"Before we begin the dance lesson, I have a pile of flyers for each of you to hand out to people when you have time," Kagome said. "The best targets to give these to are high school girls and children. Girls bring boyfriends or their whole friendship groups, occasionally both. Children drag along parents, older siblings if they have them, and sometimes grandparents."

Kei, Ami and Nanami all obediently collected up their piles of flyers for handing out, and carefully set them in their school bags.

"Now, the way this lesson will work is: you will follow my movements, and Tomoe will correct any of you if you make a mistake. We will use this mirror -" actually, it was a regular wall with a white talisman that said 'mirror' on it. Quite effective, actually. "- so that you can see what my hands are doing, as I will have my back to you. This way, you'll definitely be able to see if you're doing things the right or wrong way."

"I'm mostly here to make sure arms don't go too high, or are left too low, and steps are the appropriate length," Tomoe explained. "And to beat the drum," he added with a gesture to the small drum that he wore on a strap that crossed his chest.

"Kei-chan, two steps to my left, Ami-chan, the same distance to my right, Nanami-chan, two steps behind and just enough to my left that you can see yourself in the mirror, please," Kagome instructed. "This is also the formation we will take when we perform it."

"Hai, Kagome-sensei!" the girls cheered eagerly.

Then the dancing lessons began.

~oOo~

The day chosen for the festival was less than a week away. According to Kagome's instructions, Tomoe had taken Nanami and her two friends across Tokyo to the Higurashi Shrine for suitable miko garb to dance in. Kagome had gone on a bit of a sewing spree when she realised that she was the only one in her house who remembered her adventures in the past – and none of the kimono she'd occasionally come through the well wearing were in her wardrobe any more. Even if she never wore them, she'd wanted their physical presence there.

Then she'd started finding fabrics she'd like better, and made kimono for herself that she did wear, and then... well, she had little else in her wardrobe now, though the old miko robes had been left behind in her room at Higurashi Shrine – and she knew her mother. Those kimono would be perfectly cared for.

Kagome herself was carefully cleaning the robe that she would be wearing for the Kagura Dance. One that was of the Mikage Shrine, and a very different sort to the plain miko robes the other girls would be wearing. Much more elaborate, and really, when all the layers were piled on... well, the top one at least made it looked more like something that belonged to the traditions of the continent, than of Nippon.

Still, Tomoe had presented it to her humbly, and asked if she would wear it for the dance. She had agreed instantly. It was a lovely thing.

"Mikage," she called once she had finished hanging up the many layers of the robe to dry. "I know you're there. I can sense your presence. You and your companion. Tomoe is away from the shrine right now, and even Onikiri and Kotetsu are out."

The wisps had gone with a few letters from her to various demons she knew, inviting them to the Mikage Shrine and the festival. She didn't expect a whole lot of positive answers, but it was the inviting them that counted with many of them.

"Would you care for tea?" she invited.

Mikage, shrouded in fedora and trench coat just as he had been the night Kagome met him, dropped from a tree branch lightly, drifting down like a dry leaf on a day there was no breeze to buffet it as it fell. The other was dressed in a pink jump-suit and had a boa wrapped around his neck.

"Ah, you," Kagome recognised. "I had not connected your energy with that of Mikage's until now. Have you enjoyed causing trouble... Otohiko?" she asked.

The still-floating kami in his pink jump-suit and white boa blinked. "I don't recall ever giving you my name," he said, clearly slightly confused at how she knew him.

"Narukami was very obliging," Kagome explained simply and gave her most gracious, laughing smile that said she'd caught someone with their hand in the cookie jar, but if they'd have just asked, she'd probably have given them one.

Probably.

"Thank you for the offer, but I will not stay for tea," Mikage declined politely, a smile on his face. "I just wanted to check on things." With one last smile and an approving nod, he transformed himself into a butterfly and fluttered away.

Otohiko, on the other hand, was still floating about, level with the canopy of the trees that surrounded the shrine.

"Well, I'm not going anywhere just yet," he said, and withdrew a little bottle from a pocket of his garish outfit. "You are about to hold a sacred festival at Mikage Shrine. I am here to make sure you are worthy. There will be a test to see if you are truly capable of carrying out the duties of a Land God," he declared, equal parts bland, careless, and extremely firm.

He uncorked the bottle, and a little miasma floated up out of it. He pressed a kiss to his index finger and blew the miasma away from himself – into the shrine.

"Exorcising this level of miasma should be no problem for a true Land God," he said with a sly smile. "Let's see what you've got, little miss Kagome."

Kagome watched for a moment as the miasma expanded around the shrine. For just a few seconds, she let it grow. The second it started to cause damage to the Mikage Shrine, however, she unleashed her powers in an explosion of cleansing purity, wild and untamed and truly powerful as it overtook everything.

It was just as well that only she and Otohiko were present. Tomoe and the wisps would have been obliterated if they were present when she did that. The miasma never stood a chance.

Eyes glowing with power, Kagome looked up at the kami floating above her. His boa singed and his hair smoking from the incredible blast of power she had unleashed upon the area.

"Are you satisfied now, Otohiko?" she demanded harshly, and herself began to rise off the ground as her power formed a glowing halo around her. "I may have been born a ningen, but you are still five-hundred years too late to treat me so much like a child."

Otohiko looked at her in confusion. "Who are you, Higurashi Kagome?" he asked, stunned.

"I am exactly who I am. I am Higurashi Kagome, Miko of the Shikon no Tama, and now Lady Goddess of the Land, Kami of the Mikage Shrine," she proclaimed.

"You are also the one I choose as my sister," a familiar voice said.

"And the one I choose as my mother," another, less familiar voice rejoined, though only one person had ever called her mother.

Kagome looked down from Otohiko, and so didn't see him take his leave.

"Sesshoumaru," she recognised the familiar demon. The unfamiliar demon though... "Shippo," she realised, and the glow faded from her eyes. She drifted once more to the ground, tears of joy in her eyes. "You've grown."

The fox grinned. "So have you Momma," he said. "A kami now?"

Kagome laughed and launched herself at him, arms going around his sides and her face pressed quickly into the golden-brown fur vest he was wearing.

"My little Shippo," she wept softly. "I missed you so much."

"What is going on here?" another voice demanded. "Unhand my lady and mistress!"

"Tomoe, stop," Kagome said, and her words were enough even if they were softly spoken. "This is my son who I have not seen for ten and five-hundred years."

"What does that mean?" Tomoe questioned unhappily.

"It means, fox, that my little sister has not seen her son for far too long," Sesshoumaru explained, and far more calmly than Kagome might have expected.

"Tomoe, where are the girls?" Kagome asked as she finally stepped back from her tight embrace with Shippo.

"Shopping," he answered. "Your mother gave them all some money so that they could buy their own tabi, as she recognised we had both forgotten that little detail. Nanami said they would do some window-shopping as well, and I needn't act as their minder all afternoon."

Kagome nodded, satisfied. "Well then, why don't we all go inside and have some tea?" she offered with a smile. "Sesshoumaru, do you still like ginseng?"

"Hn."

Kagome couldn't help the small fit of giggles that escaped her at that old, familiar response from someone she had not seen in far too long.

~oOo~

She hadn't taken the time to really notice before, but now, Kagome realised that Shippo wasn't the only one to have gotten older. Of course, Sesshoumaru had lived through the intervening five-hundred years as well, but she hadn't registered at first that he had actually aged. He must have been coming towards the end of his last 'youthful' century when she had first met him. Where in the Sengoku, he had looked like someone in either their late teens or early twenties, he now looked more similar to a ningen in their late thirties, early forties.

He had apparently now reached the approximate age his great and terrible father had, when he perished to save Izayoi.

No way was Kagome going to mention that though.

"So, when exactly did you decide I was your sister?" she asked as she set out the tea.

Sesshoumaru snorted softly. "When this Sesshoumaru witnessed you giving Rin 'the talk'," he answered frankly.

"That was before you brought her to the village," Kagome breathed, surprised by the revelation. Rin, poor girl, had been an early bloomer.

Sesshoumaru nodded silently.

"Could someone please tell me what these two yokai are doing here?" Tomoe requested through grit teeth, his hackles raised.

"Momma sent us invitations to come to the Autumn Festival here in a few days," Shippo answered with a smile. "We just decided to come early and check on her."

"Tomoe, relax, please. Shippo and Sesshoumaru are family to me," Kagome soothed.

"We are encroaching on his territory, miko," Sesshoumaru stated frankly. "It is natural he would be uncomfortable with our presence."

"And foxes are always very jealous and possessive of any beautiful thing that is theirs in some way," Shippo added with a smile. "Heck, I'd be possessive and jealous of sharing you too, but you taught me that's not the right way to treat people, and my mate keeps me in check the rest of the time."

"I haven't been so long without yokai company that I've forgotten that sort of thing," Kagome insisted with a pout. "Tomoe, come sit by me," she ordered softly.

Tomoe moved away from the corner of the room where he had been hovering and sat down beside his lady, his back stiff.

Kagome took his face in her hands and pressed a firm kiss to his lips.

"Sesshoumaru is my handsome and bossy big brother, Shippo is my adorable but sometimes demanding son, and they have lives of their own outside of me," Kagome said when she pulled back and locked her eyes with his. "You are my familiar and constant companion, and have no reason to feel threatened by their relationships to me."

"Indeed," Sesshoumaru confirmed. "This Sesshoumaru will only be able to visit this shrine very occasionally, and the kit is no more able to leave his responsibilities whenever he pleases."

Kagome sighed. "You had a rare ten minutes when you could come and tell me that you can't come to the festival, am I right?" she guessed sadly. "I bet you're very busy these days."

"Well, Sesshoumaru is Inu no Taisho and Lord of the West, but he's also CEO of a big international company," Shippo explained. "And I'm a father of twenty," he added with a cheeky grin.

"Twenty?!" Kagome yelped.

Shippo laughed. "It's been five-hundred years, Momma," he reminded her happily. "And Souten is very fertile."

"Souten... that little thunder demon girl?" Kagome queried, checking her memory.

Shippo nodded with a blush.

"Your kit is also personal assistant to this Sesshoumaru," the daiyokai added blandly, "and as busy as he is usually kept, this Sesshoumaru has granted him time off to attend your festival."

"Souten and I will bring along the youngest three at least," Shippo promised. "The rest have all moved out of home and are in different countries around the world, working for Sesshoumaru as well. They might be able to come back for the weekend though."

Kagome blinked in surprise, and turned a questioning gaze to Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "This Sesshoumaru has no mate, and since the death of Rin four-hundred and fifty years ago, none to call an heir of any sort. The fox and his family will inherit upon my eventual passing, though that day is still long in coming," he explained, only to narrow his eyes at Kagome. "That is, unless you breed," he corrected.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right, and just who would I do that with?" she demanded wryly.

Sesshoumaru's golden gaze shifted from her face to that of the white fox by her side.

"I will never allow myself to fall in love with a ningen," Tomoe objected, though there was a slight hint of a pink glow about his cheeks.

"Momma isn't exactly a ningen," Shippo pointed out with a cheeky, knowing grin.

"Well, thank you for your approval in the matter," Kagome said firmly, but with clear dismissal in her tone. "But maybe I learned my lesson about falling in love with yokai?" she pointed out.

Sesshoumaru shrugged silently, though there was a knowing glint hidden in his golden eyes. All the same, the subject was dropped.

"So... What exactly happened after I left?" Kagome asked.

~oOo~

The festival was a success in every sense. People came, yokai came, even a couple of kami came to check out the festivities. Money was spent and respects were paid by all. The Kagura Dance was a hit, and at the end of the night the only merchandise still around (because Kagome had managed to get a lot of stalls, human and yokai both, to come and set up) was the kind that was broken, had been trodden underfoot, or was the last refuse that hadn't made it to a rubbish bin.

And even then, there wasn't very much. A thorough sweeping, and the Mikage Shrine was pristine once more.

At last, the shrine was peaceful again.

Nanami, exhausted from the fun (and the dancing) had fallen into bed as soon as she was released from sweeping duty.

Onikiri and Kotetsu were kindly tidying up the few things in the kitchen that had been used to make a last evening meal.

Kagome sat on the porch beside Tomoe and watched the moon.

"So, what did you think?" Kagome asked softly.

"I had no idea you knew so many yokai," Tomoe quipped dryly.

Kagome giggled. As well as Sesshoumaru (and his mother, which had certainly surprised Kagome), Shippo, Souten and all their children, Kirara had been brought along. Kouga and Ayame had come to the festival with their extensive brood as well, and of course Ginta and Hakkaku, to help mind them all. Kagome had been very glad that Ayame was keeping her man on a short leash.

Shuran, Shunran, and Toran of the Panther Devas had all paid visit and their respects. Kagome had been surprised to see them at first, and then so, so surprised when she saw Toran flirting with Sesshoumaru. Not only that, but he'd actually flirted back. But it seemed to be something completely platonic despite the fast-flying innuendos.

Hachi was still kicking around, though the tanuki was really getting on in years. He looked as old as Myouga had done when Kagome met the flea demon. Said flea was, apparently, no longer among the living. Or he was keeping a very, very low profile if he was. Somehow Totosai was holding on though. Completely senile, but he'd come along to the festival all the same. With a babysitter in the form of one of Jakken's descendants.

Apparently imps like Jakken weren't very long lived.

The 'treasure' brothers had all come along, each with their mates and their youngest offspring, so that was even more kitsune about the Mikage Shrine. Another young one to attend, now all grown up, was Kanta. He also brought his mate, his offspring, and also his father. Bunza and his family attended, and so did many hanyou that were very much aged from when Kagome had last seen them: Shiori, Shion, Asagi, Ai, Moegi, and the twins Roku and Dai. All so very much older.

Ryou the Dragon King and his lovely wife Kamehime attended with an entourage, as did Himemiko and even Kurama – though his following was mostly ningen women, rather than his fellow tengu.

And then there were those that were under the protectorate of the Mikage Shrine, who Kagome had never met, but had come to pay their respects and witness the Kagura Dance.

Those who were able to perform transformation magic were busy that night, making sure that none of the ningen suspected anything truly supernatural.

"Well, now you know," she answered him. "But that wasn't really what I was asking about," she admitted. "You're a perfectionist, Tomoe. How was the dance?"

"Nanami, Kei and Ami all did very well," Tomoe allowed. "You can be proud of them, and you should be proud of yourself also. You were an excellent teacher to them."

Kagome smiled, content. "I'm glad," she said.

Tomoe stood. "I think I will fetch us some sake," he offered. "The moon is full, and it is the perfect night for drinking sake."

Kagome nodded. "Yes," she agreed. "That sounds nice."

Tomoe wasn't gone long, and returned with two red sake dishes and a small jug of warm sake for them to share.

Kagome took one dish for herself, and watched Tomoe pour as she held it up for him.

"It was beautiful," Tomoe said once he had finished pouring for them both and had taken his place, sitting at Kagome's side once more.

"Huh?"

"The Kagura Dance," Tomoe clarified with the finest hint of a blush about his cheeks, though it faded quickly as he continued, which meant it could not be credited to the sake. "Watching you perform the Kagura Dance so perfectly, in those robes and with your power lending a glowing radiance to you... it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen."

"You don't have to say things that aren't true," Kagome said softly as she swirled the sake in her cup. "I'm sure you've seen lots of things that were more beautiful than me dancing."

"Nothing," Tomoe insisted. The single word softly spoken, yet earnestly delivered. "Nothing at all. Kagome... may I... re-seal the familiar contract?" he asked hopefully.

For a while, Kagome was silent, but then... "No," she answered.

Tomoe's ears fell flat against his head.

"But, if you desire it," she continued, herself now cautious and hesitant, "you may kiss me."

Tomoe's ears shot up once more, and a light came to his violet eyes.

"It is from the heart," he swore to her.

Kagome nodded, and met him half-way as he leaned in towards her. Even as she sighed at the feeling of Tomoe beginning to nibble on her lower lip, and even as she freely gave him access, she knew that, some day, one or both of them would regret beginning this.

Until that day came though, she intended to enjoy what was forming between herself and Tomoe as much as she could.

~The End~