Kagome stepped out of the old miko's house and released a long breath. After the tense hours she had spent with Kaede, she was beyond exhausted. They'd continued to speak for a long time after Kaede's accusation, which Kagome had brushed off as absurd. Then, she'd been told to clean various areas of the miko's house.

She suppressed as shudder and tried not to remember. Some of the food in the old miko's refrigerator was older than her.

"The girl dormitories are just around that building," a young girl had stepped in and out of Kaede's house without Kagome's notice. "Kaede-sama told me to escort you there."

"It's okay, really," Kagome smiled at the girl, "But I'd really like to find my husband, so we can find someplace to stay. Together."

The girl looked shocked. "Oh, no! You can't be with the youkai. It isn't respectable. You can stay in the female sleeping quarters, and he will stay at the male ones. We set them up just for single visitors like yourselves."

"I'm married to him." Kagome's voice was monotone, trying to find a way into the teenager's thick skull.

Smiling once more, the girl nodded. "Sure you are. But you're going to be staying there, just around that corner."

And of course, at Midoriko village, visitors could not oppose village rules. Youkai and humans were separated, and that was final.

Late at night, Kagome crept out of the female sleeping quarters. With her thrumming heart beat as her only comfort, she broke the biggest rule that Kaede had established for her: not to go out at night without a supervisor. Kaede had said there were dangerous things in the forest, and with the dormitory so close to the woods, such a rule was even more important. Kagome wasn't worried though. She'd slept in those woods the past few nights, and nothing had happened.

Sneaking past the male dormitories, she fluffed her hair a few times, in hopes that Sesshomaru would scent her and come visit. She hadn't seen him after he had left Kaede's, and for a reason she couldn't quite put her finger on, she wanted to see him. She stood behind the building near an old water trough, and when he appeared moments later, she surmised with a smile that he had wanted to see her too.

"It's not safe for you to be alone outside," he raised an eyebrow, waiting for her reply.

Covering her quick smile, she mumbled, "Hi, how are you? I'm doing fine thank you. And I have nothing to fear out here; I don't know what the big fuss is about being outside at night."

"These woods are covered in spider-youkai." When he saw her confused look, he added, "The only reason you were safe before, was because I was with you, and you weren't in a densely populated area. This village attracts many uncivilized youkai because of its size."

After a short beat, she laughed. "Yeah, I'd be fine. I could take some itty-bitty spider any day."

"The spider youkai are roughly the size of the average grown man."

She shut up. "That big?"

At his nod, she sighed. "Okay, yeah, it'd be a bit tricky, but I'd be fine. I'm a miko, remember? I could purify you right here, right now, if I really wanted to."

His answer was short, not amused at her playful manner, courting danger. "You are not nearly powerful enough to do that."

With another shrug, she dropped the topic, still not ready to tell him that in truth, the shikon miko had enough power to purify anyone she damn well wanted to.

Their silence was comfortable, two companions sharing the night, watching the stars above their head. She studied the stars, and then the stripes on his cheeks, the odd thought wondering if his stripes continued to anywhere special, suddenly at the forefront of her mind.

When Sesshomaru broke the silence, Kagome's attention shifted to more northern regions of his body, as she met his eyes. "What did Kaede have to say about the shikon miko?"

"Excuse me?" She blushed hotly, embarrassed at her own mind, and praying that he hadn't suddenly developed the ability to read her mind.

"The miko we have come here to inquire about?" His smirk told all.

"Oh—um—she's not here. Not a chance. No one here who could possibly be her."

He frowned. "You spoke with her for a long time. What did you converse about?"

Kagome closed her eyes, trying not to remember. After being quizzed on her marriage and life goals, Kaede had lectured her on the differences between youkai and humans. Differences that she had, similar to the entire human population, already been acquainted with.

"Just stuff… And then she had me do chores for her after that. I ate dinner with her and then… yeah that was about it."

His eyes were shadowed when she met them. He turned his gaze towards the sky once more and she was felt to feel guilty. He was far too proud to ask her again, and she was taking advantage of it. Of course, she reassured herself, he wouldn't want to know that she'd just spent hours being told several different ways to escape their marriage, the most common way being to kill him in his sleep.

"I've got to go now," she whispered. When his gaze flickered to hers as an acknowledgement that he'd heard her, she kissed him. It was a sweet kiss, one that promised happiness and more, and as he watched her run away, he found himself wanting.

As quietly as she could, Kagome entered the female dormitories. A creaky floorboard here, a noisy door hinge there, but she was as silent as possible. Resuming her futon next to a miko named Jen who was studying abroad, Kagome though she'd managed to pull off her little endeavor successfully.

"You may not be her, but you certainly have a part of her in you." Kaede's scratchy voice rang in Kagome's ears as she jumped out of her, her hands covering the soundless scream in her mouth.

The old miko chuckled quietly at Kagome's distress. "Yes, you definitely are the next shikon miko. There's no denying it."

"How can you tell?" Kagome's horrified whisper was barely audible. Kaede continued on, as if she hadn't heard her.

"Oh, the Taisho brothers. So powerful, so strong; alike, yet not at all. There's always a spot for them in the shikon's heart. And the shikon miko? She is the jewel embodied."

Kaede's footsteps moved away from the sleeping chamber, but Kagome continued to hear her words until dawn break. I've been found out.

They set out for home late in the day, much to Sesshomaru's dissatisfaction. He had hoped to fly home in one day, now that it didn't matter if Kagome was independent on not, but she'd taken so much time with the old miko, that it wasn't a possibility anymore.

Kagome's mind had been spiraling in unknown circles for the longest time. She was still confused about what Kaede had said, but she knew one thing definitely had to happen now that Kaede knew. She had to tell Sesshomaru the truth.

He had noticed how odd she was acting. The messy, hurried glances she sent his way every few minutes. The way she'd comb her hair quickly if he returned one. Her staring wasn't the thing that bothered him—he had grown accustomed to her eyes on him, and vice versa—but the way she wouldn't continue staring, was what set him off. She wasn't embarrassed when he caught her watching now—she would merely smile at him, and then resume staring.

He frowned as they took flight, the sun low in the sky. "Do you have something you wish to tell me?"

"No," she gulped, and observed the scenery to keep her eyes busy and unable to stray.

"How peculiar. You love to hear the sound of your voice."

"What?!" She whipped her head around, "Take that back! I only talk when I need to! I'm not a chatterbox."

His signature eyebrow raise made her rethink her words.

"Oh, shut up. I have to make up for all the talking you don't do." Pursing her lips, she couldn't help but add, "And it's a tough job, believe me."

Sesshomaru snorted, a mute thought flickering through his mind that he was glad she had started acting normal again.

But it didn't last. As the sun began to set, they stopped to make camp, and Kagome could feel her stomach constricting with nerves. She had to tell him.

As she began to boil a pot of water for some noodles, she mulled over her ideas. She could either a—tell him, or b—not say anything. But, she admitted, he was bound to find out sooner or later.

And it can't wait, she scolded herself. I've known this was his mission, or whatever, for several weeks. Every day that passes makes my crime worse. I should've told him a long time ago…

And with a reassuring breath, she suddenly felt like she could. If she just opened her heart and mind to the idea…

Kikyo's sudden, sharp movement alerted Kagome. She saw an assortment of colors in her vision as she looked out at the campsite she thought she'd just been standing in, and felt her body sway. The earth didn't really feel like it was under her feet anymore…

The intense beating of Kikyo's soul against hers made Kagome feel like she was losing her grip on reality. The pot of water she'd been holding had long since slipped, and the water had poured over her feet, but she could barely feel it. The world seemed so distant from her messy thoughts, as if one was a dream. In the world outside her mind she could make out Sesshomaru's figure approaching hers…

There's something I need to tell him! Her mind yelled over the violent pounding of Kikyo's soul. And what's wrong with her?

"Sesshomaru—I'm the—" Her voice sounded muffled, as if she were underwater. Her mind was still spinning, but she could faintly feel the touch of Sesshomaru's arms closing around her body…

And then, with rapt clarity, Kagome was being hoisted out of Sesshomaru's arms by someone else.

Kagome! When you open your heart to admitting you're the shikon miko—it's like you become a beacon of light! Every demon close to you will be drawn to your location! Be careful, please! Kiyko's worried voice, a sound that Kagome thought she'd never hear again, was filling her mind.

"So, Sesshomaru. It seems you've brought me the shikon miko…" A grotesque voice found its way to Kagome's ears, and she felt Naraku's hot breath by her ear.

Oh, wow, I really hope that last part made sense. It was sort of dream-like...? I guess that's what you get when the author gets really lazy because she's had a million and one things to do... Just give me a week, and I'll be back to writing more regularly than once a week. (Gah, sorry I'm so slow!) Hope you enjoyed, if the last part really doesn't make sense, please tell me! I'll gladly fix it. ~Gracie

All Characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi