Disclaimer: None of the characters here are mine, but the ones I create. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi. :3

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'No way...no way...' Kaname was, to say the least, scared of everything she'd just heard. These 'kyonshi'...they'd existed before? And what was worse, there used to be others like her, and a lot at that, but these things killed them all...took their very soul and used it to sustain their lives...how horrible. Whimpering slightly, Kaname didn't even try to stop her shuddering. Thinking about what happened to her fellow Shikigami users and what may happen to her now in this time had her scared to the core.

Standing up abruptly, a shadow fell over her face. Clenching her fists tightly, Kaname bowed curtly before turning from the two Inus. As soon as she did, she bolted from the hall, not even sure where she was going as she shoved open one of the doors and ran past some very surprised guards.

Touga sighed softly. It would seem he was right - it was too much for her to take in at once. Her fear was so obvious, even a normal ningen would have been able to detect it...

Glancing at his son, the Inu no Taisho simply gave a curt nod - it was all the command Sesshoumaru needed to know to go after the girl. Touga watched his son leave the hall to track her down, quietly musing as he used his right hand to rub soothing circles on his temple. This was going to be interesting...

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"Why me...why..? Michiru, what do I do..?" Kaname had managed to find her way to the castle gardens, seated underneath a large sakura tree. It reminded her of the one at the center of her village, though much more grand. It calmed her...

As she sat there, Kaname realized many things while she sorted through her thoughts. How something was always going wrong in her life...how she and her brother had lost their mother at a young age, how Michiru had to work himself tirelessly just to help them get by in life, and now this...only now did she realize how heart-broken he must have been, returning home only to find a note and now alone...

What had she done?

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Foolish girl. Fleeing from their meeting like that...and even if she had bowed, she had still been disrespectful to not only his father, but to him as well...it was selfish of her to just leave like that...

'Do you honestly believe that?'

Sesshoumaru growled quietly to himself. Now his beast was giving him grief; just what he needed. 'Stay out of this. She ran from us out of her own selfish, pathetic human emotions.'

'Us? You don't even care she ran from our father, you just can't stand the fact she ran from us. You're scared she hates us...'

"That's enough. Go back to being silent...and don't talk of things you don't know." Slowly, his beast returned to the recesses of him mind. But not quietly, oh no...he went laughing. Narrowing his eyes, Sesshoumaru let out a huff through his nose. His beast had always been the polar opposite of he: wild and far too talkative.

The young Inu cut off his train of thought when he realized he'd made it to the castle gardens...and that this was where Kaname had wandered. He was almost surprised she'd made it so far from the meeting hall. Stepping down onto the dirt path, Sesshoumaru picked out Kaname's scent from the strong floral scent of the gardens as he made his way along the path. As he neared a rather impressive sakura tree, he spotted a familiar figure at the base of it. Stopping fifteen feet away, Sesshoumaru observed Kaname, her arms hugging her legs to her chest as she hid her face from any who would look. An unfamiliar feeling pooled within the young heir as he watched her in this pitiable state...something akin to pain? No, that wasn't it.

Either way, he hated it. This was so unlike him, to feel anything toward anyone, especially a ningen onna...it was unbecoming. Shaking off the strange emotion, Sesshoumaru stepped forward and got within a few feet of the girl now, his eyes narrowed in irritation. "Stand. Chichi-ue was not done with you yet, and you must respect his wish to return..."

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After her previous thoughts, Kaname had completely broken down, crying her eyes out as all the despair of her past and present suddenly crashed down onto her. Even her future was no longer certain, except for the possibility of having her soul eaten by a kyonshi. Mother always said she could be whatever she wanted when she was little...a freak-yokai's snack hadn't been an option she'd probably thought of when she said that.

Busy with her sorrow, she hadn't even noticed Sesshoumaru enter the gardens, let alone get within three feet of her until he spoke. Genuinely startled, the girl visibly flinched, whilst hugging her legs tighter. Her tears still hadn't stopped flowing, but at least she hadn't been sobbing when he arrived. Still, she was in no mood to talk to Touga-sama; she couldn't take any more information in right now, and it wasn't like she was presentable with tears all over her face and attire. Making sure to hide her face, Kaname closed her eyes and spoke into her lap, muffling her words, "Gomen ne...but please go away. I'm in no condition to return, and frankly, I don't want to right now. Just leave..."

Sesshoumaru stared down at the girl before him. She was right...the scent of her tears were so strong it nearly repelled him. Her cloud of sorrow was also helping in that aspect...it was clear what she was feeling; and it was also clear she wasn't willingly moving any time soon. Closing his eyes, his eyebrows drew down in frustration. The scent of Kaname's tears were truly bothersome, and he needed to do as his father instructed. Finally making a decision, after once again shoving down his beast's desire to comfort the girl, Sesshoumaru snorted softly. She was moving whether she liked it or not.

Kaname's eyes shot open in surprise as she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist, heaving her out of her defense curl to being held at a very, very irritating Inuyokai's hip. Her tears dried up immediately as she became quite angry, not just from being disturbed, but by the sheer embarrassment of being carried like a pail of water. Squirming, Kaname glared up at the back of Sesshoumaru's head and started shouting, "Hey! Put me down this instant, you, you..! I just wanted to be left alone, you jerk!" By this point she didn't even care how rude she was being, or if anyone would want her blood for it. She just wanted to be left alone to be sad!

As he made his way down the long hall that would take them to his father's private office, Sesshoumaru was starting to lose a grip on his anger. All this shouting and the indignity of having to haul around a human girl like a sack was beginning to be too much for him. It was beneath one such as he, the heir to the Western lands. How did he end up in this situation again..?

That's right, because his father had insisted. Insisted upon summoning this girl, upon having him 'fetch' her, and then 'fetch' her again when she ran off because she got emotional. It was ridiculous, and made him think his father had not a single bit of respect for him...

"...you jerk!"

Really? She was resorting to calling him names? He, a yokai who not only was of higher station then she, but who was currently holding her and could easily crush her in his grip for such disrespect? This was an impudent wench, that much was certain. Upping his pace, Sesshoumaru quickly made his way through the halls, trying to avoid as much attention as possible. The few housekeepers and maids they'd already passed, he could already smell their amusement or disgust. And that was not something he wanted all the help to have in mind when they say their lord-to-be.

When he felt a sudden tap on the back of his legs, Sesshoumaru stopped dead cold. That tap, had in fact been Kaname's lame attempt to punch him. He, Sesshoumaru. The one who'd protected her on the way here. The one who's put up with so much for his father's sake. The one who -

'Oh quiet, you fool. You didn't do those things simply because our chichi-ue told us to. You did it because we feel compelled to, for whatever reason...'

'No. Enough of this nonsense, this is just a ningen girl. I'm not compelled by anything I feel, for I feel nothing.'

'You know that's a lie...'

'Enough!'

Gritting his teeth, Sesshoumaru vaguely heard a small whimper from the one in his grasp. Coming back to reality, he realized that during his mental conversation he'd accidentally tightened his grip on Kaname. So much so he'd almost snapped one of her ribs. Immediately loosening his grip, Sesshoumaru said nothing and didn't even bother looking at her any further before changing his course of direction, and hastily at that.

Kaname barely had time to process where they were going and what was happening before she was suddenly tossed onto a familiar futon. Yelping in surprise from her landing, Kaname rubbed her sore side while noticing she was back in her room they'd assigned her, with a very quiet Sesshoumaru towering above her yet. She involuntarily gulped, afraid of what was going to happen. That power-squeeze of his completely abolished her anger, and made her realize how many rude things she'd said, and that she had hit him. Hit him! She would be lucky he would let her live, let alone forgive her insolence...

"...I will inform the Lord you are not well enough to see him yet. I would suggest, however, an attitude adjustment before you see him again..." With that said, Sesshoumaru turned on his heels and left the room, closing the door behind him.

To say Kaname was surprised was to put it very, very simply. Not only had he not killed her, or even punished her for her behavior...he actually respected her wish to be alone and brought her all the way to her room. It was almost like he'd suddenly gotten considerate...

A strange feeling welled-up within Kaname's heart after that encounter with the young Inuyokai. She had a feeling that from now on, things may be different...

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Alrighty, here's the latest installment of TIME! ^^ I hope you enjoyed it, it was fun trying to sort through all my ideas to write this chapter. Perhaps some feelings are FINALLY being stirred up between the two...you'll just have to see what's in store for these two next chapter.

Till then, I look forward to your R&Rs! ^^