A/N: Please, I would really appreciate it if you read the author's note on my profile page and take the poll I am about to set up. It lets you know about a lot of things that have been going on with me and what I plan to do to fix it. Anyway, enjoy, and thank you so much for sticking with me (for those who have).

Chapter 16:

The stream that had once flowed through the cavern had long dried up, and the heat at the bottom defied the cool feeling of the jagged stone. There was a foreboding feeling felt by anyone looking down from above, but once in the abysmal hole, there was no doubt that you were in the presence of something sinister.

"Orochi."

A rough voice echoed through the abyss to reverberate through a boy who looked to be little more than a teen.

"Father."

He answered the call of his name. His eyes were closed, and he appeared relaxed, despite the natural tension of his environment; his demeanor matched perfectly with the expectation of one such as him – one born of evil.

"Kirei has acted rashly in his haste to take down the Western Lord and claim the lands for himself."

The ground rumbled acutely under the stress of the movement of an organism so large, and if the young man had eyes open he would have seen the frightening looking figure slithering its way toward him. He sighed.

"The first snow will be upon us soon, my son. It should be your every intention to take full advantage of his time of weakness, yes?"

"I was not aware that we were allowing Kirei to keep the Western lands, after all we are the strength allowing him to even entertain the idea."

"That is not your concern, Orochi. Do your duty."

The ground rumbled again, but the tremors got less and less beneath the young man's feet, signaling the retreat of his father. Soon after, a draft picked up through the cavern as the large beast took flight, whipping his shoulder length, white hair to a fro. Only when the man was left to his quiet peace once more did he sigh, opening his piercing red eyes that saw nothing and everything, before taking one large jump to get out of the trench.

XXXXX

"Maru-chan, kimoi!"

Shippo squealed, barely trying to avoid the pup's sticky hands, having too much fun to really be bothered by wearing more of the gurgling baby's meal than he was eating. Kagome laughed too, holding another small piece of an amanatsu to Sesshomaru's lips. He stared directly at her, and Kagome nodded reassuringly – positive she was making ridiculous faces to coax him into taking his last bite – causing him to open his mouth obediently, conquering the tiny bit of the fruit with his new fangs. Sesshomaru reacted to the sweet yet tangy fruit the same way he had every time before: he laughed – the sweetest little laugh – and slapped his hands up to cover his eyes, ensuring he would require quite the wipe down to clean him of his lunch. He had come to very much enjoy peek-a-boo, and now used the gesture whenever he was pleased with something. With a laugh of his own Shippo gently pulled Sesshomaru's hand from over his eyes, making the baby erupt into another fit of giggles as the two people came back into view.

Sesshomaru kicked his legs and stuck out his arms to Kagome, opening and closing his small hands until she pulled him from his high chair. As Kagome lifted him from it, she mused again about how amazing the carpenters in Touga's employ were. She had only given them a rough sketch and they had constructed something extremely helpful on the first go!

She smiled, tickling the baby's belly. In the past tense week, this had become one of her favorite activities. It could get messy, especially when Shippo was around to "help", but it was all in good fun.

"Let's get you two cleaned up."

She said, ruffling Shippo's hair. Mai was soon shuffling quietly into the kitchen with her granddaughter to clean-up behind them (though Kagome took pains to make as little a mess as possible), and the chuckle from the old woman did not escape Kagome; she looked over her shoulder as she left the kitchen, giving her a friendly smile.

"Kagome-san, do you mind if I join you? We have not spoken in a time, it seems."

The aging inu asked the retreating young woman. Kagome looked back again and nodded eagerly to the older woman, who reminded her a bit of Lady Kaede.

"Of course, Mai-san, please join us! We don't mind, do we boys?"

Shippo frantically shook his head no as he giggled. Sesshomaru too clapped in glee, and then the cutest look of curiosity came over his face as he realized it was harder to pull his hands apart – on account of the drying fruit juice.

"Well, as long as you don't mind helping?"

Kagome added, successfully getting the words out before Sesshomaru was peeling in laughter at his new discovery, slapping his hands over his face again. Kagome laughed with him, blowing raspberries on his cheek and leading the way to the bathing room in the family wing, a chuckling old woman following behind her and her boys.

"How have you been, Kagome-san?"

Mai asked after they had reached the bathing room and she was warming a basin of water with her youki as Kagome undressed the children; the wash room of course was equipped with hot springs, but Sesshomaru could not yet stand the heat of the water.

"Everything is alright, I suppose."

She lifted Sesshomaru from the short table for a moment, allowing Mai to put down the tub on its top, before gingerly placing the baby in the water.

"Touga has taken Shippo out of his lessons."

She rolled her eyes as Shippo cheered and splashed around from the spring. She looked over her shoulder at her son.

"Yes, Shippo-chan, I know how devastated you are."

He giggled, before dunking himself to avoid her stare.

"Do not get too excited, my boy,"

Mai spoke up, rolling up Kagome's sleeves as she held Sesshomaru steady. The young miko smiled gratefully.

"I am sure Touga-sama has only allowed you this respite for the cardinal meeting that begins tomorrow. I am sure you will be back to your schooling before you know it."

Shippo groaned at the old woman's logic, making her laugh.

"Right."

Kagome laughed, though the sound was strained and not as carefree as the sound the old woman had become used to. She voiced her suspicion to the young miko in so many words.

"And how are Touga-sama and yourself, my lady?"

Kagome was quiet, wiping a lightly soaped cloth over the burned-out baby boy – who would definitely need to be put down for his nap after this – and she just tried not to notice Mai's questioning eyes. The inquiry got impossible to ignore however as it continued to hang in the room – as Mai was obviously not going to give up until she received an answer – and Shippo and Sesshomaru stared at her curiously now too. Heaving a sigh, she answered.

"I…we were beginning to like each other, it seemed."

Mai giggled.

"Well of course, my dear-"

"No, Mai-san, you don't understand. I was just imagining it, is what I'm trying to tell you."

The old woman scoffed, moving to help Shippo figure out which of the bottles that lined one edge of the tub contained the oil he was to use to clean his hair. She pulled the cork from it and held it out for him to sniff; he recoiled quickly, his nose crinkling cutely as he was overwhelmed by the scent of mint, before nodding his head and accepting it.

"I may be old, child, but I am not yet bli-"

"He compared me to a concubine, Mai-san."

Kagome lifted the clean baby from the water, wrapping him up and trying to distance herself from the old woman. Shippo dunked himself to rinse his hair, before hoping out of the bathing pool as well, wrapping himself in a towel, before following her out of the room and down the hall into the room he and Sesshomaru had been sharing. Mai flicked a piece of her hair out of her face with a sigh before following as well.

"Kagome I don't believe that-"

"Please, Mai-san, another time."

Kagome closed the conversation sensing her own volatile mood. Sesshomaru whimpered, calling her attention to just how tense she was.

"Gomenasai, Maru-chan…"

She whispered, cuddling close to him and nuzzling his cheek; she inhaled deeply, drawing as much comfort from his soft, baby scent as he did from hers.

"Okaa-san?"

She pulled her face away from Sesshomaru's cheek, turning to see her son. He stared at her quizzically.

"Do you love Touga-sama the way you loved Inuyasha?"

She gasped, sure her mouth was opening and closing like a fish out of water. And then she burst into giggles, ruffling his hair.

"No, Shippo-chan. I love Inuyasha like a brother, like I love Miroku."

"Yeah, but I meant before."

She sighed.

"That was just a young girls' crush."

'This is much worse.'

XXXXX

"Kenta, my friend."

Touga smiled warmly at his friend, and expression that did not often grace his face.

"Touga, how have you been?"

The inu lord looked over his ookami lord friend to see the leader of the Northern lands approaching.

"We will discuss it later instead."

Kenta took a whiff of the air, noticing the scent of a man that neither lord was particularly friendly with, and nodded his head, stepping to the side to allow Touga and Yoshirou could shake hands.

"Yoshirou."

"Touga."

The Northern lord repeated the short, greeting ritual with the Southern lord.

"Ah, friends."

The three man that stood in the middle of the courtyard, turned toward the palace they had their backs to, watching the panther youkai lord descend the stairs as if he owned the place. Touga did not hide his snarl, for if there were anything they all agreed on it was how much they despised Kirei.

"You have made it in time for the banquet I see."

Youshirou brushed past him without a word in greeting, following behind a servant that had come to lead the new arrivals; his own servants trailed closely behind him with a trunk of his belongings. Kenta had remained by his friend's side, until an incline of Touga's head had him doing the same. Kirei watched them walk past with a sick grin on his face, his eyes boring holes into the Western lord. He soon shrugged his shoulders, having gotten the satisfaction he wanted, and turned back toward the palace.

But not soon after he began walking did he whip around again, having forgotten something.

"Oh and Touga, I believe I smelled dragon in the air earlier, surely you are not serving the for dinner tonight, are you?"

Touga sped until he stood directly in front of him, baring his teeth in anger. He did not like being teased.

Especially not with something so great.

XXXXX

"Kagome."

The young miko groaned and rolled over, but did not present any signs of waking.

"Kagome."

The inu lord tried again, a gentle shake of the woman joining his efforts. He certainly did not expect to be thrown so violently across the room and pinned to the wall, with a sickle of pure energy forming around his throat. A growl built in his chest as his beast prepared him too to fight, but he stifled it quickly as the defense mechanism retreated and the miko flew from her bed.

"Touga! Gomenasai, I had no idea that – what on earth are you doing in my room anyway?!"

"My intention was to remove the chances of someone over-hearing the conversation I wish to have with you, but now that your stunt may well have awakened half of the palace, I ask that you come, quietly, with me."

She sighed, pulling a silk robe around her shoulders and following behind him…quietly, as requested.

"Everyone is still asleep."

Kagome rolled her eyes, noting that this was as close to an "I'm sorry for over-reacting about your volume earlier" as she would get.

"I'm sorry for throwing you into a wall."

She too apologized. In the dark of the hallway, along with the fact that he walked in front of her, Kagome was unable to see the smirk that had turned up a side of his lips.

"Where are we?"

She asked, once she was confident no one would hear; a shiver had run down her spine when Touga spread his youki over the walls, effectively sealing their sound and scent.

"These are your new quarters."

She could feel the furrow in her brow in confusion, but she was confused – and irritated from being pulled from bed – so she didn't bother fixing her face.

"Is there something wrong with my previous quarters?"

"These are closer to mine. We share a wall."

She had been surveying the room idly, but her eyes snapped back to him immediately.

"What?"

He stared back at her with an expression of annoyed boredom.

"I did not stutter, miko. And that is beside the point,"

Of course, it was not actually beside the point, for he in fact had several reasons for placing her next to him.

"This is why I want you here."

He pressed his hand to the wall that differed from the others in the fact that it was made of stone; Kagome felt a pulse and watched a faint glow of blue illuminate from his palm.

"Ah!"

She squealed as the floor to her left sunk in, leaving a medium sized hole.

A terrible settled into her chest, clearing all the sleepy haze from her mind that still lingered.

"Touga…what is this?"

He did not answer as he crossed the room to where she was, before promptly jumping down the hole he had made appear. Kagome shielded her eyes for a moment as a bright light rose from it before settling into an even glow; walking to the edge, she looked down to see that Touga had lit a torch. He put it back in its place on the wall, before turning to look at her.

"Come down."

He held a hand up to her, but she bit her lip still in apprehension. Closing her eyes for a moment, she steeled herself – she had faced down far worse than a small drop in her lifetime – and sat, dangling her legs over the edge before pushing herself off. He caught her easily and placed her on her feet.

"I came down here, with no help from you great youkai-sama who can fly and lift thousands of pounds with a thought, now tell me what this is all about."

Kagome asserted indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest. Surprisingly, he chuckled, leading her now down the tunnel that extended in front of them.

"I will not be here to help you down if you really must come he-"

"Come WHERE, Touga?! What is this place?!"

He stopped suddenly as she yelled, but he did not yell back. The taiyoukai just turned slowly, meeting her eyes even slower.

"This is your safe room. In the future, if I…cannot protect you, you will take Sesshomaru and Shippo, and you will bring them here. I have lit the torches with my youki, and they will go out as I leave, but the first has a striking stone and is filled with oil so that it will continue to bu-"

"W-Why are you talking like this?"

She hated how her voice shook with her fear. Her hands clutched her arms, rubbing nervously up and down them. He sighed, and for the first time she saw sympathy in his eyes. Sympathy and fear…and the fear in his molten amber pools terrified her.

"Because things are bad now, and they will get worse."

A/N: Yeah its late, I know. But its here right? REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!