A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the slow update. I was visiting my family in NY and they don't have internet. I'd like to thank those of you have reviewed for my story so far and have added me to their alerts and favorites (I LOVE YOU ALL!) But I'd especially like to thank this person for their heartwarming review; they kept me going through the rough patches in this chapter:

EagleFeathersInMyHair (or Sokanon Sooleawa)

Once again, I would appreciate any comments (critiques NOT flames please!) long or short.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters. They are property of Rumiko Takahashi.

"He is a bright young youkai," Touga continued, not noticing my reaction. "He excels in everything he does and if he does not, he will never give up until he is the best. Learning is easy for him and he can't help but question things unknown to him that he comes across; moreover his swordsmaster has praised his strength in all areas of battle, especially with the katana. I know he will truly be an excellent fighter."

"It sounds like he has great potential," I whispered even though I knew it to be true. The Lord Sesshoumaru I knew seemed to be a merciless cold bastard who killed everything that got in his way. I knew for fact that this wasn't true though. The one who had been dubbed the "Killing Perfection" did in fact have a heart. How could he not, having Rin, his ward, around all the time. And yes, he killed, but I have never seen or heard of him killing without good reason or just for the fun of it. Besides, he'd have to have mercy and a heart to have that ugly green toad hang around him for so long.

"Indeed," Touga smiled softly at the thought of his young son. "And he has such a big heart to match his fierce personality. In fact he helped his newest pet during it's birthing a few moons ago"

"Sesshoumaru sama?" I was appalled to say the least. Okay, I know I just said that he had a heart, but I didn't think it was HUGE. The way Touga's going on makes him sound like the ideal child. "But he's never seems to care about anything except—," the Western lands. I broke off and bit my lip. Even as the words started to slip from my mouth I knew they weren't exactly true; Sesshoumaru had shown time and time again his affection for his ward.

"'Anything except' what, Higurashi?" Touga asked softly. As light as his tone was, I knew he would be quick to defend his own and smother any rumors of his young pup's imperfections.

I sighed and looked away briefly. I wanted to lie so badly, but I knew he would scent me out and become angry or at the very least irritated. And what could it hurt? Maybe if Touga knows of Sesshoumaru's future he can try to soften him up a little. A tiny voice in the back of my mind protested that this was a bad idea (most likely Motsushi) and could mess up time even more, but I there was a stronger voice saying that this is what I had to do. So, I met his gaze straight on and, setting my jaw, blurt out a half truth:

"After he takes the throne, the great Sesshoumaru sama of the West will be a killing machine with an ice cold heart."

Touga froze and I immediately felt horrible. He looked like someone had just kicked his puppy. Or in this case, his son.

"A killing machine?"

"Unfortunately," I replied tentatively, then seeing another wounded expression hurried to say something else. "But it's not like he kills blindly or—,"

"A cold heart?"

The unbelievably bewildered tone in his voice shocked me and I nodded mutely. He dropped his head into his hands and made a few low growls and yelps. I don't know how I knew, but I had a feeling he was cursing the kami for gracing him with the perfect son with a frigid personality.

"But I believe he can change," I said, unable to stand seeing such a strong man—err youkai moaning at the unfairness of the world. At the sound of my voice however, he stilled. "One day, he'll gain a heart. On his journeys he will meet a young child who would gladly follow him to the farthest points of the earth just to be in his company. This girl will change his heart and he will finally be able to answer 'yes' to a question asked to him long ago."

"What was the question?" Touga asked and I tried to remember the question my hanyou friend had told me their father had asked Sesshoumaru.

"Do you have someone to protect," I recited after a moment of thinking.

"That is certainly useful information," he murmured and raked his long fingers through his perfect hair, the humane act seemingly perfect when he did it. I couldn't help but admire Touga; he had just learned his son was the bane of a lot of hatred and he files it away in his mind's file cabinet. "Now the only question of mine that remains is: how do you know all of these things?"

I sat petrified as he went over a list of odd things about me.

"…You are overall very strange. Your speech manner is uncommon, yet learned. And this strangely sealed pack must be kept together with tightly woven magic because it…"

I raised an eyebrow at his comment of a modern school bag, but let him continue so I could zone out and think of an excuse.

"…that attire of yours is completely wretched. At first I thought you an ordinary ningen, even with your revealing clothes," he continued.

What's wrong with my clothes? One look at my torn and bloodied shirt and I could answer that question myself. My wardrobe throughout me high school years had always raised an eyebrow or two, but once people learned who I was all speculation had stopped. I will admit though that my pants, shirt, and sneakers were more conservative than the very short green skirt and sailor blouse. But not in the past.

"…which has lead me to one conclusion," I heard Touga just in time to get back into the conversation.

"Which is what?" I asked, albeit nervously. I should have been listening to what he thought was wrong with me so I might at least come up with an excuse. Motsushi's going to kill me.

"You are obviously a majutsu-shi's onna," he concluded and my jaw dropped.

Touga thought I was…a magician's whore?

"What!" I screeched, ignoring his wince as my high pitch hurt his sensitive elvin ears. "I for one buddy, am no one's shofu or mistress or anything of the sort! I can't believe that you would imply such a thing!"

"But," he looked confused. "That bag of yours has the mark of magic."

"Huh?"

I grabbed the bag Motsushi had shoved at me and looked it over. At first glance it was just a regular black school bag. Then I squinted my eyes. On the zipper and length of the shoulder straps was a symbol; it was one of a scarab. I recognized the figure from all of the research I had done when I was interested in the topic of Keepers. Besides a few facts about the origin of the Keepers, this symbol was in the center of the page. The roots of their power began in Ancient Egypt where it eventually sank into oblivion and later resurfaced again in the Medieval Times. The scarab itself was a symbol of the rising sun (which was supposedly the time when Keepers had the most power) and its goddess, along with the protection from evil.

"Well there's a good explanation for this," I laughed nervously and shifted my eyes away from Touga's direction.

He was quiet waiting for my answer. I knew this time there would be no beating around the bush. Touga may be a heck of a lot nicer and more tolerant of my temper than most youkai,, but he was still Inu no Taisho, the current Lord of the West. And he would not take kindly to lies. I sighed, mentally signing my death note, for I was sure Motsushi would kill me in a slow and painful way after learning what I had done.

"I was sent here by," I racked my brain for a good word to describe my relationship worth Motsushi. "My sensei. I don't know if this makes any sense to you, but I am from the year two thousand ten."

He blinked. He had obviously had not expected me to say that.

"But that date in time is more than—,"

"Eight hundred years in the future. I know," I finished. By now, Touga looked positively stunned. This was the taiyoukai who had fought countless other youkai, big and small and ruled the West with an iron fist. Yet here he was, practically paralyzed from a few words spoken by a twenty one year old ningen.

"I know it sounds unbelievable," I continued, "but it's the truth. You asked me to tell you and I did. Now if you choose not to consider it, fine. I would have a difficult time too if I were you."

"And you know my pup in this future?" he asked.

"Yeah," I shrugged and tried not to think about what Sesshoumaru would be like if he lived in my time. "We're not buddy buddy or anything and he tried to kill me a couple times, but we banded together to defeat our enemy," my mind took me back to the days when Sesshoumaru traveled with us. "But despite his distant demeanor, I know that he can be saved. After he comes across the little girl who will change him, she'll do anything for him and him for her. I think it's cute to see how he's softened by her very presence."

"And this girl is a ningen?" Touga stroked his chin as a glint appeared in his eyes.

"Yes," I said suspiciously as I eyed him. I couldn't tell if the gleam was good or bad.

"Tell me more about this future of yours," he asked out of the blue.

I pursed my lips and considered my options. What harm could it do? I knew if I asked, (and I did) Touga would keep everything I told him a secret from everyone. With a mental shake of the head, I decided to get comfortable and started telling him about my time. As I told him of different things about both my future and the early Sengoku Jidai, I accidentally let it slip that he had another son.

"I remember the first time I ever met him," I said, leaning back on my hands and crossing my legs. "Sesshomaru sama was looking for something and when I got it instead, he tried to kill me and Inuyasha."

"Inuyasha?" he repeated. "Who is Inuyasha?"

I racked my brain for a way to describe the half-brothers relationship without giving away their real connection. "He's someone close to Sesshoumaru sama, but neither of them like to bring it up."

"I see," Touga rubbed his chin and I gave a mental sigh of relief. I barely managed to skirt that one. "Inuyasha is a fairly nice name. It has a good sound to it. Maybe I'll name my next pup that."

I blinked at this. Wait, if I'm the one that gave Touga the idea to name Inuyasha, does this mean that I practically named my best friend?

I was so lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice Touga had stood and walked over to my side. He held out a clawed hand for me to grab and I pulled myself off the ground, slightly confused.

"It is time. In which direction are you headed?"

"To the closest well in this forest," I replied wearily after spotting the sky getting lighter and he nodded, starting off in the direction of the trees I had burst out of not too long ago.

I knew we were headed back because the sun would be rising soon. I knew this and yet, I couldn't help the wave of dread that washed across me as the well's surrounding spiritual pressure tickled the edges of my own. Time to face the music Kagome. In truth, as nice as Motsushi was, I didn't really know him or what his temper could be like. He had insisted that I wouldn't be able to return to my time without whatever object he needed me to get, but another slight brush of the well's mystical powers as enough to calm my frazzled nerves. The knowledge that I would be able to return was comforting.

"You are sad," Touga said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah," I stuffed my hands in my pockets and kicked a nearby rock. "I just don't want to face my sensei knowing that I barely even tried. He'll be so disappointed in me."

He was quiet as I spoke, and he appeared to be turning my words around in his head.

"It may be your sensei's goal for you to return with something, but did he necessarily require that something to be a physical object?"

I furrowed my brows as I tried to remember the rushed conversation Motsushi and I had had inside the well house. Every moment was blurry and I couldn't know for sure if he truly requested something physical. But maybe if I tell him that, I'll be off the hook, I mused and immediately the corners of my mouth turned down. I didn't like deceiving people, especially ones that trusted me.

I told Touga as much and his reaction was the opposite of mine. The corners of his mouth twitched upward in amusement.

"Not as many would be so principled," he told me as he pulled a branch out of the path and waved me through. When he did, the lull of the power from the well got stronger and my pace quickened.

"Well I try to see the best in people," I informed him. "It doesn't matter who you are, until a person proves me wrong, I believe there is good in each person and I think good people would want to hear the truth, no matter what."

There was a pause and I glanced over at Touga who seemed to be rolling my words around in his mind.

"An honorable way of thinking."

I smiled a little at the bit of praise he had thrown my way.

"Though I also believe a well placed fist might get one to see the right way."

I couldn't help the snort of laughter that escaped my lips as he said this. Though the line was completely Touga, it was also something Inuyasha might say (even if it was a bit too formal).

The rest of our short walk was spent in companionable silence, though I was still a tiny bit nervous about Motsushi. All of a sudden, a flash of brilliant purple appeared in my vision for a millisecond before disappearing once more. I looked over my shoulder briefly and scoped out the area. Nothing. Shaking my head at my wild imagination, I followed Touga until we reached the edge of the woods. The well sat in its spot, the same one that I had used hundreds of times. I thought of my journey to this time and repressed a wince. Okay, maybe not entirely the same. What, with its freaky images and the actual water inside the well I have to go through.

"Is this the means you use to travel home?" Touga asked as he walked towards the well and peered inside.

I responded by pulling myself up to stand on the unusually sturdy ledge with the black bag over my shoulder.

"I will take that as a yes," he said, then his expression turned serious. "Tonight, you saved my life and I will never forget that. You have risked something great in doing so and I will not regret the choice you have made. I hope that you will not either."

I opened my mouth to tell him I wouldn't but he only held up a clawed hand.

"I realize, despite the fact I have not spent much time with you, that you will not ultimately regret your decision, but a very small part of you will. So I give this small token of my appreciation to you in hopes that you will not forget what has transpired here today."

He held out his hand and I automatically reached to take the object from him. I held it up to see a small woven bracelet with a small blue crescent moon hanging off it. The pieces that were woven to keep it together were silky to the touch and so silver they were almost white.

"Touga I can't—," I started to give his gift back to him—it was too pretty and expensive looking—but he narrowed his eyes and gave a low growl.

"You will not turn down what this Touga has offered you," he said lowly and I drew the hand clutching the bracelet to my chest.

I knew he wasn't truly angry with me, but it went against an inu's nature to turn down something so generously given as compensation for something equally valuable. Touga watched until I slid the object on my wrist easily and we both watched as the blue moon glinted as it caught the sun.

"Arigato," I closed my eyes and bowed my head, careful not to move my body too much.

"Do not worry," I heard him say and I glanced up. "I have a strong feeling fate will intertwine our paths again."

If by fate he means "Motsushi", I wouldn't doubt it.

Just as I opened my mouth to comment, I saw the same flash of purple I had seen earlier. Only this time it came right at me. I barely had time to think before I felt something collide with my shoulders before my body fell backwards into the cold well water.