"What's the point of running with all this weight, anyway?" Kagome muttered as she plopped on the grass with a huff.

James and Daniel waited nearby as Mike hoisted her back to her feet by her pack.

"Endurance training, kid. Keep going," Paul said as he, Elias, and Aya jogged by.

Daniel grinned as Kagome started walking.

"You need this. Basic PT," he reminded her as he flicked her ankle with a reiki whip. "Your spiritual training isn't the only thing you're behind on."

Kagome squeaked then started jogging again.

"Dammit. I forgot you're a priest…" she mumbled.

James spiked his yoki at her as she passed him.

She managed to dodge, but overcompensated for the weight in her pack and fell.

James laughed and reached to help her back up but she only glared at him.

Mike lifted her by the pack again as he chuckled. Paul and Aya just shook their heads.

"Kagome, you have to be ready for any thing at any time," James admonished. "This is all part of your training!"

She stared at him for a moment.

"You dragged me to Israel to learn Krav Maga," she growled, "and train with the IDF for 4 weeks. You run me for miles, every day, with an 80 pound pack. I start the morning with yoga and meditation and end the day with Jiu Jitsu or kendo. What the hell am I training for? None of you have ever explained that to me!"

Aya looked at Kagome as if she had grown a second head.

"Yes," she said, "we did. That first day. After you learned what you thought you knew about all of us. Do you seriously not remember?!"

*****Flashback, 5 weeks earlier*****

Mike, Aya, and James joined the others in the study. Kagome grinned wickedly at James and Daniel.

"I think I'm starting to understand…" she started. "You" she pointed at the Americans "are not what you look like!"

"Ya think?" Mike laughed. "Alright, priestess. You think you figured it all out… You already know what I am, so what about all the others?"

Kagome looked at Daniel. "You are hiding holy powers."

She turned to James and Paul. "And you two are yokai! But I'm not sure what kind, yet."

Mike looked at her expectantly. "…And?"

Kagome looked confused. "And, what?"

"What about the others, Kagome," Mike questioned. "Do you not realize what they are?"

Kagome tilted her head to the side, even more confused. "Huh?"

Mike pointed to Aya and Elias. "What are they? Or have you not gotten that far yet?"

"They're Soul Riders," Kagome stated. "They're here to help."

Mike shook his head. "No, Kagome."

Aya looked at Elias and nodded. Elias spoke up.

"Kagome," he started. "Mike means before we were called to serve the gods as Riders. We were yokai."

Aya continued. "Kagome, to be a Rider is a place of great honor— to be trusted so by the gods is not something taken lightly. It's also not something given very often. There are only 24 of us at any time— 12 pairs."

"If your soul's mate will ever stop fighting," Elias went on, "you two could very likely be among the next Riders chosen."

Kagome was still confused. She looked at Aya, fixated on the one thing she could make sense of.

"You're a yokai?" she asked. "Why can't I feel your aura? Either of you?"

Aya giggled. "We have them suppressed. You want us to show you?"

Kagome nodded enthusiastically.

Mike opened the study door to call out to Mio. "Babe, call Mei. Let her and Take know they're gonna feel a couple more daiyokai in a moment. Don't worry, they're the good guys!"

Kagome looked at Mike to ask who he was talking about, but before she could say anything she was forced to her knees by two immense, heavy auras. Kagome managed to look up at Aya and Elias and was stunned at what she saw.

Aya was surrounded by a phantom image of a large glimmering bird in shades of red, orange, and gold. Elias was surrounded by another phantom image, a large golden dog- similar in shape to a husky. As the phantom shapes faded, Kagome found herself able to stand again. She looked to the two Riders for explanation.

Aya met her eyes with a dazzling smile.

"You don't know how good it feels to stretch my wings, even this little bit!" she said breathlessly.

The group felt two more auras flare slightly in the room.

James sighed contentedly. "Gods, I know how you feel girl," he said. "Been close to a hundred years since I last spread my wings. How long has it been for you?"

Aya glanced at him then looked at Kagome.

"We've been in service to the gods for a little over two millennia."

Paul let out an impressed whistle.

Kagome's eyebrows met her hairline.

"Two… Millennia?" she asked, incredulous. "You're over two THOUSAND years old?!"

Elias chuckled. "Closer to four thousand, actually."

Kagome sat heavily in the chair she stood beside.

Aya laughed at her response. "Kags, Elias and I were Chosen before we became Riders. We were both close to 500 years old when our Calling came. I hated Elias when we first met…"

Elias cut her off. "You were no day at the beach yourself, love. Damned fire birds always torching our forests…"

"But there was always that spark between us."

"I'm so glad your bad jokes have improved over the years…"

Mike cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention before the two could devolve into further affectionate banter.

"Much as we all wanna hear your tragic love story, we need you to hit the high points before Mei and Take get here," he said.

"Fine," Elias said. "Kags, we were given the choice of service and continued existence in these forms after our purpose was fulfilled or the chance to start over with potential new mates. We chose continued existence with these souls, these abilities, these memories. When all is said and done, it is this experience that will be of greatest aid to you and your mate. Because of the way souls bond between Rider and Chosen, you will be able to call upon Aya's powers just as she is able to call upon yours."

Aya continued Elias' thought. "You, however… As the Shikon Miko, something that didn't exist before Midoriko, you have other abilities, yokai abilities. Even as a simple human, you had some yokai traits because of the jewel. When it merged with your soul four years ago, you became more than just a human, just a priestess. Even without being Called, you would have found your new abilities in time."

They heard a knock at the study door.

Mike opened the door to a severe looking couple. The female looked very much like Mio. The male was stern, with short black hair and light brown eyes, similar in stature to Elias.

"Mike, go deal with your humans before your mate kills them," the female said dryly, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

Mike leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "A pleasure as always, Mei, Take." and he left the room.