiant sunshine filled her scent and she was practically glowing from purity dancing within her soul. She curled closer and pulled her bare legs up to her chest so that she could playfully rest her frozen toes on his abdomen. She felt his muscles twitch from the cold.
"There was a vendor selling fans and masks and stuff—you know, the usual festival fare—so I offered to buy some for the kids."
"I understand that they took you up on your offer?" He said when she paused for his input.
"Yup!" Kagome giggled and spun her long black hair in loops, mimicking Rin's anxious habit that she'd mostly grown out of. "And not just that. Guess what one Kagami picked out?"
"I'm certain that you will tell me."
"He picked out a Kitsune mask! A Kitsune!" She dropped the locks and pointed to herself with a silly grin just in case he hadn't understood the implication and needed the extra road signs. "And if that wasn't amazing enough, there's more! He picked out a pretty simple one with these markings on the forehead—like a diamond and two leaves? You'll see it tomorrow. He said that they represent the three demons that changed their lives: you, me, and Shizume." She placed her palm on his chest and then hers respectively before pointing up to the ceiling, indicating the Bird demon that flew the coop the moment Kagome set off to meet the Inu Youkai in his chambers, as was their routine.
Shizume always got a bit awkward and ruffled about their arrangement, since she had been raised in a clan that fell on the more traditional side of the fence. That is: among monogamous birds and nowhere near Kitsune. But instead of stirring a ruckus, she granted them privacy, muttering all the while.
With a surge of glee, Kagome hid her manic smile beneath the heavy blankets. Her wagging tail tickled his thighs.
"Isn't that the sweetest thing you've ever heard?"
Sesshoumaru pulled the gray furs from around her face and smoothed the static from her bangs. His large hand moved to caress her ear.
"You are too easily pleased, Priestess." He scolded in a husky voice before adding. "You've done good by them."
Kagome flushed a bright scarlet and looked up at him with her glowing ocean eyes.
"You think so?"
Instead of an immediate verbal reply, a deep rumble rose from his chest. She smiled and nuzzled his jawline with gratitude.
"You've done good by us all." He said aloud, voice molasses thick and hungry.
The praise was too much for her chest to contain. Kagome gripped the silken hairs at the back of his neck and pressed her body closer to his, enjoying every electric tingle that his touch provided her skin.
In a skilled, one-armed maneuver, the large Dog had flipped them over, so that the little Fox was the one on her back. The warmth of the furs and the starlight of his hair cascaded over her like a waterfall. His gentle kisses traveled lower until she opened up to him, inviting the carnal pleasures that he offered.
'Don't let this moment end.' Kagome thought as her fingers twisted in the sheets.
'This life is perfect.'
A whisper quiet moan escaped her lips.
Who knew changing the future could feel so sublime.
═════════════ Inuyasha X Yu Yu Hakusho ═════════════
Chapter Five: End