By the time that Kagome reached the mountain, she had thought that she would find a village full of injured men. Instead, she found a celebration. Men drinking and dancing with women and some of the children running around playing as if they had not lost loved ones. She saw mystics smiling and enjoying life.

No one held the solemn look of loss that seemed to echo with each other. This place reminded her of the second home that she had been raised in before clan leader Akihito Hisakawa died. As if nothing had changed.

Many of the men cat called her while others called her by her nickname some of them whispering of the trouble she used to cause for the previous leader of the clan. She appeared at Yuki's hut and stopped as Amon stepped out. The male was a wolf with dark hair and the color eyes somewhat like her Sesshoumaru's. Him being here was no surprise at all.

"Where is Yukino?" she asked noting the male's usually relaxed frame a little tense.

"She has Miasma poisoning. Her body is still burning it out." he flicked a worried glance back at the flap of the hut, "She came back bathed in blood."

Kagome pushed past the male and found her friend eyeing her in a feral manner, as if her mind had made itself up and decided that this "prey" was not worth the trouble she sniffed and looked away.

"Kagome-onna?" Yukino asked after a moment.

Kagome nodded, "What did you get into this time?"

Yuki grinned and Kagome could see the pink on her teeth, "Who did you get yourself into this time?"

"I've just returned from NOT killing your cousin but I did getthe majority of his household."

Yukino spat to her left, "He doesn't taste good for a human."

Kagome laughed falsely and nodded, "But Kitsune don't eat Humans."

"They do when they want to avenge their families. I see you have gotten yourself a very powerful mate. The one that ran through the battlefield right?" Yukino picked herself off the mat on the floor letting the blanket that she had covering her fall to the ground. The dark spots were lightening but that did nothing to soothe the worry that Kagome now shared with Amon. Yukino turned her bare back to the woman and Kagome could see some gashes that were like the miasma, slowly healing. The blood on her was dried. She really looked like hell.

"Yeah the same one."

To be honest, this was never Yuki's fight. It shouldn't have been at least. Most demons who were not involved in the politics of running a small region stayed away. Yukino however was different.

She had connections everywhere. Including in the military that Kagome's father so tightly kept control over. Yukino's cousin Akito underhandedly handled the council that advised and made the decisions for the sake of the people.

If one could say so, the Higurashi clan really wasn't in control. Yukino was.

" …Yukino?"

The girl turned to Kagome with a frown.

Before the Higurashi had any control over the territory, there was a prominent and well-respected lord. He was loved by all.

Yukino's face carefully schooled itself of one of a blank slate. The same face that Kagome's governess had been trying to beat in her.

"You aren't helping me just because I'm your friend are you?"

Yukino's expression softened.

The previous lord had a very beautiful wife, who had the temper of a hellion. She was loved for her wit and her power. Shortly before Kagome moved into the castle, that woman was killed; she left behind a newborn child that followed her shortly, and a daughter, who disappeared with her father.

It was now obvious why Yukino bothered herself with everything having to do with Kagome's life when she was growing up.

"My father killed your mother!" Kagome snapped. She was angry. All of this time, Yukino could have had her revenge and Kagome would have delivered it to her on a silver platter.

"I'm aware of the atrocities that your family has done. Not all Lunars are like my clan and me. I'm aware that I should be in your place. I do not want your mate however. He's too brash. I am not only helping you because you are my friend, I am helping you because this land is my home. These are my people."

"You've been protecting them…"

"Through you."

It made Kagome realize that Yukino had been preparing her all along. For whatever role she was to play. Yukino had been grooming her to be her replacement.

"At first, I had been given the orders to kill you. I would then have to work my way up. Impersonating you, then killing your mother, taking her form, and killing off your father, and then so on and so forth until there was nothing left."

Kagome gasped.

"However, this girl who had heard her mother's sorrow and hated her father more than she could ever hope to voice had come to me instead. I thought that it was an easy kill, but it was something that I could not do. I left you there, to go tell my father that I had a better plan instead. I would have the Higurashi clan's demise by one of their own. However, before your human brain jump to any conclusions, you were always my friend. As I have always been yours. Now you are more than my friend.

You are also my sister. Moreover, I stand by my family. This became more than just revenge, the moment you were kidnapped and dragged back here, this was me protecting my blood."

Yukino sat on a chest and crossed her legs in a manner fitting of some very regal Lady, despite her nudity. Kagome supposed that if she had never mated Sesshoumaru, and Yukino's father was still alive and in power, Yuki would have made the male a very fitting mate.

"All this time, you could've…" Kagome couldn't help but sob. How long had the woman waited for revenge?

Yukino sighed, "I would have never had a friend like you. Someone who would have been by my side no matter how mad my ideas were."

Kagome chuckled through the tears, "we did get into some trouble when we were younger didn't we?"

Yukino nodded, "I'm glad that it was you Kagome-onna that I met in the forest."

Kagome looked down with a harsh sniff, "So, who's next?"

Yukino grinned with a sadistic intentions buried within her eyes, "Your father. However, you are going to have to be the one that gets me in there. He is looking for you so that he can hand deliver you to your cousin. You are going to hand deliver your father to me instead. You should talk to your mate about assigning someone to look over these lands in his stead."

Kagome grinned, "I've already decided who I'm going to give it to. Inu no Taishou is trying to break the jewel that I've come to be in charge of-"

Yukino frowned deeply, "The Jewel chose you?"

Kagome nodded, "A month after our first meeting."

"Now, that's odd, it has been in the family for ages… it has been wielded by demons in my family, I would call it impossible, however, you are the only one in your family with this much spiritual ability. Priestess' should not be able to manifest their power into a weapon like you. Usually, they need something to channel that energy into. More commonly, an arrow. It probably sensed that you could protect it and bound itself to you instead. It will not choose another protector until you are with child."

'Now I see why Naraku wants you so badly.'

This changes everything.

Yukino bit her lip a bit for a moment thinking.

While she did appreciate Kagome's loyalty, Sesshoumaru should have forced the woman to stay with him.

Stupid dog.

"Kagome. I need you to go to Tsuki-baba. She has been ailing as of late. Tell her that you have come to help her. She might be confused at first, however if you tell her that I've sent you to be with her she will not raise such a fuss."

"What about the plan?"

"I'll let you know more later. I must get dressed. Send Amon to me if you should pass him."

Kagome left and as requested Amon came to her. She smiled sweetly at him.

"You summoned me?"

"We have to meet with Kagome-onna's mate. I need you to assign Kagome some protectors while we are gone, and then we shall depart. Do not let her know what is going on."

Amon nodded.

It wasn't as if she didn't have faith that the girl would be able to fend off an attack, it was much more than what she anticipated.

One week.

It had been one week since Kagome had left his side. He had set up camp not even a day's distance from the Higurashi clan leader's fortress. He was preparing to leave to go find his wayward mate, only for her friend to land in front of him.

Her sudden drop from nowhere blew many soldiers back and many others surrounded her awaiting orders.

She smiled her canines glistening in the sunlight; she looked oddly amused and strangely unthreatened.

"You are Kagome-onna's mate, are you not Dog?" Her hands were on her hips. Her elaborate kimono a violent red color with black butterflies at the hems. Her hair whipped around her wildly.

Amon was at her side, his hackles were raised and he looked prepared to die by her side, if need be.

Sesshoumaru gave the orders to stand down but it did not changed nothing.

"Where is my mate?"

"Why did you let her come to me?" Yukino countered.

The question shocked him.

Miroku had come outside one of the huts to see the woman and quickly made himself to the front lines.

Sesshoumaru felt as if the woman was hiding something.

"Why is my mate not with you?"

Yukino's face straightened and he realized that there was something terribly wrong.

"Your mate is a vessel for a very powerful artifact. Your father should know about it. The Shikon no Tama. Did you ever question the reason why bad luck and danger seemed to follow her? I have left her protected by my best. By allowing her to leave your side, you've allowed her to be put in a vulnerable spot."

She saw the snarl make its way to the male's lips.

Miroku spoke up, "Milady what do you mean?"

Yukino froze him her deadly expression, "Naraku is weak… now. As soon as he has Kagome, he will be damn near unstoppable. You think you know what he wants with Kagome, but you know nothing. He cannot just simply kill her. Then the Shikon will stop responding and will become a simple pebble if he does. He has to keep her alive, as long as proper wielder exists, the jewel does. Imagine a wish for eternal life to rule over everything that crosses your path?"

"Why have you not brought her with you then?" Miroku prodded.

Yukino began to pace in a manner that Amon found worrisome, when she stopped she looked at Sesshoumaru locking gazes. It was a look shared by a female who had lost someone she had loved dearly before, and was trying to save someone else from that pain.

"That would be a danger to her if I had, I've come to retrieve her male, and then, we will put an end to this corruption."

Miroku nodded, "I see."

"Is she safe Kitsune?" there was worry behind the quite of Sesshoumaru's voice.

"Yes. For now."

A gust of wind rustled violently, and Yukino grinned, "Oh look, a hand delivery."

Kagura sneered down from her feather at Yukino who chuckled, obviously amused, "I suppose you want me dead right now."

Yukino shrugged, "Is it that easy to figure out? Where is your master? That's the one I'm really looking for."

Kagura ignored her and turned to Sesshoumaru, "Naraku sends his belated congratulations on your mating to Kagome. However, he says that your union will be short lived. The Kitsune has left Kagome out in the open. Right now, my master is in recovery, but that means nothing for Lord Higurashi who is making his way towards your home Kitsune."

Yukino laughed hysterically.

Kagura turned to her, "My master would like to apologize for underestimating you. It will not happen again."

Yukino continued laughing much to the chagrin of Amon who lifted a hand to touch her shoulder. She stopped immediately, "Oh but he already has. If it were you wind spider, I would not be here. However, it is Lord Higurashi who should be worried."

Yukino sighed in a somewhat disappointed manner, "I guess I won't be able to land that glorious killing blow after all. One of the survivors from the usurp that killed my mother, now, that's another story. My clan neither forgives, nor forgets. You've come here with empty threats."

Sesshoumaru drew his weapon, "Coming here was also a mistake, or has your master forgotten that he charged you with the task of kidnapping my mate?"

Kagura retreated a small distance and didn't have time to react before Sesshoumaru leapt from the ground to swiftly dispatch of her.

Her head fell to the ground with a thump and her body fell shortly afterwards.

Yukino laughed, clapping excitedly, "Such a fitting end!"

When Sesshoumaru landed, the look he shot Yukino promised destruction "Where is your home?"

Yukino bowed mockingly and motioned to the North east, "After you my lord."

"Hn."