Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or YuYu Hakusho. This is purely for my pleasure.

"Ow…" Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru sat before her, applying ointment to her wound on her stomach. He had made it clear to any and all healers that he would be the one to patch her up.

"So, Sesshoumaru, where are we exactly?" It had been bothering her ever since she woke up in that cell with her classmates. Just by being there, the overwhelming amount of youki had bothered her, more so that there weren't really any humans around at all. And the place she was currently at wasn't any better. It was like she was in some foreign country.

Sesshoumaru tied off a bandage and moved to sit beside her on the cot she was on. "Right now we are in the rekai. It is what one would call the spirit realm—where the dead go when they pass on." Kagome nodded in slight understanding and looked around the room. She was basically in an infirmary. The cot she was on was in the corner of the room farthest from the door. One wall was solely made up of counters and cupboards (that no doubt held medical supplies) and the other wall had medical tools that were too big to fit in the cupboards. To the right of her bed was a small table that held a vase of flowers—a small attempt to make the room feel a little homey.

Kagome looked back to Sesshoumaru. "What about the place I was at before I came here—the one with all of the demons?"

Sesshoumaru grabbed another roll of bandages and focused on the wound on her arm. "That would be the makai. It is where demons were sent after the barrier between the worlds was established."

"Oh." She didn't really get all of it yet, but Kagome had a basic understanding of it. "When was the barrier between the worlds made? It obviously wasn't there in the feudal era." Kagome rolled up her sleeve for Sesshoumaru so he could attend to her arm.

"Somewhere between the 1600's and the 1700's; I've lost track of the exact date." He tied of the bandage. "Are there any other wounds on you that I should worry about?"

"No, I'm pretty sure you got all of them. Thanks again Sesshou-nii." Kagome gave Sesshoumaru one of her award-winning smiles and rolled her sleeve back down. She then looked at Sesshoumaru with a questioning stare. "Wait, then why are you here then? Shouldn't you be in the makai?"

Sesshoumaru brought his hand up and brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Normally I would be, but today is an exception. I was having a biannual meeting with the other makai lords who rule under me."

Kagome smiled at his tender care of her. He had really changed over 500 years. "So you're like the King of all makai or something?"

"Of course." He nodded with a smug tone.

"I wouldn't have expected any less from you." Kagome giggled out.

Sesshoumaru granted her one of his rare smiles and stood from his spot on the cot. "Come, I would like to introduce you to the other makai lords. I'm sure they are all wondering why I had left so abruptly." Kagome nodded and followed him out the door.

On their way through the halls, Kagome took the time to really look Sesshoumaru over. He hadn't really changed much over the years, except for the fact that he had gotten a little taller and his shoulders seemed broader. When she looked at him from behind like this, she couldn't help but notice how much he looked like his father—no matter that she had only seen him once or twice.

Kagome had shaken herself out of her daze when she realized they had arrived at a set of double doors and moved a little closer to him as he opened them.

Once Sesshoumaru was sure that he had the attention of the other lords he began to talk. "I am sorry for the interruption, but I had something that needed to be taken care of. As you can all see" He gestured to Kagome "my imouto, Kagome, had finally returned to me and was in need of my help."

Sesshoumaru then looked to Kagome. "Kagome, I would like you to meet the makai lords." He motioned to the one with horns on his head. "He is Yomi, Lord of the northern provinces."

Yomi nodded his head with his eyes closed. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Kagome." Kagome greeted him with a "Nice to meet you", noticing that he must be blind, for he didn't open his eyes at all.

Sesshoumaru then motioned to a lady with bright orange hair who had a cloth covering half of her face. "She is Mukuro, Lady of the eastern provinces."

Mukuro smiled at her, crinkling her one eye as she did. "It's nice to know that I'm not the only woman here anymore. It's a pleasure." Kagome smiled back at her, understanding how she felt. "Same here."

Sesshoumaru inclined his head towards one of the boys she had seen back in the makai. "He is Yusuke, Lord of the central provinces. Honestly, I have no idea how he even managed to become a lord."

Yusuke stood from his spot at the table. "Hey! I heard that!" Sesshoumaru just smirked from his position and turned back to Kagome. "The Southern and Western Lords have yet to arrive, but they should soon. You might just know them, imouto." He looked at her with a knowing smile and sat back down in his spot at the head of the table, motioning for Kagome to sit to his left.

As soon as she sat down, someone had burst through the doors, panting as he entered. "I'm sorry I'm late Sessh, but I got caught up and…" His body froze as it landed on Kagome.

Kagome's eyes widened when she saw the signature auburn hair and green eyes in the body of a young man. "Shippou-chan?"

"Sesshoumaru had a little sister!? When did this happen!? How come I'm always the last one to know?" Koenma drowned in his misery and lowered his head to the desk. He was sure that Lord Sesshoumaru was going to kill him. How could he not know!?

"Really Koenma, you shouldn't blame yourself so much. I doubt that anyone other than Lord Sesshoumaru himself knew that he had a little sister." Kurama reassured him. He crossed his legs on the couch he was sitting on and looked back toward Koenma. "Don't worry too much on it."

Koenma just ignored him and slunk further into his chair, hands on his head. He was so dead.

"But what really bothers me is that she just seemed to appear out of no where. If Sesshoumaru really had a little sister for this long, then why hasn't anyone ever found out?" Kurama turned inward, sifting through the possibilities in his head—sharing ideas with Yokou. No matter how much he thought, he just couldn't come up with anything that seemed plausible.

"Hn. You should all know by now that unless Sesshoumaru wants you to know something, he's perfectly content to keep it hidden." Hiei added from his position against that wall to the right of the couch. Kurama nodded in agreement to Hiei's statement. It was true—unless Sesshoumaru wanted you to know something; you weren't ever going to find out. Such was the power of a demon that rivaled that of a god.

Kurama sighed to himself and stood from his spot on the sofa. "There's no use questioning it at the moment. We'll just have to live with the facts we have. Maybe we'll get the chance to question her later." He headed towards the door. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find Botan for a portal. I do have places to be."

Hiei's eyes followed after Kurama as he left, gave Koenma one last glance, and followed him out of the office. He also had things he'd rather be doing. Rather, killing.

"So how have you been Kaa-san? How are your injuries? Do you feel alright? When did—"

Kagome covered Shippou's mouth with her hand. "Slow down Shippou, one question at a time. I'm fine, my injuries are fine, and yes, I feel just fine. Now for my question: when exactly did you become a lord?" Kagome lowered her hand when she was sure Shippou wasn't going to talk her to death.

Shippou smiled at his young mother. Despite the years since he's seen her, she hasn't aged a day. Well, that's the power of a time portal he guessed. But was he ever excited to see her again! It had been 500 years, if not more, since he played with her, talked with her, snuggled in a sleeping bag with her (he'd love to do that again) and he couldn't get the joy out of his system! He had a lot of things planned for them.

"Well, after you left, Sesshoumaru took it upon himself to raise me. He highly doubted Inuyasha's abilities to do so (which Inuyasha got pissed at) and whisked me away. God were my days spent training under him back-breaking, tortuous, boring—" Sesshoumaru sent Shippou a glare that had Say anymore and you die written all over it "but well worth it all in the end!"

"And as all kitsunes do when they hit puberty, I set off into the world on my own. I wanted to make something of myself. I wanted to make people never forget the name "Shippou". His brought his hand in front of him and grasped for something that wasn't there. "Of course I got my ass kicked a few times—"

Sesshoumaru interrupted him with an eyebrow raised in question. "A few?"

Shippou pouted at Sesshoumaru's input and turned back to Kagome. "—but I kept on rising back to the challenge, just like you told me mama. Eventually, after the barrier was created, Sesshoumaru made me the heir to the western lands, since he was gonna be King and all. And here I am!" Shippou smiled that foxy smile of his, looking warmly down at his mother.

Kagome hugged Shippou around his waist. "Well I'm very proud of you Shippou-chan." She measured their heights with her hand. "My you've grown Shippou! You're almost as tall as Sesshoumaru!" She buried her head in his chest. "Why must I always be cursed with shortness?"

Shippou smirked and patted her head. "That's just part of your charm, Kaa-san. It makes you even cuter." Kagome pulled away from Shippou and crossed her arms in front o her chest. "Cute?! How's the enemy supposed to fear me if I'm cute?!" Betraying her statement, Kagome let loose a pout to show her displeasure.

Shippou laughed out loud and pulled Kagome back into his chest, hugging her for all she was worth. "Ohhhh, you are sooo cute when you're angry." Kagome pouted in his embrace, but enjoyed the feel of his arms around her. It was nice to have her Shippou back, even if things did seem to be switched around.

Yusuke sprawled out on the floor and whined. "Ahhh! When is that Southern Lord gonna get here?! I'm not getting any younger here!"

If he wasn't blind, Yomi would have rolled his eyes. "You should have some patience. He will arrive soon."

Yusuke sprang back up into a sitting position and glanced at the Northern Lord with a snort. "What, and turn into an old crone like you? I don't think so."

Yomi's eyebrows lowered considerably and a smile was forced onto his face. "Would you like to repeat that?"

Yusuke snorted once again. "Ha! I said—"

"Enough! He is here." Sesshoumaru glanced at them and turned towards the doorway. Standing there was none other than a teenage Hakudoushi.

Hmhmhmhmhm… fufufufufu… kukukukuku! Bet you didn't expect that! I couldn't resist. I've wanted to write Hakudoushi into my stories for the longest time. And seriously, if Hakudoushi was free from Naraku, I think he would be just like Sesshoumaru. Not necessarily good, but not necessarily evil. Well anyway, review.