Ayakashi no Miko: Oneshot

Hi! Thanks for wanting to read this fanfic. I hope you like this story.

This used to be an oneshot-turned-chapter-fic. But, because I unconsciously had this as a oneshot in my mind, despite my intentions of continuing it (in fact, I've already formed a timeline for future events), I had trouble writing the next chapter and kept rewriting it. In the end, I've decided to keep this as an oneshot and write a separate chapter-fic version, with added details.

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Terminology

Youkai / Ayakashi — demon (Inuyasha only uses 'youkai' but Nurarihyon no Mago uses both interchangeably, so I'm going to do so as well)

Hanyou — half demon

Youki — demon energy

Oni — orge

Kyuubi no kitsune — nine-tailed fox demon

Kitsune — fox demon

Hakki yakou — Night Parade of a Hundred Demons

Nura Gumi — Nura Clan

Yakuza — Japanese criminal organization, kind of like Western mafia and Chinese Triads

Shodaisho — supreme commander

Shikon no Tama — Jewel of Four Souls

Shikon no kakera — Shikon shards

Miko — priestess

Miko ki — priestess energy

Reiki — spiritual energy

Taijiya — demon slayer

Houshi — monk

Kazaana — "wind tunnel"; Naraku cursed Mirokui's grandfather's line with it. It serves to be both a weapon and their death sentence. It disappeared with Naraku's death.

Onmyouji — literally "yin-yang master"; they are humans with the ability to fight youkai and use other techniques

Shikigami — they are familiars onmyouji can call out using special ofuda; according to Nurarihyon no Mago, only those with a very strong will power could call out multiple shikigami at the same time

Ofuda — strips of paper with special writing on it. They can be used to summon shikigami, produce barriers, amongst other things

Youtou — spirit blade; made by onmyouji to kill youkai

Hime — princess

Jii-chan — grandfather

-sama — a formal suffix, generally used with people of a very high rank

-dono — a formal suffix, generally used with those of a high rank or people of respectable occupation and rank

-san — a suffix, generally used with strangers or with people of equal or higher ranking

-kun — a less formal suffix, generally used with males of lower or equal ranking

-chan — a less formal suffix, generally used with children or with females of lower or equal ranking or with family members

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Kagome's eye twitched, staring at the garment Sango was holding. It was made of silk, not the cotton most wore, and was embroidered with sakura petals over a pale pink background. Okay… She may like pink, but even that was too much pink for her. Not to mention, this much pink didn't fit her, not with her eyes, which had been changed from brown to a heliotrope purple, the colour of a partially tainted Shikon no Tama, ever since Naraku's defeat a year ago, after a very long and hard two years of searching for the shattered jewel. "Um… Sango-chan… What is this?"

"A furisode," her friend replied a bit too cheerfully.

She nodded. "Yes, I can see that, but why are you giving it to me? I may not be the best of judge for kimonos, but even I could tell it's an expensive one. How did you manage to afford one?" Kagome had long since ditched her school uniform for a more fitting yukata for modesty and easy movement should she suddenly need to fight — said futuristic uniform was now stored in a box back at a hut in the taijiya village as a keepsake. Just like the time when she had been stuck on the other side of the well because Inuyasha had taken the Shikon no kakera from her, she was stuck on this side of the well in the past since the Shikon no Tama was no more, so she had resolved to learn more about this world to fit in better. Her only regret was leaving her family behind five hundred years into the future and being unable to pass on her farewells and love to them. But, she was determined to do all that she could in the past to pave way for the relatively peaceful future she had grown up in.

"Remember the rumours we heard ever since we came to Kyoto?" After the battle, Inuyasha had settled down with Kikyou, who had somehow returned to flesh and blood after being bathed in Shikon no Tama's energies when Kagome had purified it with her pure wish, in Kaede's village. Shippou had stayed to the kitsune school for more training, visiting them from time to time. Sesshoumaru had gone back to the Western lands with Jaken, Ah-Un, Rin, and Kohaku (who had decided to further his taijiya skills by accompanying the ward of one of Japan's most powerful youkai) in toll. Kouga, fortunately, had seen the light and mated Ayame soon after the Naraku fiasco.

Kagome, Miroku, and Sango, on the other hand, had decided to travel around, helping humans with their youkai problems. The former because she wanted to do something useful and explore olden Japan without a distraction like the Shikon; the latter two because they weren't quite ready to completely settle down and because they wanted to make money to restore the taijiya village, where Kirara, her mate, and her kits were currently staying at.

Her eyebrow rose. "Which one? The one about ayakashi killing people for their liver? The rumour's true. I purified a group a few hours ago." They had been a nasty bunch, but they were pretty much on the same power level as the mindless grubs Naraku had liked to use as cannon fodder. But, seriously, why can't most youkai train and develop their own strength, like Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru did, rather than relying on others for instant power. First it was the Shikon no Tama, and now, it was human livers. What was next?

"Houshi-sama had found a noble who's willing to pay a lot to protect his daughter, Youhime-sama. He has even hired a group from Keikain Clan to guard her."

The miko whistled. "Wow. Aren't the Keikain the best onmyouji around? He must really treasure his daughter. With the Keikain there, Miroku-sama would have a better chance targeting another noble. And, what are you doing?" she asked, eyeing Sango who seemed to be mentally comparing her and the kimono.

"Hm… this is a bit big on you, but it should be fine," the taijiya mumbled, "You just need to sit there and look pretty."

"Could you tell me what's going on already?"

Brown eyes blinked, coming back to the present. "Ah. Right. Since all of the Keikain guards are males, houshi-sama proposed having you act as a decoy for Youhime-sama at night when ayakashi are most active, while houshi-sama and I guard her at a secret location away from the main house. Her father agreed after a youkai slipped through the guards and tried to attack Youhime-sama."

Groaning, Kagome slumped against the tree she was resting at. "Why me? Why can't you be the decoy? You're better than me at fighting." Even now, she was more of a supporter than a front-line fighter, unlike Kikyou who was an all-rounder. She shook her head. No. It wasn't the time to be thinking about that.

Sango smiled, "You're not defenseless either, Kagome-chan. Besides, I can't pull off the innocent sheltered noble girl as well as you could."

xXxXxXxXx

Kagome sighed, staring up at the crescent moon from Youhime's room. Just how did they expect her to act as a proper noble lady anyway? Her encounters with them were limited to television (which tended to dramatize most things, so she wasn't quite sure she could really use those characters as a reference) and brief interactions with those in need of help from youkai (Miroku-sama usually tried to hog all noble ladies' attention, despite incurring Sango-chan's wrath). It didn't help that she didn't actually meet the princess in person since Youhime had already been escorted to the hiding place by Miroku.

So, was she supposed to act as a naïve sheltered girl? Or maybe a spoiled child? After all, Youhime-sama's father seemed to be willing to give anything to his daughter as long as she kept bringing in cash through her exceptional healing ability. Or was Youhime more of a graceful aristocratic type?

Then again, did she even need to bother doing so? Unlike some of their previous jobs, there wasn't any need to get information from their opposition. The youkai simply wanted Youhime's liver for their master, whoever they may be. And without Inuyasha and Miroku's kazaana, three humans weren't powerful enough to storm up the enemy's main base, battle hoards of ayakashi, and come out victorious. She was simply here to act as a bait to draw youkai away from Youhime, so simply purifying them was enough. Right?

Mou… Kikyou would've been a better choice. Even with a hindrance like her previous clay body, she was strong enough to take down most of her enemies by herself. Unlike stupid weak Kagome who still relied on her friends in battle.

Heliotrope eyes glistened with tears. She was always second best here, in this era, whether she was compared to Kikyou or the Shikon no Tama. Hell, she had gathered most of her friends, and enemies, based on her ability to sense Shikon shards, which they had wanted for various reasons.

"A nice face," a male voice said, cutting off her train of thoughts. "Who knew a tormented mournful face could be so attractive against the moonlight."

Kagome swung around, dropping into a defensive position (or as much as she could in this rather stifling furisode). "Who are you?" she demanded, all pretense be damned. As she had claimed many times in the past, she was Kagome, no matter her flaws, and no one else.

The intruder was clearly an ayakashi, though he was skilled at hiding his youki. Like most powerful youkai she knew (yes, she included Naraku in this category; his human façade, at least), he was handsome, in a rather bad boy manner, with his hoari partially opened, revealing a firm chest, and smoking a tobacco pipe. His hair was rather odd — gravity defying and growing horizontally behind him. If it hung down normally, his hair would've probably reached his waist. Also, unlike most, it was dual-coloured — golden-white at the top and black at the bottom, including his rather long gravity non-defying ear tails. Under the flickering candlelight, she could see his golden eyes beneath long white bangs; and there was also a black swiggly marking under each eye.

He had been able to bypass all those onmyouji without being detected. This youkai was powerful. It seemed like Miroku-sama's decoy idea turned out to be a good thing. Youhime would've been found dead the next morning otherwise.

Kagome reached into her sleeve for her knife. However, the blade could even shine under the moonlight for more than a second, a hard chest was pressed against her back and a calloused hand cupped her chin, forcing her head to tilt upwards. The sheath, having slipped from her hands, clattered in the background. Her eye twitched. Did they all have to be so tall? The top of her head barely reached his chin.

"As rumoured, an unrivalled beauty. I want you," the youkai breathed out, seductive gold staring into wary heliotrope.

She chuckled. "You really haven't been out much, have you? There are many who are more beautiful than I am. If you head over to a small village in the northern regions, they can definitely tell you about another girl who looks similar to me but is much more gorgeous. Why on earth would you want someone like me when there are plenty more out there?" the miko added, forcing her bitterness away from her tone. "Now, let me go!" she growled, elbowing him.

Before her attack could make contact, he grabbed her arm, tilting her sideways and making her lose her balance. The next thing she knew, she was on her back staring up at him. The aggravating ayakashi smirked, gradually leaning downwards, as he loosely straddled her, pressing her kimono onto the tatami mat to prevent her from moving freely. "Now, now, there's no need to be so modest. Karasu Tengu was right. You're a fine-looking woman."

As flattering as that was (especially considering his information was about Youhime-sama and not her), she still had no intention of staying literally beneath a strange youkai. Her eyes lightened to pinkish-purple as she called up her miko ki. "I'm warning you. If you don't want to get hurt, you'd better get off of me."

His smirk widened. "Hm… You're feistier than the rumours say." He licked his lips. "I like it."

Kagome's eyes narrowed. She was no one's plaything. Channeling her miko ki into the knife, she swung upwards, slicing his arm. Golden eyes widened as his skin blackened from purification. She was correct in her earlier assessment. He was powerful. While she had only used it as a warning (since he was at least kind enough to not go straight to killing-Kagome as most enemies did), a lesser youkai would've lost his entire forearm from purification, even if the blade itself had only cut half an inch deep.

The ayakashi's surprise faded back into amusement. "You're really not quite a frail princess, are you?" He waved his injured arm a little. From what she had heard, wounds caused by miko ki were difficult to heal and stung like hell. She commended him for not showing the pain on his face, though.

"Never have been," the miko confirmed, happy with his comment. She would've never survived her adventures otherwise. "You're at the wrong place if you're looking for one." Kagome held her knife defensively. "If you don't get off of me right now, you'd be getting more than just a cut."

In a swift movement, he knocked the blade out of her grasp, but not before getting a taste of the miko ki channeled in her weapon. "Oi, oi, is that a youtou?" the youkai asked, jumping back, widened golden eyes fixed upon his blackened hand.

She sat up when his weight left the kimono. "No. Just me. So, don't think that I'm defenseless without that knife," Kagome replied, lifting up her free hand which was glowing pink with energy. Without Naraku as an immediate threat, it was easier to find time to train; and even though Miroku-sama's ability differed from hers, he still proved to be a good teacher. Kagome got up onto her knees, ready to spring forward or fall backwards if necessary. "Now answer me, youkai, what are you doing here? Are you here for my liver?"

He huffed, head turning away. "I don't need to eat human livers to grow stronger."

Ah… no wonder he hadn't employed the attack-first-maybe-talk-later-if-target-is-alive tactic. "Give me your arm," she said, gesturing at his injured one. Seeing his hesitation, Kagome sighed. "I promise I won't hurt you anymore. If you don't attack me first," she quickly added on.

When he did as requested, her glowing hand hovered over his wounds, focusing on changing the properties of her energy from purifying to healing. In the past year, she had found that, unlike Kikyou, she had the ability to heal. Of course, she had limits and couldn't rid of all poisons and diseases. Healing ayakashi was also more difficult mentally, compared to healing humans, since she had to concentrate on not purifying them.

He blinked, as his blackened skin gradually faded to reveal unmarred flesh. When her hand stopped glowing, golden eyes stared into her heliotrope ones. "What are you?" he breathed out.

Before Kagome could reply, a voice called out from the hallway. "Hime-sama, are you alright?" It was Keikain Koremitsu-dono, the leader of the group of onmyouji guarding this place. They had all been informed of the decoy plan and were instructed to act as if she was the real Youhime, at least during nighttime when the plan was in effect.

The youkai leaned forward, whispering into her ear. "Nurarihyon." In a flash, he disappeared from sight. Turning around, she found him standing the entrance of the opened doors leading to the courtyard. "That's what people call me," he said, smiling down at her. "You're interesting. I'll be back." With a single leap, the strange ayakashi disappeared into the darkness.

"Hime-sama, did something happen?" Koremitsu asked again, outside the opposite doors.

"No, everything is alright." Kagome answered, purifying all traces of his youki from the air and the blood he had spilt onto the tatami mat and her knife. She'll keep this a secret for now. After all, he wasn't a youkai out to kill her.

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Nurarihyon smirked, breathing out a stream of smoke into the cool night sky, barely paying any attention to the sight below as his reptile subordinate flew across the sky with him sitting on top. "Youhime, huh?" She was a very interesting woman. According to rumours, she was kept sheltered in that manor for pretty much her entire life, so he had been expecting someone who was gentler, frailer. He had been pleasantly surprised to find a feisty girl who hadn't been afraid to fight back and had the ability to both injure and heal others. And her eyes… he was sure they had changed colours, in a ways similar to some ayakashi when they used their powers.

Yes, he was most definitely returning there tomorrow night.

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"Are you okay, Kagome-chan?" Sango asked, as they walked through the courtyard. "Did anything happen last night?" She and Miroku had just finished escorting the princess back to her room; and this time, Kagome had been able to meet her. Youhime was truly as gorgeous as Nurarihyon had implied. Even Kikyou would find it difficult to match up. She had long black hair and soft brown eyes, ones which showed that, though she was in the position to be utterly spoiled and her life was targeted, she had yet to let darkness take hold of her heart. Her skin tone was also pale from a lack of sunlight, probably due to being confined inside the manor most of her life.

Now, back into more comfortable clothing, the miko shrugged, "I heard that a youkai tried to attack, but it couldn't get past the barrier the Keikain had set up. Other than that, nothing much." There was no need to inform them about the odd ayakashi and worry her friends. "How about the two of you?"

Sango smiled. "Houshi-sama had put up a barrier which erases all presence so no one had even noticed our existence."

"Why can't the onmyouji do the same?" Kagome asked, cocking her head to the side. "It'd make things a lot easier for them."

"That kind of barrier would make the entire manor disappear from an outsider's eyes, including humans," Miroku replied. "I doubt they'd want that. Not to mention, the casters would have to stay still in their position. Just moving a limb would cause the entire barrier to dispel, so it can't be a permanent solution."

The miko sighed. "We can't stay this forever, you know. I don't want to stay here forever. We should probably ask them to find another decoy if this continues longer."

xXxXxXxXx

Kagome gazed up at the moon, frowning. "It's so stifling in here." Just how could Youhime stand to live in this place? She had only been here for two days and she was already sick of the atmosphere. During the day, sick or injured people would arrive to be healed by Youhime, but said patients were accepted only if they had enough money. The poor were forced to stay away and out of sight (she wouldn't even have known about this tidbit if she hadn't overheard a guard complaining about them). At night, the security became tighter and tension rose.

"The onmyouji are working hard again tonight," a familiar voice stated from behind.

She turned around, blinking. There Nurarihyon was again, lounging on the ground, smoking a pipe, as if he was the lord of the manor. "How did you get in?" she asked, not bothering to into a defensive stance. If he had meant any harm, he would've already attacked. On a more important note, he shouldn't have gotten in undetected in the first place. The Keikain were supposed to have reinforced their seals just this morning. Hm… maybe Miroku-sama should teach them a thing or two. After all, most of the barriers the houshi made were really effective, as attested by many of their foes.

"It's a nice place," he said instead, ignoring her question. "I gather there's quite a bit of money which makes you a caged bird."

A caged bird, huh? An accurate analogy.

Kagome, kagome,
Kago no naka no tori wa
Itsu itsu deyaru
Yoake no ban ni
Tsuru to kame ga subetta
Ushiro no shoumen daare

She hated that song. The other kids had often teased her due to her name. And when she had been able to accurately guess who was behind her every time they had played this game, they had started to fear her, just a bit. Then later, she had found herself ensnared by the chains of fate, of history. She didn't have any choice in the first place. Shattering the jewel had made it her responsibility to gather it; and she couldn't risk bringing the battle into the future where her family and friends were. Besides, if she had let the Shikon no Tama to end up in youkai hands, it could've potentially destroyed the peaceful future she grew up in.

Then, there was her name. Her mother had named her 'Kagome', after the six-point star which had glowed on her chest when she was born. Afterwards, as she had realized, when facing Hitomiko-sama, that light had stemmed from her miko ki, which was mostly brought about by the Shikon, making the jewel the actual reason behind her name. When she had purified it by making a pure wish that day, releasing the souls of Midoriko and countless youkai, she had thought everything was over, that she had finally been released from the cage. To her horror, it wasn't so.

No matter how many times she had jumped in, no matter how much she had pleaded, the Bone Eater Well had refused to work. She was once again trapped.

A cage bird… regardless of what she did.

"Kagome," she whispered.

"Hm?"

Her gaze drifted downwards, not wanting to see his reaction. "Kagome. That's my name." She didn't want to keep this farce up. She had enough of people looking at her and think 'Kikyou'. She had no desire to add another name and face to the collection. Her identity, caged bird or not, wasn't something she was willing to give up for anyone. "I'm not the gorgeous and kind Youhime you originally came to meet. I'm not even a noble. I'm acting as her decoy to protect her from youkai." She bit her lips, waiting for him to express his betrayal-induced anger or simply leave.

Nurarihyon had already gathered that. After he had finished his business with his hakki yakou, he had returned here to watch this interesting woman. To his surprise, he had found her, dressed in a simple yukata, strolling through the courtyard with a female warrior and a monk. Then, after a while, another woman appeared, clad in an elaborate pink kimono and tended by a few servants.

Youhime was stunningly attractive; there were no doubts about that. She was a graceful beauty, like most sheltered noble ladies were brought up to be. The gentle princess reminded him of sakura, lovely and pure, bringing about a sense of peace to all whom gazed upon her. With her by his side, he could definitely envision a blissful, peaceful future.

However, ultimately, it was this caged little bird which had truly caught his attention. She was a fighter, this one. The fire in her eyes last night couldn't have been mistaken for anything else. But, he could tell that her fire was being stifled by her chains of sadness. That wouldn't do. He wanted to see it again. He wanted to see her lovely heliotrope eyes glint with passion.

"Kagome, huh? It suits you," he said, breathing out tobacco smoke. "Hey, do you want to go outside?" Nurarihyon smirked, pointing his pipe at her, "You're suffocating here, right?" Her inner fire had dimmed when he had mentioned her being a caged bird; and he didn't like that downtrodden expression. It didn't suit her.

She licked her lips. Yes. Perhaps… But it wasn't this place. It was the invisible cage fate refused to free her from. "I can't do that," Kagome replied, not voicing out her thoughts. "I'm supposed to stay here as Youhime-sama's decoy. Besides, there are guards."

"Ow!" Nurarihyon abruptly gasped, dropping his pipe and clutching at his left forearm. "My arm!"

Her eyes widened. Wasn't that the arm she had cut last night? Did Koremitsu-dono interrupt before she could completely heal him? Unconsciously, she stepped forward, reaching out. Only, to gasp a second later when he grabbed her hand, pulling her towards him in a fluid move that he him carrying her bridal style.

"There, I got you!" Nurarihyon smirked. Just as planned. Her cheeks reddened deliciously, much to his delight. "Calm down," he said, when she attempted to wiggle out of his hold. "I'm just borrowing you for a night. I'll return you in the morning. Don't struggle. If anything, you should enjoy it." For one, he was certainly enjoying having her in his arms.

Kagome was astonished to find that, despite running across the heavily guarded courtyard in plain sight, no one seemed to even register their presence. She could definitely sense him using youki, but she just couldn't figure out what he was doing. "Why doesn't anyone notice us?"

He chuckled. "That's because I am Nurarihyon."

She raised an eyebrow. Arrogant much? And that didn't even explain anything.

The ayakashi then leaped over the manor walls with one leap, much like Inuyasha could. He only slowed down to a walk when they had arrived at a busy street.

"Even here…" she whispered, glancing around. The crowd wasn't large, but no one seemed to see them. Surely someone as odd-looking as Nurarihyon would've caught some attention. Did he cast an illusion over them or something? Had he still been alive, Naraku would've definitely wanted to absorb this youkai for this ability — would've made it much easier to steal jewel shards.

"Don't worry, no one would notice. Just lay back and trust me. Trust Nurarihyon."

Kagome looked up. "Nurarihyon?" she parroted. Was that name supposed to mean something to her? Other than associating it with this strange ayakashi. It was a pleasant change though, from most youkai she had met. None of them were, dare she say, as suave. Inuyasha and Kouga-kun were as brash as they came. Sesshoumaru-sama was practically unapproachable, with certain exemptions. Shippou-chan was cute and mischievous. Jaken and Hachi were cowards, though they could still be relied on in some cases. Naraku… His forte was deception. Enough said. There were many others, but none had ever acted like Nurarihyon.

"Yeah, it's the name of a free ayakashi," he smirked. "Why don't you live the way you want?"

She was. Kind of. Without the Shikon no Tama, she didn't know what her purpose could be in this era. Did she even have a purpose here? Or was she destined to become one of the many villagers in Kaede's village, leading a nice, peaceful life, with the occasional youkai attack? She didn't know. She wanted to know. So, when Miroku-sama and Sango-chan announced their decision to travel for a little while, she had immediately leapt for the opportunity, hoping, praying, to find a place she belonged.

Maybe it was time to stop, though. She could tell that her friends were ready to go back to the taijiya village and start creating a family. The only reason they had yet to voice their desire out was because Kagome herself didn't want to stop. It was okay. After this was over, she'd set them free of whatever obligation they may feel towards her. She would be fine as a lone traveller, as long as she stayed out of trouble. After all, she wasn't as weak as she had used to be.

xXxXxXxXx

Heliotrope eyes scanned the room as she tried her best to ignore Nurarihyon's hand on her shoulder. There was youkai everywhere, many of which she had never seen before. It was rather odd. Ayakashi don't normally stay in large groups with those not of their own species. Weren't the Kyoto youkai going around eating people's livers? Miroku had informed her they believed eating the liver of people who had special abilities or were considered 'precious' would grant them power. Her breath hitched, and she could feel her miko ki slowly rising. What if Nurarihyon had lied? What if he had brought her here, thinking that it'd be easier to take her down with larger numbers?

"Ohh… so that's…" a small ayakashi said in awe, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"The one shodaisho went to try and seduce every night."

Pink dotted her cheeks. Seduce? Her? Really? Her, of all people? Why would he-? And every night was an exaggeration. This was just the second time they had met.

"The number one beauty in all of Kyoto."

She gazed downwards. "I'm… I'm not…" I'm not Youhime. I'm not Kikyou. I'm not—

"Her name is Kagome," Nurarihyon cut in. "What do you think, Karasu Tengu?"

"I'm amazed," the youkai replied. He was a humanoid black bird, complete with a pair of arms, legs, and wings. His youki wasn't something to scoff at. In fact, there was quite a few here who were powerful in their own right. (For instance, there was the female with dual-coloured hair, red eyes, and snow white skin whose aura felt really cold. Beside her was an one-eyed youkai with a top-knot and bread. Over to the side was one who didn't seem to have a mouth but was capable of talking anyways. Nearby was one with long black hair and a white Noh mask, bringing back unpleasant memories of the flesh-eating Noh mask she had encountered before. In the back, there was a quiet one with long hair covering half his face. His youki was dark and thick, but didn't seem malicious. The worse one was the one who looked like a ghoul. His aura was tainted with blood.) "She's more beautiful than rumoured," Karasu Tengu added.

Her flush deepened. She wasn't. Really. They should interact with humans more. (Not for eating, of course.) They would've never said that if they had met the other real beauties. Wanting to take her mind off of it, Kagome whispered to Nurarihyon, "Is it alright if I'm here?" Surely, some of the ayakashi would protest to her presence, if they didn't want to kill her. She had no intention of making anyone feel uncomfortable.

His grip on her shoulder tightened for a fraction of a second, and then, he let go. "Don't worry, they're all my subordinates." Standing up, he walked off to the side to smoke his pipe, leaving her to fend for herself.

At once, some of the weaker youkai stepped up towards her.

"Hey, I heard you're a very sheltered girl."

Er… not exactly… That's the real Youhime-sama you're thinking of.

"Come on, let's have some fun," a little ayakashi with natto head said, pulling at her sleeve.

Before Kagome knew it, she was roped into playing several games and generally having more fun than she had in months. With Shippou-chan off training at the kitsune school, games weren't frequent amongst her current travel group. And she had been in situations where she had turned into a third wheel more than she could count. She really missed the old days when they had been hunting for Shikon no kakera. Even though it had been dangerous and full of heartbreak, her friends had at least been together with her, brightening the darkness and bringing her strength.

He was correct, as always, when he had decided to bring her here. Kagome was better suited laughing with happiness and face flushed from playing rather than being forlorn with sadness and being alone in there, acting as the princess' double. The fire was back in her eyes, but unlike last night, it stemmed from merriment, not a fighting spirit. She was just dazzling, like fireworks in the night sky. Her joy seemed to brighten up the entire room. His little bird didn't even care she was a lone human amongst a building of ayakashi. In fact, she seemed to fit right in with the rowdy group. Yes, that sounded nice. Kagome being with his Nura Gumi… Flying free, together.

"Hey, Nurarihyon-sama," Yuki Onna cooed, bringing him out of his thoughts. "Let's go have a drink over there, just the two of us," she said, pressing her cold hands against his chest. He would be an utter idiot if he hadn't noticed her attraction towards him. But, regardless of Setsura's beauty and devotion, he couldn't, won't, bring himself to love her. After all, loving a yuki onna would ultimately lead to death, and he wasn't willing to die for her love.

Instead, Nurarihyon strode over to his little bird. "Having a good time, Kagome?" he asked, kneeling in front of her.

Heliotrope eyes softened, and pink lips tugged into a small smile. "It's really nice being out."

He smirked. She looked really cute like this. This settled it. He was Nurarihyon, and Nurarihyon always chased after his desires without any hesitation. "Kagome."

"Yes?" she asked, cocking her head to the side intuitively.

"Let's become man and wife."

The party around them screeched to a halt. Nurarihyon was aware of the protests from some of his subordinates, namely a flabbergasted Karasu Tengu and a vexed Yuki Onna, but he paid them no heed. He didn't even care that he, with a few words, had managed to cause Setsura to flee the room, leaving icy teardrops in her wake. He only had eyes on his lovely purple-eyed bird at this moment.

"Kagome, you are special." In more than one way. Her powers were not something he had seen before. And her inner fire was absolutely captivating. "I've watched you for a long time and my feelings only become stronger." There was something simply alluring about her, like a siren's call. He smirked, lifting up his hand towards her. "To put it bluntly, I'm in love with you." She flushed even more. "Kagome, be my wife." Let me be the only one who could set you free from your cage. Let me have you by my side.

xXxXxXxXx

Words had failed her when he had unexpectedly proposed to her. She hadn't even been able refuse. Her face had felt like it was on fire. She didn't think she had ever blushed so much or so hard in one day, not even when she had been with Inuyasha. Fortunately, Nurarihyon hadn't pressed for an immediate reply and had brought her back to the manor soon afterwards, arriving just before dawn broke.

"T-thank you." It was almost like Kouga-kun all over again, except the wolf had been much more forceful in pushing his feelings onto her.

Nurarihyon smirked. Pink dusted her cheeks, and she just had to look away, trying to calm her suddenly racing heart. Kagome didn't know how to deal with this. Hojo-kun's attention had been aggravating, especially considering her three friends had been the one to encourage their one-sided relationship. Kouga-kun had been an annoyance, but his 'love' was easier to bear when she already had someone in her heart. As for Inuyasha, her first crush and first love… He had come for a whole truckload of emotional baggage and relationship problems concerning her and Kikyou. She had been the one who wanted to stick by his side, not him. Besides, their love relationship, or lack thereof, was often pushed aside in favour of dealing with their next enemy. And, she didn't even want to think about certain enemy's unwanted obsession towards her.

"I thought you wouldn't bring me back," she said, turning her back onto him, feeling uncharacteristically bashful. Kouga-kun would've never willingly given her back has Inuyasha not arrived to save her. And Inuyasha probably would've never allowed her to go home if he hadn't also been able to cross the well. Then, there was Mukotsu. That revived corpse had poisoned her and forcibly conducted an impromptu one-sided marriage ceremony. Fortunately, Sesshoumaru-sama had appeared in time to kill him. (Come to think of it, she still hadn't thanked him for it in person yet. He had left before she could back then.)

"I keep my promises. I'm not a youkai who lies," he chuckled.

That was undoubtedly true. If anything, he had come in straight through the front door, in plain sight, with the guards somehow none the wiser.

Hands slid over her shoulders, down her arms, and held her smaller ones in his, as he pulled her flush against his chest. "Come on," he breathed in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. "Be with me. I'm going to rule the world. For that, I need you. How about it, Kagome?"

Her heart clenched. Maybe this situation wasn't all that different, after all. Kouga-kun had proclaimed his love because he had wanted her Shikon shard-detecting ability. Inuyasha had settled for her because Kikyou hadn't stuck around to help. Akago had violated her soul, digging for a darkness he could use as a leverage to control her for her eyes. Nurarihyon had witnessed firsthand her purifying and healing ability. If he wanted to rule the world, having a miko (whether he knew she was one or not) would definitely be an asset when facing other youkai.

She was tired of having her hopes dashed. "If you only want my powers, please leave and never come back. Or else, I'll purify you out of existence." As a warning, Kagome let her miko ki rise up to the surface, just enough to make him feel a tingle, but not enough to hurt him.

"I don't want your powers. I'm saying I want you by my side." Her heart raced again at his declaration. Wha-? No one ever had—

His hands released hers and he stepped back. "I'll be back tomorrow."

"Please don't!" Kagome yelled, dashing back into the room, hearing his laughter in the background. Yes, please don't ever come back. Please. Stop making her hope someone would actually want her for who she was and not what she could do. Stop making her feel like she belonged. Please. She couldn't take it anymore. She wouldn't be able to handle being wanted and then discarded again, whether by fate's hand or because she wasn't needed anyone. Her heart would shatter and her mind wouldn't be able to handle it. So, please. Please don't come back. Please.

Nurarihyon chuckled as he ran across the courtyard, using his Fear to make him undetectable. His little bird was just too cute. He wanted her. More than anything. He had a feeling that, with her by his side, even without her unique powers, he would be invincible. He'd be able to reach the top and claim the title as the Lord of Pandemonium.

But, he could sense that there was something more than her current situation caging her, something deeper, something emotional. Perhaps someone had desired her powers in the past, chained her down, and somehow left an invisible scar behind. What he had told her earlier still rang true. She could trust in him. He would heal her, set her free from anything and everything that caged her. It wasn't a lie. He was Nurarihyon, after all, a free youkai.

xXxXxXxXx

Hojo-kun was sweet, in a pushover and gullible manner. Seriously, how could he have ever believed her jii-chan's ridiculous excuses for her absence when he was an aspiring doctor whose family business was in herbal remedies? And in the few dates they had, their conversation had been mundane to the point she had often zoned off.

Inuyasha… Their relationship was complicated with her looking like his former love, but falling short in his expectations, and with them being forced to work together at the beginning. It didn't help that there were more important things that required their attention, resulting in their developing relationship being pushed to the side and dragging on until the final battle. Truthfully, it had been one hell of a roller coaster ride, but like she had once told him, she couldn't bring herself to regret her feelings, despites the heartaches.

Miroku-sama had tried seducing her when they had first met, for her Shikon shards of course. Sango-chan soon came into the picture; and they had a much easier time, than she and Inuyasha, at steadily becoming more intimate.

Kouga-kun was simply forceful. After he had discovered her ability to sense the Shikon no kakera, he had verbally claimed her as his woman, without her consent, stating that she was fit to become his mate due to her powers. In the following two years, he had then proceeded to push his feelings onto her, disregarding the lovely wolf he had been engaged to.

Mukotsu… She didn't even want to go there. She had been simply both nearby and his type. Really, he had lamented about not scaring away potential lovers due to his face, but in her opinion, his ugly personality had been at fault. After all, if you truly loved someone from the bottom of your heart, a good appearance was merely a bonus.

Come to think about it, there had also been that pig who used an enchanted circlet to turn their wearers into his mindless love slaves.

As far as she remembered, they were her only suitors back then. None of them had ever told her those sweet sweet words. (Well, Inuyasha kinda had in his more emotionally vulnerable and possibly delusional moments.)

You are special.

I'm in love with you.

Be my wife.

I need you.

I don't want your powers. I'm saying I want you by my side.

Just thinking about them made her heart pound again. His golden eyes, staring straight into hers, had been serious and devoid of doubt. Either Nurarihyon was a great actor or he honestly meant what he had said.

She shook her head. No. He had got to be a liar.

Nurarihyon couldn't possibly have fallen in love with her in two encounters. He knew her real name, her current role as Youhime-sama's double, and a bit about her abilities. She knew his name, his ability to remain undetected, and his desire to stand at the top with his clan. Despite their minimal knowledge about each other, the arrogant ayakashi had claimed to desire her, not for her skills, but for her. It wasn't possible. It just wasn't possible.

He had a fine lady by his side. She wasn't stupid or blind. The stunning youkai with a cold youki was more than interested in him. Why on earth would a handsome powerful ayakashi like him choose a short-lived average human like her over the other lady?

Or maybe it was because she had a comparatively short lifespan. She would be his plaything, a conquest, for a few decades; and then, he would discard her when she grew old.

Yes. Yes. That could be so.

Fate loved toying with her, giving a taste of love and belonging before ripping it all away from her. Just what had she done in a past life to deserve this? Oh, right, she had been Kikyou. Enough said. Maybe she should just give up now, retreat to a mountain, and become a hermit. No more false hope. No more emotional turmoil.

She should just forget about him. Tell Miroku-sama and Sango-chan she didn't want to stay in Kyoto anymore. Pack up and leave before tomorrow night arrived. Surely he wouldn't be able to find her then, wouldn't want to waste effort in combing Japan for her.

But why was her heart aching at the thought?

xXxXxXxXx

Hearing her best friend sigh again for the tenth time since their afternoon bath had started, Sango slid up to her. "What's on your mind, Kagome-chan? I know something had happened in these past few days."

The miko licked and nibbled her lips alternatively, heliotrope eyes darting all over the place unseeingly, as she mentally weighed her options. Sango sat beside her, pressing an arm against hers in a silent support. Unless her hot temper was triggered (usually by Inuyasha), Kagome tended to keep her troubles to herself, pushing aside negative emotions for more positive ones. It was good not to dwell on bad thoughts, but at the same time, not dealing with them could end up backfiring.

"Two nights ago, an ayakashi sneaked into my room…" With that, the dam broke and the entire story came spilling out amidst jumbled thoughts, rambling emotions, and frustrated tears.

Sango petted her friend's hair as she sobbed into her shoulder. "I don't know what I should do anymore, Sango-chan!"

Damn Inuyasha! It was all his fault Kagome-chan was so messed up inside. While the hanyou had lessened with his insults overtime, the effect of his abuse still lingered, battering at her self-esteem and confidence. It didn't help that he constantly, whether outright stated or implied, compared her to Kikyou, whose resurrection ultimately made Inuyasha unable to find closure with their past.

Kikyou had been trained in miko arts since she was a child. Of course, she was more skilled than Kagome-chan who had suddenly been pushed headfirst into the mess three years ago. Between juggling her life in the future and hunting jewel shards, she really had tried hard to train, but most of her impromptu lessons occurred during battle and not with a teacher. Even houshi-sama had commented on how quickly Kagome-chan had learned, considering the circumstances.

But no! It just hadn't been enough for the hanyou.

They all understood he had someone he couldn't forget, and none of them judged him for it. (They would be hypocrites, otherwise.) But, no one in their group enjoyed watching the rocky relationship between Kagome and Inuyasha. While the former had stayed loyal till the end, the hanyou had his heart torn between two — longing for one and stringing along the other. It had been unfair to Kagome.

Well, the blame couldn't be completely laid at Inuyasha's feet; after all, they hadn't actively interfered either, believing it was their problem to solve. All they had done was watch and pick up whatever pieces they could of Kagome's shattering heart.

It had come to an end a year ago, with Naraku's defeat and Kikyou's true revival. Inuyasha hadn't thought twice before choosing his first love, leaving a broken young miko in his wake. Sango and Miroku had originally planned on settling down as soon as the final battle was over, but when Kagome discovered she couldn't go home anymore, they had devised a plan to take her away from the source of her pain, hoping she could find happiness and love somewhere in this vast world.

And now an opportunity had appeared. But the stupid jackass still had to obstruct Kagome's life, even when he wasn't even present in person.

"It's okay, Kagome-chan," Sango murmured. "No matter what happens, good or bad, you'd always have me and houshi-sama." If this Nurarihyon dare hurt her friend, she would show him why taijiya were to be feared, especially one who had gone up against monsters like Naraku and his minions.

xXxXxXxXx

Nurarihyon arrived at Youhime's manor just as the sun disappeared over the horizon, only to find the scent of blood hanging heavily in the air and bodies being strewn everywhere. Upon reaching Kagome's room, he found Keikain Koremitsu cradling a badly wounded onmyouji, the female warrior Kagome befriended growling and taking her frustrations on the nearby furniture, and the monk trying to trace remnants of the attackers. All three of them had arrived after the battle. Fortunately, with his last breath, the injured onmyouji had gasped out two words — Osaka Castle.

It was the main base for the most powerful group of Kyoto youkai; and the place where Hagoromo Gitsune, in her current human disguise, resided.

After promising Sango, the female warrior, and Miroku, the monk, he would get Kagome back, and swiping the youtou lying beside Koremitsu, Nurarihyon dashed down the streets.

Someone took his Kagome. Hagoromo Gitsune had caught his little bird.

"Shodaisho," a voice said, as he neared the building where his hakki yakou was.

It took every ounce of patience he had to stop in his tracks. "Gyuuki," he greeted back, barely keeping his voice neutral, holding back his fearangerpanic.

The human-turned-youkai asked, "Where are you going? If you run off like that, you'd attract other ayakashi's attention. It's not like you. Who are you going to fight with tonight?"

"I'm heading to Osaka Castle. You don't need to come." This was practically a suicide mission, and he knew it. There was no need to drag his clan down with him for the sake to stealing back his little bird, a woman not all of his subordinates accepted.

"Osaka Castle?" Gyuuki gasped. "Don't be ridiculous! It's not like you don't know her. Hagoromo Gitsune isn't an ordinary ayakashi."

"So, I've heard."

Frustrated red stared into determined gold. "She's the only ayakashi who's able to directly manipulate humans. An ayakashi among ayakashi, who has nested in the capital since ancient times. Don't do it. It's not time yet. Continue gathering your strength if you are to be the Lord of Pandemonium!"

Nurarihyon gritted his teeth, blood boiling with anger. "Shut up, Gyuuki. If you say Hagoromo Gitsune is the Lord of Pandemonium…" He slid the youtou an inch out of his sheath, feeling a hint of its youki dispelling properties. "Then, I'll just have to surpass her!"

xXxXxXxXx

Kagome moaned, palm pressed against her temple, "Ow… What happened?" Her body stiffened as her senses registered the malicious youki saturating the air and the sound of girls screaming. She quickly scanned the area, ignoring her throbbing head. They were in a large enclosed room, surrounded by youkai. Most of them were mid- to low-level, but there were two handfuls whose youki could be compared to Inuyasha's in his youkai form.

Okay, Kagome. Calm down. You've got to calm down. Think. What's the last thing you remember?

She had been elected as Youhime's temporary personal bodyguard since Miroku-sama and Sango-chan had something they need to do in town. Then, the familiar scent of blood had emerged, followed by yells and screams. Everything had happened too fast; and before she could even attack, she had been knocked out.

"Don't be afraid, Youhime," a female voice cooed, snapping the miko out of her thoughts. Kagome looked up to find Youhime sitting in front of her, hugging another young princess, both trembling and staring at the looming figure of a high-ranked woman, judging by their clothes. If the youki didn't cue Kagome in, the blood trailing down her mouth and the human bodies on the ground sure would've. "Your flesh and blood will become the foundation for a thousand-year youkai capital. Surrender yourself, my beautiful princess," she said, fingertips cupping Youhime's chin.

Kagome snarled, pushing herself up and slapping the hand away from the princess. "Keep your filthy hands off of her." Pink swirled in the depths of her eyes as her miko ki rose, lingering just below her skin.

"Oh? What's this?" the ayakashi asked, pulling back her singed hand, beady eyes widened in surprise.

This was bad. This was bad. The two behind her wouldn't have the means to defend themselves, and there was no way she could take on these youkai all by herself. The woman standing in front of her was immensely powerful — her youki was akin to Sesshoumaru's, except it was darker, more malicious, like Naraku's miasma.

"Come near us and I'll purify your ass off!" she growled, adopting a defensive stance. If she was to die here, she would at least go down fighting. Thankfully, she was currently clad in her usual clothes, which was less constrictive and adequate to fight in.

One of the lesser youkai made the mistake of stepping forward. As soon as his hand gripped her shoulder, she sent a burst of miko ki into his system. He screamed as her energy burned him inside out, leaving behind a pile of ashes where he had stood a few seconds ago.

Beady black eyes narrowed at the display, and Kagome could sense the surrounding ayakashi readying their youki for a fight. Numerous unsheathed blades glistened under the flickering candlelight, making her groan inwardly. Without any weapons, the only method she had with blocking physical attacks was barriers and creating them was not exactly her forte. Not to mention, while the attacks are more powerful, it took her more energy and concentration to channel miko ki through her body than with a weapon.

Kagome didn't move from her position, having no illusion of winning if she impulsively went on the offense, especially not with two she needed to defend. Her only hope for survival was to pick them off one by one as they attacked.

On hidden signal, three lesser youkai surged forward, katana at the ready. While she was no master, her melee combat skills had risen under Sango's tutelage in the past year. Kagome dodged the first swipe, stepping to the side, and answering with a miko ki-filled roundabout kick to his waist. She dropped down to a crouch, picking up the weapon of the purified ayakashi and avoiding a slash to her neck. The blade, glowing pink with her energy, thrust upwards diagonally towards one of the youkai as she stood up. Unfortunately, he leaped backwards, avoiding it.

Screams sounded from behind, and she whipped around. The third ayakashi was targeting the princesses! Kagome pushed off of her back leg, sprinting towards them, just in time to block the blow with her katana. Her arms buckled from the weight, but he immediately backed off when she sent miko ki into his weapon through hers. Taking the katana he had dropped, she stuck it into the ground before the princesses, channeling her energy into it and erecting a small dome-shaped pink barrier around the trembling girls. It would cause a serious drain on her miko ki, but there was no helping it.

A growl warned her of an incoming attack just in time for her to roll out of the way, but not before receiving a gash on her left arm. Using her momentum, she got back onto her feet and slashed upwards, cutting off his arm. The youkai screeched with anger, leaping forward, claws out. Kagome ducked beneath his arm and sliced through his torso like knife through hot butter which the help of her miko ki. She dropped to a crouch again, dodging a slash to her back. Placing both hands onto the ground, she kicked out backwards, much like a horse, blasting him with her energy, hissing as a sharp pain shot up her injured arm when she put her weight onto it.

Kagome panted, slowing getting back onto her feet. "Stay. Away. From. Them," she said, pointing her katana at the woman. Sweat dotted her skin and her arms were starting to shake, especially the injured one. Putting up barriers, especially ones designed to guard against spiritual attacks as well as physical ones, without ofuda or specialized tools cost a lot of energy and concentration. It didn't help that she was still in the middle of training — compared to Miroku, she used more energy and with less proficiency. She would love to get her hands on a bow and arrow right now since she could easily kill several of those lesser youkai with a single arrow.

"What are you, girl?" the woman asked.

The image of a certain infuriating ayakashi flashed into her mind. Kagome smirked, "A caged bird who will fly free." Whether in death or in life. She didn't care anymore. Naturally, she would do her best to survive, but she was also already content. She had a lot of fun in these past two days, despite her emotional dilemma. She had been able to meet someone who really may have loved her for who she was, regardless of her skill or her past. For someone who had constantly failed in her love relationships, it was enough.

She tilted her head slightly to the side. "Oh? Is that so?" Nine white fox tails sprouted from her back, making pinkish-purple eyes widened in shock. This women… She was a kyuubi no kitsune! Only those who had reached the pinnacle of their powers could become a kyuubi.

"Don't interfere. I want to play."

Her tails shot forward, somehow increasing in size and length. Kagome narrowly dodged the first three, smirking when she heard the kitsune hiss in pain after accidentally striking the miko ki barrier. However, the fourth hit her right arm hard, knocking away her katana and making her yell in pain. Kagome immediately pulled her newly injured arm (fractured, not broken, experience told her) towards her chest as she rolled away from a fifth one. Just as she got back onto her feet, a sixth tail slammed into her chest, sending her flying back. Slumping against the wall she had hit, Kagome gasped, tasting a familiar metallic liquid and feeling a jarring pain above her abdomen. Just great, that attack must've broken a rib or two. She tried standing up, but the movement jostled her new wounds, causing her to slide back down.

Knowing her opponent was more or less down for the count, the kitsune wrapped a tail around Kagome, bringing her closer. "Didn't you say that you will fly free? It seems like you're trapped to me?"

The miko coughed up some blood as the tail squeezed tighter. "Maybe," she agreed. "But this isn't the cage I was talking about. And there's more than one path to freedom." Her remaining miko ki was already working on healing her injuries (really slowly, since most of her attention went to maintaining the barrier), but it could easily go on the offensive should the kitsune tried to kill her. She might not be able to do anything more than burning her tails, but at least the kitsune wouldn't come out unscathed.

Hurried footsteps sounded across tatami mats, catching their attention. "Nurarihyon?" Kagome gasped, seeing the familiar figure charge forward, blade drawn.

When his katana was blocked by three other weapons a few inches away from the tail which caged his bird, Nurarihyon clicked his tongue in disappointment. It looked like these Kyoto youkai's reputation weren't all talk. A large brown-skinned oni twirled his mace over his head and then swung downwards, blowing Nurarihyon backwards with its tailwind and shredding a part of his haori, revealing the elaborate tattoo on his back.

"It's just a yakuza," Hagoromo Gitsune observed.

"I'm the shodaisho of the Nura Gumi, Nurarihyon. That's my woman, and I'm taking her back," he announced, barely keeping his anger in check. Golden eyes narrowed, taking in the blood leaking out of Kagome's mouth and her pained expression. He also noticed the glowing pink barrier around the other two humans, recognizing it as her reiki. Really, silly little bird. Why did she not hide behind a barrier as well? Then again, he thought, spotting the fire blazing in her pinkish-purple eyes, my woman's a fighter. It was alright. She could protect whomever she pleased. In return, he would protect her with all he had.

Hagoromo Gitsune scoffed. "What is this? An ayakashi who coming to save a human? How odd. Are you a crazy lone rat or something?"

As if on cue, Fear-induced fog seeped into the room, followed by a hoard of youkai. Nurarihyon smirked, not bothering to look behind him. "What's this? So, you guys have decided to show up?"

"We are, after all, your hakki yakou," Gyuuki replied.

"We thought you'd need more than your tattoo," Karasu Tengu added.

His smirk only widened. "You're a bunch of fools." But with his hakki yakou supporting him, he felt invincible. All that was left was taking back his woman, defeating Hagoromo Gitsune, and gaining her title as the Lord of Pandemonium.

"We seem to have many odd guests," Hagoromo Gitsune glowered, voice laced with annoyance, "Vermins who can't comprehend the differences between our strength. So, which one of you will make this show entertaining for me?"

With that, the ayakashi on both sides surged forward — blades clashed, bodies flew, and blood spilt. It was a free for all, and no one held back. Nurarihyon was aware of the commotion around him, of his elites intercepting the enemy's elites, of the youkai who dared to stand in his way, of his katana slicing through flesh and bone. But he didn't care — his eyes were fixed upon Hagoromo Gitsune who had his injured bird in her grasp. Time was of the essence. He knew that it would take very little effort of the kitsune's part to crush his woman with her tails.

Hagoromo Gitsune smiled, petting a scowling Kagome on the head. "This is a fun show. There aren't many actors quite so fine. It's been about a hundred years since an ayakashi raised their weapon against me."

"Don't. Touch. My. Woman!" Nurarihyon growled, dashing forward.

Kagome watched apprehensively as the tails which weren't holding her captive thrust towards him. He dodged all attacks aimed at his vital points, but he didn't come out unscathed. The Nura Gumi shodaisho dropped to his knees, wincing and spatting out a glop of blood.

"Oh?" Hagoromo Gitsune chuckled. "So, you're in love with this woman? This play is certainly unexpected. This one here… Not only does she have some very interesting powers, but she could also enchant an ayakashi?" She, licking her lips, tilted the miko's head up towards her. "It makes me want to taste her liver even more."

Kagome gritted her teeth. The whole point of training under Miroku-sama and Sango-chan and practicing her abilities whenever she had free time was to grow stronger, and stop ending up as a damsel in distress. So, why was she in the hands of the enemy, watching someone try to rescue her? "The hell I'm going to let you do that," she said, letting her miko ki rise, sending it into the tails which were holding her captive.

The kitsune hissed in pain, but didn't release her. Damn it. Even though all youkai would be affected by miko ki, powerful and potent youki could nullify miko ki to some extent. It really didn't help that she was really running low; and her body was instinctively drawing back some energy from her barrier. She let it dispel, knowing that the princesses seemed to have found protection with the Nura Gumi.

Angered beady black stared into defiant heliotropes. "So you still have enough energy to that, huh? I wouldn't try that again if I were you," Hagoromo Gitsune said warningly.

Her tail shifted, tightening around the young miko. Kagome gasped as her previously fractured arm broke under the pressure. She also heard her ribs crack, feeling them press further in against her organs. With them in an abnormal position, even if she was at full power, there was no way she could heal them up properly at the moment.. Her lungs heaved, and she coughed, spraying blood onto white tails.

"Kagome!" Nurarihyon shouted, pushing himself up and darted towards them. He was once again met with spear-like tails, jabbing into his chest, making him falter and vomit out blood.

Hagoromo Gitsune frowned, "This is getting boring. You're just like all the other ayakashi out there. This is a sideshow. Do something entertaining," she ordered. "Can you see how many tails I have?" she bragged. "it shows the number of times I've reincarnated. Now, they react to hot-headed ayakashi who come after me." Her tails shot forward, beginning the deadly dance again. "There, there… I'm going to have the woman you love. Dance. Dance," she said, revering his pained expression as his body essentially became her new punching bag. "If an exploding ayakashi is on the program, then so be it!"

xXxXxXxXx

"Can't this thing go any faster?" Sango asked. She and Miroku had accompanied Koremitsu back to the Keikain main house to inform Keikain Hidemoto, the thirteenth heir and apparent onmyouji prodigy. And the four of them were now in a shikigami carriage, heading over to Osaka Castle. Along the way, Hidemoto had explained the nature of Hagoromo Gitsune.

She was an ayakashi of reincarnation, jumping from human host to human host — dying as a human, but living as a youkai. Since ancient times, she appeared over and over again whenever darkness in the world grew, becoming stronger with each reincarnation by absorbing the surrounding malice. The only way to stop her was to find her true form and either seal or utterly eliminate her, a feat no one had yet to accomplish.

Sango's patience grew short when Hidemoto had nonchalantly said, "I don't think he stands a chance, not even one in a million," in response to Koremitsu question regarding Nurarihyon's chances of defeating the kitsune. Her friend was there, at Osaka Castle, in Hagoromo Gitsune's grasp. For all she knew, Kagome could be hurt, killed, or even worse. Just when her sister-in-all-but-blood found a chance for love and happiness, this disaster just had to happen.

"I'm afraid this is its top speed," Hidemoto replied to her earlier question. "But don't worry. I can sense that their battle is still going strong."

A calloused hand wrapped around hers. "It'd be okay, Sango," Miroku said. "You know that Kagome-sama is strong. She can protect herself. Besides, I don't think that ayakashi of hers would allow any harm to come to her person."

The taijiya took a deep calming breath and nodded, silently praying to all the gods who could hear her that what her husband said rang true.

xXxXxXxXx

Kagome's heart pounded, watching as blood sprayed from his ever increasing wounds. Everything else faded from her mind, including the pain of her own wounds. Why? Why? Why? Why was he doing this? Why was he so adamant on rescuing her? Why was he willing to face such a powerful opponent for her? Why? They had only known each other for two days, less than one if she only counted the hours they had interacted. She hardly knew him, and he barely knew her. So why?

Back then, when they had first met, Inuyasha had only rescued her because he needed her for the Shikon; and their earlier enemies hadn't been all that impressive — easily dispatched without Tessaiga. The Shikon no longer existed. She wasn't special anymore. Having her beside him may help with defeating his youkai foes, but it wasn't as if he needed her help. Nurarihyon had a large group of loyal ayakashi at his beck and call; one measly miko wouldn't make much of a difference in his goal to become the Lord of Pandemonium.

So why? Why? Why? Why was he here? Risking his life. Why?

"Why are you doing something so reckless?" Kagome exclaimed, unable to hold back her questions anymore. Hagoromo Gitsune paused in her assault, but she paid it no heed, teary heliotrope eyes stared at Nurarihyon's wounded and panting form. He was on his hands and knees, katana lying on the ground just ahead, evidently in pain. "I don't understand you at all! Why are you going this far?"

The kitsune grinned in amusement, casually pointing out that, while there were many intelligent men, both humans and youkai alike, the one before them just happened to be on the other end of the spectrum.

"Kagome…" he said, holding himself up on shaking arms. "How do I appear in your eyes right now? Do I really appear as stupid as she says?"

She shook her head. No. Not stupid. He was a smart and cunning ayakashi, even she could tell that during their brief encounters. Just reckless, resolute, and perhaps, foolish. But, definitely, not stupid.

"When I think of you, my heart begins to open," Nurarihyon smiled. "You are like the stars. Beautiful… alluring… special… Shining through the darkness, bringing hope to all who sees you." Golden eyes softened. "Just having you nearby will make everything brilliant. I can see a future like that."

Her heart raced again, but for a different reason. The words no one had ever told her, the words she had longed to hear but had given up hope of doing so, were now being spoken by the ayakashi right before her. Yes, youkai could be liars, but unlike most humans, they tended to be more in-tune and secure about their desires, even working for decades or centuries to achieve their goal.

(For instance, Sesshoumaru had obsessed over Tessaiga for centuries after Inu no Taishou's death. Naraku had been willing to wait for as long as it took for the Shikon no Tama and Kikyou to return. Inuyasha could never let go of Kikyou. Kouga had relentlessly pined for her, disregarding all her protests, and Ayame had chased after Kouga, even when it was clear her affections had been one-sided — until the final battle anyhow. Kirara, Midoriko's companion, had stayed with the taijiya for centuries to look after her former mistress' grave.)

This man… Nurarihyon meant every single word he had said. She could see it in his eyes.

"But you looked unhappy." Picking up his katana, he slowly pushed himself up. "I'll make you happy. How about it? Does the man who stand before you look like he could make you happy?"

Yes… You already have…

"Ha, I guess not," he said sardonically, not giving her a chance to reply. "I need to show you how cool I am," he smirked, standing up, swinging his blade downwards to the side. "Indulging myself with you almost made me forget who I am." His face hardened and his youki grew. "It's about time you gave her back to me, Hagoromo Gitsune," he said, bringing the katana horizon to his shoulder. Wisps of shadow licked his body, darkening the area despite the candlelight in the background. "Let's go. This is where the darkness starts." He shifted into a stance. "The real battle between ayakashi."

Heliotrope eyes widened. She could still see and sense him, but it seemed as though everything was muffled, like being in a dream world where comprehension slowed. Before she knew it, he was mere inches from them. However, Hagoromo Gitsune wasn't one of the most powerful youkai for nothing. A tail shot out, knocking the katana from his hands. Nurarihyon wasn't deterred. He immediately unsheathed a second, one which was full of reiki. This sword sliced through the tails with ease, slashing upwards, cutting the kitsune's face, chin to forehead.

Hagoromo Gitsune screamed, clutching at her face, and her tails loosened, releasing Kagome from their grasp. Without the pressure, her healing energy immediately latched onto her broken and cracked bones, pushing them back into place, sending a sharp pain through her body when her bones scraped against each other. The miko panted from effort, but kept an eye on her former captor.

The youkai-in-human-skin gasped, finally loosing that irritating composure of hers. "W-what is that sword?" Blood rushed out of her wounds in a torrent, but Kagome could sense that it was more youki than blood. The force of it tore through the roof, going sky high. "Aah! I'm losing it! I'm losing my youki! Wait! Where are you going? The power that I've collected for my unborn child! For this precious child. Come back!" she screeched, when it finally stopped. "How long do you think it took to gather all this?"

"Kagome!" Nurarihyon called out, when Hagoromo Gitsune leaped out of the hole her escaped youki made.

"Shodaisho," Gyuuki replied, standing in front of the miko in a defensive stance. He had been the one who had brought her safely to the side when the kitsune was ranting. "Leave this to us. You go after her! Go finish her off!"

She smiled tiredly up at her golden-eyed saviour. "I'm fine. My healing powers aren't just for others. And you know that I'm not totally defenseless." Trusting his subordinates to protect her for now, all of her miko ki were currently converted into healing energy, so she should be almost battle-ready in five minutes top.

"Kagome… Gyuuki…" he smirked. "I'm counting on you." With a single leap, he followed his enemy's path up to the roof.

The battle immediately picked up again. The Nura Gumi attacked with renewed vigour, gaining confidence and momentum from their shodaisho's blow on Hagoromo Gitsune.

xXxXxXxXx

Feeling the last of her injuries close, Kagome picked up a nearby katana and slid into a stance. "Thank you, Gyuuki-san, for protecting me. But I'm alright now." As if to state the contrary, her knee buckled a bit, and she winced, "For most part." Her energy was on an all-time low; she had never felt so tired and aching, even when battling against Naraku and his minions.

"Hiraikotsu!" a familiar and very welcomed voice sounded from below. The miko smiled. It looked like Sango-chan was alright. If she was here, then Miroku-sama would most likely not be far behind. She ducked, dodging a set of sharp claws, and swung her weapon overhead, quartering the youkai. While she didn't have the strength to put up barriers or attack using bursts of miko ki, she still had just enough to lace the blade, making it cut through ayakashi with ease, even if it wouldn't purify them.

Jump. Slice. Twirl away. Crouch. Slash. Block. Push. Pull back. Dodge to the side. Swing downwards. Slash again. It was much easier this time with allies nearby. Gyuuki took on the more powerful youkai in the vicinity, leaving only the grunts to her. Sometime during the fight, Miroku had signalled his arrival with ofuda sparking with his blue reiki; and she could also make out the pink armour on Sango-chan's taijiya uniform.

An unearthly screech cut through the air, and all participants halted in their tracks. It was soon followed by the disappearance of Hagoromo Gitsune's youki, signalling Nurarihyon's victory. With the loss of their leader, the Kyoto youkai quickly retreated, though not before the elites swore vengeance on them.

Kagome walked up to the ayakashi who had been faithfully guarding her. "Gyuuki-san, could you please help me get up onto the roof? I want to see how Nurarihyon's doing."

xXxXxXxXx

Nurarihyon gasped when a tail stabbed through his chest from behind, literally ripping his heart out before retreating with the organ in toll. Damn it. He had let his guard down. He dropped to his knees, painfully turning around to face her.

"You!" Hagoromo Gitsune growled, from where she stood on the highest end of the roof. "How dare you! How dare you! The power that took me so long to- How many years do you think it had took?" Her mouth opened impossibly wide for a human and swallowed his still beating heart whole. She licked her lips. "I didn't expect this will give me back much strength. An organ from the likes of you. No matter how many I get, it's not enough!" Her tails shot forward, ready to completely rip him apart, unlike when she had been toying with him. "This sideshow is over."

Still in shock, he could only stare as the tails came closer. But, before they could make contact, twelve glowing ofuda circled them in midair. Nurarihyon blinked. He recognised this reiki. "H-Hidemoto?" Hagoromo Gitsune's tails retreated as she glared at the newcomer.

"Shikigami hagun," the onmyouji announced, standing on top of a bird-like shikigami, hands making a seal. "Twelve ancestral gods. Defeat the ayakashi and cleanse the evil." Blue smoke puffed from each ofuda, and when it cleared, skeletons robed on onmouji clothing appeared. They were all sitting on the enlarged ofuda, hands in the same position as Hidemoto's, increasing the amount of reiki in the air. "God of the eastern sea, Amei. God of the western sea, Shukura." Glowing black script extended from each skeleton, encircling the kitsune like floating chains. "God of the southern sea, Kyojo. God of the northern sea, Gukyo. Gods of the four seas."

"I can't move!" she gasped, struggling with all her might. More of her youki was forced out of her previous wounds, further weakening her.

By now, Nurarihyon had gotten back up onto his feet, ignoring his pain. "Stay out of my way, Hidemoto."

"Oi, oi, I'm the one who made that sword," the onmyouji replied, referring to the youtou. "It cuts really well, don't you think? Only when used against ayakashi, though. Nura-chan, you can do the cool part."

He clicked his tongue. "You mean, I'm going to owe you one now?" Nurarihyon leaped forward, slashing downwards at the bound fox, cutting her head and torso neatly in half.

"How dare you!" Hagoromo Gitsune snarled. Her spirit, composed of malicious youki, exited her human host twisting and turned. She screeched, "I will never forgive either of you! Curses on you, Nurarihyon! My baby… For the crime of destroying my heart's desire, I will make certain that you pay for it! I curse you bloodline for all eternity. For many generations to come. Your children, grandchildren! Bound by the curse of this kitsune!" With a final shriek, the spirit vanished into the distance and her human host, Lady Yodo, toppled down to the ground floor, where her startled human attendants were. Above, the sky was clearing without her youki to affect the weather.

Hidemoto glanced at him. "This makes you the Lord of Pandemonium. Without their leader, her vassal will probably just scatter."

Nurarihyon gave a strangled gasp, palm pressing against the gaping hole in his chest, and blood pushed out of his throat again.

"I might be able to take you down now."

He tensed at the announcement. If the onmyouji attacked him now, he really couldn't be certain about his survival, not with his body in its current state.

To his relief, Hidemoto didn't make any move. "What do you want to do as the Lord of Pandemonium? The world of Takugawa will be bright. The darkness will most certainly disappear. It'd be an inhospitable place for akayashi going forward."

"I know that," Nurarihyon replied, staring out into the horizon where the sun was rising. With each decade, more and more humans populated the land, forcing most youkai to either blend in or go into hiding. He swung his new favourite katana up, resting the back of the blade on his shoulder. "That's why I'm going to be the master of all those who might fade away."

The onmyouji raised an eyebrow. "You're going to protect ayakashi? You acknowledge humans and protect the ayakashi world. A co-existence. That's going to be hard."

He smirked. "I don't think so. I just need to become invincible." He will defeat anyone and everyone standing in his way of his goal. With his faithful hakki yakou at his back, nothing was impossible.

"Nurarihyon!"

The new Lord of Pandemonium turned around to see his bird climbing up to the top of the roof with Gyuuki lingering in the background. He blinked. "Ka-kagome! What are you doing here?" he asked, hurrying over.

She sighed in relief, seeing him alive and well, albeit covered in blood. No. Wait. The miko frowned. Was that a hole in his chest? "Wha-what the hell happened to you?" Kagome exclaimed, frowning, fingers hovering over his wound. It wasn't the first time she had seen this type of injury, not with Inuyasha's track record. But this… this was… Did Nurarihyon possess the same regenerative powers as Inuyasha do? She knew from past experiences that while, most ayakashi could survive missing important body parts to a certain extent, not all of them had the ability to reform said parts. (Hell, she had met a youkai who had been alive and kicking while missing half of his head.)

Kagome huffed. Well, she wasn't about to allow her saviour to walk around with a gaping hole when she had the power to say otherwise. "Here, let me heal you."

Reaching deep deep within her, she searched for a pool of energy she had repressed since a year ago. It wasn't like her miko ki — soft and peaceful to humans, and scorching to ayakashi. No, this pool of energy was potent. It was gentle. It was ancient. It was new. It was the energy that made up the timeless pocket dimension Midoriko fought the other youkai souls in. It was the energy which bathed her whenever she travelled through the well. It was time.

She had never told anyone what had really happened when she had faced off the Shikon no Tama. She had made the correct wish and purified Midoriko and the youkai souls, yes. But, the Shikon hadn't completely disappeared. Its physical shell had disintegrated, leaving behind an explosive force of energy, which had gone into her, a vessel they were second-most familiar with.

(Kikyou had gotten in the fringe of the blast of energy, turning her clay body into flesh and blood. Which, on hindsight, was odd. How could two women sharing the same soul be alive at the same time? Maybe, just maybe, she wasn't Kikyou's reincarnation, and their similar appearance had something to do with the Shikon. After all, the stupid jewel had influenced her entire life, so why not add in something extra to destroy her love life and self-esteem?)

Truthfully, she could've gone through the well, but that meant using this foreign but familiar energy. Subconsciously, Kagome knew that the moment she released her tight hold on it to use, there would be no going back. She would be permanently changed, in what way, she wasn't sure, but something fundamental about her would be replaced. Of course, she didn't have the strength or concentration to completely isolate this energy within her, and it had mixed a little into her miko ki, giving her the ability to heal.

But it wasn't enough, not now. Simply healing his wounds wouldn't erase the fact he was missing an organ nor would it get rid of the hole in his chest. Nurarihyon had risked all to rescue her; it was be only fair for her to risk all to help him.

With that thought, the miko ki barrier around that pool shattered and a surge of energy rushed through her entire body. Her hands, hovering above the reckless ayakashi's wound, glowed light purple. She concentrated on turning back time in this area, missing the looks of awe from her audience as they witnessed his missing heart grow back and the hole closing to reveal unmarred flesh.

Kagome smiled, letting her energy die down. "Thank goodness," she breathed out. Suddenly, the world blurred around her and her strength faded away. Just as darkness claimed her, she heard him calling her name.

xXxXxXxXx

Music and noise cut through the previously serene silence, making her grimace and turning her head to press her ears against her pillow. Shut up. Go away. Let me sleep!

"Kagome-chan? Are you awake?"

Sango-chan? Why was she here? Where was 'here'? Her whole body was numb and aching, as if she had just battled a whole hoard of Naraku's minions. Again. No. That wasn't right. Why would she have been fighting against Naraku? He was dead. Battle… Youkai… Hagoromo Gitsune! Nurarihyon!

Heliotrope eyes snapped opened and she jolted up, adrenaline rushing through her veins. That was right. She had been kidnapped by a group of ayakashi along with several princesses. She had fought, and then, stupidly gotten caught because she was still lacking in her training. Then, Nurarihyon arrived, professed his love, and rescued her. He had somehow ended up missing his heart with a hole in his back and chest. Not wanting him to stay in pain, she had recklessly opened Pandora's box to heal him, and consequently absorbing the energy the Shikon no Tama had left behind.

Kagome stared down at her hands, flexing her fingers. She didn't feel anything strange. In fact, it was as if a great weight had been lifted off of her, but she just couldn't pinpoint exactly what had been taken.

"Are you alright, Kagome-chan?" Sango asked, coming into view.

She nodded. "Just a bit tired. Where are we? Where's Nurarihyon?"

The taijiya smiled, brown eyes glistening with amusement. "Hidemoto-dono invited all of us to the Keikain main house, though the other onmyouji seemed to have a collective ulcer upon seeing a group of youkai partying here as they pleased. As for your ayakashi…" she trailed off, grinning.

Kagome spluttered, brain short-circuiting. "Sa-sango-chan!" she exclaiming, flailing her arms. "He's not… He's not…"

"He is and you know it, Kagome-chan," Sango replied. "He held you tight for the entire journey here, eyes fixed upon you. He would still be in this room if I hadn't offered to guard you in his place when Hidemoto-dono requested to have a private talk with him." The miko calmed, entranced by her words. Brown eyes softened and a hand reached out to stroke her sister's cheek. "Forget whatever Inuyasha had told you, Kagome-chan. You are beautiful, inside out. You are strong in all the ways which matter. You are not a copy of anyone else. You are not second best. It's about time someone else saw that as well."

She licked her lips apprehensively. "But I…" In the midst of battle, when adrenaline was forefront, it had been easily to push aside negative thoughts in favour of the hope his sweet flowery words had instilled in her. Now that things had calmed, her doubts were resurfacing again.

"Nurarihyon loves you," the taijiya continued softly. "I could tell. Even in the short time I've known him. I really think that you should take this chance for happiness." Sango then grinned impishly. "Of course, if he ever hurts you, feel free to tell me about it. Houshi-sama and I will come up with ways to get revenge for you. I'm sure Shippou-chan would love to help out as well."

Kagome laughed. Being at the kitsune school had only increased his repertoire of pranks and creativity. The last time they were all at Kaede's village a few months ago, Shippou had unleashed a torrent of pranks on Inuyasha, driving the hanyou halfway crazy.

The door slid opened, revealing the man they had been talking about. Nurarihyon smiled, holding out a hand. "Kagome, ready to leave Kyoto?"

Heliotrope gazed into gold, scanning for any signs of deception, and only found affection in their depths. Sango was right. Maybe it was time to take chances. Self-doubt was a type of cage; and she was a caged bird who will fly free. Smiling, Kagome took the offered hand.

"Yes."

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What do you think of my oneshot? Please Read and Review. I would love to know how good and how bad my fics are. If you want to flame me, at least make it constructive criticism.

If you have any suggestions regarding any potential events to add in this fanfic, feel free to put it into a review.

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May fantasy guide your writing through it all - Dementra