InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Kiss for A Prince ❯ Spy Capers and An Undercover Kitsune!!! ( Chapter 11 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter Eleven: Spy Capers and An Undercover Kitsune!!!

"Inuyasha, you're not doing it right. Here, move your arms like this."

(Sigh: grrrrr) "I'm trying, but I can't do anything with you pawing all over me!"

(angry sigh) "Just how do you suspect to learn if I don't put your hands in the right place!"

(snort) "Onna, I know what I'm doing. Besides, it's not like you have a lot of experience either!"

"If I didn't have any experience, WOULD I BE TEACHING YOU?!!!!"

Inuyasha winced, his right eye squinted closed as his ears flattened to his skull. "Alright alright. No need to be so pushy. Jeez."

Kagome huffed, her arms folded over her chest as she turned away from him. "You let me know when you're ready."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes in frustration before picking up the bow. "Ok ok. Please show me what to do, great Kagome-sensei."

"It's like this." Kagome repositioned his arms, then his hands before grasping his right thumb and lifting it up like a sight. She frowned when he scowled and bent it down, ignoring his growl of annoyance to lightly shove his left arm. "Hey, don't do that! Lift your thumb back up!"

"Why?" Inuyasha grumbled as he reached in the quiver on his back for an arrow. "It doesn't do anything but get in my way!"

"It's supposed to help you aim." Kagome huffed and planted her fists on her hips. "Didn't you practice at all while I was away?"

Inuyasha snorted. "You were only gone for a week Kagome." He turned to her when she lowered her head, a sad expression on her normally jovial features. "Hey.simasen*, ok," he apologized when she avoided his gaze. "I know it must have sucked to have to come back so early. Didn't Sesshoumaru offer to come back and get you?"

Kagome shook her head. "He said that if I wanted to stay, then I could come back with Rashidi and the others. I.I didn't want to. I wanted to come back with him."

"Oh. Well um."

Kagome smiled up at him, her sudden happiness startling in its intensity. "Why don't you show me what you've done so far?"

"Yeah. OK." Inuyasha gave her a confidant grin and raised his bow, another arrow nocked and ready. "Heh. Piece of cake. Watch this." He released the arrow with quick fingers and they both stood by as the arrow flew the twenty paces to the target. It speared the red blotch in the middle of the giant white board straight through the middle, the tiny white feathers on the end shivering violently from the force.

"Wow! Inuyasha, that was amazing!" Kagome exclaimed before she threw her arms around his neck in a fierce hug. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Yeah well," Inuyasha blushed as he moved a hesitant arm around her lower back to hold her steady. "I told you I could do it."

"Yeah, but you've improved so much! It`s amazing!"

"Whatever," Inuyasha mumbled as he sat her down. Inside, he felt as if he were a hundred feet tall, Kagome's words swam around in his head like happy fish and he couldn't help the little smile that shone on his face. "I don't see what the big deal is," Inuyasha bragged as he nocked another arrow and fired it, this one splintering the first arrow in half. "I told you I was practicing."

"You know what?" Kagome began as she danced around him. "This means I get to teach you how to do ki arrows!"

"Ki arrows?" Inuyasha repeated before shaking his head. "No way. Only miko can do ki arrows."

"No, not purity arrows, ki arrows! They're different!" Kagome reached for the scroll she kept inside her training gi, unrolled it and held it up for Inuyasha to see. "See, it says right here that all purity arrows are is a concentrated amount of a miko's ki. That doesn't mean that you can't do a ki arrow."

"Kagome, you're teaching me a miko's trick," Inuyasha disagreed as she gave him another arrow. "Don't you think someone is going to notice?"

"No way," Kagome scoffed with a smile. "Everyone here knows that my mother's a miko. We'll just say that my mother taught the archers to use ki.or something like that. Anyway!" Inuyasha sighed, his eyes rolling toward the heavens as Kagome clapped her hands. "OK, close your eyes!" Inuyasha closed them reluctantly, then bow in his hand and the arrow nocked as he waited for further instruction.

"Now, I want you to reach deep inside you for your youki."

"What does it look like?" Inuyasha asked as he concentrated.

"I don't know, but you will. It's a part of you, so it should feel as if you're coming home after being away for a long time." Kagome peered into his face as he concentrated, looking on as a frown appeared on Inuyasha's forehead. "Do you have it yet?"

"I feel.funny," Inuyasha admitted as he started to glow a soft crimson. "Am I supposed to feel like this?"

"I think so Inuyasha. What does it feel like?"

"It's like when my mother used to hug me," he said with a wistful smile. "It's.not half bad."

Kagome smiled back, his calm face reminding her of one of the children she left behind. "OK Inuyasha, I want you to take that feeling and apply it to your arrow. Think of the way the arrow feels between your fingers, the way the wood of the bow feels in your hands. Think about your youki surrounding the arrow, incasing it so that it glows in your mind's eye."

Inuyasha nodded in acknowledgment and stilled again. His brow furrowed, dark brows frowned together as the tip of the arrow flickered a light scarlet. 'Oh well,' Kagome sighed to herself as the arrow glimmered unsteadily. 'I tried to find another way, but I guess this way is the only one.'

Inuyasha sniffed around him and frowned when he found Kagome's scent laced with sadness and disappointment. 'Is she disappointed in me?' he wondered as another scent caught his delicate nose. 'What is she regretting? What's the matter with her?'

"Inuyasha-" Kagome sighed regretfully, then prepared herself for the worse. "I want you to change emotions. I want you to get angry."

"What?" Inuyasha exclaimed. "What for?"

"Just trust me. I want you to think of something that really makes you mad and focus on it. I want you to use it and apply it to the arrow."

Inuyasha sighed in frustration but concentrated, his aura flashing as the first insulting thing came to mind. His aura strengthened as he recalled every insulting thing ever said to him, the constant jeers of the other full-blooded youkai causing his blood to boil.

"That's it," Kagome encouraged, watching his aura as it not only strengthened but darkened to a near black. "Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha growled, his upper lip pulling back to reveal a single fang. "Inuyasha, I want you to take that energy and wrap it around your arrow." The youki swirled away from Inuyasha's body to his arrow, the crimson ribbons braiding themselves around the arrow's shaft. "OK Inuyasha, I want you to open your eyes and release the arrow. Don't think, just do it."

Inuyasha immediately opened his eyes, the amber orbs glittering dangerously as his fingers slipped from the back of the arrow. It shot through the air in a red-tailed streak, the grass beneath it scorching to a crusty black before hitting the target and Kagome winced as the wood burst into angry red flames.

Inuyasha huffed beside her, his breaths shooting from his nose like an angry bull. "Inuyasha," Kagome called as she stood in front of him. He looked as if to see straight through her, his eyes narrowed as a deep growl rumbled from his chest. "Inuyasha, it's me," Kagome tried again while she raised her wrist to his nose. "It's Kagome. I'm your friend, remember?"

Inuyasha sniffed, the scent of roses and developing vanilla piercing the maddening haze he inflicted on his mind. "K-Kagome?" He blinked rapidly, his vision clearing as he stared around her to the burning target in the distance. "Wow.did I do that?"

"Yeah," Kagome nodded with a watery smile. "I'm really sorry about that."

"About what?" Inuyasha asked as he nocked another arrow and tried again. The arrow burned a bright red and flew toward the flames in an imitation of its predecessor. It struck another target, this one a little to the right of the first one, and it to turned into scarlet flames.

"The directions said that you have to be angry to be able to use the ki for the first time. Su-sumimasen*."

"There's nothing to be sorry about," Inuyasha disagreed as he draped his arm over her shoulders. "You just did what the directions said, right?"

Kagome nodded.

"Then there's no harm done. Let's try again-Oh, hey you guys," he called as Nassirudden and Keni'Chi descended on the practice field. The generals waved in response and split up, with Nassi going toward the archery stand and Keni'Chi approaching Kagome and Inuyasha.

"How's the lesson?" Keni'Chi asked before glancing down the practice field. His jaw dropped open in shock at the burning targets, the residual effects of Inuyasha's youki slowly fading from the debris. "Did Inuyasha do that?" Keni'Chi asked, completely thunderstruck by the display of power.

Kagome nodded with a proud smile. "Yup he sure did. That was just in his first lesson. Just imagine how powerful it'll be once he gets better at it."

"Yeah well," Inuyasha muttered while he sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "That's what Kagome says. I'm happy the way it is."

"I'm sure you are. However-" Keni'Chi pointed toward the first target, his expression grim as the flames fell from the target to the grass. "I'm sure InuTaishou-sama would be less than pleased to find his field burned to a crisp."

"I don't see what the problem is," Inuyasha grumbled as Keni'Chi's finger glowed a beautiful, icy blue. "It's not like it'll spread to the castle."

"You don't that for certain. It's best to put the fire out now before it does." Kagome watched as a jet of water shot from the kitsune's finger to the targets, the water-gun putting out the flames on the ground and engulfing the targets. Inuyasha stood by, his arms folded angrily over his chest as he mumbled something about `jealous kitsunes'.

"Well, now that's done," Keni'Chi said as he dusted off his hands. "You two should be more careful."

"We will," Kagome said, then waved to Nassi as she approached the small group.

"Konnichi wa* you guys," Nassi greeted with a smile. "Are you two finished here?"

"Um, I don't know."

"Yeah, I'm done," Inuyasha said as he tossed his quiver to a small stand behind them. He sent the bow behind it and began to walk up the hill when Keni'Chi shouted for him to wait.

"We came out here to tell you that InuTaishou wants to speak to us," Keni'Chi told him with a grin. Inuyasha scowled back. "Well come on then you two. Let's go."

"Actually," Nassi said before grabbing Kagome's hand. "I have to show Kagome something. I'll be with you guys in a second."

"Alright then. Come on Inuyasha, let's go." Keni'Chi and Inuyasha walked off, leaving Nassi and Kagome to their own devices. Keni'Chi periodically cast concerned glances at the abnormally silent hanyou. "That arrow thing was cool though," he finally said as he crossed his arms behind his head. "Did Kagome say whether or not it could be used for other weapons?"

"Er.no, I don't think she did," Inuyasha replied after a few seconds of thought. "But I don't see why it couldn't."

"Great.um.Do you think you could teach me?"

**

Kagome followed Nassirudden to her room, wondering to herself what her friend was up to when Nassi turned around and covered her eyes. "Hey!" Kagome yelped indignantly. "What's going on?"

"I have a surprise for you," Nassi told her, her voice quivering with excitement. "But I don't want you to see it yet."

"Fine," Kagome huffed. She waited patiently while Nassi tied a scarf over her eyes before grasping her hand and walking. Kagome followed unsteadily which caused Nassi to make a comment about adding a blindfold to Kagome's training.

"You're going to love it," Nassi told her as she bounced a little ahead of her. "It's.Oh I just can't wait for you to see it!"

`See what?' Kagome asked herself when they finally stopped. She stood by when Nassi let go of her hand, and she heard a door slid open before being pulled along. She turned when the door closed behind her, her fingers unconsciously tightening around Nassi's. Nassi squeezed back in reassurance, then let go and untied the blindfold.

"OK Kagome, open your eyes."

Kagome did so hesitantly, blinking rapidly to remove the blurriness from the blindfold. Soon she could see around her, the very sight leaving her speechless before tears jumped to her eyes. "It's-It's.wow." she breathed as she walked further into the room.

Kagome immediately noticed that she wasn't in her old room but a different one, one much larger than her old one. The walls were painted a warm vanilla instead of the cold stone gray walls she was accustomed to, with multiple paintings of Japanese scenery in various shades of black and white. Beautiful golden candelabra hung from the walls on both sides of the door, with matching candlestick holders scattered around the room.

Beside the door was a vanity made of a cherry wood, complete by a matching stool with a white upholstered seat and an oval mirror hanging on the wall by a wide white ribbon above the vanity's surface. Matching curtains hung from the zanbatous Kagome and Nassi hung up in her old room, the pair of weapons gleaming in the sparse light.

The bed sat in the center of the room, with sheer golden drapes hanging from the wall to flow around the bed to the floor below. The bed itself was larger than her old one, this one being what Nassi told her was a full instead of a twin, and was covered in reds and golds. Luxurious pillows in both colors were piled on the bed and Kagome discovered one that, when she picked up the little square pillow and ran her hand across it, was beaded on one side with tiny seed pearls.

The floor below her feet was wood instead of stone, polished to a high shine with light colored furs lying in different places on the floor. There were two night stands and a clothes closet in the same cherry wood as the desk, and two room separators on opposite sides of the room. The first one stood in a corner on the back right hand side of the room, and the scene on the paper was of an inu youkai in his true form. Snow fell in tiny flakes around it, and the ground and landscape was covered in a blanket of white as he sat on his haunches and stared into the distance.

The second was propped against the middle of the left wall, with the rice paper painting of another inu youkai. This one was lying on it's stomach in the summer grass, with sakura blossoms falling around it instead of snow. It looked to be asleep, with it's giant head resting comfortably on it's front paws.

"Well Kagome," Nassi said when Nassi turned to her. "What do you think?"

"Its beautiful," Kagome whispered in awe, the pearl pillow still in her hands as she ran her fingers along the gold thread embroidery in the burgundy blanket on the bed. "I've never seen anything like it. It's a room fit for a princess."

"Glad you think so princess," Nassi teased with a smile and a low bow. "However, this isn't all."

"It's not?" Kagome replied as she turned to her, the pillow now clutched to her bosom. "What else could there be? There isn't enough room for anything else."

"That's where you're wrong. There's one more thing. This way please," Nassi beckoned as she approached the summer version of the two room separators. Kagome stepped out of the way so Nassi could pull back one of the sections and stepped inside.

If Kagome thought the bedroom was beautiful, then there were no words to describe the bathroom as Kagome stood in the middle of it all at a loss for words. The room was small, most likely no more than 13"x12", but what it lacked in space it more than made up for in elegance. The walls were the same vanilla as the ones in the bedroom, and the same golds were scattered through the room. Blue replaced the red, with a swirl tile in blues of different shades of marble.

Along the wall at the right of the entrance was a large wooden sword rack that stood from the floor to a little above her 5' 3" frame. There were swords of numerous styles and lengths, and the entire set up was redone to become a towel rack. A porcelain water basin sat in a corner near the back of the wall, it and the tub beside it decorated in blue etchings of scenery.

Kagome glanced around in excitement, the pillow forgotten as she quickly gave in to the giddiness in the back of her mind. She bounced in one place excitedly, her gloved fingers covering the ear-splitting smile on her lips as the steel tips on the ends of her boots rang out in the empty room.

"What do you-urk!" Nassi squeaked when Kagome suddenly whirled around and startled her with a fierce hug.

"Oh I love it! Domo arigato* Nassi-chan!" Kagome exclaimed as Nassi reluctantly returned the hug. `I've never been so close to a ningen before,' Nassi realized when Kagome stepped back and touched everything in the room. `Well, not any time that hasn't resulted in bloodshed. Maybe Kagome isn't so bad after all.'

"This couldn't possibly be for me," Kagome said aloud with a shake of her head as she and Nassi returned to the bedroom. "I mean, I've done nothing to deserve it."

"Are you kidding?" Nassi snorted with a grand wave of her hand. "You've done a lot more than you realize. We wanted to give you something, a sort of prize for passing your first test. The colors and decorations were my idea, Keni'Chi scoured up the black and white paintings, Kilik revamped the sword shelf in the bathroom, InuTaishou-sama gave you the room screens and Inuyasha helped me set everything up."

Nassi frowned when Kagome started to cry and against her better judgment gave the smaller girl a hug. "Don't do that," she cajoled gently as she guided Kagome to sit on the vanity stool. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"I'm just so happy," Kagome said with a sniff. "It's not the room that's so great. Its that everything in here is something from you guys. Kore ga suki desu*."

"That's good," Nassi sighed in relief. She stretched lazily, her mouth opening in a silent yawn before her hand reached up to cover it. "Now I've got to go."

"Why?" Kagome asked as she jumped to her feet. "Where are you going?"

"I have to be at that meeting InuTaishou-sama's having. Hey, don't worry though," Nassi smiled before walking to the clothes closet and opening the doors. "All of your clothes are in here, and so are your make-up and other things of the sort. Don't worry, you still won't have to dress for dinner by yourself. Crystal has been assigned to you, so she'll be along to help once it's time. Now you've got lessons with Miroku-san in a few minutes, so I suggest you hurry along and wash up quickly."

"Nassi," Kagome called as the kencho neared the door. "What's that?"

Nassi looked from Kagome, who was still sitting on the vanity stool, to the bed where a multicolored piece of silk sat on the edge of the bed. Nassi moved toward it and picked it up, then handed it to Kagome. "I don't know, but it's got to be from Sesshoumaru."

"How do you know?" Kagome asked as she looked over the tightly wrapped fabric.

"You mean, other than the fact that it's blue with full moons all over it?" Nassi quipped with a grin. "Trust me, I know. The cloth has traces of his scent. Now I've got to go."

Kagome waved as Nassi disappeared on the other side of the wall, watching as the door slid closed behind her before her aura moved down the hallway. She looked down at the little package, wondering to herself just exactly what would Sesshoumaru give her to have it wrapped up in such a way.

`Well, there's only one way to find out,' Kagome said to herself before she reached for the rattan strings holding the package closed. A gentle tug was all it took for the knot to unravel, and with it unfolded the silk until it left the contents bare to Kagome's eye. Inside sat a rectangular jewelry box made of beautiful silver. The outside was crafted in beautiful swirls and curves, with little clawed feet at the four corners of the box. Kagome opened it, her mouth falling open in awe at the dark red velvet covering the inside. A small mirror was inside the lid, and when the lid was opened a rose made of carved pearl and emerald rose up in front of it. She could hear gears winding as a soft tune began to play, something dreamy, if a bit tinny, that reminded her of a lullaby her mother used to sing to her.

`Out of everything in this room,' Kagome mused as she sat the box on the vanity. `Why does this one command my attention so...'

**

InuTaishou and the others looked up from the conference room table when Nassi came bustling in, taking a moment to straighten her haphazard training gi before turning to the others with a shy smile. "Um, sorry I'm late," she apologized as she took a seat between Kilik and Inuyasha. "Kagome got a look at her new room."

"Didn't she like it?" Inuyasha asked incredulously, his nose twitching slightly at the scent of Kagome's tears. "You said she would."

"Hai, of course she did," Nassi frowned as she grasped Inuyasha by the face and pushed him away from her. "She was crying `happy tears' I think."

"Ningen are so strange," Keni'Chi commented from the other side of the table. Nassi sighed in agreement. "You're telling me. Now what may we do for you InuTaishou-sama?"

InuTaishou turned to a guard standing by the door, a gray kitsune with startling slate eyes, and nodded discretely. The kitsune bowed in return, his spear grasped tightly in his hands before exiting the room and sliding the door closed behind him. "We'll discuss a few things before Sesshoumaru arrives," InuTaishou announced as he raised a barrier shield. "There are a few things I'd like to get out in the open before he comes."

He took a deep breath, and held it for what seemed like forever before beginning the meeting. "First, lets discuss the coming month. Sesshoumaru's coronation is in two weeks and as we all are well aware, all members of the house must attend."

"Don't remind me," Inuyasha grumbled as he and Kilik slumped in their seats. "I don't know about Ki here, but I hate going to those things."

InuTaishou sighed regretfully. "I know Inuyasha. It's not fair to either of you but you have to go and you have to suffer through it."

"Why are you mentioning this now?" Kilik asked as the others nodded in agreement. "We're used to the way things are by now, so why mention it unless-" Kilik froze mid sentence, his brown orbs widening impossibly as Inuyasha and the rest of the table struggled to realize just what was so dire. "Certainly you don't mean that my lord?" Kilik asked, his mortification unsettling to the others around him. InuTaishou nodded a heavy head.

"I do. I.there's nothing I can do to change it. If only I had become Great Taiyoukai-"

"Hey, that's great and all but just what's going on?" Inuyasha demanded. "You guys look like death is coming. Just what is so damned important!"

"Kagome.is going to have to go with us Inuyasha," Kilik explained, his voice soft and miserable. Inuyasha paled almost instantly, his eyes narrowing into slits as he turned on his father.

"You can't be serious!" he exclaimed, then slammed an angry fist on the strong oak table when InuTaishou nodded. "She'd never survive there! She can't go! Couldn't we send her home or something? Surely she wouldn't have to go then!"

"You know the rules Inuyasha," InuTaishou reasoned to the irrational hanyou. "She's a ward of the Great Tai, and therefore she has no choice but to come with us. If she were mine, she would stay here but that decision lies on Sesshoumaru. So far, he's mentioned nothing of returning her to her kingdom."

"But-Can't you suggest it to him?" Nassi implored desperately. "Wouldn't he take your advice?"

"When it comes to Kagome, Sesshoumaru doesn't bother to listen unless it benefits him," InuTaishou frowned. "There is nothing we can do for now, so lets move on to other, brighter things."

"Like the spring festival," Keni'Chi chirped happily. "I love this time of year!"

"Yeah, we know," Inuyasha grumbled unhappily. InuTaishou gave his son a speaking glance, then nodded to Keni'Chi. "Hai, there's the spring festival. As we all know, there's a banquet that's held every year during this time and the winter festival. We've been selected to host this year's events.

"You all are aware of the many things that are required during this time, including competitions, exhibitions and any other forms of entertainment. Keni'Chi, as always, is in charge of all festival activities so if you'd like to contribute, then please be sure to let him know." InuTaishou looked up as a knock sounded on the door, his youki shield dropping immediately before Sesshoumaru walked into the room. He glanced around and growled in greeting, the others nodding back as he sat down on the opposite end of the table.

"Now that Sesshoumaru is here," InuTaishou sighed. "We can begin the true reason for this meeting."

"Hai InuTaishou-sama," Keni'Chi urged on. "What is on your mind?"

"As you all are aware, there have been strange reports of the Dark Army migrating across Japan," InuTaishou began as he retrieved four scrolls from a sack at his feet. "Reports from various scouts confirm that the Dark Army has indeed traveled over Japan to a certain destination. Three days ago they settled inside the Eastern providence."

"Is that not Shinji-sama's territory?" Nassi inquired curiously.

`Tetsuyaro's there too, I think,' Sesshoumaru thought as InuTaishou positively answered Nassi's question. `But why would the Dark Army go where there's such a strong resistance?'

"There's been no resistance to their presence as of late," InuTaishou unknowingly answered Sesshoumaru's silent question. "Shinji's troops have made no move to oust the youkai menace and as of now are residing on the outskirts of a town known as Hyru, which sits on the eastern side of the South/East border of the lands."

"So Shinji-san has done nothing at all?" Inuyasha questioned in disbelief. "No soldiers, no sentries, no flux of ki, nothing?"

InuTaishou shook his head. "Not one single flux of youki from him or his son. I will be sending the west's best scout to the Eastern Citadel a day from now to find out exactly what's going on. Until then, the only thing we can do is sit back and wait."

"Why don't we just go wipe them out?" Inuyasha asked nonchalantly. "I mean, why let them sit there and plan?"

"Because that would be a direct violation of the East/West treaty," Sesshoumaru responded in a bored tone. "The treaty states that the armed forces of one providence can not step foot on the soil of another providence without express permission from either the taiyoukai of that land or the Great Taiyoukai."

"But you're the Great Taiyoukai," Inuyasha countered. "You could give Otou-san permission."

"No he can't," Nassi disagreed. "Sesshoumaru-sama hasn't officially taken the position yet."

"Great," Inuyasha growled before throwing up his hands.

"Is that all?" InuTaishou asked, then sighed and stood when everyone else responded accordingly. "Good. Arigato for attending. This meeting is adjourned."

The others stood and quit the room, Sesshoumaru first followed by Inuyasha, Kilik and Keni'Chi as Nassi lagged behind.

"Nassirudden?"

"Hai InuTaishou-sama?" Nassi replied over her shoulder.

"You know what to do."

"Hai," Nassi responded with a soft laugh. "I do. I will prepare immediately."

**

Sesshoumaru rubbed a weary hand over his forehead, unknowingly rubbing a sparse line of black ink across his brow as he stared down at the documents below him. Treaties, liberal threats to other providences, all and more were covered in the Great Taiyoukai Charter sitting before him in hundreds of thousands of handwritten text. To him, they were nothing more than pomp and circumstance, but there was a chance that if he signed his name to something he didn't fully read now there would be hell to pay later on.

So that left Sesshoumaru sitting at his desk sometime in the wee hours in the morning, his back aching from sitting for so long in the same position, a crick in his neck and still no where near finished.

"Oh I give up," he growled to himself as he stood from the desk. In one glance he decided to leave the documents for another time then set about changing out of his usual day attire and into a black pair of sleep hakamas. He pulled a white sash from the infinite confines of his clothes closet, grabbed another one of the same color for a hair tie and quit the room. His bare feet moved silently along the cold stone, the tips of his claws clicking softly as his walked past Kagome's old room. He opened the door and stood in the threshold, frowning as her scent steadily faded from it like a forgotten memory.

`To imagine that I put her in here,' Sesshoumaru thought with a wry smile as he studied the cold stone walls and small bed. `Her new room should be more than an incentive to work harder in her studies, and the jewelry box should make up for returning earlier than planned.'

Sesshoumaru shut the door and continued down the hallway, once again quietly moving toward whatever destination he had in mind. `Perhaps I should peer in on her,' he thought as he moved a couple of doors down the hallway to her new room. `Just to check on her and see how she's doing.` He softly slid the door closed, then opened it fully when he found blue-gray eyes smiling back at him.

"I was starting to wonder about you Sesshoumaru-sama," Kagome commented as she stood up and crossed the room to him. Sesshoumaru said nothing, merely watching her as she approached him. Her nightgown was a shimmery white, with a bodice that fit closely and a long skirt that flowed to the floor about her like a bell. The thin spaghetti straps sat haphazardly on her shoulders, and long midnight hair that was normally held up or back now free to cascade down her back to her hips.

"Dozo*, sit here," Kagome gestured to the vanity stool. Sesshoumaru complied easily enough, too tired for the evening to question her sudden command of his person as he closed the door behind him and sat down. His eyes closed when the first pass of the brush swept not through his hair but his tail with Kagome sitting on the bed behind him. "Relax," he heard Kagome whisper as the brush traveled farther up his tail. The fur bristled out delightedly, as if each strand was in a rush to reach her gentle fingers and soft brush.

Somewhere in the back of Sesshoumaru's mind, something demanded to protest to her familiarity with his person, while another half wanted to practically wallow like a muddy pig in the attention she was lavishing him with. In the end, he squashed both impulses in an attempt at peace of mind, allowing Kagome's ministrations to soothe his tired nerves and his mind to float to other things around him.

"What have you done today little one?" Kagome heard him growl as his head leaned forward, his chin resting against his chest.

"Oh, not much," Kagome replied nonchalantly as she moved further up his tail. "I continued Inuyasha's archery lessons, and Miroku-houshi-san showed me another herb today."

"Really? What kind?" Sesshoumaru asked, feigning interest as she moved from the bed to right behind him to reach a part she couldn't previously get to.

"Eucalyptus, if I remember correctly. It's used for bites and stings. Miroku-san said not to use it by itself though, as it was too strong for the skin."

"Interesting." He had to admit, he was impressed with her little show of knowledge. He found himself looking forward to her test with the houshi, wondering to himself exactly what Miroku would think of as Kagome moved from his tail to his head.

Sesshoumaru's tail re-wound itself around his shoulder, with the little bit hanging from it swaying from side to side in veiled contentment.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes opened, golden suns reflecting off the vanity mirror to Kagome. "Hai little one?"

"Um.arigato*, for the music box," she whispered shyly. "It's beautiful."

"Do itashimashite*." He looked around for said box, and found it (in all places) on top of one of the night stands near her bed. "You do realize that it's supposed to sit right here, correct?" Sesshoumaru asked while giving the vanity a single tap. Kagome shrugged, a feint blush staining her cheeks. "I like it where it is," she replied softly.

Sesshoumaru stood, deciding that the subject was too unimportant for them to argue over. "Is it not past your bedtime?" he asked as he gestured to the bed behind her. "Surely you have a big day ahead of you."

"I do but I wanted a chance to speak to you," Kagome replied as Sesshoumaru led her to the right side of the bed. "I wanted to thank you for the jewelry box. It's...beautiful."

Sesshoumaru merely watched as she slid underneath the covers, waiting until the blankets and sheets were over her shoulders before walking away.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Sesshoumaru turned just as he was opening the shoji door. "Hai?"

"Will you be staying here tonight?"

"I have work to finish."

He heard a little sigh of disappointment, then "Alright then. Goodnight Sesshoumaru-sama."

She closed her eyes just as Sesshoumaru left the room and quickly slipped away, never knowing about the figure that returned seconds later, satchel in hand, and sat at the little vanity near the door.

_._

Kagome yawned sleepily, her fisted hand raised to cover her mouth before opening her eyes and looking around. `Wait a moment,' she thought as she struggled to comprehend her surroundings. `What's this? Where am I?' She attempted to sit up and look over the lacy edge surrounding her, but found that she couldn't. She glanced down at her bindings and found them to be nothing more than a green blanket made of woven silk

`I remember this blanket,' she recognized as she reached for the rose embroidery in the center. She mentally gasped when she saw her hands, her strong, slender fingers replaced by pudgy baby fingers. `Am I...a baby?'

Kagome jumped at the sound of a door closing and peered up when a shadow appeared at the foot of her basinet. "Aren't you a sweet one?" she heard the figure say as clawed hands reached down to pick her up. The sunlight flashed in Kagome's eyes for a second but soon disappeared in favor of an inu youkai female's face. She smiled lovingly at Kagome, her topaz eyes contrasting brightly with the magenta stripes on her cheeks and the Persian crescent moon on her forehead.

`Hey! I know those markings!' Kagome realized as the youkai hugged her close and rubbed her nose against Kagome's. Long black ringlets spilled over the inu youkai's shoulder and it wasn't long before Kagome's baby hand latched on to one and jerked for all it was worth.

"Yow!" the youkai yelped. Kagome heard herself giggle as the youkai struggled to get free, her attempts proving futile as another's laughter fluttered into the room.

"Are you having troubles MinYina dear."

`That's InuTaishou-sama,' Kagome thought as he stepped behind the female holding her. He kissed the back of her right shoulder tenderly, then peered over it to Kagome. "What are you doing?" he asked, then chuckled when baby Kagome gave the female's hair another tug.

"Just visiting the princess. She's so smart," the lady inu said when she finally regained freedom. "And so beautiful. She makes me want a girl of our own."

"Between you and Kira, I'm sure we'll have one someday."

"You are not funny InuTaishou-sama!" she scolded with a playful frown. She sighed when baby Kagome giggled at them, then began to play with one of the lady's clawed fingers. "She's not afraid of us."

"Of course she's not," InuTaishou said with a shake of his head. "She doesn't know what we are. Pups are like that."

"I think ningen call them babies dear," the lady corrected with a shake of her finger. She quickly returned it when baby Kagome began to complain, then turned to the door as a little streak of white and red opened it and ran into InuTaishou's leg.

`Is that...' Kagome waited while the lady youkai kneeled to the boy's level and smiled as cute little triangular ears appeared over the lady's arms. `That's Inuyasha as a kid! He's so cute!'

Little Inuyasha remained attached to InuTaishou's leg, his hand fisted near his eyes as large tears rolled down his cheeks. "What's wrong Inuyasha?" the lady inquired softly. "Why are you crying?"

"Sesshou-chan is picking on me again!" Little Inuyasha wailed as another figure walked into the room. "I only wanted to see his tail and he said no. He said I would have one if I weren't a half breed." Innocent amber eyes looked up then, missing the fire smoldering in InuTaishou's as he looked up at the lady.

"What's a halfbreed MinYina-okaa-san?"

"She's my okaa-san, not yours."

Kagome turned as another child entered the room and was immediately thunderstruck. `Sesshoumaru?'

The little boy walked into the room proudly, his head raised and his chin held high as he crossed the room toward him. He was dressed in a white haori and hakamas with his hair tied back in a low braid. Kagome felt the lady youkai tense almost instantly and an anger that matched the one shining in InuTaishou's eyes began in hers. She moved Kagome to her shoulder, one hand splayed across the infant's back as the other held her steady. Kagome managed to see over her shoulder and confirmed that the little boy was indeed Sesshoumaru, with the same stripes as his mother. The tipped over crescent was just beginning to form on his forehead, with it appearing to be little more than blue smoke.

"Sesshoumaru," Kagome heard InuTaishou say as Little Inuyasha released his leg. "How many times must you be told about the names you call your brother?"

"But he is a hanyou Otou-san," Little Sesshoumaru said with a shrug. "I don't see why we should hide it from him."

"We're not hiding anything from him," the lady retorted as Little Inuyasha held on to her arm. "You are being cruel to him. He is your brother. You cannot treat him with so little disrespect. You hurt his feelings."

"Nothing can hurt a full youkai," Little Sesshoumaru quipped knowingly, his little eyes closing to half mast as he glared down his nose at Little Inuyasha.

"Sesshoumaru, you will apologize," InuTaishou thundered down to him. "To your brother and your mother. Right now."

Little Sesshoumaru visibly frowned but complied, his hands disappearing inside his sleeves as he bowed to the both of them. "Gomen nasai Inuyasha, okaa-san, for my behavior."

"Inuyasha" InuTaishou said when the little hanyou reappeared from behind the lady's shoulder. "Do you forgive him?"

"Iie!"

"Inuyasha," the lady frowned as Little Sesshoumaru scowled. "You should forgive him. He's your brother. He didn't mean the hurtful things he said."

Little Inuyasha peered up at her through snowy bangs, his bottom lip pursed just a little as he rubbed at his stained cheeks. "Are you sure MinYina-okaa-san?"

"Hai, I'm sure," she said as she gently nudged Inuyasha toward his older brother. "And please Inuyasha, just okaa-san."

"I'll remember," Little Inuyasha assured her, then turned to Little Sesshoumaru with a bright smile. "I forgive you Aniki-chan!"

"What joy," Little Sesshoumaru grumbled as Little Inuyasha hugged him, but he did raise a hand to pat his sibling's shoulder. The lady smiled in approval, then returned baby Kagome to her arms.

"I'm so glad you two have made up. You couldn't meet the princess fighting as you were."

"Where's the princess?" Little Inuyasha asked, his little ears twitching to and fro as he searched the area. He turned to her when baby Kagome cooed. He was the first to look down on her, then Little Sesshoumaru's placid face appeared. Baby Kagome giggled and reached for them both. Little Inuyasha readily handed her his finger and yelped in surprise when baby Kagome popped the digit in her mouth.

"She must be hungry. Will you pups go get her mother for me?" Kagome watched as the two scurried from the room...well, Inuyasha scurried. Sesshoumaru merely glided from the room, his eyes lighting on hers for a split moment before disappearing from the room.

"You too," the lady said as she shifted Kagome's weight to one arm and began pushing InuTaishou from the room. "Males are not allowed to be in the nursing room come feeding time."

"But Minnie," he protested as she shoved him out the door. "What about-"

"No buts!" The lady youkai waved sweetly, then slammed the door in the unsuspecting tai's face. "Poor InuTaishou," she giggled as she moved across the room to a rocking chair near the fireplace. "But he will be fine. I'll have to find a way to make it up to him. Well my dear."

Kagome relaxed as the rocking chair began to move, the slow steady rhythm calming her already docile nerves. "How about I sing a song?" the lady youkai offered as she draped a blanket over them. "Maru-chan enjoyed them when he was a pup. Let's see...what was his favorite..." The inu youkai fell silent, obviously lost in thought as Kagome pondered the dream.

`Why don't I remember this?' she asked herself as the fireplace crackled a little away from her. `Why don't I remember them, or remember her? Is this why I feel so comfortable here with them?'

"A-hah! I've got it!" the lady youkai said with a snap of her fingers. "Let's see. How did it go again...oh yes." Kagome waited while she took a deep breath, then smiled as the youkai held her closer to her and began to sing.

"Hush a by... don't you cry. Go...to sleep my little baby..."

-.-

Sesshoumaru raised his left hand and grimaced, nonplused about the squid ink that now adorned his claws. He grumbled to himself as he ventured into Kagome's bathroom. He filled the porcelain bowl with water and throughly rinsed away the offensive coloring before drying his hands. He returned to the room but stopped as the scent of lilies filled the air.

`What is this?' he wondered as he returned to his seat at the vanity. The scent wasn't alone for long, and soon he could detect traces of Kagome's rose and vanilla with it. Sesshoumaru rose, preparing to open the window when Kagome mumbled something and rolled over in her sleep.

`Kawaii? What's kawaii?' he wondered as he sat down on the other side of the bed. He didn't wonder long, because soon it was replaced by another. Kagome mumbled something more then, as clear as an afternoon bell, she began to sing.

"When you wake...you shall find... all the pretty little horses..."
_._

"Blacks and bays, dapples and grays. All the pretty little horses..."

Kagome yawned sleepily, both in her mind and as the baby while the lady continued to sing. `She's so nice,' Kagome muttered to herself as she snuggled closer to her. `Why don't I remember her? What happened to her? Who would forget someone so nice...'

-.-

`How does she know that song?' Sesshoumaru asked himself as Kagome continued to sing unaware. The lilies in the scent of the room were slowly making him drowsy. He yawned sleepily, his fangs glistening in the sparse light as he lifted the blankets and gracefully laid down beside her. He pulled Kagome closer to him and yawned against the back of her shoulder, his last thought before drifting into a dreamless sleep were

"Hush a by...don't you cry...go to sleep my little baby..."

`Okaa-san used to smell like lilies.'

**

Kilik flopped over, a small grunt escaping him as he gripped his pillow tightly. "No," he moaned in his sleep, his face rubbing against the pillow's surface before coming to a rest once again. "Not again. Onegai..."

"Kilik..."

He smacked the offending object away and groaned again when it continued to tap his shoulder.

"Kilik..."

"Stay away," he insisted, his mind still in the throes of sleep. "...dangerous...I'm...-"

"KILIK DAMN IT WAKE UP!"

"What!" Kilik bolted to a sitting position and flopped back down when his forehead smacked something hard. He heard a pained gasp from somewhere in the room and quickly reached for his bo. He glared into the darkness and started when a gentle hand rested on his shoulder.

"Who's there?"

Silver eyes glittered back at him, then a torch flared to life. Nassi smiled down at him, her eyes twinkling mischievously as he struggled to regain his bearings. "You scared me," he admitted as Nassi backed away. He watched as she moved to stand by his door, a black canvas sack in her hands as he yawned. "What are you doing in here anyway?" he croaked. "It's-" He reached for a small band on the nightstand at the head of the bed and turned the little glass face up to the moonlight. "-fifteen til three. Aren't you supposed to be asleep?"

"I'm leaving."

"Another jaunt?"

Nassi shook her head, the tendrils framing her face shaking slightly as she disagreed. "I'm going scouting. InuTaishou-sama-"

"I know," Kilik interrupted as he raised his hand. "I kinda figured he'd ask you to go. When will you return?"

Nassi frowned thoughtfully, then shrugged. "In a couple of weeks I suppose."

"I see." Kilik nodded in understanding and looked away from eyes that seemed to search him out in the dark. "So why are you here?"

Nassi flustered instantly, her right hand raising to fall at the base of her neck. "I came to borrow a couple of throwing stars and..."

Kilik raised a brow at her hesitation, wondering what exactly was making her behave so strangely. "And?"

"And to...say goodbye."

"Oh." He rose at this, making sure to keep the thin cotton sheet wrapped firmly around his waist as he walked across the room and kneeled before one of the many chests scattered about the floor. He opened it and fished inside, a slight bumping and rumbling coming from the inside before he finally withdrew his hand. He stopped in front of Nassi and handed her a small burgandy leather purse by the drawstrings, jerking the purse away from her when she moved to grasp it by the bottom.

"Don't do that," he snapped in warning. He grasped her hand and replaced her fingers with his own, secretly marveling at the slightly clawed digits before removing his hand entirely. "Be cautious with those," he warned as Nassi opened the black sack at her feet and dropped the purse inside. "The tips are poisonous and it wouldn't do to stab yourself with them."

"Right. Arigato Kilik."

Kilik waved it off with a friendly smile, and stood by as she opened the door before reaching for her arm. "Wait!"

Nassi froze almost instantly, her gaze flowing from their interlocked fingers to his unusually panicked face. "What is it Kilik?" she asked, her head tipped slightly to the side. He stood dumbfounded for a second, then mentally shook himself and cleared his throat.

"The full moon is in a few days...will you be alright then?"

"Sure," Nassi said with a nod. "Full moons normally help at times like these."

"Well all the same..." he paused for a moment, his fingers unknowingly tightening around hers before going slack and letting go. "Be careful."

Nassi nodded quickly, turned and left the room, leaving Kilik deep within his own thoughts. Kilik stood in the threshold and watched her walk away, finally disappearing around the corner and away from him completely. He shut his door and returned to his bed, only this time sleep eluded him. He sat up and ran a hand through his hair, then used that same hand to trace on of the many tiny scars that freckled his body.

The scar pulsed, then warmed under his probing fingers. Kilik scowled angrily and it pulsed again, but this time his staff pulsed as well. He retrieved the forgotten weapon from it's place by the bedside and placed it between his legs, his arms crossed over it with one end at the floor and the other pressed to his forehead. Sleep soon found him in this odd position, as did the sun a few hours later.

**

Kagome yawned sleepily, her feet shuffling along the limestone tile leading to the dojo. `It's so quiet,' she thought as she walked down the hallway past the first cafeteria and the sounds of pots banging together. `Well, it was quiet,' she thought with a dry laugh as she opened the dojo door.

Imagine her surprise when, instead of Nassi, Kilik smiled back at her and waved from the center of the dojo floor.

"Ohayo Kilik. Where's Nassi?" she asked as Kilik motioned for her to come inside. Kilik seemed to deflate slightly, then turned to her with his brightest smile.

"Nassi's going to be away for a couple of days. Until then, I get you for a full two hours, then Keni'Chi trains you before lunch."

"Alright," Kagome nodded in acceptance. "So what's first Kilik-sempai?" Kagome watched as he reached for something along the wall, surprised when he held up a flag instead of a bo. "Um, Kilik..." she began as she pointed to the enormous red flag. "That's a flag."

"I know. Here." He handed it to her, then grasped another that lay on the floor, this one white instead of Kagome's red. "I'd like to work on your bo work this week Kagome," he told her as she leaned against her flag. "That's the reason for the flags."

"Oh. OK...I think." Kagome stared up at the tip of the flag, it a few inches above her head before glancing at Kilik. "And this is supposed to help?"

"Defiantly," he nodded. "As I said after your defensive test, you're staff work is good, but not as good as it could be. You have fundamentals down, but you lack flexibility and flair. Flexibility will help you work the weapon, while flair will confuse opponents long enough for you to make your move. Do you understand?"

"Yup," Kagome nodded.

"Good. Let's begin." Kilik set his flag down and held up his hands, gesturing for Kagome to do the same with her flag before continuing.

"Hold the flag directly in front of you, with the staff an inch or so away from the tip of your nose," he instructed. "Make sure you start out with your right hand below your left, and that both palms are toward you."

"Ok," Kagome muttered as she adjusted her hands. "Like this?"

Kilik studied her hands a moment, then nodded in satisfaction. "Just like that. Now let the flag fall to your left side, making sure to release it with your left hand and hold it with your right. Let it fall until it's upside down and stop."

Kagome did as suggested, the sturdy red fabric draped over her boots as she awaited Kilik's next instruction.

"As of now, your left hand should be below your right and both palms are facing away from you. Remember to keep your elbows tucked into your sides." Kagome adjusted again, this time with a little help from Kilik before continuing.

"Let go with your right hand this time and raise it up your right side with your left. Bring it all the way up, back to the way you started, then stop." Kilik applauded in approval when she finished, then retrieved his flag and motioned for her to be ready. They resumed once Kagome was ready, this time with Kilik calling out counts with every turn.

"These are called drop spins," he told her in between counts. "Normally you only need two counts. Count one is when the flag is upside down, and count two is when the flag is back in the starting position, waiting to begin count one. Do you understand?"

"Hai Kilik."

"Good. We'll do a couple of sets of these, then we'll move on to something else."

**

She watched as they came in, the guards completely unaware of the foreigner in their mists.

The two laughed as they entered the study, their bright yellow and orange uniforms noticeable even in the sparse torchlight. `Leave it to the Eastern army to dress in such flashy uniforms,' she thought in amusement before turning an ear to their conversation.

"This week has been extra quiet," the taller inu youkai with gray hair and lavender eyes complained as he rested his spear along a wall and scratched his side. "I'm itching like crazy."

"You know, I hear a bath will solve that kind of thing," the shorter of the two, a kitsune with pearl blue hair and yellow eyes, quipped snidely. The inu youkai frowned in answer. "You say that now, but when my side itches like this, it always means trouble."

They left soon after, with the kitsune youkai mercilessly teasing the much bigger youkai as the study door slid closed. She listened a little longer, ears she wasn't used to having swiveling in several directions before she was finally satisfied. She jumped down from the rafters and fell into a silent crouch, her palms pressed flat against the polished wood to keep her balance. She glanced around her before sprinting toward the door. She opened the door slowly, and peered out into the hallway. She jerked back when a sentry walked past, making sure to double-check her sealing spells before returning to her study of the hallway.

`That's just great,' she grumbled to herself when she noticed the smooth ceiling. `No hopes of doing this the easy way. Cripes. OK.' She stepped away from the hallway and toward the desk in the center of the study, her hands clasped behind her as she looked over the contents spread across the desk's surface.

`This is Shinji-sama's desk,' she noted. `But it looks as if he hasn't been here for weeks. I wonder where he is.' She raised the quill pen to her nose, her eyes closed in concentration as she searched for the eastern tai's scent. She soon left the desk and the study itself, allowing herself to follow her nose to her quarry.

`Follow your nose to the great taste of Fruit Loops,' suddenly popped into her mind, and she stifled a giggle before it could escape her. `What a time to think something like that,' she scolded herself as she rounded a corner. She quickly returned to the previous hallway before the guards ahead could notice her, her back pressed against the cool stone wall as she thought over what to do.

`I have to get them away from that door,' she told herself before tugging off her mask. She frowned when flaming red hair fell over her shoulder in an auburn rope. "Well,' she grimaced as she weighed the braid in her hands. `At least this will be a good thing tonight.' She closed her eyes and concentrated, picturing the kitsune guard she noticed earlier. She remembered everything she noticed about him; the way he held his spear, the way he walked, smelled and talked were all recalled in a nearly perfect memory. She felt the change as it happened, finding little need to watch as her body and clothing shifted to what she required.

She opened her eyes when it was over to check her disguise, making sure she was perfectly satisfied before stepping around the corner and marching toward the guard.

"Halt!" one of the guards at the end of the hallway demanded as they both went on alert. "Who goes there?"

She snapped to attention, her glamor never wavering as she saluted the two. "Your assistance is needed at the front gate sirs!"

"For what purpose?" the first one demanded. "You should know that the taiyoukai should not go unguarded."

"There has been report of an intruder attempting to penetrate the outer walls. One of the guards saw him jump the gates."

"What?" The guards shook their heads in disbelief. "We haven't heard a-"

>KA-BOOM!!!!<

"What was that?" the second guard asked as she glanced over her shoulder.

"I told you, it's the intruder! He may have injured someone!"

`Ok, it's just a little gunpowder, but who's goanna know?'

"Come on, let's go!" the first on said as he grabbed the second guard and proceeded down the hallway. "You stay here and guard the tai!"

"Hai sir!" she said, making sure to snap to attention and stay that way until they rounded the corner. She glanced down the hallway, then opened the bedroom door and slipped inside. She shook off the glamor, returned the black mask to her face, crossed the living area and opened the bedroom door. She stood in the threshold, too stunned to move as her eyes obviously lied to her.

"No way..." she whispered as she moved closer to the bed. "There's no way." She cautiously approached the bed, her focus on the large shuddering lump buried beneath the numerous blankets. She leaned over the bedside, her hand hovering over the covers as the lump coughed and groaned in misery. She took a steady breath and pulled back the covers, only to gasp and back away in surprise.

"It's him. Oh my God, what happened to him?"

She couldn't believe her eyes, but there he was. Turquoise eyes, once so bright and full of wisdom now stared back at her, withered and dimmed beyond all repair. Strawberry blonde hair hung limply from his head in short tuffs, no longer the long flowing strands she remembered. If it had not been for the red sickle in the middle of his forehead, and the blue stripes along his upper left cheek, she never would have guessed that the withering creature before her was the great Shinji, Taiyoukai to the Eastern lands.

He coughed again and turned over, either not noticing or not caring about his silent audience as he returned to his misery. She watched as he took a long drink from a cup sitting by his bedside and return to the depths of his covers. `I don't understand,' she thought as she crept closer to him again. `He's one of the strongest youkai around, yet he's inches from the grave. What happened to him?'

Shinji coughed again, this one a racking, consuming one that rattled his fragile body. She glanced at him in sympathy, then picked up the cup sitting by his side. She sniffed the contents gingerly, wondering to herself why it would smell so strongly of cinnamon. `It's almost as if it's trying to cover up somethi-`

Shinji coughed again, this time struggling for air as he did. She helped him to a sitting position and patted his back, waiting patiently as he continued to fight for breath. "Come on, breathe," she coached as he wheezed beside her. Shinji clawed at the air, his breath becoming more sporadic and labored as she looked on. She took another sniff of the cup again, this time finding a hint of bitter almond among the cinnamon.

`What in the hell is that?' she wondered, then gasped and jumped to her feet when Shinji regurgitated and began choking. She ignored the smell and the mess and returned to him, her hand creating soothing circles on his back as he attempted to breath once again.

"Dozo*," he rasped, his fingers tightly wrapped around the edge of her shirt. "Dozo*, you must..."he coughed again, and this time blood splattered on his cupped hand.

"You mustn't talk," she told him as he slumped against the headboard. "You'll only make it worse." She shook his arm and blanched when he didn't respond. "Shinji-sama?" She shook him harder, accidentally knocking over the cup as she struggled to receive a response from him.

"Shinji-sama? Can you hear me?" She reached forward to check his pulse and realized that he had none when the door burst open. The two guards from earlier stormed into the room, this time with soldiers in tow.

"Who are you?" he demanded as she stood up and backed away from Shinji's body. "What have you done to Shinji-sama?"

`No use in talking,' she groaned as the guards called for Shinji. `It's not like they're going to believe me anyway. Here it comes in three, two, one-`

"What have you done to Shinji-sama?"

`Well, can't say I didn't try,' she thought as she dove out the window and into the moat below. She jumped up quickly and ran from the palace, momentarily glancing over her shoulders at the hundreds of soldiers marching over the drawbridge in her pursuit. `Just great,' she bemoaned as she ran into the forest ahead of her. `Like this is all I need. I've got to get rid of these clothes and give these guys the slip. InuTaishou-sama's going to want a full report on this.'
----
Kilik: Another great chapter SF.

SF: (kisses K's cheek) Thanks Kilik. You're so sweet.

Kilik: (blush)

Inu-chan: Hey! What the hell? He's buttering up the author!

SF: No way! And so what if he was!

Kagome: Before you two get started-

>ZAP!<

Sesshou: Too late for that.

Kagome: ANYWAY! (Inu-chan and SF stop fighting) Did anyone notice anything weird about that chapter?

Miroku: Other than the fact that I wasn't in it?

Shippou/Rin/Sango: We're not in it either!

Kagome: Not that! Go back to Kilik's and Nassi's scene. What was that Kilik looked at? Is it me, or did that sound like a watch?

Shippou: What's a watch?

Silver Fox: I think you're right Kagome, but what would Kilik be doing with a watch?

(All eyes turn to SF)

SF: (strangling Inu-chan behind Kagome's back) Um...what?

Silver Fox: Didn't you hear the question?

SF: Yeah I did. (Drops Inu-chan) Um...about that...

Inu-cast: Yeah..

SF: I can't tell you guys just yet.

Inu-cast: (groan)

SF: I know, but it is something important. There are going to be a few clues as to the next part of the story in the next couple of chapters. What this chapter was supposed to do is add some needed fluff, both with Kagome and Sesshoumaru and Nassi and Kilik.

Inu-chan: See, even KILIK gets a girl!

SF: Inu hush! Anyway, this was also supposed to introduce (and kill off) the eastern lord. Did I do what I was supposed to do? (Grins when Inu cast nods) Good. As for Rin, Sango and Shippou, I've already mentioned Sango-

Inu-cast: WHEN?!

SF: (Hands over ears) Jeez. Cut down on the caffeine. Anyway, like I said, Sango's been mentioned but Shippou and Rin don't come in for a while yet.

Rin: But Rin is next to be introduced, right Guardian-san?

SF: That's right! But that's not for a few chapters. I'm getting there. Oh, but the summary for the next chapter is below the dictionary, which just happens to be next.

-*-Dictionary-*-
Simasen / sumimasen (sue-me-mah-sen): Pardon me/ Excuse me/ I'm sorry/ Thank you {This one phrase can mean a lot, and Uncle says that you can use it for almost anything. Oh, but the first part is a short, widely used version for the same thing.
Konnichi wa (kone-nee-chee wah): Good afternoon {Used after 11 am.}
Domo arigato (doe-moe- ah-ree-gah-toe): Thank you very much
Kore ga suki desu (koe-ray gah ski dess): I like this/ I like it.
Dozo(doe-zoe): one of the many words that mean please. This one is used like `Please go', `Please do' and so on and so forth.
Do itashimashite (doe-ee-tah-she-mahssh-tay): Don't mention it/You're welcome.


Summary of Chapter Twelve:

The others learn of the fate of the eastern lord...

The journey to the center of Japan, and the Great Taiyoukai's Palace, begins...

Kagome, Kilik and Inuyasha are locked away...

Kagome gains favor in the eyes of the council...

And Kouga's touched by a miko...

Next on A Kiss for a Prince: Chapter Twelve-Sesshoumaru's Coronation!