Demon blood powerful enough to open a gate to the realm of death was hard to find but at least one existed in the known world. It meant braving the realm of a territorial demon who jealously guarded its realm.

"Master Inuyasha - "

"If you're too afraid, go home!" Inuyasha continued his climb up the frozen cliff face. The exercise gave him little time to consider Totosai's counsel. The old badger was willing to craft something but it had to be tailored to the individual. Offensive or defensive? Sword or bow? Reiki or youki. Thankfully the old smith was old enough to have an extra sense for what was needed.

"Master Inuyasha, you could die!"

"Doesn't matter." He jumped to the next solid ledge for a momentary winter storm inside the clouds obscured his vision. If he fell it would be a desperate fall to the valleys below. Kagome and the baby come first. Always.

"Master Inuyasha, this demon has history with your father. Please turn back before it's too late!"

A shadow passed through the tendrils of purple smoke brewing into a deadly storm. Ice was already falling onto the distant plane. Thunder rolled overhead. Lightning struck the mountain. He flattened against the side when a small avalanche of ice and snow came crashing down. His perch loosened under the attack. Tetsusaiga pierced through the rock to provide a handhold on the slick surface.

When the shadow drifted closer he acted without thinking. A single bound brought him to the peak of the mountain. A second leap on an updraft carried him onto the creature's back. Long white fur billowed around his body, blinding him. The demon growled. Serpentine movements tried to shake him free.

"Hold on!"

The beast's tight rolls and movements left his muscles aching with the effort to hold on. Frozen wind made it hard to keep his eyes open. Higher and higher the demon climbed until they rose above the clouds and the air grew thin. A sea of stars danced in his view. Against his will his lungs lost air. The demon's fur slipped loose from his hands.

Kagome.

An irritating prick pierced his neck. Soft manicured sun-warmed grass cushioned his body. After slapping Myouga, the glutton who was now the size of his fist, he checked his body. Nothing was broken but plenty was sore. Not dead.

"Oh, Master Inuyasha. You are alive!"

They were in the middle of a lush orchard in the midst of harvest. The uniformed servants noticed him but left him alone. All of them were involved in the picking of ripe white peaches. No one stopped him from plucking a single fruit from the tree above his head. The smell confirmed what he feared. The gift basket which had appeared the morning of his Six Months with Kagome had borne these same fruits, peaches Hou Yi intended to kill him.

"Master Inuyasha, don't act rashly - "

The scent of the demon was on the wind. He burst past startled fully robed attendants bearing square white baskets. Beyond the ordered trees was a glistening pond reflecting the light of the perfect day. An aristocratic demon in furs lounged on a plush red bench surveying the proceedings. A thousand year red dragon maple shadowed her little garden. An attendant held a parasol to prevent the sun from darkening her mistress who looked more like the women in Kagome's baby resort brochures than a fearsome taiyoukai.

"That's the hell hound whose blood can open the door to Father's grave? Really, Myouga?"

"My lord, you really do not understand!"

"Half-demon." The demon leaned on the edge of her couch to regard him tiredly. There was no tension in her form that indicated he was a threat. She was particularly nonplussed. "Have you come here to quench Tetsusaiga's thirst with my death so that you may gain the power to ransack your father's tomb and dishonor his sacred memory?"

"Yeah, but I was expecting a hell beast, not a pampered princess."

"That is no way to speak to the Lady of the West!" Myouga pulled on his hair. He bent his head to listen. "I advise you to be courteous to her Ladyship or we will both die."

"Then I can only hope that Sesshomaru will avenge his poor, lonely mother." The calm, dispassionate voice finally triggered him. The white hair framing a crescent moon on her forehead was the same. She slumped against the arm to bemoan her own death. A memory of Sesshomaru mid-battle furiously glowing with poison was the inverse of this genteel female who had yet to rise. While they were not on great terms, they had reached a mutual understanding. Besides, killing his mother might send Sesshomaru after Kagome. Inuyasha let Tetsusaiga click back into its sheath.

An attendant came forward to refill the Lady's cup with a shimmering amber liquid that smelled like peaches and honey. The aristocrat ignored him to sip at the brew. It was too thick to be tea, too sweet for whiskey. It smells like heaven in a cup. The concentrated smell of the peaches made his mouth water. There was an intense craving for Kagome's hotcakes that reminded his stomach it was hungry. Hearing his stomach growl prompted a servant to bring him a simple bowl of sliced peaches.

"This is the Garden of Heaven and these are the Peaches of Longevity. These trees bear fruit but once every three thousand years. You must eat." The demon smiled. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously but he already knew they would not kill him. She watched him. Every bite sent more sweetness down his throat. If the female expected him to die, she would be disappointed. Myouga was silent so the coward was probably hiding in his shirt.

How the fuck did Hou Yi steal a basket of peaches from Sesshomaru's mother?

"It would be unwise to return to the Border World, half-demon. Are you so determined to obtain the Fang of the General?"

"Do you know a demon crow that calls itself Amatsu-Mikaboshi?" If the name surprised her, she did not flinch. I have to find a way to protect Kagome. "It's pretending to be something else called the Yatagarasu."

"The Dread Star of Heaven?"

"Y-yeah. It called my wife the Red Bird. It wants her. I thought I could get the General's Fang from the other world to make a weapon that can cut spirit-flesh. I can't always rely on Tenseiga's master."

"Amatsu-Mikaboshi is a primordial creature of infinite entropy. Why would it focus on an ordinary mortal girl?"

"My human wife is the Shikon Priestess." It was hard to judge whether the title meant anything to the ancient demon. The neutral expression she wore never faltered. "When we battled the creature together at Matsumoto, it called Tenseiga the Azure Dragon before the sword broke. It knows us."

"Is that so?" In the long silence that followed he focused on the activities of the garden's attendants. The pears were washed individually with great care in a tub, then they were added to a tub with a handle which turned a sharp blade in a circle. The pulp was strained into pure liquor in the next stage. The process was efficient. How long have they been preparing for this crop?

"Do you know why the Crow would want…" He shut his eyes to capture the memory. He had thrown Shō Ryūtoku against the broken carriage forcefully. Anger had narrowed his world view. "It wants a 'princess of the Blood from a dishonored family' for its bride."

The Lady was silent in her long contemplation of the facts before her. "The Yatagarasu must have been consumed by the Dread Star."

"Kagome already figured that out! The Emperor was hiking through the mountains when his men were attacked."

"The Emperor would have followed the Kumano Kodō. If they disturbed the ancient seals beneath Mount Kōya the spirit would have awakened. The mortals fall into disharmony, foreigners immigrate in hordes - "

"Yeah, all that. How do I kill the Crow?"

"I propose a bargain, half-demon. If you agree to courier a gift to my son, I will grant you what you need." The female tapped her delicate claws against the edge of her perch.

"Why should I believe you want to help me?"

"I care not what happens to your mortals and half-demons. Sesshomaru lies in the path of your war. The Dread Star does not negotiate. It does not mourn for mortal, spirit, demon or god. Its sole purpose is a world of emptiness granting neither life nor death. The First. The Last."

"So when it kills someone…?"

"The result is the complete obliteration of their soul."

Inuyasha was not pleased with the idiot Shō Ryūtoku who had kidnapped Kiyohime but he did feel sorrow. The human man had been consumed absolutely by the Crow. There would be no reincarnation, no second chances, no death. Terror filled him in the beautiful glittering garden.

Kagome.

"Do you agree to my terms, half-demon?"

"Yeah, alright. I need the General's Fang to protect Kagome. I'll deliver what you want." Inuyasha did not care for the amused light in her eyes. It doesn't matter what she thinks. The Border between this life and the next was almost impossible to reach. Father's Fang was the best chance to save his family from obliteration. And the bitch is laughing at me. "What's so damn funny?"

"Tenseiga will be different now. If Sesshomaru would only ask his mother's advice, she could guide him, but her clever son is also stubborn. Do you think he knows his heart has changed?" The concern was unexpected. It was a genuine question about his half-brother. She waited.

"He quit giving me trouble over the Tetsusaiga. That's enough."

"It is a peculiar trait for his sons to inherit from the General. I have no such preoccupation. What do you see in these mortals? The fleeting beauty of a rose?" The Lady smiled. She was in no particular hurry to continue the conversation. Impatience got the best of him.

"So how do we open the Border?"

"I could open a portal to my love's grave, but do you honestly expect to kill a god of chaos with a sword? The Dread Star will devour any blade which strikes it. Even the Tenseiga."

"Then what are you offering?"

"Surely you would not object to assistance from the mistress of Whirlwind Peak?"

"Yeah, who's that?" Inuyasha crossed his arms.

"Oh, Master." Myouga sighed by his ear. "This is Whirlwind Peak. The Floating Palace." The aristocrat only smiled at his ignorance. The old servant buried himself against his scalp until it itched mumbling to himself. Thanks for nothing, flea! He refused to be scolded by a coward who ran at the hint of trouble. The little voice was quiet but he was listing off titles in his ear.

Another demon pretending to be a goddess of death.


The grand doors leading to the house's simple garden were opened for the luxury of fresh air. The snow had melted into the good, rich soil currently hibernating. It would be weeks and weeks until the land was fertile enough for a second year of herbs and small vegetables. To ease the relative boredom that came with staying inside, Kagome decided to host her own party. Without Inuyasha.

Sango's fingers were adept at handicraft. The slayer had more practice mending straps but she put down her work to soothe her bundled-up babies. Rin passed the pair of scissors so Kagome could pick out her terrible stitches. Other mothers in the village made their own children's clothes. The wonky line frustrated her to the point of tears.

"May I?" Miroku took her precious needle from her grip. It was a marvel to watch the fabric come together in a clean line. The monk knew how to tuck the edges together into a seam. Rin had generously donated the expensive fabric from her gift collection since prices were currently inflated. Wars on the roads discouraged wagons from traveling into their area. Miroku showed her what he had done to close the knot securely. A pair of well-made baby socks looked tiny on his fingers.

"Oh, Miroku!" She was proud of her friend. Miroku supervised when she started on the shirt she was making to surprise Inuyasha. Sleeves were especially hard. At least he liked his clothes to hang loose. Miroku stopped her. Sashiko stitching is hard. Sew one, flip, sew through…

"Perhaps Miroku-sama should be a tailor instead of a monk." Rin pulled her thread clean. Years traveling with a demon through a war-torn Japan meant that she also lacked critical household skills so she was not alone in her class. Sango was excellent at mending leather but her husband was definitely practiced at self-care. Given the other men in the Feudal Era, it was strange to watch calloused male fingers handling clothes.

"Sango-chan is so lucky to have you!" The outburst embarrassed them both. She bit her lip. Miroku is good with household chores and laundry and mending. He sings to his daughters.

"And yet you refused to bear my children! Many times. A man's pride can only withstand so much rejection. I suppose it is for the best. It was blindingly obvious from the start that Inuyasha was madly in love with you. That is why we separated at first, Shippo. I thought perhaps without a witness, he would confess his feelings."

"Inuyasha was very jealous of Miroku-sama," Kagome whispered to Rin.

"I should have listened to the badger. Women are most attracted to disinterested men!" Miroku spoke to the sky while holding up a finger. Sango threw a bundle at his head that covered his face. The husband and father sighed when he reached up.

"Kagome?" Rin abandoned her lesson. She placed both hands on her belly. A particularly strong kick hurt. It faded quickly but left her breathless. Miroku refreshed her cup of herbal tea.

Ow.

"Sometimes the twins would press very hard," Sango whispered.

"I think she woke up from her nap."

Shippo returned from his play with a terrible Inuyasha impression for their criticism. In his absence, Shippo had been patrolling the woods to practice his skills on the weaker foes. It was a good defense. The local demons knew the brothers were too strong to be challenged. He popped back into his original form to take a seat next to her as 'special fox guardian to the Princess Shrine Maiden'.

"These titles are getting really out of hand, Miroku."

"Kitsune are known to be lucky, my love. Shippo IS her household guardian. After all, what would we weak humans do without his good fortune? And for a reasonable offering, he can bless any family with a beautiful home, a devoted husband, a child - "

"Is that what you've been telling the neighbors? Inuyasha's right, you should be arrested! Give those people their money back."

Shippo's evocative drawings served as convincing advertising. The monk held up his hands defensively when they accused him of extortion. The kitsune settled in her lap to beg her forgiveness but she didn't blame him. How dare he try to make Shippo a co-conspirator in his schemes?

"I'm sorry, Kagome. Please don't be mad! I just wanted to help. He said that babies are really expensive." Big honest eyes were accompanied by two tails shaking nervously. "You don't hate me, do you?"

"I could never hate you. But you have to be the adult with Miroku. He doesn't know any better." The kitsune jumped up to hug her around the neck. She snuggled him protectively until his tails ceased quivering. "You are my friend. Forever. I love you, Shippo-chan."

"So you don't mind if I'm your family's guardian?" The request sounded desperate. It tugged on her vulnerable heart strings. Giving her friend a position in their growing clan would help his confidence.

"Of course we need you to be our guardian."

"Can I tell my other friends you begged me to protect you? The elders are having another exam soon." Impressing his little fox buddies was harmless. His tails waved wildly when she agreed. As part of his guardian duties she asked him to scout the perimeter. The boy sprinted away on all fours. It was cute watching him weave around the trees overturning stones and shaking bushes. Her chin lifted up to identify the source of the shadow crossing the ground.

"Inuyasha!" By the time he dropped to the garden, she was in the grass. Strong hands gripped her shoulders. A cursory examination confirmed that he was in one-piece. She twisted his shirt in her palms.

"Kagome."

Inuyasha readjusted the plain burlap bag on his shoulder. His clawed fingers stretched out to accommodate hers. She led him up the few steps into the house. He looked tired. Knowing Inuyasha, he hasn't had a decent meal in days, running all over the forest fighting demons. Water was set over the fire for a fast cup of ramen. Their friends filled him in on the recent goings-on. Inuyasha listened with one ear. He idly picked up a knitted pink baby cap with two fingers. He waited until he was served to break his silence.

"How are you?"

"Good. School is good. The village is good." The poor guy could hardly keep his eyes open. Where has he been? She sacrificed the last of the jerky and her sticky sweet rolls to satisfy his hunger.

Inuyasha waited until the others had departed to stretch and yawn. The bag set against the door remained conspicuously unexplained. Her shoulder nudged against his arm. The corner of his lip rose.

"So Ka-go-me is making me clothes like a real wife, eh?"

"Why shouldn't I? You tear your shirt often enough." This era has never heard of a sewing machine or buy-to-wear fashion. Everything has to be done by hand.

"So is this everything?" A tiny baby bootie hung from the end of a demon's claw. The size comparison made her flush. How small will a baby be in his hands? Inuyasha pulled the basket closer to peek through the contents. Socks. Hats. Bodysuits. Footie pajamas.

"We're ready." The baby's bassinet was assembled. Powder and wipes and teething rings were stashed in an extra bedroom. If the Well reacted to her giving birth, she was prepared. A bag full of cameras could document their history for the Higurashi Family of the future. So Mama knows what happened to us. "So what's in the bag?"

Inuyasha hesitated. She brought his big hand into her lap. The muscles tensed and quivered but she held it. "Miroku's protection spell only hides our daughter until she's born, yeah?"

"Theoretically." Her husband thought himself a mystery but she suspected where he had gone. A quest to calm his nerves.

"Myouga told me about a demon whose blood could open the Border to Father's grave, so I could take his Fang to make a new sword, but he didn't tell me it was Sesshomaru's mother." Inuyasha's grip tightened. "Servants were harvesting Immortal Peaches from her garden. We talked. She said a sword wouldn't defeat the Crow. Not even Tenseiga. So she offered me a trade."

"He has a mother? Was she pretty?"

"That's your first question?!"

"So what did you trade?" Knowing Inuyasha, he would never tell her the details she wanted anyway. She smiled until his annoyance faded. If Sesshomaru looks like his mother, she must be really beautiful! Her husband grumbled about silly mortal questions. His free hand reached into his coat to withdraw a circular wooden box. Inside on purple velvet was a glittering white stone on a silver chain. The stone was mounted on intricate silver latticework.

"This is Bisei-cho, the beautiful star."

"You brought the baby a lucky pendant? That's so sweet!"

"This is more than some silly trinket! It's an ancient star. From the sky?" Inuyasha leaned back. She kept her peace to avoid offending him. The name was accurate, it was beautiful, but it was just a sparkly rock. The thought was all that mattered. "Thousands of years ago it got knocked out of the Heavens and now it's yours."

Oh, Inuyasha.

"What would we do without you?" A kiss appeased his ego. She reached up to tweak a fuzzy dog ear. "Now that you're home, why don't I draw you a hot bath? Then you can have a nice long nap in your own bed. Whaddya say?"

Kagome waited until he was asleep to route through the sack. The only object it contained was a simple wooden cube marked with pale stripes on one edge. A real karakuri puzzle box! I wonder what's inside?