Disclaimer: One of these days I will have something just as cool as IY and YYH. But not right now.

Chapter 5

Breakfast Conversation

There was no moon in the sky. No stars either. It was probably these simple differences that gave Kagome the creeps. Sesshoumaru had brought her and Shippou out to one of the perfectly manicured gardens to talk. Shippou had nestled himself onto a bench, hugging a knee to his chest and resting his chin on it. Sesshoumaru had seated himself primly on the edge of the outside hall. Kagome sat beside her brother, and stared absently at the ground.

"So if Shippou is right then Souta could be the guinea pig in some mad scientist's experiment."

"It is possible,"

"Sesshoumaru, you're not helping reassure her,"

"That was not my intentions. It is better if she knows the facts. There is nothing gained in glossing over the facts with pretty dance steps," Sesshoumaru said grimly. "Talking plainly only accents the fact that we are in need of hurry and careful planning. Shippou's 'Kids' are quite reliable. He trained most of them himself and they are skilled enough to meet my requirements,"

"If they didn't I couldn't employ them," Shippou grinned. Kagome looked confused.

"Shippou's kids? I don't understand,"

"That's what I call all of my spies. Confusing, if you don't know. I don't have any kids myself," Shippou explained. Sesshoumaru smirked slightly.

"That he knows of,"

Kagome looked shocked. "That he knows of? Then there could be some?"

"Only if the mothers were hiding them from me. I myself wouldn't mind starting a family, after all, I've practically raised Sesshoumaru-sama's kid whenever he's away," Kagome looked like she was going to pass out.

"When did Sesshoumaru...? Sesshoumaru-kun... you have a child? When did that happen? Where is the mother? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Her name is Himeno. Her mother, my Mate, died in childbirth eight years ago," Sesshoumaru looked up at the empty sky and closed his eyes. Kagome felt her heart break.

"I'm so sorry Sesshoumaru. I didn't know," She whispered, tears pricking her eyes. "What was she like?"

Silence.

"She was much like you. Innocent but strong. We had been mated for about fifty years before she became pregnant with Himeno. She was so happy."

"Did you love her?" Kagome ventured. Sesshoumaru dropped his eyes to meet hers.

"Yes,"

More silence. Shippou was getting nervous. However, Kagome spoke once more.

"Well, they say that it is better to have loved and lost then to have never loved at all. At least she made you happy,"

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Shippou interrupted, "it's late. Momma should be getting to sleep," he reminded the Lord. Sesshoumaru nodded.

"Show her to her room, kit. Kagome, sleep well and I will see you in the morning,"

"Goodnight, Sesshoumaru-kun," The miko bowed to the youkai lord and followed her kitsune son to her rooms.


Yoko was plotting. The miko had sparked his interest. He had heard rumors of a human woman adopted by a Taiyoukai back when the three worlds were still one. He had not paid much attention to the rumor before, deeming it a fantastical fairytale.

Now he knew otherwise.

She was a miko of extraordinary power and beauty. Sesshoumaru must have had a deep respect for her to adopt her into his prestigious family line. Yoko was wondering now just how many of the stories and rumors he had heard back in his heyday about a strange miko were true.

The thousand year old thief watched through eyes that were not his own. How he wished for a body all his own. It was true, he had grown fond of the human soul he shared bodies with, but he longed for the freedom he had enjoyed before his death.

It just was not fair.

But Kagome...blessed Inari-sama she was a thing of pure beauty. She may be pureblood human, but she controlled the power to hold her own and best youkai of the highest caliber. Cunning too, if her spar with Sesshoumaru-sama proved anything. To think of such an underhanded trick whilst in the midst of battle spoke volumes on how long she had been in unfair fights.

And she had raised a kitsune child on her own as well! Having been one himself Yoko was well aware of what troublemakers kitsune children could be. Smart as a whip, tongues sharper than blades and an unnatural desire to get into mischief. They were enough to turn anyone's hair white, unless it was already that colour, of course.

So now it was morning and Kurama was sitting eating breakfast at the Ruler of all of the Makai's table. Absently Yoko listened to the conversations whirling around him. Sesshoumaru's daughter was sitting in her 'cousin Shippou's' lap hands digging into the plate of food within her reach. Wisely, the red Kitsune had his own plate out of the child's reach. Hiei was glaring around the table, making many of the servants nervous. The Houshi, Miroku, was eating calmly and joking with Shippou about something that happened while he was alive the first time.

Kurama lifted his eyes as Kagome and Sesshoumaru entered the room.

:She looks beautiful in the morning: Yoko commented, grinning. Kurama inwardly sighed.

She looks like she needs more sleep.

:Well, given the stress of her currant situation she looks remarkably well:

Yes, I will giver her that.

Kagome took a seat near her brother and was served the same equivalent of human food that the other humans had been served. Yoko watched, amused, as she poked at it with her chopsticks.

"What is this, Sesshoumaru-kun?" she asked dubiously. Sesshoumaru's eyes crinkled with amusement.

"Food, miko. Eat it."

Kagome sniffed and shifted her attention to the others at the table. She paused when she reached Kurama. "Ah, Kurama-san. If it is alright with you and Yoko-san, I was wondering if I could talk to Yoko-san later,"

Yoko surprised, grinned. Kurama choked on his drink. "Miss Kagome, are you sure that would be wise. He wasn't exactly polite last time..."

:I'll be good this time kid, you don't have to worry:

"Oh, I'm sure that Yoko-san will be on his best behavior. After all, Sesshoumaru and Shippou-chan are both more than willing and ready to take him out and dig the grave themselves if he does anything naughty," Kagome smiled brightly. Yoko dragged Kurama's eyes to look at the miko's adopted child. The red kitsune was looking as dangerous as he possibly could with a toddler wiping her food-crusted hands on his knees. Yoko pushed himself to the fore and watched as Kagome's eyes widened.

"Of course I would be on my best behavior, Kagome...san," he winked. Kagome blushed. Shippou, Sesshoumaru and Yuusuke scowled. Miroku grinned.

"That is good to know, Yoko-san," She smiled at him and now it was Yoko's turn to blush. Just a little, slight enough that no one noticed, but it was there.

Kurama pushed himself back into dominance.

"Ah! Sesshoumaru-kun! Is this your little girl?" Kagome gushed, her eyes alighting on the squirming girl Shippou was holding onto.

"Yes," The lord nodded. "This is Himeno. Himeno-chan, come here," he commanded. Shippou released the child princess and she bounded around the table to her father.

"Baba!" she squealed. Sesshoumaru caught her hands before she could smear his clothes as she had Shippou's. A servant came with a damp cloth to wash the child's hands. Once cleaned, Himeno was lifted up into her father's lap and his food moved out of her reaching distance.

"Sesshoumaru-kun, she doesn't look a thing like you, other than your family birthmark. She takes after her mother?" Kagome guessed, wiggling her fingers at her niece. Himeno was as dark as her father was pale. Her black hair was pulled up in a high knot and her equally black and fluffy tail was curled around Sesshoumaru's arm.

"Baba, who's this?" she giggled at Kagome.

"This is your aunt Kagome," Sesshoumaru introduced. Himeno gasped and squirmed in his lap, wanting to be let down.

"Kagome-ba-chan? Cousin Shippou tells me about you all the time! He told me that you made Baba stay still in the air. Did you?" she asked as she pounded her small fists on Sesshoumaru's arms, "Baba, let me down. It would be rude not to heed a Lady's request,"

Kagome and Sesshoumaru shot Shippou a look. The Master Spy returned it innocently.

"What?"

"Nothing, Shippou-chan," Kagome said, smiling and poked at her breakfast again. She still had not tried any of it.

"So let me down, Baba," Himeno contrived her cutest expression and begged prettily. "I want to sit with Kagome-ba-chan."

"Let her Sesshoumaru. I wanna sit with my niece," Kagome cajoled. Sesshoumaru sighed and released his daughter who bounded around the table again and threw herself at Kagome. Kagome scooped her up and hugged her close. "I've missed having a little kid around. You know, you're about the same size as Shippou-chan when he found me, just as cute too," She tweaked Himeno's nose. Himeno squealed with delight and latched onto Kagome's hair.

"You have the same hair as me! Why don't you have a tail like Baba and cousin Shippou?"

"Because your Baba and Shippou-chan are youkai, like you. I'm adopted. I'm a human, not youkai," Kagome explained.

"For now," Shippou pointed out.

"What's a human?" the child asked innocently. Kagome considered this.

"Well, humans are a lot like youkai," she paused when she heard someone snort. After shooting a glare at the perpetrator, she continued with a sunny smile. "That's right. Human's are like youkai, but they are not as strong or as fast. Many humans are pretty weak and couldn't fight against a youkai but that is why there are people like myself and Miroku-sama, the miko and houshi. When I first met your father, miko and houshi would either work at a shrine or travel the country helping people against mean youkai that would take advantage of their weakness,"

"Did you travel around?" Himeno asked. Kagome nodded.

"Yes, I traveled with your father for many years. That's how I met your uncle Inuyasha,"

"Cousin Shippou told me about him! HE said he was a no good hanyou," Himeno giggled innocently.

"Yes. He was a lot like Yuusuke over there,"

"Hey!" he protested around a mouthful of food that Kagome would not touch.

"Calm down, Yuusuke-san," Miroku advised sagely. Yuusuke pushed himself to his feet. Miroku looked towards Shippou. "Shippou do you still use the same magic as you did as a child?"

"Some," the Master Spy said.

"I need a large sealed rock,"

"Like those monkey sprites?"

"That would be perfect,"

Shippou looked at the fuming toushin, pulled out a small stone with paper prayers tied around its circumference and tossed it at him. Yuusuke caught the stone and shot the red kitsune a questioning look. Shippou smirked and the stone grew exponentially in a matter of mere seconds, Yuusuke's hand sealed to its surface. Of course, the sudden weight overbalanced him and Yuusuke toppled to the floor creating a nice hole in the tatami mats.

"Priest, if you would please not incite destruction in my home. It is messy to clean up," Sesshoumaru said, not looking up from a scroll he was perusing.

"Detective," Hiei said, "we have more pressing matters than your personality flaws. Please, act your age,"

"Get this thing offa me!" Yuusuke demanded, of course, ignoring Hiei's advice.

"I will remove it when you calm down and not a moment sooner. Unless of course someone with a higher authority than I commands me to do so," Shippou grinned.

"And who would that be?" the toushin growled.

"Sesshoumaru-sama or my mother. Not anyone else."

"Momma's boy," Yuusuke muttered. Hiei smirked and Kurama groaned. Shippou stiffened and Sesshoumaru looked up sharply from his scroll.

"You have no idea what she went through to raise me. Even your upbringing was gentle and kind compared to mine. Yes, I know all about you, son of Raizen. Raised in the Ningenkai by your mother, Atsuko, I believe, a drunk."

"Don't you dare trash talk my mom," Yuusuke snapped. Shippou ignored him and continued.

"By the time you were fourteen you had quite the reputation as a delinquent. You died once and was brought back by Koenma himself. Now you work as his Reikai Tantei, a Spirit Detective. You lead a group of other Detectives, Kurama-san and Hiei-san and another, Kuwabara. You trained under the master spiritualist, Genkai, after you apprehended a technique thief. You won the last Dark Tournament and just became estranged from your childhood friend, a Miss Yukimura Keiko, age nineteen. Did I miss anything important?"

Awed silence filled the room.

"Who are you?" Yuusuke breathed.

Sesshoumaru answered blandly, looking back down at his scroll, "He is my Master Spy and the best person this Sesshoumaru has found to this date that can sniff out the tiniest detail. Now answer him. It is a matter of professional pride to know everything about whatever he investigates."

"How long have you been looking into me?"

"Since last night," Shippou shrugged. Kagome looked impressed as she beamed at her son.

"Oh Shippou-chan! I'm so proud of you!"

"You do, it seems, surround yourself with the best of the best, Kagome," Sesshoumaru noted. Shippou nodded.

"Yeah momma, you got Sesshoumaru-sama, the best fighter; me, the best at sniffing out information and swiping it fast; Inuyasha, the best at cussing and swinging a good sword around like an idiot and STILL manage to kill the target; Miroku, the best monk in all of the sengoku era; Sango, the best, and last, taijiya." He listed.

"Don't forget me." Came an overconfident voice form the doorway. Everyone's head snapped to see who had arrived and Kagome grinned. She stood up and raced over to give Koga a hug, being wary of Himeno, who was still holding on tightly to Kagome's clothing.

"Kagome! You're still alive? How did that happen? You too Houshi?" Koga demanded, holding Kagome at arms' length to examine her closely.

"Koga, let me go." Kagome grinned.

"Why?"

"Because if you don't your mate is going to leave you in the cold." She grinned at Ayame, who was glaring at Koga. "Don't worry Ayame-chan. I do not have any intentions towards your mate anymore than I did in the past. So if he does anything stupid you can come to me and we can thrash him together, deal?"

Ayame smiled sweetly at the miko and nodded. Koga swallowed nervously.

:He had better tread carefully. Two females are more dangerous than one:

How about a whole fan club of them?

:That is just ridiculous and we both know it:

Both personalities shuddered.

"What is wrong Kurama-san?" Kagome asked, suddenly at his elbow. Kurama reigned in the urge to jump.

"Oh, nothing Miss Kagome. Do not worry about me. I was merely talking to Yoko,"

Kagome nodded, shifted Himeno, who was perched on her hip and turned the most angelic puppy face towards the redhead. "Kurama-san, can you let Yoko-san out for a moment. There is something I want to do,"

:Something she wants to do:

You wanna see?

:Lemme out:

The crimson bled from Kurama's hair as it grew to the sliver waterfall of Yoko's. Green eyes slowly blinked once and were replaced by gold. A bushy tail and fuzzy ears appeared as well. Yoko took Kagome's hand and kissed her palm.

"What is it you want?" he purred, ignoring the growls from the other males in the room. Kagome smiled and started petting his ears, much to his surprise. It didn't take her long before the legendary kitsune thief was reduced to a purring mass of sheer pleasure.

"I should have seen that one coming," Shippou groaned. Hiei glanced from kitsune to kitsune.

"Why?"

"Because Momma can never resist the furry ears."

"I see,"

Both Koga and Ayame were floored. They had just arrived to see a human boy transform into a legendary kitsune youkai thief who was now pushing his head into the scratching fingers on his ears like a cat. Sesshoumaru, silently annoyed with his sister, waved them to their seats at the table and they sat, dazed.

Kagome giggled as the bandit melted under her touch. It was true. She did have a weakness for cute furry ears on her youkai friends. Yoko was the first full blood youkai she had met with the animalistic ears of his base race, everyone else had been a hanyou of some percentage. Himeno giggled and started petting Yoko's hair. Kagome laughed and pulled away.

"Thank you Yoko-san. Cute ears is a terrible weakness of mine, I admit."

Yoko felt like whining about the loss of her sweet fingers, but covered his disappointment with a foxy grin. "Then consider my ears at your disposal," he said, pulling a rose out of his hair and presenting it to her.

Shippou was glowering, unable to call him out. Sesshoumaru was watching intently, watching for any trickery. Miroku was grinning in a way that was going to get him smacked over the head soon. Koga was glaring at Yoko and Ayame was glaring at Koga. When Kagome pulled her nose out of the rose that she had been gifted with, she found herself at a very tense breakfast table.

"What's wrong everyone?" she asked, oblivious.