Behind the Silk Screen

by eien-no-basho

When a twist of fate brings the common-born priestess Kagome to serve Inuyasha, Divine Emperor of Japan, will she be able to help him claim his place on the throne and bring order to their country? Or will court intrigues and their own burgeoning feelings tear the two and their nation apart? A historical romance set in Japan's Heian Era.

23. Of Clans and Curses Part I

Hello, dear readers. I hope you all are well. I'm back with another long chapter and I must say I'm exhausted. If you all enjoy it, though, it's definitely worth it.

Also, turns out this story took first in the Feudal Association for Best AU/AR and Best IY/Kag Romance Fiction! Thank you to those of you who nominated and voted for it. I'm so grateful for your continued support of this story.

Also, I've placed some explanatory notes at the end of the chapter instead of the beginning for the sake of keeping a few elements a surprise. Read ahead at your own peril, but if you encounter something in the text that you're confused about, look down at the bottom and chances are there will be an explanation. Some pretty exhaustive research went into this chapter.

Our mini-history lesson for today:

-a few notes on kitsune: You already know most of the necessaries about what they are, but here are a few more facts for your reference. They are tricksters above all else, according to Japanese mythology. However, the longer a kitsune lives, the more tails it grows and the more wisdom it gains. They can grow up to nine tails, and a kitsune who gains that many is eligible to become a servant to the kami.

-a few notes on weddings: Heian weddings are…not like any sort of Western wedding ceremony that you might think of, to say the least. No ceremony occurred per se that made a couple 'married', save a little ritual where a man spent three nights…*ahem* having a sleepover with the woman of his choosing. If, on the third night, he remained in the woman's home until morning, then they were married.

This is all just to say, however, that I will be going with a more modern version of the wedding found in Japanese culture, with an official ceremony and people in attendance at the event. Mostly just because I'm more familiar with it, but I wanted to note the divergence.

*Special note: There's a hint of the beginning of a common Japanese folk tale in this chapter. I would tell you what it is, but I would be giving something important away. I will, however, be very impressed with anyone who can point it out :)

---

She couldn't move.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome breathed again, hardly daring to trust her own eyes. "How-?"

She cut herself off, simply taking him in for a long moment. His long silver hair was luminous in the shaft of moonlight that slanted across his face, his unnaturally golden eyes bright with some internal light of their own. His sharply angled features were solemn as he peered out at her.

The sight of him, so familiar even after their long separation, made her chest ache. She swallowed past the knot rising in her throat, drawing a shaky breath.

"Inuyasha," she said again, amazed at the thrill simply speaking his name after having held it back for so long sent through her. "What…what are you doing here?"

His gaze fell to the forest floor between them, his shoulders tense.

"I couldn't do it," he said, so lowly she had to strain to catch the words. "I tried, but…I promised to protect you, Kagome. I can't just leave you alone."

Kagome blinked, feeling her heart stutter in her chest before speeding up to echo loudly in her ears. She felt as if she could not draw enough breath to fill her lungs.

"But…the court," she faltered. "I mean, how…what about-?"

He raised his eyes to meet hers, a softness in them that she had only seen a handful of times before.

"It doesn't matter," he said. "None of it matters anymore. I'm here. This is what I decided, Kagome. Just…just c'mere, alright?"

He gestured to her. Kagome found herself moving almost involuntarily, everything inside her seeming to strain towards him. She stopped a few feet from him, though, a moment of hesitation catching and holding her.

"But…Kikyou-sama?" she said, the words scarcely above a whisper. "I mean, she…"

He frowned, shaking his head insistently.

"That's not important," he said, meeting her eyes intently. "None of it matters right now. I chose you, Kagome. Just…just c'mere, alright?"

He gestured to her once more. Kagome looked at him for a long moment, feeling a deep tremor pass through her entire frame.

She moved forward, stopping only a foot from him and looking searchingly up into his face.

"…What are you?" she said softly.

Inuyasha blinked, his brow furrowing.

"What are you talking about, idiot?" he said. "I'm-"

"You're not!" Kagome snapped, fists clenching at her sides. "Don't you dare even speak his name! Inuyasha would never…he wouldn't just abandon everything on a whim. Not now. And he would never…he would never speak that way about Kikyou-sama, so tell me what you are!"

She raised a hand, glowing with the light of her spiritual energy, and held it before the thing. The confusion slipped slowly from its expression, sliding into empty neutrality. In the light of her spiritual energy Inuyasha's image seemed to become translucent, blurring around the edges.

The thing wearing Inuyasha's likeness shrugged.

"I'm what you want me to be," it said. "Or at least, I would've been. Too bad. It looks like you could use a nice illusion."

The hanyou's image blurred further. Mist swirled up around it, tugging and pulling at the thing until it was nothing more than mist itself.

Kagome stood for a long moment, staring into the spot where the thing had been. The light faded slowly from her hand and she bit her lip, uncertain if she was going to cry or yell.

"Kagome-sama?"

She jumped, startled at the sound.

Kohaku stood several feet behind her, though his form was obscured by the darkness beneath the trees. He frowned at her.

"What are you doing out here all alone, Kagome-sama?" he asked.

He stooped to pick up the bow and arrow she had dropped, moving forward to hand them to her. Kagome took them from him, murmuring her thanks without meeting his gaze. She wasn't certain she could control her expression at the moment, and it was slightly embarrassing to think that she had intended to follow him out here in the first place.

She glanced over her shoulder back into the roiling mist.

"I think I just found the Northern Kitsune Clan."

---

Kohaku escorted her back to the camp in silence. Kagome could not muster the energy to offer him much of an explanation, still shaken from the encounter.

Back in camp she roused those of her companions who had begun to settle in for the night, calling for them to gather around the fire. Kouga returned to the camp shortly after her, dropping his kill and coming to join the group.

Kagome explained to them what she had found, recounting the illusionary properties of the mist while glossing over what exactly they had shown to her. Kitsune, she explained, were the only ones with youki capable of weaving such an elaborate illusion, and only a great number of kitsune working together would have been able to create something as powerful as what she had sensed.

Thus she assumed that the illusionary mist acted as a barrier, concealing the lands of the Northern Kitsune Clan. Judging by the way the illusion had attempted to draw her into the mist itself, the barrier functioned by luring people in and keeping them bound in the illusion, thus diverting them from wherever the kitsune clan itself was located. By nature kitsune were not fighters, but through illusions and tricks they managed to protect themselves very well.

The group agreed that it would be wise to wait until morning to attempt to enter their lands as illusions were always more powerful at night than in the light of day and they set to cleaning and cooking the rabbits Kouga had caught.

Kagome, finding that she was not particularly hungry, retreated to her futon to think. For all that they had found the kitsune clan's land, she was not at all sure how they would manage to enter. She needed to find a way to keep them all from being sucked into the powerful illusions.

The easiest way, she knew, would be to simply pierce the barrier using hers and Miroku's spiritual abilities, but she quickly ruled that idea out. Forcefully piercing the barrier they relied on for protection would put the kitsune on the defensive, and that was hardly any way to go about asking them for their support of the Tennō. No, it would have to be something relatively unobtrusive.

Kouga interrupted her line of thought, though, when he approached to try to get her to eat some of what he had caught. Kagome appreciated the gesture, but had to refuse several times before he would let her be.

Exhausted and irritated for reasons she did not care to examine, she decided after the interruption to lie down and save her planning for the morning. She fell asleep slowly, her hand moving unconsciously to clutch at the mala bead hidden in the front of her robes.

---

"You are certain of what you saw?"

"Yes, Naraku-sama," a voice answered, not the slightest inflection present in the words.

"Good," the first voice returned, satisfaction curling darkly around the word. " Remember, there is nothing pure in this world, not even the kami themselves. Sooner or later everything falls into decay. Now it is only a matter of time."

"Yes, Naraku-sama. Your orders?"

"Continue as you are, and report anything of interest to me immediately," the man ordered. "I will alert you when it is time. Maintain your distance, as well. Do not risk provoking it to defend itself once more."

"As you wish, Naraku-sama," the second voice replied, still entirely toneless.

"…Pathetic creature," the man sighed, a sneering edge to the words. "Do not worry. Your purpose is almost served, and I will be certain to put you out of your misery when the time comes. Be grateful. It is more mercy than I intend to show in the time to come."

"…Yes, Naraku-sama."

---

They waited until high noon the following day to set out, Miroku pointing out that the illusions would be weakest when the sun reached its zenith. After conferring for some time, Kagome and Miroku also decided that going in blind would be best. It was a risk, of course, but the appeal of the illusion was largely visual. If they could all block that out temporarily, they had a much better chance of getting past the mist barrier and into the kitsune clan's land without upsetting the kitsune themselves.

Sango was reluctant to agree to the plan, realizing how vulnerable it might potentially leave them all. Kouga pointed out, though, that he would be more than able to compensate for their lack of sight. His daytime vision was poor to begin with, meaning he relied heavily on scent and auditory cues while the sun was out. As long as they all remained together, he would likely be able to navigate them through. At length Sango agreed and the group set out.

They left their youkai mounts behind at the campsite, knowing they would prove too large a complication to their plan. They were well-trained enough to remain where they were told to and more than intimidating enough to put off any would-be thieves. With any luck they would be able to get through the negotiations with the Northern Kitsune Clan quickly and return before too much time had passed.

Kagome led the group into the woods, stopping them when she sensed the youki of the barrier just beyond the next line of trees. The group arranged themselves into an extended chain before tying on their makeshift blindfolds, insurance against any temptation they might experience to open their eyes.

Kouga and Kagome at the head with Shippou perched firmly on her shoulder, the group linked hands and started forward. Kagome bfelt more than slightly foolish at first, imagining the sight the lot of them must make, but her embarrassment was quickly driven out by the chorus of voices that rose up as they neared the barrier.

They seemed to be everywhere, calling to her, to her companions. Beside her she felt Miroku stiffen, some male voice she could not place calling his name insistently above even the noise of the other voices. His hand tightened around hers, and Kagome made sure to hold him securely in return as she felt the youki of the barrier begin to swirl around her.

"Do not listen!" the houshi called as they moved slowly forward, his voice rougher than she had ever heard it before. "Remember that it is an illusion! Whatever you are hearing…whatever it is, it is all lies!"

Just behind him Sango took up the cry, more to drown out the clamor of the voices pressing in on them from all sides in the mist than in the hopes of actually being heard. Soon the entire group was yelling, some of them nonsensically, to keep the relentless press of the voices at bay.

Kagome could have sworn she felt hands ghosting over her flesh, tugging at her clothes and hair as voices both familiar and foreign cried out for her attention. With the added weight of the barrier's youki choking her sixth sense she felt dizzy and disoriented, and she was deeply grateful for the way Kouga doggedly pressed forward, tugging her along forcefully in his wake.

Behind her she could feel the chain straining and pulling, her companions hesitating in the confusion of the chaos surrounding them. At one point she felt the chain strain so tight that she was sure she would lose hold of Miroku, leaving her companions lost in the illusions of the mist. Her limbs shook as she clung to him with all the strength she could muster, praying they could hold out for just a bit longer…

Abruptly she felt the some of the weight lift off of her sixth sense. She stumbled at the shift, Kouga hauling her upright by her arm and Shippou clinging to her neck to keep from falling.

"We're through," the wolf Lord announced, and Kagome realized as he spoke that the voices had died down to low murmurings some feet away from her.

Behind her she felt the remainder of her companions stumble through the barrier. Reaching up, she tugged her makeshift blindfold down off of her eyes. On her shoulder Shippou squirmed, struggling to remove his own, and she reached up absently to remove it for him as her eyes scanned down the line.

"Is everyone alright?" Sango called, scanning the group as well.

There was a smattering of dazed answers as the others went about removing their own blindfolds. As far as Kagome could tell everyone appeared to have gotten through unscathed, though Miroku was tense and slightly pale.

She could hear Kouga scenting the air at her side, and she turned back to him to ask if he could tell how close the kitsune might be as the youki was still too thick for her spiritual sense to be of much use.

Kagome froze.

Before them stretched a residence that rivaled the court in size, built in a bizarre mirror of its style. The buildings seemed to curl in on one another, winding and curving with serpentine fluidity off into the distance in lieu of the court's ordered lines and rows.

"By the kami," Kagome breathed, eyes wide. "It's enormous."

Kouga frowned.

"The scent trail is confused from here," he said. "I can smell them everywhere, but there's no source."

"Well, they are in there somewhere," Sango said, coming up beside them. "Likely this has been their home for so long that their scent has permeated the whole place. We need only find one of them and request an audience with their clan head now that we are past the barrier."

"Sango-sama is correct," Miroku put in. "By nature kitsune are not confrontational. We need only let them know we come on a peaceful errand. We entered inoffensively enough. The clan head should at least be inclined to hear us out."

Sango nodded.

"Let's go then," she said, turning back to face the others. "We are moving forward. Follow my lead, and remember to treat anyone you might encounter with the same respect you would treat a member of the court. Understood?"

The taiji-ya answered in a chorus of affirmatives and Sango motioned them forward.

They entered through the nearest building, a sizeable one featuring only one large room. It appeared to serve ceremonial purposes, a raised dais at the head of the room its most prominent feature.

"Is anyone here?" Kagome called, her voice echoing strangely in the room. "Please, we mean no harm. We have come from the court to request an audience with your clan head."

There was no response, not even the slightest stirring to be seen. She looked to Sango, who motioned the group on towards a covered walkway to their right that led into another building.

The next room was much smaller, built in the design of a traditional tea room, and also appeared entirely empty. A quick scan revealed it to be so, and Sango ushered them on into the next room. On Kagome's shoulder Shippou frowned, oddly silent as he scanned the rooms.

A twisting covered walkway led them into the next building, which appeared to be an archive room. Shelves lined the walls and a long table took up most of the center of it, scrolls scattered haphazardly. For all the appearance of recent use, the room proved to be as empty as the ones before it.

"Perhaps they sensed it when we penetrated the barrier," Sango said thoughtfully, eyeing the room. "And they went into hiding to protect themselves. If we could just find even one of them…"

She trailed off, frowning as her eyes moved over the group.

"Where are Noriko and Haru-san?" she said after a moment.

A murmur went up among the group as they looked to one another and about the room. The two were nowhere to be seen, though.

"Perhaps they are still back in the tea room," Kagome suggested.

Sango's frown hardened.

"They should know better than to go off on their own," she said. "Come on. We need to go back and find them. And everyone stay close, do you hear me?"

She led them back along the walkway to the tea room they had just left. Only, it was not a tea room.

It was a ceremonial room. A large ceremonial room with a dais at its head.

Kagome's brow furrowed.

"What…?" she said. "Did we…did we take a wrong turn somewhere?"

Sango shook her head, her expression darkening rapidly in concern.

"No," she said. "No. I am certain that was the way that we came. But how did we end up back here?"

Kagome turned to Kouga, her mouth open to ask whether or not he might be able to catch Noriko and Haru's scent. Kouga, however, was not there.

Nor were Miroku, Kohaku, or two of the male taiji-ya, they discovered after a moment. A concerned murmur went up among the remainder of the group as Sango and Kagome turned to one another.

"First things first," Sango said, determined to remain calm despite the situation. "We need to find them. If we just retrace our steps-"

Kagome shook her head.

"First we need to figure what is happening," she insisted, keeping her voice low enough that the others could not hear. "Wandering will do us no good. We will only continue to be scattered at this rate."

"I know what it is."

Both women blinked, surprised at the unexpected entrant into the conversation. They turned to Shippou, his childish face unusually serious as he stood atop Kagome's shoulder.

"It's not real," he said simply. "They're controlling it and shifting it around whenever we move. I couldn't tell at first, 'cuz there's something real underneath it. Since there's a real part to it, it's harder to sense."

"You mean the castle is an illusion?" said Sango, eyes widening. "All of it?"

Shippou nodded.

"A really good one," he said. "I can only feel it a little."

"You said they are controlling it," Kagome pointed out. "So they must be somewhere nearby. Do you know how to find them, Shippou-chan?"

Again the kitsune nodded, his chest puffing out a bit as it became obvious that they were relying on him for this one.

"We hafta find the real part," he said. "There's one part of the real thing underneath that's part of the trick, too."

"Alright," said Sango, nodding more to herself than to them. "We just need to find that to break the illusion, then."

She turned back to inform the others.

She froze.

They were gone, every last one of them as quietly and as quickly as if they had never existed.

"No!" Sango cried, starting forward as if she still had a hope of catching them. "They were just-! How-?"

"They musta shifted it again," said Shippou, green eyes rounding. "They're fast."

"Where are they?" Sango asked.

"Different part of the trick," said Shippou. "They'll be stuck 'till they find the real thing."

"Then we have to find it," said Sango. "They do not even know to look for anything."

Shippou nodded, hopping down from Kagome's shoulder. He started off towards the dais, the two women following quickly behind him.

"Do you know where it is?" Kagome asked as they went.

"Sorta," Shippou answered, leading them through a doorway behind the dais opposite the one they had first entered through. "The real thing is always at the center. So we hafta find the center."

Sango and Kagome exchanged a look. In the winding mess of buildings it was hard to imagine where any sort of center might be.

The entryway behind the dais led out to a jumbled walkway that wound between the various buildings. The young kitsune skidded to an abrupt halt in front of them, tail ramrod straight behind him and brow furrowed as his eyes darted about.

"Shippou-chan?" Kagome said, Sango at her side as she came to a halt just behind him.

"They're changing it again."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a low grinding noise filled the air around them. Instinctively Kagome moved forward, scooping the kitsune protectively into her arms. Sango tensed, her stance shifting defensively as her hand moved to hover over the hilt of the wakizashi at her waist. She had reluctantly left hiraikotsu back at the campsite, the group agreeing that it would seem far too aggressive to bring so large a weapon.

For several long moments it was hard to be sure where the sound was coming from, three pairs of eyes flitting about anxiously in search of the source. Some movement just on the fringe of Kagome's vision revealed what was happening, though.

The buildings all around them were moving, shifting and twining about one another so slowly it was almost imperceptible. As they watched, though, they began to speed up, winding and twisting snakelike all about the three.

With a jolt Kagome realized that the buildings had formed a ring about them, the circle tightening and closing rapidly. She stumbled back a step, clutching Shippou more tightly to herself. Sango stuck close to her side, her eyes darting about rapidly in search of any sort of break between the buildings that they might be able to get through.

"Sango-chan…"

"An opening," Sango murmured tensely, reaching out to grip Kagome's arm. "If I move you follow as quickly as you can, understand? Come on, we just need a small one…"

But there were none to be seen and the buildings were moving faster, making it unlikely they would make it through even if they found one. The massive blurs were pressing closer, close enough that the wind they created tugged at their hair and clothing.

It was going to crush them, Kagome realized frantically. Shippou and Sango….

"Go forward!" Shippou cried, tugging at Kagome's hair. "Go!"

"It'll crush us!"

"Only if you think it will!" he called, struggling to be heard over the grinding of the buildings. "It's not real, remember? You just hafta think it's not real!"

Kagome hesitated. They had walked around inside those buildings, felt the walls and the floors. They felt real. The whirling press of them, the wind they were creating, felt real.

Sango seized her arm, yanking her forward.

"It's not real!" she cried, the whirling mass not an inch from the tip of her nose.

Both women shut their eyes tight, running headfirst into the whirring wooden masses.

And straight through. There was a moment of resistance like moving through water, the weight of the cloying youki all around increasing on Kagome's sixth sense. But then they were on the other side, back on the winding walkway as if nothing had ever happened.

Kagome clutched Shippou, her heart pounding a deafening tattoo in her ears. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Sango, pale as she breathed a sigh of relief.

They were trapped deep in the illusion. Even the conscious knowledge that it was an illusion was scarcely enough to dissuade their senses at this point. They needed to find the thing Shippou was talking about soon or they risked the illusion drawing them in so deeply that it became their reality.

Shippou tensed in her arms.

"Run!" he yelped.

Both women took off without hesitation. Sango reached out, taking hold of Kagome's arm as they went. Of the two she was the faster runner, dragging Kagome slightly to make certain that they were not separated.

Behind them there was a deep rumbling growing. Kagome could feel the earth beneath her feet trembling. She dared a glance back.

Mere feet behind them the walkway was crumbling away, the paved stones collapsing inward to open up a yawning chasm. The chasm was growing every moment, spreading and racing quickly down the path just behind them. But that was not all.

The chasm was filled with flames. Sulfur and the odor of rotting and burning flesh wafted up from it. Hands, clawed and many-fingered and withered and fleshless, reached up, groping blindly after living flesh.

It was the first layer of hell.

Kagome gasped, stumbling as her foot caught on something in the path. The chasm loomed close, the flames licking at the back of her left heel.

There was a sharp pull on her arm and she went flying, clutching Shippou tight to her chest as she rolled several feet forward along the path. She scrabbled upright hurriedly as soon as she skidded to a stop, scanning desperately for Sango.

She was nowhere to be seen. The chasm loomed large in Kagome's vision.

"Sango!" she cried, realizing with cold horror that her friend had thrown her free of the void at her own expense.

Shippou pulled roughly at her hair as she moved to go back after the taiji-ya.

"You can't!" he snapped. "We're almost there, I can feel it! C'mon!"

Kagome hesitated, her heart twisting in her chest as she gazed back at the flaming pit. With a groan of frustration that was half scream she spun on her heel, taking off back down the walkway as the chasm loomed up just behind her.

She ran with everything she had, feet pounding hard against the walkway. The chasm seemed to be spreading faster now, scarcely a hand's breadth behind her as she ran. Several times she nearly slipped, managing to keep just ahead of the stones as they collapsed behind her. If she could only find the center she could free Sango and the others…

"There!" Shippou cried, pointing just ahead.

A large tree loomed up in the center of the walkway, large enough to rival the Goshinboku in size. Kagome cried out in relief, sprinting for it with the last of her energy.

She stretched out a hand, grazing the trunk with the tips of her fingers just as the ground beneath her crumbled. She experienced a moment of bizarre weightlessness before screaming as she was plunged down into darkness.

Only to land on some soft, spongy, slightly crunchy mass, her body curled protectively around the kitsune in her arms.

Kagome lay still for several long moments, her eyes shut tightly and her ears filled with the sound of her own pulse. Slowly she opened her eyes, blinking in the dimness that greeted her.

"Shippou-chan?" she said. "Are you alright?"

He replied with what sounded like a reassurance, though the sound was muffled against her chest. She uncurled herself from around him and he wriggled free of her, breathing a sigh of relief.

"I'm alright," he said, blinking up at her as she sat up. "Dunno where we are, though."

Neither did Kagome. The softness they had fallen atop appeared to be a bed of mixed mosses, loam, and dead leaves. Above them was a sizeable hole, light shining down to illuminate the bed itself. Anything beyond the circle of light was too dark to make out.

"Unfair," a voice announced from somewhere to their left, causing them both to jump. "She hired a kitsune to help her. I move for immediate disqualification."

Kagome realized suddenly that while there was still pressure on her spiritual sense, it was not the clogging, disorienting pressure she had felt before. It was no longer clouded by thick layers of youki, but rather filled with hundreds of distinct youki. They surrounded them, hidden in the darkness. Kagome strained to see, moving closer to Shippou though she could sense no malice.

It became unnecessary a moment later, though, as dozens of balls of kitsune-bi sparked, drifting upward to gather at the ceiling and light the room. Kagome blinked, raising a hand to shield her eyes against the sudden brightness as she looked out.

They were in a spacious underground burrow, the walls composed of tightly packed earth and tree roots protruding through the high ceiling. Much of the floor was littered with the same leaves and loam that formed the bed on which they had landed, and Kagome could see several tunnels around the room that likely lead into other chambers.

On all sides of them stood the youkai Kagome was sensing, hundreds of kitsune of various sizes and tail numbers. She was amazed to see how closely they resembled Shippou in coloring. He might easily have stepped out among the group and claimed them as family.

"I second the disqualification motion," a second voice piped up, a male kitsune with four tails. "She forced one of our own to help her. That's clearly cheating."

"Cheating?" Kagome echoed, looking to him. "Please, I lost my friends and I need to speak with your-"

"Just because we're tricksters doesn't mean we keep company with liars and cheats," a female kitsune with three tails put in crossly.

"Take the boy from her," the voice that had first spoken, a female with seven tails, commanded. "We'll not be letting the court take advantage of our own. And put her back out. See if she's got any chance of earning an audience on her own."

Several kitsune stepped forward, one of them taking hold of Shippou. His eyes went wide and he writhed furiously against the man's grip.

"Wait!" Kagome cried, lunging to grab him back.

Two kitsune caught hold of her arms, though, forcing them behind her back and pulling her away.

"Wait, please! I didn't-!"

"Hold her!"

"Ow, he bit me!"

"Just grab her by the-"

"Kagome! Kagome!"

"Shippou-chan! Please, you can't take him! Shippou-chan is my-"

"Kagome is my Ma!"

Shippou's cry echoed in the chamber, silencing the chaos that had erupted. He glared out at them all, green eyes bright with tears. The grip of the man holding him loosened and he wriggled free, moving quickly to Kagome's side to clutch at her robes.

"Your mother?" echoed the seven-tailed female incredulously.

"My Ma," Shippou repeated adamantly, turning a defiant look on her. "My parents died and now Kagome takes care of me. She didn't steal me or force me or nothin'. And you can't take her from me!"

The woman blinked, her eyes sliding from Shippou to Kagome and back again as she considered this. She frowned.

"I seem to have misunderstood the situation," she said slowly. "I apologize. Please release her."

The two men holding her released her arms. She knelt down and Shippou leapt up into her arms, clinging to her neck. Kagome wrapped her arms around him, scowling faintly at the woman. She was coming to the end of her threshold for this sort of nonsense.

"I want to see my companions now," she said firmly, meeting the woman's eyes as she rose.

"I can promise you they're safe. You freed them when you broke the illusion," the woman replied. "First we will go to see the clan head. You've earned the right fairly. Come."

She beckoned to her, turning and starting off down one of the tunnels. The crowd of kitsune between them parted, allowing Kagome passage.

She blinked, standing still for a moment. All of that struggle and now she was simply to be led to the clan head? It was difficult not to be wary of them, especially after they had attempted to take Shippou from her mere moments ago.

She frowned, her arms tightening around the boy as she moved to follow. There was not much for it. She could not afford to upset them as it was unlikely she would be able to find her friends and escape on her own. The best she could do was to keep up her guard against any further tricks.

The woman glanced over her shoulder at her as she led her down the tunnel, kitsune-bi winking into existence overhead as they went.

"I am sorry for the misunderstanding," she said. "You have to admit, though, that the court isn't known for its benevolence."

Kagome was silent, in no mood to respond. A thought occurred to her, though.

"How did you know I am from the court?"

"You think we did not feel it when you first crossed our barrier?" the woman replied, cocking a fiery brow as she glanced back at her. "That barrier has been in place longer than three times your years at least. We each have a link to it. We were watching you from the moment you crossed it."

"Into the second illusion, you mean?" Kagome said, eyeing her a bit resentfully.

She nodded, choosing to ignore Kagome's slight pique.

"Generally the first barrier works well enough," she explained. "But when it doesn't it does serve as a good trick to hide the second illusion. Everyone always assumes that a trick must conceal the truth. Sometimes, though, a trick merely hides another trick. That's what makes life so amusing."

The corners of her lips curled upwards in a manner that was purely vulpine. Kagome's frown deepened.

"I am sorry if I cannot share your amusement," she said. "I merely wished for an audience with your clan head."

"And you will get one," the woman returned evenly. "Even more, you'll have earned it. Isn't that better? That's simply how we do things. We've little interest in the affairs of the world outside our clan. We've no need for it. If you wish to gain our attention, you earn it. Our illusions are tests. If you can get past them, you're worth paying some attention to. Besides which, they're highly entertaining."

The grin widened, her tails flicking happily. Kagome frowned, but to herself she begrudgingly conceded the point. If they were sufficient in and of themselves, there was no reason to risk dealing with the outside world. It only made sense that they would expect outsiders to earn their acknowledgment. And after going through all of that, Kagome had every intention of claiming what she had earned.

They came to the end of the tunnel and the woman turned left, Kagome trailing after her. They entered a second, shorter tunnel and then a third and a fourth, winding about so that Kagome lost all sense of direction. She felt a swift pang of panic, realizing that she had no idea how to get back to where they had first landed.

They came at last to a chamber, this one already illuminated by several balls of kitsune-bi before they entered. The room was even more spacious than the first had been, furnished most prominently with a raised dais. The same raised dais they had seen when they had first entered the illusion of the castle, Kagome realized.

Atop it sat an older kitsune male, his hair and fur gone entirely silver with age. The full nine tales fanned out behind him, a playful grin hovering on the edges of his mouth as he watched them enter. He spread his hands in a gesture of welcome, green eyes bright.

"And here is today's entertainment," he said, mirth bubbling beneath every syllable. "Congratulations. You've earned your time with me. Please, come in."

Kagome bowed low, setting aside any irritation for the moment. Truthfully she was a bit awed at the sight of him. Most spiritualists would likely go their entire lives without ever seeing a nine-tailed kitsune. It took centuries, longer than even most youkai could survive, to acquire the ninth tail, and there were rumors among spiritualists that the ninth tail could only be bestowed through a direct meeting with one of the kami.

"Sit, please," he said, motioning her forward. "You, too, Kumiko. Thank you for bringing them."

The seven-tailed woman, Kumiko, bowed to him, moving forward to take a place on one of the several cushions scattered before the throne. Kagome followed suit, setting Shippou down on a cushion beside her. The clan head eyed him, cocking a brow.

"And how did you come to have one of our cubs?" he said, expression sobering slightly.

"Kagome's my Ma," Shippou said hurriedly, defensive after what had just happened.

"His mother?" said the clan head, looking to Kagome.

"I have been caring for Shippou-chan since he lost his parents," Kagome said, bowing her head.

The clan head considered her for a long moment before nodding. He waved a hand.

"Go on, then," he said. "You've earned the audience you were so eager for. Make use of it."

Kagome nodded, folding her hands in her lap.

"I have come from the court in the hopes of begging a favor of you," she began, straightening as she met his eyes. "I am well aware, of course, of how little inclined you likely are to have anything to do with the court. I hope, however, that you will at least consider what I have to say."

"I am willing to consider anything if it is interesting enough," the clan head replied, fangs peeking over his lower lip as his easy grin returned.

One corner of Kagome's mouth turned up slightly.

"Well, I suppose we are both in luck then," she said. "What it lacks in probability, my proposal makes up for in interest."

She met his eyes squarely, spreading her hands open before her.

"It is the Tennō-sama's great wish, and my mission, to unite the whole of our nation in peace and prosperity," she said firmly.

The clan head's brows, whiter than snow, rose incredulously, but his eyes brightened further as they studied her.

"That's a lofty aim if I've ever heard one," he commented.

"It is," Kagome agreed, nodding. "But is one that his Majesty and I are willing to give everything for. Either I will achieve it or I will be brought down trying."

"You've proved your determination well enough in managing to reach me," the clan head said, waving a hand. "No need to sell me on that. And I can guess easily enough that you've come seeking the support of my clan in this endeavor, so you may skip that, as well. Let's come to another interesting part of it. What is it that my clan will get in return for agreeing to support the Tennō-sama in this grand ambition of his?"

Kagome blinked, hesitating. She had hoped to have Kouga with her when it came time to meet with the youkai clans. He understood their interests and workings far better than she, and she had hoped that his speaking to them from one clan head to another would help in her cause. But it seemed she was to be on her own in this.

The truth was that the Kitsune Clan, unlike the villages, did not serve to gain much in agreeing to serve the Tennō. They were already capable of protecting themselves and had no apparent need of an additional supply of food. They certainly had no need of a court spiritualist to tend to them. Save the promise of support from the court should they ever fall on hard times, there was little Kagome could offer to them.

She knew, though, looking into his face and having gone through such a trial just to reach him, that a list of practical reasons would get her nowhere anyway. No, there was something else needed here.

She drew a deep breath, squaring her shoulders and offering him a smile. It was time to take a risk.

"Nothing," she pronounced, shrugging. "I offer you nothing."

"Nothing?" the clan head echoed, sitting up straighter in his surprise. "You would offer me nothing?"

Kagome nodded, forcing herself to smile more widely as she pushed the ploy.

"Precisely," she said. "You and I both know well enough that, materially speaking, there is nothing I could offer you that your clan does not already possess. Although…"

"Although?" he picked up when she trailed off, his eyes trained avidly on her.

Inwardly Kagome cheered. She had his interest.

"Well," she said, drawing out the word carefully. "There is one thing that the freedom to enter the court as you please would allow you an abundance of."

She paused, meeting his eyes knowingly. He shifted, leaning forward.

"And that would be?" he pressed.

"There is one thing that the court will never lack for," Kagome said, holding up a single finger to him. "And that is people. People who are always eager for a show. People who are practically begging to be tricked."

She tilted her head, lifting her brows suggestively. A grin spread slowly over the clan head's face as he caught her meaning.

"You are inviting us, then, to play tricks on your fellows in the court?" he said, amusement lilting in his voice.

"They could use a good stirring up every now and again," she replied simply.

"And it's fun," Shippou added. "They're real easy to trick."

Kagome glanced at the boy, wondering exactly what he had been up to in the court when she was not around. She turned her attention quickly back to the clan head, though, eager to gauge his response.

His grin was still in place as he looked from her to Shippou and back again consideringly. At length he rose, tails winding behind him as he descended the dais to stand before them.

"I like you," he said simply, looking down into Kagome's face. "However, liking is hardly enough to justify committing my clan to something of this magnitude."

Kagome felt her expression fall. She blinked, her gaze falling to the ground beneath his paw-like feet.

"Oh…" she said, at a loss.

The clan head knelt down to her level. Reluctantly Kagome met his eyes. The clan head grinned, his eyes almost unbearably bright at so close a distance.

"At least," he said, such warmth in his voice that she could almost feel it like a physical thing. "It would not be enough for anyone else. I, however, am a kitsune and my clan is a clan of kitsune. Whim and inclination is more than enough for us."

Kagome stared at him, eyes widening.

"W-What?"

The clan head laughed, the sound something like a yelping bark.

"You made it through our illusions without attacking even once," he said. "You are sharp enough to play to our interests in offering me a court full of victims for our tricks. And you've gone as far as to take in one of our own when no human law could have held you to it. In short, I find you highly interesting. And, as I've said, interest is everything. Of course, I will make no promise without talking to the rest of my clan first."

He rose to his full height once more.

"Wait here with Kumiko for a bit," he instructed, turning to start off down one of the tunnels. "I'll return once I've spoken with them. Kumiko, get them something to eat while you wait."

Kumiko bowed in acknowledgment and the clan head exited the chamber. Kagome blinked after him, unable to believe what she had just heard.

"He'll gain their approval," Kumiko said, and Kagome turned to her. "As long as they see he likes you, they'll agree. We trust him. He's a nine tails, after all."

She glanced at Shippou who, taking the clan head's exit as permission to do as he liked once more, had made his way onto Kagome's lap.

"What's your name again, little one?" she asked.

"Shippou," the boy answered, settling in against Kagome.

"And how old are you?"

"Twenty seven and a half years," Shippou said with an air of pride, chin lifting.

"Still very young," Kumiko commented, and Shippou scowled. "Tell me, how much of our arts were your parents able to teach you before they passed?"

Shippou blinked, cocking his head. His brow furrowed as he considered this for a moment.

"Enough," he answered, shrugging.

"Then you don't want to learn more?" Kumiko asked, darting a glance at Kagome.

Shippou shrugged once more.

"I guess so," he said.

Kumiko turned her gaze fully to Kagome.

"I agree with the clan head," she said to her. "I like you. And you did the boy a great kindness in taking him into your care. But don't you think he would do better among his own kind? There's only so much you can do for him as a human. There are plenty who would care for him here."

Kagome looked at her for a long moment, at a loss.

"Shippou-chan is my charge," she said at last, frowning. "I promised him that I would care for him."

"I understand your attachment," Kumiko conceded, inclining her head. "But I suggest you consider what's best for the boy, as well. Humans and youkai are vastly different creatures. Perhaps things are fine now, but as he grows you'll find that you understand each other less and less. There are boundaries that can't be crossed, you know."

She rose before Kagome could form an answer, bowing to them.

"If you'll excuse me, I'll go fetch something for you to eat," she said.

She disappeared down one of the connecting tunnels, leaving the two alone. Shippou turned in Kagome's lap, gazing up at her with troubled eyes.

"I don't wanna stay here," he said, shaking his head. "I wanna stay with you. You promised, Kagome."

"Shippou-chan…" she said softly.

She had promised. And she wanted nothing more than to keep him at her side, to watch over him and make certain that he grew up well. Shippou was hers. The kami had tied them together from the moment they had first met. It was not a bond so easily broken.

But she had to think of him first. Kumiko was not wrong. There were certain things that she would simply never be able to teach him. She would never be one of his kind, and there might come a day when he resented her for it. If the Northern Kitsune Clan could provide for him what she could not…

"Kagome!" Shippou cried, watching her expression shift.

She winced.

"Shippou-chan, please," she said softly. "Kumiko-san is right. There are things I simply can't teach you. Please, just think about it for a moment. They would care for you here. You'd be among your own kind and-"

"I don't care about that!" the boy cried, tears pricking in the corners of his eyes. "It's stupid and I don't care! Why do you want to give me away, Kagome? Didn't I help you? I'll be good, I promise! I'll be good forever, okay? Just don't…don't give me away…"

His lower lip trembled dangerously and he bit down on it, tiny fangs digging into flesh. Tears spilled over nonetheless, tracking down his cheeks.

"Oh, no…Shippou, no, never…"

Kagome reached out, wrapping her arms about him. He hiccupped, choking back a sob, and pressed his face into her shoulder. His small hands curled in the fabric of her robes, clutching at her desperately.

"It's not like that at all, Shippou," she murmured against his hair, heart wrenching in her chest. "I would never try to get rid of you. I love you. And because I love you, I want what's best for you, even if that means I can't be with you. I want you to be with people like you who can understand you-"

"If you love me, why does it matter?" Shippou mumbled against her shoulder. "Kind or whatever. I don't care. If you love someone, you love them, right? No matter what kind they are, right? So it doesn't matter, youkai or human. I just wanna stay with you."

Kagome blinked, surprised at the simple truth of his words. Whatever else the Northern Kitsune Clan might be able to offer, she knew without the faintest doubt that no one could love the boy more than she could. And it was her that he had chosen to love after his parents had passed. Who was anyone to question that? Who was to say that those bonds of affection were not enough?

"You're right, Shippou-chan," she said softly, bringing a hand up to stroke back his hair. "I promised you, and I love you. We'll stick together for as long as you want, alright?"

He murmured something unintelligible against her shoulder and pressed closer. Kagome held him more tightly, silently vowing to herself that she would love and care for him as much as any parent ever could.

---

Kumiko was correct. Not long after she had returned with food, the clan head returned with word that the clan had approved his suggestion. Kagome, both pleased to hear it and eager to have her friends returned to her, quickly explained all the details for him before requesting that they be allowed to set out. The clan head granted her wish with good humor, well aware of what an experience their illusions could be for those unaccustomed to them.

Once the group was reunited and explanations were made to all, they were escorted out by the clan head himself. He was able to open the barrier for them and wished them all well before sealing it shut behind them.

No one was particularly eager to discuss what had happened to them within the confines of the illusion. Some of the men among the taiji-ya who had first been separated from the group appeared to be particularly rattled. Despite the success of the mission, they were all glad enough come morning to set out once more.

After leaving the kitsune clan lands behind, they continued to head northward along the river in search of villages. They came across several situated on or near its banks before at last reaching its tributary. They expressed varying levels of wariness and even anger at the arrival of Kagome and her companions, but with patience, perseverance, and explanations from both Kagome and Haru they were able to win over all save three.

The group decided to continue heading northward. Kouga informed them that that was where the Northern Bakeneko Clan was rumored to be, though it had been quite some time since they had last been seen, and Sango knew of several clan residences that might possibly have villages attached in the area. It would also serve to take them closer to Hokkaido where some of the trade ports that Sango had set her sights on were.

As they travelled thoughts of Inuyasha continued to plague Kagome with a frequency that astounded her as much as it left her disheartened. Part of it, of course, had to do with what the kitsune's barrier had shown her. That that had been the first image her heart had conjured…that she had been so hopeful for that brief moment at the sight of him…

Still, despite all of it, she slowly resumed her nightly routine of gazing into their link. Only glances, brief peeks solely for the purpose of assuring herself of his safety. Thankfully it served to ease her thoughts somewhat, rather than exacerbating them as she had feared, and she realized that at least part of it was merely worry for his sake. Worry, at least, she was equipped to deal with.

The rest of her thoughts she attempted to manage by seeking out Kouga, although he was generally at her side and so very little seeking was actually involved. He was not the most brilliant conversationalist she had ever met, but by virtue of his position within his clan he had a great many stories to tell.

Kagome realized that, for someone she now considered a friend and whom she hoped to see as a romantic interest, she knew remarkably little about him. In a strange way it gave her hope.

His stories were generally interesting if clumsily narrated, and they made for a decent distraction during long stretches of riding. The more she learned of him, the more she was capable of appreciating him. Above anything he cared for his clan, and that was something that Kagome could understand. She felt much the same way about her own village and family.

He seemed to regain some of the confidence he had lost as she sought him out. It was strange for her to realize that, despite everything that had passed between them, they actually got on fairly well together. It was comfortable. It gave her hope.

Observing Sango and Miroku offered another distraction of sorts, though it was a rather exasperating one. Miroku was much the same as he had always been-jovial, wont to touch or look at inappropriate moments, and friendly with every woman who entered his general vicinity. Sango, on the other hand, was beginning to retreat somewhat.

She appeared to have lost some of her confidence after her initial advances had failed to make any noticeable impression upon the houshi. To some degree Kagome could not help but feel that Miroku sensed this in her, seeking her out when she failed to come to him. Still, that was as far as he could ever bring himself to go.

Kagome could only look on, feeling rather helpless. Occasionally she tried to encourage Sango not to give up just yet, to pursue it just a little further, but she was aware of how feeble the words were coming from someone trying to give up on her own feelings. If her friends were truly bent on running from their feelings, what right did she have to say anything about it?

---

"Who knows?" Kouga said with a shrug. "No one really remembers, but everyone thinks that village is where their masters used to live before they were all wiped out. No one's sure whether or not they're the ones who killed them."

"So there is a chance that they will try and attack us?" Sango said, frowning.

They had reached the location of the Northern Bakeneko Clan's rumored residence after half a week's travel. The previous night they had set up camp near the village Kouga believed them to dwell in, though far enough from it that they would not be spotted before they chose to be. Now Sango had called them all together, attempting to lay out some sort of strategy to prevent any mishaps the likes of what had happened with the kitsune.

Kouga shrugged once more.

"More likely than not," he said. "Their clan is closer to mine than most of the other big clans in nature, and I know we'd attack anyone setting foot in our territory."

Sango was silent, expression calculating as her gaze shifted to the map spread out in their midst. She tapped the location of the ghost village on the map before dragging her finger over the surrounding area.

"The village is situated atop a rise," she said. "All the surrounding land appears to be flatlands, meaning that they will have the high ground no matter what angle we choose to approach from. We would be highly vulnerable to attack."

A mutter came from somewhere within the group. Sango, Kagome, and Miroku's eyes turned simultaneously towards the sound, landing on one of the male taiji-ya. He returned their looks with a baleful one of his own.

Sango straightened, pinning him with a look.

"Something you would like to say, cousin?" she said.

The man straightened to his full height, a challenge in the stubborn set of his jaw.

His name was Tachibana Gorou, the fifth son of a rather minor branch of the Tachibana clan from what Kagome could recall. He had always been a rather sullen looking fellow, but he had been especially moody since they had departed the kitsune clan's land. Every time Kagome happened to look he appeared to be sulking or muttering about something to the other men of the taiji-ya.

Kagome had sensed his discontent growing, but had been uncertain how to address it and reluctant to risk the appearance of usurping Sango's authority by attempting to confront him. It seemed that everything would come to a head now, though.

"I was simply saying, cousin," Gorou said, the word akin to a curse as he uttered it. "That I hope this mission will be led more successfully than our last."

Sango's jaw tightened momentarily, the insult obviously landing. Gorou smirked faintly.

"From what I recall," Miroku spoke up, voice calm despite the sharpness in his dark eyes. "Our last mission was a success, and it was in large part thanks to Sango-sama's bravery."

Kagome nodded vehemently in agreement. Sango shot the houshi a grateful glance before her eyes returned to Gorou. He scowled, first at Miroku and then at Sango.

"A success, you say?" he nearly sneered, lips curling away from his teeth. "Is that what you would call her allowing us all to walk right into their illusions? Eiji and I were stuck in a room where we thought we would be mauled by tigers! And you would call it a success simply because we all happened to escape with our lives?"

Sango flinched, her face going pale before coloring deeply. With anger or embarrassment Kagome could not tell, but she had opened her mouth to lash out in defense of her friend before she could stop herself. Miroku, however, beat her to it once more.

"And here I was under the impression that taiji-ya were trained to handle to themselves gracefully in dangerous situations, not to whine about how frightened they were," Miroku returned, tone sharpening slightly. "Or is it merely that you feel justified in criticizing Sango-sama for some

other reason you will not come out with?"

Gorou's face twisted, his eyes narrowing on the houshi.

"I feel justified because the mission was a mess!" he snapped. "And because she will make another mess out of this one! She isn't meant to lead! She hasn't half the training or experience that any one of the men here has! Even now she hides behind you, a man, because she cannot-!"

"Enough!" Sango shouted, bringing her hand down hard against the map.

She eyed the group, her features pulled taut, and there was silence. She turned her gaze back to Gorou, face still deeply flushed in agitation.

"Miroku-sama defends me as a friend, cousin," she said. "But I am more than capable of addressing your concerns myself, however ungraciously you might fling them at me."

Gorou flushed faintly, but stubbornly held her eyes.

"I will concede the point that the mission involving the kitsune was poorly managed on my part," Sango resumed more levelly. "Though it ended in success, I took too many risks in attaining it. I went in knowing too little. I will not make that mistake again, and I apologize for subjecting you all to more risk than necessary."

Sango bowed her head to the taiji-ya, though the gesture was slightly stiff. A faint smile played around the corners of Miroku's mouth as he watched her, the pride lightening his eyes unmistakable. Kagome blinked, surprised at her friend's choice of tactics.

Save her brother, Sango easily outranked any of the taiji-ya there as far as her standing within the Tachibana clan. Even had she not been named head of Kagome's guard, they would have been expected to defer to her in some matters. But she was not asserting her rank to force their deference. She was humbling herself before them.

Gorou frowned, a hint of uncertainty creeping across his features.

"As to the concern you have expressed over my inexperience," Sango pressed on. "I concede on that point, as well. Compared to the men of the clan, I do lack in experience. And I lack in experience because of the men of this clan. You know it as well as I that women are seldom sent on missions when men are available to be sent instead. However, I have studied and trained harder than anyone since I was young. And if proof of my abilities is necessary to set you all at ease about my leadership once and for all, I am more than willing to provide it."

The group was silent for a beat, looking to one another uncertainly.

"How?" Gorou ventured at last, wary.

Sango squared her shoulders, her chin tipping up slightly.

"I will carry out this mission with the bakeneko alone," she said.

"Sango-chan!" Kagome burst out, unable to bite her tongue.

"Sango-sama," Miroku said almost in the same instant. "While it is a laudable ambition, I cannot-"

"You cannot object," Sango broke in, not unkindly. "You are as much under my command as they are, Houshi-sama."

He looked at her for a long moment, the concern on his face unmasked. She offered him a small smile before turning back to Gorou.

"Well?" she pressed.

"I accept," he said readily. "Complete the mission and you will hear no more from me until we return to court."

"Then it is settled," Sango said with an air of finality, to stave off any further arguments. "I will begin preparations immediately. In the meantime I would like you to chart our route to the nearby clan residences. We will aim for the attached villages once we have finished here."

Gorou hesitated a moment before nodding.

"Fine," he said a bit tersely. "But I will require proof of your success before I take another order from you."

Sango nodded. The taiji-ya gathered up the map and retreated to the other side of the campsite to begin mapping the route, Noriko and Tomiko shooting Sango apologetic looks as they went.

Almost as soon as they were out of earshot Miroku turned to Sango, mouth set in a stern line.

"That was exceedingly foolish," he said, ire undisguised in a manner that was rare to him.

"You do not think I am capable of it?" Sango snapped in return, temper flaring readily enough now that the need of a cool head had passed.

"I think you suggested it on an impulse without considering the possible risks," Miroku said. "These men are already yours to command. Let them whine amongst themselves if they will. They will not disobey you."

"They will not respect me, either!" Sango said. "And it is their respect that I want, not their grudging obedience. I want them to acknowledge me as their equal, regardless of my rank or the fact that I happened to be born a woman. Why would you ask me to be content with anything less?"

She looked to Kagome in askance, seeking her support. Kagome frowned, her eyes sliding away from the older woman's.

"I don't want you to get hurt, Sango-chan," she said softly.

Sango's frown deepened, disappointment flitting momentarily over her features before it was consumed by anger.

"Fine," she huffed, shaking her head. "I said I would do it on my own and I will. I do not require permission from either of you."

She turned on her heel and stormed away, likely not even certain herself where she was going. Kagome moved to go after her, but Miroku caught her arm.

"It is no use, Kagome-chan," he said. "I have seen that look on her face often enough. Nothing will change her mind now."

"We can't just let her go off on her own," Kagome protested. "The kami only know how many youkai are in that village and what they might do to her."

"Do not worry," Miroku replied, eyes still looking after Sango. "I believe I have a plan."

---

Miroku's 'plan' turned out to be less of a plan and more of an exercise in how to follow someone unnoticed.

Not long after stalking off, Sango returned to the campsite and announced to the group that she was beginning her mission. She did not bother with an explanation of what her plan was, but promised to bring back a token to prove her success when she returned. Gorou and some of the other men looked deeply skeptical, but made no further remark on it.

Sango mounted up and set off in the direction of the village, features set determinedly. Miroku waited for an appropriate stretch of time before announcing to the group that he was going to see if he could not catch some fish for that night's meal, casting Kagome a significant glance before ambling off casually in the direction of the small plain where some of the mounts were grazing.

Kagome handed Shippou off to Haru to watch, quickly inventing the excuse of having seen some valuable herbs growing down by the river's edge. The taiji-ya were too preoccupied with their own speculations about Sango's mission to pay her much attention and thankfully even Kouga did not ask to join her, past experience having taught him that she paid him little mind while focused on collecting herbs.

She slipped away after Miroku unnoticed, finding him waiting with one of the mounts in hand. He mounted up and she behind him, both figuring that one youkai would make for greater stealth than two.

"I feel a bit foolish doing it this way," Kagome confessed as they started off, carefully giving the campsite a wide berth to avoid being seen.

"Believe me, Kagome-chan, if there were any other option I would readily take it," he said. "But I know Sango-sama too well to believe that she would accept even the appearance of help. Her pride would never allow it. Nor would I have the other taiji-ya think that we are breaking the vow she made to them, however brash it might have been on her part or provoked on theirs."

"Then we won't step in unless it is absolutely necessary, right?" Kagome said.

Miroku nodded.

"Exactly," he said. "We will not intervene unless the situation becomes dire. I would not break Sango-sama's vow, but I would not have her sacrifice herself to earn the respect of swine, either."

Kagome was silent a moment, watching the line of his back as they rode.

"Do you think Sango-chan can do it?" she asked.

"Of course," Miroku answered without a blink of hesitation. "I have known Sango-sama since we were both young and have seen proof of her strength, physical and otherwise, a thousand times over. She has worked harder than anyone, and certainly harder than that lot back there, to become as skilled as she is. And while I am glad she finally seems ready to fully pursue a place among the taiji-ya as she has always wanted, I do not want to take any chances with her safety."

Behind him Kagome smiled to herself, partly at his obvious protectiveness and partly at his response. She felt much the same about their friend, although it did not keep her from worrying about this rather ambitious mission.

A thought occurred to her. She bit her lip, well aware that she should not meddle. Still, when was she going to get another chance like this?

"Then you do not mind Sango-chan choosing this way of life?" Kagome ventured, clutching at the back of his robes as their mount made a particularly large leap.

"Why should I?" Miroku asked, slight puzzlement in his voice.

"Well, Sango-chan worries, I think," Kagome hedged, speaking carefully to avoid revealing too much on her friend's behalf. "She knows that some in the court consider it unladylike for a woman to aspire to such a thing."

Miroku inclined his head in acknowledgement.

"There are certainly some," he said. "But I think that we both know there is little Sango-sama could do to make herself unladylike, or rather unappealing, as the case might be. She should not worry herself overly about it."

The latter was spoken lightly enough, but there was a sincerity hiding just beneath it that warmed Kagome all through.

The warmth dimmed a moment later, though, when another thought occurred to her. He obviously admired her. He was not put off in the least by her ambitions. So what kept him from her? Was he really so oblivious to her advances?

Kagome opened her mouth, wondering how in the world she would be able to frame this question obliquely, when Miroku reined their mount up into a sudden stop behind a large tree.

"There she is," he murmured.

Kagome shifted, leaning around him and the tree to catch a glimpse. Sango was still a distance ahead of them, but clearly visible because of all the flat, open grassland that surrounded the rise on which the village was situated. She appeared to be riding straight towards the village.

"She's not going to ride straight in, is she?" Kagome murmured, brow furrowing. "They will be on her in moments if she enters their territory."

Miroku shook his head, his eyes fixed on Sango.

"No," he said lowly. "She is no fool. She must have something in mind."

No sooner had he spoken than Sango's mount veered to one side, routing in a wide arch around the village. In a few moments she was out of sight, blocked by the bulk of the hill. Kagome waited, straining her eyes after the woman. She grew tense as long moments passed without any sight of her.

"Should we go after her?" she murmured anxiously to Miroku.

He shook his head.

"We'll wait a bit longer," he said. "She has something in mind."

Kagome frowned, but said nothing.

They waited in strained silence until at last Sango reappeared, riding back in the direction from which she had come. At the widest point in the clearing she reined in her mount, coming to a stop. She dismounted and stood facing the village, seemingly waiting for something.

It was difficult to tell from the distance they were at, but it looked to Kagome like Sango was wearing the special protective mask of the taiji-ya which kept them from breathing in the toxins and gases that certain youkai emitted. Several puzzling moments passed as Sango stood as motionless as a stone statue.

The wind kicked up, racing down the grassy plain. The grass bent and flattened beneath it, and in the distance something slowly became visible.

It appeared to be a cloud of some sort, ashen in color and being driven along by the wind. It billowed up and over the village's hill, consuming it in moments.

"There we go," Kagome heard Miroku murmur, voice low with pride. Raising his voice slightly, he said to her, "Cover your mouth, Kagome-chan."

She did so, bringing up the length of her sleeve to press over her mouth and nose. He did the same.

"What's going on?" Kagome asked, voice slightly muffled.

"She must have gone upwind of the village and set off some of the taiji-ya's poisons," he said. "Sango-sama must be trying to force them out. They won't be as aggressive if they are not on their own territory, and they will not be at an advantage. She chose high noon because the bakeneko are nocturnal by inclination. They will be confused, disoriented. This is when they will be least likely to try and put up a fight."

"Poison?" Kagome repeated. "Isn't that too much? They'll hardly be inclined to listen if we hurt them."

Miroku shook his head.

"I doubt that it is of that variety," he said. "The taiji-ya are masters in the creation of poisons. Likely that one is only potent enough to irritate the lungs, possibly to cause some lethargy."

"What if they just bolt, though?" Kagome asked, watching the poison-swathed village for any signs of movement. "Sango-chan can't possibly round them all up again."

"They will not go far," Miroku said with a certainty that surprised her. "Recall what Kouga-sama told us. They have remained in the village that housed their masters for years and years without moving. They will not abandon it so easily. Sango-sama must know that."

Kagome glanced at him, impressed at how well and how easily he seemed to understand what Sango was thinking. Her attention was quickly drawn back to the scene unfolding before them, motion near the village catching her eye.

The poison cloud was being driven down the plain by the wind, dispersing slowly as it went. Ahead of it ran a number of figures, slow and faltering in a way that told Kagome Miroku's guess about the type of poison was likely correct.

They were the bakeneko and their counter-parts, the neko-mata. The bakeneko were largely human in appearance, save cat-like ears, tails, and feet. The neko-mata, on the other hand, were among the more animal-like youkai in existence, their forms that of large, split-tailed cats.

They came towards Sango and she waited, unmoving even as the poisonous cloud swept past her. The youkai came to a halt several lengths from the taiji-ya, eyeing her uncertainly.

After a several moments the crowd parted and one of the bakeneko came forward, a male from what Kagome could tell. He appeared to be speaking, but to Kagome's great frustration they were too far away for the sound to carry. Sango bowed to the man, though if she replied or not was impossible to tell. The mask obscured her mouth.

The man spoke again, and Kagome strained her eyes to discern the expression on his face. His ears were partly pinned back and he certainly did not look pleased, but at least they had not attacked immediately. It was a good sign.

The conversation continued for a time with some of the other bakeneko chiming in, as well. Their upset seemed to ease into something akin to curiosity, tails whipping and flickering behind them, and at last some sort of agreement seemed to come out of it.

The bakeneko that had spoken first-Kagome assumed from his air of authority that he was the clan's head-gestured and a large neko-mata stalked forward. It was a light, burnished golden with black markings on its forehead, feet, ears, and tails. Its eyes were a deep blood red, its fangs elongated far past its lower lip. Its upper lip drew back in a snarl as it approached Sango, youki flaring brightly to life as otherworldly flames ignited around its paws.

For the first time since the encounter had started Sango moved back a step, and Kagome's heart jumped. All she did, though, was set hiraikotsu down and urge her mount to move further away from her. It did and she stepped forward once more, stance shifting defensively.

"She's fighting barehanded?" Miroku murmured, voice low with concern.

"Hiraikostu does too much damage," Kagome replied, her eyes never straying from the tense scene. "She must still be trying not to hurt them."

"And if they decide to attack all at once?" Miroku returned, shifting anxiously.

"That's what we are here for, isn't it?" Kagome said as reassuringly as she could manage.

Despite her words she could feel her pulse quickening. If they did all attack at once Sango did not stand a chance barehanded, and they would have to move quickly to prevent her from being hurt. Kagome forced herself to sit still, watching. Sango had known exactly what she was doing all the way up to this point. She wanted to believe she knew now, as well.

In a flash of motion the neko-mata pounced. Sango pivoted and flipped backwards, dodging easily and landing a distance away. The neko-mata turned sharply, lunging again. This time Sango flattened out, rolling under the blow.

A quick glance told Kagome that none of the other youkai were making any moves to join the fight. They merely looked on, their postures intent.

Even under the influence of the poison, the neko-mata Sango faced was unusually fast. Only the narrowest of turns kept its fangs from piercing her shoulder. Sango leapt back, landing solidly several lengths away. The neko-mata charged her again without pause.

This time, though, Sango did not dodge. She stood stock still until the youkai was so close that Kagome nearly cried out, leaping up at the last moment. She twisted in mid-air, landing solidly on the youkai's back and clamping her knees tight around its flanks. She reached for something at her belt, but the neko-mata's thrashing forced her to use her hands to hold on.

The neko-mata thrashed harder, bucking and writhing until a particularly violent kick of its back legs sent her flying. She landed hard on her back and the youkai was on her in moments.

Sango rolled, dodging the flaming paws as the neko-mata tried to bring them down on her. The watching youkai were cheering now, forming up into a half-circle about the combatants.

The neko-mata managed to trap Sango between its paws, bearing down with its fanged mouth open wide to deliver the final blow. Sango unsheathed the wakizashi at her waist in one smooth motion, the warning flash of the blade's arc forcing the youkai back.

Sango rose, sheathing the blade once more. If she had been serious about using it she could easily have landed the blow, Kagome realized. Unfortunately that likely meant the neko-mata had caught onto the feint, as well. It would not fall for that again.

It crouched, springing for her. Sango fell back as it reached her, legs kicking up and under its torso as its fangs came dangerously near her throat. The combination of her strength and its own momentum sent the youkai flying. Sango rolled back onto her feet in one fluid motion, pivoting and pursuing.

The neko-mata had scarcely gotten to its feet when she was on it again, managing to vault onto its back once more. This time she managed to pull from her waist the thing she had been reaching for before. It was the harness her mount had been wearing. Kagome had not noticed her slipping it off before, but she saw clearly enough now as she slipped it between the open jaws of the neko-mata.

It gnashed its teeth, thrashing madly as it tried to sever the harness. It was specially designed by the taiji-ya for their youkai mounts, though, so there was to be no breaking it.

The youkai fought harder to dislodge her, even going so far as to throw itself against the ground and roll. Sango would not be moved, taking the abuse and continuing to cling tightly to the reins attached to the harness.

Slowly, ever so slowly, its struggles began to weaken. Whether it was the poison slowing it down or it simply realized that no amount of struggling was going to dislodge the slightly battered but still tenacious woman Kagome was not sure, but at last the neko-mata's struggles ceased altogether.

It lowered its body to the ground, allowing Sango to dismount and remove the harness. A swirl of youki flared up around it, obscuring its hulking form for a moment.

When it faded there sat a youkai no bigger than a kitten, fearsome fangs and flames gone. It rolled over onto its back, exposing its vulnerable underbelly to Sango.

Whatever was going on, Sango had won.

Out of the corner of her eye Kagome could see Miroku fairly beaming, likely prouder than if he had done it himself. The bakeneko appeared to be stunned silent for a moment, watching the neko-mata and the woman who had mastered it. They moved forward at last when the now-tiny thing leapt up into Sango's arms.

The one who Kagome had assumed to be the clan head said something and bowed low before Sango. The rest of the clan mirrored the gesture. Sango gestured modestly for them to rise, but she fairly glowed with the joy of her success.

Kagome laughed aloud, the sound half joy and half awe.

Sango had just single-handedly won them the support of the Northern Bakeneko Clan.

---

Sango and the bakeneko continued their discussion awhile longer, but Kagome and Miroku made sure to leave not long after they were certain Sango was safe. There was no use in possibly angering the woman by allowing her to discover that they had followed her, and they could not be seen by the others returning at the same time as her lest they become suspicious.

They returned the mount to the small plain with the others and Miroku went ahead of her to the campsite, intending to tell them that he had not been able to catch anything. Kouga would likely step in to make up for it and catch that night's meal.

Kagome remained behind, wandering the river bank for a time and collecting what herbs she could find to make her own ruse plausible before rejoining the others.

The men of the taiji-ya were still grouped together, though they had long since finished mapping the route. They cast glances in the direction Sango had gone, their looks both grim and self-satisfied each time she failed to appear. Her failure would merely confirm everything they had ever been told.

Noriko and Tomiko sat together and apart from the men now, their looks anxious. Not only would Sango's failure or success dictate how they would be treated for the remainder of this trip, but it also stood to determine whether or not they would ever leave the court on a mission again.

Thankfully they did not have much longer to wait. Shortly after Kagome's return to the campsite the miko sensed approaching youki. She stood, scarcely able to contain herself, and Miroku smiled faintly from where he sat at her side. Both the men and women looked to her at the sudden movement, and then to the woods.

Sango emerged moments later, mussed and slightly bruised with a look nothing short of triumphant. The mount she rode atop was not her own, or at least not the one she had rode out on. That one was being led at her side.

The one she rode on now was the neko-mata from before, unharnessed and entirely compliant.

This time Kagome did cry out, rushing to greet her friend. Sango beamed, sliding down off the youkai to meet her with open arms. Kagome clasped her close, babbling something she could scarcely remember in her excitement.

"You did it!" she said. "I knew you could do it!"

"I did it," Sango echoed her, sounding as if she could scarcely believe it herself.

Her eyes shifted over Kagome's shoulder and Kagome released her, moving back a step. Miroku stood just behind her, a faint smile on his lips and his eyes bright on Sango's face.

For a moment Kagome thought he might embrace her, and she saw Sango flush with the same knowledge. He seemed to recall himself, though, merely bowing his head to her with a flourish of his hand.

"Yet again you prove yourself to be a most extraordinary woman, Sango-sama," he murmured.

Sango smiled, possibly happier than if he had embraced her. The others were around them in moments, the women clamoring to congratulate her as the men stared in disbelief at the docile looking neko-mata. Shippou quickly clambered up onto its back, Sango patting its flank so that it would tolerate the boy's explorations. Haru maintained a safe distance, eyeing the youkai's elongated fangs.

After several moments the confusion died down and Sango patted the neko-mata, prompting it to lie down. Her other mount wandered off towards the grazing mounts and Sango turned to the group.

To her credit, there was only the faintest hint of smugness in the curl at the corner of her lips. Gorou, standing at the head of the men, could scarcely meet her gaze.

"How?" he asked lowly, managing at last to look up. "How did you manage it?"

The men all watched her, some of them with burgeoning respect in their eyes as they began to comprehend the magnitude of what Sango had managed all on her own. Sango explained to them all what had happened, her account of the events straight and strictly factual.

She did not bother with exaggeration or self-congratulation. She wanted their respect as a warrior and a leader and she wanted it for what she had actually accomplished, not some overblown version. Besides which she knew the pride of these men. Smothering them with her own pride in what she had accomplished would only breed resentment among them.

She explained how the bakeneko, once forced away from their village, had been impressed enough by her audacity to offer her a challenge. They had remained in that village for centuries, she said, because they were bound by contract to their masters, the descendants of the man who had first managed to subdue and domesticate their great ancestors.

Unfortunately all remnants of that man's bloodline had long ago died out, leaving them bound to the village where their remains rested. Thus they offered Sango the challenge: subjugate the strongest among them and earn the right to be called their master. Fail, they had informed her, and they would not hesitate to kill her and leave her remains for the birds of carrion.

Sango had agreed to their terms and in winning had been able to claim rights as their master. The Northern Bakeneko Clan was now, for all intents and purposes, servant to the Tachibana bloodline in perpetuity. As part of the contract, Sango had asked them to remain near the village until she could summon them to the court. They had agreed readily, elated to have finally been freed from their bondage to a dead line.

Kirara, the neko-mata Sango had bested, had insisted on following her in order to protect her new master. And that, Sango said, was all, from start to finish.

Gorou looked at her for several long moments after she had finished, expression dark with some internal struggle. And then, slowly and deliberately, he got down onto his knees in the dirt and bowed.

"I…apologize," he said with no small amount of difficulty. "I made assumptions. I…I acknowledge you as my superior."

Sango knelt, touching his shoulder to get him to raise his head.

"You wanted proof that your leader could lead," she said. "However it might have upset me, I cannot hold it against you. Although I would recommend that in the future, in the absence of proof, you do not fall back on assumptions."

The show of humility was rather remarkable on her part, and Kagome smiled to herself as she watched the exchange. Her friend was obviously determined to be not only their leader, but their companion, as well.

Gorou managed a small smile. Perhaps change did not come quickly, but it was possible bit by bit.

---

They did not linger long after Sango's victory. The following morning they set out towards the clan residences, following the route the taiji-ya had mapped.

With the addition of Kirara as Sango's new mount, Haru was able to have his own to ride. Unfortunately he was so bad at it that he had to be monitored at all times to make sure his mount did not try to wander off on its own with him in tow.

They found that three of the five clan residences in the area had no villages attached. The two villages that they did find, however, proved more than eager to be free of their current lords. Naturally they were wary at the idea of putting themselves in the hands of the court, of all things, but almost anything was an improvement from their current situation and an explanation from Haru seemed to ease their minds somewhat. At length agreements were reached.

The trade ports in Hokkaido proved to be much more of a challenge. By virtue of their function they were much larger than villages and thus determining who to appeal to was a problem in and of itself. The affluent merchants who frequented the ports also ensured that they had enough money to have little need of any outside support.

In the end they chose to address some of the poorer fishing families that lined the coast. Most of them did not share in the relative affluence enjoyed in the ports and might thus be more willing to deal with them. Sango also decided that, though they could not control the trade ports per se, the fishing families could at least be their eyes and ears within them. They were privy to much of what went on there and their knowledge could prove useful.

The families, however, were anything but open to their offers. They had lived their entire lives being treated like dogs by the rich merchants and traders. Their mistrust of even the appearance of wealth ran deep, and their anger found something of an outlet in the appearance of Kagome and her companions.

On their third day in the first trade port this resulted in near disaster. One of the older fishermen, upon Kagome revealing herself to be an emissary of the court, promptly took up the nearest rock he could find and flung it as hard as he could manage at her head.

Haru, nearest to her at the moment, stepped in front of her, the rock striking him squarely in the temple. Blood began pouring from the wound immediately. The group gathered Haru up and beat a hasty retreat, fearful both for his well being and of what Kouga might attempt to do to the old man were he allowed to remain.

Kagome took Haru aside to tend to him as soon as they were far enough outside of the trade port to feel comfortable stopping. Thankfully it proved not to be a particularly deep wound once it was all cleaned up, as Haru insisted the he did not want her to use her powers to help heal it. She was puzzled by the request, but eventually conceded and merely cleaned the cut and packed it with herbs to prevent infection.

He was tense the entire time as she worked on him, fists balled in his lap and back ramrod straight. He kept half-glancing at her before turning hurriedly away. Kagome thought his behavior odd, but made no remark. After all, she hardly knew him. They had not spoken much since he had joined the group as he always proved to be rather stand-offish around her and even though they had grown up together they had never been close. Who was she really to say if he was acting strange?

At last she finished her work, tying the bandages off.

"It's not too tight, is it?" she asked.

He shook his head, not bothering to turn to look at her.

Kagome frowned, moving to stand.

"Alright, then, I will just-"

His hand shot out, catching her wrist before she could rise fully.

"I'm sorry," he blurted, wide eyes meeting hers.

Kagome blinked, the pressure of his hand on her wrist forcing her back down.

"Sorry?" she echoed. "For what? I mean, you protected me. If anyone should be sorry-"

He shook his head hard.

"Not that," he said. "I'm sorry for…"

Haru trailed off, unable to get the words out. Kagome waited, confused, and he drew a deep breath.

"I've…been meaning to say this to you since you came back to the village," he said, eyes falling to his lap. "But I never knew how to say it…or if you'd even wanna hear it, after all this time."

Her stomach tightened warningly as she realized suddenly where this was heading. She opened her mouth in the hopes of cutting it short, but Haru shook his head again.

"Please," he said. "I need to say this, and you deserve to hear it."

Kagome was silent, and that was as much consent as he needed from her.

"I'm sorry," Haru said again, meeting her eyes solemnly. "I'm sorry for the way we treated you. You never did a thing to deserve it. In fact you did everything in the world a person could do not to deserve it."

Kagome looked down. She bit her lip, swallowing back the memories.

"It wasn't that bad…" she murmured, irked at how weak sounding her voice came out.

Haru tugged at her wrist, forcing her gaze back up.

"You didn't deserve it," he said feelingly. "We avoided you and you knew it, even when you pretended not to. But it wasn't because of you! You were just…you seemed so different from us. Everyone knew what you could do, but no one understood it and we were scared. We were scared when we saw you take out youkai with a touch. It was frightening and we didn't understand why you weren't like the rest of us. But I've thought it over a thousand times since you left. You were protecting us. You were always protecting us, even when you left. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry it took me so long to understand. I'm sorry I was so scared of you."

Kagome felt as if she might choke on the mass of old feelings welling up. She felt like she was shrinking, becoming that small, uncomprehending child again. She loathed the feeling.

"Why are you saying all this now?" she said. "I'd already forgotten. It's already over."

"Not for me," Haru said softly. "I live it over all the time, that look you always had on your face when we'd run away from you. And I…I think you do, too. That's why I wanted to come along. I wanted to make it right. I needed to apologize."

"But what good does it do?" Kagome blurted, unable to keep an edge of bitterness from her voice. "It's done already, isn't it?"

She remembered it, too. She relived it sometimes, too. Their backs growing smaller as they scattered when she came in the hopes of playing with them. Their eyes, dark and wary as they watched her at her lessons with Kaede-sama. She had been so glad when Souta was born, finding at last in him the friend she had always wanted.

Haru blinked, his expression slipping slightly.

"I'd understand if you couldn't forgive me," he murmured. "The village is small, and we made you feel like an outsider at every turn. But…sometimes you look really lonely, Kagome-sama. And…stupid as it sounds, I can't help but think it's us making you look like that. That we made you lonely, somehow. I remember, after while, how you began to run from us instead. Not like we had, but…you'd suddenly decide you had something to do right then, because you didn't want us to run away first. And we were the ones who made you do that. Run away from the people you wanted to be close to because you didn't want to be hurt."

Kagome blinked, her gaze dropping. Those memories she truly had forgotten. At a certain age she had at last realized that the other boys and girls of the village had no intention of playing with her, and she had begun turning from them to avoid seeing her knowledge confirmed. She learned quickly to like her independence, to work well and enjoy working by herself. At least she had always had the great comfort of a family that loved her and Kaede-sama's kindness to return to.

But was a part of her still that child? Still trying to work all alone? Still running to avoid being hurt? Kagome found that she was not sure.

She lifted her eyes, searching his face.

"If not in the hope of forgiveness, what do you do this for?"

"The future," Haru said without hesitation, as if he had thought long and hard on this before. "Mine. Yours. These…these are the kind of things that people get stuck on, right? I don't want us to be stuck for the rest of our lives. I've accepted my guilt. I'm not trying to deny it or forget about it anymore. For better or for worse, it's part of who I am. I wanted…I'd hoped that somehow, by saying all this, I could help you, too. So…I'm sorry, Kagome. I'm sorry I hurt you."

Kagome merely looked at him for a long moment, at a loss. He looked young, so young it was hard to believe that they were the same age. In that moment, though, Kagome felt he might be far, far wiser than her behind that innocent face. Haru flushed, his gaze falling away from hers.

"Sorry," he murmured, shamefaced. "I must sound like a real fool."

Kagome reached out, placing her free hand over the one that still gripped her wrist lightly.

"No," she said softly. "Not like a fool at all."

She offered him a smile that trembled around the edges.

"Kagome?"

They both turned, her blinking rapidly to clear the sheen of tears that threatened to spill over. Kouga loomed over the pair, eyeing the point where their hands were connected. His eyes shifted to Haru, upper lip twitching as if it might pull back into a snarl.

Haru paled, hurriedly extricating his hands from her own and shoving them into his lap as if he might conceal them.

"Did he say something?" the wolf Lord asked, eyes never leaving the boy's face.

Kagome sighed.

"No, Kouga-sama," she said, the moment effectively broken. "We were merely…"

She paused, glancing at the terrified boy.

"We were merely reminiscing over some matters that are well in the past now," she finished, meeting Haru's eyes significantly.

His face brightened, her meaning clear enough to him. Kouga, on the other hand, was less pleased. He reached down and hauled her up by the back of her robes, making a show of taking her hand.

"Well, sounds like you're done here, then," he said, shooting Haru a look that dared him to say otherwise. "I'll just be taking Kagome with me, Fuyu."

"It's Haru," the boy said, but Kouga was already tugging her away.

She allowed herself to be led, not wanting to irritate Kouga further when he and Haru still had potential months together ahead of them. She did shoot Haru an apologetic look. He smiled good-naturedly, shaking his head.

From then on Kouga would watch Haru closely, convinced the boy was after Kagome. Kagome watched him, as well, though she did not suspect him of harboring any special affection towards her. Rather she felt inspired whenever their eyes met, lighter in spirit.

He had not run from his problems or from the truth of himself, good and bad. It gave her hope.

---

With time, patience, and extreme care, they were able after several days to get some among the fishing families in the two trade ports to agree to the Tennō's offer. After that they were glad to call it victory enough and move on.

Their next destination was to be back on the mainland, following the Shinano river. Not only was it large and likely to be home to quite a number of villages, it was also home to the Western Ryū Clan, according to Kouga. And as the river extended for such a distance, following it would also take them near to several clan residences.

The journey went well and unremarkably for about a week. The villages along the river were wary, but receptive given some time. They came across three clan residences and managed convince all three of the attached villages to switch their loyalties over to the Tennō.

As day slid slowly into evening at the end of the week, Kouga and Kagome were to be found at the river's edge. Well, Kagome was at the river's edge. Kouga, on the other hand, was thigh deep in the rapid waters, face screwed up in deep concentration.

Kagome looked on, a smile hovering just around the corners of her lips. He had been at it for awhile now, and it was entertaining how seriously he seemed to take the whole thing. She blinked as his hand shot out, breaking the river's surface abruptly.

His hand was still empty when he pulled it back out. He half-glanced back at her, his look slightly sheepish. She could tell he was trying hard to impress her and she smiled to herself, tucking her knees up under her chin as she watched.

It was moments like these with Kouga, quiet and relaxed, when she could really entertain the thought of being with him seriously. It was not that she could picture their future together or what their home might look like or any other number of things she had overheard village women talk about when contemplating a match, but rather just that it was so easy. Being with Kouga was one of the few things in her life free of complications at the moment. He cared for her and she…well, she would-

Another loud splash startled her, making her jump slightly. Kouga, his furs now dripping wet, raised his hand triumphantly to show her the fish he had caught. Kagome laughed softly, uncurling and rising to stand.

"I think you've got enough now, Kouga-sama," she said, gesturing to the pile sitting atop the cloth they had brought to hold them. "We should head back before it gets dark."

"Keh," Kouga snorted, tossing his head. "With me around, you'll never have to worry about the dark again, Kagome."

Still he sloshed his way out of the water, pausing on the very edge of the bank to shake off. Kagome cried out indignantly, hands coming up to shield her face from the spray. She frowned at him and he grinned, shrugging casually. He held the fish he had just caught out to her, practically forcing it into her hands.

"You can have this one," he said. "It's the biggest."

Kagome tried not to grimace, the fish slippery in her hands and still bloody from where Kouga had speared it. She offered him a thin smile.

"Thank you, Kouga-sama," she said. "That's very…thoughtful of you."

He beamed, passing her to gather up the cloth the other fish were sitting atop. The sun was just disappearing beneath the line of the horizon, and for the brief moment before it disappeared from sight the river lit up with the brilliance of a thousand candles being ignited at once. The sight caught Kagome's eye and she paused, watching until it faded.

"Kouga-sama?" she called.

"Hmmm?"

He moved back down the bank to her side and she slipped her fish into the folded up cloth along with the others, wiping the slimy remnants of it off on her hakama absently. She pointed to the river.

"The Ryū Clan live in this river, right?" she asked.

Kouga nodded.

"Yeah. It's the Shinano, for sure," he said.

"Well, we've been travelling along it for weeks without any sign of them," Kagome said thoughtfully. "Where exactly in the river do they live? And how do we go about requesting an audience with them?"

Kouga paused for a moment, blinking as he considered this. At last he shrugged.

"Dunno," he said. "I've never had to deal directly with 'em before. Our territories don't intersect and they're not much involved in youkai clan squabbles, as far as I know."

"Oh," Kagome said, frowning. "Then…what should we do?"

She had studied enough of ryū to know that they dwelt inside the rivers themselves, but little beyond that. Nor has she ever seen one personally, though she knew that they were ancient and supposedly very wise. Beyond that she was at a loss.

Kouga raised his free hand to scratch idly at the back of his head, frowning out at the river. He shrugged once more.

"Why not just call?" he suggested.

"Call?" Kagome echoed, glancing incredulously at him.

He nodded, moving a few steps down the river bank. He cupped his free hand around his mouth.

"Oi!" he hollered at the water, voice loud enough to startle nearby birds into flight. "This is Kouga, head of the Eastern Wolf Clan. I wanna talk to the head of the Ryū Clan!"

Kagome blinked, staring at him in disbelief. Silence reigned in the wake of his shouting, only the trickling rush of the water audible.

Kouga frowned down at the water, obviously having been confident that it would work. He glanced back at her, expression vaguely petulant with disappointment. Kagome choked back a laugh.

"Guess not," he muttered, moving back up towards her.

Kagome laughed aloud then. His pout intensified.

"It…it was a good effort, Kouga-sama," she said placatingly between breathless chuckles. "I just don't think-"

A low rumbling stopped her short. Both turned back to the river, Kagome's eyes widening as she watched the current of the river shift and reverse. Suddenly she could sense it, like a flame sparking to life in her sixth sense. The youki was massive and ancient and somehow wise.

The thing emerged, serpentine, water rolling down off its scales in great falls as it rose from somewhere beyond the deepest depths of the river-bed. Golden eyes turned languidly towards them, white-scaled body twisting slowly to follow, and Kouga shifted to stand protectively in front of Kagome. A stretch of silence ensued in which the three eyed one another, though Kagome and Kouga with much more obvious interest than the ryū.

"You called?" the ryū spoke at last, though somehow without appearing to move its mouth in the slightest.

Its voice was strangely androgynous. Kagome could not have named it as male or female to save her life.

Despite a slight protest from Kouga, she stepped forward and bowed low. She was not exactly prepared to do this right now, but it did not seem as if she had much choice. Better to put her best foot forward while they had managed to gain its attention.

"We are sorry to have disturbed you," she said, straightening and feeling awed all over again at how far up she had to look to meet its eyes. "I am Kagome, a spiritualist and emissary of the court. This is Kouga-sama, head of the Eastern Wolf Clan. We were hoping you might grant us an audience."

The ryū bowed its great head slightly.

"I am inclined to hear you," it said, again without any apparent movement of its mouth. "It has been quite some time since so…novel a method has been used to summon me. And you may call me Mizuchi, if you wish. I believe that is the last name that your people gave to me."

The youkai's eyes crinkled with mirth. Kagome found an answering smile playing on her lips.

"We are pleased to meet you, Mizuchi-sama," she said, bending once more in a bow. "As to the method of summoning, that was entirely Kouga-sama's idea."

She gestured to the wolf Lord, who appeared rather proud of himself as he shot her a triumphant look. She could practically sense the ryū's amusement increasing as it looked on.

"The errand we come on, however, is mine," she continued, turning her full attention back to the looming youkai. "I have come from the court on behalf of the Tennō-sama"

The ryū cocked its head.

"Inu no Taishou?" it asked.

Kagome blinked, shaking her head.

"Ah, no," she said. "The former Tennō-sama passed some years ago, may His soul inhabit peaceful places. His son has since inherited the throne."

The ryū blinked, seeming to take this in.

"My apologies," it said. "We do not often concern ourselves with affairs outside our own."

Kagome nodded in acknowledgement, a twinge of undeniable curiosity taking hold of her.

"Did you know the former Tennō-sama, Mizuchi-sama?" she asked.

The ryū inclined its head in a nod.

"I met him once," it replied. "He said that he sought to bring my clan out into the world. That he wished for humans and youkai to live more closely. He was a willful man, and selfish. But he was very interesting."

Humans and youkai living more closely? It seemed an odd goal coming from a youkai as powerful as she knew Inuyasha's father to have been. Perhaps it had had something to do with Inuyasha himself? Kagome blinked, the thought catching hold of her. She tucked it away for the moment, though, to be turned over at another time.

"But not interesting enough to incline you to come out into the world?" Kagome supplied after a beat.

"We had no reason," the youkai replied. "We have lived through the wars of your world. We have seen rulers rise and fall. We have seen disease and famine. And we have remained unchanged. Your world is full of disorder, and we cannot abide disorder. We have no desire to involve ourselves in it."

Kagome frowned, meeting the large golden eyes thoughtfully.

"I cannot say that I don't understand your desire to remain apart," she said. "But is not the world one whole thing, despite any appearance of difference? I was taught from the time that I was young that there is one shared fate for all beings beneath the kami."

The ryū eyed her, slowly lowering itself until they were almost face to face.

"Explain," it said, moving its head in a gesture that she assumed was meant to urge her to continue.

"Well…" Kagome said, flustered by its obvious interest. "The world…the world is a thing of balance, isn't it? And everything in the world, anything that inhabits it, has weight in that balance. For every death, someone is born. For every tree cut down, another one grows up somewhere in the world. And conflict…conflict occurs when the balance is tipped too far in any direction. But you cannot pretend that your own weight is not a part of the balance, however you might try to hold yourself exempt."

The youkai blinked, its gaze growing thoughtful.

"Your argument is sound," it said after a moment. "I will present it to my clan."

Kagome brightened, encouraged. One more step to go, though.

"Then would you consider putting your clan's support behind his Majesty in His efforts to maintain that fair balance in the world?" she asked.

The youkai frowned. It shook its head slowly.

"I can promise you our neutrality," it said apologetically. "We will never move against the Tennō-sama. But we ryū have remained impartial for centuries. I cannot imagine my clan deciding suddenly to intervene in the affairs of the world without cause, no matter how well-reasoned the argument."

Kagome's face fell.

"I see," she said softly, attempting to conceal her disappointment somewhat.

The ryū moved forward slightly, nudging her with its elongated snout.

"You have a sharp mind," it said. "Surely you must know that change is not a thing that comes quickly, especially in beings as old as us."

Kagome nodded.

"I understand," she managed a bit more firmly.

"I will speak to my clan," Mizuchi offered. "Perhaps, in a century's time or so, they might be convinced."

Kagome raised her gaze, offering the youkai a wry half-smile.

"Be sure to have them seek out my great-great-great-grandchildren, then," she said.

"Our great-great-great grandchildren," Kouga piped up, slinging an arm around her shoulder.

Kagome flushed. Mizuchi blinked, a faint smile curling at the corners of its mouth.

"My congratulations," it said warmly. "It has been a great pleasure meeting you both. Perhaps I, at least, will consider coming out more often. The world seems to have become more interesting since last I took the time to look."

The youkai nodded to them both, its body beginning to coil slowly back into the river behind it. Kagome bowed, calling out a farewell.

It was a loss on her part, but at least they would never support anyone who stood against Inuyasha, either. She turned to Kouga, offering him a smile. She wondered if perhaps she did not give him enough credit.

He grinned back, obviously aware that he had risen in her esteem.

---

Several nights later found the group still following the Shinano river. They were having mixed results with the villages arranged around the river, though nothing so violent as what they had encountered in the trade port. With great caution they had been approaching villages attached to residences that they passed, wary lest their errand outside the court be discovered or the villagers get in trouble for speaking with them. In the end, though, they met with success in many of those villages, the villagers promising not to speak a word of it until protection could be sent for them from the Tennō.

On this particular night the companions had settled down to sleep in the thick of a large group of trees, for lack of any better options. As the others settled in to sleep, however, Kagome pulled the bead from inside of her robes. She had resumed her practice of checking every night, unable to quite help it, though she made certain it was for no more than a few moments or so at a time. She settled back against the tree her futon was situated beneath, careful not to disrupt Shippou where he lay beneath the blankets.

The link was particularly hazy that night. Kagome could scarcely make out shapes, though she was rather certain Inuyasha was in his chambers as per usual at this time of evening. He was tense, focused entirely on something, and that was more than enough for Kagome. She was about the close the link off when a voice caught her attention, stopping her short.

"You could take a rest, my Lord," the voice chided softly. "It is not so urgent that it must be finished tonight."

It was Kikyou. Kagome was surprised. The way the hanyou was feeling, she would not have thought the woman was in the room with him. Inuyasha's attention shifted for a moment, but quickly moved back to its original object.

"It's fine," he muttered absently. "I'm not tired."

"Perhaps you are not, but I certainly am of watching you work yourself so hard," Kikyou tried again after a beat of silence, the softness of her voice revealing the sting she had felt at the brush off. "Is it not enough that you spend all day arguing with the Council and searching for governors? Must you spend your nights working on plans for the wedding ceremony? I assure you, my Lord, I would not be offended should you choose to take a moment to rest."

Kagome heard the faint rustling of Kikyou's silks. A hand came to rest lightly on Inuyasha's shoulder and he tensed. He forced himself to relax after a moment, though, bringing his own hand up to squeeze hers once before releasing it.

"It's fine, Kikyou," he repeated. "I just want to get this all done before-"

He cut himself off, realizing with a jolt what he had almost said to her. Kikyou's hand tensed slightly on his shoulder.

"Before what, my Lord?" she said at last, her voice very, very soft.

"Nothing," Inuyasha replied, his stomach sinking. "It's nothing. Maybe…Maybe I am tired."

"…Then I will leave you to rest," Kikyou said, something faintly brittle about her voice. "Good night, my Lord."

The hand left his shoulder. The blurry form of Inuyasha turned, calling after her.

"Kikyou…"

But she was already gone.

Inuyasha cursed, guilt twisting through his gut. Frustrated, he turned back to his work and redoubled his efforts. He was determined. He needed to get this done.

Kagome only looked on for a few more moments before closing the link. She sat for a stretch, merely staring down at the bead cupped in her hands.

She understood. This much she could understand even without being privy to his thoughts. She had half-hoped it herself on several bleak occasions.

He wanted to make sure the wedding took place before she returned.

The thought left her torn between gratitude and pain. On the one hand, it would all be over once she returned. They would be safely separated forever, master and servant.

On the other hand, it would all be over once she returned. Inuyasha would be Kikyou's husband, and she would be...

Kagome shook her head hard, as if she could force out the thought and the sharp ache that accompanied it. She glanced in the direction Kouga had lain down to sleep, realizing with a sigh that he was already sound asleep.

She decided to simply lie down, as well. She could not rely on Kouga to distract her all the time, after all. She would go to sleep and not think about it. After all, whether the wedding happened before she returned or not, dwelling on it was not going to do her any good.

She did not sleep well.

---

Following the main body of the Shinano, the companions reached its eventual end where it emptied out into the ocean. From there Sango thought it best to follow the length of the coast, looking into the villages and trade ports scattered along it. The first and best defense should foreign issue ever arise, she reminded them. Kagome, remembering what she had learned when she was last out of the court with Inuyasha, could not have agreed more, though she did not relish the idea of speaking to the people of the trade ports again.

As the point where the river emptied itself into the sea was still relatively far to the north, they began to move southward along the coastline. This would also eventually take them to a point where they could board a ship to Kyūshū, where some of the most important trade ports in all of Japan were. At the same time they would slowly be moving closer to the court in Heian when the time at last came to bring their mission to a close. The idea of returning, though, Kagome preferred not to contemplate. The strange mixture of hope and dread it evoked in her was enough to make her feel ill.

About a week into their travels down the coast they came across something Sango had been looking out for desperately for well over a week-a hot spring, tucked back in a small cave not far from a village they had just visited. All of the taiji-ya, the men included, looked as if they could scarcely contain their joy at the discovery. Trained as they were for combat and travel, they were still creatures of the court born and raised. Kagome traded a faintly amused look with Haru, their lives in the village having accustomed them to bathing perhaps once every several months.

The cave and consequently the spring were rather small, meaning the group had to take turns bathing in pairs and groups of three. Sango, benevolent leader that she was, volunteered to wait until everyone else had finished before taking her turn. Kagome decided to wait with her, seeing as they had had precious little time to speak alone together since the journey had started.

Thus several hours later, as the rest of the group had not been shy about taking their time to fully enjoy the spring, the two women sat together enjoying the warmth of the spring in the muggy comfort of the cave. Kagome had even managed to convince Shippou to bathe with Haru so that it would be just the two of them.

They managed to fritter away an hour in idle soaking and chit chat before they were both so red and overheated that they had to get out. Sango instructed Kagome to sit on one of the cooler rocks in the cave and situated herself behind her, pulling from her neatly folded things a comb she had brought with her.

Kagome sighed contentedly, the small teeth of the comb pricking lightly over her scalp. Sango eased slowly through the tangled mass of her hair, humming softly as she worked. Kagome was so comfortable she was on the verge of nodding off when the noblewoman spoke up.

"So, how exactly do you feel about Kouga-sama?"

Kagome blinked, wide awake in a moment. Almost immediately she recognized the maneuver for what it was. An ambush.

Inwardly she cursed her friend's knack for battle strategy. Lulling her into a false sense of security and making certain that she could not run by getting a firm hold on her. She wanted to glare at the woman, but the angle was a little too awkward for her to manage.

"I warned you that you could not escape having this conversation with me, Kagome-chan," Sango chided lightly, hands busy as she worked at a particularly awful snarl.

And she had been certain to make sure that escape was not an option, Kagome noted wryly. She sighed, figuring she might as well get it over with. Sango had made several other attempts, after all, all of which she had managed to evade by attaching herself to Kouga's side. She knew well enough Sango's determination. She would never give up until she had dragged it out of her.

"I think that…Kouga-sama is a good man," she said slowly. "He's a bit…clumsy perhaps, but he's always done his best to be kind to me. He's also gone out of his way to be helpful to me in this endeavor. He's…strong and he's…well, he's made no secret of the fact that he…cares for me."

She flushed faintly. It was one thing to think all that, but it was entirely another to be asked to articulate it. Sango 'hmmed' softly as she took all this in, moving the comb in one long, smooth stroke through the length of her hair.

"All of which is much to his credit," she replied after a moment. "However, none of it says anything about your feelings. Kouga-sama's intentions towards you are obvious. Yours towards him, however, are far less transparent."

Kagome hesitated, frowning. Here was the crux of the matter. The crux she had been carefully avoiding thinking about for quite some time.

"I suppose I intend to reciprocate his feelings," she said, though the statement came out sounding more like a question than anything.

She found herself a bit afraid of what her friend might think. Little as Kagome knew about the etiquette or process of courtship, she still knew enough to see that she was going about it all in a rather haphazard manner.

Sango paused in her ministrations.

"You intend to?" she echoed quizzically, as if she had not quite heard right. "Meaning that you are not inclined to it naturally?"

Kagome's flush deepened. As she had vaguely suspected, her feelings really were not up to facing the scrutiny, however well-meant, of others. She ducked her head slightly, wincing at the pull on her hair it caused.

"It's not like that, Sango-chan," she said, more defensively than she would have liked. "I don't dislike Kouga-sama. Not at all. I just…"

She trailed off, at a loss. She wanted to feel for Kouga what he did for her. She really, truly did. It would make everything so much simpler. And, bit by bit, she felt that she was getting somewhere with him. Perhaps it was not exactly what she felt for Inuyasha, but it was something.

"I…I think I could be happy with him, Sango-chan," she said softly at last, eyes fixing on her hands as they twisted in her lap. "Given time, perhaps I could…love him. I could live that life."

Behind her, Sango was deafeningly silent for several long moments. Kagome tensed, awaiting her response anxiously.

"It is your life, Kagome-chan," Sango said softly at last. "You do not have to try and convince me of anything."

Kagome felt the older woman release her hair and heard her set the comb aside.

"I do hope, though, that you would be willing to listen to my opinion on the matter," Sango said.

Hesitantly Kagome nodded, not at all certain that she wanted to hear it. Normally her friend would not have felt the need to ask her permission, and everything with Kouga was still so uncertain. Part of her feared that even a word might leave her shaken.

"Kouga-sama is in love with you," Sango said, so bluntly that Kagome nearly flinched. "You say that you could be happy with him? That you could live a life with him? I am certain that you could do both."

"The real question is, is it fair? Is it fair to him to go on with him in the mere hope that you might someday return his feelings? Is it fair to you to try and force your own feelings? To live in the hope that someday you might be truly happy?"

Kagome was silent. Sango placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, squeezing it once before rising.

"I understand that is likely nothing that you wanted to hear," she said softly. "But as your friend I needed to say it. I will leave you to your thoughts, but…please come to me if you need anything. And I know your heart, Kagome. You are the only person I have ever met who would protect everyone, if you could. But you promised me that you would consider your own happiness. So please, truly consider it. "

And then she scooped up her belongings, exiting the cave.

Kagome was left alone with her thoughts. Thoughts that she had been working to avoid for quite some time.

"I don't know," she murmured, knees curling into her chest. "I don't know."

---

They continued on down the coast heading southward much as they had before. There was no material change in the group save slightly higher spirits after having been allowed the luxury of a bath. Kagome, however, could not shake the feeling that something had shifted irreversibly.

Outwardly she carried on much the same as before. She rode alongside Kouga and listened to his stories. Occasionally accompanied him when he went out to gather their food for the night. Did not argue when he made less than subtle allusions to their potential future together.

But Sango's words sat like a weight on her heart, and she was forced to weigh everything else against it. Was it fair? Each time she looked at him she felt more uncertain, more suspicious of her own actions. Was it fair?

One day, as they were nearing the large inlet that marked the bend in the coastline and riding high on a few recent successes in their talks with the trade ports, Kouga informed her that the inlet would be their best chance for encountering the ningyō. They inhabited various bodies of water throughout Japan, but the largest clan had taken the sea itself for its residence. He offered to take her to the shore to see if they could not at least catch sight of them.

Kagome agreed. As the sun would soon be setting and the shoreline was not far off, the rest of their companions chose to remain behind and set up their camp for the night. The pair headed off towards the shore.

They ended up having to do a bit of climbing once they reached the shore, a rocky path leading up towards a high cliff where Kouga thought they might have the best vantage point. She had to refuse his offer to carry her up the slope, however, instead merely accepting his guidance as they made their way up.

"You've no idea how to make contact with them?" Kagome asked when they reached the cliff top at last, peering down the dizzying height to where the greenish waters lapped against the base of the cliff face.

Beside her Kouga shook his head.

"They come and go as they please," he said with a shrug. "I've met with them here a few times, but there's not much 'making' them do anything. The ocean's their territory and they don't bother with the land if they don't have to."

Kagome sighed, her gaze trailing out to where the vast waters met the distant horizon.

"I suppose there's not much for it, then," she said. "I can't sense them at all, so I doubt they are anywhere near the shore. Perhaps we'll encounter them later."

Silence fell between them for several moments, though it was not uncomfortable. Clouds slid languidly past, the sun peeking out momentarily from between them as it continued its descent towards the horizon. Several rays slanted through the clouds, ephemerally dazzling as they briefly warmed the murky waters to an emerald green before disappearing once more behind cloud cover.

Kagome stood watching, entranced at the vastness and sense of eternity that overtook her. A chill breeze blew in from over the water, tangling her hair and carrying with it the not-unpleasant scent of brine and distant lands.

"It's really beautiful," she murmured, more to herself than to him.

Kouga looked at her.

"You've seen it before," he said, bemused.

"I know," Kagome replied, recalling with an abrupt pang the week she had spent with Inuyasha on Tsushima. "I just….My village was my whole world before I joined the court. It still surprises me sometimes how big it all really is."

And if her time with Inuyasha was in any way connected to her feeling that the ocean was exceptionally beautiful, it was no one's business save her own. Still she tucked that thought as far back as she could manage, unable to keep herself from shooting a guilty glance at Kouga from the corner of her eye.

He was watching her, his expression thoughtful.

"You wanna…go walk?" he said tentatively, gesturing towards the long strip of shore trailing down and away to their left. "I mean, we can…look at it some more."

Kagome blinked, turning towards him fully. He couldn't quite meet her gaze, his own sliding off to some point just beyond her. After a moment she smiled, a little touched at the thoughtfulness of the gesture.

"Sure," she agreed. "Lead the way."

Kouga blinked, then beamed wide enough to expose his fangs before taking her hand and doing just that.

He led her carefully back down the rocky slope, guiding her steps until they reached the safety of the shoreline. He kept hold of her hand as they walked, their feet sinking in the sand with each step. A pleased grin continued to hover vaguely about his lips, and Kagome was unable to suppress an answering smile at the sight. Inwardly she experienced a twinge, though she was determined to ignore it for the time being.

"Have you been to the ocean often?" she asked to distract herself, pushing back her hair as the breeze blew it in a messy tangle across her face.

Kouga shook his head.

"Only a few times," he said. "I prefer to stick to my territories in the forest. Besides, the ocean smells like shit."

Kagome's smile twisted wryly. Well, she had never really thought him the romantic type.

They walked in silence for a stretch, Kagome's eyes on the distant horizon and Kouga's eyes on Kagome.

"You like stuff like this, right?" he said at length, recalling her attention to himself. "I could take you places, you know. Anywhere you wanna see."

The unspoken 'if you choose me' did not escape her. His eyes, the blue of them still impressive to her after all the times she had seen them, were earnest as they met her own. She knew without a doubt that if she asked it of him, he would do it. That there was little he would not do for her if she asked it of him.

And beyond that she knew in that moment, his hand wrapped firmly about her own, that she could truly be content with him. She knew that everything she had said to Sango was absolutely true. She could be happy if she chose him.

Still, Sango's words would not leave her in peace. Was it fair?

Kagome's expression sunk slowly, her gaze falling away from his. She opened her mouth, not at all certain what would come out.

Shouting and barks of laughter from just down the beach distracted her, the pair turning to look. A group of children, from a nearby village to judge by their rough, ill-fitting clothes, were playing in the sand several feet away from them. There seemed to be something in their midst and Kagome moved forward curiously, a part of her eager to leave the moment behind.

One of the older boys threw something high in the air, the thing they all seemed to be entertaining themselves with, and Kagome caught a glimpse of it just before he caught it once more and tossed it to another boy. It was a rather old, decrepit looking turtle, its body pulled tight inside its weathered shell in terror as it was thrown about. A jolt went through Kagome at the realization and she pulled her hand from Kouga's, running forward a few steps.

"Stop!" she called. "Please stop that!"

The boys paused in their game, turning to stare at her.

"What for?" called the eldest boy in return, scowling. "You can't tell us what to do!"

"It's not that," Kagome said. "I just meant that turtle. You'll scare the poor thing to death, tossing it around like that. Why not just put it back in the ocean?"

"'Cuz then there'd be nothing to throw," drawled the boy currently in possession of the creature as if she must be slow for not realizing it, giving the turtle a leisurely toss. "'Sides, the old thing's half-dead already anyway."

Kagome frowned, opening her mouth to scold them for their callousness, but in the space of a blink Kouga was there. He intercepted the turtle before the boy who had thrown it could catch it once more, holding it just above his head as the boys cried out in protest.

"You should listen to your elders, you brats," the wolf Lord chided. "Besides, there's still something to throw."

And, to Kagome's great horror, he took the nearest boy by the collar with his free hand, hoisting and tossing him into the air effortlessly.

The boy screamed, tumbling head over foot through the air as the rest of them looked on wide-eyed and open-mouthed. Kouga caught him with equal ease, setting him back down on the sand with a smirk.

The boy wobbled for a long moment before tipping over, tumbling head first into the sand. Kagome looked on in wide-eyed disbelief, hand over her mouth as she waited for the boy to start bawling.

He blinked up at the wolf Lord for several long moments, eyes huge as he processed what had just happened. Abruptly a gap-toothed grin stretched the length of his grimy face.

"Do it again!" he cried, scrambling unsteadily to his feet.

"No, me!"

"No, no! Me first, I'm oldest!"

A chorus of cries went up from the boys as they crowded around Kouga, each of them clamoring for a turn.

"Hold on, would ya?" Kouga groused, glancing at the turtle in his hand. "I can do two at a time. Here, catch, Kagome!"

He tossed her the turtle. She fumbled for a moment before catching it, blinking at him in bewilderment.

"Don't worry!" he called to her, taking hold of the collars of the two boys nearest to him. "I do this all the time with the cubs in my clan!"

Kagome could only look on in bemusement as he hurled the two into the air, their excited screams echoing along the darkening beach. At length she shook her head, convinced she would never fully understand boys or the men that they grew to be. At least they had forgotten about the poor turtle.

She walked down to the edge of the waves, squatting down a hand's breadth from them. She set the turtle down gingerly.

"You're alright now," she murmured to it. "You can go. There's the ocean. Just a little bit more and you're free."

It took several long moments, but the turtle slowly emerged from the haven of its shell. It craned its head around, blinking languidly at her before starting off for the water. It took a bit of time, but it made it to the water and allowed itself to be pulled out by a receding wave. Kagome smiled, feeling vaguely envious as she watched it disappear into the vast waters.

She straightened and headed back up the beach to where Kouga was. He was still tossing the boys in pairs, and he grinned widely as he caught her eye.

"Be careful!" she called, smiling faintly in return.

It was a surprise to see how good he was with children, although she supposed she had no real basis for believing otherwise about him. The only child she had ever seen him interact with was Shippou, and the kitsune was determined to dislike Kouga no matter what.

She wondered absently if he wanted to have children of his own. This, of course, reminded her that if he did intend to, he was likely hoping that she would be involved in the process. Kagome frowned, her cheeks warming faintly.

She had never really given much thought to the idea of having children, though she enjoyed being around them. Mostly because she had never thought that it would be a choice that she would have to make in her life.

Well, from the looks of it, Kouga would make a good father to a child. Hesitantly Kagome tried to picture it, what it would be like to have children with him.

In her mind's eye there was nothing. Nothing at all. No image would form.

The cold breeze blew in from the ocean once more as the last of the color drained from the sky with the vanishing sun. Kagome shivered as it cut through her, wrapping her arms about herself and feeling strangely distant as she stood watching the merry group.

---

Kouga took her hand once more as they made their way back from the beach, having finally exhausted the boys and sent them back home. For her part Kagome could only stare at the intertwined appendages, feeling strangely disconnected from the sight.

His flesh was deeply tanned and she could feel the calloused skin of his palms rasping not-unpleasantly against her own. Try as she might, she could not avoid the comparison. Another hand, another sort of sensation entirely.

But it was not unpleasant, being with him like this. Kouga was brave and kind-to her, at least. He had proven himself willing to risk his life for her and had gone to great lengths to aid her even without the definitive promise of reward for his efforts. Perhaps he was not the brightest or most tactful of men, but he loved her. And after all that they had been through, despite the difficulties he sometimes caused her, she felt a certain fondness towards him.

What more could she really ask for?

Still, even all of that did not silence Sango's words inside her head.

Kouga stopped short. Kagome only just managed to keep from running into him, blinking in surprise as she was torn from her thoughts.

"What-?"

The look on his face as he turned to her made her fall silent. There was something determined there in the lift of his chin and the decisive set of his jaw. He looked at her for a long moment, and she could see him working up to something behind his impossibly blue eyes.

Slowly, the gesture more tentative than any she had ever seen from him, he reached out his free hand to touch her face. He met her eyes and she could see him swallow visibly.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he began to lean in. Kagome realized what he was doing. He was giving her ample time to reject the gesture if she so chose, after all.

Slight discomfort crawled just beneath her skin, but she forced herself to remain still. She needed to know. Once and for all she needed to know.

With his face no more than a few scant breaths from hers, Kouga paused. His eyes locked with hers.

"I'm gonna kiss you now," he said, as if clarifying.

Kagome bit back a laugh.

"I know," she said.

And then his lips were against hers. He was warm and surprisingly soft.

The kiss was not insistent, but earnest. Kagome found herself uncertain whether or not she should close her eyes. His eyes were closed. She hesitated, then realized she was focused more on her thoughts than the kiss. She made herself refocus.

He pressed her cheek after a moment, tilting his head as his lips moved searchingly against hers. Kagome felt…warm. That was all. Warm.

Slowly Kouga pulled away. His eyes slid open, searching her face intently.

"…I'm sorry," Kagome said faintly, the words escaping her without thought.

And in that moment, they both knew.

He looked down at her, and there was such hurt in his face that Kagome had to fight back the urge to apologize once more, to tell him she hadn't meant it.

Her heart sunk as his hand fell from her face. He took a step back from her.

"I…" he said, unable to meet her eyes. "I need to go back and check on my clan soon."

"…Of course," Kagome replied quietly.

He turned and started back towards their campsite. She followed. He did not try to take her hand again.

---

The following morning Kouga bid a short farewell to the group. Kagome watched him go, uncertain if she would ever see him again.

But she knew now. It wasn't fair. And the kindest thing she could do for either of them now was to let him move on, even if it meant that she could not.

Still, as she watched him disappear in a cloud of debris, it did not feel very kind to either of them.

---

Important Note: This chapter is going to be two parts. I originally only meant for it to be one, but it kind of ballooned beyond my control. Hopefully I will be able to post the second part within the next few days. I already have it written (sort of), I just need to polish it up and type it out.

Mini-History Lesson Cont'd:

-some notes on bakeneko: These youkai are said to be born from the spirits of domesticated cats who lived to a very old age. They are called neko-mata, however, when the cat is allowed to keep their tail long (many cats in Japan are short tailed even to the present day) and that tail then splits into two. There are some Japanese folk tales that state that bakeneko would remain and haunt the place where their masters had lived for centuries.

-some notes on ryū: These youkai are inextricably linked to bodies of water, especially rivers. If you've seen Miyazaki's Spirited Away, think of how Haku turned out to be the Kohaku River. This is about the gist of ryū. Also, Mizuchi is the name of one of the ryū mentioned frequently in Japanese mythology. Google it if you're interested, because he's in too many stories for me to summarize them all.

Okay, so that's it. Review if…ah, I'm too tired and you know the rest. Sorry it took so long to get out, but there was really nothing for it. This chapter just came to me in such odd bits and pieces that it took forever to sort it all out into something even vaguely coherent.

Until next time,

E-n-B