Otherworld, Present Time

The Princess woke up in the middle of the night. For once she was in her own bedroom, snuggled warmly under the blankets. The nights were getting chilly now. The times she got to be in her own bed were rare. She sighed. Oh, well! The price of having four males. She wondered if Arina, her sister with 12 males, ever got to sleep alone at all.

The binding worked both ways. Just as her males were bound to her, she was bound to them. And she was always aware of their emotions. Right now one of them was having a nightmare. Bankotsu! She slipped from her warm bed into the chilly night. She quickly left her room and slipped into his. He was muttering in a restless sleep. She slid under his covers and wrapped her arms around him. He quieted almost immediately and burrowed his head in her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her. On the outside he also seemed so happy and content, but she knew his nightmares and how often they came to him. She drifted off to sleep wrapped in his warmth. Ummm, he was much better than her blankets!

She woke just as the sun was beginning to rise and slipped from Bankotsu's arms. He was sleeping soundly. As she did every morning, she checked on them, one by one. Hiei was curled in a ball, as usual, the covers a tangled mess and no longer covering him at all. She untangled them. She must have done this every morning! When she was with him, he slept quietly in her arms, but when he was alone, his bed looked like a war had been fought in it. It wasn't nightmares -- she would have known that instantly -- he was just a restless sleeper. She managed to get him untangled without waking him. A feat in and of itself! She pulled the covers around him and his little body began to relax as it warmed up. She smoothed the bangs from his forehead, the Jagan eye covered by its warding cloth, and kissed his cheek.

Without thinking she walked into Kurama's room. His empty room. She sat on his bed, running her hand over the smooth covers. He was hurt again. Damn Naraku! That miserable Demon prevented her from leaving the Castle. Naraku had been nothing, just a simple Demon, until he got a hold of enough shards to fuse them into almost a third of the whole crystal. Now he was wreaking havoc all over the lands. Recently InuYasha had managed to hurt him badly and he had gone into hiding.

She left Kurama's empty room and went to InuYasha's room. The Dog Demon was sleeping, curled on his side. Years of sleeping outside in the cold had trained him to sleep tightly balled, the same as Hiei did. She brushed his soft furry ears and kissed his forehead. "Don't go." he sleepily murmured. "You are sad."

More than anyone else InuYasha was in touch with her feelings, almost as much as she was his. Maybe it was the dog part of him that made him so sensitive. She joined him. Ah! He was nice and warm. She snuggled into him.

"Why are you sad?" he asked, waking up more.

"I went into Kurama's room before I remembered he was not there to check on."

"Kouga is there watching over him."

"Kouga went with Kagome," she reminded him.

She knew the real reason why they had gone to the Human World. Time stopped for humans from the Human World while they were in Otherworld and that meant that Kagome could not conceive. She had to go to the Human World for her body to begin its natural cycle again. And she and Kouga had been trying for two years now without success. They would go to her family's home and spend a few days there. But that was not easy on Kagome, to go to her family's home just to have sex with her mate. So when this opportunity presented itself, Kouga immediately volunteered to go. The Princess was well aware of the real reason, she gave her consent anyway. Kurama was fairly safe in the Human World, even without a guard. The new portal had been warded by Bakura and it would take a very powerful Demon to break those wards. Naraku might have been able to before he was hurt. Those miserable portals were always appearing. She was sure it was Demon World trying to make a huge portal to the Human World. Their failures kept creating these little portals.  Most of the portals would disappear in a few days, but this was the third one that had become permanent.  

"I will go to the portal today," InuYasha promised, "And watch over Kurama until he is ready to return. He should be waking up soon and I don't want him to be alone."

"Thank you. That will make me rest easier," she said. She reached up and began to stroke the soft inside edge of his ear. InuYasha trembled when she touched that part of his ear and then moved his body against hers. "If you are going to be away for a few days…." she said with a smile.

Tokyo 1878

As usual, Kenshin woke up very early and opened the door to the porch, on his way to the bathhouse. He nearly fell over Sanosuke lying there on the floor, wrapped in a blanket.

"What are you doing here?"

"There is no way I can sleep in my room," he complained. "Kouga may not howl, but he is still noisy. He growls!! And it didn't seem like they were ever going to go to sleep. So I gave up and slept here."

Kenshin nodded. He wasn't surprised, seeing the way Kagome and Kouga looked at each other.

Kenshin smiled. Sanosuke refused to live with Katsu, but used any excuse to spend a night with him. Didn't Sanosuke realize that it would make no difference to any of them? Katsu and Sanosuke had known each other from childhood, both in Sagaro's army during the wars. And their friendship had grown into love. Katsu was now a gifted artist and a gentle soul, and Kenshin liked him a lot. He had a calming effect on Sanosuke's wild ways.

The morning passed, and finally around noon, Kagome and Kouga appeared. "Sorry we're so late." Kagome said, and then seeing their knowing looks, she blushed.

"Well, at least you don't howl!" Sanosuke said to Kouga.

Kagome then explained about the time problem in Otherworld and how they were trying to conceive. Kaoru hugged her and told her than she and Kouga should stay until Kurama was ready to leave. Kagome was overjoyed.  Now they might have a chance! She wanted to give Kouga a son so badly!

A short while later Miss Megume arrived to check on Kurama. When she and Kouga moved him to change the bandages, he woke up.

Glancing around the strange room, he murmured, "Where did I end up?"

"In Toyko, year 1878." Kouga told him. And then filled him in on the events of Otherworld, how Hiei had tracked him, found the portal that he had gone through, and how they had been taking turns watching over him. He told him about Kenshin, Kaoru and Sanosuke.

Miss Megume continued with his bandages, noticing that his deep wounds were healing well. It was mostly the massive blood loss that had kept him asleep, as his body replenished his strength. He asked for water, and she gently lifted his head to let him drink. Hearing that Kurama was finally awake, everyone came in his room and Kouga introduced them. "I am very grateful for your care," he said, "I doubt that I would have lived without your help." He still tired easily and soon drifted back to sleep. 

Outside the door was a huge package wrapped in paper. InuYasha brought it inside to the garden area and tore the wrapping off it with his claws, revealing a large, elaborately carved bench for the dojo's gardens. A present from the Princess. It was exquisite and Kaoru burst into tears. She had never imagined owning something like this. Only the very wealthy could afford these kinds of luxuries.

At that moment, Kouga appeared, and called out, "Hey, Puppy! Did you get your shots before coming?"

"Mangy Wolf!" InuYasha retorted, growling deep in his throat. Kaoru backed away from him hastily, until Kagome explained that it was only playful banter and that they did this all the time.

That evening, Kaoru decided to try her hand at cooking, and managed to prove once again that she was a terrible cook. This time she set the oven on fire. Everyone ran to help and soon the fire was out but the kitchen was filled with smoke. InuYasha suddenly moaned and plummeted to the floor.

"What happened to him?" asked Kenshin.

"Dog." Kouga explained with his usual tact. "Noses are too sensitive and smells get to them."

Kenshin started a new dinner -- Kaoru was banished from the kitchen -- while Yahiko and Sanosuke cleaned up. Dinner was finally served, very late, but InuYasha couldn't eat anything. He still lay there on the porch, as Kouga put it, "Sick as a -- dog!" Then he burst into peals of laughter. InuYasha was too sick to even growl.

After a pleasant dinner and after dinner conversation, it was time for bed. InuYasha crawled to the porch area outside of Kurama's room and lay there miserably. "Shall we put out a bowl of water for you?" asked Kouga. He knew he would eventually pay for all the teasing, but it was well worth it. It was not often that InuYasha was down and out. Even a wound that went through his entire body would barely slow him down. Kouga thought it was hilarious that mere smoke could fell him. Kagome dragged Kouga away before he said even more. 

Kouga could easily tease him because he didn't have wolf-like traits that InuYasha could tease him about. He acted and looked more like a man than a wolf - - something that Kagome had trouble understanding considering that InuYasha was only half Dog Demon and Kouga was entirely Wolf Demon.

In the morning, InuYasha was back to normal, but famished. He ate all of his portion and quite a bit of everyone else's also. He ate with his hands, rapidly stuffing food into his mouth. Kouga didn't dare tease him about his manners; at home, Kouga ate with his hands, tearing raw meat with his sharp teeth. At least InuYasha ate his food cooked. Kagome, who had to deal with both of them for several years now, ignored them both. She knew that they had terrible table manners and even the Princess had given up trying to teach InuYasha which utensil to use. When she could get him to use a spoon instead of his hands, she considered it a victory.

Kurama woke up later than morning and asked to be taken outside. He wanted some fresh air. InuYasha easily picked him up, blankets and all, and took him to the new bench. He sat there surrounded by everyone, propped up with pillows, and listened to InuYasha tell of Naraku's recent defeat at his hands. The Dog Demon was proud of his accomplishment, but blushed when they praised him. Kenshin decided he liked InuYasha very much. He was very sweet under all that bluster and Kenshin could see what the Princess must have seen in him. He had no pretenses or conceits at all.

To his surprise and dismay, Kurama found out that everyone knew his life's story. "I have no secrets!" he exclaimed. "Even Hiei who never says anything, told you about my first meeting with Princess Aara?" But he was not really upset and he laughed good-naturedly.

Sanosuke wanted to go -- Otherworld intrigued him. Kenshin was hesitant, but Kaoru talked him into it. Yahiko didn't want to go. He didn't like the idea of not aging. It might be fine when you were grown, but he was still a child. They began to decide whom to invite on their journey.  Both Miss Megume and Katsu were mentioned.

The next few days were spent preparing for the journey to Otherworld. Yahiko would stay and care for the dojo. Both Miss Megume and Katsu accepted the invitation to join them on the trip. Katsu had heard all about Otherworld from Sanosuke and wanted to sketch the Princess, if she would let him.

When Kurama heard that he could draw, he asked Sanosuke to bring Katsu to see him. Katsu came the very next day and Kurama asked him to draw him sketches of the dojo, all the buildings and the layout. Katsu wasn't sure why he wanted the sketches, but he did what Kurama asked.

Finally, the day arrived when they would go to Otherworld.  They all gathered at the portal.  InuYasha went in first, followed by Kenshin.  Then Kagome and Kaoru, Sanosuke, Katsu and Megume.  Kouga carried Kurama through last.  Kurama took a deep breath when he reached the other side.  He was finally on his way home.