**DISCLAIMER: Stories like Takahashi's and Togashi's are as unique and wonderful as the worlds and characters they created in "InuYasha" and "Yu Yu Hakusho." Stories like mine are a dime a dozen, (no dimes ever exchange hands!--honest!), but at least I'm using the best of what they have to offer in them. ^_^

talking

telepathic conversations "Hiei" "Kurama" "Youko"

(thoughts)

Black Widow Miko

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Last time:

In a solemn voice, Kurama told him, "Kagome was the one who attacked me."

"WHAT?!!? "

"No way!"

"It wasn't her," Hiei said quietly.

The avatar whipped around to face him. "I saw her. I threw her off of me while she was plunging a dagger in my chest. She was even wearing her priestess robes."

"It wasn't her."

They stared at each other for a long moment before Kurama shook his head slightly and muttered, "Shit, I don't believe it," causing Yusuke and Kuwabara's eyes to bug out at the uncharacteristic swearing. Then he spit out, "How long?"

Hiei just stood there with his arms crossed in front of his chest. He didn't blink when Kurama stalked over to him and leaned down to take an obvious sniff. Narrowing his eyes and getting right in his face, he demanded again, "How long?"

"Does it matter?"

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Yusuke wanted to know.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kurama straightened up but maintained eye contact with the apparition. "He's fucking her."

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Chapter Sixteen: Loyalties

"What is obvious is that you are so fixated on an onna you can't have that you are missing the point. She was with me when you were attacked. Therefore, she didn't attack you," Hiei pointed out.

"She was ... you mean you are fucking her?" Yusuke broke in.

"I know exactly what it means, Hiei, but do you?" Kurama taunted him. "She used you as an alibi. She is playing you for a fool. I can't believe you are so starved for sex that you let her wrap you around her finger like that."

"Just a minute here! If Kagome was with Hiei when you were attacked, then that proves two things: one, she's not the killer, and two, she's got really bad taste," Kuwabara announced, drawing a heated glare from the apparition.

"No," Kurama continued to stare at the fire demon, "it doesn't prove her innocence at all. She is really quite clever. She must have hired someone to stage this attack. It is markedly different from the ones on her mates."

"How's that?" Yusuke asked.

"I'm still alive."

Hiei's eyes narrowed at that. The fox had a point. A damn good point. But it didn't mean Kagome was guilty. "The person who attacked you may not be the same person who killed her mates, but that does not mean it was her or that she hired anyone to throw off suspicion."

"She must be very good in bed to have swayed you to her defense. That is not something that happened overnight. Just how long have you been enjoying her favors? At first, I thought perhaps you had managed to slip between her thighs during her visit with her family in Tokyo. I noticed a slight change in your interactions with each other after that--including the way she soothed your temper after Byakuya dropped her from the sky--though I would not have credited you with having actually succeeded in crawling into her bed. But now, I am thinking you have been relieving yourself with her much longer than that even."

With a hard look in his eyes, Hiei lowered his arms to his sides and clenched his fists. "Your vulgar curiosity about our relationship is not becoming, fox. The fact that she prefers me to you does not make her a murderer."

"Your relationship?" the avatar blinked. "Do you hear yourself? This is an assignment, Hiei, nothing more. And she is just a woman, even if you have discovered you actually like to fuck. I'm beginning to believe she must have some kind of mind-control agent in her cu..."

Whatever his next words would have been, they were silenced by the blow to his jaw he didn't see coming. "Damn it, Kurama. I've had more than enough of you on this assignment," Kuwabara breathed heavily as he towered over him. "I always thought Hiei was the nastiest little bastard in our group."

The next thing he knew, he was picking himself up off the cold, dewy ground. "What the hell?!!?" He was stunned to see the fire demon looking down on him.

Red eyes flashing dangerously, Hiei warned him, "Stay out of this with your ridiculous code. She is not yours to defend." His voice was cold, but the tension in his muscles were proof of his efforts to keep his anger in check. There was no question that he was deadly serious and Kuwabara gave him a quick nod, satisfied that he would do the right thing here and maybe finally get Kurama to step back and look at things differently.

Hiei's last words made Kurama look at him sharply. This had suddenly escalated well beyond a matter of ego: the fire demon was claiming her. It wasn't an idle, temporary claim on a favored lover, either. Hiei didn't deal in those. Though he could hardly believe it, through whatever means, the woman had managed to gain Hiei's trust and loyalty. "You would claim her, not knowing the truth?"

"Yes."

"I have never taken you for a fool before," Kurama looked down his nose in disdain.

"I have never held the prize you coveted before," Hiei replied smoothly.

"Ah, but I was unaware of the competition or else I would have countered it," the avatar said smugly.

"And how would you have countered it? By slicing into her thigh with your clumsy attempts to get into her panties?"

Kurama stared at him in disbelief. "How did you ...? That was before we even left on our Golden Week trip. Are you telling me you have been sleeping with her all this time?" After a minute, he started laughing. "No wonder you were so adamant that I didn't need to continue courting her."

His laughter died as a long, thick strand of red hair went fluttering to the ground.

"Shall we discuss your manner of 'courting' her? You went far beyond the call of duty in your efforts for this 'assignment,' and you nearly got both of you killed. So, who is the fool?" Hiei asked, eyes narrowed menacingly.

Putting a hand to the side of his head and feeling the loss of the hair that used to hang there, gold crowded out the green of Kurama's eyes and streaks of silver appeared in his hair. Cutting a kitsune's hair was going too far. If Hiei wanted a fight, he would give it to him, and maybe he could beat some sense into his thick skull. He had obviously lost all perspective.

Pulling a seed from his hair and coaxing the familiar rose his whip was derived from into bloom, Kurama said, "I may be powerful, but I am afraid that omniscience escapes me. How could I be expected to know that a dead priestess would show up? To take her vengeance on the woman she said killed the man she loved, I might add. Please do not be so hypocritical as to complain about my methods when normally you would be the first to agree that we should stop pussyfooting around and get some answers."

Seeing the rose, and hearing the silky voice of the Youko, Yusuke tensed. "Shit, you've got to be kidding me. You two are really going to fight? Over a woman?"

Ignoring him, Hiei told him, "My complaint is not with you questioning her, it is with you tying her to a tree and removing her clothing to do so, leaving her vulnerable to attack from her enemies."

"He did what?!!?" Kuwabara yelled.

"While we are on the subject of your 'methods,' would you care to explain this?" Hiei removed the bracelet Kurama had given Kagome from his pocket. "It holds your ki. Why?"

Raising a brow, Kurama replied, "I do hope you haven't had that in your possession long, though I suspect the fact that you have had your needs satisfied by our lovely widow mitigates its effectiveness."

"That's what I thought."

Leaping forward in a blur, Hiei didn't even acknowledge the stinging pain that lashed across his arm and chest as Kurama attempted to hold him off with his whip. It was meant to be a glancing blow, not intended to cut deeply, but with Hiei barreling straight at him, it sliced cleanly into his flesh. He realized it wouldn't have deterred the apparition no matter how direct the whip's attack had been. Hiei closed the distance between them in a blur and delivered a series of blows to the avatar's midsection. Kurama was able to evade a few of them, but the speed of the relentless attack was difficult to counter. He needed some distance.

The pounding only lasted for a few seconds before Hiei was knocked backwards by a slightly off-balance tornado kick. The grass around him immediately wrapped around his ankles, but he merely boosted his aura and the grass burst into flames. In a flash, he was directly in front of the avatar again and the fight continued. Kurama was on the defensive, and in such close quarters, he was relying on his martial arts skills. But Hiei was more than simply a brute force fighter and he anticipated many of Kurama's evasive maneuvers, all the while moving them both further away from the house.

From their long association, they knew each other's major strengths and weaknesses, and so far, Hiei was the one able to capitalize on them. The lingering effects of the poison and the injuries he had suffered from the earlier attack weren't making things any easier for the avatar. He needed to plan his move. Dropping his guard, he clenched his jaw against the pain radiating from the side where Hiei was concentrating his blows while he coaxed another rose into bloom. It was a relief when his Wind Petal Waltz Configuration forced the fire demon back again.

Gingerly feeling his side, Kurama said, "Well, at least you have confirmed my suspicions--apparently, she is very talented. I believe you would like to break all of my ribs."

"And your jaw."

Yusuke frowned at the grim looks on both of their faces, but he stayed his hand. At least from the sound of things, and the fact that Hiei had abandoned his sword to fight with his fists, it didn't look like he was planning to kill Kurama. With all the blood trickling down his face from the numerous small cuts caused by the petals and thorns, he wouldn't be opening the Jagan to use it anytime soon, either. He still couldn't believe they were actually fighting, though.

As Youko's appearance took over Kurama's form, he sneered, "You realize how pathetic you look, acting like a jealous lover. This is not a side of you I ever suspected existed."

"You are pathetic to resort to bindings and drugs to seduce a female. You sicken me."

"Are you truly so blinded by having your lust satisfied that you cannot see that was simply the means to an end? Sex was never the prize--gaining control of her through her weakness in the form of her desires and learning her secrets was always the objective."

"Hn. You are one to talk about desires and weaknesses. After all this time, you are still reliant on the Youko part of you when you need true strength. Yet, it is the desires and ego of that form that are your greatest weaknesses."

Narrowing his eyes, Youko responded smoothly, "Then it seems we have more in common than I thought. But I assure you, I would have gone to her bed with my eyes wide open, while it appears that you have allowed her to lull you into a false sense of security. You know it is almost over--as soon as her sons make their challenges, we will have to take her in to the Reikai. I suggest you step back."

"I suggest you step back," Hiei answered him, clenching his fists.

"In that case," Youko checked his position and then lifted his arm, directing the growth of three large trees so they formed a shield between him and Hiei. "Yusuke, Kuwabara, you should return to the house. The effects of the Blistering Poison Trees are extremely unpleasant," he said with a smile.

"Well, they're not scary-looking like those nasty, thorny vagina plants," Yusuke commented, backing away nevertheless. "I couldn't get it up for weeks after you brought those out, you know. These kind of look like apple trees."

"You would not want to eat the fruit of this tree. In the human realm, there is a similar tree known as the manchineel, or as the Spanish say, the manzarilla de la muerte or 'little apple of death.' All parts of the tree are poisonous, if ingested, but that isn't the only danger it poses. You would not want to come into contact with it at all because the mere touch of a raindrop that has fallen through its branches will cause severe blistering and skin damage. And this Makai version is much more potent. I can hold you at bay indefinitely with these, Hiei. I think it is time you listen to reason."

"And I think I have heard more than enough from you," Hiei said, charging straight at him.

True to his word, though, Youko was able to keep him away by wrapping him in the trees' branches and flinging him backwards. The unpleasant smell of burnt flesh was evidence of the strength of the poison seeping out of them through their sap. Drawing his katana, the apparition hacked away the branches of one tree, only to find it replaced by another one before he was once again caught up and thrown back.

"What the hell is going on with them?" Daitano demanded when Yusuke and Kuwabara reached the house. They were surprised to see the whole household was up and watching the two youkai face off in the distance. They were glad they were far enough away so their argument wasn't overheard.

Frowning at the sight of Kagome obviously being held back by Sassouta, Yusuke replied, "It's a personal matter. You should all go back to bed."

"Okaa-san said someone attacked Kurama and that we should all be on our guard," Daitano said.

"Yeah. Well," Yusuke rubbed the back of his neck a bit self-consciously, "whoever did it is long gone. I think."

"That's very reassuring. Your job is to protect them," Shippou snapped, gesturing at Kagome and her sons. "How can you do that when you're fighting amongst yourselves?"

"None of you have been hurt and you're not going to be," Yusuke said curtly. "Now, tomorrow is going to be a busy day and it would be best if everyone would just go back to your rooms."

"Both of them are injured, and from the looks of things, they're going to be even more injured. I will be able to help them, even if none of you will let me stop them," Kagome insisted, glaring at her sons. "I'm staying."

"I hope you don't think we're going to miss this--it's just getting good," Eishumaru grinned. "It's about time someone knocked that little bastard down a peg or two and I think Kurama has his number."

"What are you talking about? It's obvious that Hiei has put him on the defensive," Sassouta snorted.

Daitano gave both of his brothers a stern look. "They're both being idiots to let themselves get injured when someone just tried to kill Kurama and we will be heading into the Makai. There are more important things at stake than their petty arguments."

"Perhaps. But then again, perhaps not," Zhang said quietly. "It is important to settle things with your allies before you go to meet your enemies."

Thinking that over a minute, Daitano nodded. "Point well taken, Master Zhang."

"Well, it looks like Hiei is ready to settle things. So much for Kurama's tree defense," Sassouta smiled.

Tired of being denied his objective, Hiei let his aura build until black flames danced ominously around him. Then without a word, he released them at the trees serving as Kurama's shield, setting them ablaze and scorching the earth to prevent him from raising any more in his path.

Youko chuckled as thick, dark smoke began to fill the air. "For all your strength and power, you are still driven by your impulses and impatience. That is precisely why you are in the situation you are--you rushed in without thinking. You didn't think she could work her wiles on you, but your lack of experience in dealing with someone of her caliber left you wide open. And now you have done the same thing with me."

As the smoke billowed around Hiei, he blinked rapidly a few times before covering his eyes and sinking to his knees. Every inch of exposed skin was reddening and painful blisters were bubbling up. The pain was excruciating where the smoke seeped into the many cuts that littered his body, but the worst part was the way it made his eyes feel like they were swelling and bursting and oozing out of their sockets.

"I chose these particular trees for a reason, Hiei. I knew that sooner or later you would simply try to remove them by burning them. That's why I chose my position carefully and made sure the winds were in my favor. You didn't pay attention when I said that all parts of the tree were poisonous and that ingesting it didn't pose its only threat. Burning it produces a smoke that causes blindness. As soon as the air clears sufficiently, I will have my say, and since you refuse to listen to my words ..."

The others watched as Youko slowly closed in on the vulnerable apparition. He moved in and delivered a quick jab, breaking Hiei's nose, before jumping back out of his reach. Circling him, he moved in and out with single punches or kicks while Hiei struggled to get on his feet and face the right direction to get a piece of him. His wild swings showed everyone just how debilitating the smoke had been.

"Looks like the show is about over," Eishumaru nudged his youngest brother.

"I don't think so. That third eye of Hiei's is opening," Sassouta pointed out.

As the Jagan began to glow, Youko stepped back. "It will do you no good to try to use the Jagan. Its eyelid could not provide enough protection from the smoke. It will be quite blind, too."

Hiei gritted his teeth against the pain as he forced the eye to open. Just lifting the lid was agonizing as it pulled at the blistered flesh around it, causing it to tear and burn even more fiercely. The eye itself was blistered, too, giving it a cloudy appearance that obscured the purple iris. "For all your intellect and cunning, you are still prone to over-thinking the situation and underestimating your opponent. You love the game too much to finish it. You thought you could use your sensuality to overwhelm her, but your lack of experience in dealing with someone of her caliber led to failure. She refused to play your game at all and dealt with her needs on her own terms. And now you will discover that a youkai of my caliber doesn't play games, either."

As soon as the Jagan was completely open, a familiar design began to take shape on his arm. The faint outline of a dragon slowly filled in and darkened.

"Shit!" Yusuke swore loudly. "Stay back, everyone. Come on, Kuwabara, we've got to stop him. In the shape he's in, I don't know if he can control the dragon--and if he can, Kurama's dead." He took off at a run towards the two combatants.

"Damn it, I hate that dragon," Kuwabara muttered, reluctantly following him.

Kagome started to go, too, but Daitano grabbed her arm. "If he's unleashing an attack that takes more control than his present condition allows, he doesn't need any additional distractions. Yusuke will make sure no one is killed."

"I will tell you something about the Jagan you apparently didn't consider: it doesn't need to be able to see on the mortal plane to search out and summon what I seek from the underworld," Hiei told Kurama in a deadly calm voice.

"Hiei, no!" Yusuke yelled.

"Spare us your girlish histrionics, detective. In case you haven't noticed, this isn't the Dragon of the Darkness Flame."

"It ... isn't?" Coming to a stop, Yusuke looked carefully at the dragon that seemed to be slowly rising off of Hiei's left arm in a swirling mist of red flames. (Wait. Red flames. It is different.) He also noted it wasn't nearly as huge as the other dragon he had seen, though it was still the stuff made of nightmares.

"This is the Spawn of the Dragon," Hiei announced as he held out his arm and sent the dragon in the general direction where he had last heard Youko. "He will hunt down the one I send him after and his bite will temporarily paralyze him. He will also leave a mark which will emit heat I will be able feel through my own mark. It will enable me to locate that person, regardless of any impairment to my other senses or to the Jagan. It's very useful in situations where there is unnatural darkness present, or blindness."

As he spoke, the fierce-looking dragon roared and crashed through the many plants, trees, and vines Youko had raised as protection as he rapidly headed for the forest, leaving nothing but ashes in his wake. And although the spirit fox was very quick, the chase did not last long. He hissed in pain as the dragon coiled itself around him, singeing his skin with its flames while the heat it contained made his breathing become increasingly labored. When the dragon opened its great maw and sank his teeth into Youko's arms, pinning them to the sides of his body while it held him imprisoned in its mouth, a dark, satisfied smile crossed Hiei's face at the sound of his cries.

Despite his blindness, in a matter of mere seconds, he was standing directly in front of the dragon. And when he raised his arm, it immediately released Youko to return to him--but as it did, two distinct smoky images of it detached and each one wrapped around one of the fox' arms as he was reverting to the form the others were more familiar with. As the dragon merged with Hiei and the representative marking appeared on his arm, the newly cast-off spawn also seemed to disappear into Kurama's arms, though the smell of burning flesh and the slight sizzling sound they made, coupled with the pained yell from the avatar made it clear that the new dragon markings on his arms were being branded into his skin rather than representing a true merging of power.

As he lie there helplessly, looking up at Hiei, he grimaced, then smiled. "It looks like you may have had that bracelet in your possession too long, after all. I do hope these markings don't mean we are mated for life--you're not at all what mother had in mind ..." He was cut off by a kick to the ribs. His expression turned serious as he said, "I must confess that is an impressive Darkness technique I have never heard of. It makes sense that one would exist to make sure the Master did not lose the advantage when fighting in true darkness. However, you should know that I am never completely at a disadvantage even when paralyzed." A vine shot from his hair and wrapped itself around Hiei's neck. "And since this paralysis is temporary, and already weakening now that the dragon has receded, the fact is that even though you will be able to locate me, you will still be blind to any attacks I send your way."

"But unlike you, I have no wish to prolong this," Hiei replied calmly. "I am ready to finish the game." The vine became ash and fell from him.

"Twice you have turned your back on me and betrayed our 'partnership,' and both times I understood. We each had our own motives for stealing the Artifacts of Darkness and I let you walk away. Then you sided with Yusuke against me--giving him time to decide to pull a bone-headed maneuver that actually worked. I understood that, too. You felt you owed him. We are alike when it comes to serving our own interests and we don't place our trust and loyalty in others easily or lightly, and he gained yours through his willingness to sacrifice himself on your mother's behalf."

He felt the heat in the mark on Kurama's right arm move and he quickly drew his sword and pierced the avatar's hand with it, causing him to drop the seed he was holding and effectively pinning him to the ground. Then he reached over and wrapped his hand around his throat and straddled him so his knee held down his other arm. "I will only say this once and I advise you to listen and think it over. We have worked together without difficulty for many years after you chose to side against me because we understand each other and respect each other's strengths. But now you must make a careful decision, because if you choose to stand against me again, it will be for the last time. I will not allow my wife to be taken in to the Reikai for any reason or by anyone. It's time for you to decide where your loyalties lie." And with those words, he brought his other fist down with all his might, shattering Kurama's jaw and rendering him unconscious.

Yusuke and Kuwabara stared at the scene before them in shock until Hiei slowly staggered to his feet. Then Yusuke stuck his finger in his ear as if to clean it. "Did I hear him right? Did he say Kagome is his wife?"

"Yeah, he did," Kuwabara answered with a satisfied nod. "I should have known with how thick the red string between them is."

"Shut up, you fools. I can hear others approaching, and until we are able to sit down and sort through these latest events, it would be better kept quiet," Hiei hissed at them.

In just a couple of minutes, Kagome, her sons, and Shippou had all made their way to the final battle site. She quickly ran over to where Hiei stood next to Kurama's body and reached out to see how badly injured he really was. "Hiei! Why in the world were you two ...?"

"Don't touch me, you foolish onna," he snapped. "My skin is covered with the poisons from those blasted trees. We are both youkai and do not need your assistance. We will heal without you unnecessarily expending your ki."

"Don't call me foolish, you idiot!" she retorted, glaring at him. "I'm not the one trying to maim my friend right after he's been attacked and right before we all have to head into the Makai. And I don't care if you're youkai, ningen, or plain old jackasses--if you're going to be helping my sons, I'll be making sure you're fit enough to do so."

"You tell him, kaa-chan," Eishumaru said with a laugh.

Noticing how unsteady Hiei seemed on his feet, Yusuke told them, "Go back to the house and set up a room we can put these two in if she's going to help heal them some. I'll take Hiei to the lake so he wash the poisons off while Kuwabara carries Kurama in."

"You'll need to take a bucket and some powerful soap--he can't get in the lake or the poisons might kill all the fish. I've never seen trees like those before and I don't know if water alone will dilute them enough. I'll have Sassouta bring some things to you at the lake," Kagome said, reluctantly heading back to the house. "Be very careful with Kurama, Kazuma. There's no telling how many broken bones he has."

Kuwabara wrinkled his nose as he yanked the sword out of Kurama's hand.

"Twenty-eight. Sixteen ribs, seven in the right hand, three in the left hand, the left side of his jaw, and his nose."

Sassouta snickered when his mother stopped and frowned at the fire demon's back.

"Oh, yeah?" Yusuke asked as he walked along beside him, careful not to reach out and steady him no matter how uncertain his steps were. "And how many do you have?"

"Only eleven. Nine ribs, collarbone, and nose." After they walked a few more minutes with Hiei stumbling over various sticks and dips in the ground, he asked, "Are we out of their sight yet?"

"Yeah. Ready to collapse?"

"Hmph. Normally, controlling the Spawn of the Dragon would not drain my energy as severely as the Dragon of the Darkness Flame, but these damn poisons ..."

"I figured as much. And I didn't think you'd want your wife to see you pass out," Yusuke grinned. "You've got a lot of explaining to do when you wake up."

"Fuck off." And he sank to the ground.

"Shit! That stuff really burns!" Yusuke complained, as he picked him up and slung him over his shoulder.

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Kuwabara watched Kagome silently for a while as the blue glow of her healing powers filled her hands and was released into Kurama's body through her gentle touch. They were in the unoccupied bedroom closest to Kurama's since they didn't want to disturb anything in there that might give them a clue as to the identity of his attacker. Her sons had set up two mattresses from another bed for Hiei for when Yusuke brought him back. Kagome had tried to shoo everyone back to bed, but several of them had gone on downstairs to either find something to eat or to play some cards. She frowned when she touched the dragon markings on Kurama's arms and Kuwabara finally had to speak up. "I don't know why you are bothering with him. He deserved what he got and he's had it coming for a long time now."

"You are being awfully harsh on him, Kazuma. I'm surprised at you."

"Yeah, well, you don't know how he's been. He's been so different lately," he told her.

"Different? Because he has been so determined to carry out his assignment for the Reikai? Because he seems so focused on me as the most likely suspect? Because he has been using his cunning and skills to determine if I am guilty?" She turned and smiled at him ruefully. "I'm afraid I am the most logical person to suspect. And from what I know of Kurama, I feel certain he always does his best to the best of all of his abilities--he isn't the type to do something half-heartedly. He is very analytical, like Sesshoumaru was, and I'm sure he has been following the evidence as he has found it. Perhaps he just seems different because this is the first time you have disagreed with his conclusions. I know you have been championing me, and I appreciate it, but your good feelings toward me may be at odds with what logic is telling him."

"Hmph." He watched her turn back and gingerly check the avatar's ribs. "It wasn't his logic telling him to tie you to a tree and take your clothes off."

She paused in her movements and felt her face heat with embarrassment at the memory. "He ... told you about that?"

"We heard Hiei arguing with him about it," Kuwabara said.

"Well, I'm certainly not going to say I approve of his methods," she frowned as she looked down at Kurama and decided to leave those last 3 ribs cracked, "but, he is a kitsune, and I really do think he believed that was the quickest way to complete the task he had been assigned. He's trying to capture a killer."

Kuwabara stood up and ran his fingers through his hair to brush it back from his forehead. "Damn it. We all are, but he's just never done things like that before."

"The way Yukina explained it to me, he is gaining more and more power from the kitsune soul inside him, so it is only natural he would take on more of the Youko's characteristics as he gets older."

"I guess so, but I liked Kurama the way he was--I'm not sure I like Youko."

"Kurama isn't going to change completely. Youko will probably take on some of Shuichi's characteristics as well. We all change as we grow older."

After a few minutes, Kuwabara spoke again, "Hiei told us you were married, you know. But we won't say anything. I'm guessing you're keeping it a secret because of whoever killed your mates."

"I'm sorry. I never meant to cause such trouble ..."

He held up a hand and shook his head. "Don't be. I just want you to know that we'll get him. No one should have someone they love taken away from them like that, especially not 3 times. And even though I can't believe anyone could feel that way about Hiei, I can see the bond between you. He's a jerk, but he has his good points, I guess."

"Aw! Isn't that sweet? He likes you, Hiei," Yusuke chuckled as he followed the fire demon into the room and closed the door behind them.

"Shut up, Urameshi!"

"You had better not be healing that fox, onna. I told you not to expend your ki on us," Hiei told her sharply, bumping into the mattresses.

"Hmph. And you had better sit down and be quiet," she retorted. "What's this?" She looked up at Yusuke as she indicated the towel wrapped around Hiei's arm.

"You'll need to ward some bandages to hold the dragon in for a while. Once he summons it from the underworld and releases it, it wants to be free. He needs to keep it contained for a while. Eventually, it will settle enough that he will be able to leave the bandages off and it will just look like a cool tattoo. And then, if he doesn't summon it again for a while, it will fade away. At least, that's how the Dragon of the Darkness Flame dragon worked."

"You summoned up something that you have to ward to contain and you sent it after Kurama?" Kagome asked disapprovingly. Then she took a close look at just how badly burned and blistered his chest, arms, and back were, in addition to his neck and face. The long cut across one shoulder, arm, and his chest from Kurama's whip was deep, and the exposed tissue inside it was charred and blistered as well. She reached out and touched the side of his face gently. "I just can't believe you did this," she said quietly.

Hearing the emotion in her voice and knowing how upset she was just made Hiei more irritated. "Damnit, onna. I will do whatever I deem necessary. Now go back to bed."

"I'll go back to bed after I take care of these injuries."

"These are minor. I will heal on my own."

"Hiei, I would tell you to look at yourself, but you can't, you idiot!"

As much as he wanted to yell right back at her, he couldn't. She really did have a valid point--his blindness was a true liability. Even if she wasn't thinking of it in terms of his ability to protect her and keep his promises to her, he was. "Fine, you may heal my eyes."

"Thank you very kindly," she said with a smile, before preparing some bandages for his arm.

Yusuke and Kuwabara gaped at them for a minute, then Yusuke smiled. "Damn! I believe you two really are married."

"You may leave, detective."

"No, I think I'll stay. This is fascinating."

"Be still, Hiei," Kagome admonished him as she carefully wrapped the bandages around his arm, covering up the long, black dragon now decorating it. Unlike the ones on Kurama's arms, which she had treated with salve and bandaged after determining they weren't going to "heal," this dragon didn't appear to have damaged his skin at all. It was simply a part of him.

She knew he wasn't going to let her carefully heal every injury, so she was going to have to try to infuse him with as much of her healing power as she could to reach as large an area as she could. So, when she was done with the bandages, she closed her eyes and began summoning her healing power to the surface.

Kuwabara's eyes widened as he watched the blue glow at her hands grow brighter and brighter until it appeared they were each surrounded by sparkling blue orbs. He touched Yusuke's shoulder and leaned forward to whisper, "She doing that different than she did when she was healing Kurama."

Hiei could feel her aura getting stronger and when he heard that, he started to reach out to her. "Kagome, what ...?"

She opened her eyes and carefully placed her left hand on his face so three of her fingers covered the Jagan and her thumb and pinky extended out as far as she could reach and rested below his eyes. Then she placed her right hand, fingers splayed wide, in the center of his chest. The others watched as the blue glow seemed to slowly spread across Hiei's skin. At first, he simply reveled in the almost-immediate absence of pain in his eyes and the Jagan. Then he could feel the soothing warmth suffuse his body where she was touching him, strangely leaving a gentle coolness in the wake of the stinging burns. It was a very odd sensation, but not at all unpleasant. And he was lulled by its relief into complacency as its reach continued to expand, healing not only blisters, burns, and cut and torn flesh, but deep beneath the surface where it knitted together cracked and broken bone. Feeling like he was floating in a calm sea, it wasn't until he blinked away the last of the clouds from his eyes that he realized what she was doing. And it took him another minute to gather the resolve to make her stop.

"Damn it! I told you to heal my eyes and nothing more," he growled out, catching hold of her wrists and disrupting her concentration.

She smiled even as her shoulders visibly sagged with weariness. "Consider it a bonus." Seeing the angry look on his face, she leaned forward and put her hands on his shoulders to turn him slightly so she could see his back. "I didn't do it for you--I did it for me. I want to be able to touch you," she told him, wrapping her arms around him now that she was sure she wouldn't hurt him. "Besides, I hope you didn't think I would heal Kurama and not you."

"Hn. I told you not to heal him, either. You have no business using your energy that way when it is not needed." He knew that using her powers would put more of a strain on her than usual due to her condition.

"Well ... I didn't heal him completely," she confessed.

Hiei looked at her in surprise, then smirked. "At least that's something." But his smirk vanished when she leaned against him. "You were foolish to overtire yourself." Standing up, he lifted her into his arms to carry her to her room.

"Yeah, well, just be sure you actually let her get some sleep and get your ass back down here. We've got a lot to talk about. Someone, besides you, tried to kill Kurama, remember?" Yusuke reminded him.

"Yusuke?" Kagome reached out when Hiei got near him, and he let her take his hand and hold it lightly and then added his other one when she gestured for it.

"What?" he asked.

"Thank you for helping Hiei."

The fire demon glared at her and moved so she was forced to drop Yusuke's hands, but it had only taken a brief touch of her healing power to mend the blisters and slight burns from where he had picked Hiei up earlier. "You are the most infuriating onna in the three realms."

As soon as they were gone, the toushin shook his head. "Shit, Kuwabara. We've been looking at this all wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"You saw the way Hiei and Kurama were going at it out there. For a few minutes, I really thought Hiei would kill him. Over her. When Koenma first told us to check her out, it seemed like everyone thought she was the one who killed her mates, but she didn't have any reason to. She really loved them. It seemed way too coincidental to believe all three of them were killed by different enemies wanting either revenge or their lands. One, maybe--possibly even two of them--but all three? Then we thought those three women might have killed them because they were rejected or tossed aside by them. But Kurama has said all along that none of them was powerful enough. We even looked into her enemies in case it was someone trying to hurt her that way. But that isn't it. Damnit, it was right in front of our noses the whole time."

"You want to tell me what you're talking about?"

"Look at Hiei. He might have been calling her a fool and glaring at her like he does everyone else, but the reason he was doing it is different. He really cares about her. And if she can bring out that kind of feeling in him ... Whoever killed her mates didn't do it for revenge or to hurt her--he did it because he wants her for himself."

Kuwabara stared at him for a minute, then nodded. "Yeah. I think you're right."

A voice from across the room chimed in, "You are mistaken if you think Hiei and I were fighting over her." Kurama slowly sat up, wincing a bit at the pain in his left side. "The issues between us run much deeper than a mere woman. His decision to claim her merely brought them to a head. I always knew that sooner or later he would draw a line and demand to know where I stand." His eyes narrowed a bit and his jaw tightened as he continued, "I did not know his lack of trust in me would lead him to jeopardize or impede an assignment by keeping information from us."

"I don't think he kept any information from us that would help find the killer. He may be a pain to work with, but he always does his job. You're saying he's had a problem with you for a long time now, but I think you have a problem with him, too. You may not really want Kagome, but I think it's eating you alive that he got her and you couldn't," Kuwabara said with an evil grin.

Arching a brow, Kurama gave him a cold stare before replying, "No one likes to be made to look foolish." Then turning the distasteful subject aside, he pointed out, "You realize if you are right about the killer's motive, Yusuke, then Hiei will be his next target if word of their marriage gets out."

"And if I'm wrong?" Yusuke asked.

"Then he will still be her next target. Really, I suppose I should thank him for making this easy for us. All we have to do now is try to catch the culprit in the act."

"In the act?"

"Of killing him," Kurama said with a smile. "Now, shall we go search my room? I believe I have a score to settle with someone else."

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Leaning back against the wall, Hiei merely lifted a brow in response to the expectant looks on his teammates' faces. A thorough search of Kurama's room had revealed nothing that could point them in the direction of his attacker. Now it was time to decide upon their course of action and Hiei wasn't about to indulge their curiosity about his personal life.

"Well?" Yusuke finally asked. "Don't you think it's about time you told us what the hell has been going on?"

"No."

"Aw, damn it, Hiei! I'm not asking if you two do kinky stuff with your powers--though I bet you do--I just want to know why and how and what the hell all of this means."

"Explain Keiko."

"Keiko? I don't know what ..."

"Exactly. Don't ask absurd questions."

"I have one that isn't so absurd," Kurama spoke up as he stood in front of a mirror with a pair of scissors trying to even up his hair from where Hiei had cut one side. "You say you took her as your wife, not your mate. Is there a reason you haven't made that commitment? I understand your reasoning in keeping your relationship quiet if you are trying to avoid alerting a potential killer, but why take the risk of getting married, which requires witnesses, instead of simply taking her as your mate? You have made it quite plain that you will stand by her even if the Reikai determines she must be punished for her mates' deaths. Having bonded yourself to her, that does not surprise me. What does surprise me is that you are choosing to honor that bond and not making the more complete youkai one. Should we take that as indication that you are not completely convinced of her innocence?"

An irritated scowl crossed Hiei's face briefly as he glanced at the avatar out of the corner of his eye. He didn't like having to explain himself, especially when it came to something so personal and so frustrating. "No." He considered leaving it at that, then decided to enlighten them a bit. "I wanted to take her as my mate, but she refused."

Kurama frowned as he thought about that. It didn't fit. "She refused? Why would she do that if she was willing to marry you?"

A slow smile spread across the hiyoukai's face as he turned to look directly at Kurama. "Heh. She refused because she doesn't want to kill me. She thinks she did it."

"What?!!?" Yusuke yelled.

"Hiei, that's not funny," Kuwabara said with a frown.

Kurama studied his expression for a moment, then replied, "Since you say she thinks she did it, you are implying she doesn't know. She believes she was controlled somehow, but has no memory of it? And she thinks whoever controlled her would be able to tell if she had taken a mate because of the mingling of your auras. Even if she was able to mask it from the outside, she's afraid there would be evidence of it from the inside, am I right?"

With a brief nod, Hiei explained, "She did not suspect it until Sesshoumaru was killed. She has one hazy memory, which may be a dream instead of an actual memory, of being there with him and laughing while he had the dagger in his chest. What truly convinced her she must be the one responsible for their deaths was the complete absence of their souls."

"Aw, shit. Kurama was right--didn't you think that might be an important thing for us to know? What the hell are we supposed to do now?" Yusuke kicked a chair.

"If someone was controlling her, it wasn't her fault, Urameshi," Kuwabara argued. "It wasn't really her. It was just someone using her body to do their dirty work. That's low to make her kill the men she loved."

"I know that, idiot. I wasn't suggesting we lock her up. But how the hell are we going to catch someone else when she's the one he's got doing the stuff?"

"I didn't think it was important to tell you because I don't believe she did it," Hiei said, "and I didn't want you focusing on a false lead."

"But you said ..."

"I said she thinks she did it."

"What makes you think otherwise then?" Kurama asked, his eyes alight with curiosity.

"She had been controlled by others before, and not only was she able to fight it, but she was conscious of it and remembered it afterward. Also, her description of the feelings she had that made her think someone had taken over control of her were dizziness, disorientation, headache, and nausea. They're the same as the symptoms of the poison used to help subdue her mates. The way she describes that memory is off, too."

Thinking of his own symptoms, Kurama nodded. "The memory she says she may have could be the product of a hallucination as an effect of the poison. So, you believe she was also poisoned to incapacitate her?"

"Yes, but I am also concerned that it could have been used to punish her for continuing to place her affections elsewhere. She said she was much more affected by the symptoms the third time, so I believe the killer made no effort to limit her dose. If he finds out she has chosen someone else again, he may kill her, as well," Hiei said, fixing each of them with a determined stare.

Yusuke and Kuwabara nodded their understanding. They had to catch him as quickly as they could. Hiei might be willing to risk his own life to catch the killer, but he was not going to place Kagome in danger. Letting him be the bait was out.

Yusuke spoke up, "We keep saying 'he,' but Kurama was attacked by a woman. It could be a woman who wants to get it on with her." He grinned and waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Urameshi, you're a pervert."

"We certainly cannot discount that possibility, especially considering how many women have been involved in this case already," Kurama conceded. "However, in light of the lack of success of this attack, I believe this woman could not have been the same person who killed three taiyoukai. She did not seem powerful enough. So, if we accept that Kagome did not hire her to throw off suspicion, and Hiei's belief that she was not controlled before and the killer didn't simply have to choose someone else to control this time because she wasn't where he expected her to be--namely, with me, then we are left with only two alternatives. The original killer could not get in here to make the attack this time and had rely on a new accomplice or the attack on me is unrelated to the original killings.

Given that Kagome had no symptoms of either being poisoned or controlled while I was attacked, I would have to say this incident is completely unrelated to the original killings. Also, since the woman who attacked me was dressed as a priestess, it would appear that someone wanted to make it look like Kagome did it. If my soul had reached the Reikai, I would certainly have said it was her. With the way the poison affected my vision, and the general dizziness and disorientation, I was positive it was her. She even had Kagome's scent, though it could have simply been a subtle perfume, and I was too incapacitated to tell the difference. If someone was simply trying to clear the way for himself by getting rid of a supposed rival, he wouldn't have tried to frame her."

"So, what does that mean?" Kuwabara asked.

Sighing quietly, Kurama answered, "I'm afraid it means that I may have underestimated the 'fury of a woman scorned,' although it could have been her plan all along to get revenge on Kagome."

"We will need to teach that woman exactly who she is dealing with," Youko snarled.

"Kagura? Damn, Kurama. I know the women go crazy over you, but you've never had one try to kill you for dumping her before," Yusuke said, shaking his head.

"No, but I believe Youko has," the avatar replied with a frown while the voice inside his head stayed silent on the subject.

"If it was Kagura, she could have been acting on her own or this could have been part of a separate plan with Ayame and the dead priestess for revenge," Hiei pointed out.

"What about Lord Yemon? It looked like he and Ayame were working together and then he met with Kagura, too, didn't he?" Kuwabara reminded them. "Are you sure he isn't the original killer? He knew Kagome in the past and he wants her to be his mate, plus he thinks Kurama is his rival."

Yusuke put a hand to his forehead and groaned. "Even when we think we've got the motive figured out, this still isn't any easier. Do you know what you've got yourself into, Hiei? Kagome really is a magnet for trouble. She seems to be the target of a number of different plots."

"Then I suggest you do your job, detective."

"All right. How do we want to handle this? Do we go after Kagura first? See if she will tell us if she's working with Yemon?"

Kurama considered that for a moment, then shook his head. "Kagura is not likely to break under questioning. From the things Shippou has said about her, she held out under the constant threat of death from Naraku. I believe that is why Kagome once helped her with her mental barriers--to enable her to keep her own council while helping them work against him. I believe we may have to bide our time with her, perhaps even invite her back here to see how she handles being faced with her rival day in and day out. The fact that we are not taking action against Kagome for the attack may lead her to tip her hand. She may try to frame her again. Whatever the case, I will deal with her."

"Well, if you want to sleep with one eye open, I guess we can do that," Yusuke agreed. "But what the hell are we going to do about the killer? Since Hiei thinks he may try to kill Kagome, too, if he finds out about them, then we have to keep their marriage under wraps."

"I suggest that Hiei keep his distance from her," Kurama said, then noting the dark look on the fire demon's face, he smiled and added, "and under the circumstances, so will I. I also think it would be prudent to go back over the lists we have of her enemies. Even though we had Koenma check them once before, we may want to double check on a few of them."

"Do you have anyone particular in mind?" Kuwabara asked.

With a nod, Kurama started listing them, "The cast-off demon Muso, who was reabsorbed by Naraku. He could have been cast off again, without their knowledge. He was quite focused on Kagome, though he mistook her for Kikyou. The mercenary Mukotsu, who tried to force her to be his wife. He was a master of poisons. They said Sesshoumaru killed him, but if he was revived with a shard of the Shikon no tama once, he may have been revived again. I would like to see all four pieces of the jewel to determine whether or not a shard could be missing. It's a slim chance, but even though Kagome says the jewel is now powerless, it may simply be dormant and perhaps someone found a way to tap into the power of a single shard. Chokyukai could also bear looking into again."

Kuwabara choked. "That's the pig guy with all the wives, right?"

"Yes. I also think we may need to keep an eye on Byakuya, in light of his recent show of appreciation for her. Of course, we cannot discount Yemon. Then, I believe we should take a closer look at her loyal friends."

"Like Zhang? He's definitely powerful, and seems skilled in all sorts of things besides just martial arts, but isn't he kinda old for her?"

"Your perception of age changes after 1,000 years of living," Kurama said with a small smile, "and Master Zhang is an immortal. With her spiritual purity, there are few women who would be a better match for him. However, I also think it would be a good idea to check out all of her friends who are still living, both here and among their allies in the Makai. Mukuro can help us with that. I'd like to hear what her impressions are of the family retainers. She had an interesting perspective of Inuyasha, if you recall."

"What about that Moryomaru?" Yusuke asked. "We still haven't managed to track him down."

"He doesn't seem to fit the motive you have assigned the killer, but I agree that we should have Chuu and Rinku continue tracking him. His affiliation with the baby, Akago, who once tried to possess Kagome keeps him on our list, even though Hiei doesn't believe the killer tried to control her," Kurama said.

"Don't forget Kagome herself. It would be foolish to simply accept Hiei's assurances of her innocence when he has no proof."

"I know, Youko. We shall continue to keep an eye on her. She could very well be right and might have been possessed or controlled, or she could simply be wrapping him around her finger. Yusuke's theory has merit, though, and puts the focus on a few different possibilities."

"Well, I guess we might as well go report in to Koenma and let the others know we don't think this incident was related to Kagome's past or to their plans for the Makai and see what they want to do now. It's getting light outside," Yusuke said, stretching his arms in the air. "Of course, they were all curious about what you two were fighting about, but don't worry--I just told them Kurama was tired of bottoming." And with a wicked grin, he left, with Kuwabara chuckling right behind him and two evil glares following them both out the door.

------------------

Downstairs, they found Kagome's sons talking quietly with Shippou and Master Zhang. Ginta, Hakkaku, and Jaken had gone to their rooms to get some more sleep and Myouga was snoring on Daitano's shoulder.

"Well," Eishumaru drawled, "I see you two have kissed and made up. How nice."

Yusuke and Kuwabara couldn't contain their laughter. "Did you really tell them that, Urameshi?"

"No," he said, wiping his eyes. "I knew I liked that kid."

Shippou stood up and narrowed his eyes at Kurama and Hiei. "As much fun as it was watching you two pound on each other, I see you took advantage of Kagome by having her heal your injuries, in addition to throwing the whole house into an uproar in the dead of night. If you told her the truth and someone really did get into the house and attack Kurama, then you had no business fighting with each other when it could have all been a set-up to draw you away so they could get at one of them," he pointed at the boys. "I've had just about enough of the games you play and your incompetence. They were right to be angry with me for going to the Reikai before reviving them."

Daitano put a hand on his arm and said, "No, Shippou. We were wrong not to trust you to do what was best for us. They have been a great help, and you needed the Reikai's permission to cross into the Ningenkai in the first place or else we would have been on the run and hiding from them all these months. You are tired, and worried about what is coming. I know how difficult it has been for you and Myouga and the others these many years, but it is finally time. We all have to stand together now," he said solemnly, his gaze encompassing the four detectives as well as Shippou, Master Zhang, and his brothers.

Sassouta nodded and added, "They may have been sent to do a job, but they've become our friends and I trust them. And they may have been fighting like idiots, but they wouldn't have done that if there was any chance we were in danger."

Shippou looked at him for a minute and then the tension eased from his face and he smiled and shook his head. "You're just like Kagome."

"Minus all the kidnappings and declarations of love by both humans and demons--at least so far," Eishumaru grinned. "We'll see what happens to him when we get into the Makai. We'll probably have to spend all our time saving him from overly-amorous demonesses."

"Very funny," Sassouta said with a light blush staining his cheeks.

"Of course, he may not want to be saved," Eishumaru added, "unlike Daitano, who would probably beat them away with Tetsusaiga if any of them were brave enough to ignore the perpetual scowl on his face."

"You would do well to concentrate on securing your lands and seeing to their upkeep for the next hundred years or more before you go about populating the Makai with bastard inu," his older brother told him.

"Now, now," Eishumaru shook his head, "no need to accuse me of such things. I am a one-woman man--now that I've found the woman."

"Heh heh! You still have to convince her you're a man and not a boy," Sassouta pointed out.

"Hmph. That will be easy once I maneuver her into a little private time."

"I don't want to listen to this," Kuwabara grumbled as he turned away to hide the heat he could feel rising in his face. He was still having a hard time trying to wrap his mind around the idea that Shizuru might ever actually be with someone who looked as young as Eishumaru. He just didn't want to think about it.

"We wanted to tell you we don't think the attack on Kurama had anything to do with that dude in the West coming after you guys or with the stuff that happened to your Dads. I mean, it still might have, but we don't think so, so you shouldn't make any plans just because of it," Yusuke told them.

Daitano nodded. "We had already agreed upon our plans after Byakuya's visit, so whether it was connected or not does not matter. In another hour, Myouga will travel to the Eastern Palace to deliver my challenge to Lord Tobikuma."

"And if he accepts, then the two of you meet and duke it out and the winner gets the lands. You know, I don't understand why I haven't heard of anyone doing these kind of challenge fights before. Seems like it would take care of a lot of the worries about wars in the Makai," Yusuke said, scratching his chin.

"Very few people have the right to issue challenges like these. This is a custom among youkai society that predates the barriers and extends around the globe. It is accorded only to those of noble blood who have some connection to that area or those who have either personally held the disputed lands for at least 100 years or if their family has," Kurama explained. "Daitano's claim is the weakest since his father was a hanyou and he did not hold the Eastern lands anywhere near that long. However, the fact that Daitano's blood is pure and that his father was the one who carved out the Eastern lands as a separate territory in the first place gives him the right to challenge the current Lord for them. Of course, the current Lord has the right to refuse such a challenge, but if that happens, then everyone would expect a war and the Reikai would have no choice but to stay out of it and to recognize the victor as the rightful Lord. We all know the Reikai would prefer not to have to deal with the aftermath of a war."

"Is that the challenge?" Yusuke asked, pointing to a large piece of paper on the table next to Daitano as he reached for it.

"Careful, Yusuke. That is a very fine piece of Xuan paper from China and if Myouga ground his own ink, as I suspect he did, it could still be wet and you don't want to smear it," Kurama cautioned him.

Deciding not to touch it after all, he just leaned over to read it. "You mean you had to use a special kind of paper and ink just to write the damn challenge on?"

"It is a sign of the formality and significance of the occasion, as well as a show of respect," Daitano told him.

"Daitano, son of the Taiyoukai Inuyasha, makes known his claim by birthright to the Eastern lands." Yusuke looked up in surprise. "That's it? You've got to be kidding me. I thought there would be a lot more to it than that--calling the other guy a pussy or something and telling him you're gonna kick his ass and take back your lands."

Shippou smirked. "Your youth is showing. There is no need for such posturing among warriors. In the day of the samurai, a warrior let his skill speak for him. Haven't you studied the history of the Musha-Shugyo? The samurai tradition of a warrior pilgrimage called for a man to travel the land as a ronin and fight in duels and battles to perfect his skill and to promote his school. When two or more warriors met to fight, they merely exchanged names so everyone would know who was the greater when the duel was over. If a man was a truly great warrior, his name would say all that was needed to be said. Daitano's name may not be known yet, but his claim through his father's name is all that is needed."

"Very true, Shippou," Myouga said, stretching and yawning. "And after these challenges, the young Masters' names will be known across the Makai. Toward that end, I think I will be getting on my way. You are ready, Master Daitano?"

"Yes. I am ready."

"Then I will make a brief stop in the Reikai to let King Enma know it is beginning."

"Oh, hey! We need to go talk to Koenma, so we'll go with you," Yusuke told him, as the flea carefully rolled the paper and tied it with a thick, gold string. Looking at the others, he quickly decided that even though Hiei and Kurama seemed to have settled their differences, it might be a good idea to put some distance between them for a little while. "Come on, Hiei. You're with me. I think you will be the best one to explain certain things," he said, ignoring the glare the fire demon was shooting at him. "Kurama should probably rest up a bit since he's not fully recovered yet. So, he and Kuwabara will stay here."

"Well, I think I will go start packing. I know you will want to be ready to leave as soon as Myouga brings word back," he said with a nod to Daitano. "Since the aura examination gives Ginjiro a legal claim to a share of the Western lands, Tobikuma should accept the challenge as part of the deal Kagura offered."

Eishumaru's hands clenched into fists. "I do not concede that pretender shares my father's blood."

Shippou stared at him for a minute. "If you are planning to deny him, then we all need to go ahead and pack for battle."

"Heh!" Sassouta clapped him on the shoulder. "For a second there, I thought you were going to try to change our minds about accepting the results."

The kitsune smiled at him. "I wouldn't waste my breath. With how often the Eastern lands have changed hands, it will be a quick fight. The people there have no loyalties. Once the lands are yours, Daitano, you will have to give them a reason to support you."

"Don't worry about that. If there's one thing I learned from Sesshoumaru otou-san, it's to be attentive to the safety of the people in my lands. And if there's one thing I learned from mother, it's to spend time getting to know them and what's important to them. I will let them know they have my support first," Daitano said.

"Then you have learned well," Master Zhang told him. Turning to Myouga, he said, "Allow me to accompany you on your task. Due to my status as both a human and an Immortal, I will not be able to take an active part in any of the events in the Makai, but I would like to be able to record them from the beginning."

With a nod, Myouga led him out of the room and Yusuke and Hiei followed.

"Well, I suppose I should start packing, too," Kuwabara said.

"That's a very good idea," Kurama agreed. "We should all be ready. Myouga could return anytime in the next three days. That's the amount of time allotted to respond to a challenge like this."

"Since we are dispensing with our normal routine, we'll have breakfast in about an hour," Daitano said.

After all the others had gone, the three brothers sat in silence for a few minutes. Then Sassouta let out a long sigh. "This is really it, isn't it? Once we go into the Makai, things will never be the same again."

"Even once we attain the goals we have worked so long for, we will have plenty of challenges ahead of us. Shippou was right when he said we will have to give the people a reason to support us. So, don't worry about being bored or having nothing to do once you actually win back your lands," Daitano said.

"That's not it. I know that winning the lands is only the beginning. But, it's also an ending. We will be going our separate ways."

"Well, if you get to missing Daitano too much, you can always find a log to hang around with," Eishumaru said with a chuckle.

Sassouta smiled at the low growl coming from his oldest brother. "I will miss you two, but I know that you will be living your dreams just as I will be living mine." He paused a moment, then told them, "It's mother I am thinking about. I want her to have a new beginning, too. Ever since we returned, I have felt ... uneasy about her plans. She just talks about what we will be able to do. She's never even mentioned where she will live, and I don't think she will want to live in any of the palaces."

"I believe she has always intended to turn herself in to the Reikai once our claims were settled," Daitano said quietly.

Growing serious, Eishumaru nodded. "And she expects to be executed. I think she believes her death will silence any opposition to our rule."

"She has to know we would never let that happen!" Sassouta yelled, slamming his fist down on the table. "And I don't think we are the only ones who would stop her," he added.

"You really think that short, arrogant bastard is in love with her, don't you?" Eishumaru asked his younger brother.

"Don't you?"

Leaning back in his chair, Eishumaru turned his head and looked out the window. "I can't tell with him. But I have seen the way she looks at him when she thinks no one is watching. There is a light in her eyes I haven't seen since I was a very small boy--not since Kouga otou-san was killed," his voice trailed off. After a brief silence, he faced his brother. "So, you want to see her settled with him."

"Yes. We can't let her go to the Reikai, and I think we all know we were just fooling ourselves by thinking we could find her a mate. I think she already found the right one. The problem is we are out of time. At least Kurama is out of the picture now," Sassouta said.

"You think they were fighting over her?" Daitano shook his head. "You know that wouldn't help either one of them. Shippou has told us enough stories about how well that worked for our fathers. There may have been some tension between them over her, but I think there was more going on than that. And neither of them is the type to let someone else dictate their personal life, even with his fists. However, I do think Hiei put him on notice about his intentions."

"That could be true," Eishumaru agreed, "but you're quite right that it will be up to mother to end things with Kurama." Grinning, he stood up and looked down at Daitano. "So, I will wish you luck with that conversation, big brother."

"You expect me to tell her to hurry up and toss aside her lover and take up with another one immediately?"

"Of course. That definitely falls under the responsibilities of being the oldest. Right, Sassouta?"

"Oh, yes. Be sure to tell us when everything is settled."

And the two of them left Daitano sitting there.

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Yusuke and Hiei returned while everyone was gathered for breakfast. Hiei was satisfied to see Kurama sitting some distance down the table from Kagome, but frowned when the fox indicated he should take the seat next to him. He should have known he would be a dick about making sure Hiei stayed away from her, too. The twinkle in his eyes proved he was planning to enjoy this.

"Well, any news?" Kuwabara asked. He didn't see any reason for them to keep the details of their investigation from the others anymore since they were truly looking for someone besides Kagome.

"Actually, yes. Koenma did have some news for us. Chuu and Rinku finally found Moryomaru's hideout."

"You were looking for Moryomaru?" Kagome interrupted Yusuke.

"Yeah. Believe me, we've been checking into everyone from your past. I don't guess it's any secret we've been trying to find out who killed the taiyoukai as well as keeping you all hidden for awhile. Anyway, he's off the list now. He has a mate who is due to give birth very soon. That's why he's been keeping such a low profile. Apparently, his mate has an old suitor who has been looking for her since she dumped him for Moryomaru. Chuu says she's gorgeous! So, they're kind of in hiding until after the kid is born. And Moryomaru didn't even seem to remember Kagome, though he said he was grateful to Kouga for letting him stay in the Northern mountains and he thought Kouga's mate had something to do with that. He must have been living like a hermit because he didn't even know Kouga was dead. I have no idea how he managed to meet a woman up there."

"I didn't know Kouga had given him permission to live there," Ginta said with a frown.

"Oh, I did!" Hakkaku nodded. "I think you were out on a hunt when Kouga spotted him and went to confront him. And he was going to tell him to leave, but Kagome asked him to let him stay since all he wanted was some quiet place where he would be left alone."

"Crap! You mean Chuu and Rinku have been looking for him all this time and you knew where he was?"

"Oh, no! I just knew he was somewhere in the mountains," Hakkaku said, shrinking away from the irritated look Yusuke was giving him.

When everyone turned to look at Kagome next, she just smiled and shook her head. "Sorry, but I didn't know, either. I'm glad to hear he's not alone, though."

"You're hopeless," Hiei grumbled. (Damn woman hasn't got better sense than to wish her enemies happy.)

Hakkaku snickered. "That's exactly what Kouga said when she asked him to let Moryomaru stay there."

"Well, anyway, we can cross him off the list, along with Byakuya," Yusuke told them. "Sneaky assassin dude has himself a big, beefy boyfriend he went home to after his little visit here. Jin said he's a dragon youkai."

Shippou's eyebrows raised, then his brow furrowed as he thought about that. "Interesting, but how does that eliminate him as a suspect?"

"Well, we know from the fact that he turned down a job to kill Eishumaru that he probably would have turned down anyone trying to hire him to kill the taiyoukai, if he really didn't want to do anything to hurt Kagome. He wouldn't have killed them for personal revenge for destroying Naraku or he would have wanted to kill her, too. And, finally, if he's into guys, he didn't kill them to try to get her for himself," Yusuke explained.

"Wait. You think it's possible someone killed all of our fathers to get them out of the way so he could have mother?" Daitano asked.

"Yemon," Sassouta said through clenched teeth, slamming his fist on the table. "I will kill that bastard! And I will not wait any longer. Ginta, Hakkaku. Prepare to take my challenge to him now."

"Don't be hasty," Kurama cautioned him. "While Lord Yemon is definitely on our list of suspects, he is not the only possibility."

"But he is the only one who has come seeking Kagome as a mate," Shippou pointed out.

"There are very few people who are aware of her return. It's entirely possible that the killer doesn't know yet.

While the others were trying to calm Sassouta, Hiei watched Kagome. It was obvious she was struggling to maintain her composure, or worse: her meal. He had known the idea that someone had killed her mates for her would upset her, and he wished he had been able to tell her their suspicions without everyone else around. When she covered her mouth with her hand and excused herself, running into the kitchen, he started to stand to go after her, but restrained himself when Kurama turned to face him and raised an eyebrow in an irritatingly patronizing manner.

"Damn it," Daitano swore, quickly following her. "Okaa-san!"

His brothers were right on his heels.

"Why is she so upset?" Jaken asked. "She should be glad you finally came up with a better theory than thinking she did it--now maybe you can actually catch the fiend who murdered my lord."

"She's upset because she doesn't want to think someone killed him, and her other mates, just to get to her," Kuwabara told him. "She thinks that makes it her fault. We should have realized that before we said anything." Then he, too, headed into the kitchen to check on Kagome.

"Shit. I never thought about her taking it like that," Yusuke admitted. "And our other bit of news isn't going to help matters."

"What other news?" Eishumaru asked, coming back into the dining room.

"Yemon sent word to Koenma that he intends to visit Kagome. He'll be here the day after tomorrow."

"Under the current circumstances, that would not be wise."

"If we want to avoid an unwanted guest, I think I have the solution to that," Myouga announced, leaping up onto Eishumaru's shoulder. "Where is Master Daitano?"

"I'm here," he said as he returned to his seat. "I told Sassouta and Kuwabara to take mother up to her room. She isn't feeling well after that bit of news you sprung on us." He frowned at Yusuke then turned to the flea youkai. "Myouga? What are you doing back here? Did Lord Tobikuma already give you his answer to the challenge?"

"Not exactly. He wants to speak to you before giving a formal answer, so he has invited you to come to the Eastern Palace. The invitation covers whomever you wish to bring with you, but he particularly wants to meet Eishumaru and Lady Kagome. He said he was having a large supper prepared and there would be plenty of bedchambers ready for this evening. He also promised a safe stay--no fighting until after he gives his formal reply."

"Could it be a trap of some sort?" Yusuke asked. "Inviting everyone there to be killed?"

"That would be very foolish. He would have to know the Reikai would take action against him if he did something like that," Kurama said. "But, it would also be foolish not to be prepared for any sort of treachery if Daitano were to accept the invitation."

"If I may," Zhang stepped forward into the room, "from the way Lord Tobikuma spoke, I believe he has something very specific he wishes to say to Daitano. He does not seem the type to indulge in intrigue."

"Considering the deal Kagura offered, it isn't too surprising he would want to be sure you are going to live up to it if he grants the challenge," Shippou reminded them. "I know you hoped to avoid the issue altogether, but it looks like you will have to be upfront about your intentions regarding Ginjiro."

Hiei put his hand in his pocket and touched the envelope Koenma had handed him from Genkai. It looked like he would soon be giving up one of his secrets.

"Then I suppose we should be sure our camping equipment is in order, since he will likely throw us out after he talks to Daitano. If we are going on in to the Makai today, I don't plan to return to the Ningenkai for a very long time," Eishumaru declared.

"What about Kagome?" Shippou asked.

"I'm already packed," came a voice from the doorway to the kitchen. Shooing Kuwabara and Sassouta away from their attempts to help her, she held her head high as she walked up to the table. "Please forgive my reaction--I was just a bit overwhelmed by the thought of the killer's possible motive, and coupled with the small, lingering fatigue from so little sleep last night, it just made me feel a little queasy. I'm fine now. The decision of whether or not to go into the Makai now is yours, and I will support you either way," she told her sons.

Daitano studied his mother carefully before answering. "I see no reason to wait. We'll accept Lord Tobikuma's invitation."

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"Welcome, my friends! Welcome to the Eastern lands!" A stout man with a booming voice greeted them with his arms spread wide. He couldn't have been taller than 5 ft. 6, but he made quite an impression with his glossy black hair cut in a classic pageboy bob framing a broad smile. His long-sleeved black shirt and baggy black trousers set off his plain, wooden shoes. He laughed heartily as he stepped forward and gave a short bow. "I suppose you expected me to look more like Kagura. My father was originally from Holland and I've been told I look just like him, except for the dark hair. That's the only thing she ever gave me."

Daitano stepped forward and bowed before introducing himself. When he waved Eishumaru forward and introduced him, Lord Tobikuma stepped even closer and looked him over carefully.

"Hmmm. You do look like Ginjiro, though your chin is stronger. Thank goodness you don't wear your hair like some prissy veil down your back. I wonder if your blood is made of ice like his?"

Looking down his nose at their host, Eishumaru informed him, "My blood has nothing in common with his."

He was surprised by the sharp bark of laughter his words caused. "You sound just like him, but your eyes flash with an inner fire he doesn't have. Good for you."

Eishumaru raised a brow at his reaction, but stepped back so Daitano could introduce Sassouta next. When he introduced Kagome, Lord Tobikuma again stepped closer to get a better look. All three of her sons bristled when he said, "So, this is the lovely lady who stole the love of Kagura's life. Beautiful, but then, so is Kagura." He tilted his head slightly to the side as he continued to assess her. "I have heard about you all my life. I was always curious about what kind of woman could take a man from her. Somehow, I pictured you with big, red horns, running around half-naked. I'm almost disappointed," he whispered the last bit.

Daitano grabbed him by the front of his shirt and turned him so they were facing each other. Then he leaned in to look him straight in the eyes and hissed out a warning, "If you think we are going to just stand here and let you talk to her like that, you are sadly mistaken. I will take those words as your positive reply to my challenge and we will end this right now."

"Daitano, I don't think he meant ..."

"Now, kaa-chan, you know you taught us to be more polite to our guests. Just let Daitano teach him," Eishumaru said, leading her away.

"No need. The fact that you would defend her tells me all I wanted to know," Lord Tobikuma told them. "The three of you have her eyes, but it's obvious she gave you more than that. Come on. Let's continue the introductions as I show you to your bedchambers. Dinner will be served in half an hour and then we'll talk."

The current lord of the Eastern lands kept up a steady stream of chatter as they walked through the palace, setting Hiei's teeth on edge. The whole damn day had been annoying. It seemed like everyone was set on upsetting Kagome and he could practically feel her reaching out for him. She needed him and he was forced to stand by and watch while other people took his place as her comforter and defender. She was his wife, damn it! The whole situation was becoming completely intolerable.

And if Kurama was planning to continue getting in his way where she was concerned, he was going to have to kick his ass again. The fox was enjoying this way too much. This was exactly why he didn't like other people knowing his personal business. He didn't like the expectant looks her sons kept giving him, either. No one ever said they were stupid, and they had obviously reached their own conclusions about their mother's lovelife and about his fight with Kurama. The battle for the Western lands couldn't come soon enough for him--he needed a good fight right about now to release his pent-up frustration. Then when the fighting was over, he was getting as far away from everyone as he possibly could, and he was taking her with him.

Seeing the sleeping arrangements did not improve his mood. The bedchambers were spread out diagonally down a long hallway and Lord Tobikuma placed Kagome between Eishumaru and Yusuke with Shippou and Sassouta across the hall from her. Hiei's room was the one furthest down the hall. Their eyes met briefly as he passed by her room as she was closing her door and he frowned at the fatigue he saw in hers. He was glad she would have a little time to lie down before dinner.

He walked over to a large window in his room and looked out. Chances were good that he would be traveling back into the Ningenkai soon to tell Yukina he was her brother and to escort her and Genkai here for another aura examination. That was a conversation he was not looking forward to. He was perfectly content just being able to see that she was safe--he had never intended to play a role in her life. And now he had to decide whether or not to tell Kagome tonight what Genkai had said in her note. The old woman had been cautious about her findings. She had said that while Hiei and Yukina definitely shared a significantly higher number of matches on their father's side than Eishumaru and Ginjiro had, they were also in areas which can be influenced by other elements. She said she would definitely have to examine all four of them side-by-side before she could make any positive determinations. He wanted to grind his teeth in frustration.

Sometime in the next day or two, he would also need to seek Mukuro out. While the others were engaged in these challenge matches, he intended to proceed with the investigation. While her impression of Inuyasha had not given them an accurate picture of Kagome's relationship with him, it had told them their initial thoughts about her possible motives to kill her mates were way off base. It would be interesting to find out her impressions of the other people Kagome came into contact with when she was young.

First, he had to get through this evening. He hoped Kagome realized she was going to bed early tonight.

-------------------------

(This is so much harder than I thought it would be.) Kagome was lying down, but even though her eyes were closed and she seemed to be resting peacefully, her thoughts were racing. It would be easier to be psyching herself up for the fighting she had always thought she would be doing. But when she became pregnant, she had reluctantly accepted that she would not be the one to win back the lands for her sons. She truly did believe in them and their abilities, but she felt it was her responsibility--after all, the lands had been in her care when they were lost. They shouldn't have to fight for them. And ... they were her children. She didn't want them to have to struggle and it seemed like that's what they had done their whole lives. Because of her.

Hiei had told her he didn't believe she had a hand in her mates' deaths and she wanted to believe it. To hear what he and the other Spirit Detectives thought the motive for the murders was gave her real hope that she hadn't been controlled to do the killings. If someone had been clearing a path to get to her, it seemed unlikely he would involve her and potentially get her executed. It also made her wonder if she was cursed. Her love was dangerous, and she felt just as guilty as if someone had possessed her body and used her hands to kill the men she loved. No, she actually felt worse. Her love was the reason they were dead. If they had loved someone else, they would still be alive.

Turning to her side, Kagome pulled a pillow to her and hugged it tightly. It was more important than ever that no one find out about her relationship with Hiei, and what she wanted most of all at this moment was to be with him. She knew how difficult this was for him, too. The fact that she was pregnant made him feel extra-protective, and he was still worried about her morning sickness. Nothing she said was going to relieve that niggling feeling of guilt he was having, either--she wished she hadn't told him she wasn't ill during her previous pregnancies. Twins was a whole new ballgame, though.

Her whole life was a whole new ballgame, and it was all because of Hiei. At a time when she had expected to be setting out into the Makai by herself to fight for the lands she had lost, she was forced to sit on the sidelines. Her sons would have been furious with her if things had gone the way she planned. They would have been even more furious when she turned herself into the Reikai after the challenge matches.

Of course, she had always counted on her challenges being granted, and it looked like her plans would have hit a snag in the West. And her sons seemed so happy that she would be staying in the background that even though she wished she could wrap them in cotton and keep them safe and close to her forever, she had to admit that it was probably better this way. They were proud, strong youkai, and as hard as it was for her to let them go into danger, in her heart, she knew that was what they wanted. They needed to prove themselves as much as she needed to try to make things right for them. This may not be how she had envisioned things turning out, but she couldn't deny it felt more like a beginning than the ending she had always anticipated.

Just when she thought her life was almost over, she had stumbled headlong into new hope and new dreams for a different future. She had resigned herself to bringing all the pain of her mates' deaths to a type of closure with her own execution--she had given up on justice long ago--but Hiei had promised they would find the person who was really responsible. And she believed him. Her fear was that it would be at the expense of his life. Who knew that hope could be harder to deal with than giving up?

A soft knock at the door signaled it was time to get ready to go to dinner. That meant it was time to shake off her fears and anxieties and be charming and confident. Changing into a royal blue iro-tomesode, she put on her necklace with the piece of the Shikon no tama, then stopped and looked in the mirror. At first, she had thought it would be appropriate to wear it here in the Eastern Palace where she and Inuyasha had made so many plans for their future. But now, it just felt like she was clinging to the past. Putting the necklace back in its box, she decided to wear the sapphire pendant Shippou had given her instead. She felt a brief twinge of guilt, but she knew that Inuyasha would never have thought she was being disloyal to his memory. He had always hated that jewel, and he would have wanted her to move forward with her life. Blinking rapidly for a second, she nodded determinedly at her reflection then squared her shoulders and went to join the others.

Dinner was a surprisingly congenial affair. Kagome sat next to Lord Tobikuma and they talked about the many changes that had been made to the palace. Many of the modern additions had been done by the previous Lords, but he was proud to point out the touches he had added. He had brought in several pieces of furniture and paintings from his father's homeland in the Ningenkai. He offered to take them all on a tour after the meal was over.

As the dessert was served, their host clapped his hands in excitement. On a small plate sat two scoops of ice cream--one green and one yellow. And on the teacup's saucer, 3 brown pieces of hard candy shaped like beehives with a bee on them were artfully arranged next to the cup of green tea. "I realize most of you have a Japanese palate, but despite my growing up in Japan before the Makai was separated, I tend to prefer the foods of my father's home. So, in addition to the green tea ice cream, I hope you will give the banana-flavored one a try--I imported it from Mazzoli, which is a famous ice cream parlour in Amersfoort. Enjoy!" He watched them for their reactions and smiled delightedly when Kagome told him it was very good and Sassouta nodded enthusiastically.

After everyone had eaten and the plates had been cleared except for the tea, Tobikuma turned to Daitano. "I won't keep you in suspense since I know you are anxious to hear my reply to your challenge, but I have a counter-proposal for you instead." Everyone quieted down to hear what he had to say. "Instead of a challenge match, I will abdicate my claim in your favor--on the condition that your brother denies Ginjiro's claim to the Western lands."

"Are you serious?" Daitano asked.

Eishumaru narrowed his eyes as he studied him carefully. "Why would you do that?"

"You can't do that!" shouted a voice from the doorway as Kagura swept into the room and made a beeline for her son. "We have a deal."

"No, you may have tried to make a deal, but I never agreed to it. These are my lands, not yours, Kagura."

"You ungrateful, little whelp! After all I ..."

Tobikuma interrupted her. "After all you've what, Kagura? Done for me? Don't make me laugh. The only person you've ever exerted yourself for besides yourself is that bastard half-brother of mine. " He caught her hand when she swung her arm to slap him. Standing up, he forced her to back away. "Surprised? You never thought I would assert myself, did you? Look around! Everything you see is mine. I earned it. I had to because you gave everything of my father's to Ginjiro. But now, I am a wealthy man in my own right. I thought you would be happy to get to live in the Eastern Palace. I thought that just for once, you would look at me and be proud of me. And what do you do? You try to bargain away everything I've worked for--for him. Well, I would rather give it away than see him benefit from it."

Kagura looked past him to the stunned faces around the table. Her eyes locked onto the sympathy showing so plainly in Kagome's, though she couldn't tell if it was for her or Tobikuma. From what she knew of her, it was probably for both of them, and it infuriated her. She had no right to be here, surrounded by her sons and her friends, feeling sorry for her. The stupid girl had lost the first man she ever loved--she knew she had loved that stupid hanyou--and instead of grieving and falling apart, she had simply moved on to a new love: Sesshoumaru. She had taken him. And when he was dead, she had moved on again. Now here she was, centuries later, and even though she was a suspected killer, she still had the love and respect of everyone she came into contact with. It didn't look like the Reikai was going to do anything about her. Hell, they had sent her that sinfully sexy Youko Kurama inside that also-enticing avatar's body to play with. At least she hadn't completely ensnared him. She would probably wrap that idiot, Yemon, around her finger before too much longer. Well, she wouldn't have everything.

"Fine. Give away your lands. You're weak, like your father was. You probably couldn't hold them for long anyway. But you can't stand in Ginjiro's way. They cannot deny his claim. The Reikai will have to uphold his rights since it was their expert who proved he is Sesshoumaru's son."

"I do deny his claim," Eishumaru declared, rising to his feet, "and I dispute the results of the examinations as 'proof.' Anyone who says my father would dishonor himself and my mother like that is lying."

(Damn it. This was not the way I wanted to do this, but that fool is going to cast doubt on Genkai's findings if he calls her a liar.) "Genkai's results are not final yet. She sent word that she needs to do one more examination," Hiei told them. As all eyes turned toward him, he continued, "She has found a pair of siblings with a similar situation regarding the difference in their youki and has determined that they share a significantly higher number of matches on their father's side than Eishumaru and Ginjiro do. She needs to examine all 4 of them together to make her final conclusions."

"What?" Kagura gasped. "That's not possible."

"Why didn't you mention this before?" Eishumaru frowned at him.

"So, that's what that note was about? Who did the old bat ..." Yusuke's voice trailed off as the answer hit him.

Crossing his arms over his chest and giving the others a bored look, Hiei said, "Yukina and me."

"Yes!" Tobikuma and Jaken said simultaneously. "I knew it," Jaken cried. "I knew my lord would be vindicated!"

"You're Yukina's brother? The one she's been looking for all this time? You rotten, little bastard!" Kuwabara jumped up and grabbed Hiei by the arm before smashing his fist into his face. "Do you know how much it means to her to find you?"

Rubbing his jaw, Hiei warned him, "Since your anger is on her behalf, I'll let that pass. But my personal life is my business and I will not answer to you or anyone. Tomorrow, I will bring her and Genkai here for the examination."

Kagome closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. He was doing this for her. She knew just how much he didn't want to tell Yukina. He had refused to do it for her sake or for his own. But now, he was doing it for her. She opened her eyes when she felt Sassouta take her hand in his. He grinned and winked at her.

"This is just a sneaky attempt to cheat Ginjiro out of what is rightfully his, and I won't allow it. That woman already gave us the results of her examinations and we won't submit to another one," Kagura said, stamping her foot.

"Why would you refuse another examination if your claim is true?" Eishumaru questioned her.

"Don't try to turn this around on me. You are the one who is trying to influence the results in your favor--everyone will see that. This also proves just how biased the Reikai really is. I suggest you tell King Enma he will have a revolt on his hands in the Makai once I let it be known how he is using his so-called Spirit Detectives to shield a murderer and to place their own puppets in positions of power in the Makai."

"If she does that, there is a very good chance King Enma will see things her way."

"I realize that." Hiei's jaw clenched in anger. That damn witch was going to make his decision to reveal his connection to Yukina pointless.

"Don't be ridiculous," Yusuke said. Then he glanced over at Kurama and Hiei and stopped when he saw the looks on their faces. (Shit. If they think she can really cause that kind of trouble, we're not going to be able to force Ginjiro to do it.)

"We are no one's puppets, and what will be clear to everyone is your personal grudge against our mother," Daitano told her.

Master Zhang spoke up, "May I suggest that we all take some time to think over these newly-proposed options? Perhaps after a good night's rest, the best course of action will be clear for everyone. It is always better to make important decisions calmly, rather than in the heat of the moment."

"That is a very good idea," Myouga agreed. "Perhaps a relaxing stroll in the gardens, for those so inclined, and an early bedtime would be beneficial to us all."

Lord Tobikuma nodded, though he continued to glare at his mother. "I would be happy to show you the gardens. I daresay they are much are more extensive than the ones you may have planted. I have added a bulb garden in the tradition of Clusius. Father greatly admired the bulbs he introduced to Holland."

"Hmph. You can look at your silly flowers. I'm not staying here another minute," Kagura announced.

"Are you sure you won't stay the night?" Kurama asked her. "I am sure we can find a way to proceed which will be ... satisfying to all concerned."

Giving him a considering look, Kagura's lips curved in a sly smile. "Perhaps we can. I am not an unreasonable woman." Turning to her son, she gestured for him to lead the way.

Sassouta helped Kagome to her feet. Kagura's refusal to let Genkai perform another examination and her subsequent threat had stunned her. Her gut reaction was to tell Kagura she would let the Reikai take her into custody to mitigate that part of her threat so her story wouldn't be believed, but she couldn't do that now. Hiei wouldn't let her and neither would her sons. She picked up the last piece of candy from her teacup saucer and popped it in her mouth as everyone began to make their way out of the dining room. Seeing that, Sassouta patted her hand reassuringly and picked up the three pieces next to his cup and gave them to her with a wink.

Yusuke and the other detectives stayed back to let everyone else pass first. Then Yusuke hissed in frustration. "Can you guys do something? For a second there, I thought Hiei had saved the day for Eishumaru, then Kagura crapped all over it."

"Yeah, he tried to save the day for Eishumaru. Rotten, little bastard," Kuwabara grumbled.

"I think the key to getting Kagura to agree to the examination may be through letting her know we suspect she is the one who attacked me. I will speak to her alone," Kurama told them.

"I think she can be made to see things our way," Youko agreed.

"So do I."

"Yeah, we all gathered how you're going to speak to her. Try not to wake up with another knife in your chest," Yusuke cautioned him. "She's really a piece of work, isn't she? Tobikuma seems like an okay guy, though."

As they joined the others in the gardens, they heard Kagome praising the beautiful flowers and the pleasing design and layout of the various flower beds. Kagura was off to the side, away from the others, and her eyes glowed when she saw Kurama approaching. Tobikuma directed everyone's attention down a narrow path which was overgrown with narcissus and started walking toward it. As they followed, Kagome started to pop another piece of candy in her mouth, anticipating the strong flavor and the sweet aftertaste. It was very soothing.

"You won't like that," Daitano warned her, reaching out to hold her wrist before the candy reached her mouth. "It has a hint of honey, but it's a really strong licorice. I thought even your human nose could tell that," he said with a teasing smile.

"Oh, she likes it all right," Sassouta told him. "She's had hers and mine, too," he laughed.

"Really? That's strange. The only time I've ever seen you eat licorice was when you were pregnant with Eishumaru and Sassouta."

Kagome stopped in her tracks and her eyes widened as she stared at her son.

He stared back at her.

Everyone came to a halt as they digested what Daitano had said. "Kaa-san?" Sassouta touched her arm.

"Well, my dear, it appears that the cat is out of the bag," Kurama said smoothly, stepping up behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders. "We had hoped to keep it a secret until all of the challenge matches were over and everyone was settled. But now that it's out in the open, I suppose I can forego tiptoeing down the hall tonight--shall we stay in your room or mine?" he asked with a wide grin as he leaned down to brush his lips against her temple.

Kagome blinked as she looked at the smug expression on his face. "I ..." She looked around until she saw Hiei, and the pure, hot rage that was radiating from him made her step back. Then in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

--------------------------------------------------------------End Chapter 16

A/N: Yes? It's finally done and posted, yes? I would like to offer my most sincere and deepest apologies to everyone who wrote me in the last two or three months and received a reply saying, "It will be done soon!" Obviously, I didn't know what the heck I was talking about. *sigh* This chapter kicked my butt to Timbuktu and back. You would not believe me if I told you how many pages I deleted and re-wrote--more than once! But, I am rather excited with the final results. ^_^

First of all, I must thank Ryukotsusei and DYquem for giving me some good, honest concrit on the fight scene. I felt like I was treading water there for a long, long time--so long that I completely lost all perspective and kept getting caught up in tiny details. I will confess to being extremely possessive with my writing, so for me to ship out pieces of it for an opinion before it's all done shows you just how bogged down in the mire I was. I am oh-so-grateful to have been able to call upon these wonderful people when that happened. I was practically begging "Kick me harder!" And I will most definitely give credit where credit is due: Ryukotsusei suggested the sword through the hand as a way to add a little "oomph" there at the end and I loved it and had to snatch that idea right up. ^_^

I know these last couple of chapters have taken me a long, long time to get out, but I want to assure everyone once again that I will not leave this story unfinished. It IS completely planned out and we ARE very near the end. My outline calls for two more chapters after this one. (I think I said that LAST time, too, didn't I? Hehheh! But I absolutely had to split this chapter up because there was just SO MUCH to write. There are so many little things going on and I am trying to wrap them all up neatly. I have had to dive back into the story numerous times while writing this to make sure I have all my ducks in a row.)

I want to thank you all for sticking with me this far and for all the encouragement and support you have given me. Feel free to PM or email me anytime to kick my butt--I need it. ^_~