A/N: Hey, I'm back again with another chapter. This one isn't as action-packed as the previous, but nonetheless important to the plot.

But first, a big round of appreciation from me to all of you. Welcome to the fave-fam: Kiwimari and Tennyo Ch'ang-O; I really appreciate that you've favorited my story. And to Kagz419 and Guest, thanks for the reviews. And, of course, thanks to you all for taking the time to read my story.

Warning: Emotional outburst.

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha: this series and all of its wonderful (and gruesome) characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I do, however, own Aiko and her background story, and plausible other OCs that may appear throughout this series (I've not completed writing this story as of yet).

Now, enjoy the newest chapter:

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Chapter 27 – Electric Blues

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"What are you … that you were able to draw the Tessaiga?" Sesshōmaru asked her in a cold tone.

Kagome took a step back and held the Tessaiga in front of her defensively: "D-don't come any closer! I'll slice you!"

This seemed familiar to me, like I had experienced it once before. But I couldn't remember from when or where this moment was from.

I could feel that I was paralyzed. Fear filled my person. Fear for Kagome's safety. I heard myself shout internally at myself to move, but I couldn't.

"Get away from her, Sesshōmaru! She's not a part of this!" InuYasha yelled at Sesshōmaru while he ran towards them.

"InuYasha!" Kagome screamed desperately as she glanced past Sesshōmaru and at him.

Wait a minute! Was this back when we were fighting against Sesshōmaru within the remains of his and InuYasha's father?

"Alas, I'm afraid that she is," Sesshōmaru lifted his right hand up in front of him and it began to glow a sickly green color, "merely by being your companion."

Then he struck his glowing hand towards Kagome; "My talons bid you … Goodbye."

Kagome became enveloped in the poison from Sesshōmaru's hand.

Why was I experiencing this again?

I felt my lips move as I whispered: "No," while I felt the salty stings of tears streaming down my cheeks.

Then I felt my legs give out underneath me, and another "No," whistled out from in between my lips.

Like I was experiencing it for the first time again, I felt my body be gripped by grief. My hands flew up to my dark blond hair and I could feel myself pulling harshly at my locks. More tears fell down my cold cheeks while I grieved the loss of my best friend.

Then I felt something primal come over me. I felt how every vein inside my body became filled with rage. A savage roar of agony ripped through my throat, letting them all know how much pain I felt. My temperature rose as my blood ran fiercely in my veins.

Then I registered something that I hadn't registered the first time. I felt a yōki stir from deep inside of me. It felt cold and deadly, and I felt how it took control over my body.

I rose from my kneeled position and slowly pulled out Ōginsairensā from its saya. Another happenstance occurred that I hadn't registered the first time. When I had wrapped my hand around the tsuka, it send off electricity. The electricity ran up and down my hand and arm, but I couldn't register any pain from it. Though I knew that it should hurt me; I could smell how the electricity was burning my flesh. It was like Ōginsairensā was resisting me, but I didn't know why. Yet I ignored the electricity and slowly shifted my gaze up. It landed on Sesshōmaru.

This time, I was able to see him – both his corporeal form and his yōki which surrounded him like a ruby aura. Then his yōki swallowed him whole, and all I saw was his yōki, shining in a bright ruby color.

I charged him. My body was filled with rage. He was at fault for Kagome's death.

He seemed to had anticipated my attack and jumped, trying to evade my attack. But I jumped after him. He landed on one of the big ribs with me landing in front of him a second after. I had my side to him, and quickly made another attack. Taking a sideways step towards him, I slashed my sword at him in a sideways arc. He dodged my attack by taking a step back and lean his torso backwards. My sword passed by his nose tip with only a fragment of an inch to spare. Then I saw him flex his claws, like he was readying them for an attack. With lightning speed, he struck his claws after me.

I dodged the attack by moving my right shoulder backwards. That's when something happened that was new for me. In rapid session, he swiped his claws at me, which I evaded by continuing to flex my upper body backwards. Left shoulder back, right shoulder back, left shoulder back…

Then I felt I had had enough of the dance and jumped down from the rib. This gave me more room to work with while I fought against Sesshōmaru. He followed after me. While he was in midair, he coated his right hand with his poison and targeted my head. I saw the incoming attack, and at the last possible second, I duck down under his poisonous claws while I turned my blade upwards, aiming for his chest. Yet again, he dodged the attack. He twisted his upper torso away from my ōdachi.

I registered how the electricity that ran up my arm intensified, and this time, I felt the sharp sting of it. It felt like thousands of needles were piercing my skin simultaneously in rapid session. My lips made a grim line, the only indication of pain I showed. I proceeded with my fight against Sesshōmaru like the pain didn't faze me. In quick session, I struck my ōdachi down towards him in an overhead cut.

*CLASH*, *CLASH*, *CLASH*, came the sounds when my blade met his claws as he used them to parry my attacks.

Trying to right my stance, my balance faltered for a split-second. He took advantage of the situation and struck out with his poisonous claws, aiming for my head once again. I avoided the attack by leaning back over. He had almost gotten me with his attack, his poisonous hand hovering over my face. It was so close that I could smell the acrid burn. While I was leaning backwards, I swung my blade in an upward arc, starting at my lower right. This made him jump backwards in order to avoid my attack, creating the distance in between us I needed. With haste, I righted my stance so that I wasn't in such a vulnerable position. But he quickly advanced on me, striking his left hand out against me, his claws poised and at the ready. This time I jumped backwards, creating space in between us. The sound of bones being crushed met my ears when I landed back on the ground.

He charged me once more, but I was ready for the attack. I made a downward slash. Yet instead of parrying or dodging my attack, he thrusted his left hand forward and grabbed a hold of the blade. Instantly, electricity shot up the blade and up his arm, my ōdachi trying to make him let go of it by its own volition. I tried to pull Ōginsairensā free from his hold, and I could hear how the blade began to cut into the palm of his hand before he was able to hold it still. The cut I had made began to bleed, his crimson blood slowly running down the blade of my ōdachi, coating it slightly with his ruby liquid.

I could easily smell his blood. My yōki flared up with vigor and I felt exhilarated. Finally, I had managed to draw blood from him. Something deep inside of me wanted more of it, needed to draw more blood from him. He had killed Kagome, and he needed to pay in kind, by giving up his life to me.

"KILL!" I growled out with hunger.

Hunger for his crimson blood. I wanted to bathe my blade in it, bathe myself in it. It felt almost euphoric to fantasize about draining him completely for blood.

"Aiko!"

I stopped up immediately, surprised at the sound of that voice. It couldn't be possible. I saw her being killed by Sesshōmaru's poisonous claws.

I turned my head in the direction of where the voice had come from. Astonishment filled my person at seeing Kagome stand there, unharmed, clutching the rusty blade to her chest. At first I didn't see her corporal form, but that changed immediately. She was staring at me with shock written over her face. But I couldn't figure out what she should be shocked about. All I could think about was that she was alive, and I felt myself be filled with relief.

"Kagome-chan?" I whispered breathlessly.

Then I felt exhaustion taking over me. The bloodlust that had been fueled by my yōki disappeared, and my yōki withdrew completely, leaving me drained of energy. I took a step towards her, yet my sight began to turn black. Unconsciousness was winning.

"You're alive," I whispered tiredly, my voice hoarse.

I felt myself fall forward, and then I had fallen into oblivion.

~oOo~

But instead of falling into oblivion, like I did in my memory, I woke up. I sat up immediately, gasping after air. I felt weird. This was clearly a memory I had reexperienced, yet something about it threw me off. It was like some of the pieces to the puzzle had been missing, only to be found and mend the holes in the puzzle.

Back in the remains of InuYasha's and Sesshōmaru's father, I had been fighting Sesshōmaru, which I only had an inkling idea of that I had. And to my surprise, if the memory was true, I had matched him in strength and speed. It was bewildering to think me as a match to Sesshōmaru. He was probably the most powerful yōkai I would ever encounter in my life.

I had to verify my dream/memory with InuYasha. He was there and had probably seen me fight Sesshōmaru, so he would be able to confirm if my newfound discovery was true.

Then I pondered on the feeling of my yōki in that battle. It wasn't like Gin at all. When I let myself be merged with her, the yōki I felt running throughout my body felt warm and welcoming. The yōki I had experienced had felt cold and almost murderous. It was such a sharp contradicting feeling that I couldn't help but wonder… was it perhaps my mother's bloodline…? It…?

Gin? I thought, trying to reach out for her in my mind.

But I didn't get a response; she seemed to be out of reach at the moment. Maybe I had exhausted her…

That's when I remembered that I had fought against Naraku, and that the yōki that had filled me in the majority of the battle hadn't been Gin's. It had been the same cold yōki as the one from my memory dream.

"Kew."

That groggy mewl of Kirara pulled me out of my musings and I glanced over at where I heard it from. Kirara was lying in a small ball near the head of a young, brown haired woman, who was currently out cold.

That's… Sango, I thought, remembering her from the confrontation.

Kirara had her eyes closed, but her ears were perched, angled towards me.

"Stay here, Kirara," I said and pushed away the blanket I had over me.

She gave a soft little purr as her response. I got up from the sleeping bag I was lying on top of and stumbled over to the door opening. Pushing the curtains to the side, I winced when the sharp light shone directly onto my face and into my eyes. Sometimes I really hated how harsh the sun could be with its lifegiving rays of light. I lifted my hand up in front of my face, shielding my eyes from the sunlight. There, I stood for about a few seconds until my eyes had gotten used to the light. Looking around with my hand still shading the sun, I saw that we were back in the taijiya village.

Suddenly, I felt a splitting headache. I groaned out in pain while I leaned up against the door frame. My hand that had shades my eyes form the sun landed on my face, trying to ease the agonizing pain that was attempting to split my head in two. My body began to tremble with exertion. Apparently I wasn't fully recovered from the fight.

"Aiko-chan? You're up?!" Kagome said with astonishment.

Slowly I opened my right eye and looked at her quickly approaching form through a narrowed view.

"Sorta…" I whispered, wincing at how hoarse and cracked my voice sounded.

She stopped up in front of me and narrowed her eyes at me: "You aren't completely healed, are you?"

Her words were spoken in a lecturing manner, and I knew that she didn't approved of me being out of bed yet.

"Nn-nn," I replied in a negative manner, indicating that I wasn't.

She seemed to have anticipated my response and tried to usher me back into bed: "Then go get some more sleep!" she said resolutely.

"No can do!" I hissed out through clenched lips.

The pain in my head was almost unbearable and I closed my eyes in response to the agony.

"But you aren't well!" Kagome said desperately, still trying to get me back inside.

In a hurried manner, I pushed her hands off of me. I couldn't go back inside and sleep. I needed answers! And InuYasha was the only one able to give them to me.

"I need answers, Kagome!" I shrieked frantically, my voice cracking with the raised volume of my voice.

I opened my eyes and stared at her, right into her brown eyes. She took in a sharp breath, completely shocked by something. But at that moment, all I could think about was to get some answers to what was wrong with me!

"I need to speak with InuYasha!"

Yet no response came from her. I let myself concentrate on really looking at her. She was still frozen on the spot, shock still plastered on her face. It worried me that she hadn't batted her lashes at all while I stared at her. This wasn't like Kagome at all.

Before I could shake her out of her stupor, Miroku spoke from behind me: "Is everything alright here?"

His voice seemed to break the spell on Kagome, and she gasped desperately for air. Blinking multiple times in rapid session, she pulled her gaze away from me and glanced at Miroku. But only for a second. Her eyes landed back on me, dancing back and forth like she was taking in my eyes.

"Kagome-sama?" Miroku asked puzzled and reached out a hand towards her.

Though before it landed on her shoulder, she whispered: "Your … eyes…"

Still she wasn't looking away from me, and I kept my eyes on her. I didn't know what to do or how to react.

I heard Miroku walk over to stand beside Kagome. Then he looked into my eyes. I shifted my attention to him and looked into his indigo eyes, only to see that he was taken aback as well with what he was seeing. What was going on here?

"What is it?" I whispered, suddenly nervous of finding out what had them become so shocked.

It was Miroku who answered me: "Your eyes aren't green anymore…"

My heart hammered violently in my chest; my eyes aren't green…?

I looked at Kagome once again, and now I could see that see looked sad.

"They've turned into an electric blue…" came Kagome's sadden words.

This took my breath away. What was happening to me?

From me to relive an old happenstance where I had found out my yōki had been different from Gin, to now finding out that my eyes had changed color.

I took a step backwards but felt how much I was shaking. The movement made me lose my balance and my knees buckled with my trembling weight. Miroku acted quickly and grabbed a hold of my upper arms, catching me from falling. Though in order to catch me, he had to let go of his shakujō, which fell to the ground with a soft thud and the clinking of the rings clanking against each other and the golden head of the staff reverberated around us. My hands weakly grabbed a hold of Miroku's lower arms, trying to steady myself.

I could feel how worried they both were for me. But all I could comprehend at the moment was that I was changed.

"I-I need to see…" I mumbled breathlessly.

Almost immediately, I heard Kagome head inside the hut. Then the sound of her rummaging through her bag, tossing multiple different items across the floor, permeated through the air and met my ears. But I couldn't think. I could only feel how scared I was; I was terrified! The things that had happened to me ever since I fell through the well the first time with Kagome, had changed me on another whole new level. No one could ever anticipate such a change as the ones I had been through and was still going through.

Hastily I shifted my gaze up and immediately found the indigo eyes of Miroku filled with concern. I knew that he could easily see the horror I felt being reflected through my eyes.

An exclamation of success came from Kagome when she appeared to have found what she was looking for. Quickly she ran out of the hut and stopped beside us. I looked at her and saw how worried she was about me. Her eyes gleamed in question, wordlessly asking me if I was sure. I timidly gave her a nod. Then I tried to prepare myself for what I was about to see.

Slowly she turned the object in hand that she had hugged into her chest in a nervous gesture. When the object was turned, I could see that it was a mirror. Gradually I let my gaze shift up towards the reflective surface she was showing me. Just before I would be able to see my eyes, I closed them and took a deep, self-assuring breath. Then I opened them, and I looked right into the reflection of my eyes, which should have been the same, well-known green eyes that resembled my father's eyes. Yet the eyes that stared back at me were not those green eyes. Instead, they were foreign and shining in a brilliant electric blue hue. If it wasn't my eyes that had changed into that beautiful color, I would have liked them. But it was my eyes. Which horrified me. My feelings went haywire when I finally realized that those eyes were my eyes. I felt angry and grievous; I had lost something that always cheerily reminded me of my father.

I saw how tears gathered in the corners of my eyes while I stared in disbelief into the small hand mirror Kagome was still holding. When the first tear escaped, I tore my eyes away from the mirror and closed them tightly. Then the dam was broken. My tears rolled down my cheeks like a waterfall. A scream of despair tore itself from my throat, and all strength left my body. My legs finally buckled under my weight. Not even Miroku's supporting hands could hold me up anymore. I fell down to my knees, though I heard more than my knees meet the dusty ground. Miroku's hands disappeared from my upper arms, only to reappear tenderly on my shoulders.

My body shook with the screams of my internal pain, my throat cracking horribly with how each scream tore at my vocal cords. More and more I sounded like a screaming banshee from a horror movie. Suddenly I latched myself to Miroku's chest. I needed something warm and physical to hold onto, and he was the nearest living warm being. My hands clenched his kesa in between my fingers, desperately clinging onto him like my life depended on it. I felt how he, at first, stiffened at my clinginess, but slowly his hands wrapped around my shoulders in a comforting manner. Gently he hugged me to his chest, trying to console me.

I felt a soft hand land on my back, softly stroking up and down my back in a soothing manner. I knew that it was Kagome. But her soothing hand only seemed to make me cry harder. I felt guilty of being so consumed by grief and sadness in front of her. I didn't want her to worry about me, yet this was exactly what I was doing with this emotional breakdown.

Unexpectedly, her hands became more insistent, and I could feel how she tried to pull me away from Miroku and over to her open and welcoming embrace. I was too weak to try resist the pull if I had wanted to. My hands let go of Miroku's kesa and I let myself be guided over to Kagome's chest. As soon as I felt the fabric of her school uniform against my fingers, I desperately grabbed a hold of it and feverishly clung to it. Then I wailed out again in utter despair. Kagome urgently hugged me to her chest and softly patted my hair.

"Ssh, it's going to be okay," she said soothingly, doing everything in her power to console me.

While I was in her embrace, surrounded by her softness and warmth, my wails of despair slowly turned into demure sobs. I felt secure in her arms, and greedily sucked her warmth into my skin.

"What's all the wailing for?!" I suddenly heard InuYasha yell with annoyance.

His yell was soon followed by a small hand landing on my right upper arm.

"What happened to Aiko-chan?" Shippō asked in a timid and worried voice.

I could feel how Kagome wanted to answer Shippō, yet at the same time, it felt like she was unsure about telling him what had happened. Slowly, I tried to put myself together so that I could figure out what to do next. It felt like an eternity passed by before I felt somewhat ready to face the others. When I finally felt ready, I sluggishly pulled myself out of Kagome's embrace. Her arms loosened their hold on me but stayed at my elbows, giving me strength in the simple gesture of support. I held my eyes closed while I took a few steadying breaths. Then I opened my eyes and looked into Shippō's green eyes. They were darker than mine used to be. When Shippō met my gaze with his, I could see how frightened he was about the change. I didn't like that he reacted in such a manner and tore my eyes away from him, closing them hastily.

"Could anyone tell me what the hell's going on?!" InuYasha exclaimed with annoyance, clearly not liking to be left out on what was happening.

The others didn't respond to his question; I could feel how they were all focused on me. Readying myself to see how he would react to my change I slowly moved my closed eyes to where I knew he was standing – right behind Kagome. Then I opened them and stared into his golden eyes.

He didn't react to it at first, but then his eyes narrowed like he was thinking.

Without any emotional reaction, he tilted his head in a curious manner and asked: "What happened to your eyes?"

I closed my eyes once more and sighed heavily. Figures. Of course, he would be the only one to not react in a surprised manner. Sometimes he was really oblivious to what happened around him.

Sighing once more, I cracked my eyes open and stared down into my lap: "You tell me," I mumbled.

My throat felt raw after my screaming tirade. I needed to be careful with how much I spoke until I had healed a bit unless I wanted to lose my voice.

"So, what's the big deal? Your eyes is blue now… it doesn't mean the end of the world!"

His words hit a nerve in me, and I could feel how my yōki flared up; the cold and murderous one.

"I-InuYasha!" Kagome said, aghast by his choice of words.

Before she could say more against his uncaring words, I had gotten up from the ground. My muscles were still trembling with exhaustion, though my yōki made me able to control the overused muscles. When I was standing on my own two legs, I walked around Kagome and Shippō, so that I was standing right in front of the hanyō.

"You don't get it!" I growled at him, my yōki mingling into my voice.

I pointed my index finger at him in a purposeful manner and continued: "I've changed since the first time I stepped a foot into this blasted time! And now I have lost something really important to me! My green eyes were the only resemblance I had to my otō-san! Now all I have is Ōginsairensā! That's all I have left of him!"

I was more than mad about this situation, and I threw my disdain against his words right back into his face: "I would bet a fortune that you look a hella lot more like your otō-san than your okā-san! At least you'll be able to see him whenever you look at your reflection! I don't have that anymore!"

Apparently this struck a nerve of his because he yelled right back into my face: "How the fuck would I know?! I've never even met him! He kicked the stupid can before I was old enough to meet him!"

If I wasn't so angry, I might've paid better attention to what he had said. But I didn't listen to his words. I felt almost consumed by my maddening anger that fueled my cold yōki, and I had an unyielding wish to punch his guts out of him. But before I could act on my desires to beat InuYasha silly, I felt a pair of arms come up from behind and underneath my arms. They moved up until the middle of the underarms were parallel with my shoulders. Then the hands gathered behind my head at my upper neck, pushing my head forward. The elbows spread away from my torso, moving my arms out, making me unable to bend my arms at the elbow.

Then the owner of the arms spoke: "You need to calm down, Aiko!"

It was Miroku who had locked me in place with his armlock. I couldn't get out of it without breaking an arm in the process. Yet something inside my felt like it was ready to do so, if it meant that I could beat InuYasha into a pulp.

That feeling made me freeze on the spot; I was ready to harm myself just to hurt one of my companions. It was a horrifying realization that made my blood freeze in my veins. This thing inside me scared me endlessly. What if it chose to go after Kagome?

I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I ever laid a finger on her!

I choked on my breath, feeling more than terrified by what resided within me. If I didn't learn to control this … thing … inside me…

What should I do?

~oOo~

The sun was slowly dipping down over the horizon, turning from day into night. I was following Miroku while he led us to somewhere secluded. He had a theory about my change, and to make it short, it was tied to my emotions. More precisely, my anger. If I was able to put a damper on my anger, then he was certain that I wouldn't get those horrifying flukes in my yōki. The cold and murderous yōki we all had concluded was tied to my mother's bloodline.

We stopped up in the middle of a simple clearing that seemed to be secluded and quite peaceful. He turned towards me and looked at me with a calm expression.

"Have you ever tried to meditate before?" he asked me in a soft voice.

I was a few feet away from him, my attention only on him. I shook my head in a negative, indicating that I had never done so before. He nodded in response. Then he sat down on the grassy ground, sitting in the lotus position. His shakujō lied next to him on his right.

"Join me," he said while he closed his eyes.

I did what he told me to do and mirrored his position. Sitting across from him in the lotus position as well with only a foot's distance in between our knees. Though, I didn't close my eyes.

Like he knew that I was still looking at him, he sighed softly, exuding calm and tranquility after his soft exhale.

"Now, close your eyes and listen to my voice. I will guide you through the steps."

This time, I closed my eyes and exhaled a silent sigh, trying to absorb his tranquil aura into my being.

"Take a deep breath in through your nose," he said in a calm manner.

He took a deep breath in through his nose, and I followed his example.

"Count to four in your head while you hold the breath in your chest," he said, still exuding calmness.

I did as he said and held my breath, counting to four in my mind.

When I had counted to four, he said: "Then exhale slowly through your mouth, while you count to four again."

He exhaled while he slowly counted to four in a low voice. I could feel how the air diminished inside my lungs while I exhaled to his counting. When he reached four, I had the barest amount of air inside my lungs and I could feel that they began to slightly burn with the lack of oxygen.

"Then count to four before you take another deep breath in through your nose."

I followed his guidance. His voice had such a calming effect on me that I didn't mind the slight burn in my lungs while I counted to four again. When I reached four, we breathed in through our noses at the same time.

"Count to four while you breathe in."

And I did so. Counting to four yet again while I breathed in. Then I held my breath inside my lungs, mimicking his breathing to a T.

After I had exhaled and kept my lungs depleted to the count of four, I breathed in once more through my nose and listened to Miroku's calming voice.

"Feel how the air expands your chest… how the air fills your chest with life and peace."

His words, as well as the slow breathing, felt nice and peaceful, and I felt like I became light and free with each slow intake, break, and exhale. We continued for a while, and I felt how I became calmer and at ease while we continued with the breathing exercise.

"Good," Miroku said in an appraising manner.

I felt my lips quirk up in one corner, happy that I was doing it right.

"Now, you keep breathing like I've taught you to and listen to my voice."

Humming in agreement, I breathed in through my nose again. Then I kept the air in my chest, and he spoke once more.

"With your next exhale, I would like you to imagine your body become heavy, like you're being forced to the ground."

I began to exhale and felt how my body became slightly heavier with my exhale.

"Don't resist the feeling. It may feel slightly uncomfortable, but you will feel good as you proceed."

Miroku's voice was ever calm and pleasant to listen to. I continued with the preset breathing pattern we had established. When I exhaled again, my body became heavier still. I had to admit that it felt slightly uncomfortable.

When I exhaled for the fourth time after Miroku had told me to let my body become heavy, I felt like my body was almost making a crater into the grassy ground with how heavy my body felt.

"Good," Miroku said like he could feel how heavy my body had become.

"Now, with your next exhale, you will still feel like your body is heavy. But you will feel how your spirit will become as light as the air itself. Let your spirit soar up to the heavens with your exhale."

And just like he said, with my next exhale, my body remained heavy, but I could feel something in me become light and soar upwards.

Still talking in his calming manner, he continued: "You will feel how your worries and anger will leave your body. As it leaves your mortal coil, your spirit will keep rising to the heavens. Let the enlightenment fill your mind, body, and soul."

When I exhaled the next time, I felt how my anger left my body while my spirit soared up to the sky. I felt that I could touch the moon with how at peace I felt. But when I breathed in again, I found myself surrounded by darkness. I could no longer feel Miroku's presence in front of me. Instead, I saw a swirling aura.

I was frozen to the spot while I stared at the swirling aura. Then to my surprise, the aura solidified and took shape, though the shape was enveloped with the surrounding darkness. Suddenly the shape shifted, and I was staring into a pair of electric blue eyes. I gasped and felt myself fall backwards.

I felt how the air got knocked out of my chest when I landed on something solid. My eyes opened and I was staring up at the starry sky. It was nighttime.

"Are you alright, Aiko-san?" I heard Miroku ask me.

The shuffling of fabric indicated that he was getting up from his sitting position. I was breathing heavily while I kept staring up at the night sky. Then his face blocked out my view of the night sky, his face enveloped by shadows. I blinked as I tried to focus on his face.

"Well, something seemed to have worked…" he said in a thoughtful manner.

I couldn't find my voice, so I blinked in response to his words, still breathing heavily.

"… Your eyes are back to being green again," he then said, a kind smile spreading across his lips.

Relief filled my being with those words, and I closed my eyes, a smile spreading across my face. Then I opened my eyes again and looked up at Miroku with gratefulness. He had helped me get my eyes back to normal. If it wasn't for the shadows across his face, it almost looked like he had a gentle blush on his cheek.

"We should probably head back to the others. I have a feeling that it would be dinner time soon."

With that said, he righted his position, giving me a short glimpse of the stars above before an open hand flittered into my view. I looked at the appendage, then grabbed a hold of it, letting him help me up from the ground.

"Thank you, Miroku-sama," I said appreciatively for his help; if it wasn't for him, I would not have regained my green eyes.

"Don't mention it," he said and rested his arm against my lower back, "… but I think it would be good for you to try meditate at least once a day."

He slowly pushed against my lower back, leading us onto the path back to the taijiya village. His strides matched mine while we walked back, his hand still resting on my lower back. I didn't think about his hand's placement; I was simply too content with the peace I felt. Then his hand shifted to my waist and slowly petted my side. This made me blush since I hadn't expected it. But my surprise with his touch soon made me annoyed. I pinched the skin on the back of his hand, and he yelped with pain and let go of my waist.

"Don't do something stupid, hōshi!" I bit out with annoyance and walked a bit faster.

"Heh, sorry… habits, you know…" he chuckled out embarrassedly.

I stopped up and looked over my shoulder and saw his apologetic expression, his left hand scratching the back of his neck.

"Then maybe you should break the habit…" I deadpanned.

I then continued back to the village, knowing that he would be following me back.

A/N: So, what d'ya think? We learn a little bit more about Aiko, and I must say that I think it's a nice little plot-twist, so to speak. But anyways, let me know what you think, and I'll be back again next Sunday with another chapter. Stay safe.