A/N: It's time again for another installment of 'Wishes'. Not sure why I chose such a name for it, but such is life :D Oodles of thanks to MusicalSoul for her awesome BETA skills! Thanks to those of you who offered up your services, too. It's pretty cool of you :D I alos thouht it about time to say thank you for the reviews. A lot of them are helpful, and some of them just make me grin like an idiot XD.

Without further ado, I present a long-ish chapter. One so filled with... well, read and find out :P As per usual, I don't own IY.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

"Take this," I heard. I turned, careful not to drop my handful of berries, and saw Sesshoumaru standing there. He wore an odd expression, but then, I thought, when is his expression ever normal? He was holding something in his hand, waiting for me to take it. I frowned.

"What is it?" I asked, popping a few berries into my mouth. He probably sensed I was in no hurry to receive whatever he held, so he opened his hand and dangled the item between us. I swallowed, staring at it. "I've seen that before..."

It was a necklace. The chain was made of a dark metal, and a bright green jewel hung at then end. I looked at Sesshoumaru, and he was looking back at me. "Where...?" I asked.

"A long time ago," he said, eyes never leaving my own. "This belonged to your mother."

"How could you possibly know that?" I asked. "And that didn't belong to my mother. I've seen it somewhere else."

"This Sesshoumaru knows many things," he said, "including the history of your family."

"What do you mean?" I asked, growing irritated. "We're all human." I dropped the berries as my hands clenched to fists. He watched me, a bit too calmly, I thought.

"I speak in regards to your other family. Your blood family," he said. I raised my brows at that. "You are not as human as you think."

"I didn't know you had a sense of humor," I said scathingly. He blinked.

"Do not take offense. You hail from a very powerful family. There is nothing to be ashamed of," he said. I shook my head in disbelief.

"Have you lost it?" I cried. "Like I told that monk, I think I'd know were I a demon!"

"And yet you do not," he returned, golden eyes glittering slightly. I was so furious I could barely see. I felt my muscles shaking because of how tense I was. I had half a mind to tell and scream at him until I collapsed, but somehow found a way to restrain myself. Instead, I asked him a question, demanded something I thought to be impossible.

"Why don't you prove it?" I was surprised when he huffed.

"If you permit me show you proof," he said, chin lifted slightly. I swallowed, ignoring the part of me that was starting to believe him. I nodded.

"I won't stop you," I said quietly, resigning myself to listen.

"This," he said, holding the necklace out to me, "should be all the proof you require." I stared at it, close to tears. How cruel he was! He might've seen my emotions nearing fever pitch, for he spoke gently. "Take it," he prompted. I inhaled sharply as I blinked back tears. I grabbed the necklace, feeling humiliated.

A jolt flashed through me as I came into contact with the jewel, and I nearly dropped it. I managed a firmer grip as things started to flash through my mind's eye. Images. Ideas. Faces. Names. Feelings.

I vividly recalled sitting on a woman's lap. I couldn't make out her face, but I distinctly remember seeing the very necklace I held around her neck. She would often let me hold it when I sat on her lap. She would run her fingers through my hair and speak softly. She was my mother. I remember always being near her, and around my father as well. They would both watch me as I played with the necklace.

My father was powerful; He would meet with powers in the West, often negotiating for peace or territory. I was always present for the meetings, thought I didn't always understand what was going on. being the human equivalent of six years, I had little interest in such matters. However, both my parents were sure to tell me often who I was. I knew at a young age that I would inherit a great power. I also knew that I would have to deal with stronger families.

One such family came often to speak with my father. I never saw a female, but a father and son duo frequented my father's meeting space. The father was incredibly powerful, yet kindly. I remembered him ruffling my hair in a most adoring fashion. The son, however, was nowhere near as friendly. He would sit on his knees and pay rapt attention to his father's conversations. Occasionally he would glance at me, and I would watch him. He was the only other young demon I had contact with, so it was fair to say I was obsessed with what he did.

When he did look at me, he would never blink. Just slightly older than myself, he was already a powerful demon. His father was very proud of him. The boy was indifferent. His cold air matched the chill of his eyes. His golden eyes.

The necklace fell from my hand and I gasped, my eyes wide. I stared at the man before me and my mouth fell open in shock. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, I was distracted by that same comfortable pressure I'd felt while in possession of the jewel shard. I remembered the feeling, only it was now stronger than it had been before I had been a human. As I closed my eyes to fully appreciate my aura, I recalled something else, something more recent.

I was older, barely an adult but no longer a child. I was comfortable with my role as heir to the Zaou family, thought it had been a long time since I'd seen my parents.

Separated from them in some sort of accident, I had been searching for my parents since I'd trained enough to protect myself. Be it fate or bad luck, my efforts in finding them went unrewarded. They were not at our old home, nor had anyone in our court been seen. I would relate my tales to the demon who took me in.