Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Mating ❯ Interesting Allies ( Chapter 29 )

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

"The Mating"

Disclaimer: I really don't own any of these characters, save for Carlana, Morgan, Trent, Tashan and let's not forget Moya. I also do NOT own any of InuYasha either!

AN: As you can see from the disclaimer, this has now become a crossover. It was not planned, it was a RABID PLOT BUNNY! Primarily because our good heroes needed allies. Grr, I'm plagued these days, well, blessed or cursed, I'm still trying to make up my mind. Many thanks to all who have given me any kind of encouragement without you, this story would probably have stayed as the one shot that chapter one was intended as. (Twenty eight chapters later, one shot? Yes, it kind of got out of hand and my one-shot turned into an epic and once more I blame rabid plot bunnies.) This is also my longest chapter to date. Sorry, had a bit of a slump there in the last chapter. Been suffering from on and off Writer's block, and weather. I have been TRYING to load this page for the last five days, so for all who got the blank pages, I apologize profusely!
Rabidfangirl101- Sorry it kinda lost the rhythm there, the main point of last chapter was to just get them back to the Makai. If I end up doing that again, please just kick me, or send a rabid plot bunny my way.
DragonofDarkness- Writer's Block is a plague, I think. And family doesn't help, nor do crazy work schedules. I'm still working on this, though, or trying to, fortunately I had this written before the last wave of writer's block hit, just held it long enough to determine that I didn't have to go back and do major edits.
Sakuralovesli- Sorry I stop it on the interesting parts, I'm trying not to leave people at major cliff-hangers, knowing how much I hate them myself.
Woodshop2300- No clue what's up with the bold text, I know it's not in my document. I'll try reloading that chapter, maybe it'll fix it. I'm trying to actually get this finished, I have kind of a plot line sketched out, now just getting from point A to Z.
Nakira- Thank you for reviewing. I always like hearing from people.

Chapter 29- Interesting Allies

Kurama and Keiko were both up fairly early in the morning, wanting to get a chance to see their friends before they left. After spending such an intense time with each other, Keiko and Shizuru had become very good friends and Kurama and Hiei had always been close.

Keiko embraced Shizuru. "Take care of yourself."

Shizuru returned the embrace, "I will, you do the same."

Hiei watched Shizuru, worry and pride clear in his eyes. "Hn, Fox, I need to ask you something."

"What is it, Hiei?" Kurama asked.

"It seems that Shizuru is koorime enough to suffer from the same condition as Yukina. Did she ask you for a concoction?"

"Yes, she did. It seems she's fire demon enough to want gratification sometimes, without the side effects."

Hiei looked down at the ground. "Can you-" He started, then blushed deeply, "Can you make some for us, too?"

Kurama laughed at how shame-faced his normally taciturn friend looked. "Yes, Hiei, I will. Shizuru will deliver between four and six months, correct?"

"I think around five. The fire part develops quite quickly, the ice a little slower. It remains to be seen whether our children will follow the Fire pattern more, or the Ice pattern more." Hiei replied.

"Well, congratulations are in order. We'll all be having wee one's running around soon." Kurama added, pride and affection clear in his tone.

"Hn." Hiei said by way of agreement.

Keiko and Shizuru walked over to their mates, Keiko giving Hiei a hug similar to that she had given Shizuru. "Remember, you start to feel uncomfortable," She admonished to Shizuru, "You slow down. I'm already beginning to feel some signs that I am carrying young within me."

Kurama held Keiko, even as Hiei and Shizuru nodded and flitted off. "Do you think they'll be okay?" Keiko asked quietly.

"I think they'll be just fine." Kurama reassured her.

Just then they were surrounded by shadowy figures. "So, Youko, I see you really are not dead."

"It is good to see you again, too, Morgan." Kurama replied without turning around.

Keiko could feel that Kurama was not nervous around these people, but still the instincts that she had acquired by turning youko herself refused to be quelled. Hiei and the others had helped to teach her to curb them and thus react more normally, which worked unless in completely unfamiliar settings. She burrowed under Kurama's arm.

Kurama looked around. "Morgan, Trent, Carlana. Shall we move this meeting to a different place besides the hallway?"

Morgan looked Kurama in the eye, still seeing the same Youko that he had known for years, just a little more serious, said, "Sure. It's true what they say, Youko, eyes are the window to the soul. You're not quite the same, but you are similar enough that I trust you. This had to be important to send that presumptuous brat back with this coin." Morgan was a tall, humanoid looking youkai with blue skin and black wings. He had a patch over one eye.

Trent was a big, goblin-looking youkai with warts all over. He moved stealthily despite his great bulk, following the others without making a sound. He said nothing, having been the one to take the message from the boy. He didn't like the day, and could easily hide in the night.

Carlana was hard to focus on. She was a Shadow Elemental and didn't seem to be fully in this plane at all. Keiko could tell that she was female simply from her outline, she also had large, shadowy wings coming out from her back and the only light coming from her were two glowing red eyes. "It's been a long time, Youko." Her voice was as shadowy as her outline. "I had heard you mated."

"You heard correctly." Kurama replied as they reached the rooms that Keiko and he had been assigned. He nodded curtly to Touya, indicating that Moya and he should attend this meeting.

Touya murmured something to Moya, and the two followed them in.

Morgan glanced at them sharply. "I understood that only insiders to the guild would be present!"

Kurama raised one eyebrow. "And so they are. Touya is the Shinobi of Ice, currently in my employ, as is Moya. Anything you can say to my face, you may say to them, as well."

Morgan grunted. "Nothin's been the same since you went away, Youko. You were and still are, third within the guild, we never did fill your spot. Now, sending the message that you did indicates that you have vital news that cannot be trusted to a third party."

"Indeed. I am glad that news of my death didn't cause you to fill my spot. I was rather fond of it." Kurama said. "Now, I'll be taking over from Yomi inside a month, for good reasons."

"One month?" Carlana asked, always the quickest to pick up the important information, then process the rest. She sat down on the stool in front of the dressing table.

"Yes, one month. I am going to tour the cities that Yomi has no power in, such as Kaitan, Triculous and that region. I am going to need people I trust in those cities, or it could be the end for all of us."

"Youko, no one wants the Thieves' Guild!" Morgan exclaimed as the entire region was solidly controlled by the guild, only nominally coming under Gandistra rule. "What threat are you talking about?"

Kurama looked at them seriously, "What I say here goes no further. I need your solemn oath on that."

"Honor amoung thieves." Morgan said, after staring into Kurama's steady golden eyes for a minute.

Trent opened his mouth. "'Onor 'moung thieves."

Carlana studied Youko and Morgan, finally adding, "Honor amoung thieves."

Kurama let out a deep breath. "Thank you. Now, we think that King Enma himself is trying to take over the Makai. All of it."

"How is he trying to do that?" Morgan finally asked after that sank in.

"We are not entirely sure. We are still looking for a Makai based reason for all this, but we don't think we'll find one."

Carlana piped in, "I've heard rumors here and there, which is, as you know, my courner of the Thieves' Guild. Most of those being recruited are not from within the guild, at least, according to my sources."

Morgan grunted, "And if Carlana can't find it, it ain't there."

"I remember well.” Kurama smiled grimly, then went on to ask, “How are the cities that are still loyal to the guild?"

"Same as ever. Not much happening in some of 'em. Others, well, let's just say we've controlled a riot or two." Morgan added.

"Heh, m' boys cleaned it up." Trent put in with a chuckle.

"Were they still alive?" Kurama asked.

"Well, yes, they were." Morgan replied. "But those rioting made no sense. They weren't really loyal to anyone, but then they also weren't the kind to cause trouble. It was very odd."

"Which cities were they?"

"Kaitan, your oldest stomping ground, which nearly went up in flames when they heard about you. Tantul, never the most civilized of places. The other is a smaller town, by name Sandrix." Carlana supplied. "The guild has a small presence in the latter two, and Kaitan, well, you know the story on."

"Indeed. I used to run it, strictly from the underground of course, now, well, guess I'll be running both, unless I get kicked out of the guild."

Morgan laughed, "And kick out our best thief? No, laddie, you run the true thieves better than any one of us could or has. I tried to take them on, but there's a little too much to do for me to do a proper job of it. Never quite found someone of your caliber to run them, either."

"I guess I should be flattered, Morgan, coming from yourself."

"Bah, I'm old, past my prime and missing an eye. You're no spring chicken and been around the bush, like we all have, but when it came to an eye for something worth stealing, and the guts to pull it off, I never met a better."

"We didn't get into this position because of our looks, we got here because of brains and guts and sometimes out and out stupidity came into it." Carlana added with a laugh, looking pointedly at Trent.

"Quit picking on Trent, Carlana. We need to work together now, more than ever." Morgan stated sternly. "We don't need to be bickering amoung ourselves, maybe later you can pick on him, but not now."

"The rivalry never quit, did it?" Kurama asked.

"You kidding? It only has gotten worse since you were gone!" Morgan replied.

Carlana asked, "So, Youko, I've heard more than a few rumors that you worked for Reikai when you disappeared. Were they true? I was never able to get anything concrete on them."

Kurama hung his head, "For what it was worth, they were true. You'll note I said were. I no longer work for that godling and his father!" Kurama nearly spit out.

Morgan looked surprised. "Anger, from Youko? This is a bad sign. I'd ask ya what happened, but I'm not going to pry, wouldn't do me any good anyways."

"However, that, more than anything," Carlana added, "Is an indication that he's not only telling the truth, but this situation is even more desperate than we originally thought."

"Are m' people gonna be needed?" Trent asked.

Keiko just watched the interaction between them. So these are the leaders that Kurama used to work with? I don't know if I trust them, yet. She just watched them. Carlana's tones when she talked to Kurama indicated that there had been something in their past, but she wasn't going to pry, unless it came up. Morgan was just interesting and she wasn't quite sure what to make of him. Trent she didn't like, she wasn't sure why.

"Unknown as of yet." Kurama replied to Trent. He never had liked the brute side of the Guild.

"We'll be standin' by, then." Trent told Kurama. "Welcome back to the guild, Youko. I'd better get back fore my boys get outta line." He slipped out the door, just as quietly as he had come in.

Morgan sat down on the floor. "It was a long night, hope you don't mind me sitting down."

"Not at all, old friend." Kurama smiled at him. "Inner circle reconvened, eh? Touya, make sure that he's not listening on the other side of the door, will you?" Kurama told the ice demon in a stage whisper.

Touya nodded. He opened the door silently, but very swiftly. He closed it behind him, coming back into the room. "It's clear, Lord."

"Thanks, Touya." Kurama replied, then turned to Keiko, "I would like you to meet the inner circle of the Thieves' Guild, Keiko. Keiko, this is Carlana, as I'm sure you gathered and this old man sitting on the floor is Morgan. He sponsored me into the guild I don't know how many centuries ago."

"Yeah, well, you never were the same after the death of your partner, Kurama." Morgan replied. "Now, we all know where each other stands. Keiko, just make sure to call him Youko in public, especially in the towns that we've been discussing."

"Indeed. The news of Kurama has traveled very far, however, calling him Youko, brings to mind different things, and none of them connected to Reikai." Carlana offered. "I myself was at the Dark Tournament those years ago, and yes, I saw your fights, that was when I knew you were alive and reported such to Morgan, who blocked Trent's attempt to take your place. He's turned a bit bitter ever since then."

"So, I need to worry about that arm of the guild?" Kurama asked.

"I don't know." Morgan replied. "He's a hard one to read, almost as difficult as you or Carlana here. Course, Carlana's not having a face to really read helps with her inscrutiny a bit. He did swear, but I don't know if it was a little too readily or not. I think he always was afraid of you and now, well, he's a simple B class still, Carlana and I are A and now you're the strongest of us."

"Yes, but I do not try to run everything. I'm working with Hiei and Yusuke on this one. Carlana, if you've observed me for as long as you say, what do you think of them?"

"I'm a little disappointed that the half-breed mated, he's really kinda cute. Professionally, he gives me the shivers. That is one sharp demon. Utterly loyal, too." Carlana said without hesitation, then went on a little slower. "Yusuke's a little harder to read. He's not quite as stable. He is very, very loyal to his friends and people, from what my people have managed to gather in his lands. Which is saying a lot. The bandits hate him, and fear him, with good reason. His personality is a little harder to grasp, he's more than a bit foreign to us born and bred in the Makai."

"He is definitely that, all right. Now, I'm going to need a messenger for this mess. If I can, I'd like that, presumptuous brat, as you call him, Tashan."

Morgan laughed. "You'll have a handful with him, he's a good kid, but I think Carlana's branch is about to take him over. He's thirteen, and still can't pick a pocket properly."

"We are about to 'take him over' as you say, Morgan, but if Kurama needs him for this lovely mess, then what better than he? Some of my other agents are too well known and I don't like the idea of the SDF taking someone else important to us away." Carlana suddenly burst out, "Why can't those idiots in Reikai just leave us alone! We're already banned from Ningenkai, and besides that, there's nothing there worth stealing anyway!"

Kurama smiled slightly, "It's nice to know that someone else is annoyed at Reikai besides just me. How widespread is the anger against them?"

"Pert nigh, all inclusive. If your friend hadn't been walking with the group of you, well, lets just say she would have been raped, stoned and if there was anything left of her, tarred and feathered." Carlana summarized.

Keiko buried her face in her hands, "Poor Botan!"

Morgan looked at Kurama's mate, "Keiko, wasn't it?" When Kurama nodded, he went on, "Botan may not even be the problem, but her high reiki indicates that she's tied to Reikai. It's the random killing, keeping us off balance and trying to turn us on each other that has the anger built up. If I didn't know better, I would say that this is aimed at causing us to try to invade Reikai en masse as it were and use that as an excuse to be rid of the youkai problem once and for all."

Kurama looked at Morgan in shock. "We could never have put this together from the Ningenkai side. I knew it looked like a trap, but I couldn't put the separate pieces together. Now we must diffuse the time bomb."

Morgan looked back at Kurama in shock himself, “You mean that’s really what they’re tryin’?”

Carlana whistled, sounding eerily as though wind blowing through dry leaves. "I knew that this was something. Morgan, why didn't you tell me your suspicions?"

Morgan grunted, "Cause you and I don't have the punch required to diffuse this mess. Only one who does is Youko. All I could do, was wait, and hope to whatever gods stopped believing in me that Youko came back before I saw all this fall apart."

Kurama nodded. "Hiei's got the warlords up north to deal with, Yusuke's tackling the bandit problem and it sounds like I have the most difficult and intricate mess of all. Carlana, do you have agents in Alaric and Yusuke's castle? Or should I consider that a stupid question?"

Carlana snorted, "What do you think?"

"All right, stupid question indeed." Kurama got up from the bed and started pacing very slightly. "I never even thought of this angle. Now, we need to get messages to Yusuke and Hiei. Hiei will make Alaric before midday, being he just left with his mate. We need to have all this solved inside three months."

Carlana looked incredulous. "Kurama, this has been in motion almost since you died! I think that was the first open move that Reikai did to bring anger into the Makai. How is this supposed to be diffused within three months? Yes, you were feared, but you were also greatly respected."

"So, they use my death as a key for this outrage. I think it’s time to turn that to our advantage as well. How much support can we rally?" Kurama laughed, ironically.

Carlana looked back at Kurama. “I’m not sure. The anger at Reikai and, by relation, the Ningenkai is very pervasive, it’ll be a delicate task.” She looked over at Morgan, “It can be done, but this-this will be our most dangerous project yet.”

Morgan nodded. “We’ll see how much we can do, but I think most of it’s going to come down to you, and what you can do. Carlana and I have our strengths, but we have our weaknesses as well. The Ningenkai could be in danger if the anger is allowed to go unchecked. How do we counter that?”

Kurama snorted, then chuckled with almost no humor in it, "This should be very interesting indeed. I’ll have to think on some of this, but for the rest, well, seems only fitting that I ended up merging with a human and have spent the last almost twenty years amoung them."

Carlana and Morgan looked intrigued and Morgan said. "You'll haveta tell us about it sometime. But for now, we need to retire, as you know, the guild primarily sleeps during the morning and wakes up around noon. I'll send Tashan to you then."

Kurama nodded. "Get some sleep, Morgan, Carlana."

"For what it's worth," Carlana said, pausing as she was about to leave for the front door, "You have been missed, and mourned, by many of us within the Guild."

Morgan followed her out, chuckling, "You were indeed. Good to have you back, Youko."

"It's good to be back, Morgan. I'll keep in touch." Kurama told him, closing the door behind them. He sighed. "Those two have not changed in all the years I have known them. Touya, Moya, what do you think?"

Touya sighed, "I think those two were telling the truth, though as he said, Trent is hard to read. I've never trusted his kind, usually because they have a taste for blood and I'm not as fond of blood lust as all that."

Moya shook her head, "If they had've been from somewhere that I knew, I would say those two could be trusted, but here? I don't know. They don't seem to be a threat, and neither of them wants you dead, if that's what you mean. Trent, I was picking up a low-level threat from." She shivered, and Touya put his arms around her.

Kurama nodded. "I'm sorry to hear that. It means that arm of the Guild has been infiltrated. I've never liked Trent, but the four arms of the Guild have always been more or less autonomous from each other, loosely organized to work together and electing their own leaders. Morgan heads the most interesting branch of us, and is our nominal leader. Carlana, well, she's got the spies, information, and similar types of operations. Now, we need to move on this information quickly. Touya, Jin should be by today to see if you need to be working with him. Wherever you think you can do the most good, Moya will accompany you. Keiko and I are going into some rather backwater towns and a human is still a target in some of them so we cannot take her with us, unless you are there to be her bodyguard full time."

"I'll see what Jin has turned up in my absence, he's actually rather reliable, most of the time."

"I know he is." Kurama smiled. "Now go, I think Keiko heard some disturbing news in that." I know that I have.

"Yes, my lord." Touya bowed slightly and brought Moya with him.

**************At Yusuke's Castle******************

Yusuke brought Puu to a smooth landing at the opening doors of his castle. "It's good to be home again!"

Botan smiled at how fond of this place Yusuke really was.

Kuwabara hadn't seen it before and was just awestruck at how big it was. "Whoa, Urameshi, you actually live here?"

Yukina laughed delightedly. "I think it's nice."

Yusuke turned to his oldest friend. "Kuwabara, I think we had best get used to calling each other by our first names. You go by Kazuma, and I go by Yusuke. Remember, demons don't have last names, it a human, or should I say ningen?, thing and you'll start changing here in another month or so, just minor things, but you'll become a hanyou."

"Yeah, I know. I kind of knew it when Hiei asked what changes that I could expect if I mated with his sister." He muttered, "Who knew that the shrimp cared?"

Yukina took Kazuma's arm, "He cares because I care, mate. You make me happy, so he can do no other than stand by me."

"I guess, but that doesn't mean that i have to like him, do I?"

Botan looked up at the castle. "Yusuke, who's banner is flying?"

Yusuke looked up, "Well, the top one is mine, but I have not a clue as to the other one." He started in, "Okay, someone has some explaining to do! That's not Hiei's, Kurama's or anyone else's that I know!"

"Greetings, Yusuke." A young Genkai greeted them at the door, still looking stoic, but much younger.

"Genkai?!?" Yusuke asked. "What happened, who's banner is that flying with mine?"

"And how are you young again?" Botan chirped.

"Yeah." Kazuma added.

Yukina smiled at her. "Hello, Master Genkai. I see mating had a beneficial side effect on you."

"Yes, it did, child." Genkai answered Yukina first. "Are you okay?"

Yukina nodded. "Not all of my memories of your mate are unpleasant."

"Good. Now, if you will come with me, Toguro and I have been doing some research, and recruiting."

Yusuke shook his head, "Well, I guess my warnings to Toguro were completely unnecessary."

Genkai chuckled. "Dimwit, if you ever change, I think both of us would kick your ass, just to prove a point."

"Careful, or I'll pay you as much as the Toddler ever did me." Yusuke threatened.

"Somehow, I don't think so, Yusuke." Toguro's voice came from the side. "Welcome back."

"Thanks, it's good to be back." Yusuke looked around. "Where's my mother?"

"I think she went to take a nap." Genkai added. "Suddenly throwing her into this castle did have a remarkable sobering effect on her."

"I was kind of hoping that it would." Yusuke admitted. "Now, Genkai mentioned something about recruiting some help?"

"Yes, we found some other S-class youkai that had mated with humans before the barrier was up. There were not many, but there were a few still living." Toguro explained. "I figured we could use all the help we can get."

"What is the status on the others?" Genkai asked.

"Kurama and Keiko are installed in Gandistra, Keiko's pregnant. Hiei and Shizuru were fine when last I saw them. Both Keiko and Shizuru are full demons now." Yusuke told them. "Hiei and Shizuru were going to Alaric today. We had to sleep overnight as we didn't leave until about seven or so, and the night brings it's own enemies around here, as you well know."

"Predators. With no thought, strong, swift and deadly." An unfamiliar voice said from the doorway just beyond Toguro. Out came a tall, almost as tall as Kurama in his full youko form, humanoid looking youkai. There the similarity ended. He had silver hair, but three purple stripes on each side of his face and smaller than human ears. He either had an exceedingly long tail, or a stoll around his shoulder and he was carrying two swords.

"And you are?" Yusuke asked.

"Yusuke, this is Lord Sesshomeru, he mated with the human named Rin. He is an inu youkai." Genkai explained. "Lord Sesshomeru, this is Lord Yusuke, one of the finalists at the competition to rule Makai."

"Which did not include my lands." Sesshomeru said coldly. "The Western lands have been in my family for generations, even amoung youkai."

"Come now, Fluffy!" A louder voice said, "None of your arrogance." Another humanoid looking silver haired youkai came out.

"Okay, did I suddenly get run over with guests?" Yusuke asked.

"Hey, don't knock it, right now, I think we need all the help we can get!" Kazuma said.

"They could be a great help!" Botan added brightly.

"What's someone from Reikai doing here?" The second one growled.

"InuYasha!" A female voice came from within the room.

"I think we should meet them and find out more before we decide anything, Yusuke." Yukina added quietly. "Kurama would be most put out, not to mention my brother."

"Yeah, and I really don't want to piss off either of them." Yusuke growled.

"Great!" Botan replied, "Now, Master Genkai, would you mind introducing us? Or Toguro?"

"Certainly." Toguro replied. "Come on." He proceeded them into the room, followed by Genkai. Sesshomeru and InuYasha rejoined their own mates within the room.

One of the unfamiliar girls just sighed. "Oh, my, looks like we finally reached my time again, just took the long way."

InuYasha looked over at her sharply, "Really, Kagome?"

"Uh huh. I don't remember the school, it was almost five hundred years ago after all, but I do recognize the uniform the boy over there is wearing." Kagome was wearing a pair of hakama pants and a loose shirt. Her hair was silver and her eyes were gold, to match the two youkai.

Yusuke got a very strange feeling from her, one that he had only gotten in the presence of Sensui. "Okay, you have youki, but you also have the sacred energy, I've only felt it once, but I'll never forget that feeling. What are you?"

Kagome snorted, "That's the question of the millenium. I was a miko, now I'm a miko turned youkai. Go figure."

Yukina gasped, "A real miko? But they died out just after the barrier went up!"

"No, not died out." Kagome turned angry eyes towards the gentle koorime, "Hunted down is more like."

The other woman nodded. "I know. Sesshomeru protected you, and of course your mate." She added quickly when InuYasha sent a glare in her direction.

"Damn right!"

"Okay, if we can save the posturing, boys. I'd like to finish these introductions." Genkai said.

"At least you haven't changed, Master Genkai." Kazuma added.

"But I have, just not my personality." Genkai added. "Now, as I was saying, this is Lord Sesshomeru, his younger half-brother, InuYasha, Sesshomeru's mate, Rin, and InuYasha's mate, Kagome. Apparently, Kagome's from our time, but has a rather long story involved with how she ended up in the time before the barrier was up."

"Very long story." Kagome added. "Now, I understand that for the first time after we ended up banished to the Makai, it was either that or be hunted down like animals in the Ningenkai, S-class youkai have mated with humans."

"Yeah, Hiei and Kurama both ended up mated with humans, both of them are full youkai." Yusuke confirmed, missing the look that Sesshomeru sent his way, but not following up, waiting to see what else would happen in this meeting.

"Bet Reikai loved that." Kagome said, then added with a snort, "Not."

"But I loved it!" Botan protested.

"You are a very unusual being from Reikai then, onna." Sesshomeru stated, looking at the ferry girl.

Botan laughed, "I guess so. Since I'm hanging out with this group."

"Be careful if you ever go back to Reikai, or they capture you. You will be interrogated for your knowledge." Sesshomeru told her.

"But why?"

"Because that stinkin' bastard is greedy, that's why!" InuYasha burst out.

"Behave yourself!" Kagome told him forcibly.

Rin chuckled, used to this by-play between mates from even before they mated. She was almost as tall as Sesshomeru with the same gold eyes and silver hair, with a crescent moon on her forehead, matching her mate's, the only thing lacking was the three purple markings on her cheek. "The two of you. Will you stop it? We are in front of strangers, and we're not giving a very good impression."

"You fit any better with my holier-than-thou brother and I'll swear someone has it in for me!" InuYasha retorted.

Kagome shook her head. "Now, now. So where are this Kurama and Hiei?"

"Kurama's in Gandistra at the moment, he was going to tour the cities before letting Yomi retire, and Hiei's off to Alaric to introduce his mate to Mukuro and the other lords that will be under them." Yusuke told her. "Why?"

"Because I need to see their mates, that's why."

"Okay, now I'm confused." Kazuma said, "Why do you need to see my sister and Keiko?"

"I need to see how the change effected them, and how their bodies have adapted." Kagome told them, thinking of their current problems and hoping for a solution.

"That is a good question for yourself, as well." Genkai added, "How did you become a miko/youkai without purifying yourself?"

Kagome sighed. "Would you believe a wish?"

"A wish on what?" Yusuke asked in disbelief.

Sesshomeru spoke up coldly in defense of this member of his pack. "Puppy! Do not speak so insolently on matters that you do not understand!"

"Fluffy! Would you stop interfering in my affairs? She is my mate after all!" InuYasha broke out.

"Fluffy?!?" Yusuke asked.

"Do not mention it. It is a silly nickname that my dear brother here has bestowed me with." Sesshomeru spoke up, glaring at his brother.

Rin went over to her mate and put her arms around one of his. "Calm down, mate. It does you no good to keep anger at your brother."

"Genkai? Are these really the allies you found?" Yusuke asked her in desperation.

"Yes, Yusuke, they are. And if you studied them more, you would realize that their bickering is no more than yours and Kazuma's. Or Kazuma's and Hiei's."

"Okay, I'll buy that." Yusuke said after a deep breath.

"I think they are sweet." Yukina said with a smile. "You can see the affection for the other. Hiei doesn't display most emotions, and these two are siblings like he and I are. It is nice to see."

Botan looked over at the koorime, "You wish you had more time with your brother, don't you?"

Yukina nodded, "Yes, but I do not need it. To know that he was there and protected me, unknowingly, all those years, was more than enough. He forgets that I am a creature of the Makai too, and I know what it takes to survive in this world."

Kazuma put his arms around Yukina. "Don't worry about that now. I'll protect you."

Rin watched the by-play. "I've never seen a female demon mate with a human before."

Kagome blinked. "I must have missed it because she's only an A-class. This'll be a much slower transformation."

"You never did answer my mate's question," Toguro said, cutting through the chatter in the room with his deep penetrating voice. "How did you become both a miko and a youkai. The two forms of energy are mutually incompatible. Genkai and I studied mikos, as well as youkai from before the barrier. You should have purified yourself."

Kagome looked chagrined. "I was guardian of the Shikon-no-Tama. If you studied mikos at all, you probably came across reference to Midoriko, Kikiyou and me."

Genkai nodded at each successive name until the last. "The presence Shikon-no-Tama explains much. Where has it been all these years? I found its creation, and it coming into the hands of Kikiyou, but no further."

"I am probably, if I had remained in your time, only slightly older than a high school student. The fact that I was the reincarnation of Kikiyou was something no one foresaw. I was still linked with the feudal era of Japan, when Kikiyou lived, and about twenty years before the barrier was raised between the Ningenkai and the Makai. So I was able to travel through time back and then when we, through many events, completed finding the shards of the Shikon-no-Tama, we were able to try to make a wish to purify it. I gave the wish to InuYasha, who told me that he was more than half tempted to wish for the 'damn prayer beads off', but told me that he really just wanted to be with me, forever."

InuYasha folded his arms around her and rested his head on the top of hers when she said that. He had a soft expression on his face. "Go on, Kagome."

She chuckled, "Right." As her inclination seemed to be to just close her eyes and sink down into his arms. "Well, everything had worked out, so far. Now, the trick was, he wanted to mate with me, full demon style, but we had two major problems with that, one, he was only half demon at the time, and two, I was a miko. I was terrified that I'd turn around and purify myself to death. Fun? I didn't think so either. So, with that decided on, he asked, his exact words here, 'I wish for Kagome and I to be together, mated forever.' Well, there was a pulse from the Shikon-no-Tama, I think it liked the idea of love between a youkai and a human, as it had been born from youkai and a miko fighting each other and still had both forms of energy in it. It sent a small pulse at me, giving me a balance, if you will, and a large pulse towards InuYasha, who found that he was full demon. However, he had lost none of his humanity while doing so, which had happened every other time that he had transformed into a full demon. And that was how I ended up a miko/youkai. And now, I'm neither fish, nor fowl, nor good red herring as the saying goes."

"That's a very interesting story, Kagome, where is the Shikon-no-Tama now?" Genkai asked.

"It vanished after the wish was granted. Purified itself, finally." Kagome said.

Everyone was silent as they digested this information.

"So, you wanted to meet Keiko and Shizuru?" Yusuke finally asked.

"Yes, I need to. The only two humans who've ever mated with S-class, only because we've never known of them, have been Rin and myself. Rin was raised by a combination of Sesshomeru, InuYasha and myself. They mated the year before the barrier went up. Word was spread that all youkai C-class and above were going to be killed if you remained within the Ningenkai, so we, and a human village that we lived with, all moved to the Makai. Mikos too, were being hunted down, as known collaborators, and killers of youkai, but more worked with them, it seemed then killed them, that or we only killed that which endangered our own, so we didn't go actively looking for trouble. It didn't make Reikai too happy, they wanted a pure Ningenkai. For just the Ningens." Kagome snorted. "Sorry about the improper manners, but I still get so angry about the entire situation! I should have still been in High School when I got trapped back there! I don't know how my mother is doing, or Souta, or any of the friends that I did have when I lived with Mom and Grandpa!"

"Calm down, Kagome, getting upset doesn't do anyone any good." InuYasha told her, stroking her hair.

"I know," She sniffled. "But I can't help but miss them, even now!"

Yusuke looked at Genkai, "Think Kurama and Keiko could do it?" Sesshomeru sent another look at the name, now knowing that this had to be who he thought it would be.

"If not those two, than no one." Genkai nodded.

"I need to introduce you four to Kurama, and his mate, Keiko. I think they can help."

Kagome just looked up with hope in her eyes.

To be continued . . .