Kikyo could count on one hand how many snags she'd hit in her plans over the years. Her research came first and she'd managed to keep that thorough and under wraps for several decades. Finding a trustworthy partner was next and she'd accomplished that the second Shiori approached her all those years ago. The main goal over the years was to find and seal as many spiritual children as possible before they could become secret victims of whatever nefarious organization was killing them all. While she'd let a few slip through the cracks, she'd still managed to save 48 families the fate of the binder.

Then there was Kagome, one most powerful miko she'd ever come across. There was always a small bit of guilt when she sealed someone's power knowing from experience that her reiki was an extension of her soul. With Kagome, it was much worse. Even as a baby, her reiki had rebelled against the sealing, pushing back fiercely against Kikyo's efforts. She'd been successful but it took her days to recover and the guilt she carried from that single sealing was a much larger burden than any of the others. That's why she'd searched her out as an adult and unsealed her. Maybe that was a bit selfish of her. Maybe Kagome would have been better off if...

Well, it was too late for that now.

The moment she'd realized Kagome was associated with Toga's wanted son, she should have pulled back and come up with a better plan. Instead, she'd started unsealing her and essentially painted a second target on the poor woman's back. And when you're a walking target, you're bound to get hit. She was sure that whatever happened to Kagome today, it was partially Kikyo's fault.

She could only hope Kagome's injuries weren't too dire when Inuyasha arrived with her.

She felt them as soon as they entered the barrier. Kagome's reiki, though weakened, cried out to her and she knew it wasn't good before they were through the front door. Inuyasha had not activated his charm and his yoki was in an upheaval, violently protective as any inu yokai would be given the circumstances. When he crashed into her living room, Kagome held to his chest, she quickly directed him to lay her on the rolling bed she had already prepared.

He placed Kagome down gently, his eyes never leaving her face. She was still conscious but her skin was pale and her chest rose and fell unsteadily. Inuyasha immediately grasped one of her hands while the other came up to brush softly against her cheek. It was difficult to concentrate so close to the storm that was their reiki and yoki. Kikyo needed to assess the damage with her reiki and she needed Inuyasha to step away to do that.

"Inuyasha, I need to examine her," she said, placing a hand on Kagome's shoulder.

Inuyasha never even looked at Kikyo. "Get on with it then. I'm not in the way."

"You are in the way. I'm going to use my reiki and I need you to step back so your yoki doesn't interfere."

That got his attention. "How far back?" he asked, looking up at her.

"Just far enough that you can restrain yourself."

She watched a range of emotions flicker across his features but concern seemed to win out and he nodded. He leaned down and kissed Kagome gently before letting her go and moving away to stand by the sofa. Kagome's eyes never left him despite how hard it must have been to stay alert. It touched her heart to see and she wondered exactly how close the two had grown recently.

She tucked those thoughts away for later, letting the doctor in her take over. Kagome's visible injuries were numerous: a small cut to her calf, a larger gash in her thigh, bruising and a scratch on her throat, light bruising on her cheek, various small cuts and scratches on her face, hands, and where her clothing was torn open. Even Kikyo could smell her blood though luckily most of her bleeding had stopped, the wound on her thigh the only exception. None of her injuries so far were life-threatening.

"Kagome, where else should I look for injuries?" she asked, drawing the woman's attention.

"S-stomach and ri-ribs." Her voice was weak and scratchy. She'd definitely had her throat squeezed at some point.

Kikyo gently moved her sweater up and couldn't stifle the gasp at the large area of bruising. She heard Inuyasha snarl and she looked up. He was standing stiffly, flexing his clawed fingers, eyes narrowed and lip curled to expose a fang. "I'm going to heal her, I promise," she tried to assure him. His eyes flashed red and his yoki spiked but he maintained control.

Kikyo sighed in relief, glad she wouldn't have to put up a barrier...yet. The time had come for her to use her unique gift and she would need all her concentration. She raised her hands and let the lavender glow of her reiki flow over Kagome's body. Just like Kagome could read yoki, Kikyo could use her power to read a person's aura to find, diagnose, and slowly heal injuries and sickness. It was a talent that she had to keep hidden from those who would abuse it, just like Kagome.

She'd done her best to subtly use her reiki during her years as an ob-gyn to find problems during pregnancy. If she caught something early enough, she could use her power undetected over multiple visits to heal and correct problems before they could be found on any test. Once something showed up in blood work or on an ultrasound, it was too late for her to help without suspicion. Every missed diagnosis was a small weight she carried with her, knowing the pain she could have prevented if she was just a little faster, a little better, a little more attentive.

Her power was a gift but it was also a curse.

And now she would use it unrestrained to help the woman she very well may have doomed to a short and difficult life. All of Kagome's injuries became clear now: two cracked ribs, more bruising, a small amount of internal bleeding, a sprained ankle, and several cuts under her clothing. The cut to her thigh was disturbingly close to her femoral artery, a fact she would not be sharing with the angry hanyo across from her. The healing process would take a while but Kikyo would be able to cut down her recovery time significantly.

Much to Kikyo's relief, at some point Kagome had passed out, most likely from exhaustion. "I'm going to have to clean her thigh and calf wound before I start. I'll be able to start the healing process tonight but it will take a few hours every day and she'll need to be here for at least two weeks," she informed Inuyasha. She looked up and was surprised to see him slump to the floor. The calming of his yoki took quite a bit of strain off of Kikyo.

"So, she's gonna be alright?" he asked. "Nothing...nothing permanent? She's not going to...to…"

"She'll be alright. I just need time," she said and let her hands drop to her sides.

Inuyasha let his head fall against the back of the sofa and took a few shaky breaths."I need to call her mother, too. Is it alright if she comes here?" he asked.

"Of course. She can stay overnight if she wants. I have a guest bedroom where Kagome's bed will be." She motioned for Inuyasha to approach. "I need to get her cleaned up a little before I start. You can stay by her side until I need to use my reiki again."

Inuyasha was up and standing over Kagome before Kikyo could take a single step. He looked down at the unconscious woman, his eyes shining. The smell of her blood had to be wreaking havoc on his senses though he was an exemplary job restraining his yoki and emotions. The way he ghosted his fingers over Kagome's bruised throat, the choked sound he made, the way his other hand clenched in the bed sheet all made Kikyo's chest tighten.

She left them alone to grab what she needed to clean Kagome's wounds. Perhaps Inuyasha would relax if she covered the smell of blood with antiseptic. Hanyo could be even more intense than full yokai when it came to protecting their partners; they had all the yokai instincts plus a full range of very human emotions. It could be a frustrating and dangerous combination.

When she returned to the living room, supplies in hand, Inuyasha was still by Kagome's side. He was holding her hand and running the fingers of his other hand up and down her arm. She approached slowly, waiting for him to look up. When he did, she held up what she'd brought, offering to let him help.

Together, they cleaned and dressed Kagome's calf and thigh. She let Inuyasha tend to all the minor cuts, the small acts of healing slowly steadying his yoki. His hands shook less and his breathing calmed with every gentle swipe of cloth and every carefully applied bandage. By the time they were finished, he'd adopted a steady but grim expression.

"You should call her mother now," Kikyo said, placing a hand on his arm to draw his attention.

He nodded and stepped away, pulling his phone out as he went. Kikyo turned her attention back to Kagome, knowing it was time to start the more important part of her healing. She raised her hands and let her light cover her patient's body again.

She started with the internal bleeding and cracked ribs as they would cause the most complications if left untreated. For some wounds, she could start the healing process and then let the body take over. With something like a broken bone or internal bleeding, she would need to complete the entire process herself to be sure there weren't any problems. It was a large drain on her reiki and Kikyo would need to sleep for several extra hours to replenish it but it would be well worth it.

She heard Inuyasha talking to Kagome's mother and concentrated on her task until he was done. Shiori would have to be contacted since Kagome's healing would take up most of Kikyo's time and energy over the next couple of weeks. She didn't have any plans outside of taking care of the injured woman; this was Kikyo's fault and she would fix it.

"She's on her way over." Inuyasha's voice made her look up. "I, uh...I'll be leaving for a little while."

Kikyo cocked an eyebrow. "To go where?"

"I have to try to find whoever did this. I can't let it happen again."

"Don't do anything rash," Kikyo warned. "She's going to need you here as she gets better."

"I know but..." He looked away and shook his head. "I need to do this."

"Come back quickly. I do not want to have to tell her you're not here when she wakes up."

That got him to look back at her. "I'll come back as soon as I can, I promise. I won't abandon her. Just promise me you won't let her leave here until I return."

Kikyo looked down at her patient and shook her head. "It's going to be several days before she's well enough to go anywhere but...I promise."

With one last longing look at Kagome, he nodded, touched his charm to shorten his hair and change his eyes, and bounded through the front door. All Kikyo could do was continue to heal Kagome and hope he came back in one piece.


Just past sunset, using the waning light to his advantage, Inuyasha hurried down a dark alley. The scent of Kagome's blood, her fear, and her two hanyo attackers was still fresh as he followed the stomach-churning smell. He found her phone first, lying on the grimy brick near the back of the dead-end alley. It was cracked in several places but turned on with no issue, showing several missed calls and texts. He would need to contact her friends...their friends, to let them know what happened. He also needed to get to her car and retrieve the box, at her insistence. Luckily, her keys stayed in her pocket through her attack.

He scoured the rest of the area but came up empty-handed. Whoever cleaned up after the attack was thorough, leaving only scents and her phone behind. His blood boiled as his mind pictured what they may have done to her. He hadn't wanted to push her, as weak and hurt as she was, to give him details. His only concern was getting her to someone to tend to her extensive injuries. So now his imagination was left to run wild and he didn't like anything it came up with.

He never should have let her leave the shrine by herself. He should have gone to get her the second she called him, panicked and sobbing. He should have left to find her earlier when she took too long getting home. He should have fucking been there to protect her!

His arm shot out and the brick on the wall to his left cracked and crumbled as he slammed his fist into it.

"My, my, what an angry puppy. What did the wall do to deserve that kind of treatment?"

Inuyasha jerked around to face the source of the taunting feminine voice. Standing not 20 feet away and looking out of place in the dingy alley was a woman wearing a burgundy blouse tucked neatly into a black pencil skirt. Her hair was pulled into a tidy bun with two white feathers adorning it. In one hand she held a fan, white as the feathers with sweeping red streaks through it. She snapped the fan closed and tapped it on her shoulder, her other arm crossed beneath her breasts.

Inuyasha sniffed the air to catch the woman's scent but she didn't seem to have one. He narrowed his eyes and tensed, warning bells going off in his head. "Just who the hell are you?"

She smirked and let the hand holding her fan drop to her side. "Having trouble with your nose, puppy?"

"Quit fucking calling me that, bitch." Did she know who he was? She shouldn't be able to tell he was an inu-hanyo with the concealment charm on...

"Hmph, angry indeed. You won't catch my scent." She raised the fan and swirled it above her head and the air in the alley shifted. A steady breeze pushed at Inuyasha's back, ruffling his clothes and carrying the smells of the alley away from him. Looking smug, she once again let her hand drop to her side.

The breeze died and the smell of grime and blood assaulted him again. "Keh. Cute trick but you still haven't answered my question. Who are you and what the hell do you want?"

"Well, that's where things get complicated, you see. Originally, I was sent to kill you but that was before your little miko tried to burn a hole in one of my boss's minions," she said, confirming she was connected to Kagome's attackers.

Inuyasha growled and lunged forward, swiping his concealed claws at the woman. She jumped back, swiping her fan and pushing him off his feet with a powerful burst of wind. He landed on his back and slid into the wall behind him, grunting with the impact. It hadn't hurt but it did manage to knock the air from his lungs.

"I'm not here to fight you," she said as she landed gracefully on her feet.

"Don't fucking care," he replied, pushing himself up the wall to stand. "Your boss tried to kill someone I care about and I don't let that kind of shit slide."

"Oh, he wasn't planning on killing her; she was going to be his honored guest. You'll be glad to know the two idiots responsible for hurting her are dead now since they managed to botch a simple interrogation and kidnapping."

Kidnapping? Fuck, he was never letting her out of his sight again. "Your boss sounds like a real nice fucking guy."

She rolled her eyes and leaned against the wall to her right. "He's the worst, if you must know. Unfortunately, my employment and its terms are non-negotiable." Sighing, she looked at him with what could almost be mistaken as pity. "He's going to get his hands on your miko, however long it takes. You're only alive because he thinks he can use you to get to her."

Inuyasha fought the urge to take another swipe at her. Her nonchalance was pissing him off and he needed to vent his anger somewhere. But she had information. "Why's he so interested in her?"

"Hmm, now you're asking the right questions. Sorry to say, but I don't have the answers; I am woefully under-informed. I do know he was ruffled after your miko's little performance in this very alley," she said, sweeping a hand in front of herself. "Don't know exactly what she did, but he was not happy. You may want to keep this to yourself but only one of those men walked, or rather, ran out of this alley alive today. That woman packs quite the punch."

So Kagome managed to kill one of her attackers. Did she know? He didn't imagine that would sit well with her; she was too kind to kill lightly. And now someone wanted to use him to get to her? He would have to be extra careful until he got back behind Kikyo's barrier. A sudden gust of wind refocused his attention.

"While this has been a fun little chat, I really must be going." One of the feathers from her hair was now large enough to hold a person and was floating away with her on it. "Oh, almost forget. I was supposed to tell you that if you turn over the miko, my boss will clear your name."

He growled. "Like I would ever-"

She waved her hand. "Yes, I know. I'm just the messenger." Her feather started to rise higher into the air, then she was gone, riding the wind quickly away.

Inuyasha picked Kagome's phone back up, having dropped it when he was blown off his feet. He unlocked it (she'd changed her passcode to his birthday) and went to her contacts to start making phone calls. He would call Miroku first so he could contact Sango while Inuyasha called Shippo and then...well, he was still debating that course of action. He stalked down the alley, heading in the direction of Kagome's scent to find her car.


For the first time in almost 50 years, Koga was having doubts. He'd been so damn sure that the stupid mutt was a murderer, so convinced that he was right, that he'd never stopped to even consider that he may be wrong about him. Hell, even Inuyasha's half-brother had harbored doubts early on and Sesshomaru hated the mutt.

Then he'd come across that woman, Kagome. At first, he figured she'd been pulled in by some elaborate sob story painting Inuyasha as the victim. Koga's plan had been to find a weakness and use her to get to his target. That proved much harder than he thought and he'd scrapped that plan the second she slapped him. She wasn't the type to be intimidated, clearly. And, despite his talk, he wouldn't hurt her just to get what he wanted.

But then everything turned on its head when the woman started playing 20 questions, ending her game by declaring him and the mutt innocent. That's when the doubts turned from whispers to shouts. He knew some of the old miko from history had unique powers that they tended to try to keep hidden. Was it possible that she had her own gift? Could she detect lies? Read his thoughts? Look into his heart?

It was fucking creepy, whatever it was.

He still hadn't told anybody about the encounter. Whatever she'd done, he didn't want to be responsible for exposing a powerful miko. No, he had a pretty good idea of what happened to people with spiritual powers, though he would never advertise that knowledge. He valued his life, thank you very much. He'd thought, however briefly, that maybe Inuyasha was using her but had banished the thought. Given her suspected power, she'd see right through him.

And there was another layer of doubt. That woman had some ability to read people and she thought the mutt was innocent. Could he have been wrong this whole fucking time?

He was sitting in his kitchen, his dinner getting cold in front of him while he contemplated, when his phone started to vibrate. He snatched it off the table and glared at the unknown number. It was probably some scam but he liked to have fun with those and he needed a distraction so he answered.

"Yo, state your business."

"Wow, you even answer the phone like an asshole."

It couldn't be. It couldn't. Fucking. Be. "Who the fuck is this?" he asked, barely suppressing a growl.

"Don't be fucking stupid. And before you ask, no, I'm not turning myself in."

It was unbelievable and ridiculous but there was no denying it. He shot to his feet, his chair scraping across the floor. "You've got some fucking balls-" He was ready to unleash a tirade and let 50 years of anger tear a verbal hole in this fucker's ear.

But the mutt wouldn't let him. "Will you just wait a second. I need you to listen to me," he said and Koga couldn't ignore the strained quality of his voice. "Someone attacked Kagome and she...she's hurt...bad."

Koga waited, sure an accusation would come next. But it didn't. "What's that got to do with me?" he asked, sounding callous, trying not to show the concern he was actually feeling.

"I need your help."

The audacity. He slammed a hand flat on the table rattling his plate and silverware. "Why the fuck would I ever help a mongrel like you?" he asked, already trying to think of who he'd call to start looking into the attack.

He could hear Inuyasha sigh and mumble something about mangy wolves and not having time for this shit. There were some tapping sounds and Koga's phone buzzed against his ear. As he pulled the phone away from his head to check the message, Inuyasha started talking again.

"That's where I am right now. It's where I'll stay if you agree to hear me out, alone. I don't give a shit about myself or my safety or my fucking life. My only concern right now is her. They could have killed her or taken her and done who the fuck knows what. I want to know who it was and I want to keep her safe. That's all that matters right now."

"Fine," he growled into the phone. "Don't move, I'll come alone. But this better not be bullshit or I'm kicking your ass before I fucking kill you."

"Fair enough."

"I'll be there in 20 minutes," Koga said and hung up. He could make it in 10 but he had a few phone calls to make.


It had been a long time since Kikyo used her reiki to such an extent. Outside of being tiring, it also left her with an abundance of time to get inside her head, usually to her detriment. In those times, her guilt took center stage, the names of those she'd sealed dancing through her head, taunting her. She wanted to find them all, unseal them, teach them how to nurture and focus their power. It was selfish; they would all be killed for their gift eventually.

Kagome was supposed to be the one exception. She was supposed to be too powerful to be another victim, another page in the binder. Inuyasha should have been an extra layer of protection. But he couldn't watch her 24/7. Kikyo was a fool.

It probably wasn't even possible to replace Kagome's seals at this point. Her reiki would break through with ease now that she had some training. Once the last barrier was removed-

Wait. Something wasn't right.

Kikyo focused on Kagome's still recovering reiki, searching for her last seal. How had she not noticed? She'd been so focused on healing, she hadn't caught the change.

The last barrier was gone.

It must have happened during the attack. Did Kagome know? She may have been able to feel it, like something snapping deep in her soul. The rush of power would have been dazzling and left anyone with yokai blood either dead or purified to their human state. Maybe that's how she'd escaped. Kikyo would need to find out more about the attack when Kagome was awake and up to it.

There was a knock at the front door, startling Kikyo from her thoughts. She called for whoever it was to come in, turning her attention back to healing. She figured the visitor was Kagome's mother since she hadn't contacted Shiori yet. The door opened and Mrs. Higurashi stumbled through pulling a rolling suitcase behind her.

Her eyes immediately found her daughter, surrounded by the healing light of Kikyo's reiki. "Is she alright?" She asked, closing the door and rushing to her daughter's side. Her eyes darted between Kagome's injuries, hands coming up to rest on the bed's guardrail.

"She's going to be fine, Mrs. Higurashi," Kikyo said in a soothing tone she'd perfected over the years. "I just need time to heal her."

"Please call me Mayumi. And-" Her eyes widened and she looked up at Kikyo. "Heal her? The light...that's what you're doing?"

Kikyo nodded and pulled her hands back. "It is my gift, though it doesn't always feel like one," she said. She needed a break and a serious discussion with Kagome's mother was in order. Kagome's injuries were no longer immediately life-threatening so she could afford to walk away and let the woman rest. "How much has your daughter told you about her training?" Kikyo asked, leading them to the sofa.

They sat, Mrs. Higurashi's body angled so that she could keep an eye on Kagome. The room was quiet enough that they could hear Kagome's steady breathing. The smell of antiseptic was starting to fade but was still clear even to their human noses. At least it was better than the smell of blood.

"She hasn't told me much," Mrs. Higurashi said with a sigh. "She told me she had reiki, you unsealed her, and that she was training to be able to hide it and use it. I knew there was more but I figured she would tell me when she was ready."

Kikyo nodded and debated with herself over how much to reveal. She didn't want to scare the woman but she also wanted her to know the reality of the situation. "That is all true," she started. "There is more to it though. She-"

"Is her life in danger?" the other woman suddenly asked. "Did they...was she attacked because of her power?" Her hands curled and uncurled in her lap, her eyes still focused solely on her daughter.

Kikyo took a deep breath, letting her training as a doctor dictate her next words. She always hated delivering bad news. "With her reiki unsealed, she will always be in some degree of danger. As for what happened today, I can not be sure." Kikyo looked back over at Kagome, debating. "It really should be up to her when and how much she wants you to know." She looked back at Mrs. Higurashi who was finally looking at Kikyo. "I will, however, answer any questions that you have to the best of my ability. You know your daughter better than I and I'll trust you to know where to draw the line."

Mrs. Higurashi's eyes hardened, her jaw set in determination. "Tell me everything."

Kikyo nodded and started from the beginning. "It all started when I passed your newborn daughter's bassinet in the maternity ward nursery…"


Naraku, sitting on his office floor, picked up two glowing clay jars, one in each hand. They hummed slightly at his touch, calling to him. He had an infestation to take care of and these two jars would be the start of the solution. The dog, the two miko, the hoshi, the wolf, and the bat would all need to be dealt with, in time. These things couldn't be rushed.

The older miko was nothing but a nuisance and he would show no mercy with her. She would be the first. The hoshi and the woman he associated with would be taken care of more subtly. Plans for their misfortune were already in motion. The wolf and the bat could wait until things cooled off and neither would be much of a challenge.

The younger miko...He wanted to use the younger miko to help add to his collection but taking her was going to be more difficult. The dog would be his link to her; he could be eliminated as soon as the miko was procured.

He always had a plan, always stayed a few steps ahead of where he needed to be. Nobody who could hinder him was ever left alive, he made sure of that. Allies and enemies alike were dealt with accordingly.

Naraku brought the two jars close to his chest and set another part of his plan in motion.