Alright, here we go!
Otulia: Don't blame her for procrastinating. It's all my fault for stealing her creativity. Anyway, we don't own InuYasha, but Kishitaro, Antheron, Amoyael, and a new character this chapter, Kessita (who was so graciously donated by Luna Silvereyes) are ours!
Kagome looked around her, amazed. Kishitaro walked beside her, as Ai led them through a maze of small, but beautifully constructed houses.
Each building was unique, but almost all were adorned with a wonderful display of artistry. One house was a pale blue, with white plaster vines crawling up its walls. Another, having only three walls, was triangular, with a wraparound porch, its railings constructed of bright silver spirals. And yet another resembled an old tree, the door on the second story. All of these amazing displays of workmanship truly amazed Kagome, and she forgot about her sorrow in the excitement. The demon city was nothing compared to this town.
Its occupants, she noticed, were mainly half-demons, many of them young children. As they laughed and played in the cobbled streets, they paused to look at Ai, waving happily. One small child with wavy blue hair ran up to them, shouting, "Lady Ai! You're back!"
"You bet I am," she laughed, ruffling the girl's hair. "I can't play with you right now, but I promise to come later, okay?"
"Okay!" the girl said cheerfully. She skipped back to her friends, and they resumed their game of soccer, laughing happily.
"Everyone seems so happy here," Kagome said thoughtfully.
"That's how it is here, in Sheehan," Kishitaro told her. "I've always liked it here a lot more than in the city."
"Here we are!" Ai interrupted. They had come to a stop in front of a cave fitted with a sliding door. She slid it open and went in, Kishitaro and Kagome following. "It's great to be home again!"
Inside, the cave was surprisingly cheerful. Small, expertly woven tapestries lined the walls, and several unrecognizable tangles of rope, wood, and other materials hung from the ceiling. A nook on the far side of the spacious area served as a natural fireplace. Mats, rugs, a few chairs, and a low table were scattered about haphazardly, giving the cave a friendly atmosphere.
"The children come here a lot," Ai said happily. "They make these for me, to decorate." She indicated the tangles hanging all around. "Now, have a seat, anywhere you like, and I'll put on some tea."
Kishitaro sat cross-legged on one of the mats, and Kagome knelt down beside him. She noticed how much happier he seemed, now that a burden had been lifted off his shoulders. She looked at him, his gentle aura helping her to relax. When he turned his head to look at her with a kind smile, she couldn't help but smile in return, feeling her face heat up. She immediately looked away, confused. Why was she feeling this way?
"Okay, the tea will be ready in a bit," Ai said, seating herself on a cushion across from them. "So Kagome, how do you like my half-demon village?"
"It's wonderful," Kagome replied sincerely. "I've never seen anything like it."
Ai smiled. "We've come a long way, since Sesshomaru allowed us to leave his city. He knew that the half-demons were not going to remain obedient for long, constantly feeling hatred from all sides. We made a deal; the half-demons would move to the mountains, under my leadership, so long as we abide by the same laws as the demons in Okirei. So far, all has been well."
"So you're in charge here?" Kagome said thoughtfully. "I was wondering why everyone kept calling you 'Lady Ai'."
"Hey Ai. Nice to see you're back!" someone called from the cave's entrance. Kagome and Kishitaro turned to see a semi-tall demon coming in, gently pushing a small child in front of him.
"Hello, Shippo. We have some visitors," Ai said, grinning.
Kagome's eyes widened. "Shippo?" she asked uncertainly. He had grown taller, to just over four feet, and his tail had grown considerably more fox-like, though it was still rather bushy. He still wore his hair in the same style as he had as a child, but without the blue bow.
He looked at Kagome, a joyful smile lighting up his face. "Kagome!"
She jumped to her feet to give him a quick hug. "You've grown up!" she laughed happily.
A small squeal made all heads turn to the child. She appeared to be no more than five years old, with long black hair, and sad, icy blue eyes. She was clinging to Shippo's leg, clearly afraid of Kagome.
"It's okay, Kessita," Ai cooed. "Come here."
The girl detached herself from Shippo and ran to Ai, hugging her. "I missed you, Mama," she said tearfully. "Papa said you went to the big city, and I was scared you'd get lost."
"Now, now, Kess. I used to live in Okirei. I won't ever get lost."
Kagome watched the exchange, curious. This girl was Ai's daughter? Then who was her father?
"I'm thinking we have a lot of catching up to do," Shippo said with a grin.
A thought struck Kagome, and she nearly laughed out loud. "Shippo, are you and Ai married?"
"For nearly one hundred years," he said proudly. "And for the last five of them, we've had Kess giving us all sorts of trouble."
"Papa, who is that strange lady? Why is a human here?"
Shippo walked over to her and knelt down to her level. "Her name is Kagome," he explained. "I told you about her, remember?"
After a moment, a small smile emerged. "She's the lady who took care of you when you were my age?"
"That's right," he said, ruffling her hair. "Now go say hi."
Kessita immediately tried to hide in her mother's arms. Ai sighed. "She's always like this," she said sadly. "I wish I knew why. She won't even let Kishitaro close enough to figure it out."
"Sota used to be like that," Kagome said thoughtfully. "Kessita, was somebody being mean to you?"
The little girl nodded, barely turning her head enough to look at Kagome. "Firkyu makes fun of me when I play with water," she sniffled, close to tears. "And sometimes he scares me with his fire."
Kagome looked at Shippo. "Am I right in guessing that this Firkyu can manipulate fire?"
Shippo nodded. "Kess does the same with water."
"Here's an idea, Kessita," Kagome said with a smile. "Next time Firkyu is being mean to you, why don't you get him wet?"
The child's eyes brightened, some of their sadness leaving. "Can I, Mama?"
Ai smiled. "As long as you don't hurt him. And if he keeps bullying you after that, just tell me or your Papa, okay? You don't have to keep it a secret from us."
Kessita nodded. "Okay, Mama."
Kagome resumed her seat beside Kishitaro. "You resolved that rather quickly," he whispered.
She nodded. "Sota used to get bullied at pre-school, and he wouldn't tell anybody about it. It was only when he came home crying that we realized what was going on."
"Ai, did you check your tea?" Shippo suddenly asked.
"I completely forgot about it!" she exclaimed, getting up and rushing to the fireplace, pulling the tea kettle off the fire. "It's done!" she said happily.
Cutting it off here because I'm tired of writing this chapter. Please review and I'll get the next chappie done in a decent amount of time!