NG: Here's another chapter!

---------------------------------- Love: Confusing Isn't It? ----------------------------------------

Last Time

"Why hello Tsrugi-sama, Sesshoumaru-san. What brings you here?" Inutashio smiled warmly at the woman who looked as though she had lost her world. He was just glad that he would be able to give it back to her.

"Well we have brought you, a gift of sorts. Something that you might have lost."

"A gift? Something I lost? What could that be?"

"How about we show you?"

At that moment, both men stepped aside causing the woman to gasp and tremble as she suppressed emerging tears. Her eyes darted between the two men and then to the girl standing behind them hoping against hope that this wasn't a dream.

"N-N-Nishi? Is-is it really y-you?" Nishi smiled and nodded, a lump forming in her throat at the sheer happiness rolling off the woman in waves.

"H-hai, it's me okaa-san. I'm back."

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"Sesshoumaru, you've done it." Upon the wall was a blueprint of a weapon; a weapon of such complexity that Sesshoumaru had a hard time understanding what it was capable of. Apparently his father had no such trouble. Sesshoumaru looked upon the pale face of his father as it took on a stricken look.

"Father, will this help Tsrugi Corporations get back to its original glory." Shaken out of his reverie, Inutashio snapped worried eyes to his son.

"No son, this must never be created. I had no idea… the magnitude of the damage… the lives it would destroy." Sesshoumaru was actually beginning to worry and that was not a good sign.

"Is everything alright father?"

"Hai son. We just need to destroy all evidence of this blueprint. It cannot reach the hands of anyone. We must take it apart and destroy every piece of it." Sesshoumaru wanted to protest. All that work he had done for nothing. But the look on his father's face told him that this was a very serious matter.

"You did well son." He placed his hand on Sesshoumaru's shoulder. "If a man like Onigumo Yami had gotten his hands on this, there's no telling what he would have done."

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Chapter Thirty-Four: Hiding Out

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The sun's rays peaked into the opened window bathing the two forms on the bed in its morning glow. Nishi stirred in her sleep as the light assaulted her as she happened to be the one facing the window. Her eyes opened slowly and she shielded her face from the sun. She attempted to sit up, only to find that she couldn't move. She immediately knew the cause of the problem and smiled down at her slumbering brother. Every night since she came back he would come into her room at night and hold her tightly to him as if she'd disappear again.

She didn't blame him either. It wasn't a surprise to find her mom and dad in here once in a while either. It made her feel good knowing that her family cared about her and loved her so much. She didn't realize how much she had been missed. Nishi let out a sigh as she thought about the other people who might have missed her. It had been a while since she had been back and she still had not seen her friends. Of course, that was her choice. She just wasn't ready to see them when she came back. She felt bad for making Sesshoumaru and his father keep quiet about her coming back, but she had to readjust first.

It was hard enough just getting it through her head that her family still loved her. She didn't think they could after all she had done. After telling her parents a slightly sugarcoated version of what happened and seeing their reactions, she was afraid of what would happen if they found out the whole truth.

Nishi laid there for a few minutes before Shippou started to stir. She couldn't help but smile when his green eyes opened and he yawned cutely. This is what she missed; little moments like these that made life worth living.

"Ohayou onee-chan." He greeted with a large yawn. He sat up and gave Nishi room to move.

"Ohayou Shippou-chan. Sleep well?" He nodded and hopped off the bed. "That's good. Go wash up okay. I think okaa-san has started breakfast already. Shippou left and Nishi followed her own advice.

"Ohayou okaa-san." Nishi said in greeting when she took her seat at the breakfast table, Shippou having already eaten his.

"Ohayou sweetheart. How are you feeling this morning?"

"I'm fine. Outou-san and Shippou left already?" Lily nodded. It took everything to convince Tai to go back to work because he refused to leave Nishi.

Lily was so grateful to have her daughter back. She cherished each moment she had with her. That is part of the reason she did not mind letting Nishi stay home from school like she had asked. Besides, the school year was almost over and she had missed nearly the entire year of school. Unfortunately, her daughter would not be graduating with her friends. Speaking of her friends…

"Nishi dear,"

"Yes mom?"

"I know I've asked you this before, but when do you plan on telling your friends that you're okay. I'm sure they're worried about you." Nishi looked up at her mom.

"I – know what you mean mom. It's just, what if they're not? What if they stopped caring and they want nothing to do with me anymore?"

"Nishi, there is no possible way they do not care. Do you want to know how I know?" Nishi just shrugged. "Well, everyday I get a call from five different households at different times of the day all asking the same thing. They all are waiting to know you're safe Nishi. It's not fair to keep them waiting."

The green-haired girl bowed her head shamefully. "I-I know. I'll tell them soon. I promise."

"That's my girl. I'll be upstairs cleaning. Come up when you're done."

"Hai okaa-san." Before Lily could leave, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." Lily called even though she knew Nishi wouldn't get it, just to avoid it being one of her friends. Nishi could already guess who it was. She had had this visitor come by everyday since the week after she had returned home.

"Hey kid, how are you doing today?" Nishi scowled.

"Kagura, how many times do I have to tell you we're the same age! Stop calling me kid." The girl just shrugged.

"It just suits you, kid. Nishi is too formal."

"Oh right, my name is too formal."

"Your mom said since I'm here you can clean up later, so I guess I just did you a favor."

Nishi rolled her eyes. "Yeah whatever. Take a seat."

"Why thank you." Kagura said smirking. Nishi was inwardly smiling. It was amazing how close she and Kagura had become especially after how much they hated each other earlier in the school year. Now Kagura was one of her best friends. Ironic, ne?

"So, how's your arm." Nishi asked referring to Kagura's arm that was currently in a sling.

"It's fine. Doesn't hurt as much." Both were silent for a while thinking of the day that injury occurred. Nishi broke the tense atmosphere with a question that she knew would please Kagura.

"So, how's your mother." You couldn't have stopped the smile that came to Kagura's face if you tired.

"She's doing great! Now that I moved her out of that death trap of a hospital, she's recovering at a very fast rate. Kanna's visiting her now."

"That's great." Nishi had been shocked to find out that Kanna was actually Kagura's younger sister. "I hope I get to meet her soon."

"You could meet her now if you'd stop hiding here."

"I'm not hiding-"

"Then what would you call it."

"I'm just not ready."

"Nishi, you've been ready since this whole thing started. Stop being so scared. The old Nishi wouldn't do that. She would have jumped at the chance to see her friends again."

"But the old Nishi is gone!" Nishi yelled.

Kagura smiled. "No she's not. You've still got that same fire in your eyes you had that day you were going to fight me. You've just changed. I'll make you a deal. If you promise to go and see your friends in two days then I promise to go with you."

Nishi scowled. "What type of deal is that?"

"The only one you're getting." Nishi was silent for a while and then nodded.

"Fine." She replied reluctantly. "But why not tomorrow?"

"Well, that's the next part of the deal."

Nishi raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?"

"Yes really. I have this extra ticket to one special event in every senior's life." Kagura said waving said tickets in Nishi's face. Nishi snatched the tickets from Kagura's hand.

"Prom? You got me tickets to prom? I can't go to prom. I won't."

"And why not? Don't you think you deserve it?"

"That's exactly my point. I don't deserve it."

"Oh come on already!" Kagura yelled in exasperation. "Haven't you gotten it through your head? You are not responsible for anything that happened while under that bastards-"

"Language Kagura." Nishi said pointing upstairs, referring to her mother who was upstairs cleaning.

"under Naraku's roof. Get over this self pity routine and live a little!" Kagura shouted breathing a bit heavier after such an outburst.

"Are you done yet?" Nishi questioned giving Kagura a look of boredom. Kagura took a breath ready to start up again, but Nishi cut her off. "That was a rhetorical question. Now let me explain what I meant by 'I don't deserve it' before you go all ballistic on me again. I don't deserve to go because I haven't been to school as 'Nishi Midori' for almost the entire school year and as Nishi Midori I don't have enough credits to go. I refuse to go as Mirai(1) or Chiyu because that is part of my past and I will not go back. Besides, I don't have a dress, I don't have a date, and I don't want to be recognized before our two day deal is up. In short, the answer is no."

Kagura looked a bit put out and would have crossed her arms if one of them had not been in a sling. "Well, then fine. See if I do you anymore favors."

"I'm sorry Kagura. I really do appreciate your effort. I promise that after the prom I'll go and see my friends." Kagura stuck out her good hand and they shook on it. "So, where am I meeting them?"

Kagura smirked. "I have an idea…"

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NG: Sorry for the chapter being short, but it is necessary to the story. I hope you liked it anyway. Tell me what you think in a review. It's the only way I'll know how I'm doing. Thanks for reading.

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1() Nishi's other name for when she attended school for a short time after her disappearance.