Chapter 13: Please.

Seven days.

Seven long days, that's how long Inuyasha's pack had survived without Milo, to them it felt a lot longer. To then days felt like weeks and weeks, mouths. Milo was the soul spirit that kept them alive, the power to a flame, without that power, the flame dies and slowly everyone was drifting apart. Miroku didn't even attempt his usual daily lecherousness, Sango after getting to know her a bit no longer harboured feelings of anger towards demons at all, Shippo never stopped crying soon instead of blubbering it simply changed to silent tears, Kagome never left for home in fear that if she did Inuyasha's heart would break from losing another close to him.

Inuyasha was the worst off out of all of them, not a day had gone by that he hadn't cried he would always sneak off and come back hours later his eyes red and puffy with tear stains riddling his cheeks. He loved Milo in a brotherly way, in a way, she was the sister he never had, she never showed fear around him because he was a half demon nor did she ever show disgust. Milo was just Milo, herself in every way and she never changed that. Kagome slept with Inuyasha each and every night, holding him until his weary body finally fell into a soft slumber.

Kagome never thought of herself during this fragile time, always others, she was afraid that if she stopped to think about herself her thoughts would only drift to Milo and her huge heart no matter how strong would break, Milo had said something similar to her in the past. 'Kagome you have the biggest heart I know, mine was like yours once, but you'll soon learn that if you welcome everyone into your heart soon it will break from the strain. Just like mine did, there is one difference between you and me though and that's the fact your love still stands by you where as mine died along with my parents. My parents weren't the only ones to die, my soon to be mate did as well by protecting me from the demon.' Kagome remembered every word, how was it for someone to act so childish yet so mature at the same time she didn't know, but she still never forgot those words as they where the most truthful words to ever be uttered to her. Every day she tried to figure out the meaning to those words and it was the fact Inuyasha still stood by her that made her heart strong were Milo didn't have anyone like that.

Sadly she died before the old flame in her heart could be ignited again by a special someone, true she had the unconditional love from everyone she met as everyone could not resist Milo's cute charm, but never someone to hold at night while she slept, never someone to tell I love you and here those three precious words back. And she never would.

Shippo was distraught over the fact that is adoptive mother was dead, he looked to her because she reminded him so much of his own mother, warm eyes, red hair and welcoming arms. To Shippo he had two mothers one that lay in the spirit realm and one on earth with him, now he had no mother. He still remembered the private conversation they had the day before she died. 'Milo if you're a half demon how come you're not as stupid as Inuaysha?' 'Shippo, Inuyasha's not stupid he just chooses to be that way because it's easier.' 'Milo do you have a mommy?' Milo's eyes had darkened, filled with unshed tears as she spoke. 'I did, but she's gone now.' 'Um.' 'What is it Shippo?' 'Would you be my mommy?' Milo smiled at him a warm motherly smile and answered. 'Of course Shippo I would be honoured if you where my son.' Tears threatened to spill over again in Shippo's eyes, for some reason that memory never went away, simply because Shippo cherished it, even if it brought him to tears.

Miroku tried desperately that last week to contact the spirit realm to bring Milo's spirit into focus to see if she was happy. Miroku knew this was stupid, Milo was so full of life even the underworld would bloom into something beautiful just by her presence, she was happy anywhere. She had spoken to him quite a while back about his pervertedness. 'Miroku, why do you ask every pretty woman you see to bare your child?' 'It is because of this cursed wind tunnel, everyday it gets bigger so I wish for my son to carry on my legacy.' 'I see. I know you'll find the right woman eventually, but you don't need to ask every woman you see, she'll be right round the corner and love will strike you hard right where your heart lies.' 'How do you know?' 'Because I'm smart enough to know that there's somebody out there for everyone, but your cursed hands won't find them, your heart will.' Milo was right. Miroku had found Sango, even though she had only been with the pack for a few days Miroku could already feel his affection growing for her. As his eyes laid on her form for the first time in battle he knew that love had just hit him just like Milo said it would.

She was so wise for one so young, wisdom past her years in the colour of her irises. Nobody could make people feel as elevated by looking at them with that shine in her eyes like Milo did, but still even in the purest heart there lies a seed of darkness just waiting to grow, Milo never let it, she always kept it under control. Miroku loved Milo the same way Inuyasha did like a little sister, he had never know someone to touch the hearts of so many people by not even trying.

Sango was depressed by the packs mood, her whole village was burned, her family slaughtered and yet the pride and protectiveness she saw in Milo touched her deeper than she ever thought it could. Sango was raised to know that the only feelings a demon harboured where rage and an instinct to kill, yet Milo didn't possess any of that, Milo could have easily killed her for daring to harm Inuyasha and yet she didn't and she never once raised her voice out of anger. It was what a few mere minutes that Sango had known Milo and yet she managed to touch the depths of her very heart by simply opening her eyes to stare at her. Sango only wished she could have gotten to know the little spitfire before she passed.

Kirara. 'Meow.'

Inuyasha grieved, heavy and hard. 'Why!? Why did you leave me Milo!? You where the only person to ever love me for me, a half demon, not even worth a pitiful glance and yet you opened your arms for me and made my troubled childhood bearable. I saw myself as weak and worthless, you saw me in a different light, you saw me as brave and worthy. I never thought anyone could love a hanyou like you did even though you were one. I can't help but think if you where a demon or human would you have felt the same way? I can easily answer that yes you would, simply because you see others as equals not as opposites. Still why did you leave? I still remember what you told me after you forced me to tell Kagome I liked her.'

'Inuyasha can I ask you something?' 'Keh.' 'Can you see the differences between Kikyo and Kagome?' 'Of course I can!' Smiling she replied. 'No Inuyasha you can't and if you say you can your lying through your fangs. Let me help, Kikyo wanted normal, Kagome wants different, Kikyo wanted to change you, Kagome wants you to stay who you are, Kikyo never let you be together in public, Kagome is proud to walk by your side, Kikyo's eyes were lifeless and dull before she died, where as Kagome's sparkle with life. They only have two similarities, one they look slightly alike and two they are both priestess's.' 'Hey you forgot one! They both love me!' 'No, Kikyo never loved you, not the way Kagome does. Kikyo saw you as someone on equal grounds for both of you could never life a normal life, and for that you desired each other's company for you were equals. And yet Kagome falls in love with you every day when she opens her eyes and sees you nearby, she looks at you with a certain emotion in her eyes that I never saw in Kikyo's when she looked at you. Love.'

Inuyasha knew she was right, 'Things in her eyes where always so simple.' Milo was always right which made losing her that less bearable, the only person still alive from his past at he loved unconditionally was gone, and was never coming back.

Everyone just wished that she hadn't died, and that was what they were going to wish for on the Shikon No Tama, it gave two wishes to each and every person who held its completed form. Wish number one was to resurrect Milo and wish number two, they didn't have a wish number two, they just wanted Milo back.

---

Milo awoke the next morning with the sunrise there to greet her, for some reason she always rose at this time unless the day was foggy or raining. Stretching as to wake her body as well as her mind she noticed a neatly folded pile of clothes to the right of her, picking them up the rubbed the fabric between her thumbs and fingers. "Silk. Expensive." Milo spoke looking in great detail at the pattern.

"Good morning." Sesshomaru greeted.

"It is isn't." Milo smiled as greatly as the sun shone.

"I see you found your clothes." Sesshomaru observed.

"No way! You got these for me!" Milo nearly yelled, this was the most expensive gift she'd ever received and the most needed.

"Enjoy." Sesshomaru suggested.

It was a silken pale blue kimono, with a white obi, and the insignia of a joined dark blue crescent moon and a full blazing white hot sun laid claim to the corners of her long sleeves. It looked as if the kimono was tight, fitted in place with a black lapel, it would bare her legs for easy movement, to wear under the pale blue kimono there was a black shortened fighting outfit whenever a fight was to be too up-paced for her to keep up in the heavy bindings she could quickly disrobe herself and freely move about.

"It's beautiful, thank you." Milo gratefully thanked smiling softly at the Lord.

"That is not all, keep looking." Sesshomaru ordered.

Cocking her head cutely to one side Milo did as she was told, lifting the kimono's out of the way underneath there lay two twin tiger headed sai's, polished silver finish with encrusted pink sapphires running along the handle, two embedded in the eyes of the tigers and the kanji signs for strength on one and spirit on the other.

"I love them!" Milo happily squealed. Running up to Sesshomaru she embraced him in hug joyously. "Thank you!" She chorused over and over again.

"Do you know how to use them though?" Sesshomaru asked looking down at her long red hair until she looked up confidence filling her eyes.

"Oh, I'll show you how good I am." Milo confidently replied mischief sparkling in her eyes while a cocky smirk played on her lips. "After I get dressed." Turning around she ran towards her new clothes after swiftly picking them up she ran into the trees to get dressed.

A few minutes later she came out with an adorable blush looking almost like a moon maiden who had come down to greet the earth in the morning rays of wet dew. "How do I look?" Milo shyly asked doing a little spin while biting her bottom lip. Sesshomaru was, for lack of a better word, gobsmacked, his mouth hung open a little while he just stared that the beauty before him.

"I take it by your reaction I can take that as a yes I look good." Milo stated giggling as Sesshomaru lightly shuck his head to get his brain to once again focus. Giggling again Milo once again spoke. "Come on, you promised me a spar."

"This Sesshomaru did promise you that." Sesshomaru replied getting into a fighting stance with Tensaiga, since the sword couldn't cut, Milo would be perfectly safe.

"Let's get it on." Milo stated getting into her stance as well. "I'll let you make the first move."

Running over to Milo, Sesshomaru raised his sword to which she didn't respond, slightly confused however Sesshomaru didn't stop, as he brought Tensaiga down Milo blocked him with a quick X shape of her new Sai's, smirking she let a fang pop itself out of her lips before she started to attack. She jabbed and slashed making sure not to harm that perfect body of his soon Milo found her opening and grabbed Tensaiga with her sai's and threw it away, shocked with what this hanyou had managed to do Sesshomaru didn't see her duck down low and knock him off his feet with a quick under kick. Thumping against the ground with his still bare back Milo crouched over him and placed her sai's at his neck.

Smiling brightly Milo giggled. "I win." Removing the sai's she let her herself drop onto his body panting heavily still occasionally giggling. "I gotta get more exercise." Sesshomaru thought she looked oddly content at the moment, her soft hair fanning over his chest while her chest beat down on his with her ragged breathing and occasional giggles all with that brilliant smile of hers firmly placed on her lips.

Quickly deciding that he didn't like to lose Sesshomaru flipped their positions to now she was back first on the ground while he kept her pinned there. "I win." He whispered into her cat ears.

"No fair!" Milo playfully whined a cute pout rising on her face, she would have crossed her arms to but Sesshomaru was currently holding them above her head. Sesshomaru internally chuckled at the sight and sound the poor hanyou was making, he had her underneath him and whatever he did now she would helpless to stop it and yet she continued to laugh completely unaware of how vulnerable she was at this point.

To prove this point Sesshomaru played with her ears with one hand while the other kept her hands above her head, her eyes closed happily and a gentle yet deep purring vibrated through her body and through to his. She started to squirm for not being able to do anything about the predicament she opened her eyes so they were half lidded she repeated herself. "No fair!"

Chucking lightly, "What's not fair about it?" Sesshomaru asked still continuously scratching her ears, he was surprised at how soft they were, so soft they could rival silk and much more rewarding to play with.

"It's not fair because your being the dominant one!" Milo whined pinning him with her gaze.

"I am the male thus I am the dominate one." Sesshomaru argued stopping his playful torture on her ears.

Soon as Sesshomaru let go of her ears Milo wrapped her legs around Sesshomaru's waist and flipped their positions to she was back on top again, straddling his waist while holding his arms above his head. "How did you..." Sesshomaru never finished his question as he felt water hit his face, looking to the clouds he found it wasn't raining, that only meant one thing, tearing his gaze from the sky his molten pools scanned Milo's now tear streaked face.

"What is wrong?" Sesshomaru emotionlessly asked though his eyes held concern.

"I miss them, my friends, Inuyasha and the others, I know you don't like him and probably don't even like his name rolling off my tongue but playing around with you made me realize how much I miss them." Letting go of his arms so he could sit up Milo continued. "We used to do this all the time me and Yasha, he'd always lose of course." Chuckling slightly at the thought of his baby brother being beat by a girl as small as this brought a small smile to the youkai's lips as he let Milo continue. "But while I'm here having fun their fighting, trying to obtain the jewel so Inuyasha can become a full demon, a pointless quest if you ask me."

"Why is that?" Sesshomaru asked lightly peering at her face.

Staring straight back Milo answered. "If he becomes a full demon he won't be Inuyasha anymore, I don't want to lose my friend. I've become a full demon before and I didn't like it."

"Being a full demon is a blessing for a half demon, why would you not enjoy it?" Sesshomaru asked raising his eyebrow, confusion swirling in his orbs.

"I was too powerful." Milo stated simply truth reflecting in her still watery eyes. "The last time it happened it wasn't so bad as my friends where there but the first time I was alone surrounded by demons who thought I would make a tasty lunch."

Sesshomaru growled protectively after hearing this, he didn't know why but he felt a overwhelming emotion to not let any harm come to the neko hanyou. Understanding his growl Milo continued. "I was badly injured so my demon blood took over, by the time the rage cooled I was a bloody mess but not as worse off as the demons the most horrible thing is, it wasn't just demon blood on my hands I smelled humans too. I never wanted to hurt anybody." Letting more of her tears fall.

Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around her and let a feral yet soothing deep rumble echo from his chest, returning the hug almost instantly Milo let his growling calm her and dry her tears as a few cascaded down his back. "Thank you." Milo whispered. After a while Milo removed herself from Sesshomaru deciding what she wanted no needed to do, holding her hand to her heart she spoke. "Sesshomaru I wish to return home to my tribe with your escorts, there I am to continue my training until I learn self control. Will you be my escort?"

Nodding Sesshomaru agreed and Milo smiled, while Jaken who had been quite quiet gleefully beamed at being able to get rid of the cumbersome hanyou. And so they set off Milo knowing exactly what she was going to do, even if she died again and this time could not return.