I rewrote this beginning a couple of times. I almost always write in first person, but particularly when it comes to the passage of time, that sometimes poses a problem. And obviously I can't just switch to third person when things like this arise, so I've been trying to work on incorporating a third person style of abstraction into first person, if that makes any sense. Does it? Well, maybe you'll get it as you read, but what's more important is that you enjoy the chapter. Let's get to it!

For various reasons, including the fact that I forgot which house belongs to Kagome, I end up spending that night in the village stables, curled up in one of the empty stalls. In the morning, I'm woken by the noise of the village, and not long after, I'm discovered. Thankfully, the village man recognizes me from my previous visit, and even better, clouds have moved in over night. With a wide hat and a thick cloak offered by the townspeople, they're able to escort me to Kaede's place. There, I'm promptly welcomed, and, upon Kaede's request, I explain that there's something I hope to find in this time period that isn't in my own. Gratitude swells in my heart when the woman doesn't pry for details.

When I ask about Kagome, I discover that she and her group departed soon after I left. However, it seems that she's rarely gone for more than a few days to a week, preferring to return to our era regularly, so Kaede assures me I won't be without her company for long. In the meantime, the elderly priestess invites me to stay with her.

The sky soon clears up, and once again confines me inside. I take the opportunity to sleep. After the past few restless nights, I sleep like a baby, even despite the lack of a mattress. When I finally wake up, Kaede has returned. She sits stoking the fire in the center of the hut. I sit up, drawn to the homely warmth.

"Awake, are ye?"

I scoot over to sit beside her, discarding the blanket she'd provided earlier today. I would say good morning, except at this point, the sun seems to have set, so instead I repeat, "Thanks again for letting me stay here."

"Oh, don't think too much of it. In return, I have a favor to ask of ye."

"A favor?" I glance her way. What is there that someone like me, weak bodied and limited as I am, could do for her?

"This time of year, there's a flower that's in bloom. If made into a tea, it provides a splendid cure for headaches and joint pains. I have always gone to collect them myself, but as old as I have gotten, traversing the forest at night has grown difficult for me. You see, the flowers only bloom when the moon is out." She turns to me. "And that, child, is why ye could be of great help to me. Are ye willing to do it?"

"Of course!" Hopefully I won't be around the village for too long, but she's been so kind to me, and I'd get bored out of my skull without my paints. I did bring along a notebook, some charcoal, and a few pencils, but if that's the only thing I did for day after day, it would be my joints that would start to ache. And frankly, being outdoors is something I so rarely get to enjoy.

"Bless ye, child. It makes me glad to know the future is in the hands of souls like ye. I'll accompany ye tonight, and show ye how to gather."

So with the moon high, and the village asleep, Kaede and I delve into the forest. I can't help but marvel at how clean the air is. I've never thought the air in Tokyo was particularly bad, but compared to the untainted, fresh air here, Tokyo is no less than suffocating.

During the beginning of our excursion, I use my flashlight to guide my steps and search. Then it occurs to me that I didn't bring any extra batteries, and I immediately click it off. It'd be best if I save it for dire situations. Of course, as soon as I've lost my light source, I being stumbling over the uneven earth. The priestess promises I'll grow accustomed to it soon enough, but in the meantime, my toes seem to catch on just about every root and dip in the forest.

Eventually, Kaede presents a patch of tiny flowers the same color as the white-blue sky growing in a spot of moonlight that leaks through the branches overhead. She demonstrates to me how to uproot them, explaining how while the plant's flower offers remedies, its stalk and roots are edible. After seeking out a few more patches, and having me dig up a few on my own, she decides we've done enough for one night, and we return home. While she sleeps, I get out my notebook and draw a bundle of the flowers, scratching down its uses beside it. Then, since Kaede never specified any sort of name, I amuse myself by labeling them moondrops.

And so begin my nightly outings. For the next few nights, I spend my time collecting moondrops, as well as a few other plants Kaede has examples to show me. Some of them can only be collected during the day, but I still sketch them out and detail their uses in my spare time. I take particular notes on a few plants that apparently soothe burns, and skin irritations, and a couple nights into my stay, during the brief period of time in the morning before I head to sleep and Kaede's just gotten up, she walks me through the process of turning those plants into a salve. After I finish my bowl of rice, I try my own hand at it before heading to bed.

I do not, however, forget my reason for coming. As much as I enjoy this new nocturnal lifestyle, I eagerly await news of Kagome's return. Also, along with my impatience to search, as peaceful and beautiful as I've come to realize the night to be, it's rather lonely. I only ever get to talk with Kaede briefly when I first wake up, and right before I go to bed, and I've hardly seen any of the townsfolk at all since the first day. Maybe I've never had many people around me to begin with, but at the very least, I always had my parents and Una. I don't require a lot of attention, but I miss having at least one person around, just to be there. I wonder, if Kagome's crew doesn't show up soon, if I could get some sort of pet.

I'm not exactly sure how many days pass before Kagome returns, but it's enough that I've fully adopted my new life schedule. I wake up to the sound of her voice talking with Kaede. Pushing myself upright, I find that the entire group has congregated in the small house. Shippo, sitting by my feet, is the first to notice my movement.

"Ah, you're awake!"

All of a sudden confronted by the very people I'd been waiting for, my voice comes out small when I say, "Welcome back."

"It's nice to see you again, Ren," Sango greets from where she stands by Miroku. "We weren't expecting to meet you again so soon."

Kagome worries, "Kaede says you've been staying here for a couple of days. Are your parents okay with that?"

I quickly change the topic. "I was hoping you'd let me travel with you."

"Oh yeah, Kaede said you were searching for something. Do you mind me asking what it is? You're not after the sacred jewel, are you?"

"No, I'm not." Sheepish, I twiddle with my thumbs in my lap. "It's actually...worse."

"Worse?" Miroku wonders.

Inuyasha snorts. "Are you kidding? Nothing's worse than that stupid gem."

I feel the heat in my ears, and pray that it's only my ears turning red. Glancing over at Kagome, I ask, "D-Do you have your notebook on you? Can I see it?"

She gives me a puzzled look, but fetches the requested item and hands it over. As I flip through the pages, I fumble to explain. "You see...there's this one person I've always painted. My parents have always referred to him as my...imaginary friend, but he's really just a character I've had since I was little, and I always drew him and painted him because I felt the need to make him substantial. I knew he wasn't real, but it always felt necessary that he be, for some reason." I stop at the picture I drew the first time I came here, staring at it privately while I continue, "You see, he's...a demon...a dog demon. Kind of like Inuyasha, but different. So when I met Inuyasha, it occurred to me that my character might somehow be...real."

All of them stare at me, waiting for me to go on, and by this point, the hotness in my ears has spread throughout my entire face. I sound so weird right now. Everyone always reacts like this. The one classmate I ever told about him stopped trying to befriend me immediately after. I'm lucky she didn't start any rumors that I'm mentally unstable.

Sucking in a deep breath, I muster all of my courage to finish. "I want to travel with you on the off chance it's true, and I'll find him. This...is what he looks like."

I flip the notebook around and wait, my heart pounding so intensely I have to wonder if it's audible.

Finally, Miroku starts, "Isn't that—"

"Sesshomaru."

My eyes fly to Inuyasha, who bristles as he speaks the name. Suddenly, instead of a hard, heavy thumping, my heart begins to flutter. "Y-You know him?"

"Sesshomaru is Inuyasha's older brother!" Kagome explains, amazement in her voice.

I turn back the drawing to me, my eyes flitting fervently over the face. "Sesshomaru…" After all these years, I finally know his name!

"But how does Ren know Lord Sesshomaru?" Sango questions, looking to her companions for answers.

Miroku lifts a hand to his chin, contemplating. "Could it perhaps have something to do with the sliver of power Lady Kaede and I felt within her?"

"Lord Sesshomaru…" The more I say it, the more right it feels. This person I've dreamed of my entire life, he's Lord Sesshomaru. "Where..." I look up. "Do you know where he is? Can you take me to him?"

"About that," Sango replies, catching my attention, "Lord Sesshomaru travels around separately from us. Usually we just run into him from time to time."

"Then will you allow me to travel with you?"

"Not a chance," Inuyasha scoffs. My excitement dims at the abrupt rejection. Eyes analyzing me coldly, he snarks, "You hardly look fit for traveling, and I doubt you even know how to use a weapon. Our journey's dangerous. We're constantly running into demons. If you can't protect yourself, you're just gonna get yourself killed!"

"Now, now, Inuyasha," Miroku chides, "don't be like that. This is clearly important to Ren. It would be a bit of trouble to adjust ourselves to travel at night, but it shouldn't be too inconvenient."

"If it's just until we see your brother, I'm sure we can protect her," Sango adds.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Ren?" Kagome asks. "This time period is completely different from the one you're used it. Nothing's very convenient, and we might have a hard time finding a place to shield you from the sun while we're on the road. Also, it's fine if you want to see him, but you should know that Sesshomaru isn't exactly fond of humans."

"I'm sure. I have to see him."

"I said I'm against it!" the half demon complains.

"Oh shush. It'll be fine! I'm sure if we search for your brother, we'll find him in no time, and we can return Ren to where it's safe. Think of it as a break! We're always fighting all the time. If Naraku causes trouble again, we can just send Ren back here on Kilala."

"Sounds good to me," Shippo pipes. "Just imagine the look on that demon's face when we hunt him down to show him to a human like he's some sort of trophy! That expressionless guy's gonna be so confused!"

"Did you forget that that bastard hates the mere scent of me?"

"Of course not! How could I forget that? You can just hide in the trees and spy on us when we bring the two of them together!"

This earns the little demon a smack on the head from Inuyasha. Then, growling, he gives. "Fine. We'll bring the girl to Sesshomaru. But I want no part in this little meeting, ya hear?"

I'm guessing a lot of you had already figured out it was Sesshomaru she was drawing and painting. I wasn't exactly trying to hide it, but she never had a name for him until now, so it was kind of an exercise of non-explicit show-don't-tell. If that makes sense. I'm just spouting a ton of writing jargon today. Anyway, thoughts, opinions, and anticipations can find their way to me via the comments, smash that follow or favorite button, and I will see you lovely readers in the next update! Ciao!