In order to keep up with the finances to support not only the house and shrine; but the food, medical supplies, new clothing because of the jewel quest, Nodoka Higurashi once again rejoined the work force. The savings and what money the shrine brought in was for the shrine itself, and whatever was left behind from her husbands death, was quickly dwindling with everything Kagome needed. Not only that, Souta was a growing boy. His clothes were just as quickly being outgrown and the food needed to keep him running was tallying up a high bill.

She started off small, working at the bottom of her last employer's and worked her way quickly to the top. She had studied and worked in accounting's for a small company, maintained her position when it was bought over but quite once she married and became pregnant with Kagome. So while things may have been advanced since she last worked accounting's and she needed to be taught how to operate these news advances, it was like fitting into an old comfortable spot. It was well known and easy to get a grip on.

When a decision to take an advancement for herself came up, she was all for it. The only set back, it would require she move to America for at least three years, if not more, to help establish the company's new setup in New York. She was given some time to think about it, but they needed her answer soon or would go with someone else.

She knew that in the long run, it would help the whole family and better set her children's future. But it would also mean uprooting said children, one of whom was trying to accomplish a very important task the Kami's and Fate had set out for. But the answer came easily, when her eldest returned, bloody and battered, but alive, stating that it was finally done.

So, returning to work, she gave her employer's her answer, but requested a few weeks to help her 'sick' daughter back to full health before hurtling over such a large task as to moving to America. They were understanding, and gave her the extra time she needed, and helped her get a family home, the transfer scripts she would need not only for herself, but for her children as well.

When Kagome was finally fully healed, and after being told of the plans and about the move, they all waved their final fairwell's to their Grandfather, whom Kagome worried over as he was staying behind, drove to the international airport and bored their plane to New York.

The flight was long, pretty much a whole day, if not longer, sitting in a flying metal can and only walking down anorexic allies to either regain feelings in their legs or to use the tiny closet like bathrooms. So it was easy to understand when they all let out a sigh of relief when they finally landed, hauled their heavy luggage and went to the airport hotel to stay for the night before heading to their new home.

As per request, their new home was outside the city, a quaint little neighborhood that more or less resembled their old one, only American. Nodoka herself could easily commute to work either by train or car, which she was also provided with. It wouldn't be until the next day, that her children would be asking about their new schools, Kagome more than happy to hear that she wouldn't have to wear uniforms anymore as she was sure perverted old men had designed the ones she wore throughout her schooling years back in Tokyo. Souta himself was more interested in what they had for sports teams and gaming.

She simply smiled at her children from the front seat of the taxi as her children were wide eyed by the sights around them as they drove towards their new home. While they weren't all that pleased to have to sit the whole way from the city to their new home, the sights around them were more than enough to distract them.

Soon enough, they were at their new home, already set up by the company with their furniture and basics, leaving the rest entirely up to them. So they set to unpacking their things right away, hoping to burn all the energy they had store in them from not only the long flight, but also the long ride from the city to their new home.

It took them the whole day, with Nodoka herself stopping earlier to start on dinner, but she more than made up the next day. A week later, they had finally finished setting things up to their preferences, their selected rooms stylized to match each person. And about another two to finally be settled in and accustomed to the time differences as well as cultural differences.

Kagome herself was lounging on the window seat that came with her room, reading one of the many books Eri had bought for her. She was dressed in simple but comfy jeans, a plain blue t-shirt and simple white sock. Her hair was done up in a sloppy bun and around her neck was a simple locket.

Leaning back on the massively comfortable pillows, Kagome turned a page and continued her reading. One leg up up on the window seat, the other kicking back and forth lazily, with her toes just skimming the floor.

Hearing something, she furrowed her brows and lowered her book to take her room in. If there was one thing Kagome quickly noticed about their new home, heck their street even, was that there was a lingering of magic in the air. It had been centered on the house across the street when they first arrived, but it soon spread and grew and was now also intermingling with their new home.

Pursing her lips, she raised her book back up and continued reading. So far nothing really of much notice had happened. Sometimes the feeling of magic would spike, sometimes there would be slightly odd sounds echoing from the shadows, other times, things would 'move'. Like her Mama would place her keys on the counter, only to find them on the kitchen table instead. But other than that, nothing really happened.

She was about to turn the page, when she heard the noise again. It was louder this time, or she was better able to distinguish it, because it sounded like... giggles and snickering. Lowering the book she placed it down next to her after saving her page and pushed herself up into sitting position. With both feet on the floor, she quickly stood up and searched her room.

Pursing her lips and planting her hands on her hips when her search revealed nothing, she decided to put some music on. Getting back into her earlier position, she picked her book up and began to read from where she left off. It was halted immediately when she felt something scurry across her foot.

With a startled cry, she quickly pulled herself completely up onto the window seat and searched the surrounding floor and dark corners for whatever it was that ran across her foot. Sitting on her knees barely over the edge, her fingers curled into the cushion beneath her when the sounds of giggling and snickering grew.

"Everything alright?"

Looking up, she blinked wide eyes as she took her Mama and Souta in. Clearing her throat sheepishly at their expecting looks, Kagome drew herself up and eased the tension from her body.

"Ah... something ran across my feet and startled me."

Souta threw her a disbelieving look before he chuckled. "After everything you've been through, something running across your foot startles you?"

"Well excuse me. I've been hearing strange noises for the past hour and then something ran across my foot. So forgive me for being a little paranoid." she childishly stuck her tongue out at him.

Nodoka for her part frowned lightly at what she just heard. She too had noticed strange going on's since really settling in their new home. She had hoped it had been that it was being in a different country in a new house, but perhaps there was something living in the house with them.

"Well... I'll call tomorrow to get the house inspected. Hopefully we don't have some little uninvited critters living with us."

"You mean rats?" Kagome shivered as she remembered that never ending sea of rats that had been set free back in the past. They had ate and destroyed everything in their path.

"Could be rats. I've heard that squirrels sometimes start little families in the attic of the houses in this area, or stray cats even."

"Squirrels?! Can I keep one as a pet?"

Both turned to the excited Souta at the question that nearly had the boy bouncing on the balls of his feet. When he realized that he wasn't about to get an answer, at least not one that he wanted, he spoke up.

"What?"

"Honestly? A pet squirrel? I don't think so." she shook her head, wondering why her son would want such a pet, or how he came to the idea.

"Then could we get a pet dog? I mean, we will be here for years, according to your boss, and we have the room."

Looking down at her son, seeing that hopeful face of his, she had to bite the inside of her cheek. "Not right now, perhaps after the both of you have started school. It's still a little too early for us to get a pet."

"If we get a pet, it would keep away these... critters as you called them."

Nodoka sighed as she began to lead her youngest away from her eldest's room. Kagome bit back on the urge to giggle as she heard her mother mutter a 'We'll see'. Her brother threw a pretty smart trick, using their possible pest problem as a reason to getting a dog.

With the reason why her Mama and Souta had gathered at her bedroom door forgotten, she curled on her stomach and resumed her reading with a smile enjoying the peaceful evening.

After that one incident, Kagome would grow accustomed to feeling something brushing against her from dark corners. Nothing perverted, but more along the lines of trying to playfully spook her. In fact, it reminded her a lot of Shippo and his pranking ways.

It had been the night after her first day of school, that she noticed more activity coming from the house across from her. In fact it sounded like a party. In the bedroom of a fellow classmate? What made it even weirder was the fact that her family and herself seemed to be the only ones that noticed. But that was quickly thrown out the window when she noticed a small boy, around the age of five or a bit older look up at the window

He had wavy blond hair, bright blue eyes and rosy chubby cheeks. He wore a red and white stripped shirt underneath a jean overalls and red sneakers.

She blinked when he turned towards her, and when he looked between herself and the lit window a few times, a smile lit on his face and he ran towards her as fast as his short legs could manage.

"You see them don't you?! Sarah says I shouldn't talk about them and mom doesn't believe me!"

When the boy clutched at the hem of her sweater, bouncing on his feet and tugging at her sweater every time he landed back on his feet. Blinking a few times, she glanced at the window once again to take in the lit room. Various forms of shadows danced on the ceiling, music playing, colorful... things flew across the window. Taking it in for another second, she turned back to the boy that still looked very hopeful and waiting for an answer from her.

She could simply nod her head, her lips twitching when the boy let out an excited cry and started bouncing on his feet in earnest.

"They are real! I knew it, I knew it!" he started doing a little jig on the spot before her, to which Kagome could only let out a chuckle at.

He stopped his spinning and looked up at her, face bright with excitement. "Do they do magic for you and play with you as well?"

"Mmm, not really. They like to play pranks on me more than anything."

The boy's eyes grew wide before he tried to hide his laughter, but a few snickers managed past the hands he pressed to his mouth. Kagome's own smile grew and she crouched down to try and get to his eye level.

"Though I do have a question. What -are- they?"

"You mean you don't know?"

Pursing her lips and shook her head. "Nope. Afraid not. Could you tell me?"

He opened his mouth to answer her, but quickly snapped it shut and took in his surroundings, his eyes stopping slightly behind and above her. Turning around, Kagome spotted an owl resting on a tree branch in the tree that stood in the front yard of the house whose property she was on.

Turning around, she took in the boy again, watching how he continued to stare at the owl and seemingly trying to will something from the silent night hunter. What, she wasn't sure, but the boy nodded his head and turned back to her.

Leaning in closer, he cupped his hands around his mouth and whispered the answer to her.

"Goblins."

Her eyes widened as she mentally pictured 'goblins' the media always depicted. It was nothing close to the playful auras that leaked out from the dark corners of her new home. Facing the boy as he took a step back, wearing a smile that was a little, to knowing, for one his age.

"Really now..."

"Yes. But you have to keep it a secret. You promise?"

Taking the boy in, she took in the seriousness of his tone and expression but nodded her head and then spoke the words out loud.

"Would it be alright if I told my family?"

He screwed his mouth and narrowed his eyes on her for a moment. His gaze on her was one that was testing her, seeing if she was worthy enough.

"They'll believe me and can also keep a secret."

"They believe? Your mom too?"

"Especially my mom. See, back in Japan, we lived at a very special place that was full of magic. It's not the same type of magic as your goblin friends, but it's magic nonetheless."

"Okay, but only them and no one else."

"I swear on it. Pinky promise even." she smirked as she offered her pinky to him, to which he quickly wrapped his own tiny one around and shook their hands on it.

"What's your name?"

"I'm Kagome Higurashi." she spoke it slowly, making it easier for him to catch the pronounciations of her name.

A chuckle escaped her when his face screwed up and he repeated after her, acting like he was trying new food and wasn't sure he liked the taste. But he tried it a few times and then looked up at her, seeing if he said it correctly. She nodded her head with a smile on her face.

Standing up, she offered her hand and started directing him to the front door. "And what's your name?"

"Toby Williams!"

Kagome continued to talk with him for the short walk it took to get him back to his house and then introduce herself to his parents. All the while unaware of how she was being watched by a set of oddly matched blue eyes from the owl she had spotted in the tree a few minutes earlier.

It followed her as she quickly ran back to her own home, easily sensing those that had been watching the over the boy since he had left the labyrinth also within the young woman's own home.

Spreading it's wings it left it's perch and landed on a tree branch outside a window that lit up as the young woman entered the room behind the window and tossed herself at a desk and began her homework. Soon enough, a boy entered and distracted the young woman from her work.

The owl watched as the two played, rolling around on the floor and attacking each other with tickles. Though the young woman claimed herself the victor, the boy declared she cheated and demanded a rematch, only to be interrupted from a called from the first floor echoing to their ears about dinner.

The boy said that it wasn't over and warned his sister to be prepared for any sudden and surprise attacks in the near future to which the young woman accepted the challenge.

Watching the two leave the room, the sister turning the light off and quickly disappearing from the owl's sight, a third observer watched the owl with narrowed eyes, mixed feelings filling her body. But the first and foremost was wonder.

Sarah Williams was curious as to why the Goblin King was perched outside the new neighbor's house. And wondered what it could mean.

AN: A pre-continuation of my first Inu/Labyrinth possibility! Read, enjoy, and review!