Disclaimer: No own InuYasha. Chapter title means rural beauty.

His Past, Her Present, Their Future

Chapter 44 - Yashu

Kagome smiled at her newly-decorated living room, plopping back into her sofa. Since everyone who visited her now knew of her past, she had finally got around to hanging the various enlarged photos around her apartment that she had had done. Above the sofa were the four largest - the three she had brought back from Mattaki's time and the group photo from the Feudal Era which she had paid good money to have enlarged to a portrait size. On all the other walls were various eight by ten photos and snippets of her adventures.

Her body was still stiff from the ordeal of taking the life-lengthening tonic; the pain had been immense. It had felt like she was on fire inside out as her body and organs strengthened to endure several long lifetimes. In the end, she had passed out from the pain, only to awaken stiff and sore but otherwise alright. She only hoped it had worked.

Now she was only waiting for the next morning when Shippou would take her via private plane to Iwaku Isle. This made her happy, and she hoped this to be the last outing she would need to take for the sake of getting word out about her return. She knew now that she could wait another forty years without aging, but she really didn't want to. The sooner the better.

A knock on the door startled her out of the trance she had put herself in and she glanced at the clock in confusion before going to the door. She certainly wasn't expecting anyone at this hour. Pulling it open, she blinked at the grinning dual grinning dark heads in front of her before laughing and waving them inside. Once the door was closed the dark hair became almost identical auburn, though the one she knew to be younger had much finer features. He had taken after his mother in everything but his hair.

"What brings you two here?" she asked with a wide smile, making Shippou grin in return. His son's (she thought he was Chame, the oldest) smile was not as wide but was just as genuine.

"Ah Kagome, you know I can't leave you alone for very long. Was the tonic very bad?" he said uneasily, biting his lip.

"It hurt like hell," she deadpanned, smirking at his repentant expression. "Could you not have told me that?"

"Well, I was afraid…"

"That I wouldn't take it if I knew?"

"Yes."

Kagome smiled and led the two into the living room, giving them both a few minutes to wander amongst the framed pictures. Shippou stopped in front of one and Kagome heard the soft, sad laughter from him. She walked to him and put her head on his shoulder, smiling sadly up at the picture. It had been the day after her first and final kiss with InuYasha, the first day she had completely set him free. It had rained that day, but Sesshoumaru and Rin had arrived anyway on the first of many visits. The picture was her, Rin, and Shippou in the pouring rain. They were mud splattered and Kagome watched on fondly, a smile lighting her dripping face as the children were nearly doubled over in laughter.

"I remember what you had told me that morning, you know," Shippou said softly, reaching out a clawed finger to trace over Rin's nine year old features. "You said, 'You know Shippou… sometimes, I don't think life is about waiting for storms to pass, but learning to dance in the rain.' I took it literally and agreed, bounding out into the downpour. I don't think I understood the real meaning for many years. But you were right, you know."

Kagome smiled over at her son, his own son still engrossed in looking over the photos of his father's childhood on the walls. "I know. In these last three years, every time it's gotten hard I've remembered that day. To see the words taken so literally had really… made a difference to me, I guess. I've always made a point of taking walks in the rain, now. It helps to ground me."

"Is that Mother?" a deep voice spoke up from behind them, making Shippou turn and smile at his eldest son.

"Yes."

"She was so… small…"

"We all were at one point."

Kagome smiled, wavering only a bit. "You most of all."

Chame smirked deviantly at his father and turned to Kagome. "I'm not really sure how to address you, Kagome. Though I grew up knowing you as my grandmother, it was my daughter who married into the Higurashi line."

"Just Kagome is fine, Chame. Family is family," she said. Her mind was still trying to reconcile that the little boy she had taken care of had ended up being her ancestor.

The brown-eyed hanyou grinned, flashing a small set of fangs. She went to the kitchen to make tea and the three sat around her small table sipping.

"Kagome, I should tell you about Kouga before we go to see him. I wasn't the only one to lose someone in the time you were away."

Kagome gulped and set down her teacup. "What happened?"

"Well, not long after you left he mated Ayame like we all knew he would. They got on well enough for the first fifty years… but it ended up being a match made in hell. They couldn't agree on anything, especially the raising of their pups. I'm surprised they never killed one another.

"As time went on things only got worse, and eventually it came to the point where they couldn't live together anymore. They were still mated, and as such could be with with no one but one another, but they didn't see each other much, and usually only then for Kouga to impregnate her… again…"

"How many children did he end up with?" Kagome asked with a raised eyebrow.

Chame smiled sadly. "In all? Forty three. Only eleven are alive today."

Kagome had almost choked on the overall sum, but quickly sobered at the second half of the revelation. "What happened?"

"Sesshoumaru put word out to everyone who knew you or whom he could order around - by this point he had become something like the mostly undisputed Lord to all youkai - in the very beginning of the twentieth century of the bombing sites. He made sure all youkai were relocated out of those cities and knew to stay the hell away when the war was to finally come to pass.

"Ayame never really got over her complex about you, I guess. Kouga tried and tried to convince her to leave Hiroshima, where she'd taken up residence, but she wouldn't. She refused to believe his 'silly babbling' about you being from the future. She wouldn't leave, and since the children had never been close to their father, most stayed with her. Even youkai die from an atomic bomb."

Kagome bit her lip and stirred her tea. "I… it makes me sad that she could not be objective and heed the advice given, but I am glad lives were spared because I gave Sesshou that book."

"Yes, many were. The youkai population would have taken a hard hit if not for that."

She smiled now. "So, don't bring up Ayame to him then, obviously. Anything else I should know?"

"Though he's calmed down, I have a feeling seeing you again is going to make him into the same exact pain in the ass he was all those years ago. Thank god you have Sesshoumaru-papa's mark or he'd never shut up. It won't stop him from being an idiot, of course, but at least he'll know better."

"Shippou, who all knows about me?"

"You being Lady of the West or you being from the future?"

"Both."

"Well… very few people know of your origins in any time period; only those you told and any they felt the need to tell. All my children and most of my grandchildren and some even farther down the line know, Kouga's pack all heard of it but weren't sure what to believe, and most all youkai are aware that Sesshoumaru's Lady was from some far-off time, though the connection to you was never made, I don't think. How? I don't know. It might have been because you were both human and a miko that threw them, and that most people who would put you down as being his mate were from nearly a millenia ago, and those who equate you with being a miko from the future from less than half that.

"For instance, I am rather sure that 'Kagome' who became betrothed to the Western Prince and fought the Northern Lord during Lord Mattaki's reign was never put together with 'Kagome' who traveled with the hanyou InuYasha and defeated Naraku. Lady Raku put it together, but she never told Kouga, I know that. She's interested in his reaction."

"Raku is still alive?"

"Yes, she even saw you once when you visited Kouga's den, but she stayed away since she knew you were still not to the right point in time to have met her yet."

"I think her and Mattaki shared a sense of humor."

"Hey! Not telling people is fun for the shock value!"

"Says you," Kagome harrumphed and smiled askance at the two grinning foxes.

"Yes, says I!" Shippou crowed, puffing up and preening.

"Alright now, out, both of you. I have sleep to get and I'm bringing Ayumi with me tomorrow, you know."

Shippou blinked and inclined his head. "As you wish, my lady. Normally it's a no-no even for human mates, but seeing as your mate is the owner of the island and the most powerful youkai alive… I can't say anyone will dare complain. Once they realize who you are, at least."

"Like I told Ayumi, even if I'm given trouble, I will just have to make sure they remember exactly how much purity burns hurt."

The two left a few minutes later and Kagome changed for bed. The next day would be interesting.

"Are we there yet?" Ayumi groaned, her head between her knees. Apparently the small aircraft they were flying on wasn't agreeing with her, making her rather unpleasant company.

Shippou grinned at her out of the corner of his eye. "Actually, we are beginning the descent now. Just a few more minutes and you'll be alright."

Kagome looked out the window at the island they were circling in a downward spiral with a smile. She could feel the obscuring barrier over it, making it seen like a natural and untouched island from the air. She felt the buzzing wash over her minutes later and steeled herself against the objecting tingles; she was human entering a place where humans were rarely allowed. She saw Ayumi shudder in her sickly position and looked out the window once more.

The island was still mostly natural, but she could see the beautiful village they were landing on the outskirts of. She guessed most youkai made their homes within the sprawling forest, by the population she knew was there, but the old fashioned village was still probably twice the size that Futaridori had ever been. There were differences like the power lines, satellites on the roofs of the 'huts', and real doors and windows on the huts, but it seemed they tried to leave everything as natural as possible. She adored it already.

The open air was a relief and Kagome breathed in deeply and smoothed her forest green halter-top, smiling at a recovering Ayumi and grinning Shippou, Chame, Gishou (Shippou's youngest daughter), and a smirking Kagura. Their odd band of people was already drawing wary looks, but it seemed being in the company of both Sesshoumaru's advisor and adopted pup made people look the other way: humans in the party or not. Some of the gazes were hostile and those secreting a menacing aura made Kagome want to flare her own power in return, but she didn't dare.

There were few people near the landing strip, but of the handful of people milling about only two seemed to catch her scent and know what it meant. Those two had immediately bowed at the waist and snuck glances in awe at the woman smiling to them kindly. The others around them were broadcasting confusion and Kagome wondered how long it would take for word to spread.

As they reached the path to town, Shippou cut off his long winded ramble about the history of Iwaku and its inhabitants, winking and telling them be was going on ahead to collect Kouga. Gishou followed after him meekly, smiling just slightly at her overeager father. He had hardly been out of sight a minute before trouble found them.

The only warning she got was her pendant turning ice cold against her skin, making her pause in her steps. Had she not, one of the others might have been injured, but the attack was headed for her. A burst of fire shot for her before she could move, but disappeared a foot away from her into a shimmering invisible barrier. Her fingers went up to the icy crescent moon at her throat and sighed in relief. The protection charms were strong on it.

"What in the hell is going on?" Kagura ground out irritably from just ahead of her, glaring out into the forest. "Show yourself, bird!"

When the figure emerged, Kagome merely raised an eyebrow at the death glare she was receiving. She didn't flinch at Sesshoumaru's, so why would she back down from this? He was young, though she wasn't sure how eagle youkai aged, but he couldn't be more than two hundred. He wasn't yet matured and his golden hair only went to his shoulder blades. The eagle sneered haughtily. "What is this trash soiling Iwaku? Not one human, but two? Humans are not welcome here, and youkai who dare to bring humans should be executed. We come here to get away from the scum that fills this earth."

Kagome held up a hand to stop Kagura's retort, making the kaze witch sulk. The miko walked up to the sneering youkai with a cold smile. "How old are you, boy?"

It was gratifying the way he sputtered, but she knew he would answer. "I'm one hundred nineteen years old," he said with a scowl. "What are you, human, ten?"

Kagome paused and laughed. "As much as I love the idea of this island, I think it makes some youkai stupid. You know nothing about human aging, do you? I am, in fact, twenty three, but I assure you I have seen and done more in my two decades than you will do in your entire existence." She traced a finger up his arm, letting just enough power into her finger to singe the hair off, making the now quivering youkai balk.

"Since you're young, you don't have to die for attacking me." She glared at Kagura when she started to protest. "And since you are avian, I know your sense of smell is even worse than my own. However, you should know that things are not always as they seem, and you would do well to remember that."

"Who in the hell are you?" he choked out, still cowering slightly from the power she was allowing to snap around her. He had likely never met a miko, being so young and confined to the island, and only knew the stories heard from the elder youkai.

Kagome smiled not unkindly and let her power drop back to dormancy, inclining her head. "My name is Kagome. If that doesn't ring any bells, perhaps this should," she said and turned from him, lifting her long waves from her shoulder to expose the base of her neck which was adorned with a small but obvious silvery blue crescent moon. It had taken her three weeks to notice it there, just below the slightly raised scar of Sesshoumaru's mark. She didn't usually look at her back in the mirror, and it was actually Ayumi asking her when she had gotten a tattoo that had brought it to her attention.

With a smirk over her shoulder at the now gobsmacked youkai she grabbed an amused Chame and sulking Kagura's arms, pulling them along down the path. They weren't even out of sight by the time Kouga and Shippou came running. "What the hell was the power flare for, Kagome? You have youkai panicking in the city!"

Kouga's grin only widened and he ran straight into her, sweeping her into his arms and spinning her in circles. "My Kagome! What a sight for sore eyes!"

"You ruined the surprise before I could lure Kouga away," Shippou pouted. "He recognized your power."

"I'm sorry Shippou," she said with a giggle, hugging Kouga back before disentangling herself from him. "But I had to put a young idiot in his place."

"He really should die for attacking you," Kagura growled. "And I would have had fun doing it!"

"He attacked you?" Kouga growled, looking back at the still frozen eagle twenty yards back down the road.

"Kouga, it's okay, I put him in his place. I am human after all, and he's young enough to not know any better. Besides, birds have no sense of smell, really, so even if he had ever met Sesshoumaru he couldn't possibly know I was his mate-"

"Your what?"

"Kagome!" Shippou wailed. "You ruined that one too!"

Kagome paused and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry 'bout that."

"But… what… how?" Kouga choked out, his expression absolutely comical. It took Shippou barely moments to see this and start giggling.

"Okay Momma, I forgive you because this is better than I thought."

Kagome pet the flustered Kouga's head. "Let's go into town and sit, then I'll tell you the story, okay?"

He simply nodded dumbly and the group continued their trek, drawing stares from everyone they passed. It had been over a century since Rin had passed and therefore a human had set foot on the Isle, and now there were two walking with some of the most influential and powerful youkai in Japan. Ayumi was still slightly in shock from having seen her friend attacked, and stared in silent awe around at all the different youkai that stopped in their tracks to study the odd group.