The urn filled with ashes outside the main shrine looked particularly bare. While it was clean and well-maintained it was simply a stone urn without decoration stand-alone from the main path. It made Inuyasha's stomach churn to imagine Kikyo dead and forgotten so he gathered a handful of blue wildflowers from the forest to lay at the base of her memorial.

Forgive me, Kikyo. In another life – in this life -

It was strange to look back fifty years to remember the young, lonely priestess who had joined him on the hillside. Separate from her people. Trapped in a life not of her own choosing. For just a moment he closed his eyes and remembered the moment she had agreed to come and live with him and their wonderful hope.

I'll never forget your kindness or your sacrifice, Kikyo. I promise.

Miroku walked the perimeter of their house. Kagome had an adorable red kerchief wrapped around her black hair. Her hand drifted down to check the slight curve hidden beneath her kimono from habit. The sounds of two babies crying inside stopped him in his tracks.

"Inuyasha! Miroku thinks he's figured out a way to protect the house so we can keep 'unwelcome' visitors out. Lunch is almost ready. C'mon! I have everyone's favorite." Kagome seemed perplexed by his concern. He waited for Miroku to duck inside before focusing on her happy blue gaze. Emotion struck him so powerfully in the chest he couldn't breathe.

"What's wrong, silly?"

"You look pretty dumb there, Kikyo. The Kikyo I know wouldn't waste her time."

"That does it. Kikyo, Kikyo. Whoever she is, she's not me. Because my name is - "

"Kagome, you idiot." There was nothing harsh about his tone, it was barely more than a whisper. He ducked his chin. Hadn't he always wished for hearth and home and kin? A clan of his own. "You came back early. Didn't I tell you to wait? I would have walked with you."

"Souta kept pestering me to make sure you'll be back in time to head to the arena to find your seats before the match starts. He has the tickets and the directions and he said you already had early dinner plans?"

That fucking perverted brat.

Inuyasha was almost too distracted to appreciate the home-cooked meal served to their group. Their friends were excited about the twins' upcoming hundred-day ceremony. He paused to stare back at the human baby kicking her legs out of her swaddle. It wobbled its head weirdly and blew a spit bubble.

"Aww, Kin'u likes Inuyasha!"

The excursion into the Modern Era was a welcome distraction. Souta had been charged with the papers and money and directions to the place where human warriors were scheduled to fight. The bustle of people worried him but Souta assured him it was fine. The building was large and dome-shaped and too loud for his liking but his human ears could barely hear anything anyway. Kagome had sworn up-and-down that she was going to stay at the shrine with Tetsusaiga where she was safe while he was vulnerable. Not that anyone seemed to notice. To the hundreds of other humans bumping into him he was just another weak ass mortal.

"Boxing is different than sumo wrestling, Big Brother! The guys are really strong and fast." Inuyasha kept a hand on Souta's shoulder while they found their seats. The crowd was largely male but there were women too. The announcements made his head ache but his little brother was excited. For his sake, Inuyasha didn't complain. If the kid could forgive him for being perverted with his sister, he could withstand the loudest magic noise boxes yet in this weird era.

Neither of the fighters that entered the upraised arena were particularly big humans but they were clearly stronger than most of the standard humans on the streets. While it was unlike any brawl he had participated in, the kid was sold. The men were strong enough to leave bruises and cuts on one another but he didn't understand the bouncing. His lip curled with amusement picturing him and Sesshomaru dancing around on their toes going in circles with their elbows bent.

To be fair, that is how Kouga fights. Sissy wolf! In a glorious daydream he imagined rubbing the cocky mongrel's face in his happiness. Kagome was properly married and living with him. The idea of Kagome living with Kouga in some dirty cave in the mountains was ridiculous! His wife loved to bathe every single damn day and hated seeing dead animals being prepared for dinner.

"Once you've been with a real warrior like me you'll never go back to scraps again."

As promised he made Souta call Kagome for him on the cellular telephone to confirm he was safe even though Souta gave him shit about letting a girl rule him. The distorted sweet voice assured him she was just studying in her room.

"Hey, can you bring me home some chips potato and a vanilla soda? Ooh and some pickles?"

Souta groaned and rolled his eyes but they went into the konbini on the way home to get supplies. The assistant behind the counter said nothing about the odd assortment of random items in their pail. Kagome had called him back to update her list of demands. According to the numbers on the slip in his pocket there was more money in their 'bank' ledger than they were spending.

"You did get my stuff! Thank you, Inuyasha. Isn't he sweet Mom?" Kagome barely waited to overturn their purchases on the table. The girl took one swig of her expensive flavored water before changing her mind. Several pickled cucumbers were ingested while she listened to Souta go on-and-on about the boxing match. She tipped the crinkly bag to share her chips potato.

"So...you're quiet. What did you really think, dog boy?" Amused blue robin's eggs blinked at him after Souta had done upstairs to wash his hands. The damned girl could be a judge. She sees right through me.

"Stupid. They dance on their toes like women at Obon. How are they going to fight a demon like that?"

"It's just another style, Inuyasha. Those guys aren't trained samurai. Boxing is skill and style and perseverance like any art." The girl gave him a look that concerned him. She leaned her chin against her palm. "I bet you'd look really cute in those shiny shorts."

"As if I'd wear something like that!"

A big, leather historical volume of the island's history was brought down from the bedroom so she could share what she had been researching between nursing modules. The illustration of the mystical crow that called itself the Yatagarasu filled the page mirroring the tale of a bird sent by the god of heaven to guide Kamu-yamato Iware-biko to Kashihara no Miya to fulfill his destiny and become the first Emperor.

"So the demon crow is a pretender?"

"I dunno. Maybe. Or maybe something possessed the Yatagarasu. The crow in this story is a hero, a servant to Emperor Jimmu, for the remainder of his days. In part of the story the Emperor's vassals fall sick in the mountains of Kumano due to the 'malice of a unruly god'. He called himself something else at Matsumoto Castle right?"

"Amatsu-Mikaboshi." His fist clenched at the memory of that asshole.

"Yeah! Okaaay so Amatsu-Mikaboshi is a primordial force that existed before the Kotoamatsukami. There is an ancient tribe who worships him as the supreme kami and did not obey the Yamato sovereignty. Mikaboshi is also called the Dread Star of Heaven, also known as the God of Chaos, Evil and Stars - "

"Oh, is that all?" The kami of primordial evil wants Kagome and my baby. His leg instantly began to jiggle beneath the table. That black, inky bastard had already come for her twice in two eras. Onigumo was a human corrupted by his own dark wish because he wanted Kikyo but he HAD a human heart. He still killed Kikyo. How do I stop a corrupted god hell-bent on taking my family?

"Practitioners of Onmyōdō are masters of Inyo and have sought to use the power of Amatsu-Mikaboshi by giving him a corporeal form?" Kagome flipped through the pages. "I mean what could go wrong with trying to give the kami of chaos a physical form?"

Fucking humans messing with things they don't understand!

"Oh, Inuyasha. It's not like the scholar knows what we are dealing with! Most humans in this era don't believe in real spirits. Ooh." Kagome's hand covered her mouth. He tensed but only a cute little burp was expelled. Too much soda and chips potato!

Neither of them had the energy to unwind the mystery in a single evening. He took the garbage to the street for Higurashi while Kagome returned to her studies. She had a battle scheduled with both a paper examination demon and a 'practical' review of her skills to make-up her apprenticeship. It was the least he could do to sit guardian on the bed while she pored over her notes like a , flip, flip, scratch. Sigh. Flip, flip.

The next time he opened his eyes Kagome was scrambling around the room packing her school bag and yelling at him to hurry. He tipped off the bed when she pulled the sheets tight beneath him looking for her calculator, was he sitting on it?

"My test, Inuyasha. My test! You promised to take me so I'd have more time to study."

Breakfast was a whirlwind. Kagome skipped out the door with a piece of buttered toast in her hands urging him to hustle. He shouldered her enormous bag surprised by the heft.

"You shouldn't be hauling this much weight!"

"Then YOU carry it, but hurry! Bye Mom." She had a bright smile for her mother but not her own husband. He grumbled but followed her quick little feet down the steps. It was hard keeping his wife from sprinting across traffic while she danced on her toes waiting for the change. By the time they arrived at the doors of the school he was aggravated. Only at the last moment did Kagome turn to notice him.

"Thank you, Inuyasha. Wish me luck?"

"Sure. Go slay 'em."

Miroku and the men were already waiting at the house when he arrived carrying a basket filled with food from Kagome's mother. They already had the nicest house in the village but it paled in comparison to his family's modern conveniences. A woman and her daughter had already agreed to sew together a thicker replacement tatami mat for the main room to insulate them from the coming winter in exchange for fresh meat and supplies. He had already cut the bamboo reeds needed to redirect water from the wooden tank he wanted to build like an oversized barrel. It would need metal bands to keep it strong. It was the next best thing to running water pulled from the river. He had even consulted with Kagome's grandfather. The old man had given him a long lecture about his experience in the old war days.

"You mean kusari-doi? A wishing well outside the Shrine Princess' home would be a boon to the community."

Years of experience had taught him when to expect an early winter or a harsh one. Birds were building thick nests. There was a certain scent to the air. There would be first-snow any day now. He would gladly fetch Kagome's water every day but she needed to be self-sufficient. He couldn't stand the thought of her crunching down the hill in the snow for drinking water with a round belly.

Memories fueled his work while worked with the cured wood. The local carpenter spent time precisely shaping each stave so that it would fit into the metal ring with precision. The man used a mallet to pound the staves until they were perfectly aligned as he slid the metal ring lower on the upside-down barrel. The village did not have a tinkerer of its own but necessity had made a few locals skilled at shaping metal. The kusari-doi would be shaped like silver bells to direct water off the gabled roof and away from the house to collect water for their garden. It would help protect the ground from gathered water and mosquitoes during the next rainy season. It was a far cry from shivering on a frozen branch in the dead of winter longing for the warm space between two sharp winds.

"Inuyasha…"

"We live farther away from the river than most, bouzu. Kagome needs it. You know how clumsy she is, what if she fell? Would you want Sango walking up and down this hill with the twins strapped to her back for a pail of water?"

"I suppose not."

His friend helped him bring in the new ofuro into the addition so Kagome could have warm baths in her own home. He already had the drainage set to roll down the hill towards the forest. It was harder assembling the furnace outside so that the flames wouldn't be tampered in the oncoming icy weather with a metal shield and a vent. He hauled water from the river to test it. Miroku adjusted the vent until smoke went outside rather than inside but overall the result was good.

"Oh, Inuyasha! You're the best husband ever. What would I do without you?"

"You like it?"

"I love it so much I'm going to have sex with you right now!"

"You are going to make the rest of us look bad, my friend. Every woman in town is going to want a private bath." Miroku touched the wood fondly. Between the monk's aesthetics and his strength, it didn't look half-bad. It didn't matter that he would have to spend a few days in the forest fighting off demons and collecting berries. Keeping Kagome was worth the expense.

"Oh, cool! She is going to be soooo happy. Sorry, it's a secret. Sssh." Rin pressed a finger to her lips. An extra set of hands to wipe off the construction dust was welcome but boy the kid liked to chit-chat. He rested his head against the closed door while Rin's voice echoed inside. The kid even 'helped' him move the futon outside to be aired before the weather became too cold. There wasn't much else he could do to ease Kagome's burden.

"Thanks Inuyasha!" Rin unwrapped the colorful sugar wheel with dazzled eyes. It was the least he could do. Souta's favorite candy place on the corner was a marvel of amazing confectionery. They priced their wares so low he could bring back packages of the stuff and still have paper left over for ramen. Candy houses, chocolate bunnies, pinwheels, tart gelatin animals, breads, creamed ice – the gifts were less glamorous than Sesshomaru's valuable tortoiseshell combs and silk kimono but it made her brown eyes gleam. After all the horrors, it was good to let her be a kid.

The Higurashi household was loud when he returned for dinner. The exhausted schoolgirl was not happy about her mother's papers.

"Oi, Souta - "

"Ask them. I'm staying out of it!" The teenager disappeared up the stairs to 'do his homework'.

"You didn't ask, Mom! We haven't had a chance to talk about it. Besides, it's too expensive. The money should come out of our savings. Aren't you saving to pay for Souta's tuition?" There was a thump when she landed hard in a chair. The Higurashi matron wore a smile like sunshine when he entered nervously.

What did I do?

"You have to book the hospital early, Kagome. Dr Akiyama called because there was a vacancy in their schedule. They don't last! This place gives the mothers a five-day stay to recover with plenty of care, the option for epidurals, and the father can stay in a separate suite. The staff is exemplary, they takes vouchers - "

"Mom! What private hospital accepts state vouchers? There is no way we can afford it. You have to call them back tomorrow, maybe they will give you a refund! That would pay for Souta's school."

"Some tea?" Higurashi poured him a cup of herbal tea that teased his nose. The dark circles under Kagome's eyes did not bode well for the argument. "How was your day, Inuyasha? I put down a deposit to reserve a spot in the hospital for when the baby comes."

"...okay?"

There were colorful pamphlets on the table describing the Tokyo Sunshine Maternity Hospital that looked more like a resort than a medical facility. He opened one idly while mother and daughter argued to look at the pictures. The rooms were designed in luxurious pale colors and each of the twenty rooms was named after a different animal. The little advertisement was almost thick enough to be one of Kagome's schoolbooks. The concept had been explained to him but they boasted about a 'renowned chef' who prepared all the patient meals. There was an 'onsite masseuse' who helped the mothers relax before delivery.

"You want to send Kagome away?"

"Of course not! I only want my daughter to have every option when the time comes, so she can be safe."

"I can't have her in a hospital Mom. What if she's different? Everybody would see!"

"But you're already registered."

"Moooom."

Inuyasha kept his head down but he heard every grumble. After a short dinner Kagome went upstairs to sink into her bed. The newest picture from the female doctor was sitting on her desk. It still looked like a gray fuzzy void but it made Higurashi sentimental. There was no talking to Higurashi about other options. The woman simply hummed to herself while she spun around the kitchen.

"Don't feel put out, son. Mothers and daughters fight. Those two will figure out the details." The grandfather adjusted a box of broken pottery in the shed. The only light came from an old oil lantern that gave the place a familiar glow. "Kagome shouldn't worry about the money so much. Her mother has always been a thrifty shopper and we manage well. Always have! Do you think she would like these collectible plates with koi fish painted on them?"

"Doubt it. Hey. How do you find work in this era? I should help with the estate's expenses."

"Well, if you want a job, I have plenty of friends who could use a young buck like yourself. I can make the calls tomorrow. Oh, here now. A blessed idol of Takemikazuchi who takes the shape of the sacred white deer." He revealed a small marble figurine with several fawns on a marble stand. It did look like the kind of 'cute' object Kagome adored. "Place it on Kagome's bedside table. It will bring her prosperity and good fortune!"

"Whatever, old man." It wasn't worth mentioning how many 'lucky idols' Miroku was called upon to exorcise. Grandpa was too busy reverently polishing the thing with a cloth. There was a softness in his eyes. "Thanks for the thought. Kagome needs good fortune."

"I am glad you agree. Say, how about a lucky cat? No?"


The nightmare was so vivid and terrible that Kagome woke up screaming. Inuyasha held her until she forgot the feeling of tumbling in the cold darkness. It had been years since the Jewel had tried to entrap her with a wish. Alone in the darkness forever unable to die! Unable to find Inuyasha. Never seeing the sun again.

"I'm here, Kagome." A strong hand ran over her back.

What if that Crow drags us into the Void or down into Hell or wherever it came from?

"Take the day off. Let's have a date. Whaddya say? Just you and me." The steadiness of his heartbeat against her ear helped. They were together. Even while she got dressed it was hard to shake the ghost off. The mirror revealed how weepy and pale she remained. The sunlight glaring through the window helped. Inuyasha found her yellow bag to pack her 'essentials' while she washed up.

"A d-date. Where are we going?"

"Just get dressed." Inuyasha overturned her yellow bag in the floor. Books and medical supplies landed in a pile. His total lack of respect for her things actually cheered her. She spun on her heels to return to the bathroom until something caught her eye. A brown paper package tied with white linen string rested on her floor.

"Did you buy me a present?"

"Seriously, get dressed. You're all sweaty. Oi!" Inuyasha covered his head before she could pelt him again. She sat on the bed to unwrap the thing on her own lap. Inside was a curious crystal vial tied with a green vine. When she turned it upside down a rainbow swirl of colors came to life before fading. She couldn't even open it.

What could this be?