While the guys were away, the girls settled themselves quietly in the Domain. There wasn't much to do, since the Zoras were all sitting around conversing before the big event they were going to display. While in the process of also waiting, both Sango and Kagome decided to explore the cavern. The Zoras had been so nice as to let them roam freely and to relax, and for that they were grateful.

The doors which aligned the walls were all locked, and because it would seem rude to enter in to someone else's room, they strolled along the mossy flooring, their gaze pointed upward and around. The sight was indeed breathtaking, and there was a sense of calmness surrounding them.

Sango had taken the time to survey the natural beauty surrounding her. At first she was quite shocked when it seemed as if the Zoras were not the real threat. First impressions were not always good, and this one was sort of in between. Honestly, Sango wasn't entirely sure if she should trust them. So for now, she would keep her guard up. You could say she got used to the trickery, and there was no telling when something would go wrong.

She explored the upper levels of the domain, allowing herself to breathe in the fresh smell of the water down below. Lights danced off the walls reflected from the spring. She had to admit, she enjoyed the view. There wasn't much to look at, but then again, too much would have been too much. Down below, the males were preparing for the event. They were nice enough to allow them their freedom here while their friends were away, so maybe she felt they were somewhat trustworthy.

At one point, Kagome managed to slip away; no doubt curious when she came upon what appeared to be a small room, filled with laughter. The room was situated away from the spring, down a small hall where sea shells adorned the walls abundantly. The door was already open, and curious of the laughter, she peeked inside. On the other side, she noticed a female Zora standing between two small children who were intent on fighting it out.

"But it was my turn!"

"That wasn't fair to her! Now give her back her shell!"

"You're not my boss!"

The adult between them held each of the boys apart while scolding them on their bad behavior. "Listen, you both need to get along. I don't care who started it, but you will apologize at once." She took a small item from one of the small Zoras and handed it to another who was standing off to the side crying. After handing the item to the child, she turned her head toward the open doorway. "Yes?"

Realizing that she had been caught, Kagome stepped out of her hiding spot and scratched the back of his head embarrassed. "I'm sorry for interrupting. I was walking past when I heard laughter."

Almost instantly, the Zora's expression brightened up, and she waved Kagome in. "Please, won't you come inside? I don't mind at all."

"Are you sure?" The priestess's eyes fell on a few children sitting on the floor playing together. Almost immediately, her eyes sparkled. The children were completely adorable.

"No you are fine," she replied before making herself comfortable in a skeletal chair off to the right. She eyed the girl in front of her curiously. In all honesty, she was excited that the young woman had come to visit. It wasn't often that she got to speak to townsfolk from Clock Town. Not only that, but she was puzzled by her and her friends. They had managed to come across the dark sea without any burnt flesh. "What is your name?"

Turning her eyes away from the children, Kagome scratched her head in embarrassment. "Oh my name is Kagome. What is yours?"

"Lulu," the Zora replied politely. "Kagome?" The name was strange coming from her mouth. But she shouldn't be surprised, after all, this woman who along with her friends were also quite different. No doubt it had been a while since she had last seen a land dweller. "Do you live in Clock Town?"

Kagome shook her head. "No. Actually, my friends and I just arrived in Termina not long ago. We're still getting used to things around here."

"Where is it you and your friends come from?"

Watching herself, and making sure not to give out too much information, the priestess explained. "Well our homeland is quite far from here actually," The young girl began with a small laugh. She wasn't sure what to tell her. If she just came out and said she was from the future of another world, it might be too much. "I suppose across the seas and over the mountains." That seemed like a good enough answer.

"Oh?" She replied. Lulu didn't mind the girl standing in front of her. Of course she couldn't help but notice that she was keeping her home a secret from her. But it wasn't any of her business to pry in to other's affairs. What she was interested in was that she and her friends were willing to help their clan. "That is far."

Deciding to change the subject, Kagome again turned and looked at the children. "So are they yours?"

"Actually only one, that boy there," she pointed with a small smile.

Looking closer, Kagome saw the young lad standing with the other three across the room. His expression was childlike and innocent like all children. He didn't seem as developed as the other males, and he seemed to be at the stage where he was starting to grow his fins. Unlike the other kids his age, his skin was much paler in comparison to the other children. His ears appeared small and pointed, and there looked to be a small scar under his eye, clearly bewildering the young woman. The boy did not have a caudal extension like the adults and neither did the other children. The children weren't exactly wearing any clothing, and she wondered if their tribe was always like this.

"He is my youngest out of many," Lulu explained. "I'm looking after the children, until the mothers are safely returned."

"Where are his brothers and sisters?" Kagome asked.

Lulu's expression fell at the mentioning. "I lost them years ago. A few days after they hatched, they grew sick," she replied sadly. "He is the only survivor. I haven't told him of his brothers."

"I'm sorry Lulu. I shouldn't have asked…" Kagome felt her good mood drop suddenly.

"Mikau is a good boy. Sometimes he can get rough, but he's the sweetest out of all the children," she replied with a small smile. "He takes after his father…"

Kagome smiled. "What about his father?"

A frown crossed her face, and she sighed. "He passed away some time ago. I'm sure you've seen his grave on the shore. If it weren't for his sacrifice, Mikau might not be here with me now," she explained. "You see, my eggs were stolen back then."

Kagome frowned. "Sorry. Your eggs were stolen?"

She nodded. "Yes. Some thieves snuck in my room one night, and I had tried to fight them off, but I was unable to. I told Mikau about the incident, and he disappeared that night. There were a few times I thought I saw him. No, I was certain it was him, only much different. You see, Great Bay was in turmoil back then also. The sea was murky, and the fish were quite nippy. The ocean didn't burn as it does today. But, after three days, everything returned to normal miraculously." She sighed. "I heard that the moon was said to fall, but it didn't."

Almost immediately, Kagome remembered seeing what appeared to be a grave site on the beach. The grave was demolished terribly, but Kagome kept her mouth shut; she didn't want to upset her. "I'm sorry." Kagome remembered when she was a little girl her father had too passed away, two years before her brother was born. Kagome never knew what happened to him; her mother never said anything more about it. The day had started out like any day. While her mother was busy tending to the laundry, there was a phone call. Mom had fallen tears, and she would tell Kagome that it was nothing.

After a few weeks, her mother told Kagome that her father had gone far away. A few days after the incident, they had moved in with her grandpa on the Higurashi Shrine, a few miles away from their old home. Recently, before the accident, grandpa also lost his wife, and had been living alone. Kagome had been living there for the remainder of her life. She guessed her mother couldn't stand living in that old apartment where everything reminded her of dad. In a way, Kagome didn't blame her.

"Kagome?"

Snapping out of her reverie, Kagome smiled at the Zora. "Sorry." Of course there had been times where she would sit down and think about what might have happened if her father hadn't passed away. They usually led to what if she never fell in to the family's shrine well. If her father had lived, she probably wouldn't have met Inuyasha and everyone else. Was it destined to happen? Her father was a kind man, with a steady job, and he did his very best to keep a roof over their heads. Back then, when she had started kindergarten, she remembered how he would often come home late at night from staying at work late. Then one night, he didn't return.

"Mikau, not so rough!" Lulu scolded.

Turning toward the boy, Kagome watched as the youth scowled at her temper before settling himself back in to a pout. Deciding to introduce herself, she approached the young one, who eyed her somewhat distrustfully. "Hi there, so you're Mikau, huh?" She smiled her sweet smile and kneeled so that she was eye level with the youth. "My name is Kagome."

Regarding her rather closely, the boy planted his fists on either side of his hips. "That's a strange name," he replied indifferently. "Are you really a land dweller?"

Kagome nodded. "Yes."

"I didn't think you showed as much skin as us? How come land dwellers wear clothes?" he asked eyeing her uniform with strange curiosity.

Kagome smiled regardless. "Well, I don't really know the answer to that." Actually she did, she just felt it was best not to confuse the lad any further. "Are these your friends?"

The child grinned suddenly, nodding vigorously. "Yes." He pointed to each of his friends who stood off to the side, staring at Kagome warily. "That's Ralif, Meplin, and Eizel.

Kagome smiled. And he said her name was strange. "Nice to meet you."

Ralif was a taller Zora, a few inches taller than Mikau. His scales were slightly darker than Mikau, and contained a few indigo spots on his skin; one was on his left leg, one on his arm, and the other on his stomach. His eyes were also green, a trait that all the Zoras seemed to have.

Kagome moved her gaze to the other Zora, Meplin. She was the smallest of the three. Much like Lulu, this young girl had a rounder, feminine body. Like all the females, her ears were visibly pointed. On either side of her wide head, was a pair of extra eyes. Although the characteristic was strange, Kagome didn't mind. The child held herself steady, not at all modest as the males. Timidly, she held her hands behind her back, looking up at Kagome as she did.

As for the other, Eizel, he was a tad different. One eye was golden, and the other green. He was the same height as Ralif, and his skin held a green hue to it. He too was also growing out his fins like the others. He seemed to hold a strange aura around himself, and she couldn't quite make out his expression.

"Is it true…what they say about…land dwellers?" Meplin asked shyly.

Interested, and resisting the urge to hug each and every one of them, Kagome held herself back. "What's that?"

She blushed suddenly, and found herself struggling to get the words out. "Well…um…that they can't have…eggs?"

Kagome blinked at that. She never knew of a child to ask such a question. "Oh, well um…" For that moment, Kagome felt unsure whether to answer that or not.

"Meplin, stop asking stupid questions!" Ralif scolded, easily upsetting the young girl.

A whimper escaped her. "But…I only…wanted to ask…"

"Oh I don't really mind!" Kagome reassured. "Well, yes we do have eggs, but the eggs stay inside our tummies for a while."

Even the boys found this news interesting. "Really?" They simultaneously asked.

Kagome nodded. "Yes. And they decide sometimes when they want to come out. But it takes a long time. Nine months in fact."

"I never knew that! Mom, did you know that?" Mikau asked with sudden interest.

Lulu stared at Kagome with perked interest as well. "Is this true, Kagome?"

Kagome nodded. "Yes."

"So, is it true that some land dwellers can't swim?" Mikau asked. "Why can't they? When we were born, we knew how to swim," he explained. Why, the very idea of a human not being able to swim was alarming and mysterious to the lad, possibly all the other Zoras.

Kagome merely laughed. "Well, many of us can swim. I can," she explained. "But we have to be taught in order to swim. But there are many of us who have a fear of the water."

"Fear?" Meplin asked.

"What fear is there in the water?" Eizel asked.

Kagome mused for a moment. "Well, sometimes, when they are children, they might have traumatizing experiences, and that might hold them back up until they are adults," Kagome explained.

"Oh," Mikau understood suddenly. "So you can swim?"

The priestess nodded. "Yes. Not as well as most, but I can swim."

Meplin looked up at Kagome. "That makes sense…because…you must have…swam here…"

Ralif pushed her. "Don't be ridiculous! No land dweller can swim in the water now. Not even the adults."

Meplin sobbed again and ran behind Eizel for comfort. "But…but…how…do you…explain…"

Mikau sighed. "Meplin has a point," He eyed Kagome again. "How did you get here if you didn't swim? Are you what they call a witch?"

Taken aback, Kagome shook her head. "No. Actually my friends and I had our own transportation."

All three of the children, including Lulu blinked at this statement.

Kagome sweat dropped. "No magic involved."

Mikau overlooked the strange words from the woman and moved on to the other issue. "There are more of you?"

She nodded. "Yes. Sango is here somewhere, and the others went out to take care of something."

"Meaning they went out to save everyone?" Eizel asked.

Kagome nearly fell over in exasperation. The kids sure were inquisitive, and Eizel seemed to hit the nail on that one. Apparently, even the children were up to date with what was happening.

"Hey." Mikau pulled on Kagome's skirt, easily earning her attention. "Are you going to see the event?"

"Yes. Are you?"

Hearing this, Mikau frowned. "No. I'm not allowed. Not until I'm older at least." He pouted, but he continued on. "But one day, I'm going to be the strongest Zora here!"

Kagome smiled at that. "I bet you will."

He grinned before a thought crossed his mind. "Hey, are you married?"

Seeing where the questions were going, Lulu interrupted. "Alright, enough questions," Lulu yelled across the room. "Now it's time for all of you to get some sleep."

Ralif and Mikau whined about the order. "Why?"

Realizing it was time to make her departure, Kagome excused herself from the nursery, waving goodbye to the children and Lulu before walking out. While she had been busy talking with the children, and reminiscing about her past, Kagome had forgotten to ask Lulu more about the event.

OOO

After crossing the ocean for some time, the group found the wall they had been searching for. The sight was certainly interesting. The gang, except for Link, never realized that there was such a wall close by, and the sight baffled them.

Realizing that they were intending to cross over the fortification, Link turned his attention to Inuyasha and Miroku who were making their way in front of him and Shippo. "Land there," Link told them the moment they closed in.

"What for?" Inuyasha asked with annoyance.

Ignoring him, Link turned his sights to Kirara. "Kirara, take us down."

After disembarking, the four look upon the giant structure in front of them. Few lofty trees occupied the area around them, with traces of starfish, and seaweed lying on the sand at their feet.

Almost immediately, Inuyasha turned on the boy. "Who are you to give orders?"

After easing himself off of Shippo's transformed state, Link glared at the said human Inuyasha. "I did it because otherwise you wouldn't have listened."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He growled.

Link removed a strand of blond from his eyes. "What lies beyond these walls is a fortress," Link began, suddenly earning their attention. "Although it's been four years, I'm certain that it's still there." Link continued on. "If the water weren't acid, it would have been easier for us to take the secret passage, but seeing as how things have turned out, our only chance of getting inside is to fly over."

Inuyasha nearly rolled his eyes. "And you stopped us to tell us this? We could have already been over that wall by now and facing the enemy." Inuyasha eyed the kid, regarding him as he did. He still thought there was something strange about Link.

"Yes, but the fortress is guarded well. Right now, it's practically swarming with pirates, and if something should go wrong, we're in trouble," Link replied.

"You sure know a lot," Inuyasha replied suspiciously.

Link crossed his arms, his face remaining passive. "I know enough to learn where my faults and strengths lie," Link explained with an air of nonchalance. "Luckily you've all been fortunate to get this far, but there is much that is unknown to all of you."

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha questioned.

"I think," Shippo interrupted. "that Link has been here for a long time. He knows more about Termina than we do." Shippo had complete trust in the warrior, and it wasn't just because he saved Kagome a couple times, but because he was there for Shippo.

Miroku nodded. "I agree. If we had not stumbled upon him the day we arrived in the forest, then we might have had difficulty getting where we are now," the monk replied. He was curious of the boy, and although he was a younger than both Kagome and Inuyasha, his skills in combat were remarkable. Of course there had been an incident which had damaged him severely, he did not waver or simply cry. Rather, he faced it, as if he had faced it all his life. The reason was also in his eyes. The boy was wise for his age. Somehow, it was like he had an old soul.

"Our only option is to carefully lay out our plan of action," Link explained. "And for that to work, I'm afraid that one of us will have to return back to the domain."

Already fed up with the boy, Inuyasha pushed him aside. "Listen here, who are you to give orders? If anyone should leave, it should be you! We've been fighting demons long before you, and we don't need some smart mouthed brat to give us orders!"

Shippo grew upset at his choice of words to his friend. "He's trying to help!"

"Stay out of this runt!"

Miroku sighed. "What do you have in mind Link?"

OOO

After a while of walking around, Kagome managed to find a secret path behind the waterfalls which led up to the giant white shell which had caught her fancy yesterday morning. Of course she wasn't sure if she was allowed to step on to the smooth surface, but none of the Zoras seemed to mind. Without the least bit of hesitation, she stepped onto the white pristine surface.

"Amazing," The young woman leaned over the throne while inspecting the fine cushions. She fingered the fine cerulean fabric. "This looks like real velvet," Kagome muttered to herself astonished. The chair that she was leaning over was the throne of the king who ruled over the Zoras. Small golden intricate emblems decorated the rich velvet, and draped over the chair was a luminescent pink sheet. Even the throne was a sight to behold. Every inch of the chair was carved with many of the same emblems that adorned the cushions.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself," A nearby Zora commented suddenly. He leaned against the shell, watching the woman with interest.

Realizing that she must have been staring for too long, Kagome pulled away from the chair and sheepishly smiled at the tall humanoid Zora a few feet away. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he replied with a chuckle. "It's sad we can't do anything to help rescue everyone. But now it seems like there is hope," he explained with a small smile. The tall Zora removed himself from the side of the shell as he had been leaning against for some time, and walked toward the water's edge before jumping in. As soon as his head submerged, he turned toward the priestess. "You're free to explore until your heart's content." After that, his head disappeared underneath the surface of the water.

Serena, who had been calmly relaxing around the lake, sighed. She already missed her partner. Of course she understood his reasons to leave her behind, but she would have rather gone with him. What was she supposed to do while he and the guys were gone? Surely she wasn't supposed keep watch on the girls until then? Whisperings caught her attention, and she turned her gaze over toward the Zoras who were sitting around the spring's edge. Intrigued, she listened in.

"I don't know if we should believe them," The one who had argued with Inuyasha yesterday openly voiced. "They're strange, and I don't like the fact that our people's fate rests in their hands."

"My thoughts exactly, but they seemed sincere," another replied.

Kauji, who'd been listening in for a while, leaned back on his hands, his legs submerged in the water before him, but his eyes were focused elsewhere. "Well, as strange as they may appear, I think we can trust them."

"Why is that?"

"Well, I think it's obvious," Kauji chuckled at the surrounding Zoras. "Their women are here, and ours our held captive someplace else. They seem trusting of us, so we'll leave it at that."

"But what if they're lying?!"

Kauji looked at the Zora. "Our people's fate rests in their hands, and their women's rests in ours. If anything should happen…well, we should hope nothing does."

Baffled by Kauji's words, the other members scratched their heads. In truth, many thought his words were understandable, and yet at the same time wrong. The Zoras were supposed to be an amiable tribe, not secretive and plotting devious plans. Sure they were worried about their king and their captive women, but playing this sort of game was wrong.

"Wait, what are you planning? That if we don't get our people back, then they won't get their women back? So, you're offering a trade then?"

"Perhaps," Kauji replied. "If things don't go our way, then they stay, forever."

A chuckle resonated from many of the Zoras.

"I like that," The Zora with the scar under his eye replied. "And for land dwellers, they aren't half bad looking either."

Kauji smirked. "Just don't do anything you might regret. Land dwellers can be quite testy when they choose to be, and not only that, but we are responsible for their well-being," he reminded his fellow Zoras.

From her hiding place behind a torch, Serena nearly gasped. "That's not good. Not good at all. I have to tell Kagome and Sango." There was something strange with this tribe, and she had a feeling that Kagome and Sango were not safe here. The fairy had to get Link and tell him, but she was supposed to stay on lookout. What was she supposed to do?

Unexpectedly, a hand reached out and grasped the small fairy's wings. "Hey Kauji, looks like someone's been listening in," a Zora voiced a few feet away.

Seeing this, the Zora smirked. "Is that so? Well, we'll just have to fix that, won't we?" He smirked before stepping forward.

With so much still on her mind, the priestess sighed. Moments before, she located Sango, but neither really said a word. They were each in their own thoughts.

"Hey!" A cheerful voice resonated through the massive room.

Baffled, Kagome and Sango watched as a familiar monk sauntered inside, a small smile forced on his face. What was even surprising was that none of the other guys were with him.

"Miroku?" Sango could not understand why he had returned. "Why are you here? Where are the others?"

Halting a few feet away, Miroku scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Well, Link wanted me to stay behind just in case something should happen. He, Shippo and Inuyasha found where the beasts were hiding."

"Link told you to stay?" Kagome asked quite perplexed. "Are they ok?"

Miroku nodded. "Yes. It seems that Link is knowledgeable of Termina and its people."

Both Kagome and Sango shared a glance before accepting this.

"Inuyasha wasn't starting anything again, was he?" Kagome asked already knowing the answer. It was clear that he and Link didn't seem to connect, and it wasn't as if it was Link's fault.

"Just the usual, but it didn't escalate any further. Inuyasha seemed willing to cooperate. I sent Kirara back just in case," the monk explained before his gaze looked past Kagome.

Kauji eyed the man before stepping beside the priestess. "You returned?"

Miroku nodded. "Yes. Our friends have located the whereabouts of those beasts," he explained. "They agreed on taking precaution. So, I'm here in case something should happen."

The Zora accepted this information with his usual smile. "I see, we are most grateful for your sincere dedication, monk. Now, I just wanted to inform you," His eyes turned toward the girls. "that we are ready to begin the tournament." Kauji placed a hand on both Kagome and Sango's shoulder, turning them toward the spring where the others were waiting, preparing themselves for the big event. "As you are our guests, you have the rights to sit anywhere to enjoy, unless of course you each wish to participate?" He questioned, earning a surprised glance from Kagome. "Ha ha ha I'm only joking."

Kagome sweat dropped as he led everyone onto the giant shell. The leader was already sitting at the throne, with a few of his guards beside him; he was neither happy nor angry. The Zoras were lined up, each garbed and ready for action. There was no telling what they would witness, but she felt a little excited.

The leader, commonly known as Larith, raised his hand suddenly, silencing the Zoras. "Let the games begin!"