~ ~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~ ~

Kagome watched Rin with a thin smile as the girl danced through the wilderness plucking wildflowers as she saw them. She shifted her gaze away from the girl and towards the tall figure walking in front of her. [I wonder… Sesshoumaru always seems to be so cold and emotionless when he’s near Inu Yasha, yet, I can tell that he seems to fight the need to smile at times. I don’t think that it’s just because he’s a yokai—there must be more… Something… somewhere… it must have hurt him so much… I can’t imagine what could happen to someone to make them like that. He sorta reminds me of when I first met Inu Yasha, but Inu Yasha hadn’t been so difficult to get through to. So, if those two are even remotely alike, that would mean that something really terrible must have caused Sesshoumaru to be so cold and seemingly heartless. However, I can tell that he isn’t really as heartless as he may look and act—after all, he did save Rin and continues to care for her… that alone proves that he isn’t cold and heartless.]

Sesshoumaru turned around sharply as he began to feel Kagome’s gaze on his back. "Is there something so interesting about my back that would cause you to stare for so long, woman?"

Kagome’s eyes narrowed as she looked into Sesshoumaru’s golden gaze. "I have a name—Kana. Don’t call me ‘woman’." Kagome sighed as she approached Sesshoumaru and continued looking into the depths of his golden eyes. She lowered her voice as she asked the question that had been on her mind for the entire day. "Why do you act so indifferent?"

Sesshoumaru, though taken aback by Kagome’s question, maintained his emotionless mask. "Don’t trouble yourself worrying about why I am the way I am, woman."

"See, there you go again, acting like you don’t care. Why do that to yourself? You know that all you’re doing is pushing people away, right?"

Sesshoumaru scoffed, but a flicker of sadness was present in his eyes. "I don’t need anyone."

"How do you know that? Have you ever really loved someone? How can you say that you need no one?"

Sesshoumaru turned away, refusing to look into Kagome’s demanding eyes any longer. [It’s not of her concern to know any of that. My life is of my concern, no one is to worry about me like that, because I don’t need them to. She may have been needed in such a way by Inu Yasha, but I am no such case.]

Kagome hesitated as she saw Sesshoumaru pause before continuing walking and then she reached out and grabbed his right arm. "Sesshoumaru… I owe you my life, but that isn’t the reason I’m going to say this… If you ever need anything or want to say anything, don’t hesitate. I’ll readily do anything I can to help you, okay?"

Though he did not even bother to look at Kagome, Sesshoumaru’s eyes softened, somewhat, at her words. "Fine."

Kagome released Sesshoumaru’s arm and smiled as she allowed him to walk slightly ahead of herself.

~ ~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~ ~

Inu Yasha’s nose twitched as he caught a familiar scent. It was not quite the one he had been hoping to find, rather, one he had been wanting to avoid. [Kikyo…] Inu Yasha, saying nothing to Sango and Miroku, leapt into the nearest tree and continued through the trees until he reached Kikyo. He remained silent as he stared at her, remembering the conversation he previously had with her in Kagome’s time.

Kikyo smiled warmly at Inu Yasha as she reached into her pocket and withdrew the necklace that Kagome had given to her so that she could return the shards to Inu Yasha. "I was told to give this to you."

Inu Yasha glanced at the necklace and was immediately able to recognize it. He drew in a deep breath as Kikyo handed it to him and smiled. "She is alive, then."

"She is somewhere that you are unable to find her." Kikyo stepped forward, her body only inches away from Inu Yasha. "I suppose that you will now be at a loss while searching for the jewel shards, since neither you or your companions are able to see the jewel… Tell me, Inu Yasha, would you not be willing to take advantage of that girl’s absence? We could be together again, side-by-side, as we were once before."

Inu Yasha shook his head and stepped back, away from Kikyo. "No, Kikyo… It would be futile to try… Fate has always kept us apart… perhaps there is a reason for that. I have learned to love Kagome and realize how badly I had betrayed her a few days ago… when we were together last."

"Do you truly enjoy the time you spend with her more than the times when we are together in one another’s embrace?"

Inu Yasha nodded, his golden gaze fixed to the stars as they became visible in the night sky. "Besides, Kikyo, I think you’ll be better off without me. As far as you should care, I’m dead to you. Forget you ever knew me. Go on with what you have for a life, do as you wish, love someone new. It is better for both of us if we part now."

Kikyo narrowed her eyes as she watched Inu Yasha walked away from her. [I don’t understand… just a few days ago… we were together and I was sure that he loved me more than that girl… I thought…]

~ ~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~ ~

Kagome yawned as she leaned against the base of a tree, Rin directly beside her. She crossed her arms as she saw Sesshoumaru sit down as well. "Tell me, Sesshoumaru, do you believe that we are able to dine upon air, or do you plan on at least sending Jaken out to forage?"

Sesshoumaru shrugged, a mocking grin spread over his lips. "Are you saying that you are unable to feed yourself? Even Rin is able to provide for herself."

"You make this child feed herself? Do you realize that by doing that she most likely does not practice proper dietary habits? Geez, she probably is only able to pick fruits and berries—she needs meat, too. Not to mention bread and dairy and certain types of vegetables."

"What are you rambling about now, woman?"

Kagome groaned as she pointed to the thick forest around them. "You go find something for us to eat, I’ll gather firewood, and when that’s all said and done, Jaken can light the fire. Everybody does something, everybody eats, okay?"

Sesshoumaru stared at Kagome, interested in the idea. "And what is Rin to do?"

Kagome heard a low growl rise from her throat as she stood and pointed an accusing finger at Sesshoumaru. "That girl is eight years old, she has no need to do anything. At that age, all a child should be doing is learning about how to read and write—and if need-be, she can learn to defend herself."

Sesshoumaru sighed, realizing once more that argument with this woman was futile. He convinced himself that he was not taking part in her idea because she had told him to, but rather that he was sure he could prove her wrong.

~ One and one-half hours later ~

Kagome smiled at the sleeping girl next to her as she looked back to the small fire that burned brightly in front of herself. Her thoughts wandered to times that she had spent with Inu Yasha, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo around similar campfires in other forests.

Sesshoumaru stared at Kagome, remembering what she had said to him earlier in the day and her concern for him. He realized, as he thought about the subject, that he had never told anyone about what had happened to him in his youth. Perhaps, he thought, the reason that the memory seemed to eat away at his very soul was because he had told no one. He never allowed anyone to get close to him enough that he could tell them. It had happened after his mother had died, while his father was busy wasting his time with that human woman that later gave birth to Inu Yasha. He knew that Jaken was always ready to speak with him, but the ignorant toad would be unable to maintain silence about this most troubling subject. He also knew that the girl Rin was as dear to him as though she were his own daughter, but she was too young to understand something such as this. The girl, Kagome, however, seemed as though she would be willing to hear and understand what had happened. She seemed sincere and kind enough to help him forget the past, but she was Inu Yasha’s woman, which meant that she was low. She also seemed, at times, to be petty about frivolous things, such as Sesshoumaru remembering to call her by her name. Sesshoumaru sighed, knowing that he would at least have to learn to speak with her—he was the one that brought her back to life, he was the one to request her aid in destroying Naraku. "Kana… I need to tell you something."

Kagome broke from her reverie as she stared at Sesshoumaru in disbelief. He had actually addressed her by something other than ‘woman’! "What’s the matter, Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru sighed and shifted against the tree behind himself uneasily. "Well, something has been troubling me for some time, and I was hoping to get your opinion about it."

~ ~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~ ~

A.N. HAHAHA!!! Cliff-hanger!!! I love to do that!

No really, I have to think of the exact details about what Sesshoumaru is going to tell Kagome. Anyhow, as for the scene between Inu Yasha and Kikyo, I hope there wasn’t too much OOCness in that, and likewise for the last few paragraphs in this chapter. Anyhow, I’m going to try to avoid any non-relevant scenes with Kikyo, because I honestly have never written anything that involved her before. She’s been mentioned, but that’s about it.

Ja ne,

Ryoko Yuy