Kagome stared up at the tree in wonder, taking in every branch, every petal. She was responsible for keeping him alive? "I didn't know…" she trailed off, biting her lip, Gramps' claims of her being a prodigy echoing in her head.

Bokuseno chuckled. "It is probably best you were not aware of it. The flow of power is more natural that way."

Her hands flattened against the ground beneath her. It felt different than the inside of the castle. There were layers of stone in the way, but even in her cell, she'd known something was off. "Do you need more?"

"Told you." Branches shook as Shippou crossed his arms. "You're supposed to be relaxing, not putting yourself into another coma."

"That's not what I—"

Power rippled like water, teasing her senses. "I am safe for now, Kagome. And as the young kit said, you are here to replenish." She leaned back against his trunk. The air was clearer, fresher, and there was no chance of being interrupted by prying eyes. "You are safe here," Bokuseno said, reading her thoughts.

"Safe is a relative term," she murmured, eyes closing.

"Which is why precautions were taken upon your arrival."

Kagome snorted. "Shippou dragged me here without any explanation, and then I was thrown in the dungeon," she said, tilting her head up to look at the magnolia's face. "What could you possibly have done—"

"Hey!" Shippou said, scurrying onto her lap. "Your eyes are back to normal!" He grabbed her face, turning it to each side as he inspected her. "The brown is fine, but it's still weird to see you that way."

Petals fell around them, and Kagome looked back up at Bokuseno. "What did you do?"

Wooden eyebrows raised, one set of branches shifting as if to shrug. "What was necessary to keep you safe."

"You keep saying that," she groused. "I'm not that important—"

"Think what you will, Kagome, but every resident of Meikyuu knows differently," the youkai chastised. "Especially those who would seek to destroy it." The words were foreboding, a warning, and Kagome narrowed her eyes.

"I'm not a threat."

"It is not in your nature to be so," he said, genuinely surprised.

Shippou nudged her leg. "He's not talking about you."

She opened her mouth to retort but turned at the sound of footsteps, gasping in surprise as a horse with fire-tinged hooves stepped into the glade.

Shippou jumped to his feet, his own flames bursting from his hands, though the beast's eyes remained on her. "You're not allowed in here," he hissed.

Bokuseno's branches shifted and swayed. "We are protected from malcontent, little one. Entei is merely curious about our guest."

"But he's—"

Kagome held out her hand, beckoning the creature forward. It whinnied at the edge of the clearing, pawing at the ground, though the grass remained unsinged. She stayed where she was, power and energy waning even with Bokuseno at her back, but the horse eyed her hand, eventually taking a step forward.

It made for a terrifying sight. His skin was pale, only made paler by the vibrant orange mane and tail. They wavered in a non-existent wind, crimson eyes darting between her hand and face. "I don't have any treats for you, but I can bring some next time if you like."

Shippou didn't back down, keeping himself between the two of them. "He belongs to Hakudoshi," he warned as it stepped closer. "He likes to pretend he's better than the rest of us while riding around on him."

"Only because no one else has thought to approach him," Bokuseno said. "Entei is a true resident of Meikyuu. He has no master." The horse tossed his mane over a shoulder, flames shooting out of his nose as he snorted.

It was a stand-off, and Entei eventually decided getting any closer wasn't in his best interest, tail flicking as he turned and galloped away. Shippou watched until the last of his fiery hooves disappeared, brushing off his hands. "Good riddance." He yelped as Bokuseno snapped his tails with his branches.

Kagome rolled her eyes as the kit brandished a stick, trying to engage the old youkai. "You deserved it, Shippou. Entei didn't do anything wrong."

He continued to swat at Bokuseno's leaves. "You could say the same thing about Hakudoshi coming into your room this morning, but I know he was going to do something mean to you." She didn't argue that fact—or the one about it not being her room—and offered him a grateful smile instead.

"Good thing you were there to protect me."

He finally released the stick, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'll always do that."

Bokuseno took the opportunity to snap at one of his tails, causing the kit to jump a foot in the air. "You will need more training if you are to fulfil that promise, young one." Shippou glared at him but held himself back from responding, and Kagome saw the acceptance in his eyes. She patted his paw, then leaned back against Bokuseno's trunk, allowing the energy from the clearing to flow through her.

She felt safest with the king, though she'd never admit to that outright, but this place was a close second. The appearance of Entei had been startling, especially given who he was associated with, but she'd felt no malice from him, even with the fire blazing around his hooves.

The toxins from Meikyuu were strongest within the castle, which meant the answers she sought wouldn't be found here. She was content to dither amongst the flora, and the fauna for that matter, but as soon as Shippou curled up next to her and his breathing evened out, she glanced up at the tree youkai's withered face. "You're the one who changed my eyes."

It was a statement, one he didn't deny. "As I said, it was a necessary precaution."

"Why? Hakudoshi and the others didn't recognize me. And even if they did—"

"If they had, you would not have lived long enough to witness the king's memory loss."

Blood drained from her face at the seriousness of his tone, and she ran a hand through Shippou's fur to keep from panicking. "No one gets punished without his say-so."

"If he were in his right mind, I would agree with you. But he has not been the same since you left." Branches swayed as he sighed. "It is something they have taken advantage of."

"I didn't do anything spectacular," she argued. "And who's 'they'? Do you know who put the spell on him?" She struggled to keep her voice down, not wanting to disturb Shippou—or attract unwanted attention.

"I can't say for sure who it entails. But there is no way it only involves one person. He is too strong for that, even with such a lovely distraction." Kagome pursed her lips. Flattery would get him nowhere, and they both knew it. It was the way of fae to deceive and dazzle, their words taking on a deeper meaning depending on their level of power.

If Bokuseno was the king's advisor, he was powerful in his own right—and not to be trusted.

"You have lost the ability to daydream, Kagome," he said, gazing toward the sky above the edge of the foliage surrounding the glade. "You held so much wonder the first time we met."

"That happens when you grow up in a world without magic," she whispered, pulling into herself. She'd been more than willing to tell anyone about her adventure after she'd returned, but no one believed it was real, not even her family, so how could she have thought otherwise?

"Yet here you are."

She sighed, following his gaze. "Does that matter?"

"Shippou wouldn't have been able to pull you through the mirror if there wasn't some part of you that still believed us to be real." The ground seemed to shift, roots rolling. "You share a connection with his majesty, and though it allowed you passage, it is also what causes his hallucinations."

She gave him a startled look. "You know about them?"

"It is hard not to when so much of his power wanes each time he is defeated. None had done so until you, and now those who seek to usurp his throne use it against him."

Only the fact that Shippou was blissfully unaware of their conversation stopped her from jumping to her feet. "Who are they? Why does he keep seeing me?"

"They are manifestations of his majesty's dreams."

Dread pooled in her stomach, leeching what was left of her power and making her head spin. Gramps had used her interest in fae as an excuse to up her training, mixing folklore into her shrine responsibilities. Acquiring control over someone when they were incapacitated was seen as dishonourable in any culture, and he'd always emphasized that only those with the darkest intentions used it to their advantage.

"I'm glad whoever is behind his majesty's plight is unaware of how deep his power runs," Bokuseno continued. "Even at his weakest, his mind still seeks to protect him and Meikyuu." His gaze slid back to her. "It is why they all have brown eyes, Kagome. And why your true identity must remain hidden."

It was why he was fine with her being close until he actually looked at her—why his interest in her shifted like waves depending on his mood. To him, she was just another one of the clones running around his land, and the only reason he hadn't disposed of her was because she hadn't threatened him.

Yet.

"How am I supposed to get him to trust me if he doesn't know I'm me?" she asked.

Bokuseno chuckled. "You were always resourceful. You will find a way." She scowled, tempted to throw a rock at him. "The change has already begun, Kagome. The phantoms haven't appeared as often since your arrival, and your power grows with every passing day. All that remains is convincing him of your true intentions."

True intentions? She didn't have any. At first, all she'd wanted was to go home. Now, all she wanted was to fix things. At least, that was what she kept telling herself. Fixing things meant proving they had a connection, but the definition of what that entailed was terrifying because every moment she stayed increased his hold on her.

Kagome swallowed slowly, not sure she wanted to know the answer to her next question, but knew she needed to ask it anyway. "Why would he dream about me?"

Bokuseno chuckled, showering her in petals as he gave her a knowing look. "Why indeed?"