InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Little Faith ❯ Chapter 18 ( Chapter 18 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and its characters are created by Rumiko Takahashi, not me, but the new plots and the original characters (Akiyama, Katsuo, Natsumi, Shin, Isamu, Moriko and Eiko) are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing the previous chapter. As always, I hope that you'll enjoy this one. Oh, by the way, if you're over 18 and want to read a Sesshoumaru-Kagome PWP lemon, I've posted one called A Mere Digression.

A Little Faith by elle6778 - Chapter 18

“Impossible,” he hissed.

Bewildered, he wondered how such a thing could have happened. For hundreds of years, the spell had worked. It was not meant to dissolve unless he willed it to be so. Why should it fail so abruptly?

Sesshoumaru stood up. A quick glance at the miko told him that she was just as shocked as he was. The only difference was the shimmer of wonderment in her eyes. As they stared at each other wordlessly, the shrill ringing of his cellphone broke the silence.

“Aren't you going to answer that?” the miko asked after a while.

“Hn.”

Retrieving his cellphone from his pocket, he barked, “Yes?”

Shiori's frantic voice reached him. “Sesshoumaru, there's a problem with the spell.”

“So it seems,” he remarked dryly.

“No, you don't understand. It's affecting a lot of demons.”

A lot? As in those in the public eye as well? A feeling of foreboding crept up his spine. “What caused this, Shiori?”

The bat hanyou's desperation was clear when she replied, “I don't know! Considering that I've been getting calls about the same thing from all over Japan for the last fifteen minutes, it's something which is widespread. Having said that, not everyone is affected.” Then she paused before adding in a quieter voice, “Yet. What are we going to do? It's not so bad for demons like me and Moriko. And perhaps yours can be explained away as tattoos but demons like Manten and Ryoukan cannot walk out in public without their concealment.”

It would not do to panic. This could be a simple accident. However, he did not discount the possibility of sabotage.

“Calm yourself, Shiori,” he intoned levelly.

“Sesshoumaru, I can't be calm. I'm getting bombarded by calls from all over and I have no answers for them.”

His tone was level when he said, “Inform everyone to be vigilant. They are not to expose themselves to the public without some form of disguise until they hear otherwise.”

The moment he hung up, Sesshoumaru immediately dialed Inuyasha's number. It was picked up on the first ring.

“I've been trying to call you!” his brother exploded into the phone. “The whole place is a mess here.”

“Where are you?”

“Sesshoumaru, did you hear me? I said this whole place is a freaking mess. I'm in the club and the concealing spell just died on a bunch of us. So we're stuck here.”

Inuyasha's tone grated at him, causing Sesshoumaru to frown. “I know of the failure, Inuyasha. How many are affected?”

“I don't know, damn it! I didn't have time to do a headcount,” Inuyasha snarled.

“Inuyasha…” Sesshoumaru gritted out impatiently. “You will curb your hysterics and answer the question.”

A muttered curse reached him. Then a moment of silence passed before Inuyasha said, “There's about seventy of us so far in the Fusion Club. Hiten told me there are more in other clubs. We got rid of the human patrons once we realized what was happening, but all the demon ones are still here.”

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes. He could feel the imminent approach of a headache. Too many demons were affected for this to be a mere accident. And he could only think of one individual who was most likely to be responsible for this chaos. Though how exactly Naraku could have achieved such a feat was beyond him. The filthy hanyou had either amassed a great amount of power right under their noses all this time or someone of greater power was assisting him.

Naraku would pay for this the moment he was apprehended.

Returning his attention to the call, Sesshoumaru instructed, “Stay where you are. I'll be there soon.”

“Keh! It's not like I can go anywhere, can I?”

Sesshoumaru declined to answer. With that, he hung up before turning back to the miko.

His breath caught in his throat when she reached up a hand toward his face. The touch of her fingers against his skin was soft and there was a faint blush to her cheeks as her eyes scanned his features. Although this was hardly an appropriate moment, he felt a deep flare of attraction for her, more intense that what his younger self had felt. He inhaled deeply, only to be disappointed by her lack of scent. No doubt this was another legacy of their past.

It did not matter. He knew that she was what he wanted. Whatever it took, he would ensure that she would remain by his side, regardless of what happened in the past.

…***…***…***…

It was just like she had remembered, Kagome thought as she ran a finger down one of the magenta stripes on his cheeks. Her eyes swept over his face, which looked so very different from how he had appeared a few minutes ago. He looked so…familiar with those markings. She traced the stripes again. His marking were beautiful.

Her movements were stilled abruptly when he caught her hand. She flinched involuntarily when she realized that she had been all but caressing his face. Why did she do that? She tried to pull back her hand only to find that he was not willing to relinquish it.

Sesshoumaru's voice was strangely husky when he said, “It might be difficult for me to see you tomorrow. The spell concealing our demonic heritage has failed. It is something which requires my attention.”

She nodded, understanding that he had to resolve this problem. His earlier explanation had given her a better understanding of where demons stand in this present society. “Don't worry about it, Sesshoumaru. You've got things to do.”

His eyes flickered. Then, leaning down, he brushed his cool cheek against hers, drawing a gasp from her. He was nuzzling her, she thought, stunned into immobility at the realization. He was nuzzling her like he had done before they had mated.

By the time he lifted his head, she felt quite unsteady.

Their eyes met and her throat went dry. Without the concealment, he seemed larger than life, more real.

“I will be in contact,” he told her quietly.

She could only nod. Then she watched as he left the house and transformed into his energy orb. Standing there alone, she waited until the orb disappeared from sight before she drew a deep breath.

What had just happened there? Why was she reacting to him like that? She knew who he was long before, but the sight of his demonic markings seemed to have struck something deep within her. It made him more… recognizable. And it brought back all the confusion she had felt back in the past.

Then again, he had changed. Her lips twisted when it hit her just how different this present day Sesshoumaru was. Unlike his younger self, he was more open even though earlier he had been reluctant to admit that Katsuo was the one who clarified Sachimaru's parentage. The present day Sesshoumaru was obviously annoyed at his past self. On hindsight, she supposed she could not blame him because it did seem as if she and Katsuo had had sex.

Akiyama was obviously another sore topic from the tension in Sesshoumaru's form each time it was brought up. The taiyoukai had made it more than clear that she should not encourage any advances from the elemental. She grimaced. It would be awkward to go out with Akiyama when Sesshoumaru was intent on remaining in hers and Sachimaru's life anyway.

But Sesshoumaru had said nothing about the two of them. Did staying in their life mean that he would continue visiting like this? What about her then? Some day, she would want to get married and have more children and do the things normal people do. Akiyama had offered her that, and still offered her the same thing even after five hundred year. But Sesshoumaru, like his younger self, had not touched upon any long term plans.

The warmth she had felt earlier evaporated at the thought and she wrapped her arms around herself to ward of the sudden chill. A familiar feeling, something akin to what her past self had experienced, washed over her. What was this? Disappointment?

Looking back on her memories, she understood something that her younger self had not been consciously aware of. Her behavior and the intensity of her responses to Sesshoumaru could only mean that she had some feelings for Sesshoumaru. Were those feelings still there? Was it why she had felt so compelled to touch him earlier? Was that why she was disappointed that Sesshoumaru had not offered her more back then and right now?

…***…***…***…

It was not long before Sesshoumaru landed on the rooftop of Fusion Club, one of the more recent venues Inuyasha had procured. Without delay, he used the escape stairs to make his way down to the club.

The scene which greeted him was nothing short of chaos even though the music had been switched off. Heated arguments were scattered throughout the club and Sesshoumaru could tell that it was only a matter of time before fights broke out.

“It's Sesshoumaru!” someone exclaimed.

The room instantly fell silent, but there was no mistaking the air of suppressed panic. Sesshoumaru's lips tightened as he continued to scan the room, noting that although still humanoid in form, many demons had lost their concealment. Those with their demonic heritage clearly displayed formed the majority in the club. Then his eyes landed on Inuyasha just as the hanyou began to push past the throng to reach him.

“Inuyasha,” he greeted levelly.

Scowling, Inuyasha snapped, “It's about time you got here.”

Sesshoumaru's lips tightened. “Such a tone is unnecessary.”

“Keh!”

“When exactly did this occur?” Sesshoumaru asked.

“We were just sitting in the lounge, watching the game when it happened.”

Sesshoumaru glanced at the separated area in one corner of the club where a large display screen was mounted on the wall. Something nudged at the back of his mind, but he could not quite place it. Then he noticed the glasses on the tables.

“Have you tested the drinks?”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “No one can test anything right now because we can't get out. And those who are not yet affected are too scared to go out because they don't know if their concealment will fail.”

“Hn.”

A loud shriek pierced the air suddenly. Then the female demon exclaimed, “Look!” Pointing to the large screen on the wall in the lounge, she stuttered disbelievingly, “The news…”

“Turn up the volume!”

The sound began to filter into the room a short while later.

As he watched the screen, Sesshoumaru grew cold. The reporter's excitement was barely contained and his bespectacled eyes gleamed with greedy curiosity as he presented the view of two struggling demons behind him, each being restrained by four police officers.

Beetle demons, Sesshoumaru surmised. If he remembered correctly, those demons were under Kouga's care. They were lower level demons and were relatively harmless. It was intolerable that the humans had the audacity to capture them.

“This is the proof that demons do exist,” the reporter exclaimed.

“Of course we exist,” a cat youkai muttered, his long black tail swishing angrily.

“Shh! Listen!” a female youkai of mixed descent shushed him.

The reporter continued enthusiastically, “This explains the recent outbreaks of violence all over Japan. Demons are the ones who are responsible for disturbing the peace. Just how many of them are out there? And will they continue their destructive ways? Will they turn on us humans one day?”

Sesshoumaru bit back a snarl. It was humans like this who caused most problems by inciting unnecessary mass panic. Something had to be done about the situation. They could no longer hide the fact that demons existed, but he still needed to contain the situation as much as possible.

His eyes landed on the glasses again. Testing the drinks would not explain how his own concealment spell had failed, unless the tea in the miko's kitchen had been tampered with. However, they had to eliminate the possibilities to arrive at the correct conclusion.

Sesshoumaru pinned his eyes on one of the waitresses, a blonde demoness. As the demoness walked up to him, he instructed, “You will collect samples from the drinks in this room.”

The demoness nodded and quickly left to do as she was instructed.

Understanding his intentions without being told, Inuyasha gestured at a male tiger demon, whose concealment spell was still intact. “You! Wait here and get the samples from Yuka when she's done collecting it. Then get it to Shiori at Tsukuyo Medical.”

The male demon sputtered, his expression turning horrified. “I'm not going out there. If the spell fails my stripes will show up on my face.”

Grimacing, Inuyasha glanced around. “Who can bring the samples to Tsukuyo?” he shouted out.

Silence greeted him.

“Keh! You cowards!” Inuyasha exclaimed. “Give me that!” he growled as he snatched a red cap from one of the other demons.

“Hey!” the squirrel demon protested indignantly, his whiskers twitching.

Ignoring the other demon, Inuyasha pulled the cap down to cover his ears. Turning around, he said, “I'm heading to Tsukuyo with samples of the drinks. At least we'll find out if the drinks were spiked.”

His brows furrowed, Sesshoumaru wondered if it was wise for Inuyasha to be the one to go. Before he could consider his actions, he caught Inuyasha's arm just as the hanyou was about to rush out. When his brother turned around, Sesshoumaru said tightly, “You will not allow yourself to be caught. Is that understood?”

Inuyasha's eyes flickered momentarily. Then he nodded. “They won't catch me so easily.”

Sesshoumaru watched as the hanyou disappeared from sight. Knowing that there was nothing much he could do there until they determined what caused the failure of the spell, he turned to face the crowd.

“Those who lacks visible demonic markings, you will return home this instance. Keep to quiet roads and only travel in groups of not less than four. Those with visible demonic markings will remain until secure transportation arrives, regardless of the current state of your concealment spell.”

The crowd began to whisper and mutter.

Hardening his expression, Sesshoumaru warned, “Attempt to leave, and you risk sharing the same fate as the beetle demons.”

He scanned the room, wordlessly warning the crowd of demons to obey. Then his eyes landed on the screen in the lounge. Instantly, the odd feeling which had nudged at him returned. Brows furrowing, he continued to stare at the screen, attempting to discern what it was.

A moment later, it struck him.

His concealment had slipped when the miko went to tell her grandfather to lower the television volume. These demons had been watching the game on the large screen when their concealment spell had failed. And he knew for certain that other clubs had a screen somewhere within.

Could it be that someone was broadcasting a disabling spell at a frequency which only affected demons? Such a thing could be coded within the regular programmes.

He did not remember hearing anything out of the ordinary. Still, as sensitive as his hearing was, the frequency might have been too high for him to detect. Therefore the best person to investigate this would be Shiori, considering her bat-like sense of hearing.

Yes, he would instruct Shiori to do so.

With that thought, he made his way back up to the roof. Soon, he was traveling through the sky, heading towards Tsukuyo Medical.

As the buildings sped past under him, he glanced in the direction of the miko's shrine, wishing that he had had more time to spend with her and his pup. His thoughts about the situation with the demons slowly receded, only to be replaced by his memories of the past, his second meeting with the miko after he had broken their silence.

…***…***…***…

Sesshoumaru watched the miko silently from a distance.

She was sitting at the edge of the hotsprings with her feet immersed in the water. Held in her hand was a bound parchment which had remained surprisingly dry. She seemed to be completely absorbed in whatever it was that she had found in his library. He was certain that the miko would not attempt escape, now that she was more than halfway through the breeding term. Already, her midsection had rounded substantially, restricting her movements.

Deciding that he should not delay their meeting any longer, he descended from the boulder. Almost immediately, he saw the stiffening of her form before she glanced over her shoulders.

“Sesshoumaru!” she exclaimed in surprise.

“Hn.”

They stared at each other for a long while.

As the uncomfortable silence grew heavier, Sesshoumaru berated himself for his inability to instigate a simple conversation with the miko. He had done so in the past before they had mated, until a series of events had created a strain in their interaction. Nevertheless, he realized that it was foolish to remain staring at each other mutely.

“Miko. Are you well?” he asked, not missing how stiff he sounded.

Her lips parted in surprise. Then she blinked. “I guess so,” she murmured, averting her gaze.

“Hn.”

Deciding that nothing would be achieved unless he pressed on, Sesshoumaru went to stand next to her. Once again, his mind refused to supply him with the appropriate words for a conversation. Irked at himself, Sesshoumaru clenched his hands into fists. Surely this should not be so difficult. It had not been as difficult yesterday when he approached her for the first time. But then again, feeling discomfited, he had immediately walked away after informing her that Katsuo would be her guardian until Inuyasha returned. Unfortunately, the two sentences he had uttered yesterday could hardly qualify as a conversation.

For a long while, they simply remained in silence. Clenching and unclenching his hands slowly, he attempted to think of something to say, but came up with nothing.

It was the miko who finally broke the silence.

“When will Inuyasha be back?” she asked.

He glanced down at her, strangely relieved that she had spoken. “When he completes his task.”

“Task?”

“He's searching for Tetsusaiga.”

She frowned. “What's that?”

“A blade forged of our father's fang.”

“Oh.”

“Do you wish for his return?”

She nodded. “It's nice to have him around, even if he's grumpy most of the time. He's a good companion.”

Did she imply that he, Sesshoumaru was unable to provide her with such comfort? His lips tightened in annoyance. Perhaps she was right. After all, he had not approached at all in the last few months. Instead, Inuyasha had been the one to ensure that she and the pup were safe. His negligence bit at him uncomfortably.

The miko rubbed her back, grimacing as she did so.

“Are you unwell?” he asked, once again noticing how unnatural he sounded.

She looked up at him in surprise. Then, with a hesitant smile, she replied, “A little achy, but otherwise alright.”

Sesshoumaru frowned. He was not familiar with breeding females. “Where does it hurt?”

Her hand went to the small of her back. “Just down here. I think it's normal,” she remarked thoughtfully.

“Hn.”

Settling himself down beside her, he pulled her into his lap, ignoring her gasp of shock and the droplets of water that drenched his hakama. He would attempt to ease the discomfort of the mother of his pup. After all, this was his responsibility.

“Sesshoumaru!” she exclaimed, her eyes wide in her face. “What are you doing? Put me down.”

“Be quiet,” he ordered firmly. His actions unsettled him and he did not need her to question it.

While she blinked at him in astonishment, he simply shifted her rounded form carefully such that she was facing to the side. Placing a palm on the small of her back, he began to rub in a circular motion. Soon she began to relax under his touch and the tension seeped out of her. They remained in that position for a long while, surrounded by nothing but the soft gurgle of the hotsprings.

Without ceasing his movements, Sesshoumaru snuck a glance downwards to find that her eyelids were drooping. She was falling asleep under his caresses. Slowly, her body slanted sideways until she rested on his chest. His movement stilled completely when her head touched his shoulder.

Uncertain of his next move, Sesshoumaru simply held himself still. Her weight was insignificant but he intensely aware of the warmth of her body against his. Strangely enough, her presence in his arms was not displeasing. In fact, it was rather soothing. It occurred to him then that this was the first time in a long while that he did not feel agitated at one thing or another.

He frowned thoughtfully. Avoiding the miko had done nothing but cause him more distress. Perhaps he had overreacted over the odd emotions he had felt over the past few months. After all, prior to their mating, they had gotten along fairly well and there was every reason to believe that they could reach such a point once again. Furthermore, it was only natural for him to be concerned about the mother of his pup.

His eyes narrowed with determination. Yes, he would allow himself to care for the miko and she would remain in the Western Lands with their pup. He had no intention of mating her, or anyone for that matter, but he would provide her with everything she wished for. She would have no reason to go to Akiyama.

…***…***…***…

Kagome glanced over her shoulders at the taiyoukai behind her, eyeing the silver hair streaming out behind him. His attention was focused on the landscape in before him as he guided his cloud over the rough terrain.

The last thing she had expected was for him to take her out. He had only done so once before, during one of his patrols. The scenery was breathtaking, but all she could think of was how warm his body felt against hers through the layers of clothes and armor. She was also beginning to think that she might have a permanent imprint of his hand on her stomach by the possessive way he was holding her. It seemed that he liked to touch her protruding belly, she thought with some amusement.

Not that this was the first time he had touched her. After all, his hands had been to many more private places, she recalled and immediately flushed. Her body began to heat up as it remembered just what those hands could do.

“Miko…” He sounded strained.

She closed her eyes, willing the images to go away.

“Miko!”

Her eyes snapped open to lock onto his flickering golden orbs.

“You may wish to curb your desires.”

Kagome blanched in mortification. How was he able to tell? Maybe it was just a lucky guess. Yeah, that must be it. Forcing out a laugh, she said, “What are you talking about?”

He raised a brow at her. “Even though we're no longer bonded, this Sesshoumaru can sense your arousal,” he said, sounding amused.

She closed her eyes. This was embarrassing. How could she talk her way out of this? “Um… It's just because of the pregnancy. My body is doing strange things,” she fabricated, hoping that he would believe her.

His lips twitched. “Is that so?”

Suddenly irritated, she snapped, “Yes! It is so!”

“Very well.” His expression belied his disbelief.

Why did he immediately think that she was having `thoughts' about him? Disgruntled, she snapped, “Maybe I was thinking of Akiyama.”

His eyes hardened. “You will not speak of the Northern Lord in such a manner,” he gritted out. “It is… distasteful.”

“So it's alright for me to have such thoughts about you but not Akiyama?” she challenged incredulously. Sesshoumaru's arrogance knew no bounds. If she should be having thoughts like that about someone, it should be about Akiyama, seeing that he was the one who was courting her.

One of his hands moved to her neck, and then she found herself spun around to face him. Surprised, she muffled a squeak, throwing her arms around him to stop herself from falling off his cloud. When her eyes shot up to his face, she swallowed hard at the unreadable gleam in those golden orbs.

“S-Sesshoumaru?” she stammered uncertainly.

His face loomed closer, and her lips parted as a mix of apprehension and anticipation shot though her. A fraction of a moment later, before she could process what was happening, his lips touched hers. Softly at first, then he became more insistent, sliding his tongue over to demand entry, the hand behind her neck holding her in place. Her blood ran hot the second his tongue touched hers, tangling in an erotic dance, eliciting a moan of desire from her.

Not quite knowing what she was doing, Kagome simply responded as her hands clenched and unclenched on his back. Kami, she had almost forgotten what it felt like to be kissed by him. Only this time, it was much more intense than she remembered.

He stopped just as abruptly as he had begun.

Dazed, she could only stare up at him, watching his eyes flicker with an indefinable emotion. He seemed just as shocked as she was. Then the hand at her neck tightened slightly before the expressionless mask slammed down on his features.

“Do not compare this Sesshoumaru with the Northern Lord if you do not wish for this to occur again,” he intoned flatly.

…***…***…***…

Kagome sucked in a sharp breath as she jolted awake from her dream. Blinking rapidly, the view of the park near the shrine came into focus, making her realize that she had dozed off. She immediately searched for the familiar mop of silver hair to find with relief that Sachimaru was still swinging himself back and forth on the monkey bars, displaying his inhuman agility. A few other boys were nearby, but they did not bother him.

Flashes of her dreams filtered through her mind.

Clapping her hands to her heated cheeks, she willed her erratic heartbeat to slow down. It was only a kiss, she scolded herself. How can she be so affected by the memory of one little kiss? For Kami's sakes, she was not an inexperienced teenage girl. She immediately scowled at the thought. Maybe she was. After all, she did not remember if anything else had happened between her and Sesshoumaru.

Would she feel the same if Sesshoumaru kissed her in the present time?

Gah! What was she thinking about?

She had not seen him for two days only as she was already thinking about him like a lovesick teenager.

The moment the thought entered her mind, Kagome froze. She could not be in love with him, could she?

Shaking her head violently, she slapped her cheeks. She was just experiencing the leftover emotions from the memories, that was all. But then again, was she not the same person? If her younger self had such an intense response to Sesshoumaru, there was no reason why she should feel any differently.

Groaning helplessly, she wondered just how much messier her thoughts could get. What was real and what was not? What was her current and what were simply her old feelings? Was there any difference between the two? Just how much she had changed since then?

She wondered if Sesshoumaru was having the same problems separating the two now that the past had caught up with the present.

She made a face. This was hardly the time for him to be worried about something like this considering the current situation in the demon society. From what she could tell from the news, things did not look good. Sesshoumaru was right. People are scared of demons simply because they did not know them. She had been in prolonged contact with demons and as far as she could tell, they were just like normal people with feelings and all. The news made it sound as if they were animals without any conscience.

The image of Sesshoumaru flinging a lifeless body of a demon slayer flashed across her mind, making her wince. Alright, maybe they do get a little bloodthirsty when they were threatened, she admitted reluctantly. Still, it was not as if she did not understand why Sesshoumaru had done it that time.

She sighed. He had called last night like he had done the night before yesterday. It was an understatement to say that she was surprised by his commitment. Ever since their memories had returned, Sesshoumaru had found one way or another to stay in contact her and Sachimaru every day. He was really making an effort to make sure that he was in their lives. She knew that it was probably just because of Sachimaru, but a small part of her could not help but hope that there was something more than that.

At the moment, he was in Hokkaido for a meeting at Akiyama's place. Kagome bit her lips guiltily when she remembered that she had purposely avoided telling Sesshoumaru about Akiyama's phone calls. It was almost certain that Sesshoumaru would throw up an unnecessary fuss and she did not think that he needed the additional distraction at the moment.

“Okaa-san… Can we go now?” Sachimaru asked quietly.

Blinking in surprise at her son's unexpected request, Kagome stood up. “Are you sure you've had enough?” she asked. It was uncommon for Sachimaru to want to leave the park early.

He nodded at her, his expression betraying nothing. Still concerned but not knowing what she should do about it, she took his hand and began to walk towards the exit. Sachimaru has been a bit withdrawn ever since the news about demons hit the air and she wondered if it would affect his views on Sesshoumaru. Ever since that thought had occurred to her, she had banned him from watching the news.

Holding on to her son's hand, she crossed the road. For the last two days, shops had closed down earlier. The area had been less busy ever since the whole thing about demons had blown up, proof of the population's anxiety. It was worrying, Kagome thought as she walked down the side of the street, not really paying much attention to the few teenage boys perched on the railing in front of a closed shop.

One of them dropped to his feet when she and Sachimaru passed them.

“Look at his pointed ears and that hair. He can't be human. Hey, demon kid!” he yelled as his friends joined him.

Freezing on the spot, Kagome felt the rise of her anger at the taunts. This was her son they were mocking. How dare they do such a thing? As she spun to face them, she reached out to Sachimaru, intent on protecting him from the teenagers.

To her surprise, instead of hiding behind her, Sachimaru walked around. Tilting his chin up proudly, he shot back, “Yes, I'm a demon. So what?”

The leader of the group blinked in surprise. “What? You're proud of it?”

“There's nothing for me to be ashamed of,” Sachimaru declared firmly.

Kagome stood stock still. If there were any doubt at all in her mind that Sachimaru was Sesshoumaru's son, this event would definitely set things clear. The way Sachimaru had spoken back at the teenagers certainly displayed the sort of confidence and arrogance that she had come to associate with Sesshoumaru.

One of the younger teenagers made a face. “You are one sick kid.”

“Hey, watch your mouth,” Kagome snapped angrily.

“Why should I listen to a bitch who allowed herself to be fucked by a demon?” one of them sneered.

Kagome felt her blood boil. She could not believe that in this day and age, there were still people who were so close-minded. “And why is that any of your business?” she gritted out.

The teenager snorted. “Demons are not welcomed in this world. And you're just betraying your own kind.”

“Demons were probably here even before us, you ignorant brat!” Kagome shot back.

Stepping closer, the teenager jeered, “So what? They're obviously weak, or else why did they bother to hide? They're scared of us.”

Kagome could not help it. A bark of humorless laughter broke from her at the thought of what Sesshoumaru's expression would be like if he had heard this.

“What is so funny?” one of the snarled threateningly.

“Oh, forget it,” Kagome dismissed, turning away to leave. “Come on, Sachimaru.”

“Don't walk away from us!”

Annoyed, Kagome spun around. This time, before she could stop it, she growled at them. The teenager's eyes instantly widened in fear.

“She's growling. She's one of them…” the youngest one whispered.

They quickly backed away and then ran, much to Kagome's relief. It looked like they only dared to pick on Sachimaru because he was young, but when they thought that she was a demon, they did not have the guts to do it. Cowards.

Beside her, Sachimaru scowled. “They are stupid.”

Kagome sighed. “They are just afraid of what they don't know.”

Sachimaru sagged. “I know. Someone should just talk to them. Someone should explain. Demons are not always bad, right, Okaa-san?”

Recalling his proclamation earlier, she knelt before him. “You know you're a demon?” she asked carefully.

The boy blinked. “I guessed.”

Choosing not to comment, she stood up and simply took his hand, continuing their journey home. She should not be surprised that Sachimaru had guessed. After all, her son has always been startlingly perceptive, she thought with a small smile.

…***…***…***…

Sesshoumaru willed himself not to tap his claws on the table even though he was growing increasingly impatient with the current discussions with the other three lords. This was pointless. They had gone in circles ever since he had arrived two days ago.

It was prudent to meet in Akiyama's territory, considering that the concealment problem that plagued the demons had not affected the northern isle as much as the rest of Japan. Sesshoumaru surmised that it was due to the fact that those under Akiyama's rule had been provided with a form of concealment which differed from the one the rest of them used.

A method which no one knew anything about, Sesshoumaru thought grimly.

Did that mean that Naraku had planted a spy in Shiori's establishment? It was likely, Sesshoumaru thought furiously as he allowed the facts to run through his mind.

It was as he had thought. A spell had been hidden within the television programmes, broadcasting repeatedly until Inuyasha's team stealthily filtered them out just a few hours ago. For those who had been affected by the spell, they still could not bring it back up. No matter what they attempted, the concealment spell refused to function, even though the source of the failure had been found and eliminated.

Inuyasha had taken to wearing a cap whenever he left the mansion. And he, Sesshoumaru only traveled using his energy orb whenever he needed to be somewhere else. The rest of the demons who possessed visible demonic features were housebound unless they could travel unseen.

The grave expression of the four other lords around the table was just another proof of how serious the situation was.

“Can't we just make up a new batch of concealing spells?” Kouga asked irritably.

“It would serve no purpose. The humans are already aware of our existence,” Akiyama pointed out.

Takeo turned to Kouga. “How did your demons managed to get themselves caught? And from the sounds of things, they are talking far too much.”

Growling, Kouga snapped, “You think they let themselves be caught on purpose? Someone must have tipped the police off.”

“Naraku's underlings must be the ones responsible for that,” Akiyama remarked flatly.

Takeo slammed a fist on the table. “Where the hell is that bastard Naraku?” he boomed furiously. “I've sent out search teams but there's absolutely no clue of his whereabouts.”

“He is in hiding,” Sesshoumaru spat with distaste.

“Which is more than I can say for the rest of us,” Kouga grumbled, his fangs clearly visible. “We should hide until this whole thing blows over.”

“It's not possible to hide everyone, Kouga,” Akiyama pointed out dryly. “The only other thing I can think of is to leave the country.”

“We just need to get the concealing spell to work again,” Takeo gritted out.

“Maybe something in the air is still affecting it,” Kouga suggested with a frown.

Akiyama shook his head. “I've sent my team out to test air samples. There's nothing in the air that suggests that it is contaminated, apart from the usual pollution. And before you ask, there's nothing in the water either.”

Takeo scowled. “Well, something needs to be done. It's fine for Kouga to walk around with his tail in his pants. And so long as he doesn't open his mouth, no one can tell he's a demon.” Pointing to his face, Takeo continued, “I can't very well move anywhere with my bear features, can I? And neither could Sesshoumaru. You only need to take a look at all his hair and markings to know that he's a demon.”

“Akiyama, whatever you're using as concealment, you'd better hand it over,” Kouga grumbled.

“I would be glad to assist,” the elemental replied smoothly.

“What do you want for it?” Takeo growled irritably.

Akiyama quirked a brow. “I have not considered payment yet.”

Sesshoumaru's lips thinned. “You will inform us of your price.”

“Perhaps I simply wish for the continuation of our peace. However, you need to know that I am not able to provide concealment for the entire demon population in the West and East,” the elemental said in a measured tone.

Kouga frowned. “Whatever it is, can't you just make more of it?”

Akiyama shook his head. “The concealment was a gift to those who pledged their lifetime loyalty to me. A small part of my youki is used in the process. To provide concealment for many demons would deplete my strength severely and I won't be able to regenerate enough to survive.”

Sesshoumaru masked his surprise at the fact that the elemental allowed himself to be weakened for that expanse of time. Each time Akiyama used his youki to conceal a demon's heritage, his strength would be depleted until it was regenerated. It was most unwise of him.

“How is the concealment applied?” Sesshoumaru asked.

“My youki will be contained in a small vessel, such as a bracelet or a pendant. It works to conceal one's demonic heritage and scent when it is worn once I direct it to do so.”

Perhaps this was the reason why most demons had chosen to use the spell provided by Tsukuyo Medical. After all, one could hardly lose a spell as opposed to losing a bracelet or a pendant. Unfortunately, it appeared that the Tsukuyo spell was more vulnerable to attacks. On the other hand, one would have to tamper with Akiyama youki in the vessel to disturb the alternative concealment.

“Just name your price, Akiyama,” Takeo muttered. “It's not as if we have much choice right now.”

“Anyway, you already have our alliance,” Kouga pointed out with a frown. Glancing at Sesshoumaru and Takeo, he asked pointedly, “We're not planning to break the alliance anytime soon, right?”

“Hn.”

Akiyama shook his head. “The alliance will remain unbroken. And I simply wish for it to continue to be so.”

Sesshoumaru tensed when the elemental's blue eyes found his and to his annoyance, found a subtle challenge in those blue orbs. The issue with the miko instantly came to mind. It was obvious that Akiyama was recalling his threat a few days earlier. Akiyama did not wish for him to involve their alliance with the pursuit of the miko.

Takeo stood up and stretched, pushing his rounded stomach out even further. “Well, I'm going back to my room. We can continue this later.”

Kouga followed him. “Yeah. See you in a while. I need to make some calls.”

Kouga and Takeo left, leaving him and Akiyama to stare at each other across the conference table. The knowing expression on Akiyama's face riled him and Sesshoumaru had to force his features to reveal nothing. For a long while, they continued to stare at each other until finally, Sesshoumaru reached the end of his patience.

“You have made further contact?” he bit out.

The corner of Akiyama's lips tilted. “I presume you're referring to the miko.”

“Hn.”

“As a matter of fact, I have,” Akiyama replied casually.

Sesshoumaru suppressed the urge to growl. The miko had said nothing to him about this encounter. Had he not specifically told her to avoid the elemental?

Akiyama shook his head slowly, understanding his thoughts. “You cannot command her or tell her to stop talking to me, Sesshoumaru. Such a thing would only backfire.”

Eyes narrowing, Sesshoumaru intoned flatly, “She will obey.”

Akiyama tilted his head to one side. “You don't know her very well, do you? The miko values her independence and would resent it if you choose to take that away from her. If you wish to court her, you should understand at least that much. Otherwise you're only going to make her miserable.”

Sesshoumaru stiffened. Akiyama's voice rang with the truth.

Akiyama stood up. “My servants will serve dinner at the main hall tonight. I trust that you'd be able to locate it.”

“Hn,” Sesshoumaru responded absently. The elementals words were still echoing in his mind.

Would he be depriving the miko of her own choices, very much like his younger self had done? Was he doing the same thing now? He hasn't had the time to fully consider courting and mating the miko, but he knew that the notion pleased him. However, the idea of the miko being unhappy gave him an uncomfortable feeling.

Akiyama was right in that he should not force such a thing upon her. Sesshoumaru's eyes hardened with determination. Akiyama might not know it, but the elemental had just given him something which will tilt the balance between them. He would simply ensure that the miko were given enough information to make the correct choice.

Then Sesshoumaru stilled as something occurred to him. Something did not make sense. Why would Akiyama offer such advice to a rival? Was the elemental so confident of his success? Or perhaps he truly cared for the miko?

…***…***…***…

Kagome looked up at the familiar building before her, set against a backdrop of the morning sky. It did not take long for her to get from Tsukuyo Medical to the offices of IY Media and Entertainment. She had worked through the night but rather than being tired, she was filled with anticipation of meeting Inuyasha. She only hoped that Inuyasha was actually there.

Stepping into the building, she waved at the security guard. “Good morning, Isamu!”

“Kagome?” the man exclaimed with surprise.

Grinning, she walked towards him. It was only then that she saw something that she had not noticed before; the sharp points behind Isamu's lips and the two red vertical slashes mostly hidden by his brown bangs. The expression in his eyes instantly turned wary when he noticed the direction of her gaze.

Understanding washed over her. “It's okay, Isamu. I know,” Kagome assured in a quiet voice. “Sesshoumaru told me what happened with the concealment spell.”

His lips parted in shock. “You know Mr. Taishou?”

Perhaps she shouldn't have mentioned Sesshoumaru. It would certainly raise questions. “We're kind of old friends. And this whole thing happened when he was at my place.”

Grimacing, Isamu gestured around them. “More than half the building is empty. I just hope that this whole thing gets fixed soon. When the economy dips, the humans will see just how much we're entrenched in the society. Lots of demons can't turn up to work without their concealment. Thankfully here we have quite a number of half-demons, so we're not completely shut down.”

“Don't worry, Isamu. I'm sure Sesshoumaru will figure out something. Say, is Inuyasha around? I want to surprise him.”

Isamu inclined his head at the lift. “He's on the top floor.”

“Thanks, Isamu.”

With that, she made her way to the lift and went up the building. As she stood there alone, she bit her lips, wondering what she should say to the hanyou when she saw him. The last she remembered from her dreams, he had left the Western Lands to search for Tetsusaiga.

The lift slid to a halt at the top floor and she stepped out to find herself standing in a plush lobby decorated very much like the rest of the building. A secretary she did not recognize looked up from her desk. Kagome immediately realized that she must be a demon or a half demon from the slanted green eyes and the pointed ears. But still, if one was not looking carefully, she could pass as human.

“Can I help you?”

“I'm here to see Inuyasha,” Kagome said.

Just then, a door to one side of the secretary opened and a flash of silver caught her attention. She glanced to the side to find Inuyasha staring at her. A red cap was perched on top of his head, completely at odds with the grey shirt and black slacks he was wearing. To Kagome's surprise, she instantly felt a rush of affection towards the gaping hanyou.

“You!” Inuyasha exclaimed incredulously.

Kagome fought to keep her face straight as she said, “I just thought you might be free today to take a stroll with me. You wanted to show me this village somewhere further south, remember?”

His eyes widened in disbelief as his mouth opened and closed soundlessly.

“After all, you kind of abandoned me with Sesshoumaru when you went off to hunt for Tetsusaiga,” she continued blithely.

He blinked. “The dreams…”

She gave him a soft smile. “They are not dreams. They are memories which was somehow blocked from us.”

“Kagome…” Inuyasha whispered as he stepped away from the door. “It's really you!” he exclaimed just before he scooped her up in a bear hug. Releasing her, he gave her a sheepish grin, obviously embarrassed by his display.

She laughed as she returned his hug. “It has been a long time, Inuyasha.”

His eyes flickered in confusion. “But how? I don't get it. It has been five centuries. Humans don't live that long.”

“I know. I never told you where I came from, right?”

Inuyasha rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully. “I guess not. I just thought that you came from that village near the well.”

Kagome shook her head. “I was born twenty years ago here in Tokyo. I accidentally fell into the well when I was fifteen. The well was a portal to your time five hundred years ago.”

He gave her an uncertain look.

“Really,” she insisted. “I just got back here a few years ago. Because I lost two years of school, I had to go to night classes and now I'm a paramedic in Tsukuyo Medical.”

Inuyasha shook his head as if to clear it and the cap fell off his head to reveal his puppy-dog ears. Her fingers instantly twitched in reaction. Vaguely, she wondered if Inuyasha would mind if she tweaked them just one more time.

“I wouldn't have believed it if you are not standing in front of me,” he remarked wryly, bending down to retrieve the cap and then shoving it back onto his head. “I thought I was going crazy with all those dreams of guarding a miko and babysitting Sesshoumaru's brat.”

“Hey! Sachimaru is not a brat!” Then she gasped when she realized that in her dreams, Sachimaru had not been born yet. “You remember Sachimaru?”

“Keh! Of course.”

“Then your dreams must be further on than mine or Sesshoumaru's,” she mused contemplatively. It looked like hers and Sesshoumaru's were the slowest so far. Could it be because they had more things to remember? After all, she did not meet Inuyasha until much later.

Inuyasha's eyes rounded. “Sesshoumaru knows about this?”

She nodded.

“Why the hell didn't he tell me anything?” Inuyasha exclaimed belligerently. Then he scowled. “Right. I get it. The bastard probably didn't know it was real either.”

“He knows that it was real for a while now, but he only found out who I am a few days ago,” she explained.

Inuyasha took on a contemplative look before a smirk appeared on his lips. “I bet he was shocked, huh? Something like this must have shaken him quite a bit.”

“You could say that.”

Inuyasha grinned. “Wish I could have seen his face when he found out.”

“Uh… he wasn't too happy at that time, to be honest,” she muttered, remembering how angry Sesshoumaru had been when he found out that Sachimaru had disappeared.

As if on cue, Inuyasha asked, “Where's Sachimaru, by the way?”

“At home. You want to see him?”

Inuyasha grinned, his eyes flashing with unmistakable anticipation. “Yeah, why not? Where's home? I'll drive us there.”

Before she could answer, he had already grabbed her arm, dragging her out of his office towards the lift. She told him where she lived as he pressed the panel on the wall. The lift descended several floors before the door opened and a familiar woman stepped in.

“Yura!” Kagome greeted as her eyes landed on the woman who had given her the tickets to the carnival. She wondered if Yura was another demon or half demon. There was no way of telling, seeing that Yura looked completely human.

“Hey, girl! Nice to see you back,” Yura returned her greeting. Then, inclining her head pointedly at Inuyasha who was still hanging on to her arm, Yura warned, “You'd better be careful. He breaks hearts.”

Kagome grinned at the dark-haired female. “Don't worry. Inuyasha knows how to keep his hands to himself.”

Scowling, Inuyasha instantly released her arm. “Keh! Like I want to touch my brother's wench.”

Yura's eyes widened in astonishment. “Did you just say what I thought I heard you say? Sesshoumaru? Kagome and Sesshoumaru are…But he never…” She paused, blinking in disbelief. “You and Sesshoumaru! Really?! When did this happen?”

Uncomfortable, Kagome forced out a laugh. “It's not quite like that, Yura.”

Inuyasha gave her an odd look as he reclaimed her arm. When the lift stopped at the ground floor, he quickly dragged her along to the stairwell, preventing her from saying another word to Yura. When they were safely ensconced in his car, Kagome turned to look at Inuyasha.

“What's the hurry?”

“Yura likes to gossip and Sesshoumaru likes his privacy,” Inuyasha said carelessly as he directed the car out of the parking area into the streets.

Her eyes widened in comprehension. “Oh.” After a short pause, she asked, “So Yura was pretty surprised, huh? About Sesshoumaru?”

Taking his eyes briefly off the road, Inuyasha said, “Well, Sesshoumaru never hangs around females. So it'll be a surprise to most demons when they hear about you and him.” Snorting, he continued, “I guess now we know why he never showed much interest in other females. He's got you, after all.”

She lowered her eyes. “We don't have that kind of relationship, Inuyasha. You know that.”

“Keh! All I know is that back then, he paid you more attention than anyone else. I would even go as far as to say that he's obsessed. But of course, being Sesshoumaru, he'd rather pretend nothing was happening than to admit it.”

She gasped. Was Inuyasha actually telling the truth? Did he remember something that she didn't? “I don't think so. Sesshoumaru didn't remember me until recently.”

Inuyasha frowned thoughtfully. “Maybe his subconscious did. It definitely ain't normal for a male to be so disinterested in females.”

Kagome rolled her eyes. “Of course you'd say that. You haven't changed a bit over the years, huh? Still sleeping around, I take it?”

He smirked. “What can I say? I'm good at it.”

An exasperated groan escaped her lips. “I give up.” Then she sat up straight. “Say, do you know where I can find Katsuo?”

“What do you want to find him for?” Inuyasha muttered darkly.

Kagome sighed at the mutinous look on Inuyasha's face. “Please don't tell me the two of you are still bickering after five hundred years.”

“Keh!”

“So?” she prompted impatiently.

“So what?”

Kagome ground her teeth together. “Where can I find Katsuo?”

When Inuyasha finally replied, his tone was gruff. “He works at Taishou Securities. But if you want addresses and numbers, the best bet is Shiori. She has records of practically all demons under Sesshoumaru's domain.”

She blinked at the slight flush on his cheeks. “What's wrong?” she asked curiously.

“Who said anything was wrong?” he retorted, obviously disgruntled.

Frowning, she tried to think of what could have possibly set this off. Was it the talk about Katsuo? Then her eyes widened when she remembered a certain conversation she had with Shiori before she knew that she was the miko in the dreams. When she told Shiori that Sesshoumaru wanted something from her that she couldn't give, the woman had said that it ran in the family.

“Is it Shiori?” Kagome prodded curiously.

The red flush on his cheeks deepened, confirming her suspicion. “What are you going on about?” he snapped irritably.

How curious, Kagome thought. Then she grinned inwardly. One day, she would find out what happened between the two of them.

…***…***…***…

They arrived at the Higurashi shrine a short while later. Inuyasha was so excited that she barely had a chance to catch a breath before he scooped her up in his arms and scaled the numerous shrine steps in a few leaps. She only prayed that no one had seen them.

When her feet touched solid ground again, they were in front of her house. Sachimaru was there, swinging his bokken in the moves she had taught him. She wondered what Sesshoumaru would make of his son learning the Western warrior's moves from her.

“Okaa-san!” Sachimaru shouted exuberantly when he saw her.

Instantly, he ran over to give her a hug. Only then did he turn to look up at Inuyasha. Wordlessly, Sachimaru stared at him. There was no recognition in his eyes and Kagome's heart sank at the disappointment on Inuyasha's face.

“You don't recognize me, do you?” Inuyasha remarked wryly.

Wide-eyed, Sachimaru shook his head.

Inuyasha shuffled, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he muttered, “I guess you were pretty young then to remember anything.”

Sachimaru looked confused. “Remember what?” he asked.

Kagome could not stand that look on Inuyasha's face. The hanyou obviously loved her son. She should tell Sachimaru. Never mind that neither she nor Sesshoumaru had explained anything to the boy yet. Anyway, Sachimaru was so perceptive that he had probably guessed Sesshoumaru's real identity. After all, he had guessed that he was a demon.

“Sachimaru, this is your uncle,” Kagome interjected softly.

Sachimaru gasped. “Really?”

Inuyasha's expression lightened. Grinning, he remarked, “Can't you tell by our eyes and hair?”

“So you're a demon,” Sachimaru remarked enthusiastically.

Inuyasha raised a brow. “Half-demon. Like you.”

“I didn't know that,” Sachimaru exclaimed before turning to grin at her. “You gave me my human half, right, Okaa-san?”

Kagome gaped at her son. Did the boy really understand what he had just said? Before she could say a word, Sachimaru continued to chatter to Inuyasha, bombarding him questions about his demon powers. Strangely enough, Sachimaru made no mention of his father.

Soon enough, Sachimaru was dragging Inuyasha up to his room to show off his games. Shaking her head indulgently, Kagome simply followed them up the stairs. Then deciding to change out of her work clothes, she went to her room. She immediately made a face at the mess which greeted her. Sighing reluctantly, she began to pick up her rumpled clothes from the bed.

While she was in the middle of placing her clothes back in her cupboard, she heard a sound at the door. Kagome turned around just as Inuyasha stepped in, his curious eyes scanning her room.

“I've got to head back to the office. Something cropped up.” Then he paused. “What's that doing here?” he asked incredulously, walking towards her table.

Kagome blinked. “What?” she asked, following Inuyasha's gaze until her eyes landed on the chain and circular silver pendant in a small tray.

It was only then that it hit her. She had just seen it in her dreams not long ago. The broken chain with its pendant was something which Katsuo had worn. And Sachimaru had been wearing it until a few months ago when the chain broke. But why was Katsuo's chain with Sachimaru in the first place?”

“Keh! I remember now.”

She swung around to face him. “What do you remember?” she prompted urgently.

“Katsuo gave it to Sachimaru as a gift.”

Her eyes widened. “But that was a present from his own mother. How could he give it away?” she protested.

Inuyasha frowned. “You don't remember Sachimaru's first birthday?”

Kagome shook her head. “Not yet.”

Golden eyes widened in comprehension, and then Inuyasha said gruffly, “We had a discussion sometime before Sachimaru's birthday.”

“You and Katsuo?” Kagome exclaimed incredulously. “Having a discussion?”

Inuyasha's expression turned defensive. “So what? Not that I wanted to!” Then his tone gentled. “It's just that both of remember what it's like being hanyou pups. Things can get…uncomfortable.”

Kagome frowned. “What do you mean?”

“We're neither fully human or demon, so our presence are not usually accepted by either side. Katsuo thought that the chain would protect Sachimaru. After all, that idiot Katsuo was big enough to protect himself.”

“Oh!” she exclaimed softly.

Inuyasha looked uncomfortable. “All this mushy talk is giving me a headache. I'll catch you some other day, alright? I need to get back to work. Sesshoumaru left at the worst time.”

“That trip to Hokkaido?” she asked as she followed him out of the room and down the stairs.

Inuyasha paused at the door. “Yeah. I guess he told you about the meetings between the old lords.”

Kagome nodded. “You had better keep that cap on.”

He nodded. “I'll come by again when I get a chance.”

The moment Inuyasha's figure disappeared from sight, Kagome immediately ran back up to her room and picked up the chain and pendant. Sitting down on her bed, she stared it, fingering the smooth strands. With a start, she suddenly realized that those smooth strands were actually individual lengths of hair woven together. She frowned as she tried to remember what happened to the chain. It seemed too much of a coincidence that this chain had made it to the future with her and Sachimaru.

Then her eyes widened in realization.

If she was not mistaken, her dreams had begun soon after Sachimaru broke the chain.

A strange numbness came over her as she continued to stare at it. Could it be that the strands of hair had held the spell on their memories such that when it was broken, the memories returned? Her focus shifted onto the pendant. What about the pendant? Was it holding some sort of spell as well?

Her fingers curled around the smooth object as she steeled herself. There was only one way to find out.

Standing up, she ran downstairs into the kitchen. Her mother looked up curiously, but did not say anything when she retrieved a hammer from the toolbox in one of the cupboards. Hammer held in one hand, she placed the silvery pendant on the dining table.

Should she really do this? What if she set off something else?

“Kagome?”

She looked up to find her mother staring at her questioningly. Swallowing hard, she explained, “I think the chain held the spell to my memories, and when Sachimaru broke it, the memories returned.” Turning her attention back to the pendant, she added, “And if I break the pendant…”

“You think it will give you more answers.” her mother supplied.

Kagome nodded.

Her mother placed a hand on her shoulder. “Then you should do it,” she said firmly.

Those words were enough to give Kagome the reassurance she needed. Giving her mother a grateful smile, Kagome said, “Thanks, Mom.”

Taking a deep breath, she raised the hammer and brought it down.

The metal hit the pendant with a sharp burst of sound. For a moment, nothing happened. Then Kagome's eyes widened as cracks began to form from the centre of the pendant, quickly radiating outwards.

The air began to vibrate.

Then a brilliant burst of light blinded her.

…***…***…***…

A/N: More things to be resolved and explained in the next chapter! By the way, there will be no sequel to A Little Faith but I'm plotting another story. I'm aiming to upload it a few weeks after this one is done. It's early stages yet, set in canon universe and I was wondering about a few things. What is your view on bringing the original characters like Akiyama, Katsuo, Moriko and Natsumi back in the next story? Also, would you prefer if I do the story based on the ending of the anime, or somewhere further along in the manga?