She didn't dare let her guard down, not even with her barrier shimmering around them. With every breath he took, Sesshoumaru's strength grew, and while the ground thrummed under their feet, there was still the matter of his missing stripes.

Stripes that his brother now sported.

Something brushed her leg, and she looked down to find Shippou barking angrily, hunched over on all fours in his true form. Twin tails flicked side to side, fangs bared. She wanted to comfort him, but even the slightest distraction could be an opening, and considering what Byakuya had revealed, Kagome wasn't taking any chances.

She wouldn't lose him again.

She raised her bow, arrow pointed at his head. "Who are you?" she demanded.

Byakuya glared at her, hands flexing. "You meddlesome little cockroach," he hissed. "You couldn't leave well enough alone."

Her fingers twitched against the bowstring, itching to let go. "I won't leave anything alone until I've eradicated your toxin from Meikyuu."

"This isn't your home—"

"It's as much my home as any!" she shot back. "You're threatening the entire city!"

"What would a human know about it?" He spat the word like it left a bad taste in his mouth, and she was tempted to take his head off just for that.

"She is more in tune with Meikyuu than you have ever been." His voice was breathy, and he was still using her for support, but Sesshoumaru's gaze was clear, golden eyes piercing through the dimply-lit room as he faced his brother. "It was never meant to be yours."

"It was meant to prosper!" Byakuya said, flipping his ponytail over his shoulder. "You were given the opportunity of a lifetime when the former king appointed you as his successor, and yet you've spent the last five centuries milling about in the garden and rescuing babies."

Shippou hissed again, taking a step forward, and she lifted her chin. "Which has only strengthened his power."

"He's squandered it!" Byakuya replied. "He could've conquered every neighbouring city. Taken his place as the rightful ruler, but instead chose to chase fantasies and ghosts." Kagome felt Sesshoumaru stiffen, and she looked at him in question.

"You are responsible for her clones." The accusation was low and dangerous, venom dripping from each syllable.

"It wasn't very hard to do," Hakudoshi said, finally speaking up. "She was already running around the garden. We just had to make her solid."

She tried to make the connection. She knew chasing after 'her' had drained him of his power, but she'd never been able to figure out how. And ever since they'd slept together, he hadn't mentioned any wishes at all.

Sesshoumaru's head tilted in her direction, his lips brushing her temple. "I dreamed of you so often that I never questioned your appearance on the castle grounds," he explained. She felt the heat rise to her cheeks. "Aside from our initial meeting in your brother's room, I only ever saw you here, so that is where I pictured you."

"You couldn't tell the difference between a dream and reality?" she asked. It all seemed too contrived. She had vivid dreams now and then, especially about her time in Meikyuu, but she'd always been able to tell when she woke up.

"Time flows differently here, Kagome," he reminded her. "Fae rely on sleep to recharge themselves, but there is a loss of control while we are unconscious."

"And?" She could tell there was more to it.

The stripes on his face darkened. "For those with power, sleep can also be a portal between worlds. I may have taken advantage of the connection and spent more time asleep than I should have." He still hadn't looked at her, eyes fixated on his brother, but she could sense his reluctance—and his shame.

She finally turned toward him, lowering her bow to place a hand on his chest. "The person who took advantage of the situation was him, not you."

Byakuya let out a dark chuckle. "He's realizing the reason we are currently at an impasse is because of his selfishness." Hakudoushi circled the barrier, tapping it with his spear to find a weak spot. "If he hadn't spent so much time dreaming, there wouldn't have been copies of you running amuck in the first place."

"Just because you're a vile little pond slug who's been syphoning his brother's power doesn't put you on the same level as him," Kagome snapped.

Her outburst didn't faze Byakuya, and he flipped his ponytail again, his fingers sliding along the stripes on his face. "I have proof that I am." He crossed his arm over his chest, armour forming along his shoulders and legs. "And now I'm going to take what should've been mine in the first place."

He had yet to make it through her barrier, and Hakudoushi had done a complete circuit, knuckles turning white around his spear in frustration. The pieces of the infant's ball sparkled on the ground in a pool of what remained of its power, and her eyes flickered toward it, wondering if it was still a threat.

"There's no escaping," Byakuya said in a bored tone. "It was easier to drain him through his dreams and illusions of defeating you again and again, but the direct approach is much more efficient." He raised his hand, a lotus appearing between his fingers, and he blew it in their direction, the petals covering her barrier.

Electricity crackled along the dome, and Kagome winced. "So efficient that you had to show up yourself instead of relying on your underlings?" she taunted.

He scowled. "Kanna's mirror should've been enough, but something was interfering, so I decided to pay my dear brother a visit."

"Isn't that a shame?" Her scornful expression told him it wasn't a shame at all, and she was grateful it was so obvious. The memory of her first meeting with Kanna was still fresh in her brain, the tendrils of her power sending tremors down her spine. Kagome hadn't known what her intention had been at the time, but what she had known was she didn't want her anywhere near her mind.

So she'd shut her out. And whatever she'd done had fooled both twins long enough to get her noticed by Sesshoumaru.

The petals continued to coat the outside of her barrier, the electric surge of her power not being enough to eradicate all of them but enough to keep them protected for the time being. "You dreamed of me often enough to create copies?"

He kept them centred on his brother, not giving Hakudoushi a second thought. "You may have made an impression during your first run of the labyrinth," he hedged.

"And?" she pressed.

"And this is not the time to discuss such things."

"Later, then?"

"Hnn."

She tugged on a lock of his hair, pulling him down far enough to press a kiss against his jaw. "I'll hold you to that."

Golden eyes glittered even as his jaw clenched. "You always do."

Flashing him a grin, her bow shifted into a spear. "Remind your brother who the true king is," she said, voice firm. "He seems to have forgotten his place." Sesshoumaru muttered something under his breath, causing Shippou to snicker, and she raised an eyebrow.

"Later," he reiterated, his body already shimmering with power. Stripes glowed, and she felt the ground tremble, the land rising up to aid their master. Kagome breathed a sigh of relief; she wasn't sure how long Byakuya had been stealing Sesshoumaru's power, but if Meikyuu still recognized him as king, it hadn't been enough to shift the balance.

She reached for Shippou, patting his head softly. "Don't hold back." He mewed, rubbing against her leg before his claws came out. The barrier rippled, signalling its imminent destruction, and she sucked in a breath, drawing in her power long enough to give them the element of surprise.

Sesshoumaru broke through first, luring his brother away as Kagome shot what was left of the lotus petals at Hakudoushi. He spun out of the way, raising his weapon in time to counter hers. Powers clashed as metal sang, and she shoved him back, smirking when she saw the look of trepidation on his face.

"It won't be the same as before," she said, twirling her spear. He mimicked the movement, and a strange power pooled around his feet. Not taking any chances, Kagome threw up another barrier, purifying the cloud before he could use it, and Hakudoushi hissed before running at her.

He was a good fighter, but so was she, and she had more reason to fight. She wasn't worried about power or conquest; all she wanted to do was stop him, to save Sesshoumaru and his home, and Meikyuu seemed to understand the urgency of her plea.

Shippou was faster in this form, able to nip and bite at his foe whenever his back was turned. Each swipe of Hakudoushi's hand was met with air or a snap of Shippou's tail, and soon he was backed into a corner.

"You're nothing but a human," he argued. "You shouldn't be this fast."

A swirl of smoke revealed Shippou's humanoid form standing protectively in front of Kagome. "She could be a baby and still beat you!"

Hakudoushi thrust his spear in Shippou's face. "You're next on my list."

The fox crossed his arms. "Big talk for someone who couldn't even tell the difference between one of the clones and the real thing when she first showed up."

"And you did?"

The glint in his emerald eyes belied the youthful expression on his face. With how eager he was to help and his small stature, Kagome often forgot how long he'd been living in Meikyuu. He'd be considered an adult in human years.

"With all the effort you put up to prevent us from leaving, you'd think you'd notice when someone goes to the human world."

Hakudoushi's mouth fell open, and he finally looked at her—really looked at her. "Kanna scanned you. Your eyes were brown."

"It pays to make friends," she said with a casual shrug. "And if you remember, she said I had power, but you ignored it."

"What I said was that you were not one of ours." Kanna appeared out of the darkness, her mirror clasped tightly in her hands. "I told you we should've disposed of her."

"I was planning to!" her brother snapped, straightening his shoulders. Kanna's dead eyes bore into hers, branches of her power seeping out of the mirror and creeping toward her. She didn't feel like experiencing that particular sensation again, plus she had no reason to subdue her power, so Kagome sliced the whisps of smoke into pieces before they could reach her.

A frown furrowed Kanna's brow, and she twisted the mirror, going at them from a different angle. The second attempt was as unsuccessful as the first, leaving the twins confused and frustrated. "You let her wander around too long," she accused softly.

Hakudoushi gripped his spear. "Why am I to blame for everything?"

"Because none of the other copies were given such privileges," she returned evenly.

"None of the other copies talked back when faced with the king's wrath," he countered. Kagome would've preened, but there wasn't time, the tip of his blade coming for her head as he lunged forward. She spun around, narrowly missing losing more than a lock of hair, and sparks flew as her weapon shifted into twin katanas.

She led him away from his sister, not trusting her to play nice. Hakudoushi was more overt with his attacks, going for the jugular whenever he could. Kanna, on the other hand, went straight for the heart, lurking around inside the mind until she found a weakness. Kagome knew what her weakness was—he was currently trading blows with his brother at the other end of the room—but there was nothing left to hide or hide behind.

The insecurity about him not remembering her was long past.

She would win this fight and return his kingdom to its rightful state.

Keeping her body turning and her focus splintered, she continued to fight through the barrage of Hakudoushi's attacks, never once turning her back on the other twin. Kanna seemed content to watch, but Kagome knew it was just a ruse. She could feel the whisps of her power licking at her heels, and just when she thought the girl was going to strike, turquoise flames ignited around her.

Shippou stood at her back, tossing another fireball in Kanna's direction, and she finally had to go on the defensive, sucking it into her mirror. Worry clawed at the back of Kagome's mind, but Shippou wasn't fazed, throwing as many as he could in Kanna's direction. The girl's fingers clenched around the rim of the mirror, ready to strike, but a crack formed in the frame, turquoise veins splintering the porcelain.

"That move doesn't work when there's nowhere for the power to go," Shippou said, more flames at the ready. "Meikyuu's rejected you."

Hakudoushi let out a cry of outrage, his attacks turning erratic as his desperation grew. He managed to catch her in the side, worsening the wound from before, but it wasn't enough to deter her, and Kagome forced him back with the bunt of her swords. "You're slipping. You should practice more."

His eyes narrowed. "I'll practice with your head once I've removed it from your body." Another exchange of blows had him flipping over her, blades clashing as she sent him flying. He skidded across the floor, hitting the nearest wall with a sickening crunch, and Kagome rose to her full height.

How had he been a threat before?

"You failed, Brother," Kanna said, her eyes still on the kit.

Hakudoushi used the handle of his spear to push himself to his feet. "I haven't lost yet." Kagome almost groaned aloud. Why were these two so stubborn? Couldn't they feel the severed connection to Meikyuu? Fae were all about magic. The rules about boasting and lying were ingrained in them since birth.

The memory of the infant in her arms made her shiver, and she was reminded of their lineage—and lack of fae blood. Was that why they'd gotten away with manipulating the king for so long? Was that why Bokuseno had tried so hard to conceal her identity?

"Shippou," she said, edging closer, "do you feel a connection to the roots under the city?"

The question gave him pause, hands still poised for the next attack. "Sometimes. If I really concentrate. The king knows how to do it better." He pursed his lips. "But he hadn't been paying attention. Jinenji was really worried, but the king didn't even care! He spent all of his time chasing the copies of you."

"Which is why you came and got me," she filled in.

"Uh-huh." He blasted Kanna with another fireball, and when the next crack appeared in her mirror, a matching one cut across her face. "I wasn't sure if I'd find you 'cause they shut off most of the exits, but then you said his name. It was easy after that."

Another frown had the cracks in Kanna's face widening. "You recalled his name before returning?"

Kagome lifted her chin, daring either twin to attack when they were so clearly outmatched. "I never forgot it. It wasn't some whispered taboo when I was here. He gave it to me." Her power flared, encasing her in a pale pink light, and she didn't bother with a weapon, reiki coiling around her fingers. Standing her ground, she waited for them to make the next move. She thought she saw hesitation flash in Kanna's eyes, but it was overshone by her brother's final attempt to run her through, and she twisted her mirror, intent on reflecting Kagome's power back at her.

The strange cloud had returned, obscuring his lower half from view, and Kagome struck, her power seeping into the cloud like sunlight. It burst through the other side, turning the cloud pink, and he realized too late what his sister was trying to do. Kanna was helpless to stop her own attack, and her eyes widened in horror as Hakudoushi was sucked into the mirror, spear and all.

For a moment, no one moved, Shippou and Kagome watching as the cracks in Kanna's skin shifted from turquoise to purple to silver. Resigned to her fate, she gripped her mirror, trying to hold on for as long as possible, but the combination of Shippou's foxfire and Hakudoushi's malice proved too much, and a sigh escaped before she exploded in a shower of multicoloured sparks and mirror shards.

Shippou shoved Kagome backward, preventing any remnants of the glass from making contact. They stared at the pile, then at each other, allowing themselves a moment of reprieve.

The twins were no more.