Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Black Widow Miko ❯ First Impressions and Appearances ( Chapter 2 )

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

I’m so thrilled that the first chapter was so well-received! The pressure is on now. Thanks so much to everyone for taking this story out for a test drive! Special thanks to my first reviewers: smilingkitsune, Sardave, SadBrokenWings, HeartStar, Icywolfflame, venusrox, selenity potter, bluemoon 175, bloodbunny, Seiteki Tenshi, loveinuyasha911, astcat, VixenOfTheFlame, Anna-005, Kawaii-KeKe-Chan, Dawn Illusion, halfblackwolfdemon, and Miss Mischief!

DISCLAIMER: The outrageously awesome worlds of “InuYasha” and “YuYu Hakusho” are the brainchildren of their proud parents, Takahashi-san and Togashi-san. I’m just, er, babysitting their characters for a little while and playing “make believe” with them. You should try it -- it’s fun!

talking
mental/telepathic conversation - “Hiei” “Kurama” “Youko”
(thoughts )

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Last time:

Shippou was the last to approach the stone figures. He walked around and stood behind the woman. In a low, clear voice, he presented her to those assembled, “Kagome, True Guardian of the Shikon no Tama, Lady of the East, West, and North, Celestial Liaison to the Three Realms.” The last part of his announcement drew a gasp from Koenma. When he placed the chain around her neck, his brushed his fingers across her cheek. “Welcome back,” he whispered.

As he walked back to the others, the glow from the shards had become a blinding pink light, that grew until it encompassed the statue. It began to swirl around the figures until they were completely hidden from view by a sparkling tornado. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone, and in the place of the stone figures stood ones of flesh and blood.

“Holy crap, kaa-chan! That was one hell of a spell!”
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No sooner had the figures become visible again than the tiny woman sank to her knees and fell over. All three of the males immediately crouched down to check on her, but the one who had been introduced as Daitano, son of Inuyasha, suddenly sprang to his feet and took up a defensive stance in front of the others, unsheathing the great fang that was his inheritance from his father. He had recognized and dismissed the auras of their friends and retainers, along with two humans he knew had to be from the Taijiya village. What had his senses on alert and his hackles rising was the unexpected presence of Koenma and the Spirit Detectives.

“Eishumaru, leave okaa-san to Sassouta. Now.”

The tallest of the sons quickly looked up, and seeing his elder brother’s posture, made haste to draw one of the swords at his side and stand beside him. Sassouta gathered their mother in his arms and stepped further back behind them.

The quick movements of the youkai had Hiei drawing his own katana, and Kurama reaching into his hair in preparation for a possible fight. Yusuke clenched his fists, and also got ready in case they attacked. But, Kuwabara just stepped forward with a concerned expression on his face and asked the first son, “What’s wrong with her? Should we get a doctor?”

Having taken an assessing glance at the possible enemies facing them, Daitano focused his gaze on the one he considered the most dangerous -- the fire demon. With a barely-perceptible tilt of his head, he indicated that Eishumaru was to concentrate on Kurama. He wasn’t really able to gauge Yusuke’s potential, though, and that concerned him. Even though he appeared even more human than the one who was obviously an avatar, there was something disturbing about him. He would have to take him along with the fire demon, if necessary. He ignored the extremely tall human who had stepped forward, not even bothering to glance at him. “You should not be here,” he told them all firmly.

“It’s all right. They’re here with us,” Shippou said, as he started forward.

Daitano looked at his old friend. He had changed quite a bit in the last 400 years. When they had gone into hiding, Shippou had only appeared to be a couple of years older than he was, -- now he looked like he was about 21 or 22. It was good to see him, but under the circumstances, he couldn’t afford to show it. “Who are they?”

“They’re from the Reikai. They came to …”

“Damn it, Shippou! What the hell’s the matter with you?” Eishumaru yelled, taking his eyes off the detectives just for a second, and earning himself a sharp reprimand from his brother.

“Shu!”

Shippou stared at them with his eyes wide for a minute before a slightly hurt expression crept over his face. “Don’t you trust me? You know I wouldn’t bring them here if they were going to hurt her.”

“We may trust you, Shippou, but only a fool entrusts those dearest to him to strangers,” Daitano said expressionlessly.

Hiei couldn’t help but privately agree with the boy. He had seen the quick way he had assessed them, too, along with his silent command to his brother. Someone had taught him well.

“It’s clear the eldest son takes his responsibility seriously.”

“Hn.”

“ ;You knew we would probably have to get permission from the Reikai to travel here. We also secured their permission for you to stay in the Ningenkai until you are ready to press your claims. These four,” Shippou indicated the Spirit Detectives, “work to protect the Ningenkai from rogue demons. They will be staying with us as added protection while we are in this realm.”

Eishumaru snorted. “We don’t need any help. We can protect her ourselves.”

“We’re here to protect you, you idiots! You’re the ones who may be targets for assassination attempts,” Yusuke said, irritation thick in his voice. “She,” he pointed towards the woman, “will be under investigation for murdering your fathers!”

In the blink of an eye, Eishumaru had his sword against Yusuke’s neck, and a thin line of blood slowly began to trickle down over his collarbone and drip down his chest. (Holy shit! This kid’s almost as fast as Hiei -- I didn’t even see him move!)

“I don’t believe that was the most prudent thing to say, under the circumstances, Yusuke,” Kurama told him dryly. He knew the situation had to be defused as quickly as possible, or someone was going to get hurt. Or wind up dead. The two taijiya, Denjiro and Michio, who had been standing back at the entrance to the cave, had rushed in on hearing Yusuke’s words, followed by about 8 other Taijiya. Oh, yes, things did not look good at all.

Before another word was spoken, a faint, white light began to flow from where the youngest son stood with the woman in his arms. The brilliance of the light grew in intensity as it expanded until it filled the whole cave and spread outwards towards the village. Koenma and the detectives flinched as the light flickered along their skin before each of them felt a deep wave of calm settle over them, soothing their tension, and filling them with a sense of confidence and peace. As the light slowly faded away, they saw the two older boys stand back and sheathe their weapons, and the taijiya all did the same.

Sheathing his own sword, Hiei frowned, deeply disturbed that his emotions had just been manipulated. He stared past Daitano and Eishumaru to the woman. When she had collapsed, he had almost dismissed the possibility that she had actually killed the Taiyoukai -- obviously she was weak. But the power that she had just released was beyond his experience. And she had done it while unconscious. She was dangerous, and he narrowed his eyes at the thought that they were going to have to tiptoe around her and her sons while they gathered proof that she was a killer.

Kurama was intrigued by her display of power. “That wasn’t normal miko power. And she released it instinctively,-- reacting to the tensions around her, even though she seems to be in a weakened condition. I believe Koenma was incorrect in his assumption that she didn’t receive any powers when her soul ascended.”

“We should just take her in now, before she wakes,” Hiei asserted.

“You know as well as I do that we couldn’t do that without injuring her sons. I believe they would fight to the death to keep her from us.”

“That would save us all some time.”

“Are you not curious to see what they’re capable of? They might actually be worthy leaders in the Makai someday. And we all know the East has been especially troublesome for some time now.”

“Hn.”

“I will hear no more talk of investigations. The first one to speak of such in front of her will die by my hand. Myouga, see to okaa-san,” Daitano ordered as he and Eishumaru walked back to join their brother.

“We don’t take orders from …”

“Let it go, Yusuke,” Kurama urged him quietly, placing a restraining hand on his shoulder.

As the flea youkai examined the young woman and tasted her blood, he nodded to himself. “Just as I thought. She was maintaining that spell using her own ki. She will recover on her own in a few days, but we can hasten the process.”

“Well, then, do it,” Eishumaru demanded.

Myouga motioned for the miko to join them. “A simple infusion of similar ki should bring her around. If the miko here, and Lord Koenma will oblige …”

Koenma looked surprised by the request, but nodded in agreement. Sassouta laid his mother back down, and Koenma and the miko knelt down beside her. Placing their hands over her, they each allowed some of their own ki to flow into her body. After a couple of minutes, her eyelids fluttered open. She didn’t seem shocked or afraid to see two unfamiliar faces hovering over her. Instead, she smiled and whispered, “Arigatou gozaimasu.” She held out her hand to Koenma, who helped her up. Gazing into the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen, he was glad he had opted to appear in his older form in honor of the ceremony. When she was standing, she embraced the miko and kissed her cheek, leaving behind the same symbol of a flaming arrow that graced her own forehead, and those of her three sons. Having never expected to receive such a blessing, the miko prostrated herself before her, while the headman beamed proudly at the great honor bestowed upon his daughter. Reaching down and helping the girl back to her feet, the small woman turned to look at all those assembled there. After embracing each of her sons, she bowed deeply. “We are grateful to be back among our friends and loved ones once more.”

They made a striking picture standing there. Looking at them, Shippou, Myouga, Jaken, Ginta, and Hakkaku were all struck by how much the sons resembled their fathers. Daitano appeared to be about 16 years old and was 5 foot 8 inches tall. He was solidly-built and very muscular-looking. His waist-length silver hair was slightly shaggy-looking, as if he couldn’t be bothered to brush it properly. Eishumaru, who would be around 14-and-a-half, towered over his brothers at 6 foot 2. And he was still young, so he would surely be even taller when he matured. He was slimmer than Daitano, and moved with a natural grace. His hair fell in thick silver waves almost to his knees, and seemed to be as fine as silk. Sassouta, the youngest at 13, stood 5 foot 10 inches tall -- a fact that drove his eldest brother crazy, though he would never let him know it. Like Daitano, he was very muscular-looking. Unlike his brothers, his hair was jet-black, and it made a smooth, sleek curtain down past his shoulder blades. All 3 of them had the same striking blue eyes of their mother. The symbol on each of their foreheads was in the color of their House, just as the kimono and sashinuki hakama they wore -- Daitano’s was red, while Eishumaru’s was blue, and Sassouta’s was brown. Yes, their fathers would have been proud if they could see them.

Getting their first good look at the miko standing there under the protective eyes of her sons, the taijiya and youkai alike silently appreciated the vision of loveliness she presented. Dressed in a solid white, silk irotomesode kimono with a wide black obi decorated with white carnations, she was every inch the picture of a traditional Japanese noblewoman. How she had managed to produce such big, strapping sons was a bit of a mystery, since she stood no more than 4 foot 10 or 11 at most, -- petite even by Japanese standards. She looked like she couldn’t be more than 18 years old. Her long, shiny, ebony hair fell in thick waves past her hips, drawing attention to the womanly curves of her body. Her skin held a faint pearlescent glow, as if beckoning one to test its smoothness. She had high, aristocratic cheekbones, and fine, delicate features. There was a slight rosy tint to her cheeks that matched the pale pink of her lush, enticing lips. But what drew and held their attention were her eyes. They were a most unusual blue. They shone as if lit from within, and seemed to shift from light to dark and back again, revealing a wealth of knowledge and secrets. She might not be the most beautiful female they’d ever seen, but if she wasn’t, they couldn’t think of who was. There was something … captivating about her. Hiei was right -- she was dangerous.

“She is much more beautiful than I remember. I don’t know if she has become more so with age, or if I just have a better appreciation for beauty now that I am older.” Youko mused.

“Perhaps you’re just getting a better look at her now that you’re not shaking in your boots under her mate’s threats,” Hiei said maliciously.

“Very funny. His son, Eishumaru, greatly resembles him, though I believe Daitano seems to have more of Sesshoumaru’s composure.”

“That could be due to Sesshoumaru raising Daitano while he was mated to her. You said he was killed before his own son was born,” Kurama reminded him.

“Good point.”

They watched as Lady Kagome and her sons greeted the youkai who serve as retainers to the three Houses warmly. Then they were formally introduced to the headman, Takahashi Yoshihiro, and the miko, Takahashi Amani. Finally, Shippou introduced Lord Koenma and the Spirit Detectives. The two older sons eyed each of them suspiciously, -- Eishumaru making no attempt to hide his dislike for them. But Sassouta and Lady Kagome smiled politely.

When she had awakened, Kagome had immediately been aware of the unfamiliar auras in the cave. She had recognized Koenma’s reiki powers, and knew he and the others must be from the Reikai. That knowledge filled her with dread. She didn’t know if they were here to arrest her or not, but she refused to let any indication of her anxiety show for fear her sons would do something foolish. She had hoped that in the intervening 400 years they had hidden away from the world, that the mysterious circumstances surrounding her mates’ deaths would be forgotten. She couldn’t let any scandal affect her sons’ chances of reclaiming their birthrights. After what had happened, it was the least she could do. So, even as she inwardly cringed in fear of what might happen in the next little bit, outwardly she appeared calm and serene.

With a small smile, she had stepped forward and carefully, though unobtrusively, examined each of the males comprising Koenma’s team of detectives. First, there was an exceptionally tall, orange-haired ningen, who seemed to have unusually high spiritual awareness and power. He was taller than Eishumaru by a couple of inches. They said his name was Kuwabara Kazuma, and he was very polite, though a bit rough around the edges.

Next was Urameshi Yusuke. She was very interested in his aura. Though he appeared to be mostly ningen, he had unusually powerful demon blood flowing through his veins. He was about the same height as Daitano, and wore his short dark hair slicked back. He really didn’t seem to have any manners, but she couldn’t sense any malice in him.

The third detective startled her a bit, with his piercing crimson eyes and the obvious contempt on his face. He wasn’t much taller than she was, and she had the fleeting thought that he would be rather attractive if he wasn’t scowling at her so fiercely. He was introduced simply as Hiei, and she didn’t know what intrigued her more -- the bandanna on his forehead that was obviously warding something powerful, or the conflicting natures in his aura: fire and ice. She had met several elemental youkai before, but had thought such a mixture was impossible -- weren’t the Koorime a race of females that self-reproduced? She would have to look into that.

When she looked at the fourth detective, she couldn’t help but feel there was something vaguely familiar about him, though she couldn’t quite place it. He was an avatar for a kitsune spirit -- a very powerful one. With his long red hair and emerald-colored eyes, he was strikingly handsome. He was just a little bit taller than Sassouta, and for some reason, he made her think of Sesshoumaru. Koenma introduced him as Kurama.

“Excuse me for asking,” she said politely, “but is Kurama your ningen name or that of the kitsune inside you?”

He was shocked that she had been able to read his aura so accurately, and for a moment, he wasn’t sure what to say. “As a ningen, I am known as Minamino Shuiichi. The silver kitsune spirit who also inhabits this body is Kurama Youko. Among those who know about both of us, we prefer to be called Kurama.”

Then she shocked him even more. She tilted her head slightly and asked, “And have we met before?”

“Well, I’ll be damned. She remembers me. I guess I made quite an impression on her, -- not that I’m surprised, mind you. I was quite dashing even back then.”

“You flatter yourself. Just because she remembers her mate kicking some scrawny fox out of their garden doesn’t mean she fell in love with you at one glance.” Hiei said scornfully.

“You may remember Youko from an unfortunate mistake he made in trespassing on the Western castle’s grounds,” Kurama told her.

A wide smile crossed her face. “Ah, hai. The handsome, young, silver kitsune. I knew you reminded me of Sesshoumaru for some reason.” She giggled a bit. “He was quite put out by your audacity -- muttered to himself under his breath all the way back to the castle.”

“See there. She does remember the ‘handsome, young, silver kitsune.’ And we remind her of her mate.”

“How nice for you. She killed him, remember.”

“Good point.”

When the introductions were over, Kagome returned to the spot where she and her sons had been standing all those years, and she knelt down and placed both of her hands flat on the ground. Soon that same white light from before flowed from her hands and into the ground, which began to move and swirl, growing and shaping itself until it resembled the statue the four of them had formed. Instead of the stone façade they had held, this statue was made out of gleaming white ivory. She stood and bowed to Yoshihiro again. “In remembrance of the great service you and your village did for us by standing guard these many years.” He accepted her offering with a slight bow of his head, and then she took his arm as he led them all out of the cave.

“She can manipulate the earth and its properties. She turned the dirt into fine ivory.”

“There is too much we do not know about her. Damn Koenma and his incomplete files.”

“We shall have to fill in the gaps.”

And they followed the others out.
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They stayed in the Taijiya village for three days. For three days, they feasted and celebrated. Tales of the Great Quest were bandied about, along with histories of Kakuremichi itself. Youko discovered that they did, indeed, hold true to the old ways here. There were many training demonstrations, including the routing of a B-class bear youkai. Koenma was horrified to discover there were more youkai crossing the barrier in this area than he had known about -- mostly bears, boars, and snakes, but the taijiya had been taking care of them all along.

Myouga and Jaken spent most of their time sitting and drinking sake with Yoshihiro, while the three heirs spent much of their time walking around with Shippou, Ginta, Hakkaku and Denjiro, and training a bit, though one of them was with their mother at all times. They cautiously allowed Kuwabara and Yusuke to join them a few times, though Daitano and Eishumaru both kept a close eye on Yusuke. Kagome took time to work with Amani while they were there.

Koenma tagged along with Kurama as he explored what he could of the village and the surrounding forest, -- some places being kept off limits. He was amazed that they had escaped the Reikai’s attention all this time. And he was still quite flustered at the knowledge that Lady Kagome was supposed to serve as a Celestial Liaison to the Three Realms. How was that going to work if she was executed? How much trouble would that cause?

Hiei just surreptitiously followed Kagome, trying to discover as much as he could about her powers. The more he saw, the more he became convinced that she could, indeed, have killed her mates. If she had actually sustained herself and her three sons in stasis, keeping their presence masked like that for 400 years using just her ki, she was incredibly powerful. He had thought she had used some sort of artifact until Myouga had told them otherwise. With that much pure miko ki, she could probably completely purify most youkai and their souls. Then there were her strange celestial powers, which he knew could be used to affect the emotions of others and to manipulate the earth. As he watched and listened to her talk with the village miko, he found out she had extensive knowledge of some poisons which were particularly effective on youkai. Just how the hell did her mates die, anyway?!!? It wasn’t in Koenma’s files. Not much was. Well, she had plenty of weapons in her arsenal, not the least of which was her deadly charm. He sneered at the number of young men who were constantly dancing attendance upon her. Whenever she went for a walk, someone offered an arm. Whenever she sat down, someone fetched her some tea. Or a cushion to make her more comfortable. Or a parasol to shade her from the sun. Or some kind of pastry to eat. It was disgusting, and it would serve them all right to wake up with their throats slit.

He was currently leaning up against a tree, watching her as she patiently corrected Amani’s stance while they took turns shooting arrows at targets. Great. She was a crack shot at that, too. Kurama and Koenma walked up and joined him.

“So, Hiei, I noticed you’ve done nothing but follow our suspect around since we came out of the cave. Are you falling under her spell?” Kurama teased him.

Hiei just glared at him.

“Have you found out anything about her that might be useful?” Koenma asked.

“Other than she could have killed the Taiyoukai about 5 or 6 different ways? Probably with that same sickly sweet smile on her face?”

“Hai, Koenma, it would be helpful if we had more details about how the Taiyoukai were killed,” Kurama pointed out.

“I know, and I’m working on it. I have some people tracking down some of the other servants and retainers who would have been around when it happened. We should have more information by the time we get to Tokyo tomorrow. It would have been helpful to be able to interview the original complainants, but we can’t risk letting them know she is back yet.”

Kurama watched as Shippou walked up behind Kagome and put this arms around her, kissing her cheek. “Hmmm. Shippou isn’t exactly a retainer for one of the Houses, is he? But they seem to have a very close relationship. Is he her lover, do you think?”

The sound of laughter coming from behind them had them all whipping around to see Sassouta standing there, also leaning against a tree. “Don’t be ridiculous. Shippou was just a small child during the Great Quest. We practically grew up together. He’s like another older brother, -- not that I need another one.”

“Ah, that explains his extreme protectiveness of her, too,” Kurama nodded.

“You are all wasting your time. Kaa-san didn’t kill otou-san or her other two mates. She loved them. Haven’t you noticed that even after 100 years had passed, she is still in mourning? As long as I have been alive, the only color I have ever seen her wear is white. Someday, I want to see her in red …” And he turned and walked away back in the direction of the village.

Kurama frowned. “I can’t believe that escaped my notice. With black the more accepted color these days, I had forgotten that the traditional color for mourning is white. If nothing else, she is very good at keeping up appearances, isn’t she?”

Koenma looked at him sharply. “So, you are convinced she is guilty?”

“As Hiei pointed out, I am convinced that she was quite capable of killing them. And I prefer to keep my eyes wide open around her. It wouldn’t do to go getting my soft underbelly slit open, now would it?” he said as he arched a brow in Hiei’s direction.

“Hn.”
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That evening, as they sat in front of the headman’s house for the last of the feasting, Kagome looked on in amusement as both Shippou and Daitano kept stealing surreptitious glances at Amani, much to the irritation of Michio. She nudged Shippou and whispered to him, “So, I take it you are interested in Miroku’s descendant.”

His eyes widened and a slight blush crept across his cheeks as he hastened to assure her that wasn’t the case. “No, not at all, Kagome! I was just rather fascinated to see that of all his descendants, the one who most resembles him is a female, -- with that dark hair and those violet eyes. I never realized what a beautiful woman Miroku would have made.”

Kagome laughed. “I have been thinking the same thing myself. But I think Daitano is rather smitten -- it’s the first time I’ve ever seen him pay any attention to a girl before, not that he’s showing it very much.”

“It figures it would be a ningen miko who catches his eye -- like father, like son,” Shippou teased, causing Kagome to blush.

“You know, he looks almost exactly like Inuyasha when I first met him -- except for the ears, of course. He’s right around that age, too.” She smiled a bit sadly for a moment, then blinked a bit. “I wish he could have seen him,” she whispered.

“I’m sure that somehow, he can. And I’m sure he’s very proud of him, and of you,” Shippou reassured her quietly.

“No, I don’t think so, Shippou. Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, and Kouga are somewhere beyond the usual realm of the dead, and I am afraid they will never see or know what great sons they sired,” she sighed.

Having been eavesdropping on her conversation, Kurama and Hiei glanced at each other out of the corner of their eyes. “She knows the souls of her mates disappeared.”

“So it seems.”

When the detectives and Koenma met later that night to finalize their plans for the trip back to Tokyo and what they would do once they got there, Kurama shared the few things they had found out so far about Kagome.

“If she knows their souls are gone, that means she purified them like you guys said, right?” Yusuke asked.

“Perhaps, Yusuke, but we shouldn’t let our conclusions get ahead of the facts. There is still too much we don’t know,” Koenma cautioned them.

Kurama studied the demi-god for a moment. “You are worried about what might happen if you have to execute her, aren’t you? Are you considering calling off the investigation?”

“Of course I’m worried! But we can’t drop the investigation. One of the original complainants is highly connected in the Northern lands. If we were to just let the miko go, they would take it as a sign that the Reikai is favoring Sassouta’s claim,” Koenma said, pacing back and forth and waving his arms around wildly.

“I don’t think she did it. She seems nice,” Kuwabara voiced his opinion.

“Shut up, you baka. You think anyone with breasts is nice,” Hiei said scathingly.

A slight blush tinged Kuwabara’s cheeks. “That’s not true! I didn’t even notice her breasts!”

“Then you’re an even bigger baka than I thought,’ Hiei smirked at him.

“Will you two pay attention, please?” Koenma said in exasperation. “My point is that we have to be absolutely certain of our facts before we take any action against her. We need concrete proof of her guilt, … or innocence. And her son was serious about no one saying anything to her about the investigation, so be careful about what you say or ask around her.”

“Why don’t we just have Hiei use his Jagan to get inside her head and find out the truth?” Yusuke asked.

“You think I haven’t already tried that, detective?” Hiei looked at him like he was an idiot. “I tried the very first night when she went to sleep. Her mind is locked up tight. The Jagan even shied away from it.” He frowned at the memory. He had never known the Jagan to behave like that before -- it had approached her eagerly, as if yearning to delve into the power it sensed coming from her sleeping form, -- then suddenly, it had recoiled as if afraid of offending her by trying to trespass on her privacy. Hiei had been thrown back into himself so violently, he felt as if the Jagan had been scolding him for trying to use it against her.

“You will simply have to gather evidence in other ways. You need to get the retainers to talk about those days -- see if they let something slip. I understand they have brought things from each of the three original Houses that they had stored away to furnish the place Shippou purchased. Search the rooms. Hell, look to see if she kept a diary or journal,” Koenma told them.

“That would certainly be convenient, wouldn’t it? I can see it now: ‘Dear Diary, The weather was lovely today. We had fish for dinner. I killed my third mate.’ Case closed,” Hiei said sarcastically. Kuwabara and Yusuke both snickered.

“And let’s not forget, you’ve asked me and Yusuke to set ourselves up as her next potential victims,” Kurama reminded them.

“Yeah, … about that, … I guess I could flirt with her a little,” Yusuke said, with a thoughtful look on his face.

They all gave him knowing looks. “What? It’s my job, right?”

“Riiiiiight, Yusuke.”
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After more heartfelt thanks were expressed, and promises to visit were made, they took their leave early the next morning. During the long walk back to Hongu, the detectives spent most of their time just observing the way Kagome interacted with Shippou and the others. She was cheerful and energetic, and obviously in good physical condition, as evidenced by the way she kept pace with her sons even though she had to take about three steps to every one of theirs. She wore a less formal kimono to travel in, a tomesode, but it was still solid white -- this time with a plain, dark gray obi.

Kagome was still concerned about the presence of the Spirit Detectives and Lord Koenma. Shippou had told her they would be staying with them to help protect her sons. He carefully refrained from saying anything about them investigating her for her mates’ murders. Daitano had gathered him and their other friends and threatened them all within an inch of their lives if they said anything about it to her, and he knew he had threatened the Reikai Prince, too. He sighed. He had really hoped the whole mess would have died away by now. She needed to put it all behind her.

After the first couple of hours passed, Kagome dropped back behind the others to walk alongside Koenma, with the detectives trailing along behind them. She asked him questions about how successful the splitting of the Three Realms had been for the Reikai and the Makai, -- she hadn’t even known about their presence when she was living in her own time before, but she didn’t tell him that. She asked about the official influence of the Reikai, and about the current political and governing state in the Makai. She needed to know what her sons would be facing. She was completely distraught to learn that the Western lands were in the hands of a nekko youkai named Lord Torao -- the nekkos were her mate’s greatest foes, and she silently vowed to stop at nothing to regain the Western palace for Sesshoumaru’s son. Koenma, Hiei, and Kurama all took note of the way her fists clenched, and Koenma’e eyes widened at the determination that came over her face.

Apparently, the Eastern lands changed hands frequently as no one seemed to be capable of holding them for long. Right now, it was being ruled by an elemental youkai -- a wind-user who called himself Lord Tobikuma. The wolves still held the Northern lands, but it was a different clan who was running things. The name sounded familiar, and Kagome smiled when she remembered the first time she had met Prince Yemon. He had been young and very flirtatious, and Kouga had playfully booted him right out the front doors, telling him to go kidnap his own woman. She chuckled quietly at the memory, but when Koenma gave her a questioning look, she apologized and waved it off.

The Central lands were the ones held by Raizen, and Kagome’s brows raised at the name. She quickly turned around and looked at Yusuke. “That’s it! You’re Raizen’s heir, aren’t you?”

At his stunned look and slow nod, she told him, “Gomen nasai, but I’ve been trying to figure out why your rather uniquely powerful youkai blood is hosted in a primarily ningen body. My grandfather told me Raizen’s story once -- he has a scroll back at the shrine. If you’d like to see it, I can have him look for it when we go there.”

“Wait. When we go where?”

“To see my family, at the Goshinboku Shrine in Tokyo.”

“Your grandfather is living in modern-day Tokyo?” Koenma asked in surprise.

“Hai. I am originally from this time period. I was pulled into the past because of the Shikon no Tama, and I traveled back and forth during the quest. But when the jewel was completed, I was stuck in the past -- not that I would have left anyway,” she said with a smile.

“This just gets better and better. The Reikai doesn’t know anything about this onna,” Hiei hissed.

“I’m afraid you’re right. Look at Koenma’s face.”

Koenma was in a state of shock. One of history’s most powerful mikos was actually a modern-day girl who had been traveling through time, -- and the Reikai hadn’t known a thing about it! Heads were going to roll as soon as he got back!

“Oh, holy hell! Kagome from a shrine in Tokyo. You’re Keiko’s annoying cousin’s girlfriend!” Yusuke yelled.

“What?!!?” Kagome, her three sons, and Shippou all stopped and stared at Yusuke.

“My, um, friend, Keiko, has a cousin named Hojo who’s always talking about his girlfriend when he comes to visit. But you sure don’t look sickly to me,” he accused her.

“Kaa-chan, what’s this? You never told us you had a lover from your time,” Eishumaru teased his mother. Daitano reached up and smacked him on the head.

Blushing profusely, Kagome shook her head. “Don’t be impertinent. He wasn’t my lover or my boyfriend. He was just a friend who used to bring me gifts because my grandfather told everyone I was sick to explain my absences from school.”

“I wonder how many lovers she had after her mates were gone? Having been bedded by three Taiyoukai, I’m sure she knows some interesting tricks,” Youko mused.

“And you’re just dying to find out, aren’t you?”

“That’s exactly what may happen, too,” Hiei reminded them.

As they started to walk again, Kagome was still a bit flustered and stumbled over a tree root. Kurama quickly reached out and caught her, then took Koenma’s place and walked along beside her. Hiei frowned to himself. For a split-second there, he had almost reached out to help her, too.

Kurama finished telling her about the leaders of the Southern lands, which were split into two separate regions, with Mukuro ruling in the Southwest, and Yomi in the Southeast. He speculated to Kagome that the region would eventually be united as it seemed likely that Yomi was in the process of courting Mukuro. Once again, they were surprised to discover Kagome had met her a few times in the past. That could be helpful -- they were sure they would be able to get some information from her.

When they arrived back at the original site of the Kumano Hongu Taisha, Koenma called for Botan, who opened a portal bringing them into the Reikai. Immediately, Daitano, Eishumaru, and Sassouta surrounded their mother. For just a brief second, Hiei saw a small flickering of fear in her eyes before she turned and thanked Botan. Shippou quickly told Botan where the house was located, and she opened another portal for them, much to the relief of the three boys.

The “house,” as it turned out, was actually a 4-story mansion located several miles outside of Tokyo on a large estate. When they went in, Shippou revealed that all of the detectives’ belongings they had packed to bring had already been laid out in their rooms, and he led them all on a tour of the grounds. Behind the house was an enclosed rose garden, which made Kurama smile as he noticed the many exotic varieties growing there in addition to the domestic ones. Walking through the garden, one could access a huge building, which Shippou revealed would be used as a dojo. Inside, the floor was covered with thick mats and the walls were lined with weapons. There was a shower room located inside, too. Going through the garden to the other side took you to a wide open field, which had a lake off to one side of it, and was surrounded by woods. There were targets were set up all around it. This would be another training area.

Inside the house, the first floor contained a formal living room, large formal dining room, a huge kitchen, a small ballroom, a large library, and 4 offices. To Yusuke and Kuwabara’s delight, at the very back of the house, there was a game room, complete with an immense theater system, several video game systems, a stereo system, and even a pool table. Staying here wouldn’t be so bad, after all.

Shippou led everyone up the stairs to show them to their rooms. He indicated that each of the top 3 floors consisted of 6 separate bedroom suites and a common room. He told the detectives they had rooms on the 2nd floor, while Myouga, Jaken, Ginta, and Hakkaku would take rooms on the 3rd floor, leaving the top floor for the family and himself.

“No,” Hiei told him.

“Excuse me?”

“No. At least one of us will be on each floor.”

“Hiei’s right. It would be easier for us to help protect the family if we were situated on each floor,” Kurama pointed out.

Shippou narrowed his eyes at Hiei. He turned to Kagome, but she just nodded her consent. “All right. Kuwabara, you’ll be on the top floor. Kurama, you can take a room on the third floor, and Hiei and Yusuke can stay on the second floor. Satisfied?”

“Hn.”

After everyone had settled into a room, they all met downstairs for a late lunch. Shippou pointed out to Kagome that he had masked his demon features, and suggested that she needed to readjust to modern styles and that her sons would need to adapt to them, too. He had already purchased several items of clothing for all of them, but he thought they should consider modern haircuts, too. Sassouta’s eyes went wide and he ran his hand through his hair. “You’re kidding, right? Who in their right mind would cut hair that looks like this? It would be downright sinful to deprive girls of the opportunity to run their hands through it,” he said indignantly. Kagome giggled. His confidence in his own appeal seriously reminded her of his father. Of course, Kouga had had good reason to feel that way, she remembered, with a gleam in her eyes that didn’t go unnoticed by Hiei or Kurama.

Eishumaru, however, looked at Yusuke and Kuwabara. “Do many males wear their hair as short as yours?” At their nods, he said, “I think I would like to have my hair cut. It does get in my way sometimes.” Kagome, who was sitting in between him and Daitano, reached out and touched his long, silver tresses and sighed. Then she smiled at him. “I think you would look very handsome with short hair.”

Kuwabara spoke up, “My sister is a hairdresser in Kyoto. We could get Botan to open a portal for us there.”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea Kuwabara-san,” Kagome said with a smile.

He smiled back at her. “You can just call me Kuwabara like everyone else, -- or even Kazuma, if you like, Lady Kagome.”

“Arigatou! But please, just call me Kagome, all of you.” And after everyone agreed to address everyone else informally, and they prepared to go, Kagome touched the symbol on her forehead, then those on her sons’ and they vanished from view. She then ran her hands along their long, elegantly-pointed ears, and they too, took on the appearance of normal ningen ears. Then the boys started to head upstairs with Shippou to change into more acceptable clothing.

“Kagome, I got some things for you, too, you know,” the kitsune told her.

“Arigatou, Shippou, but I … I just don’t think I’d be comfortable in them anymore. And, … my 49 days is not over,” she said softly.

The detectives all exchanged glances on hearing that. Sure, they knew she was still wearing white to express her supposed mourning for her mates, but they hadn’t expected her to acknowledge the suspicious circumstances of their deaths.

“I know, Kagome, but … you will need to blend in more. You look like a traditional noblewoman,” Shippou gently pointed out.

Kagome looked down at her kimono, and ran a hand across her obi a bit self-consciously while biting her lower lip.

“Leave her alone,” Daitano told him. “Of course she looks like a noblewoman, -- that is what she is. I saw some of those items you bought for her, and I am not sure Sesshoumaru otou-san would have approved of them.”

“Oh, but Kouga otou-san would have! Especially that really short black kimono-thing,” Eishumaru argued. “He always said kaa-chan had great legs, and that if he had his way, she’d go around in just her … OW!!” He rubbed his head and then his shoulder where both of his brothers had smacked him.

The detectives all digested this little bit of insight into her relationships with two of her mates, while Kagome blushed profusely. Kurama decided now was as good a time as any to start plying his charms on her. He turned to her, and with a slight smile, said, “You look lovely just as you are, and it is only natural that it would take some time for you to get used to modern styles again. Perhaps while we are in Kyoto I could take you to some shops where you could look around and see if there is anything you might be comfortable with.”

She looked at him, as if considering his offer for a moment, then nodded. “Perhaps that would be a good idea.” She looked up at Shippou beseechingly. “I hope you are not offended, Shippou.”

He just smiled at her. “Of course not. I wasn’t thinking when I bought those things -- they’re more appropriate for the 18-year-old girl you appear to be rather than the mature woman you actually are. You’ll just have to find a happy medium to bridge that gap,” he said with a wink. And he and the boys continued on up the stairs.

“Not to be rude, but just how old are you, anyway?” Yusuke asked her when the others were out of sight.

Kagome laughed. “The year we went into hiding, I was 134.”

“Hn. You are still barely more than a girl by youkai standards,” Hiei snorted.

“Well, how old does that make you, Hiei? I know Youko’s ancient, but I’ve never heard you say anything about your age.”

“Why that snot-nosed, little brat! I am not ancient,” Youko sniffed.

“You’ve offended Youko, Yusuke,” Kurama told the toushin. “He says he is only 715, and is about the equivalent of a ningen at 23 years of age.”

Kagome agreed with him. “Hai. He is still a young male just entering his prime. Sesshoumaru was around 1200 when I met him, and was considered just into his maturity then. I think that would have made him about 25 by ningen standards.” In spite of their dealings with and knowledge of youkai, including Raizen, who was close to 3,000 years old, Yusuke and Kuwabara’s minds boggled at the idea that Youko would be considered young by anyone. He always seemed so much older with his ruthless nature and calculating ways.

Seeing an opportunity to learn more, Kurama asked her about her other mates. With a faraway look in her eyes, she told them, “Inuyasha was 216 when we met. So, he would have been close to Youko’s age when he accidentally stumbled across the garden at the Western palace. But he spent 50 years sealed to a tree, and he was a hanyou, so he wasn’t quite as … mature as he might have otherwise been.” She grinned at the thought. “Kouga was about 472, according to Hakkaku. He didn’t keep track of things like that very well.” Then she frowned slightly and mumbled to herself. “Of course, he wasn’t always very mature-acting, either. I guess I didn’t realize at the time how very young they really were.” And she seemed lost in her thoughts for a moment.

“Age alone is not a measure of maturity,” Hiei said, bringing her out of her musings.

“You are quite right, Hiei-san.” He was the only one who had not given her leave to address him by his name, a fact which Kurama called him on, but he ignored.

“You still haven’t said how old you are,” Yusuke switched his attention back to Hiei.

“Hn.” He was 284, but none of them needed to know that.

“Aw, he’s so shrimpy, he’s probably only about, um, … 50,” Kuwabara joked.

“No, he has to be older than that,” Yusuke said. “I might not really get a lot about youkai aging yet, but I do remember Raizen saying that they have to go through 100 years in the ‘puberty’ stage. And three-eyes there looks like he’s about 19 or 20 -- just like us, so he has to be over 100.”

“Different races of youkai age differently, Yusuke, but you’re correct that most go through a ‘puberty’ stage like that. It’s a very difficult and vulnerable time for kitsune, in particular, because they enter it sooner than most races -- at 8 or 9.” Kurama told him.

Kagome spoke up, “Hai. Even though it was dangerous for them there, I waited until all three of my sons had passed that stage before we went into hiding, so they would have the experience of their time that would help them when they press their claims.”

Kurama gave her an appraising look. “A wise decision.”

“So, you’re saying that even though Daitano looks like he’s 16, he’s actually 116?” Kuwabara asked.

“Hai.”

“Just how the heck old are you, runt?”

Hiei had had enough of their questions and speculations about him, so he turned around and left.

Yusuke looked at Kurama. “Do you know how old he is?”

Kurama just shook his head.

“You know a lot about youkai, Kagome. How old would you guess he is?” the detective asked her.

“I don’t think Hiei-san would appreciate me expressing my opinion on such a personal matter.”

“Aw, come on. We won’t tell him,” Kuwabara pleaded.

She hesitated, then said, “Well, … based on his appearance, and what he said about age and maturity not necessarily going hand-in-hand, I think he is much younger than he acts. He carries himself with the composure of an 800 or 900-year-old youkai, but I think he is … around 260.”

“Hmmm. I wonder how close she is?”

“I’d say that’s pretty accurate. We know he was born in the Makai since the Koorime didn’t live in their little cloudy-isle until after the barriers were formed, so he has to be less than 400. And he had already gone through his puberty stage when we met him, so he was over 100 then. And he does look to be about 19 by ningen standards, so really, anywhere from 220 - 300 is a good guess. I’m impressed by the way she took his statement into account. She’s very intuitive.”

“Hai. And that just makes her more dangerous. I hope Koenma sends us some more information soon.”

“In the meantime, we get to escort a beautiful woman into town.”

Kurama mentally rolled his eyes.
----------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------


Four hours later, the group returned to the house. The only ones who had gone to Kyoto were Kagome, her sons, Shippou, Kurama, Kuwabara, and Yusuke, who had left them to their shopping for a quick visit to Keiko. Myouga and Jaken had retired to their offices, while Ginta and Hakkaku had gone to the dojo. If they were going to be sparring with the boys again, they needed to get in some serious practice. Hiei had gone into the Makai to question Mukuro about Kagome and anything she knew about the three Taiyoukai.

When the group stepped out of the portal, Hiei noticed that Kagome was holding Kurama’s arm and laughing lightly. Evidently, the fox had wasted no time insinuating himself into her good graces. And all three of her sons and Shippou were glaring at him, much to Hiei’s amusement. He noticed that the boys had all engaged Shizuru’s services. Daitano’s formerly shaggy, waist-length hair had been smoothed and was now tied back at the nape of his neck, hanging just past his shoulder blades. Eishumaru had indeed had his hair cut short, and now the wavy silver locks curled up at his neck. With his height, light hair and blue eyes, he could have been mistaken for one of those American surfers or skateboarders. (Silly ningen -- always looking for new ways to injure their weak bodies.) Sassouta had even allowed Shizuru to clip a few inches off of his ebony tresses, and also had them tied back at the nape of his neck, the ends now hitting about midway down his shoulder blades. They all looked like normal ningen, save for their extreme good looks and obvious physical fitness.

Kagome was now wearing a plain, elegant yet casual, black suit. The skirt was modest, ending below her knees, but the plain lines and simple cut of it flattered her figure. Hiei could see just a hint of the lacey black blouse she had on under the fitted jacket, which emphasized the tiny expanse of her waist and the generous curves of her breasts. The sleeves were loose, and hit below her elbows. She made a very tempting widow, and he wasn’t sure why, but he was pleased to note that she had not had her hair cut.

They had a late supper, then Kagome excused herself and her family, saying they would be getting up early to begin their training. Dressed in a long, solid white sleeping yukata and a matching robe, she quietly made her way outside and wandered into the garden. As she walked among the beautiful, fragrant blossoms, she trailed a finger along their petals. She wanted to go visit her mother tomorrow afternoon. It had been so long since she had seen her. She let out a long sigh. Without turning, she said out loud, “You can join me, if you wish, Hiei-san.”

“Hn.” The fire demon leaped down from the tree he had been perched in and landed behind her. He had seen her leave the house and had followed. He was supposed to meet with the others in the game room to let them know what he had found out in the Makai, but he thought it was more important that someone keep an eye on her. She continued to walk along silently for a while. “What are you doing out here?” he asked gruffly.

Still not turning around, she said, “Thinking.”

“What are you thinking about that makes you leave the relative safety of your house at night?”

Now she turned to him and laughed. “Relative safety? Other than the 400 years we were completely hidden from the world, this is the safest I have been since I turned 15.”

He didn’t say anything to that, so she started walking again. “I was thinking about my mother, and my grandfather. And Souta, my little brother. I don’t know how I’m going to tell them … everything that’s happened. To them, it will have only been a couple of months since they saw me. To me, … 117 years have passed.” She laughed again. “I will be introducing them to my three sons, who don’t look a heck of a lot younger than I do. And, … I have to tell them that … Inuyasha is dead.”

Hiei slanted her a hard glare. “Along with your other two mates.”

She gave him a startled look. “Hai, of course. It’s just that they knew Inuyasha.”

“How did they know him?” he demanded.

“He was able to pass through the well, too. He came with me to my time often. He hated it, -- except for some of the foods,” she said with a smile. Hiei could tell from the expression on her face that she was remembering old times with her first mate fondly, and it irritated him because it created just the slightest bit of doubt that she had killed him. Then he thought back over what Mukuro had told him and narrowed his eyes at her again. It was possible she had actually cared for him and still killed him.

“You should go back in if you are planning to get up early.”

“I suppose so, though I don’t need much sleep. A few hours and I’ll be fine. You and your teammates are welcome to join us in our training, if you’d like. I notice you are a swordsman, and I will be needing to try to contact the boys’ old sensei to see if he will be able to resume their training,” she said as they walked back towards the house.

“Who is their sensei?” he asked curiously.

“He’s a rather gruff old inuyoukai who served as Sesshoumaru’s Captain of the Guard at the Western palace -- his name is Ikiji,” she told him.

Hiei grunted. He had heard of Ikiji, and he was reputed to be a fine swordsman, but, “He’s dead.”

Kagome stopped. “Oh.” She stood there for a minute, then walked on. “Then I will have to find someone else. Good night, Hiei-san.” And if he hadn’t caught just a glimpse of her face in the moonlight before she entered the house, he would have never known she was crying.
--------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------


“Where have you been?” Yusuke asked impatiently. “We agreed to meet here half an hour ago.”

“I was following our widow. She went for a walk,” Hiei told him blandly.

“She went for a walk? It’s 10:30 at night -- why would she go for a walk now?”

“She said she was thinking.”

“So, you weren’t just following her then,” Kurama said with a sly smile.

“She sensed me, so I questioned her a bit.”

“And did you find out anything?” the avatar asked.

“She is anxious about seeing her family and telling them her first mate is dead -- apparently he could pass through time, too, and they knew him.”

“Holy crap! How in the hell did the Reikai miss all that going on?” Yusuke fumed.

Everyone just rolled their eyes at that. Then Kurama turned to Hiei again. “Would you like to hear how our excursion to Kyoto went?”

“Hn.”

We took them to Shizuru’s shop first. When we decided to leave the boys with Shippou and Kuwabara while I took Kagome shopping, Daitano ordered Sassouta to go with us.”

“Where were you?” Hiei asked Yusuke.

He squirmed a bit uncomfortably. “I went to see Keiko -- just for a little while,” he said defensively. “Don’t worry, I didn’t say anything about having a girlfriend. I told them I was going to see ma. So, I’ll still be able to flirt and charm her like Kurama.”

“You wish, Urameshi,” Kuwabara said.

“Ahem. Anyway, Shippou was right. Kagome drew a lot of attention downtown, -- mostly male, -- and it wasn’t just due to her traditional clothing, though that added to it. But she seemed oblivious to it. I don’t know if she truly didn’t realize it, or if she is just that good at hiding her awareness of it. She carries herself like a true hime. I don’t know if you took notice of what she was wearing when we returned, but the only things she bought were either solid black or white, though Sassouta kept trying to get her to look at things in other colors. Everything she bought is rather conservative-looking, too, though with her looks and figure, Youko is still driving me crazy.”

“She is awfully pretty,” Kuwabara chimed in. “I asked Shizuru what she thought about her, since she is pretty good at reading people. She said she seems nice, but that she is weighted down with responsibility. And she said she seems … haunted by something.”

Yusuke’s eyes grew wide. “You mean like her mates are haunting her?”

“No, not like she’s being haunted by ghosts -- Shiz said it was more like by fear, or …” he hesitated.

“What?” Kurama prompted.

“Guilt,” he said quietly. “But I still don’t think she did it,” he insisted. “She’s just not the type.”

“And why is that? Because she’s beautiful? Or polite? Or friendly? Do not let your cock, or your sympathies, blind you to her very real, very lethal powers. She has three mates that already did that,” Hiei said contemptuously.

Kurama arched a brow at him. “I take it you found something out from Mukuro.”

“Hai. A possible motive for her killing her first mate.” This caught everyone’s attention, and they settled down to listen. “Mukuro came across her during the Great Quest. Like many others in those days, she had heard of the Shikon no Tama and the fact that it had been broken and the shards scattered. She had one, and was interested in getting more. She had followed rumors of a great dragon youkai who supposedly had several in his possession. She found him and challenged him for his shards. He defeated her soundly, and she says he would have killed her if the miko and her companions hadn’t arrived to challenge him for the shards, too. She said the miko was young and untrained in her powers then, and Mukuro thought she was rather pathetic at first. The hanyou, Inuyasha, did most of the fighting, with the taijiya and monk helping out. But Inuyasha ordered the girl to stay back out of the way once she told him where the shards were located. And she did, shooting a few arrows at the dragon, to no great effect, until the dragon wounded the hanyou severely. Then, Mukuro says, she ran to him and knelt down in front of him, and together they unleashed a combined attack unlike anything Mukuro had ever seen at that time. The miko released an arrow and Inuyasha sent a fearsome wave of power roaring from his sword in its wake, and together, they completely decimated the dragon.”

Kurama interrupted him. “So, in a sense, she boosted his powers with her own. Miko ki and youki working together … that’s very interesting.”

“What does that have to do with her killing him?” Yusuke asked.

“I’m getting to that, detective,” Hiei said irritably. “After the fight was over, they insisted that Mukuro stay with them until she recovered. The miko told her that she knew she had a shard, and that they needed it to complete the jewel and defeat the evil hanyou who was also gathering pieces, but that she wouldn’t force her to give it to them. Nor did she tell the others Mukuro had it. Over the next couple of weeks, she traveled with them, and she came to like and respect the girl. While she wasn’t all that powerful on her own back then, she was determined and loyal, and never gave up, and when they parted, she gave her the shard. She did not like the hanyou. She said he treated the girl badly -- that he belittled her and was rude to her. She asked her why she stayed with him, and she said she knew he didn’t really mean the things he said, and that she cared about him and would never leave him.”

This time, Kuwabara interrupted him. “That sounds like she really loved him, even if he was a jerk.”

“Just because she may have had feelings for him doesn’t mean she didn’t kill him. There’s more,” Hiei told him, with no small amount of exasperation in his voice. “Mukuro said she had been surprised to hear that when the Quest was completed, the hanyou had been elevated to Taiyoukai status, since no hanyou had ever existed with that kind of power. But when she heard he had mated the miko, she figured that her powers had something to do with it, since by the end of the Quest she was reputed to be quite powerful.”

“So, he was using her for her power and that’s how he became a Taiyoukai, and she finally got fed up and killed him?” Yusuke broke in.

“That is what Mukuro thinks. And she completely supports the miko, and is willing to ally her region to her and support her sons’ claims. Which means Yomi may do the same.”

Yusuke let out a long whistle. “Great. She tells us she thinks she did it and that she supports her anyway. That isn’t going to make things easy.”

Kurama looked thoughtful for a minute, then he spoke up. “If that is the motive for her killing her first mate, then what is her motive for killing the other two? Sesshoumaru had already been a Taiyoukai for centuries -- he certainly wasn’t using her for her power. I had thought it would be the same motive for all three -- that she wanted their power, wealth, and status. It seems it may be more complicated than that.”

“Maybe she’s just a psycho,” Yusuke suggested.

Just then, a portal appeared in the middle of the room and Botan stepped out. “Hi guys! Having a little meeting?”

“Actually, we are. But we’re getting ready to go to bed, so what do you want at this time of night?” Yusuke grouched at her.

“I’m just bringing you some more files Koenma has been putting together,” she laid a small stack of papers down on the pool table. “Um, unfortunately, when Koenma sent people out to question some of the former servants and retainers of the three Houses, … well, one of them didn’t do a very good job.” She looked down at her feet. They were going to be angry. “He raised some suspicions, and now there are a few rumors in the North about the return of the true heirs.”

“Crap! Just what we don’t need! No one knows they’re in the Ningenkai yet, do they?” Yusuke ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

“Um, no. There hasn’t even been a whisper about their whereabouts yet, as far as we know. But, um, … one of the youkai who swore out the original complaint against the miko is the current Princess of the Northern Lands, Ayame, so, … well, Lord Koenma is expecting a visit from her any day now.” She stood there and looked at them, and then back down at her feet.

“Is there something else you wish to tell us, Botan?” Kurama asked her politely.

“Well, Lord Koenma already received one visitor this evening asking about them,” she said nervously.

“Who?”

“Lord Yemon of the Northern lands. He wants to know where the miko is because he wants to take her as his mate.”
---------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------
Arigatou gozaimasu - a very formal ‘thank you’
Gomen nasai - ‘forgive me’ -- a formal apology
Sashinuki hakama - a style of hakama pants which are gathered at the ankle (like Sess and Inu’s)
Irotomesode kimono - a single-color, semi-formal kimono worn by married women
Tomesode kimono - a more casual kimono, usually a solid color (usually subdued) or small design
Takahashi Yoshihiro - the Taijiya headman -- (just me tipping my hat to the great creators)
Amani - (the village miko) - pious beauty
Ikiji - (the inuyoukai sensei) - backbone

*When Kagome objected to wearing anything but her mourning clothes, she told Shippou her “49 days were not over.” This is a typical Japanese response when a loved one dies under suspicious circumstances, like murder. It’s a reference to the 49 days of Buddhist mourning rituals. Even once the proscribed 49 days are over, they may continue mourning if there is “something unsettled” about the death.