InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Novus Lux ❯ Explanations & Pertubations ( Chapter 3 )

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

þÿSo, in lieu of the usual industry terms, we have a music lesson, a Hindu Goddess, and some dictionary fun instead:

The Prelude by Frederic Chopin referred to in this chapter is "Prelude in E minor, Opus 28, Number 4." It is an incredibly gorgeous piece of music, one of my all-time favorites. I first learned this piece when I was about 14, and have always found it to be wonderfully haunting. When you get to the scene where it shows up, I highly recommend looking it up on youtube (click on one of the two minute versions, preferably this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiwPzH J-Pic) to give it a listen. If you do, you will be rewarded with a unique emotional dimensionality to the story, and you'll see why I chose the piece. It will be two minutes of your life well spent. Chopin was an amazing composer. Promise.

Kali is an aspect of the Hindu ultimate reality/deity called Brahman. She is primarily a goddess of time and change, and is associated with eternal energy. She is a goddess of death, a destroyer of worlds. However, she has also been revered as Bhavatarini (literally "redeemer of the universe"), and has been comparatively recently worshiped as a mother goddess figure.

And: The word sepulcher can mean either a tomb/place of burial, or a small niche in which to store relics from religious martyrs. In the way I use it in this chapter, aspects of both definitions are intentionally applied/implied.

Chapter 3: Explanations and Perturbations

"Alright. I'm turning around now. I'll see you at Fujiwara in a few minutes." He hung up. So much for going home and sleeping.

...

"Miroku! Why did you tell Inuyasha to meet us there? He is the last person I want to see right now!" Kagome exclaimed furiously.

Miroku closed his eyes in a long-suffering sigh. "I can't explain right now," he said, "but I promise it will make sense when we get there."

"It better." Kagome had more of her snappishness back now that the Sprite had settled her stomach and she had a little food in her. She was still feeling a little disconnected from reality, despite the improvement in her stomach.

They drove without speaking for a few minutes; the only sounds were the swish of the wind past the car and the crunch of lettuce as Kagome finished eating her salad.

"You know," Kagome said flatly as she swallowed the last bite, "I've got like 8 million questions, the most prominent being, 'What the fuck?'"

"I know. Unfortunately I don't have 8 million answers."

Quiet reigned again for a few minutes, with Kagome trying to figure out what she should ask. Queries danced and collided in her head.

"So," began Miroku, breaking a silence that he thought had become a little awkward and unwittingly jerking Kagome out of her confused thoughts. "Just to cover all of our bases here, is there anyone you can think of who might have had something against you?"

"What? Oh...well, umm..." she paused. "I did do some...computer...work, uh, for cash to help pay for grad school..." Kagome looked extremely uncomfortable. She was talking to her boss, after all.

Miroku grinned. "Ah, you mean you were a bit of a hacker?" He guessed, based on her cagey reply.

"Erm...well, maybe a little." She looked sheepishly out the window. "I'm sure it irked some people, but I really don't think they would do something like what happened tonight." She didn't mention that she also wasn't entirely sure her attackers had been human, particularly in light of her newly discovered 'gift,' if said gift was real. "They'd have to find me, first of all, which would be difficult, since we go by fake names..."

"A handle," Miroku stated.

"That would be what it's called, yes."

There was another awkward pause.

"And, uh, I'd really appreciate it if you didn't mention this conversation to anyone," Kagome said.

"Of course not," Miroku said amiably. "You're one of the best hires we've made in a while. I won't compromise your position."

"Uh, well thanks," she said as she distractedly picked up and drained the last of her soda. It burbled loudly at the bottom of the cup.

...

Inuyasha was conflicted. On one hand, it looked like Naraku was already on the move, Kagome was in danger, and his annoying brother had been right about the course of events, as usual. On the other hand, he was extremely tired, grumpy, and despite his (purely academic) worry for Kagome, he was not looking forward to the meeting at Fujiwara. He desperately wanted to turn back around and go home, where he could take off his obnoxious concealment charm and get some shut-eye. He swore to himself that he'd never think a day could get worse again.

As he pulled up in front of Fujiwara Studios, he saw that Miroku's silver Prius was already in the parking lot. Inuyasha smirked. He had been with Miroku when he bought the car.

"A Prius, Miroku?" he had asked.

"Of course! I shall have no trouble attracting smart, beautiful women with this lovely," Miroku had replied, patting the vehicle affectionately.

"You need a car for that?"

"Of course not. But it will further accentuate my charms, don't you think?"

"Keh! Miroku, no car could accentuate your "charms," even if you attached some strings and hung them from the rear-view mirror."

"I wouldn't expect you to understand. After all, you are not a lady."

"Neither are you."

A corner of Inuyasha's mouth quirked up at the memory, but soon faded as he parked, got out of his car, and headed for the door.

...

Kagome and Miroku were standing outside the studio door after ringing the bell. Miroku knew that Kaede, the owner, would probably already be asleep, but he didn't have another choice at the moment. And anyway, it would be far from the first time she would have been jarred awake by the very same bell, and the hour was much more reasonable than it could have been. Such were the hazards of running a place like Fujiwara.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of Kagome's neck stood up. She shivered, the movement causing Miroku to look over at her.

"Something feels weird," she said.

Miroku couldn't feel anything since he had his rosary back on, but he thought he knew what she was noticing. He had just seen Inuyasha round the corner of the building behind Kagome.

Kagome's body turned around almost independently of her mind; she found herself looking straight at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha froze mid-step under Kagome's intense gaze. Her eyes locked with his; he felt like she was looking at something deep within him, turning it over and analyzing its surfaces. No one, not even his own brother, had given him such a penetrating, scrutinizing look before. And then he realized why this felt different. Her aura had reached out and was touching his curiously, feeling the energies from which he was made. He felt vulnerable for the second time today. He couldn't move. So he did something he'd never known he could do, much less tried to do. He gathered his aura and pushed back against hers.

Kagome stood, pinned in place within the twisting energies. The contact between their auras was incredibly intimate, and she recoiled internally. Her aura seemed insistent though, as if it was telling her to memorize his presence, his very being.

Inuyasha had thought he would be able to push her away. Instead, he found himself wrapped in her energies, and her in his, locked in an archaic dance. Rivers of red and gold rushed around him in swirling eddies, terrifying rapids.

Kagome felt like a small fish tossed over the edge of a waterfall. Their aural embrace wound around and turned in on itself like a liquid Möbius strip. She was out of control. This was not right. And, she suddenly realized at some basic level, he's not completely human.

They wrenched their auras apart simultaneously. There was a soft crack! and a brief flash of red and gold between them as they separated. Both stumbled drunkenly, tumbling down on the sidewalk as the connection was broken.

Miroku, an older woman, and a young woman with tan skin and raven hair were staring, awestruck, at the pair recovering themselves on the ground. The two women had arrived right after Kagome had spotted Inuyasha, just in time to witness the aural interaction between them. They had all felt, and even been able to see the interplay, despite the fact that they were all wearing charms.

"I see why you woke me up," the old woman said softly to Miroku.

"Yes," he responded absently, bending to help a slightly dazed Kagome to her feet. At the old woman's soft command, the black haired woman went to help up Inuyasha, and the group made their way inside. As they shuffled down through the door, Kagome turned her head and frowned lopsidedly at the young woman helping Inuyasha, who he was already shaking off.

"You're not human either," Kagome proclaimed in an otherworldly voice, "but you're different from him."

...

"I'm sorry I couldn't be here to have dinner with you tonight," Sango said, standing in the doorway of her brother's room. Kohaku was busy writing a paper at his computer, an empty frozen dinner tray forgotten on the floor next to his desk.

He sighed. "That's alright. I know you're really busy."

"Yeah, we have a meeting tomorrow with our biggest client..." Sango trailed off. There was a pregnant pause.

"Can I ask you something?" Kohaku said suddenly. He had a small glimmer of hope hovering at the edges of his face.

"Anything," said Sango, relieved he had broken the brief silence.

"How-how are we on finances?"

"Fine. Why do you ask?" She frowned, surprised by the question.

The teenager bit his lip. "Well, we got our grades back today, and I got an 'A' on my math test, so I was kind of hoping we could go out to dinner..."

"Kohaku, that's great!" Sango's face lit up. "And that's the class you've been struggling in, isn't it? Mom and Dad would be so proud of you! Of course we can celebrate!"

Kohaku's smile faltered a little at the mention of their parents. They had been killed in a car accident 6 years ago on the way back from Kohaku's piano recital when he was only 10. He still felt somewhat responsible, and he hadn't been able to make himself touch the instrument since. The piano sat down in the living room, ivory keys quietly gathering dust.

"So... so then can we go tomorrow night?" he asked hopefully.

"Friday is the best day for these sorts of things," Sango beamed. "Where would you like to go?"

"Well, there's a new Greek restaurant downtown that Rin mentioned the other day..."

"Rin? Is that the girl in your class who's been helping you with math?" Sango interrupted.

"Yeah..." Kohaku shifted a little uncomfortably, but said honestly, "She's really smart. She's pretty much the reason I did so well on this last test."

"Oh, well then why don't you ask her if she'd like to come too, since she's been so helpful?"

Kohaku turned eight successive shades of red. "I-I can't do that!" He sputtered.

"Why not? You can tell her your annoying older sister insisted." Sango was amused at her significantly younger brother's embarrassment. At 31, she had gotten over being discomfited about such things. Or so she told herself.

"But, but then she'll think I'm a jerk! Or...or...a coward..." he finished softly.

"You're not a coward," Sango said gently. "If you really don't want to invite Rin, that's okay. I just thought it might be nice for her, given what the teachers have said about her."

"What have they said?" Kohaku asked confusedly. What on earth would the teachers know about his friend that he didn't?

"Well, they said she lives with foster parents, and they seem to think that the situation isn't the best..."

"Oh," he muttered darkly. "That."

"I take it she's told you something definitive?"

"Yeah, but I don't really want to talk about it. She'd probably kill me if she found out I told someone..."

"That's alright. Are you sure you don't want to invite her? She is your friend, after all."

He sighed. "You're right. I guess I'll ask her during study hall tomorrow..."

...

The five stopped abruptly in the hallway at Kagome's pronouncement, staring at her. Her eyes slid in and out of focus, going from brown to glazed in glistening gold. Finally, the shimmering sheen subsided. Kagome straightened up and realized that everyone was looking at her strangely.

"Why are you all staring at me?" She demanded. "And where-? How did we get in here anyway?"

"You- but you just said, that I'm not-" the black haired young woman was interrupted by the old lady's hand on her arm.

"I think introductions are in order first," said the gray haired woman. "Why don't we go up to my apartment above the studio? I'll make some tea and everyone can get introduced, alright?"

There was a general mutter of assent, and they followed the old woman down the hall.

"Miroku!" Kagome hissed. "What is going on? The last thing I remember is waiting outside!" This was the first time she'd suffered from a bout of amnesia, and it scared her more than the attack earlier. At least she could remember what happened then.

"Shh, it'll all be explained once we get upstairs."

"Don't shush me! I want to know what's going on! And why do those two-" she gestured at Inuyasha and the dark young woman "-make me feel all weird?"

"Kagome, I told you-" Miroku started to whisper sharply.

"And come to think of it, I didn't notice before, but you and that old lady feel weird too! Just different weird! God, everything is so fucking weird! I swear, I'm heading for the loony bin or something-"

"Kagome, you're not crazy-"

Inuyasha was having his own muttered conversation with the old woman, which left the young one trying politely not to listen to either pair. They came to a bolted door, which the old woman unlocked, then made their way up a flight of stairs and through another locked door. They found themselves in a relatively spacious, modestly furnished apartment. Everything was somewhat worn, but remarkably clean.

"Now," said the old woman, locking the door again behind her, "Let's make some introductions." She turned to Kagome and gestured formally towards herself. "My name is Kaede Sato, and I am the owner of Fujiwara Studios. Please just call me Kaede. Ms. Sato makes me feel old," she chuckled. She put her hand on the dark woman's arm. "And this is Kali Haryana. She's a foreign exchange student from India, and she's studying engineering at the University of Chicago. She's also one of my instructors," Kaede said proudly. Kali smiled a little self-consciously and inclined her head slightly to Kagome.

"Ah!" Miroku cut in, "So it is your beautiful face I have seen here on occasion!" He took her hand in his. He didn't see the red flash in her eyes. "How wonderful to finally meet you! I-"

"Miroku!" Kaede snapped. "This is not the time!"

Miroku dropped her hand as though he'd been burned. "Oh, uh, yes of course. Please forgive me," he said to Kali. He jumped when he saw red fading from her eyes. His mouth opened in a silent 'O.'

"Anyway," Kaede continued smoothly, turning back to Kagome. "What is your name, dear?"

"It's Kagome Higurashi," she replied a little shortly. "And," she said, rounding on Miroku, "I would really appreciate it if someone would tell me what is going on already."

"Tea first," said Kaede firmly. "Tea makes everything more pleasant."

"But-" Kagome began.

"Tea."

...

Sango left Kohaku to his homework, heading towards the bathroom to take a shower before turning in. She paused in front of the closed door to their parents' room, placing her hand on the thick oak panel. They really would be proud of him, she thought. And not just for the math test. Rin is the first real friend he's had since the crash. She let her hand slide down the door to the brass knob, looking at the places where its shine had long since been worn off by her parents' hands.

It had been almost a year since she had ventured a look inside. She stood there for a minute in indecision, head bowed into the corner where the edge of the door met the frame. Making up her mind, Sango steeled herself and pushed the door open. It creaked on its hinges, years of disuse and lack of oil making themselves known.

Moonlight flowed through the window, casting ghostly light over various dusty objects. Sango stepped over the threshold into the sepulcher of her memories. By unspoken agreement, she and her brother had left everything in the room as it was. Their parents' clothes lay scattered on the floor where they had dropped them while hastily changing into nicer outfits for the recital that afternoon. Their mother's lipstick was still sitting open on the dressing table against the wall, its shock of red dimmed by collected dust. There were several ties scattered on the bed where their father had decided which one to wear that day.

Kohaku had played beautifully, Sango remembered. A Chopin Prelude in E minor, its slow chords and lingering melody had hung in the air of the concert hall like a tropical perfume. The audience's entranced silence seemed louder than the applause that followed.

They had all been deliriously happy. A local reporter who'd showed up said he wanted to write an article about Kohaku's performance, saying the boy was surely a prodigy. Their parents had smiled amiably and said they might consider an interview later, but right now they were going out to dinner to celebrate.

Celebrating.

Kohaku hadn't asked to go out to celebrate anything in the six years since their parents' deaths. It was as though he thought the idea was cursed. Sango almost smiled. Perhaps they were both beginning to heal after all these years. She knew it would probably be a while before they could clean the room she stood in, but it seemed that they might finally be moving forward.

Sango stepped back out of the room, closing the door softly behind her. Turning, she found herself face to face with her younger brother.

He looked at her accusingly. "What were you doing in there?"

...

Inuyasha was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, looking distinctly grumpy. Whatever he and Kaede had been talking about had certainly not improved his mood. Kaede was bustling around the kitchen while the other three sat at the small table. She pulled five mugs from a cabinet, poured each full of steaming tea, and set one in front of each person at the table. When Kaede pressed a mug into Inuyasha's hands, he started to protest.

"I don't drink tea-" he began.

"You do now," Kaede stated.

Stubborn old woman, thought Inuyasha, as he looked down at his steaming mug. It did smell pretty good actually, not that he would ever admit that. Tea was for old people. Technically you are old, you idiot, he reminded himself. A whole lot older than Kaede too, his inner voice added. Demons aged on pace with humans up until somewhere between the ages of 22 and 30, at which point they stopped, or at least aged so slowly that it became almost imperceptible. So, despite the fact that Inuyasha was more than 200 years old, he didn't look a day older than about 26. He was still quite young as far as demons went.

"-wondering what's going on and whether you're crazy," Kaede was saying, bringing Inuyasha out of his thoughts.

"I think paranoid schizophrenic might be more accurate, but yes," Kagome said warily. She had started to question her earlier acceptance of what Miroku had shown her. She was no longer in complete shock from the attack, and her brain had finally begun to process and analyze events.

"Well, I can tell you you're not crazy until I'm blue in the face, but I think that's something you'll have to come to terms with on your own. I can try to give you some answers, but it will be up to you to see the truth," Kaede said matter-of-factly.

"Alright," Kagome agreed, "What tricks have you got for me?"

Kaede raised a gray eyebrow, but chose not to comment. Instead she said simply, "Miroku, please take off your rosary."

Miroku complied, the marks on his palms once again growing visible. Kagome felt his energy wash over her as the charm released him. She blinked.

"You see?" said Kaede. "Now, don't try to reach out with your aura-"

"My what?"

"Ah, you must not remember. That's alright. Some memory lapses are normal when your gift first awakens."

"Apparently," said Kagome. "Explain this aura thing to me."

Kaede sighed. It was going to be a long night. "Everyone has an aura," she began, "that is basically the essence of who they are. It is a reflection, a metaphysical manifestation, of the soul."

"Uh-huh..." Kagome said a little skeptically. She wasn't religious, so she was somewhat ambivalent about the idea of souls and Gods and other such things.

"A soul isn't what you're probably assuming it is," Kaede said, seeming to see Kagome's thoughts. "It's not something religious in nature. It is simply the life force within a person that keeps them existing in the Universe. It both shapes a small part of the fabric of the Universe, and is in turn shaped itself in a continuous loop of reactions."

Kagome nodded slightly. That sounded somewhat more reasonable to her than some sort of transcendent God-given sparkly thing. She got enough of that stuff from her grandfather growing up, and she had done just about everything possible to get away from anything that smacked of organized religion. Despite the sense Kaede's explanation seemed to make, it still had a religious ring to it that Kagome didn't like.

"That still sounds...a little, well..." Kagome trailed off. "I'm still not sure I believe it."

"If it helps," Miroku interjected, "Do not think of this as a matter of belief or faith. Religion is about faith. This is about what is."

Kagome frowned, thinking again of her grandfather. "But religious people believe that what they have faith in is what exists."

Miroku shook his head. "Yes and no, but this isn't about whether you think there's a God or whatever that's part of it all. It's only about what we can tell exists. You can believe what you want about whether there is some sort of deity behind it or not."

Kagome sighed. "And I suppose I'll have to accept this premise, or nothing else will make sense?"

Kaede smiled. "You hit the nail on the head."

"Lovely."

"Anyway," Kaede continued, "You can sense Miroku, am I correct?"

"Assuming I'm not insane, yes, I can," Kagome replied. "And if we're going to keep up with this, I should also say that I can sense you, even though you still have a charm on. I can tell that you are the same at some essential level as Miroku, and both of you are different from those two." She gestured at Kali and Inuyasha. "And I can tell you that Kali is the most different, while Inuyasha somehow seems somewhere in between you and Kali, though there's something odd going on with him also that seems like it's on a different kind of spectrum entirely." Kagome finished her little speech. "Is that what you wanted to hear?" she asked a little impudently.

Yet again, everyone was staring at her with their mouths partially agape. Inuyasha was the first to recover himself.

"Just who do you think you are?" He snapped, taking a step toward the kitchen table. "You think you can just waltz in here and tell everyone that you think I'm some kind of freak?"

Kagome looked at him, utterly confused. "I-I never said-"

"Oh yes you did! You said there was something about me that was 'on a different spectrum entirely!' If that doesn't scream 'freak,' I don't know what does!"

"I did not call you a freak!" Kagome shouted back. "If anyone is a freak here, it's me! I'm the one who's going fucking crazy here and-"

"Language!" Kaede interjected loudly. She rounded on Inuyasha, "Calm down. Kagome doesn't know the half of what's going on, so don't accuse her of anything. In case you didn't notice, she just told us all of that even though Miroku is the only one who isn't still wearing a charm."

Inuyasha bit back the retort he had ready. Kaede was right. He went and leaned back against the wall, pretending he didn't care. "Keh!" he muttered, crossing his arms and looking stubbornly out the kitchen window. Still, the nerve of her! Invading my aura like that and then basically telling me I'm especially strange! Everyone in this goddamn room is strange!

"Now," said Kaede to Kagome, "Let's try an experiment, shall we? I'm going to take off my charm, and I want you to compare what you sense from us."

"If you insist."

Kagome watched as familiar swirling marks appeared on Kaede's wrinkled cheeks, ran down the sides of her neck, and disappeared into her shirt. Kagome frowned as she studied the two.

"Let's see...you and Miroku feel similar in two ways...I-I guess on one level you feel human, if that's any way to describe it, and on another level, you feel like power, though Kaede has more of that than Miroku." She closed her eyes almost involuntarily. "And each of you has a-a, well, I'd call it a signature, I guess, something that feels like you personally. Also, Kaede has reached her potential. Miroku-Miroku has not." She opened her eyes. Miroku was grinning.

"You can tell that? I thought I was stuck at this level!"

Kaede rolled her eyes. "I've been telling you the same thing all along, you know."

"Maybe, but now I have it from multiple sources," he said gleefully.

"I wouldn't count myself as a source yet," Kagome said a little exasperatedly.

"To the contrary," Kali said softly from her spot in the corner. Up until that moment, she had remained silent, drinking her tea and observing. "I am curious what you will think of me," she said, removing her charm.

Kagome watched with bizarre fascination as Kali removed a thick golden bracelet from her wrist. Her cheeks took on an ethereal blue blush, black hair lengthened past her waist, and a red and white design twirled its way across her forehead and down her cheeks. Her black irises were now ringed in red.

Kagome gasped. "I-you-but-you, you don't feel..."

"Human?" Kali chuckled. "That would be because I am not. I am a demon of the elemental variety, the last of a clan of Destroyers."

"D-destroyers?" Kagome asked nervously.

"Destroyers of evil," Kali clarified. "We're a lot like the human demon Slayers, but I like to think we're more discriminating-and more efficient," she added.

"Demon-Slayers?"

"Are pretty much what their name tells you they are," came Inuyasha's interjection from his post against the wall. Kali threw him a glare.

"What he said," she grumbled.

"But...demons?" Kagome felt like an idiot with her one and two word questions, but she couldn't help it. She was feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment.

"Demons are the energetic opposites of humans," Kaede answered. "They are not all evil, and they are not all good, pretty much the way humans are. There used to be equal numbers of each, but humans got more efficient at killing as time went on-"

"Basically demons thought they could get by on their brute strength," Kali interrupted, throwing a significant look at Inuyasha, "And of course humans outwitted them every time."

"That would be the blunt version," Kaede said with a little annoyance.

"It's the efficient one," Kali replied.

"You and your efficiency," Kaede sighed. "You'd think after how long you've been around, you'd have developed some patience."

"How old are you?" Kagome asked in wonder, "You don't look any older than 22-"

Kali smiled. "I appreciate the compliment. I am no longer entirely sure of the date of my birth, but I have lived for almost a thousand years."

"A thousand-?"

"Yes, a thousand. Inuyasha over there is a baby. He's only a little over 200."

Kagome just sat there, shocked; this latest information was just too much on top of everything else.

"I may be young by your standards, but I am not a child!" Inuyasha rejoined petulantly from across the room. He was grumpy and looking for an excuse to fight. And Kali always made a good opponent.

"You have acted like one, hiding from Sesshoumaru all these years and ignoring Naraku's rise over the last century!" she snapped back.

"What do you know about my brother or Naraku?"

"More than you, it seems!"

"Kali-" Kaede tried to interrupt.

"Is that so? Well I-" Inuyasha started.

"Do you know Sesshoumaru's having wife problems?"

"Wife-?"

"Or how about the fact that Naraku managed to get himself elected to the House of Representatives last year in addition to taking over New Light Communications?"

"That's just money!" Inuyasha insisted loudly, "It's not like he's been consolidating demonic power-!"

Kagome was listening absently to the argument taking place around her. Clearly, Inuyasha and Kali had known each other for quite a while, the way they were shouting. Their barbs confused her though. Naraku? Demonic power? New Light Communications she had heard of, but she thought it was run by a collective board.

"Just money? JUST MONEY? Inuyasha, have you lost your mind?" Kali shouted. "Do you have any idea what he could do with that money and political power?"

"Guys-" Miroku tried.

"Oh, come on! What's he gonna do with the government? It's incapable of doing anything remotely useful, so I don't see how Naraku could use such an impotent organization to-"

"You selfish-ignorant-" Kali took a step toward Inuyasha with each insult, "-fool!" Inuyasha had taken his charm off, his ears appeared laid back against his head, fangs bared and his claws visible. Kali raged on, "How dare you-" her eyes were red flames now.

"GUYS!" Miroku roared, with an accompanying flash of purple. Kali and Inuyasha jumped. "That's better," said Miroku softly. He almost never raised his voice. "As pressing as all of that is," he acknowledged, "we have a more immediate problem."

Kagome was sitting on her chair, knees pulled to her chest, staring unblinkingly through Inuyasha and Kali. Her eyes were rimmed in gold, and they could all sense her energies swirling in nervous loops around her. Her mouth formed silent words, and she ran her tongue along her lower lip every few seconds.

Kali looked down at Kagome and said a little sheepishly, "I-I think we broke her."

Miroku waved a hand in front of Kagome's face. Her only response was for the gold on the inner edges of her eyelids to creep inward, forming the beginnings of a golden sheen.

Kaede frowned. "I think her senses might be a little...overloaded. Why don't we all put our charms back on and see what happens?"

There were rustles of movement as they all replaced their charms, looking expectantly at Kagome. The gold in her eyes receded slowly. She blinked at them owlishly.

And then she toppled sideways off her chair.

Miroku and Inuyasha rushed to catch her, smacked heads, and the three of them ended up in a heap on the floor. Kali cackled at their little mishap, and concern and amusement fought for purchase on Kaede's face.

"Are you alright...children?" Kaede asked, a chuckle in her voice.

"Yeah..."

"Keh."

"Urrrrggg..." was Kagome's reply, "I have the world's worst headache..."

"I'll get you some Aspirin, then," Kaede said as she helped the three untangle themselves and get to their feet. Kaede went off to the medicine cabinet, while the remaining four reseated themselves at the table.

"So," began Miroku, "do you remember any of what just happened?"

Kagome pinched the bridge of her nose. "Actually yes, and I've also remembered what happened earlier...though I kind of wish I didn't." Kagome glanced at Inuyasha, caught his eye, and they both turned a perfect shade of tomato red. "You saw the whole thing, didn't you?"

"Er, well, kind of..." Miroku said evasively.

"You did or you didn't."

"Well, we were all there. And really, you shouldn't be embarrassed. It was actually rather fascinating..."

"You would think so, wouldn't you, you perv-" Kagome was now rubbing her temples, partially due to her headache, and partially to hide her face from Inuyasha.

"It was just energy, you know-"

"Here's your Aspirin, Kagome," Kaede said as she came through the kitchen door.

"Thanks," Kagome muttered, taking the proffered tablets and knocking them back with the last of her now cold tea.

"Well, it looks like we need another chair. I'll go get one from the dining room." Kaede started to leave.

"No, no! I'll get one," insisted Miroku, latching on to the change of subject like a lifeline. "Take mine." He got up and offered his chair to Kaede.

"Ever the gentleman," the old lady said with a smile.

"Keh."

"You should learn to be nicer to your elders, Inuyasha."

"I will when my elders stop nagging me," was his response.

"Kagome said she remembers everything that happened this time, including the aura thing earlier," Kali filled Kaede in, brushing aside Inuyasha's snide retort.

Miroku navigated his way awkwardly through the kitchen door, chair in tow. He set it at the end of the table and plopped down to listen.

"I see. Well I hope that this means you'll accept what's happening now," Kaede said to Kagome.

"Welll..." Kagome was still waffling. "I guess I can't entirely deny it anymore, at least on an intellectual level, but I think it'll be a while before I can really accept it." The markings on her arms seemed to pulse. She ignored them.

"Understandable. I know we've avoided the subject so far, but can you tell us what happened earlier tonight with the attack?"

Kagome scrunched up her face. "I've already told Miroku...and I'd rather not relive it again tonight if that's alright..."

"That's okay I guess. We will need to talk about it later though. Do you still think you can still work with us for a little bit this evening?"

"I suppose. Just don't...don't go all crazy on me like you did earlier." She shot a glare at Kali and Inuyasha.

"I think we can keep a lid on that for the time being." Kaede looked at the pair significantly.

"Yeah, whatever," huffed Kali.

"Keh."

"Well that's settled then. The first order of business, I think, will be to get Kagome a charm." Kaede stood up and went to what looked like an ordinary painting of some pomegranates. With a touch of power and a soft word none of the others could quite make out, the painting swung slowly open like a door. Behind it was a black metal safe. Kaede twiddled the numerical dial a few times, said another word of power, and the safe clicked open. She pulled out what looked like an old brown shoebox and set it in front of Kagome.

"Now," said Kaede, "I want you to place your hand on the lid and focus your power gently."

"Um, how?"

"Just close your eyes and turn your focus inward. Concentrate. There should be something there that feels a little different than before. Grab onto it. Make it grow in your minds eye. Think about it running down your arm to your hand..."

Kagome frowned a little as she tried to follow Kaede's directions as best she could. There, she thought. That's a little odd...kind of warm. A soft golden glow blossomed behind her eyelids. It's so much gentler than last time, with those...demons, for she now knew that that's what her attackers had been. They had felt like Kali, but there had been a biting aggression to their auras, an acrid tang that Kali's aura did not have. The golden light enveloped her senses, a warm welcome, and also what almost felt like an apology. She smiled inwardly. Okay, now go to my hand, she thought at it. Kagome felt it glide like a warm liquid down her arm to pool underneath her hand where it lay on the shoebox.

The box gave a sudden rattle as Kagome's hand glowed gold. It shuddered once again and was silent. The glow in Kagome's hand dissipated, and she opened her eyes.

Kaede was beaming at her. "Wonderful! Now, let's see which charm you picked." She opened the lid.

The contents of the box looked like the jewelry bin at a thrift shop. There were necklaces, rings, earrings, and bracelets of every style and color, metal, and bead make. What was odd though, was that they were all shoved against the sides of the box. In the open space at the center lay a gold ankh about an inch long on a golden rope-style chain. Kagome reached into the box and picked it up, holding it up to the light.

"Fascinating..." Kaede breathed. "Absolutely fascinating..."

"Sorry," said Kagome, bringing the necklace down, "but what's fascinating? It's just an ankh. I mean, it's pretty, I guess, but it doesn't seem terribly special."

"So it hides itself even from you..." Kaede said cryptically. "That ankh has a storied history. It is said that it once belonged to Isis herself..."

"Isis?" Kagome queried. "But she's a myth."

Kaede raised an eyebrow. "And you would dismiss such myths even in light of what you have experienced recently?"

"Well..."

"It is told," Kaede continued, launching into storyteller mode, "that the gods of ancient times were really humans with incredible spiritual power. They were able to protect their communities from marauding demons and enact miracles that caused people to worship them as gods. The humans with such powers were also granted the gift of longevity, so many lived for hundreds, and sometimes thousands of years, exalted under many different names..."

"So...where are they now, if they were so all-powerful?"

"Well, despite their power against demons, their gifts did not allow them to harm other humans. As demons became scarcer, communities no longer needed them, and they often went into seclusion. Later, many were martyred, burned as witches, or tortured and killed by the Inquisition. They were gifted with long life, but not immortality," Kaede said a little bitterly.

"That's...not very pleasant."

"Indeed. Now, why don't you put on that charm of yours?"

Kagome complied, undoing the clasp and then re-hooking it around her neck. The mental chatter that had been giving her such a headache seemed like it had been suddenly turned down. She could still 'hear' it if she concentrated, but she felt like a kind soul had gifted her a pair of earplugs on a passenger plane full of screaming kids. Kagome smiled at Kaede.

"Better?"

"Much," she replied, watching as the markings on her arms receded and disappeared.

"Excellent. Now, I think we can try that little experiment I was talking to Inuyasha about on the way up here..."

...

Sango was staring at Kohaku, the teenager's accusation suspended precariously between them.

"Kohaku... I was just remembering things."

"You didn't touch-"

"No, you know I wouldn't touch anything in there."

"Oh. Well...I..."

"It's alright," she said, taking a step towards him. "I was just telling mom and dad how well you're doing..."

"They can't hear you," he said flatly. "They're dead."

"I-I know that. But it helps me...to think that they might be able to listen...somehow." She blinked back the tears that had edged their way into her eyes.

"Well I think that's stupid," he snapped, turning to march off down the hall.

"Kohaku!" Sango grabbed his wrist. "Please-don't be like this. You did a good job on your test, and we're going to celebrate tomorrow with Rin, so-"

He looked at the floor, eyes tracing the pattern of the runner intently. "You-you don't think they would mind, do you?" He asked almost imperceptibly.

"Mind what?"

"You know...celebrating... going out to dinner," Kohaku turned his face to hide the tears starting there. He was 16. Crying was for little kids.

But Sango firmly turned him around, looking him in the face. He was almost as tall as she was. "Of course I don't think they'd mind," she said gently. "I think they'd be really happy for you." She kissed the spot on his cheek where a single tear had escaped. The gentle peck seemed to jar Kohaku back to his teenage self.

"Uh, yeah, okay..." he said, scrubbing at the spot on his cheek where his sister had kissed him.

Sango smiled at his mild embarrassment. "Well, I'm gonna take a shower and go to bed. You should try to get to bed soon too if that paper of yours is finished."

"Yeah..." He ambled off down the hall.

...

"Experiment?" Kagome asked dubiously.

"Why don't you explain, Inuyasha?" Kaede smiled at him.

"Keh. It's your theory, old woman."

"Yes, but it's your family history."

"Alright, fine," he snapped, turning to Kagome.

"So the reason I feel 'half way between you and Kali' to use your words, is because that's what I am. I'm a half-demon. A hanyou, back in Japan where I'm from."

Kagome nodded, but couldn't fathom where this could possibly be going.

"My father was a dog demon, and my mother was a human, but also a priestess who had pretty strong spiritual abilities. Kaede thinks you might be able to...practice your powers with me because I may be immune, but I also have demon powers, which would give you something 'real' to fight," Inuyasha finished in a somewhat annoyed fashion.

Kagome shook her head vehemently. "No way! Not after what I did...what I did to those-"

"It's alright," Kaede reassured her. "I'm going to ask Miroku to try first because he has very good control and isn't as strong as you or I."

"But-but-"

"It will only be a very small amount. Miroku, come here."

He came and stood uncomfortably in front of a grouchy and somewhat feral looking Inuyasha. They removed their charms.

"Now," said Kaede, "I want you to summon a tiny amount of power. Just light up your finger a bit-yep, just like that. Now, Inuyasha, your hand please."

Miroku reached his hand toward Inuyasha's.

Kagome closed her eyes.

Kali bounced on her toes in anticipation.

Kaede was patient as ever.

Purple glow met skin...

And nothing happened.

"Well!" said Miroku. "That was...interesting."

"Indeed," agreed Kaede. "That should have been enough to leave something like a cigarette burn. Did you feel anything at all, Inuyasha?"

"Nothing besides physical contact," he replied, unsure whether to be relieved or more apprehensive.

"Excellent! Then let's try something a little stronger."

This time, Kagome was able to watch. Again, despite the glowing purple orb Miroku released onto Inuyasha's arm, nothing happened. The light simply seemed to fade against his skin.

"So...I don't understand," Kagome said. "Why doesn't it affect Inuyasha? Does his mother's blood protect him completely?"

"So far," Kaede said. "It's possible that a spiritual attack stronger than one she could create would get past the defense." She gave Kagome a long look. "That's why we're having Miroku try this first."

"How did you even think this would be possible?" Kagome watched as Miroku tried progressively stronger attacks, all with no effect whatsoever.

"Well, it didn't occur to me until I saw the little show you guys put on outside," Kaede admitted.

"Oh...er..." Kagome flushed a little again.

"Normally, the auras of demons and those with spiritual gifts clash. The reaction between your auras was unlike anything I've ever seen. It was almost like a dance, your energies were moving in perfect harmony and rhythm."

Kagome blushed harder.

"It occurred to me that Inuyasha's mother had been a priestess herself, and there must have been something special about her power, or Inuyasha could never have been conceived. I thought her energies might offer him some protection. He wasn't keen on the idea, but he seems to be doing just fine," Kaede gestured at Inuyasha, who was just standing there with one black eyebrow cocked as Miroku hurled energies in his direction. Kali was standing well away from them.

Miroku was panting a little from the effort. "D'you-d'you think Kagome could give this a shot maybe?"

"I think that would be safe enough at this point," Kaede agreed. "Kagome?"

Kagome bit her lip nervously. She didn't like Inuyasha, but that didn't mean she wanted to hurt him. Not to mention the fact that she was still embarrassed. "Um, I don't know if-"

"Oh, come now, it'll be just fine," said Kaede, taking her by the arm and positioning her where Miroku had just been. "Just try a little with your hand, like how Miroku started."

"Um...alright..." Kagome looked up at Inuyasha. He wasn't a whole lot taller than she, but it was enough to make her nervous the way he was glaring at her. He stuck his hand out.

"Just get it over with."

Kagome took off her charm and shut her eyes, calling her power forward to flow to her hand that hovered over Inuyasha's. She could feel him standing in front of her, could see his red aura swirling around him in her mind's eye. It eddied and jumped, conveying a nervousness that was otherwise hidden beneath the angry façade. He's just as apprehensive as I am, she thought. Kagome felt her power growing to a small ball in her hand. Opening her eyes, she watched herself close the distance between her palm and his.

The ball of energy flowed out between their palms as they touched. Inuyasha closed his eyes and gulped. This was nothing like the impassive dissipation of Miroku's power. This felt like a tentative caress, and he could feel Kagome's nervousness as she touched his hand. In her desire not to hurt him, she had made her energy as smooth and supple as possible, unwittingly eliciting a pleasurable response within the conflicted hanyou.

Inuyasha opened one eye. "D'you think-could you be a little more angry about it?"

"What?"

"Your energy. It was, er, well, soft, kind of. I-I mean, you couldn't even kill a bug with that! I thought you were supposed to be strong!" There, that should get her riled up a little, he thought.

"Hmph! Well I was trying to be nice! But if that's not what you want-" Kagome summoned a large, crackling ball of power. "-then here you go!" she shouted, flinging the globe at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha's eyes went wide in the split second before it hit him in the chest. It didn't burn him the way it should have, but it did knock him over, much to Kali's delight. He lay on the linoleum floor, glaring up at all of them.

"Happy?" he snapped at Kaede.

"Quite," the old woman replied.

Kagome bent over Inuyasha. "Are-Are you alright?"

"'Course I'm alright, idiot," he bit out, sitting up. In truth, he was surprised that he had only been knocked to the ground. That ball of energy Kagome had so casually tossed at him in her annoyance contained much more power than anything Miroku had thrown at him. He had been expecting to be burned badly. Not that it would have mattered all that much, since he healed superficial injuries almost instantly. Granted, a spiritual wound would leave an awful scar, but he would live. However, he rather liked his appearance, so he was quite glad that he'd only suffered mild embarrassment instead. Inuyasha stood up, dusting himself off.

"Can we be done now?" He asked, irritated. "It's past 11, and I'd really like to get some sleep before my meeting tomorrow morning."

"Yes, yes. I'd just like to work out a training schedule first," replied Kaede. "Miroku is here in the evening on Mondays, Wednesdays, and in the morning on Saturdays. Inuyasha, I know you're normally here most evenings unless you're working late. Would you be able to make sure to be here on at least those days?"

"Keh. Perfect. Scheduled 'Inuyasha the personal punching bag' time."

"Inuyasha..." warned Kaede.

"Yeah, whatever. Since this is all so convenient for you."

"Kagome?" queried Kaede, ignoring Inuyasha's aggravated reply.

"Yeah, that should work. I usually like to exercise after work anyway, so I guess I could do that here too."

Kaede nodded. "Don't worry, you'll get a physical workout along with being able to practice your spiritual abilities. Combat training is a part of all of this, since the gifted are often targets..."

"No kidding," Kagome said, recalling the incident that had lead to the evening's shenanigans.

"Well, then that's settled. Kali and I will walk you to the studio door."

...

Sango gratefully inhaled the steam as hot water cascaded over her body. It had been one of her longer, more frustrating days in a while, so it felt good to finally relax in the shower. However, her mind, ever restless, was soon questing about for something with which to bother her conscious thoughts.

Kohaku turns 17 in a little over a month. That means you have to take him to see the local head of the Slayer chapter for his formal induction, her brain supplied helpfully.

"Not now..." she muttered into the stream of water running down her face.

It was all Sango had been able to do to keep Kohaku doing the bare minimum for his Demon Slayer training. He hadn't liked it from the start, but when their parents had died... She still wasn't sure how she'd managed to talk him into continuing. Doing their parents' memory proud or something like that, probably. Sango knew that Kohaku was aware that the induction was coming up, but neither had said anything about it, as though the issue would somehow evaporate if they ignored it long enough.

Talk about a proverbial elephant in the room. We have entirely too many of those... Perhaps the whole herd of them allows us to not really address any of them...Forest for the trees and all that...except with elephants. She shook her head, amused at her mixed metaphors.

As far as she could tell, the Demon Slayers were more of a formality than anything else at this point in history anyway. The number of malicious demons she'd encountered was extremely low, and the others had all been fairly benign specimens, more interested in going about their lives undisturbed than anything else. The only reason she had even noticed the latter group at all was because of the counter-charm she'd had surgically inserted under the skin of her inner forearm at the age of 12. It looked like an odd birthmark.

Such counter-charms used to be worn, but it had been, and continued to be, the opinion of the Slayer Council that most people didn't need to know about demons. So, about 200 years ago, they'd gathered as many charms as they could, had them melted down, and redistributed them as dime-sized, paper thin amulets that were safe to place under the skin. That way, no one could get a charm unless they also got a Slayer, and they'd have to fight that Slayer first. Chances for a sly theft were slim, if they were really present at all, and demons had fast become the stuff of legends.

Hence, the true nature of Sango's colleagues had not escaped her, though they had no idea that she knew. The Council preferred it that way. And really, she could care less. Miroku was a flirt, and Inuyasha could get obnoxious, but they were both good at their jobs. And in the end, that was what mattered. The Council could have their way in this.

She sighed, rinsing the last of the conditioner out of her long brown hair. She would have to discuss the induction ceremony with Kohaku soon. Dinner tomorrow night clearly would not be the time, since Rin would be present, and they'd be in public anyway, but perhaps she could broach the subject sometime that weekend...

...

Kali and Kaede waved goodbye as Inuyasha, Miroku, and Kagome climbed into their respective vehicles. They turned out of the parking lot, heading in opposite directions.

Inuyasha turned the radio off. He'd had enough noise for one evening, and he wanted to enjoy the quiet of driving alone so late in the evening.

He thought of the night's events, especially of the aural interaction that had taken place between Kagome and him. Talk about bizarre, he said to himself. It's as though our auras are forcing us to work together, or like they recognize something in each other. Keh, the only thing we have in common is that we both like to yell a lot...especially at each other. He shook his head. What a good working relationship, he thought sarcastically. And now Kaede's having us train together? That's gonna get reeeal interesting, I bet. And me, her personal punching bag! This is going to be fan-freakin-tastic...

He stopped at the red light. "Why the hell do they not have these damned things flashing at this hour?" he grumbled aloud. He thought about running it, since no one was around to see, but given his earlier encounter with law enforcement, he didn't push his luck.

As the light turned green, Inuyasha's thoughts turned to his and Kali's argument earlier. His frown deepened. Her sudden vehemence had surprised him. And she said Sesshoumaru's having "wife problems?" What the fuck does that mean? And how would she know anyway? Sessh is like a clam on crack when it comes to keeping emotions to himself. Unless he actually talks to her? I guess it's possible, since he's managed to marry that Kagura woman. Though she's almost as stoic as he is, at least until she gets angry, if the wedding 65 years ago was any indication. And she's got a strange sense of humor...

Inuyasha's eye caught suddenly on an angry orange glow far down the street. He realized belatedly that the scent of smoke had tainted the air for the last few minutes, but he'd been too lost in thought to notice. Curious, he sped up a little.

That's FoxBox! Inuyasha realized as he got close. There were several fire trucks, an ambulance, and several patrol cars parked haphazardly in front, blocking the street. He could see the firemen in their mad dash to do battle with the inferno. All thoughts of Kagome, Kali, and Sesshoumaru fled from his head as he parked his car a little way down the street and got out to investigate.

As Inuyasha approached, he could feel the heat of the roaring blaze against his skin. And there, silhouetted against the flames, were two covered stretchers being wheeled quickly toward the ambulance. His breath caught.

He couldn't be sure, but the most likely people to be on those stretchers were Carl Manicci and his wife, Daniela. They ran the paper shop together, and they were the only ones who would have been there at that hour of the night. He knew the couple had a young son, though he couldn't recall his name exactly. Shikou or Shippou, or something like that.

A female cop of short stature approached him.

"Can I help you with something sir?" She asked.

"What? Oh-uh, well I was just driving home when I saw this," Inuyasha gestured at the roaring fire, "and they're the paper supplier for my company-"

"Ah, well, I'm sorry about that."

"When did this happen?"

"Well, we got the 911 call about 25 minutes ago, saying there had been an explosion and the building was on fire."

"I see..." Inuyasha muttered, distracted by his thoughts.

"It's funny, this is the second explosion and fire I've been called to tonight. Somethin' in the air, I guess."

"Second?"

"Yep, earlier there was a transformer explosion. Couple of guys who tried to attack a girl were burnt to a crisp, though she survived, completely unharmed. Still can't figure that one out..."

That got Inuyasha's attention. Maybe that was Kagome. He still didn't know the full story on what had happened with her, but he did know that she'd been attacked and had fried the guys who did it. "Say, uhh, you don't think there's a connection do you?"

"What, between this fire and the transformer thing earlier? Nah, the first one was a straight up freak accident. Off the record, the talk is that this one is probably arson. Could be Mafia related. The family that owns the store is Italian, but these days that doesn't mean much. Who knows, really?"

"Yeah... It just seems like an odd job if it is the Mafia. They're usually less conspicuous about these things." And conspicuous it was. The arcing flames cast a hot orange light as they sprang up defiantly against the streaming hoses.

The officer shrugged. "Well, they do seem to have been a little more active lately, to the point where some of the Illinois reps are starting to bug congress for funding to counter their activities."

Really? Thought Inuyasha, That's interesting. Kali did say something about Naraku getting elected to congress. He must be working under a pseudonym. And of course I haven't paid enough attention in the last 10 years to know which one he's using right now.

"That's good, I guess," was his reply. "Do you know who's driving the request for funding?"

"Yeah, I think the rep's name is Kauran Munogio. Bit of an odd name, but he seems to have the city's best interests at heart."

Inuyasha quickly rearranged the letters of the last name in his head, since Naraku had been prone to using anagrams for names in the past. He probably thought it was clever. Onigumo. Yep, that was Naraku alright.

"Yeah. Well, thanks for the info. I should get home."

"And I should get back to my job," she said, managing a smile. "I really shouldn't have told you any of that, but it's been one hell of a shift. Have a good night." She turned and trudged back toward the ambulance, where the two stretchers had just finished loading up.

Inuyasha took one last long look at the flames dancing against the sky. Definitely too blatant to be a Mafia job. He should call Sango. They'd need to line up another source of paper for AdHOC.

He turned to walk back to his car, pulling his phone from his pocket.

...

Sango was almost asleep, floating in the space where dreams and reality nipped at each other's heels. Her pillow was soft under her cheek, and she was buried blissfully under a thick quilt. The world was slowly receding from her mind.

A loud, tinny rendition of "Taxman" jolted her away from slumber.

"Go 'way..." Sango grumbled, burying her head under her pillow.

The song continued insistently.

Extracting herself from her blanket burrito, she sat up and pulled her phone off of the bedside table, squinting at the screen. Why the fuck is Inuyasha calling me at this hour...? She thought grumpily. Sighing, she hit "answer."

"Wha' d'you want?" Sango growled sleepily into the phone.

"Hello to you too," came Inuyasha's reply. "Look, I'm sorry I'm calling so late, but we have a bit of a problem."

"Huh?" Her brain was still foggy.

"FoxBox burned to the ground. I was just there. I was driving home from Fujiwara and saw it."

Sango sat up straight. "What?" Now she was awake. "Was it an accident? Was anyone hurt?"

"The cop I talked to said that they thought it might be a Mafia job. She wasn't entirely sure about that, but said they thought it was arson... Also, they-they pulled two bodies out."

"Oh, no... that-that must have been Carl...and his wife. They're the only ones who would be there at that hour."

"That was what I thought too. The whole thing looks pretty suspicious, and I'm kind of wondering whether they might have been killed before the fire was set."

"God, in a way, I hope so. If they burned to death instead...what an awful way to die."

"No kidding. And I'm pretty sure they have a son, though I can't remember his name. I hope the kid's got some relatives in the area..."

"Me too." Sango pinched the bridge of her nose. "Man, what a mess. We'll also need to find a new paper supplier, and quickly, since we're almost out of several types."

"Yeah, I know. I can't imagine why somebody would target a paper supply shop, of all things." Inuyasha didn't say who he thought that 'someone' might be.

"Lord knows." Sango knew the owners were a family of demons, so she'd definitely need to report this to the council. It could be random, or someone could be up to something. "I want to talk to you about this more tomorrow after the meeting. This whole thing just doesn't feel right."

"Sure that's fine." Yeah, something's definitely odd, he thought.

"Well, thanks for letting me know, and sorry for grouching at you earlier."

"Keh, 'sfine. See you at the office tomorrow."

"Yeah. Good night."

Sango hung up.

Perfect. Another complication. The meeting tomorrow morning was going to be touchy enough, without this additional news hanging over her. If they couldn't find another supplier soon, they ran the risk of missing important deadlines. ...And that poor kid, losing his parents like that...

She sighed, replacing her phone on the nightstand, and laid back into her soft pillows. She snuggled under her quilt, trying to regain the heavy-eyed comfort she'd had before Inuyasha called.

Despite her efforts, she was still staring at the ceiling an hour later, turning the news over in her mind.

...

Inuyasha turned on the late night news as he got ready for bed, something he hadn't done in quite a while. He stood in the bathroom in a pair of black and red striped pajama pants, brushing his teeth and listening to the newscaster reporting on the evenings' various incidents. He'd turned the TV volume up in the living room of his apartment, not caring if he bothered his neighbors. They were pretty obnoxious themselves, coming and going at odd hours and occasionally having awkwardly loud sex. Inuyasha didn't care if he woke them up. They were probably still awake anyway.

So far, the news was uninteresting, just the usual stuff about a few robberies or drug sting operation.

"...And we've just gotten reports in that there has been an unusual outbreak of fires tonight, leading investigators to believe that arson may be involved..." Blared the voice from the living room.

Inuyasha paused to listen, toothbrush hanging from his mouth.

"A total of 15 blazes have had the fire department busy since about 7:45 this evening when a transformer exploded in the 5000 block of..."

That must have been Kagome then. The timing was too precise not to be her.

"What's unusual is that all of the blazes except two have had fatalities, with most a bullet wound being the most likely cause of death, though that has yet to be officially determined..."

Bullet wounds? This is getting more suspicious by the second-

"There have been suggestions from unconfirmed sources that the Mafia may somehow be involved. However, investigators also say that the places hit by fires seem to have been completely random, with the only commonality being that they were mostly businesses where workers were still present. If you have any information regarding any of these incidents, please call your jurisdiction's anonymous tip line. This has been a breaking news update, and now we'll return to a more pleasant story about 'Stop Traffic,' a charitable organization that is working to green the city by encouraging more people to take alternative transportation-"

Inuyasha resumed brushing his teeth, staring pensively at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. His golden eyes stared back at him, black brows furrowed. He spat toothpaste into the sink, rinsed his mouth, and then turned on the hot water to give his face a quick scrub. When he was done, he buried his face in a navy blue hand towel, wiping the water away. He picked up a brush, which had a decent amount of white hair tangled in its bristles, and ran it roughly through his hair, careful to avoid his ears, which were visible since removing his charm.

The charm itself was a silver yin-yang, with one side burnished to a perfect shine, and the other a textured brushed metal. It was a constant reminder of his half-breed status, and the only thing he liked about it was that it had a light hand that didn't dampen his senses a whole lot and left his basic appearance alone.

His looks got him plenty of attention; women and men alike seemed to find Inuyasha's mass of silvery white hair magnetic, with the possible exceptions of Sango and Kagome, who seemed completely immune to male charms of any kind, if Miroku's complaints were anything to go by. Sango, he could understand. She had a lot of responsibility on her shoulders, taking care of her younger brother in addition to her job, where she frequently worked over-time.

Kagome, on the other hand, he was baffled by. Since she had just moved to the city, he thought she'd be a little more forthcoming and try to make friends. Then again, he wasn't an easy person to get along with, and with their combined tempers, they were usually at odds. Thinking about it though, he realized that she got along fine with everyone else. He scowled, pausing mid-brush stroke.

Well it still takes two people to have an argument, Inuyasha thought, putting the brush back on the edge of the sink. I shouldn't even be thinking about her right now anyway. He pulled his hair back and started to braid it so he wouldn't wake up with a tangled mess in the morning. This Naraku business is way more important right now...though I guess she's already being caught up in that too from the looks of things. He finished the braid and tied it off with a small black band. And I should really look some stuff up on the guy and at least bookmark a few things before going to bed. Kali's annoying ass is right, I really need to catch up on the times. Stupid politics.

"Keh," Inuyasha muttered aloud.

He went to turn off the TV and then ambled tiredly over to his computer, plopping down in the desk chair. The cold light of the screen splashed across his face and bare chest, outlining defined muscles with a bluish glow. He opened the browser and typed in the pseudonym that the officer had given him. Several articles popped up, mostly relating to his relatively recent election to the House of Representatives and his leadership of the New Light Communications board. Thinking he'd probably get more information from the business lead as opposed to the political one, he turned up New Light's website to look through a list of their clients and subsidiaries.

Why is Kosha Industries on here? I thought WE had their business...

Inuyasha clicked through to see what they were listed for. Kosha was a multi-national conglomerate, so it could really be anything. He didn't recognize the brand that was listed at all, so he opened a new tab to do a quick search.

Machine parts. Now that's pretty random. Their website listed everything from items as basic as screws to things he'd never heard of in his life, which was saying something, considering he'd had more than 200 years to acquire various forms of knowledge. He bookmarked the page, along with New Light's website and a few other political and business related articles. Inuyasha stretched and pushed his chair back. It was past 1 am, and sleep sounded like an incredibly good idea. He wasn't going to get any further until he could talk to Sesshoumaru tomorrow.

He got up and was halfway to his room when he realized he'd forgotten to ask Kagome if she would be free for dinner tomorrow night. Well, fuck. I'll just have to ask her after the meeting tomorrow. Hopefully she won't be too annoyed...or have plans already. That would be convenient, he thought sarcastically. Keh, I'll just have to deal with it.

Inuyasha marched to his room, determined to make the most of the few hours of sleep left to him.

...

Miroku had walked Kagome up to her apartment door, which she greatly appreciated, given the evening's turn of events. They stood just outside, Kagome rummaging through her bag.

"You know, if you didn't have so many USB drives in there, it might be easier to find your keys," he quipped.

Kagome shot him a look. "And I'm supposed to believe that you never have such problems?"

"No, actually," Miroku replied smugly.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Right, I forgot. Your post-its at work are color coded and your pencils are organized by length."

Miroku grinned.

"You, my friend, have a serious case of OCD," she said archly. She finally unearthed her keys and turned to unlock the door.

"Perhaps."

Kagome gave the door a hard shove, and they stepped into her apartment.

Miroku looked around and said thoughtfully, "You know, we should set up a spiritual barrier so that demons can't get at you here. We could even make it so it would warn you if anyone human came in too, though it won't be able to keep them out."

"That's probably a good idea," Kagome agreed, closing the door behind her, "but I really have no idea how to even begin making one."

"Not a problem," he smiled. "You can lend me your energy and I'll do the construction."

"Okay, but what if there are demons who I want to let in?" She was thinking about Kali and Inuyasha. No, she was just thinking about Kali.

"Oh that's easy. A barrier is all about intent. We can have it allow demons who don't mean you harm."

Kagome frowned. "You make it sound like you can get a barrier to do whatever you want."

"Well, technically a barrier is just a grounded concentration of energy across a set space. You can manipulate your energy to do what you want for the most part, as long as it's within your strength to do it. You can even make it zap intruders, though doing so will draw heavily on the anchor energies and weaken it faster."

"I think all I want it to do is keep out those who would do me harm and give me a warning when a human or non-threatening demon comes in..."

"Do you want a different warning for each?"

"You can do that?"

"What did I just say?"

"I guess that could be useful. You seem to know a lot about this."

Miroku go a bit of a faraway look. "Well, I'm not very strong, so I've spent a lot of time learning control and technique. Since I can't rely on brute force, I have to be as smart as possible."

"Well, I'm glad you know what you're doing, 'cause I'd probably blow myself up or something."

"Nah, you'd figure it out. Anyway, let's get this thing built so I can go home and get some sleep."

"Alright." Kagome set her bag down, which she had forgotten she was still carrying.

"Okay, here's what we'll need to do: you put your hand on my shoulder, and concentrate as hard as you can on getting your energy to flow to me. I'll use it to build your barrier, which will be anchored at each outer corner of your apartment. Since I don't know your apartment layout, I'll need you to hold the image of that in your mind and help me direct the flow of energy to the proper place. Got all that?"

Kagome gulped. "Uh, I guess so..." She was hoping she wouldn't screw this up.

"Ready, then?"

"Yeah." Kagome placed her hand nervously on Miroku's shoulder, closed her eyes, and reached inward to the golden glow at her center.

Holding the image of her apartment in her head, she gathered the energy into a stream in her mind's eye, letting it wash down her arm. She could feel the gentle rise of Miroku's power as he reached to gather up the energy she sent him.

Miroku felt the warmth of Kagome's power as it hit his shoulder, and with the golden glow came the image of the apartment that Kagome was concentrating on. He let her energy flow to a corner of the living room until the anchor began to pulse with life, and moved on to each subsequent corner provided by the image in Kagome's mind.

Kagome was surprised at the lack of awkwardness of the situation. It seemed to her that sharing her power this way should be an intimate activity, but this just felt like a business transaction. Though she could sense Miroku's energy working in concert with hers, it was nothing like what she had experienced with Inuyasha earlier. Even the intense aural interaction aside, when she had intentionally touched him that first time with her gentle energy, she had felt his reaction. Pleasure. Embarrassment. In her surprise and slight panic, she had overreacted-

"I'm losing you," Miroku muttered. "Concentrate."

Kagome yanked her thoughts away from Inuyasha, hoping that she hadn't accidentally been sending those mental images to Miroku via their connection. They were on the last corner of the apartment, and she could sense the other anchors pulsing gently. Miroku released the anchor and stepped away, breaking their connection.

"Sorry about that," Kagome said a little sheepishly. "I, uh, got distracted."

"That's alright. I'm sure Inuyasha would appreciate your thoughts." He winked at her.

Kagome gasped, turning a fantastic shade of crimson. "I-but-what did you see?" she demanded.

"Oh, nothing much. Just a flash of his face that told me that's where your thoughts had gone. Then I got lucky with my guess."

"Oh, uhh, well..." Kagome realized she'd been caught in his trap.

"Don't worry about it. Inuyasha's own inner conflict was written all over his face after your little aura incident."

"Well, why don't you try that with someone you don't usually get along with and tell me how you feel about it afterwards?"

"I get along with everyone," Miroku pronounced. "Though there is a certain someone over in Art Direction who I wouldn't mind trying that with."

"Pervert."

Miroku just grinned roguishly at her before changing the subject. "Could we maybe get a glass of water or something? I'm rather parched after all that."

"Um, sure," said Kagome, marveling at how fast the man could switch gears. "But, is barrier done yet?" It still felt oddly unfinished.

"No, just the anchors are in place. They can sit there for as long as we need them to, don't worry."

"Alright." She got up to go to the kitchen and poured them two glasses of water. When she returned, Miroku had seated himself comfortably on her sofa. "Here."

"Thanks," he said, taking the proffered glass. He downed half of it in one go.

Kagome was studying the ice in her glass intently. The anchor in the corner of the room cast its golden light over them, reflecting like molten metal across the fractured ice cubes. She felt comfort in the presence of her energies, despite the newness of it all. It was like they had always been a part of her.

"Penny for your thoughts?" said Miroku, breaking her reverie.

"Just thinking about the anchors," she gestured to the gilded orb floating in the corner.

"Yeah, we should finish that," Miroku said, setting his now-empty glass down on the scuffed wooden coffee table. He pulled his legs up under him so he was sitting in a half lotus position.

"What do I need to do?" Kagome queried.

"Watch," he said simply, "and not just with your eyes. I want to you reach your senses out so you can tell what I'm doing. Since you allowed me to channel and shape this energy, I can manipulate it within the confines of its purpose."

"Alright."

Miroku closed his eyes, looking quite meditative as he began to pull power from the anchors. Kagome watched in wonder as the anchor in the corner sank partially into the floor and let a line of energy arc out above the heads. She could feel the same energy gliding under the floor as all of the anchors released their power, coming together at what she felt to be the center of her apartment.

Kagome felt a sudden but gentle pressure on her right shoulder. It glowed softly for a second, and she heard Miroku's distorted voice in her head. Humanfriend, it said. She felt a similar pressure and saw an identical glow on her left shoulder; demonfriend, the voice said. A sharp zap, but not a painful one, to her right shoulder; humanfoe. An identical zing to her left shoulder; demonfoe. So this was how the warnings worked.

In that instant, the lines of power emanating from the anchors rapidly expanded, filling the space between. There was a golden flash, and Kagome felt a distinct click that was almost like a lock sliding into place. Royal purple pulsed at the edges of her vision, and she blinked.

All the light was gone. Her apartment looked completely normal, except now she could feel the reassuring buzz of her energy about her. Miroku's energy had completely receded.

"Thank you," Kagome said softly, humbled.

"You're welcome," he smiled at her tiredly. "And just so you know, you should check the energies regularly. Any demon who tries to get in will leave a mark on the barrier, so you'll know if one came by while you were gone. Also, you'll need to replenish the power in the anchors about every two weeks to make sure they stay strong."

"How do I do that?"

"Just concentrate, and let your energy flow into them, just like you did with me. You'll be able to feel when they're full."

Kagome nodded. "Sounds simple enough." She glanced at the clock on her wall. It was just past 1 am. "I don't mean to kick you out..."

"No, no. I need to go home anyway." He gave an enormous yawn. "See?"

Kagome yawned in response. "Arg. Yawns are always contagious."

"Yup." He stood up and stretched. "Well, good night and sleep well, dear lady."

"You too, good sir," she replied, feeling obligated to play along since he'd been so helpful.

Miroku cracked a surprised grin, gave her a small but flourishing bow, and let himself out.

Kagome leaned against the door Miroku had closed behind him, feeling the energy pulsing through the solid wood. Despite being alone, she felt safe and mostly relaxed for the first time since being attacked that evening. It was amazing the comfort a simple thing like a barrier could give her. And she could still let her friends in. Friends. Kagome realized with a smile that despite the trauma of the evening's events, or perhaps because of it, she had people she could count on. Even Inuyasha had agreed to train with her, though she wasn't sure yet how that would work out. They seemed to have a bizarre chemistry, highly volatile, and apparently also... well, she wasn't sure exactly, and she didn't look too closely. Kagome would train with him, and that would be that. She peeled herself away from the door and its soothing flow of energy. It will be simple, she decided.

Hope you liked this chapter with its revisions! I can't believe I'm at the end of only the first day! What a ride! The beginning was a little hard to write, but things seemed to flow easier after the scene where Inuyasha calls Sango in the middle of the night. I hope this chapter piqued your interest, especially in terms of what Naraku is cooking up. *Evil grin* Just you wait...

-ebj