Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Par Tout Autre Nom ❯ Beauty in the Breakdown ( Chapter 49 )

Disclaimers: Inuyasha and Yu Yu Hakusho belong respectively to Rumiko Takahashi and Yoshihiro Togashi.

A/N: Whoo! BUSY month… Kazusa had her baby, work went batshit insane, I got sick trying to cheer up Puppy given her own battles with inhumanly resistant illnesses, and now? Hah, now I'm just one hacking, sneezing, death-to-all-rays-of-sunlight-and-loud-noises pile of Holiday Cheerâ"¢. Go me. -flops over and dies- Beh. Ah well, at least I posted that new story, and I got this chapter done. If you're under seventeen, you need to swing over to Fanfiction(net) and read the version up there. Any materials unsuitable for the rating have been edited from that one, but for those of you who are of age, the full version is right here. ^^

On another note… a couple of things to address because they seem to keep coming up. Translation notes for one. Japanese isn't my native language, but I've always been in areas that have a relatively decent percentage so I'm more familiar than average. The only words I don't translate to English are the ones that don't translate well, be it for a deeper/double meaning or just not a word that exists. I don't generally leave notes IN the chapter because I'm either A- not thinking about it, or B- feel the impact is lessened by having a "key." But I still try not to use massively obscure words for ease of those who look them up (since this time it seems to be an issue though… Heika: a referential title suffix that is used for the Emperor or Empress - or King and Queen, for foreign monarchies.) Uber props to Fallon for knowing what I was talking about. ^.~

Also, I'm sorry but I can't individually mail chapters. It would take far too much time and effort, not to mention I just don't feel comfortable doing it. It's one thing if someone is reading it (or even copying and printing it off to read) from a site, but it's not practical for me to do it on a personal basis. If some chapters aren't working at one location, check the other or dump your cache and try again later. Most of them are interchangeable.

Last matter is that on FF.N, the location of the stories has changed to "Anime Crossovers" on the advice of Puppy after receiving some reviews that seemed to be for no other purpose than to tell me they were in the "wrong section" and to take them down and upload them again correctly. To save myself a headache, and a possible vindictive removal for such an asinine reason from this person or a companion, I relocated both BAON and BLP.

Whew! All that being said- as always, to all of you, I absolutely adore you! I don't generally give out individual responses because I don't want anyone to feel left out, but there were a couple people who mentioned a certain characterization that got me all squooshy-happy (of course that might just be the bottle and a half of NyQuil or the gratuitous amounts of wine I've consumed for the season, but whatever the reason, I was still very squooshy-happy). So thank you very much for that, Belle and Panda. Also special thanks to Saro~n (uber glomps) and Puppy and SoM for listening to my stages of rant and frustration, and beating me through it with sticks. And as ever and always, to all my junkies, buddies, reviewers and readers… your abilities to brighten the worst of my days are so very much loved and appreciated. Thank you very, very much, and I hope you're all enjoying your holidays.

<~*~*~*~>

By Any Other Name

~Beauty in the Breakdown~

"This is the great secret you're hiding from the miko?"

Shippou's concentration shattered at the voice so close at his side, jolting away from the sound and letting out a strangled cry of dismay when the instinctive move sent his chair tilting severely to the side. One hand scrabbled to catch hold of the table and straighten himself out, but only succeeded in sending a stack of thick, white papers flying when a light nudge tipped him the rest of the way to the floor.

Hiei tilted his head, snickering at the sight of the irritating kitsune sprawled out on the floor amongst the blank pages with the wooden folding chair crumpled on top of him, "Very graceful, Takashima."

Shippou blinked, twisting around to glare up at the hybrid as a low growl built in his throat, "You! Goddammit, you tri-cloptic fuckhead, have you ever heard of knocking?!"

Hiei shrugged, reaching out to casually pluck one of the pages off Shippou's desk, "The miko left instructions for me to make myself `at home' here in her absence. Considering your habit for barging in to any and all rooms without a thought to who may be trying to have a moment of privacy, you don't have much room to talk."

"Get your hands off that, they aren't done!" Shippou shoved himself up on his forearms, muttering irritably and kicking the chair aside a little more forcefully than necessary before he rolled to his feet.

Hiei hopped back out of the way to dodge the kitsune's grab at the page, not bothering to look up from his curious perusal of the "borrowed" paper, "Who writes this nonsense?"

"It's not nonsense, it's romantic," he defended, raking his hand through his hair as he resisted the urge to chase the hybrid around his room more violently. There was a sly tilt to Hiei's lips that suggested he was milking the situation for all he could, and Shippou absolutely refused to add to Hiei's amusement. "And I write most of it. Shinju adds a bit here and there if he has an idea."

"You draw all the images yourself?" Hiei tilted the page in his hand to one side, momentarily wondering if a human could be twisted into such a position and still be enjoying it as much as the scene suggested.

"Of course!" Shippou puffed up defensively, never taking his eyes off the hybrid as the door opened again. "You think I'd have any respect for myself as a kitsune if I put my name on someone else's work?"

"Technically it is someone else's work, Shippou," Kaze interrupted their staring match, deliberately walking between them to disrupt their line of vision and dissolve the thick tension as he set a mug of coffee on the desk. "Unless of course, that happens to be one of the new doujinshi you're doing for your own series?"

"My editor insisted," Shippou muttered, folding his arms over his chest and reluctantly answering the question in his expression.

"She always has been fond of the male pairings, hasn't she?" Kaze held out his hand towards Hiei expectantly, using the bits of information to distract the hybrid just enough that he automatically followed the silent hint. The young human glanced over the page critically for a moment, turning it in the same fashion Hiei had done moments ago, and chuckling when Shippou quickly snatched it back.

"It's not done yet," he defended again, stacking it with the other pages and meticulously straightening his workspace as his chin reflexively lifted in silent arrogance under their amused stares. "If you want to see it so badly, buy it when it's printing, Kaze. Help support the family and all."

"I'd hardly call buying your work adding to the family fund, Shippou. It goes to support your chocolate addiction," Kaze reached out, hooking his smallest finger through the back of the kitsune's necklace and giving it a teasing yank. "And that bizarre love you have for costuming."

"I don't hear you complain when you come to me for repairs in your uniform," Shippou swatted his hand away and settled his necklace back in place over the plain black tank top. Frowning again, he twisted to face them both and demand, "Now what the hell are you two bothering me for? I already told everyone I didn't want to be disturbed."

"Sexual intercourse between fictional characters is that difficult to draw?" Hiei folded his arms over his chest, one eyebrow kicking up when Shippou bristled at the taunt and growled at him.

"You can get the fuck out of my room now," the kitsune flicked his ponytail back over his shoulder in an agitated motion. "No matter how much I'd love to kick your ass without Kagome or Sesshoumaru-sama here to referee, I do have to finish this."

Hiei snorted at the claim, "You are welcome to try `kicking my ass,' kitsune. However, you will have to wait for later. I'm not looking for a fight with you at the moment."

"Oh?"

Hiei nodded, keeping his expression carefully bland, "I want to know where I can find a computer."

Curiosity quickly overrode Shippou's temper as he turned to stare down at the hybrid, "A computer?"

"And privacy."

Shippou tilted his head thoughtfully, searching for any hint as to why Hiei would ask about a computer, "Shinju has one in the office, and Souta probably has one in his room. You can ask either of them if they'd mind letting you use it. But why the hell do you need a computer? You don't exactly look the type to be keeping up on human technology."

"Personal reasons," Hiei shrugged casually.

"Listen, you little prick! You're going to have to start realizing that in our family, we-!" Shippou's eyes flashed as he rounded on the unperturbed hybrid, when Kaze pressed a hand gently to the kitsune's chest and cut him off.

"Actually, Hiei-san, I wonder if you wouldn't be willing to put your personal matter on hold a little while longer," Kaze folded his hands together in the sleeves of his kimono once he was certain Shippou had backed down from the argument. "Sesshoumaru-sama is calling for you, and it would be in poor taste to keep him waiting."

"For what reason?" Hiei's attention shifted, casually resting his left hand on the hilt of his katana at the mention of the taiyoukai.

Shippou ignored the question, mouth setting in a grim line as he questioned Kaze on his own, "They're going now? All ready?"

"Going where?" Hiei's frown deepened when they seemed to be ignoring him in favor of sharing an odd assortment of coded looks and nods. Hiei blatantly let his ki flare in a show of intimidation when it seemed the two of them were about upgrade from the silent communication to their own vague conversation without answering him, "I said… Going where?"

Kaze smiled, reflexively lifting his hand in a blessing pose to soothe the hybrid's temper, unaware of how much that gesture made him look like his younger cousin. "My apologies… Shippou, considering Sesshoumaru-sama's plans, if you would call Kagome-sama this evening to check in on her?"

"Sure, I'll do it," Shippou muttered out as he nodded and righted his fallen chair to resume his place at his desk.

"And be nice when you call," Kaze scolded, motioning for Hiei to follow him out of the kitsune's room. "Kagome is still tired from visiting the shrine, and will have little patience."

Shippou made an absent motion to dismiss that reminder, "Ease off, Kaze, I know how to talk to my sister when she's drained. I still know her better than any of you think you do."

Hiei's brows rose slightly when he saw the way the human's jaw tightened at the thinly-veiled cruelty in that response, filing away the reaction to pick apart at his leisure as Kaze closed the door on the kitsune's room. "What does Sesshoumaru want with me, Hitokaze?"

Sighing, Kaze folded his hands back into his sleeves and started down the hallway, "Sesshoumaru-sama is waiting outside the compound. He has decided that with Kagome-sama away with Kurama-san, it's time to take you into Makai with him to meet the other side of our family."

Hiei's eyes widened, momentarily coming to a stop as he stared at Kaze's guarded expression, Into Makai. They're going to show me how they pass the barrier undetected?

"After the experience Kagome-sama had with the attack you witnessed, Sesshoumaru-sama has deemed it necessary to make personal inquiries in the realm it originated from." Kaze continued with a sort of calm precision that had Hiei inwardly admitting a grudging respect for his ability to maintain control of his emotions. "You can understand how unsettling it is to know that there is a youkai in Makai who is not only capable of organizing such an extensive grouping, but is also hunting for her specifically."

"Then this youkai knows that she's the jewel," Hiei shook off his thoughts, lengthening his stride to catch up with the taller human again.

Kaze nodded, "It appears that is the case, yes."

"Who is it?"

"Sesshoumaru-sama has asked me to allow him to handle this matter," Kaze shook his head to show he wasn't the one who was going to answer that question. "He called to request that you meet him in front of the main compound as soon as possible."

Hiei couldn't hold in the slight chuckle of sardonic amusement, "The taiyoukai does not waste time."

Kaze finally smiled at him, even if it didn't quite reach his eyes, "We have not been a peaceful, successful family for five hundred years by dragging our feet when conflicts arise. Besides, any time the Shikon-no-Tama is involved, our history has proven that it is best to move as quickly as we can to handle the matter."

Better than allowing an enemy to gain enough strength to become a true threat, Hiei glanced through the open shoji as they passed the dojo. Not in the least bit surprised to see Shinju kneeling in meditation in front of the memorial to their ancestors, seeming perfectly oblivious to the world around him. Shaking his head, Hiei refocused his attention forward and felt the strangest urge to offer some sort of compliment to that philosophy, "I am… impressed by how cleanly life in this family is run."

"We all know where we belong here," Kaze murmured softly, catching the sideways look from his cousin and momentarily tipping his chin towards his chest in acknowledgement. "It is not so difficult to function as a team when you learn to accept your limits and recognize there is greater strength in embracing your weaknesses than in hiding from them."

Hiei arched an eyebrow, "Weaknesses like the miko?"

Kaze paused with his hand on the shoji leading to the backyard, lips twisting in a wry smile for a moment before he answered in a more subdued tone. "Kagome-sama is more a weakness for some than she is for others. Sesshoumaru-sama does like to be kept waiting, Hiei-san."

Touchy subject then, Hiei nodded at the dismissal and walked past him, pausing for a moment to breathe in the untainted air and ponder the implications of Kaze's admission. I'm obviously missing something important in the way these humans are associated with Sesshoumaru's "family," and with Kagome. Something simple, but it's definitely the key to linking this together.

His gaze trailed back to the young man standing in the doorway, eyes narrowing with concentration even as the air at his feet seemed to bow inward in response to his rising youki. I'll have to disturb Kurama's alone-time long enough to call Kagome after I finish whatever it is Sesshoumaru wants.

When the hybrid simply vanished between one blink and the next, Kaze let his shoulders slump and stared blankly outside as he let his thoughts wander back over Shippou's words. One hand lifted to rub his temples wearily before lowering to rest over his heart, and finally fall back at his side, Even after all this time-

"Ignore him."

Kaze frowned, purposefully keeping his gaze outside as the calm instruction snapped him out of his brooding thoughts. Folding his hands up into his sleeves habitually, he answered flatly, "I'm not a child, Shinju. I know he's not serious."

Shinju was silent for a moment before he stepped out of the doorway, approaching his tense cousin to observe the rigid way he was holding himself. He reached out, lightly resting his palm against Kaze's back to try spreading more peaceful energy into him and counteract the anxiety, "Kaa-san has always and will always love us regardless of how little time we have had together. Shippou is frustrated, and you know how he gets under these circumstances."

"I said I know," he glared back over his shoulder for a moment, staring into identical eyes until the temper simply melted out of him. Kaze turned away again, fists clenching as he murmured quietly, "I know my lessons as well as you do, Shinju. `Kitsune are experts at finding words that sting their opponents,' especially the one's who've reached his age. Just because I understand, doesn't mean I can dismiss it… And just because he doesn't mean it, doesn't mean he didn't succeed."

Shinju continued to watch him silently, waiting patiently for his cousin to work through his upset enough to speak or to indicate they would revisit the subject later.

"It's nothing, Shinju," Kaze forced himself to relax again under the weight of that stare, raking one hand impatiently through his hair. He took a deep, cleansing breath and closed his eyes to re-center himself before he spoke again. "Time with Okaa-sama is the only way that these feelings of insecurity will be put to rest. Otou-sama has said as much to us time and time again."

Shinju's lips curled up slightly, shaking his head at the perfectly logical rationalization he had been silently betting on hearing from the stereotypically indicative man. Keeping his amusement to himself, he suggested calmly, "Perhaps Sesshoumaru-sama is correct. We should speak with her privately about our… difficulties once she returns."

Kaze made a noncommittal sound to that suggestion as he braced his shoulder against the wall and leaned into it more casually and relaxed than he had been a moment ago. He gestured outside with a faint nod to indicate a change of topic before vocalizing the other concern that was disrupting his thoughts. "That one is suspicious."

"As well he should be."

"Mm… He's also intelligent and underhanded enough that he's going to find out everything we're trying to keep from him," Kaze continued in the same bland tone, not really expecting disagreement or reassurance so much as having a second voice verify his own observations.

Shinju chuckled softly from where he'd come to stand beside his cousin, glancing out into the yard to take in the circle of scorched earth Hiei had left behind. Calmly leaning in idle juxtapose with Kaze, he waited for his cousin to take the silent hint and look at him before he challenged with a smile. "Would any of us be able to truly accept him in our family if he couldn't?"

:………:

Kurama let his eyes close, sharpening his other senses as his fingers slid down Kagome's lips and traced a line down her throat before lightly circling her neck. Kagome stood docile under his touch, each breath brushing her chest against his as he simply basked in the faint scent he'd come to crave. He could feel her throat move against his palm when she swallowed, and he sighed softly as he rested his cheek against her temple, "I have no idea why you seem to think your past has any bearing on our relationship, Kagome. I had thought I made it clear to you that I don't care who you were, or what you've done before we began seeing each other exclusively, but somehow we seem to have hit a miscommunication."

"Kurama-" Kagome tried again, only to instinctively fall silent when he let out a low growl.

`Now it is our turn,' Youko rippled through their soul, twining their ki together a piece at a time as he exerted his superior control with a purely wicked grin. `This miko needs to start having more respect for our ability to make such a decision for ourselves. This is our time to become more intimate, not to have her telling us that the woman we have so carefully handpicked to be the mother of our children is not good enough for our attention.'

Kagome frowned at the satisfaction she could feel radiating from him when she caught herself leaning ever-so slightly into his touch, the feeling enough to snap her out of her enthrallment. Mentally bracing herself for what she knew was going to be a difficult argument, she lifted her hands to his chest and stood on her toes to mimic the way he'd spoken into her ear. "Kurama, you aren't thinking this through."

That's the first time anyone's ever made that accusation to us.

`We'll correct her misassumption tomorrow morning… maybe afternoon.'

Or evening?

`If you insist.'

"You're just stressed out by everything," she tried to repeat, making a sound of frustration when he refused to budge at her prodding. A shiver ran down her spine when he answered her by nipping her ear, tracing the tip of his tongue over the spot as she stammered out in a breathy voice. "After you've had a chance to relax here and really get your energy back, you'll see. I'll even help you look for someone when we get home."

"Again, very magnanimous of you, but that won't be necessary," Kurama purred out, sliding one hand down to her waist and stepping forward to upset her balance. He was ready when she stumbled, wrapping his arm around her and lifting her completely off her feet only to take another step forward to pin her against the wall. "Previous ties, isn't that what you said, lover? You want me to find a girl who hasn't had a husband before, is that it?"

~::Did you think it would hurt less because you trusted him?::~

The sudden wash of memory was enough to have buckled her knees had Kurama not so very effectively made that an obsolete matter. The sound of that voice chased through her mind, pushing out the rational thoughts until she felt the warmth of the kitsune's lips just below her ear. Kagome's hands had instinctively moved to his shoulders, gripping his kimono tightly… although whether to anchor herself to something solid or merely in reflex to the abrupt, blatantly suggestive position he'd put them in, she couldn't be sure. "Kurama, put me down!"

"I don't think so," Kurama slid his other hand up her thigh, smiling when the muscles flexed and shivered under his touch. "I was polite, lover, I listened to you."

"I didn't have you against the wall," Kagome pointed out, forcefully stopping herself from wrapping her legs around his waist when he shifted to a more secure position against her. She pulled her head back away from his to look at his face, and frowned at the innocent smile he was giving her, Dammit, you sneaky bastard… But I… You can tell that I don't want to say no to you.

~::I can see it in your eyes, my Tama. I can feel it, feel you… right here.::~

"I can feel it inside you, you know," Kurama tightened his arm on her waist, bringing his other hand up to grip her chin and keep her eyes on his face as he unwittingly echoed at least part of that internal whisper. "Your body is hungry for me, Kagome. I can feel it reach for me, cry for me every time we touch."

Kagome tried to suppress the shiver that rolled down her spine, but she knew from his low chuckle that she'd been unsuccessful. Closing her eyes before she could give herself away, she took a deep breath and tried to ignore the feel of his youki twining so sinuously around her. His warmth was seeping into her, filling in the holes left from the exertions of the day and slowly stealing away what she'd managed to regain of her reason, "Put me down, Kurama. Really… I can't- I- you hardly know anything about me."

"Details," he gave her a squeeze as he felt the way her body was slowly softening into his caresses. He dipped his head to press a light kiss just beside her lips as his thumb began a gliding stroke back and forth along her clenched jaw, "Besides… I know more about you than you think I do."

Kagome's hands curled into tighter fists before slowly relaxing under a particularly strong rush of his energy across her senses, No good! Dammit, what if I can't hold it back?

~::It's so much more delicious this way.::~

"You don't want to run away from me or I wouldn't be here alone with you in the first place," Kurama pressed, smiling when he felt her pulse increase. "You know you belong here…with me. Is that why you're afraid?"

You don't really think she'll answer you that easily, do you? Kurama closed his eyes and sighed deeply when her fingers curled over his shoulders again before one of her hands slid up into his hair.

`No, but if I can get her to face whatever she thinks is forcing her to make this ridiculous speech about not being good enough to commit to us, I can stop her from pulling away long enough to fix this,' Youko retorted calmly, turning their head to lightly brush a kiss over her lips just enough for her to instinctively part them. Denying her silent request, he continued that maddening stroke over her jaw as he tried a different angle of questioning, "You loved your husband very much, didn't you?"

~::Watching them betray you.::~

Kurama let out a faint murmur of victory in their mind when her pulse jumped again, muscles stiffening just enough to alert him he was hitting a sensitive point. Then she is feeling guilty about something, that's why she's trying to push us away again.

"I don't make my feelings secret," Kagome answered quietly, shifting against him restlessly when her heartbeat staggered with another, deeper pulse. She could almost feel the shuddering uncertainty that had gripped her the last time she heard this voice speaking into her mind, struggling with the memory to find out just why she was re-experiencing the antagonizing words so intensely. Something's wrong… I'm missing- I-! the stumbling thoughts scattered again when Kurama's lips passed over hers again.

`Perfect.'

Careful-

`I know, I know,' Youko brushed off the warning, ruthlessly focusing now that he had a clue to what he needed to affect the battle going on in her mind. Now he knew how to tip the scales in his favor, "Do you think you would be unfair saying yes to me? Do you think you won't be able to love me the same way, Kagome?"

"You're wrong-!" Kagome started to protest that soft whisper, choking off with a sharp gasp when he pressed his hips forward and twisted just enough to send a jolt running through her stomach. No… That's not- That's not it? Confusion set in as that truth slowly took shape in the tangled chaos of her emotions, But that can't… be?

~::Watching your heart bleed for them.::~

"Am I?" Youko slid his tongue across the side of her neck, tracing the pulse he could feel beating so very rapidly and ending with a light nip at the edge of her jaw just to hear that sound in the back of her throat again. `That's it, little lover… show me where you break.'

"I can't-" Kagome started, cutting herself off again when her mind and mouth still failed to coordinate properly, attempting to shake her head despite his restrictive hold. "You don't… understand." No… that's not it, Kurama.

"Tell me," he cajoled softly, repeating that kiss before lifting enough to briefly catch her earlobe in his teeth. "Is it so difficult a thing? Is my body lacking in your eyes? Am I not good enough for you to be willing to try becoming my lover?"

The next pulse that rushed through her had her back arching, some part of her vaguely grateful that his attention was not on her face to see the way her eyes so obviously flashed. Naraku's earlier, disturbingly intuitive accusation flooded her mind, overlapping the long-buried words from the past as the stark whispers gained strength to match the pounding of her heart. Her hands clenched in his hair, eyes squeezing shut in a futile effort to stave off the burn of tears as he mistakenly took the pull as a request. Slowly, Kurama eased his upper body away from hers, just enough that he could look down at her expression as he waited for the answers he wanted to hear.

No, Kagome's eyes fluttered open, and she stared up at him in a sort of dazed disbelief.

~::When you love them, my beautiful Tama.::~

That damning whisper rang through her soul with an odd note of finality, making the blue of Kagome's eyes darken to indigo as her hands slipped out of his hair. Her fingers felt hypersensitive as those impossibly soft strands skimmed over her knuckles, only to have that sensation overwhelmed by the heat and softness of his skin against hers as she lightly grasped the sides of his head. The pulse grew nearly deafening inside her, flooding her system with a rush energy that left her trembling against him. She could feel his eyes on her, feel the anticipation in his body as he waited for her to speak.

I'm afraid I'll love you more.

The words caught in her throat, until Kagome heard the shaky response she managed to offer him as though it was being given by a total stranger, "Sesshoumaru is going to call."

Kurama's lips curved as she absently spread her fingers to trace just behind his jaw on either side, Got her.

"Let him," Youko silently acknowledging his agreement to that intense declaration as their own eyes flashed with promise. "I'll tell him we're busy."

"Kurama-"

"Tell me how you like to be touched, Kagome," he cut her off, youki curling darkly in the air around them as his focus shifted.

"What?" Kagome struggled to readjust her senses, frowning up at him as the abrupt spike in his ki sent a chill rushing through her body.

Kurama tightened his arm around her waist, pressing into her until she was forced to tilt her head back at a severe angle to maintain eye-contact. "I am going to make love to you. I may not be your first or your only lover, but by the time I'm finished, I will be the one you turn to when you wake up in the night after your dreams leave you empty and crying inside." Every night.

`She's so close,' Youko turned their head pressing a kiss to her palm without once releasing her gaze as he blended them together with much more care and purpose than Kurama had ever felt from him. `Just a little more… She's lost and she knows it.'

"You remember what it felt like to be touched by a lover," Youko challenged smoothly as he took control, tracing a line down her throat again with the very tips of their elongating claws. "But no one has ever made you feel the way I do, have they? I can taste it inside you when you kiss me."

He leaned forward, rubbing his cheek against hers in a deceptively harmless show of affection, inhaling deeply as he took in the hungry way her aura seemed to reach out to his. It was almost shocking, just how intensely it seemed to be begging to relive their morning, but it made it that much easier to slide his own youki carefully over and into it. He was ready when her body arched, mimicking the roll of her hips to pass another teasing caress between her legs with his erection.

Before she could react to his words or the deliberate move, he was turning his hand to slip beneath the collar of her yukata. "You seem uncommonly fond of inu youkai… have you picked up their preference in positions? Is that how I should take you our first time? Kneeling behind you while you show me just how your body looks when you're arching for me? I could hold your hips and watch those beautiful, deadly fingers curl in my blankets every time I push into you."

The breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding rushed out of her lungs when he let his hand travel lower, cupping her breast without the slightest hint of hesitation. He squeezed gently before turning his wrist to bring his thumb over her nipple, sighing in satisfaction when she instinctively pressed up into his hand.

"Or maybe face to face?" Youko gave her no time to guard against him as he continued his verbal illustrations while circling the stiff peak with the tip of his claw. He was preening, absolutely glorying at every shiver and twitch in her body against his as he moved his hand up to stroke along the line of her clavicle. The light cotton rode up on his wrist and fell away easily, artfully baring her shoulder to his narrowed gaze. "Would you wrap your legs around my waist, Kagome? Throw your head back when you moan for me when I pulled you down on to me? When you can feel me inside you? What color would your eyes turn when you felt me give you my baby?"

Kagome's mouth went dry; unable to do more than stare when he dipped his head to kiss the skin he'd just exposed. She was trying -and failing miserably- to block out the words tumbling so naturally from those sculpted lips before the paltry bit of willpower she had left against him crumbled. But he knew… Kurama was intentionally playing his voice along her senses like liquid silk, making every part of her long and remember in ways that put her best dreams to shame. He was so meticulous, almost ruthless in the way he was pulling her cravings to the surface. Making her imagination stir up every wicked fantasy she had ever had about him to work in his favor-

"Would you rather be on top?" Youko whispered in her ear as he pulled back to watch her face again, growing even bolder with every passing second. It was entrancing, the way her breathing hitched, and how loud the sound of her heartbeat had become in the otherwise quiet room. Heightening his pleasure at the very obvious proof of how responsive his chosen lover was to his touch, "Arching your back, rolling your hips in perfect rhythm with mine… Letting your hair fall across my stomach while I trace your ribs one at a time? Would you tease me until I couldn't help but dominate you? Until I held you still above me while I touched you in places that no other man or youkai could hope to reach?"

Where are we getting this? Kurama's voice was awed, tapering off slightly under a moaned sigh when Youko finally moved on from his ambiguous caresses to blatantly grind her against their erection.

`How many times have I told you that nothing seduces like a kitsune?' Youko scolded in a rather distracted manner, much more intent on watching and feeling Kagome react to him than in answering questions he felt Kurama should have known since his youth. `We are the best at what we do and I have been thinking about having this miko under me, over me, and in every other conceivable position while I make her moan my name and beg for me for a very, very long time.'

Youko eased his hand out of her yukata long enough to find where the fabric crossed closed below the simple obi. He smiled to himself at the way her stomach and thighs tensed when he slipped his hand inside, parting the fabric gently until her could trail his fingertips up the inside of her leg, "Your body is starving for mine now, isn't it?"

Kagome let out a choked gasp when he managed to balance their positions enough to bring that hand up between her legs. The low rumble of his groan vibrated through her as he used the heel of his hand to find and firmly stroke his palm across the dampening fabric. Slender fingers hooked in the edge of her underwear, pulling it aside until he could brush two fingers directly over the slick skin.

She reflexively twisted away from him before she could forget herself and sink into the caress, voice almost desperate as she gasped out, "Don't!"

The chuckle echoed in perfect synch inside and out as Youko and Kurama ignored the hollow plea, following her movements to keep his hand right where it was. She stopped almost immediately, letting out a faint whine to vocalize her conflicting desires and encouraging him to drawl out, "Where's the harm in being selfish, little lover? You are thinking too much when you should be feeling, and your body is working against your mind."

"You're a dangerous person, Youko Kurama," Kagome managed to get herself under control enough to trust her voice wouldn't break. Biting back another moan when he seemed to take that as a challenge and drag his hand up until his fingers could easily glance across the swollen protrusion once and again.

"Then what a pair we make," he murmured with a satisfied grin at the charged response, reading more into the tone and what she didn't say as he tested how sensitive she was to the direct touch. Pitching his voice lower when she arched into his hand, Kurama ducked his head to catch her eyes and hold her captivated, "I find you `dangerous' as well… Give up the chase, Kagome. Let yourself love me."

"I've made promises," Kagome could feel her body starting the quiver and shake despite her best efforts to hold herself in check. Her head fell back against the wall, eyes glassy and unfocused as he dragged a faint cry from her by adding more pressure to the next circular stroke.

"Make new ones," he purred silkily, making his voice temptation itself as he ruthlessly plucked away at her token resistance. "Make a promise to belong to me instead."

She tried to speak, but closed her mouth quickly when his fingers left her clitoris only to slide back between her legs and sink into the slick passage. His name left her lips in an involuntary scream as she reflexively bent one knee to bracing her foot back against the wall. Kurama immediately took advantage to reposition his hand, pressing the two fingers inside her to the knuckle before curling them back towards himself to catch just the right spot. Kagome bit down hard on her lip against the cry struggling to break free, hissing through her teeth even as her thighs tensed to follow the agonizingly slow rhythm he set with his hand. "I have responsibilities."

"So do I," Kurama stroked his cheek across hers again, drinking in the soft moans she was unable to hold in and the leashed strength he could feel radiating through her taut muscles. He eased his fingers out of her in that same confident, unhurried pace, and added a third before thrusting them into her with more force. "But I want to have more, Kagome. I want to come home at night and find you waiting for me. I want to learn every last inch of your body and soul."

He leaned in closer, holding his fingers still inside her and tilting his wrist to bring the heel of his hand against her until she could feel the warmth of his youki spreading through her stomach. Kurama inhaled, savoring the change in her scent when she pulled him closer, putting his lips right to her ear as his eyes closed to hide the flash of scarlet. "I want to make my children inside you."

Kagome nearly cried.

She could feel the taut muscles in her neck relax and let her head fall forward until she was resting her forehead on his shoulder. Her hands slipped back up into his hair in a mindless caress, brushing her lips discreetly against his neck. This shouldn't be working on her; the words, the looks, the skillful touches… She had done all this before, heard it all, felt... like this?

With Miroku it had been about a different kind of love. The children he'd given her had been for Sango and his words always grateful and adoring. Not these brazen, arrogant seductions all for her that came so perfectly and easily from Kurama's lips. Miroku had been gentle, even worshipful each and every time they were together, so careful to place her feelings and needs well above his own. They had loved each other, but never truly been more than deeply friends despite the intimacy of their relationship. Never wanted or intended to be more.

Kurama… made no secret that he wanted so much more.

Kagome could feel his ribs expand against her chest; hear him draw the air into his lungs as he readied himself to speak again. She felt Kurama's jaw go slack and waited for his face to turn towards her before she fisted one hand in his hair and dragged him down to cover his mouth with her own.

Youko recovered from their surprise first, growling as he parted her lips and deepened the kiss, `Now you're mine, miko.'

The moment her tongue met his, Youko expended a sudden wash of youki so intense Kurama staggered for a split second before the separation was seamlessly mended. The deep-throated moan passed into Kagome's mouth as he reluctantly eased his fingers out of her and hooked them under her knee.

Kurama gave her a pull, lifting her knee up against his hip and waiting until he felt her flex and wrap her leg around his waist before releasing it in favor of gripping her obi. One of Kagome's hands slipped out of his hair, curling around the back of his neck as she levered herself up just enough to bring them to the same level.

Absently, she sent just enough purification snaking across his skin to make him gasp sharply. Smiling at his shock, she bit down on his lip before forcefully pulling him into a kiss that poured out every last ounce of hunger and frustration built up inside her.

Kurama's eyes went wide, nearly stumbling in alarm before his balance and control were corrected with a jolt of youki. He could feel Youko's eyes flash dangerously scarlet before the stronger spirit wove their soul so tightly together it was impossible to tell where one ended and the other began. One arm slammed against the wall beside her head as they pressed her back hard against it, reasserting their control of the devouring kiss with a purely demonic snarl.

He was dimly aware that the tearing sound reaching his ears was her obi coming away in his hand, dropping the useless pieces as soon as the resistance disappeared. Without that support, all it took was a slight nudge and the weight of the fabric made the yukata fall completely open. Her skin was hot to the touch, a fine sheen of perspiration making his searching fingers slide easily up the curve of her waist and higher until he was covering her breast with his hand again.

I need more hands, Kurama shuddered when Kagome's hands dropped to his chest, the lowered sleeve pooling down over her forearm as she smoothed her palms down to his waist. Her fingers curled in his yukata, ignoring the obi completely as she settle for jerking the careful folds apart until had opened just enough to expose his arousal.

`She needs less,' Youko corrected with a hiss when one of those beautiful, deadly hands curled around their painfully erect shaft and squeezed. He released her breast, reaching down to capture her wrists and tug them away from his body. Lifting them up over her head, he pinned them hard against the wall.

Kagome's eyes opened, a protest forming at the restraint when the vine holding her hair suddenly curled in on itself and left the heavy mass to come tumbling down around her shoulders. Her brows rose in alarm when it stretched up, dividing itself into several pieces to slither up her arms and wind around her trapped wrists. Once it seemed to be satisfied, it branched out to spread more of itself out over the wall.

He didn't, Kagome gave an experimental tug when he turned a darkly seductive smile down on her. The vines tightened in answer, holding her arms exactly in the position he'd put her in and leaving both his hands free.

Kurama ghosted fingertip caresses back down her arms and up the sides of her neck until he was cupping her face between his palms. The smile widened, flashing a hint of sharpening fangs before he dipped his head to murmur against her lips, "I love your hands too much to let you use them against me just yet. Next time… if you behave I may be convinced to consider it."

"You just wanted to tie me up," Kagome countered as her stomach tightened on a stab of desire so intense it was nearly painful.

"Well, you are beautiful like this." Kurama's smile was even more obvious as he spoke in between lazy, open-mouthed kisses. His hands made their way down to cup her breasts, brushing his thumbs across her nipples lightly before curling his hands around her sides. "Like the most delicious offering… all for me," he dragged his claws down her either side of her spine until he was gripping her backside.

Kurama's hands tensed as he lifted her up, bracing his feet apart and waiting for her to wrap her other leg around his waist as well. Her heel had barely brushed against his hip before he was slamming her back against the wall, yanking her down to bury himself fully inside her before their hair had settled.

Kagome jerked her mouth away from his, letting out a strangled noise somewhere between a moan and a scream as her back arched. Her legs clenched around him, almost pulling him off balance until he brought an arm up to brace against the wall beside her again. She could feel the muscles in his back twitch and shake as he obligingly pressed himself deeper, leaning more of his weight into her with a faint growl.

`So fucking delicious,' Youko gritted out, making sure her back was supported against the wall. `This… this is what we should have been doing to this woman all along.'

"Kurama," Kagome pulled against the vines, swallowing hard at the exquisite ache spreading so deeply through her body. There was a moment when he moved, a faint flash of panic that snuck into her mind at the sheer intensity of the feelings he was evoking, This is- this is nothing like before.

Another shiver ran through Kurama at the unsteady whisper, eyes closing under the stab of lust that nearly buckled his knees. His hand curved under her backside, easing her up just enough to make it easier for him to almost completely pull out of her. A low groan escaped him as he thrust back inside more forcefully and hungrily slanted his mouth across hers to swallow the next cry.

Kagome's legs tightened at the streak of liquid fire that shot through every inch of her body, arching her back and rocking her hips to bring him even deeper. It was just too much, trying to remember all the reasons she was supposed to be holding back. His youki was winding itself around her possessively with every move, and her body was wound so tight she was afraid she might shatter into a thousand pieces.

Her arms strained against the vines, oblivious to the way she was whining into his mouth as she welcomed to insistent rub of his tongue across hers. That changed instantly to a throaty moan when he braced one knee against the wall, fisting his hand in her hair to turn her head the way he wanted.

"Hold onto me, Kagome," Kurama's other hand slid up between her shoulder blades, barely noting the irregularities drawing an unseen pattern across the soft skin. A pull had her chest lifting at a severe angle as he scraped his teeth down the corded muscle along the side of her neck. The taste of her aura was growing more intense, making his eyes glow as the driving rhythm of his body into hers increased.

He couldn't hold in his smile when her thighs squeezed his hips hard, eyes closing under the indescribable heat pouring through him. Youko's senses were sharpening his own as they spilled over, inhaling deeply as he drew the excess of that energy greedily into their soul. He couldn't resist tracing her clavicle with the tip of his tongue, growling as he closed his teeth lightly over her shoulder.

The way Kagome moved against him with each hard thrust was slowly stealing the finesse in his rhythm. He could hear himself snarling, lifting his head to slant his mouth across hers with a sort of consuming passion that had her entire body snapping taut against his.

Kagome's entire world seemed to flip upside-down in that moment, barely recognizing the high-pitched sound she was making at the feel of her body yielding to his. Her body felt heavy and weightless all at the same time, fingers curling and digging her nails into her palms under the sense of completion, of fullness. I-I-! "Kurama!" Kagome's voice caught in her throat, startled at how rapidly all those feelings were overwhelming her.

"Show me," Youko demanded harshly, sliding the hand on her back up to grab the nape of her neck. His lip curled up off his fangs when he felt the muscles across her stomach twitch and ripple against his, moaning as she locked her ankles together and actively rocked against him.

Kurama's jaw clenched so hard the muscle in his jaw spasmed, dragging his claws back down her back and over her hip to her stomach. He twisted his body slightly to one side, bringing his hand down between her legs just enough to flick a quick caress across that sensitive protrusion again.

Kagome's movements faltered, neck arching and yanking him against her so forcefully his arm was trapped between them. She gasped out something that may have been his name before his fingers pressed against her, kneading firmly at the same time he thrust up into her again.

For one frozen moment, Kagome thought she was going to completely lose control and sink into the kitsune at the deep pulse rocking through her from head to toe. Her eyes unfocused and flashed vividly before clenching shut, throat working to scream out his name when the pulse came again and sent her crashing over the edge.

Youko's internal laughter was full of wicked victory, taking their hand away to grip her backside and readjust their hold. Keeping her senses rippling on the edge to heighten her orgasm, he let himself go and thrust into her deeper and harder. Unwilling to stop the moans and pants he had craved for so long, Kurama brought his mouth to her shoulder. Biting down as his own release slammed through him with enough force to even send Youko momentarily stumbling before he compensated by shoving their weight completely against the wall.

It seemed to take forever, buried inside Kagome as his body emptied into her welcoming heat. Finally released from the shuddering grips of his climax, Kurama slumped against the wall and eased his mouth away from her shoulder. Momentarily wincing at the bruise he'd left behind, he let his forehead slowly drop to rest on her shoulder beside it as his chest rose and fell dramatically with each panting breath. He could feel his lips twitching, involuntarily spreading in a lazy smile as Youko murmured in mock chiding, "I had originally intended to make sure we were both naked for our first time together."

Kagome tilted her head, rubbing her cheek over his hair as she crossed her ankles to keep him right where he was, "Close enough."

`I do so adore this lover of ours.'

Kurama inhaled deeply, trying to will their heartbeat to slow as he wrapped his arms comfortably around her waist, "I'll make it up to you as soon as you tell me which room we're sleeping in tonight."

"We?" Kagome arched an eyebrow, biting down on her lip at the sudden urge to tease him. Struggling to inject just the right amount of innocent confusion in her voice, she nudged him with her chin and reminded, "Did you already forget we have separate rooms?"

It was difficult, but she managed to school her expression into mild curiosity when Kurama leaned away from her. He tilted his head to one side, eyes narrowed and one eyebrow arched up high in arrogant challenge. His voice was practically dripping with civility as he forced a bland smile and shifted his weight to remind her of their current positions, "I'm sorry, Kagome. I don't think I heard you correctly."

"No?"

His arms tightened, "I had better not have heard you correctly."

A giggle slipped out, followed by another until she was laughing loudly enough for the sound to bounce off the kitchen walls. Kurama made a sound of irritation as he reached one hand up to release the vine from the wall only to loop her bound arms over his neck. Slipping both hands under her thighs to hold her balanced against him, he stepped away from the wall and carried her out into the hall.

"You'll be lucky if let you get any sleep tonight, Kagome," he gave her a squeeze when she shifted against him, dragging a sigh of pleasure from him at the indolent friction between their bodies. "And if you don't stop that, it's going to be against the wall again."

`I don't have any complaints.'

Youko, there are beds readily available to us here, Kurama inwardly rolled his eyes, but couldn't stop himself from smiling at the very precise and smugly satisfied way the kitsune was stretching within their soul. Wouldn't you rather have that option on hand for some of your favorite positions?

`Mmm… there is that,' he slid the tip of their tongue over the point of one fang. `Let's lie her on her back for the next one, I want to watch her face this time. Oh! And then we could-'

Kagome used the vine to pull Kurama's face down for a soft kiss, smiling against his mouth when he instantly stopped in the middle of the hallway. He lightly nipped her when she started to pull away, lifting her a little higher against his chest and bringing one hand to her chin to keep her close. When he finally pulled away, his eyes were glowing and he stared down at her as he stroked his thumb lightly over her jaw, How is it that her kisses are so different? How does she make them feel so incredible?

`You're still asking silly questions, Kurama,' Youko chuckled, steadying their grip and resuming their search for her bedroom. `They are so different because her kisses are for us, only for us. This is more than the simple taste of lust, and even if that is sweet on its own, it's nothing like what she is offering us in her touch. Now she's that much closer to giving us everything of herself.'

Kagome tucked her head up under his chin, closing her eyes as she focused inward on the tingling pulses of his youki fluttering through her soul. "I shouldn't like you so much."

Kurama smiled warmly as her voice refocused his attention, stroking his hand over her hair in what would have been a soothing gesture had each step not been causing the slow glide of his erection inside her. He kissed her forehead, letting Youko more actively weave their youki around them as he held her close. "If it makes you feel better, Kagome, I'll let you pretend it's just sex a little longer."

Youko chuckled darkly, openly displaying his disagreement with the promise, `Only a very little longer.'

Let her have the time to forget what it was like before we were in her life, Kurama rejoined with a guarded look down at the woman wrapped around him. Everything's changed now, Youko, and even she knows that she's only pretending.

`Two weeks,' Youko agreed after a moment of contemplation, sighing as he blended their arms to pull her tighter to his chest. "So long as there is no more nonsense about trying to say I'm too good for you."

Kagome blinked and tilted her head back to look up at him, obviously not expecting that kind of an offer. Her brows furrowed, searching his gaze for a moment under the discordant indecision chasing through her soul, Pretend it's just sex? Can I-?

"And you don't deny that you're my fiancée the entire time we're here," he added the stipulation with a boyish grin as he reached the door she'd used when they'd first come to the house.

Kagome couldn't help but laugh at the blatant audacity of that demand, leaning back to let the vine behind his neck support her upper body at arm's length, "Your fiancée?"

Kurama reached out and slid open the shoji, sweeping a glance around the room to verify he'd found the right one, "Unless you'd rather say we are on our honeymoon."

"Don't push your luck, Kurama," Kagome gave the back of his neck a pinch.

Kurama stepped inside, closing the door with a snap before bringing both hands to grip her backside more purposefully, and pull her down into his smooth thrust. "I wouldn't dream of it, little lover."

:………:

Hiei frowned as he followed Sesshoumaru deeper into the mountain range the silent youkai had led him into, his gaze sweeping every inch of the passage for some hint as to how and where they were bypassing Reikai's barriers. So far, the passage had been slightly difficult, but there was nothing to suggest an unnatural deterrent, unless it was plainly not affecting him now that he was "acceptable." Underground again… Do they use some sort of spell then? Something about Kagome's powers to amplify some mineral, or perhaps ancient magic held in the mountain itself?

Sesshoumaru hadn't spoken a word since his arrival beyond instructing him not to fall behind. And despite the seeming urgency to Kaze's instructions, he didn't appear to be in any particular rush. Each step was graceful, unhurried, and perfectly silent as the thick braid hanging down between his shoulder blades swayed from side to side. Had it been any other creature, Hiei might have thought the youkai walking in front of him was unguarded and even relaxed.

Might have.

His hand lifted, pressing just below his throat with a grimace as that branded symbol started to ache, giving a single pulse before returning to dormancy as though warning him against such underestimating thoughts. There was nothing relaxed about the taiyoukai walking in front of him, and frankly, it was nearly impossible to mistake the force of agitated ki making his skin crawl. Whatever reason Sesshoumaru had for calling him out, it wasn't over good news.

"The miko has sources that no other creature can reach," Sesshoumaru's voice broke through Hiei's musings with ease, echoing almost melodically off the dark walls of the cavern despite how softly he'd spoken. "Not even your first-level employers."

"Sources?" Hiei repeated suspiciously. What sources? Why would he be talking about sources when she isn't even-?

Sesshoumaru turned a glance back to him when Hiei made a nearly silent sound of realization, waiting for those claret eyes to meet his own before subtly chastising, "You will learn, hybrid, that activities and behavior that may appear to be frivolous always have deeper meaning in our family."

"There was something for her in Shikoku," Hiei verified out loud, eyes narrowing slightly at being kept in the dark.

"It is a difficult situation, and it drains her to speak of it. You would have asked questions without thinking of the consequences," the taiyoukai chuckled sardonically at the emotions he could clearly feel radiating back to him through Kagome gift of connection. "My miko did not need the added strain of reliving the past for your satisfaction. But you may ask her about the bound remnant she visits upon her return, and whether or not she answers will be her prerogative."

Hiei frowned, gritting his teeth against the distasteful feeling of parroting nearly every word out of the youkai's mouth with the increasing impression that there was much more to the secrets of this family than he had first anticipated. But he swallowed his pride enough to press for a more complete answer, "Bound remnant?"

The smirk that chased across Sesshoumaru's lips revealed his full awareness of the discomfort, and that he was not above letting the hybrid stew in the feeling a little more before addressing the cause. "The creature who hunted the jewel and originally cursed the human family linked to my lines. Naraku was finally destroyed by this Sesshoumaru and other respected allies, but his hate and rage were so intense that those emotions were unable to pass into the next world. Those emotions left behind a spirit that was bound by the houshi and his wife to its grave, and transported to the most holy grounds available to us by my half-brother and his companions."

"Back when the legends were written," Hiei's annoyance was gone in an instant under the casual offer of so much missing information. Fucking finally!

"That was before the monk took time to document our battles, yes," Sesshoumaru dipped his head in acknowledgement. "We had settled into peaceful times back in our own lands by the time the Shikon-no-Tama and the battles for it became our legend."

"And the second wife had died," Hiei tilted his head to one side, feeling the Jagan narrow under a sudden twinge of suspicion. The way the taiyoukai spoke… he wasn't in the habit of speaking names, but it still felt… rehearsed? It was the same way that Houshi-sama or Sango- hell, even the way that Kagome spoke when he asked about the past. Detailed and honest, but so subtly and skillfully vague that there were times he just barely caught the signs of omission.

"Naraku had run her through with one of his appendages in their final battle, just before she managed to channel herself into purifying his body," the emotion left Sesshoumaru's voice, although whether it was out of respect for the memory or a warning against the topic, Hiei wasn't certain.

But in the next breath, they had turned another corner where the passage opened up in much the same manner as the underground training grounds, and Hiei was startled into perfect stillness.

Ignoring Hiei's shock, Sesshoumaru calmly raised one hand, his youki flaring up to rapidly light the torches around the circular chamber and bringing the structure set into mountain in front of them into stark relief. Turning to stand in profile to Hiei, Sesshoumaru brought his hand to rest on Tenseiga's hilt as he waited patiently for the hybrid to process what he was seeing.

"What is this?" Hiei breathed out, taking an unconscious step forward as the Jagan actively reached out in a more obvious display of their curiosity.

"Gozu and Mezu."

Hiei's head snapped around, eyes widening in alarm at the blasé answer, The Guardians of Hell's Gates?

Sesshoumaru's laughter still soft, but more obvious this time as he walked calmly towards the massive oval gateway. "They have stood guard at this gate since the dawn of time, and they will still be here guarding it long after the rest of us are dead and gone. When the Ascended creatures ruling Reikai formed the barriers, the questionable possibility of another entrance to the Underworld -to what has become Makai- existing became obsolete in their plans. It was already all but forgotten to even the oldest youkai when it was first shown to me, and now the passage of time has only made it more so. The most trusted members of my family are the only ones who know of it any longer."

Hiei could feel his skin chill at the massive wave of energy flowing out from the enormous statues with every step the taiyoukai took in their direction, every one of his senses was screaming a warning. His hand automatically curled over to the hilt of his katana as he slid back into a more defensive position and struggled against the instinct to flee from sheer force of power and danger vibrating from the stone figures. But... a soul has to be dead to pass the Gateway. In every legend and rumor, Gozu and Mezu destroy any creature foolish enough to try and go beyond them!

The statue to the left pulsed, one eye slowly opening to focus down on Sesshoumaru as the taiyoukai finally came to a stop before the chained doors. As Hiei stared at the unfolding scene with a sort of morbid fascination, the statue's head turned and both eyes opened to stare more attentively down at Sesshoumaru. The oppressive silence that gripped the chamber seemed to buzz in his ears for a painfully long stretch of time until it was broken by an ominous creaking that drew his gaze up to the source. The statue's fingers had moved, tightening around the staff of its weapon as the pulse of jyaki intensified to almost suffocating levels.

"Sesshoumaru-heika."

The grating echo reverberated around the chamber over and over as Hiei's hand went numb, fingers falling away from his sword while he gaped from the taiyoukai to the wakening guardian in blatant disbelief. Hei…ka…?

In response, Sesshoumaru drew Tenseiga in a single fluid motion, letting the weapon feel out their surroundings and give off a warning pulse of recognition. The blade flickered once before giving off a pale white glow to push away the remaining shadows as Sesshoumaru turned Tenseiga to point directly at the gateway and waited for the chain across the doors to melt open. The air around the chain seemed to distort and shiver before the links cracked and fell away with a nearly deafening clatter of metal on metal that had Hiei involuntarily wincing and the statue on the right opening its eyes as it roused as well.

Sesshoumaru didn't so much as bat an eyelash as Gozu and Mezu took a step away from their places flanking the gate, each step sending heavy shudders through the mountain as they approached the stoic lord. When they paused on either side of the taiyoukai, he turned his wrist to bring the Tenseiga into a relaxed, defensive position in front of his chest, "Step aside. This Sesshoumaru is taking the new extension of the Shikon-no-Tama into the Makai."