**So sorry for the wait.

Special thanks to the guest who proved I'm not being too convoluted with my plot. You're review really helped me get back in gear.

Never let your job, much less jobs have free control of your hours. You will become so very tired. But this was also late because I wanted to do Inukimi/Tsukiko justice as well as clear up some of the differences in the worlds. I will probably update this A/N at least once more before posting. (If I ever said a chapter was the biggest? So far I've stretched under 90 words of 700-ish into nearly 1000! So yeah...)**

**So, I'm repeating myself, but I really am sorry for the wait. When I started NGD, I had so much time and energy I could put into it, and now, as I'm adulting more, it's just harder to come by not only the time, but the inclination to work on it as I'm either tired or often just want to relax.

Again though, thank you to those that have stuck around and prod me with reviews. It keeps up my will to write as well as reminds me that it's still here, ready and eager for more.**

Chapter 12 – Perfect Pack-Sister

(words: 3191 )

Tsukiko beamed with pride when she returned to her pack-sister's current den the next morning. She had not expected such, but was proud all the more for not having so. Her dear pup was already following his instincts when it came to their new member, having welcomed and comforted her within a pack-nest. Tsukiko had realized Kagome's emotional state- her tiredness, but had mistakenly assumed she would have the human reaction of wanting to be alone to sort out such feelings. But now she preened over both her pup and beta-female, both behaving unexpected but beautifully.

They lay, still sheltered from the morning sun safely out of sight of the shoji, curled around each other in a common sight within a den. At some point in the night, Sesshomaru had fully tucked Kagome, bringing her slightly under his body, head curled over her own and arm draped over her; fully ready to shield and defend the female at a moments notice. Tsukiko was almost repentant that she would have to wake the two from such a contented slumber.

But the fuel she could use to fully embarrass her coming-of-age pup was simply too tempting.

With a devious glint, Tsukiko warmly rolled her aura up her pups back in a gentle but firm caress, a common tactic from when he was a pup and she needed him to wake. It had the desired effect, calmly bringing the male into the waking world. Both were however surprised at the effect it had on the female, not expecting to be practically overwhelmed as her large, warm, aura stretched, filling the room to capacity with the potent, lazy power reminiscent of a predator's, before curling around them in a cuddling fashion as the female in question let out a contented hum. Tsukiko's deviousness transformed into a fond smile as she let her voice rumble lowly along with her murrs of happiness.

"There is much to prepare for today, my lovelies. As much as I'm sure you would like to lay abed together, I really must borrow our dear Kagome-chan." Sesshomaru sent a weak glare to his dam, appropriately not meeting her eyes, and silently grumbled his way out of the temporary den to his own for proper attire and a cold cloth for his face.

?—?—?

The spacious room was warm, despite the beautiful stone and tile that made the majority of it. The centerpiece, a large hot spring framed at the back of the room by hand-worn stones, kept both the stone floor and air warm and heavy with steam. Both females luxuriated in the warmth as they gathered their bating supplies and disrobed.

Tsukiko was closely observing her pack-sister, wishing to know the true severity of her struggles, as she was likely to have gently mislead them. Physical scars were often treated differently, most often for the worst, by humans, though some youkai were just as likely to shun them. Many of Kagome's were faint, a testament to her long-life and power, but there were some that stood out; the starburst above her left hip- remnants of that 'revelation', mild acid burns along her feet as if they'd been dipped in it, an arrow mark on her upper back and matching crescents- obviously claw marks- on her upper arms. There were others, scrapes and scratches, but they had faded until barely noticeable with human senses, only Tsukiko's heritage allowed her to pick up on and identify them as they were; often near misses to what could have been crucial areas. Following those blemishes down her beta-female's arm brought her to another scar, one you cannot see.

Though darkened and worn with age, you could still distinguish the colors and quality of the treads woven beautifully together around Kagome's wrist, oranges, cerulean blues and emerald greens; the mistakes- few and far between, only made it more endearing and exponentially more heart wrenching. The faint glow of youki, while a testament of how well the youth could control their energy, had nearly faded to nothing. Tsukiko was hesitant, but knew if her pack-sister wanted to preserve what was left of her child's gift, it would have to come off.

Paying no attention to her nudity, Tsukiko gently approached the miko, coming to stand close enough that her breasts touched the other female's back, her right hand slowly wove with Kagome's own that she held in front of her as she stared at the memento. There was a small whimper and slight tightening of grip, but otherwise she made no acknowledgment of Tsukiko or her comforting aura that gently caressed up and down the female's back.

"We have ways to preserve it, Kagome-chan,... but you must take it off. It will not last much longer."

Haltingly, Kagome removed the braided bracelet that Shippo had gifted her a week after the incident where a demon had specifically targeted him while he played with Kilala, neither far from camp. Kagome, being the only one currently at camp, had seen red. Being relatively when Kagome had started training herself in earnest, she had honed many of her skills and the demon was taken care of quickly; though not before she had snapped at it, demanding it get away from her son. Afterwards, Kagome had rushed to defend that, while she had felt such for a long time, she was in no way trying to replace the parents he had already lost, or that he had to accept such words if they made him uncomfortable. She was cut off by the near sobbing form of Shippo, who had ran straight into her arms after the shock, clinging and nuzzling her stomach as the word 'Mama' fell from his lips again and again, bringing tears to Kagome's eyes as well. Which is how the rest of the group found the pair, tears still gently streaming and cuddled together, Kilala standing guard.

She had not taken the token off once since receiving it.

Trembling, Kagome pulled off the token, allowing Tsukiko to guide it into one of the cubbies. As they set it down, Tsukiko erected a small barrier over it, moving to cradle her pack sister close to her.

"No one shall harm it, Sister. What is yours is mine to protect." Tsukiko watched in awe as Kagome, only an inu by pack, beautifully bared her neck partially as she willfully tucked her head just under Tsukiko's jaw; willingly accepting and taking protection and comfort in her Alpha-Sister. With a rush of tenderness and pride, the pearl-silver female guided the raven one to a bathing stool, calmly and quietly going about the beginnings of grooming. The silence was calm and warm, matching the low mist that rose from the spring as Kagome relaxed into the ministrations of Tsukiko starting with her hair. Said female increased the warm strokes of her aura as she hummed, enjoying the social norm she had never previously been able to indulge in as she thought on the miracle that was her new litter-mate; she could not have hand-picked a more perfect addition.

"Kagome-chan? Did your pack give you lessons on etiquette and instincts? I'd never expected a human to act so inu, wonderful as you are." Kagome let out a soft sigh before she replied, letting the gentleness of Tsukiko's barely familiar actions.

"No. It just wasn't something that came up. Sh- Shippo mentioned that brushing his fur was important, but he wasn't quite old enough to understand completely when his parents died, only to listen and follow them, not the why of them. The older canines in our pack either didn't understand or care about the meanings and structures- or didn't believe it their place to tell me of them, not that they believed I would truly understand. It was only towards the end that the oldest believed I would actually understand and honor those instincts." Inukimi clamped down on the growl that attempted to sound in her throat; her pack-sister was not stupid and ignorance was not how a pack worked.

"Oh? And just who were these mutts who thought my sister incapable?" Kagome's shoulders tensed, but only minutely, becoming slightly anxious at the thought of sharing all the similarities, especially the people. How would Tsukiko react to such news- such possibilities?

"Ah- actually... Um... They were Inuyasha and... Sesshomaru." Kagome let her shoulders fall back the two millimeters they had tensed themselves as her silver companion only kept washing her hair, being very thorough and spending special time on her scalp and behind her ears.

"Hm. You were quite right. That sounds nothing like my mannered Maru-chan. Which does remind me, our little gossip session was cut short last we met. So, do tell, any juicy little morsels to share? Most definitely if it's a likely acquaintance!" Kagome's lips became a light moue as she tilted her head back slowly to look Tsukiko in the eyes.

"Are you sure? Most of it would be inapplicable to their counterparts here." Tsukiko's arms wrapped themselves around the dark-haired female's shoulders as she leaned down, bringing them closer together, unmindful of the soap still in Kagome's hair and nuzzling at Kagome's temple.

"Yes, sister-mine. I would like to know more about my new pack-mate, so learning your world is yet another step. Perhaps, start with Maru-chan? -ah, forgive me, Lord Sesshomaru?" Tsukiko quickly compromised, vocally showing that she could quite easily define what was her world and what was her companion's previous. Kagome closed her eyes and thought hard on how she would word her answers while Tsukiko took the opportunity to rinse the soap from Kagome's mane. Finally, with dripping hair pulled back and being gently rung out, she answered.

"... ...From what I could tell, while everything a Lord should be, Lord Sesshomaru wasn't very... socialized? While he did know of and use most pack dynamics, as I now understand them, he did not seem to comprehend the nature or importance of the emotional side to... well, anything really. When his father died, his mother left him as well, both abandoning him to his new position as Lord; though even before that, I believe, they never acted as true pack." Tsukiko let a small whine of sadness leave her throat as she moved down to her sister's shoulders after pinning the now clean hair into a bun on her head.

"Oh, that poor pup. I could not imagine leaving my Maru-chan, especially after loosing my mate; it would be too much." Deft strokes made quick work of Kagome's back, once again rinsing before Kagome insisted Tsukiko take her place on the stool. The silver female did not think her pack-sister could be more beautiful with how, even now, she subconsciously followed inu instincts near perfectly, starting with gentle but thorough attention to the glossy opalescent mane.

"Unfortunately, I never met your counterpart, and everything I do know is from outside sources." Tsukiko chuckled before taking on a more serious mien, thinking on what could possibly be different based on what had been said so far.

"It is not exact, as you say, you do not know much beyond what has been said about my alternate self, but the simple explanation may be that my own sire and dam died before my mating by a few decades." She noticed Kagome's tension at the admittance; lovely, wonderful, empathetic sister.

"My condolences."

"Oh, don't be. While protected, they saw me as nothing but a tool." A flippant clawed hand waved away the concern. "There was never true pack between us. Besides, it was their death that allowed me the freedom to explore and better myself, and, in the end, choose Soujiro for myself." Deviant titters escaped Tsukiko's mouth as she thought back on those days, and specifically the tournament that lead to her mating, as Kagome gave a wonderful scalp massage, finding the miniscule kinks in her neck and loosening them unerringly. "Oh, it you could have seen the faces of my competitors the moment they realized, instead of just the insult of losing to an unknown Lady, but compounded with the fact that I was the very orphan they had shunned; one with no supporters other than a fox- of no relation and only mild reputation? Oh, it was a glorious day indeed." A short, full laugh escaped both ladies as Tsukiko helped Kagome properly contort her thick mane and secure it to her head.

"And what of this other canine in your pack? A hanyou were they?"

"Ah- um... yes, they were. But I- not to insult your mate, but I am unaware if his circumstances would cause friction between you and he. I mean no-" Tsukiko places a delicately clawed hand on top of the one that had paused, cloth clutched in it, at her shoulder.

"Kagome, sister-mine. I am perfectly aware that who you speak of is not my mate. We are simply discussing the circumstances of a dear packmate, so I may understand mine better. I have every confidence in my mate- and in my ability to keep him." Kagome took a deep breath, centering herself and continuing to scrub at the alpha-female's shoulders.

"From what I understand, the rift between Inutaisho and his mate eventually drove him into the arms of a human princess, Izayoi- though when I looked into her, it seems that she does not exist in this world, though her family has two sons to their name. Izayoi eventually bore Inutaisho a son, but this lead to the confrontation where he met his end protecting them directly after another fight with another Daiyoukai." After the final rinse, both Ladies stood and made their ways to the spring. "Inuyasha grew up with his mother in a human town until her death. … I don't know how long he had her. It was not something I pried into." A small moment of silence was held by the two females as they acknowledged the hardships of such a life.

"Against all odds, he grew until he too met with treachery in his love-life, only he was sealed away, and later awoken by me to help with my quest." There was a wistful look to Kagome's eyes now, a small cracked smile resting on her face at more fond memories. "He was a bit of a hothead, and I couldn't always grasp the 'why' of his actions, but childish as he was, he had a good heart and he was a good friend when I needed him." Reminiscence and contemplation filled the sir for long moments before Tsukiko closed her eyes in sad resignation at the cruel facts of life.

"That is actually one of the reasons hanyou are so looked down upon."

"Hun?" Kagome had shifted from her reclining position, head back against the warmed rocks, to stare at her companion in somber confusion. Tsukiko opened her eyes to stare up into the swirling mist above their heads.

"That child-like behavior? Compounding the difficulties of such an existence, that inherited traits even among siblings are almost always completely random, with the dysphoria caused by their body versus mind growth, too often creates a scenario where- not only are hanyou offspring prone to miscarriage, both in the womb and as dams themselves, or early death simply because of their body's weaknesses and quirks, but suffering a long-lasting problem, socially, because their minds often aren't ready for their own physical development?" Kagome was watching the female, unable to tear her gaze away as developing shock and sympathy seeped into her. "Taking inu as an example, a pup should not reach physical maturity until close to their third century, if not mid-to-late third. But you say that his body was that of a mature male at approximately 200? Those of the royal lines are the only ones noted to have a consistent and notable early development, but even then, it is never before the pup's three-hundredth year. My own pup is just beginning the stages of this at his three-hundredth and twelfth. This more often than not means that the pup's body is giving off signals and urges that they are simply incapable of comprehending mentally. So, in this, you are somewhat right in your accusation that he was a child in an adult's body. Add to that the fact that he had little to no guidance in his instincts would have made for a very confused young pup." Each Lady spared a silent tear for the plight of too many innocent pups. Completely out-of-character, Tsukiko's change of topic was obvious and transparent, though also appreciated.

"And who was the Daiyoukai that gave Inutaisho such trouble?" The silver female turned around, resting her chin on crossed arms but never breaking her near predatory gaze from her litter-mate.

"Ryukotsusei, Lord of the Northern Lands."

The reaction was near instantaneous, Tsukiko's laughter filling the bathing chamber and beyond in her mirth. "Oh, Kagome-chan! Now I know what you say must be entirely true! He and my Soujiro have not had a serious fight since last they fought over my hand as pups!" A delicately curled claw wiped at the corner of her eye to banish the beginnings of joyous tears. Kagome only stared shocked, mouth the tiniest bit agape as Tsukiko continued to giggle and chuckle. She managed to calm herself after a few moments, though mirth continued to blaze in her eyes as she explained.

"No, Tatsu-chan is a staunch ally and close friend to the West, and to my mate specifically. He was the first to answer the call when my mate marched on the North to stop the diseased madness of its lord. The lord then, a neko who should not have lead in the first-place, had become depraved and rabid, spreading it down his lines of command until there were near constant raids on any neighboring lands, both villages on the borders, as well as some deeper in. In the end, it war was won with few casualties, and while the dragons had never really vied for power- even among demons being extremely long-lived, Tatsurojimaru accepted the title of Lord when it was presented to him." Kagome's adorable human-inu-ness showed itself again as she slowly tilted her head, brows coming together and lips firming with the tiniest pout.

"Tatsurojimaru?" Tsukiko giggled again, this time simply from the delight of her pack-sister, and pulled Kagome into a hug.

"Ah, yes. And such a fun name to tease him over as pups. His dam should not have been allowed to name him. And while he does prefer it, did you truly think Ryukotsusei was anything less than a ruling title?" Kagome hummed her response from her place, cradled just above the older female's breasts but under her chin, both females with arms wrapped around another.

"Hmm. It does make sense now, looking back on it." From her position, Kagome could not see the confidently wicked gleam that blossomed in Tsukiko's eyes, though she registered the small tightening of arms and curled caresses of ki around her.

"And now to so much more pleasant topics; what shall we dress you in for court?"

**Thank you for making it to the end. I actually had a bunch more planned for this chapter alone, but it was becoming forced as I went on.

Please feed the Author! As undeserving as she sometimes is!**