The lecturer led their group through another wing of the Matsumoto Museum of Art. Diligently polished wooden floor gleamed so brightly they reflected off the wooden cases lining the walls. Kagome nodded diligently in response to the elegant woman in a white suit. He waited until she was preoccupied to tear another piece from his brochure. The boy next to them giggled – his mother was intrigued but her son was equally unimpressed by the traditional kimono on display. Left to entertain himself, he poked another tightly coiled sprig of paper into the underside of her dark hair.

"Do you like her?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha answered easily. The boy offered up his own brochure. Together they sat on a free bench and made plans for what else they could do. Pieces of canvas splattered with paint were expensively lit with electric lanterns. The art interested Kagome. She walked from one to another slowly to read the information about each. Inuyasha was bored until he refocused his attention where it mattered. If Kagome was admiring the art, he could admire her. The physical awareness of her was powerful. All soft curves and long, lean limbs. One of her white-clad feet tapped the toes against the shining wood floor. Even that minuscule act intrigued him. Such slender ankles. Usually she wore white cotton tabi but today her legs were bare. Memories of pulling her clothes past those little feet made him flush. Too many opponents had mocked him in the past for being distracted by his human lover because Kagome always had his attention on a battlefield. How much worse would it be now that they were intimate?

The sexy girl looking at pictures trapped her bottom lip between her teeth while she read a plaque about a helmet.

His new friend showed him how to fold the rectangular brochure into a paper swan with extended wings. After showing him how to guide the swan into flight, he passed over the origami bird. Inuyasha paused for confirmation before sending the bird across the gallery. The pointy end collided with Kagome's back before crashing into the ground. Her head turned suspiciously but he pretended to be looking at another canvas.

The boy giggled.

"Does she know you like her?"

"She's my best friend, course she knows I like her." Inuyasha scoffed.

"Not as a friend! Like, have you held hands? Girls like holding hands," the kid noted with authority.

A paper bird bumped into his chest. Kagome hitched her purse higher on her shoulder. The twitch on her lips let him know they were found out. The little boy giggled when she sat next to them on the wood. Her knee bumped into his. He bumped her knee back.

"Who did this to my hair?"

Inuyasha grinned when she smacked him with her purse. Fragments of paper fell out while they had a small battle until he stole her purse. Passing the bag to the boy, who passed it back, prevented her from reclaiming her property. Despite her growls about their immaturity, the game was fun. Inuyasha raced into the next room with her purse under his arm. The incensed miko was slower to turn the corner.

There was an open door into a courtyard. Inuyasha darted through. Kagome swiped for her purse but he made a half-turn. Her purse was firmly out of her reach. He stretched high on his toes to prevent her grabbing it. The nearby tree gave him an idea. Tossing her purse into the air, the strap caught on a lower branch.

"My purse!"

"I'll get it for you if you ask nicely." Inuyasha crossed his arms. Teasing her was more fun than wandering around a building full of expensive ornaments. She judged the trunk and the height of the branch and her pretty flat shoes with no grip. Her brow twitched while she studied him.

"Give me my purse."

Inuyasha dropped to sit on the ground. Kagome growled in her human way. His posture hid his smile. The aggravated 'mature' priestess standing over him took two sections of his hair. Her deft little hands wove a half-braid into his hair before he realized.

"Kagome!"

"Inuyasha!"

"No!" There was ample warning before he wrapped his hand round her ankle. She was forced to lean against his shoulder or fall. In a flash, he had her little white shoe in his hand. Darting away from her on the grass, he rotated his arm.

"Don't you dare throw my shoe!"

"Or what?" Inuyasha grinned. Kagome sprinted at him but he easily skirted around the tree. While he could have easily outraced her, he only moved fast enough to stay out of reach, which really seemed to irritate her. He glanced over his shoulder.

"Aah!" A loose root underneath the tree sent him flying. Kagome took advantage of his sprawled posture to climb on his pack. Her weight settled on his spine evenly. The flat shoe rolled to a stop on the grass.

"How old are you, baka? I swear, my little brother is more mature! Now my foot is green." Hands delved farther into his hair. The slight tugs told him that she had resumed braiding his hair idly. At least she was paying attention to him. Fuck, museums are stupid. All they do is stand around and look at things! What's the point?

"You're really bored, aren't you?" Gentle hands touched his ear. "We don't need to stay."

"You like walking around this place. I don't care." Lying on the grass with Kagome was far preferable to the Museum but he didn't want to ruin her fun. The gentle tugs and pulls on his hair felt nice. A length of long hair fell over his shoulder while she worked.

"Can we at least stop by the gift shop? Mama would love an art book. A candle! She loves scented candles," Kagome giggled. Another looped section of hair fell over his shoulder. "I've been thinking, we could travel north. We have to see Zenkō-ji Temple! Gansho-in Temple has legendary artwork from Katsushika Hokusai that is over one hundred years old. We studied his artwork in my history class!"

"More temples?" Traveling north would show him more of her country. It would bring them closer to the northern mountains than he cared for. While the surrounding landscape had changed, he had a general idea of their location in his mind's map.

When Kagome finished playing with his hair, he retrieved her purse from the tree. She held it protectively against her chest but he scoffed. He led her by the hand through the Museum to the little shop where he watched her fawn over the books of pictures, little sculptures, flowery garden ornaments, bee key chains – all silly little items, but she promised that her mother would appreciate a special gift from a famous landmark. She stuffed the book wrapped in brown paper into her bag.

The trip to the inn was better. Fresh air rushed over them while he leapt over the buildings. Kagome made packing their – well, her – belongings a game. Kagome wanted to take a two-day trip north but they would return to the inn before jumping the train. They could leave the smaller items like the gifts in the room. They thanked the staff at the front desk who helped arrange their late tickets for the bus. Kagome led him to the way-station where the metal beast waited for passengers.

It was a noisy contraption of metal and smoke. Plenty other smelly humans crowded the metal cart. It rattled and groaned and overall made him sick. Kagome let him rest his head on her lap in the wide seat at the back. The barrier of her clean scent helped ease his headache. Ritual passes from his head to his shoulders soothed him. Even when the bus jumped over another hurdle and he almost felt sick, Kagome held him.

It was almost evening when they stepped off the bus into the fresh air. He sat on the bench to clear his head while Kagome consulted the map. Other humans followed the road to Zenkoji Temple. An older couple walking the road struggled to carry their pack. Knowing his wife, he groaned silently before approaching them. The old man did not thank him but his gait quickened without the burden of their clothes and gear. The wife smiled and bowed her head towards him.

"Thank you, young man. So you are headed to the Temple?"

"Yeah – my wife wants to see the statues, she likes that kind of stuff."

"Wife? You are very young! How long?"

"Oh, married? Not long. It's our honeymoon." He hitched the strap higher on his shoulder. Kagome strode forward obliviously with her papers. The rising structure in the evening light had to be Zenkoji Temple, past the surrounding city. Paved roads led the way to the white-painted shukubō behind a wall. Kagome spun on her toes to find him.

"She is a very pretty girl, you lucky dog!" The old guy patted him on the shoulder. Inuyasha froze until he realized it was only a modern saying. His bandanna still concealed his ears. The girl ahead clasped her hands in that Kagome-way. He kept his head down.

The older couple had made the pilgrimage to the temple before. They led the way to the lodgings where Kagome paid out their night's stay. The older couple beamed when they were given keys to the abode next door at the ground floor. Inuyasha cursed under his breath but carried their bags over the threshold. A sparse, clean room with little affectations of femininity or most electronics. There was a shared modern bathing chamber in the hall; a kotatsu in each room for warmth and meals. It was a modernized version of Mushin's temple with gas lights and water toilets.

Dinner was a quiet, tired affair in the dining hall. The familiar surroundings set him on edge but there were no outcries about a half demon eating in a temple, with a human girl. There was no fish or meat with the meal but he ate plenty of the tofu-filled dishes. Kagome was excited about turning in to sleep early. Why a legendary, powerful priestess would be excited about rising at dawn for a ceremony he could not fathom. The sparkling, beautiful girl had ten times the purity of any of the monks, who paid no mind to his demonic aura. In his eye, it should be Kagome who blessed them. What could this oasaji reveal she did not already know?

"Tired, Inuyasha?"

"Why do you want to attend the morning ceremony?"

"Why wouldn't I? Are you gonna join me?" Kagome sipped at her amazake.

"You want me to get blessed by a priest? Seriously, wench, think it through!"

"You married the daughter of a shrine, y'know. Think of the children!" Her outburst made him choke. C-children! Would Kagome want to raise their family in certain beliefs? He hadn't thought to ask. He knew nothing about the kami or the stars or even his ancestors beyond his parents. What if that really mattered to her? There had been no one to tell him the stories growing up. Her grandfather knew dozens of tales about the kami, he only knew how to kill demons!

"You should see your face," Kagome giggled. "You're white as a sheet!"

Inuyasha tossed his chopsticks at her which earned a disapproving look from one of the monks. Once he glided by Kagome kept his chopsticks to punish him. He had to steal her plate to negotiate a final trade. A truce was agreed upon but he watched all the same. Her eyes were too mischievousness.

They bid goodnight to their friends across the hall. Kagome fell face forward on their joined futons. He made sure the sliding doors were securely closed. There was still light outside but even he felt tired. She patted the white bedding beside her invitingly.

"Wake me up at dawn, I mean it," she yawned into her pillow.

Before sunrise, when the area was still dark, he gently called her name. A tired Kagome was an angry Kagome; rousing his sweet wife too hastily would earn him a 'sit'. The gas lamp made her pull the cover over her head until he pulled it loose. She growled and clawed and fought him every step but they arrived dressed at the main hall of the shrine. Gas lanterns lit the way to where others kneeled along the terrace. Inuyasha joined his wife in the queue. The head priest of the temple tapped the mala beads against the curve of Kagome's skull briefly. There was no power when the beads touched his head. Keh – I knew it.

Kagome's mood improved when they were inside. The expensive interior was brightened by large glass lanterns dropped from the ceiling. Kagome clapped her hands together to pray earnestly when the chanting began. The ring of a large gong made him cringe. As if that were not enough, the steady beat of the taiko drums matched his new headache! This time, a mature priestess circled the room, gently touching the mala beads to the foreheads of her supplicants. Her smile was beautiful when she blessed Kagome's spirit. Her ardent wish to please the spirits of the Temple outmatched any other.

Kagome's prayers are special. Somehow she asks and the gods listen!

The women nodded before touching the beads to his skin. She nodded pleasantly at the beads around his neck. A hint of power stopped his breath before the priestess moved past. She had not half the power of his wife, or Kaede, but it was real. He watched her move around the room, to the back where the remaining travelers waited. A monk began ushering them out into the fresh air for a third and final blessing. The priestess was gone once more, standing on the sides, while her superior finished the ceremony.

"Wasn't that lovely? Oh, if photography were not banned, I would take pictures!" Kagome twirled in the courtyard. He heard her admiring the natural beauty, the crisp morning air, the craftsmanship! Did he know it was built in the 7th century and housed the first statue of Buddha brought to Japan? In the days of temple towns, Nagano had risen to become a massive city!

Inuyasha blinked.

The sun had barely risen above the skyline, casting red shadows on the dark sky. Yellow began to breach through the clouds. As Kagome twirled, he saw the other woman take form out of the light streaming through the morning mist. A tall, shapely woman with long dark hair twirled with her on the paved stones. The dark beauty smiled at him as she turned. He blushed to his hairline when he saw that her obi knot had slipped to loosen her kimono. The stranger seemed not to mind. The spirit twirled with her golden ribbons and her loose hair until both became a storm.

"Ka-Kagome?"

The spirit accepted Kagome's hands. Inuyasha peeked at the humans gathered outside of the hall but none paid mind to the spectacle. Kagome turned in a circle with the spirit, laughing merrily, dark ringlets flying. He sensed no magic other than the spirit's aura, which burned bright in his vision.

"What a delightful dancer! What is your name?" A voice like golden chords struck them both. Kagome seemed as awed by her gleaming smile as he was – she danced under the spirit's arm with a flourish. Inuyasha hid his face when she turned, revealing that she wore nothing under her many layers of kimono.

"My name is Kagome!'

"Kagome who dances the kagura! Well met," she laughed. It rang like a soft bell. "Your spirit shines like the new day."

"Thank you, kami-sama!" His wife turned in a wide circle to mirror the creature. Inuyasha watched suspiciously but they were only dancing. Her head turned to grin at him, mouthing something unintelligible. Palm-to-palm they walked in a circle that became a flourish.

"Be you a mortal daughter of Kisshōten, dancer? Guardian of the Cintamani?"

"Oh, wow – but no. I am only human, the daughter of a humble shrinekeeper," Kagome flushed. "We came here for our honeymoon!"

"I see, a Kagome who bears the mark of the kagome over her belly, the svadhishthana, the flower!" The goddess laughed merrily. Kagome's shirt had lifted during her dance. "Does it improve your lovemaking with the shy one, do you soar?"

Kagome turned red.

"You can't ask her that!" The hitch in his throat was audible. The spirit tossed her head in his direction, reflecting light from her long earrings. The girl captured in her arms peered at him shyly. Forbidden fantasies nearly overwhelmed him at the implication of making Kagome soar and bend and cry out.

"You know about the marking, Ame-no-Uzume?"

"It has many names. Come, little one." The spirit extended her hand. Kagome turned to reach for his hand. Monks and tourists ignored them completely while they moved around the grounds, linked like a children's game. Inuyasha saw no point in the exercise until the flare of power. Point-to-point to edge, they stepped behind the goddess' illuminated steps until a pattern emerged. In the center of the overlaid triangles they stood while gold light filled the space.

"The kagome," Uzume lifted her arms.

"It came from Inari Okami. Her marking turned into a flower, then - "

"Kagome Kagome the bird in the basket, when oh when will it come out?" Uzume completed the circle by joining her free hand with his. "In the night of the dawn the crane and turtle slipped who is behind you now are they big or small?"

"Please, kami-sama, I don't like this song!"

"Kagome Kagome the bird in the basket," she sang. Kagome covered her face. Inuyasha was alarmed until Uzume gripped his fingers painfully. The new serious demeanor confused him. The song upset his wife! They turned around her in a tight formation, stepping in a tight circle. The eerie song gave him the creeps.

"I always know who's behind me. So what? Stop it!"

"Kagome Kagome the bird in the basket." Their limbs did form a cage around his wife. Uzume nodded at him while they turned. Inuyasha followed her gaze to the mark shining on her chest, not her belly. A reiki mark glowed to life.

"In the night of the dawn - "

"Inuyasha, ok? Inuyasha!" Kagome stepped back into his chest. He wrapped both arms around her protectively. A reiki mark glowed in the center of her chest. Real tears threatened to fall from her beautiful blue eyes.

"Kagome, what did she do to you?"

"I hate that game! Why did you make me play?" Guilt overwhelmed him at her sniffles. Game? He hugged her apologetically without understanding. It was a spinning game where children sang a song? Uzume tapped her finger against her cheek.

"A kagome – I knew I sensed something!"

"Kagome? What do you – hey!" Inuyasha pulled the hem of her sweater tight. The movement revealed the full mark shining on her chest. The girl blinked but failed to be surprised about the mystery mark.

"Oh, yeah! That kagome."

"WHAAT?"

"My namesake! When I was born, Mama saw a kagome on my chest at the hospital." Kagome exclaimed. "I thought it was from the light of the Shikon Jewel glowing through my body, when I was a baby, but it can't be. The Jewel is gone."

"What manner of human requires so many protections?"

"Kagome, your hands!" Inuyasha darted away. Kagome clenched her fists. The reiki shining through the creases in her fingers set his skin on edge. The sting of the holy power felt like something sharp pricking his skin even through the protective layer of the fire-rat. His coat was protection against many things but it could not absorb the brunt of his wife's purification abilities. His sleeve was scorched.

"Do you understand what's happening? Am I burning through my powers, Ama-no-Uzume?" She extended her hands. The kami turned her flattened palms to the sky.

"A curious marriage! The little star-breaker and her sky hound. Your powers do not wane. This mark was not granted – you were born with this protection on your soul? That is no slight magic, child!"

"Everyone says a priestess loses her powers after marriage. That's not true?" The goddess turned towards him. His mind went back years to his hopes of marrying Kikyo and having a home, freeing her from the burden of permanent pursuit – something he understood.

"In the normal sense. You have shared a bed, little dancer?"

"We have. Our friends warned us that I might lose my powers. Is it a response to Inuyasha, kami-sama? What should I do? I can't hurt my husband every time he comes near!"

"Quite the mystery. A human priestess does not normally marry. They are chosen to serve their communities and their people! For a priestess to give up her powers and commit herself to a man is quite rare. However, Inari has chosen to add a blessing to your household. To find the truth beneath so many tiers of blessings, you should make the pilgrimage to Shiraito Falls of the Great Mountain. The waters have powers of revelation."

"A water cleansing ceremony?"

"You are a human priestess of great power whose soul is now bound in marriage. You and husband should both step into the waters. Your reiki should balance with your husband's energy. It may take time to correct."

"So the cleansing ceremony will show us what the problem is? Will Kagome lose her powers after we've balanced?" His wife was afraid of losing her powers. It would reassure him that she was not utterly helpless in his world where monsters reigned. On the other hand, if she kept her powers, it would make her a target. Surely the villagers would talk about a married priestess? It was unusual enough to encourage gossip. He already knew about the whispers because she was marrying him! Young girls gathered on the market road talking about Kikyo-sama marrying the demon!

"That is for your souls to determine. I do not see how she can bear children while they remain. A priestess carrying a half-demon child! I would fear for the child's safety in her belly, if she could conceive at all."