Author's note: Don't worry, Sesshoumaru isn't forgotten! ^ ^ I only thought that he deserved a lesson after what he had done ^ ^;;; But stop with talks! I've many things to write! CHAPTER 19 WE HAD STOP TO HOPE. ""I don't like very much your idea." Anna said, cold, her eyes focused distractedly on Kaede's hands, who was lighting the fire. "I don't care if you don't like it.- Inuyasha said, stubborn- You have to tell us!" "Inuyasha!" Kagome chided him. Anna sighed, looking at the little crowd sit around her with a slightly annoyed face. The sunset was just gone and they were inside Kaede's house. Inuyasha and Kagome were returned in the village that afternoon. Anna was been.happy to see them. More or less. She didn't feel much after Inuzuka's episode. Not very much before, she had to hide her feelings because they were too much intense. Funny, isn't it? She thought if she resembled Kikyou to their eyes.or Sesshoumaru, why not? "You'll be better, Anna. Talk with us." Kagome's voice broke her thoughts and Anna looked at her. They haven't nearly greeted each other. Her and Inuyasha had started immediately with their interrogatory, and Anna, even if she appreciated Kagome's worry, and Inuyasha's strange one, hadn't so much desire of carry to the light her memories of that bad day. "It's better give her time, isn't it?- Shippou asked- She'll talk if she'll want to.Ouch! Kagome, Inuyasha has hit me!" Shippou screamed, his hands on his head. "Because you've said an idiocy, baka!" Inuyasha growled, his fist ready to hit again. "Inuyasha!- Kagome said, taking Shippou in her arms- Shippou has only said his point of view!" "It's mine also, Kagome-sama.- Miroku said, sit against the wall- I don't think it's a good thing to push her, even if you have so good intentions." "Miroku, don't tell." Inuyasha started to warn him. "I think we have to take one's time, Kagome-chan." Sango said, ignoring Inuyasha's words. Kagome lowered her eyes, thinking. "Oi! No one has asked your opinions!" Inuyasha said, annoyed. "Guys." Kaede grumbled, while the group started to argue. Anna watched the scene in front of her with a light smile. They were a wonderful group of friend, even when they argued. Since she was arrived in the village, they had found a place for her. Maybe she had to extinguish her debt. "I'll talk." she whispered. Everybody stooped to chit-chat. "What?" Inuyasha asked, uncertain. Anna made another smile and Inuyasha couldn't restrain himself to thing how distant it was. "I'll talk.- Anna repeated- I've a debt with you." "Feh! At last!" Inuyasha exclaimed, sitting with folded arms. Kagome clutched him by the rosary, angry. Anna smiled again, then started to tell, under six pairs of eyes.one of them painful amber. "After that Sesshoumaru gave me the possibility to live again inside the Palace." Anna told about everything. The month of collaboration because the near war, then Sesshoumaru's decision to call a meeting to Inuzuka and to carry her with him. She didn't describe well their travel, with a very little mention to her sleep over Sesshoumaru's tail (he had let her sleep against a tree, in the end, or not?), then she started to describe the meeting and her battle with Kima. She tell about her deed of anger and the consequent show of Sesshoumaru, in her room. "He said he didn't want to see my face again. For him, I'm dead.- Anna said, so deeply in her thoughts to don't notice the silence of her friends- I couldn't stand his contempt for me, so I decided to confess my feelings before I'd go away. So, I heard you sell me as lover to another inu-youkai." "Kami-sama." Kagome murmured, giving a look to Inuyasha. He was deadly serious. Anna made an half smile. "My anger killed my rational mind and I went crazy. I transformed myself in a inu-youkai for the first time, than I killed that perverted inu-youkai and run away, with that group of youkais behind me. And that's all." Anna ended. "What? It's all?- Sango asked, surprised- And Sesshoumaru?" "Sesshoumaru?- Anna asked, puzzled- What do you want to know?" "I mean.Didn't he try to stop you?" Sango said. "I.- Anna whispered, thinking- I don't know, I don't remember. I know he was there when I killed that inu-youkai, and maybe he had told something to me, but I don't remember. And it's unimportant." "It could be." Kagome said suddenly. Anna smiled. "Don't search gold where there isn't anything, Kagome.- she said- I've stopped." She stood up with a movement. "Now, if you let me, to tell about those days has disgusted me enough, I go out to breath fresh air." She went out. Shippou gave a look to Kagome, than went out him too, following Anna. He didn't like she stood all alone with her thoughts. After all, they had forced her to speak. "Poor, poor Anna." Kagome whispered, sad. "I'm sorry to say it, but I had a bad foreboding since the day you'd told this to us, Kagome-sama.- Miroku said, seriously- The few I know about Sesshoumaru didn't fit well with a relation with Anna." "He is been able to make her as cold as him.- Kagome said, a little angry- He could at least search her to know if she's fine or not!" "Haven't you listened, Kagome?- Inuyasha said, with an acid tone, speaking for the first time- For him, Anna is dead. When he says things like this, he's deadly serious." Giving a frustrated punch to the flat, Inuyasha raised on his feet and walked out. The mat flapped behind him, while he sat near the door, outside the warm room. The others watched his exit from the scene, then Kagome bowed her eyes. "He reacts in this way because in the end he is been fool, too.- she murmured- I can't imagine what is to have a brother who has the only desire to kill you." "Anna couldn't do miracles, Kagome-chan.- Sango tried to cheer her up- Now that she's with us, she'll forget and she'll live happily." "I only hope the youkais wouldn't find her." Kagome said, shaking her head. She didn't believe that Anna would return as some time ago. "Luckily, it's fallen much rain while she was running. Her tracks are surely disappeared. They'll have difficulty to find her." Sango said, searching Miroku with the eyes. He nodded. "It's right, and I hope so, because I fear that Anna would run away from here if she'll feel they are near. She doesn't want to put us in danger." he said, standing up. "It's her way." Kagome nodded. Sango stood up, too. "We dispel ourselves, for this evening is enough.- Miroku said- Goodnight, Kagome-sama, Kaede-sama." "Goodnight to you two." Kagome said with Kaede. "See you tomorrow morning, Kagome-chan." Sango said, going out from the house with Miroku. "'Night, Inuyasha." Inuyasha replied with a grunt. "They have take the habit to live here, haven't they?" Kagome asked, while Kaede prepared their bed. The old miko nodded. "Yes.- she answered- But Sango has wanted a house on the opposite side of Miroku's one." Kagome smiled, while she could still heard their voices from the outside. "Give me the permission to escort you, Sango. It's not safe that a woman walks in the deep night." "With you." "Sango! This is a hit to my heart!" "Right, do what you want." "I only want those two confess their feelings to each other.- Kagome murmured, laying down- If only Anna and Sesshoumaru." Kaede put out the fire and the darkness fell in the room. ** Shippou reached Anna. The girl was sit with her back against a trunk and was murmuring a song that Shippou had already heard. Eweri something, he liked it very much ( Every Heart, Shippou-chan! ^ ^ NoA). Anna noticed his presence and stopped to sing. "Shippou-chan. Why are you here?" she asked, while the little kitsune threw himself in her arms. "I didn't like you here, alone.- Shippou answered- And I was worried that you could be angry with us." "Why should I? You were only worried for me, and I appreciate this." Anna said, smiling and caressing Shippou's head. The kitsune smiled. "I'm only sorry for Inuyasha." Anna whispered. "And why?- Shippou asked, surprised- Inuyasha hates his brother." "Not enough, I think. Maybe.I've disappointed also his expectations." Anna said, looking away. Shippou looked at her, puzzled. He didn't understand what she was saying. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha had ever tried to kill each other.Suddenly, he remembered Totousai's words, the day Inuyasha had caught Cutting Winds' secret. "You've no the intention to really kill your brother, haven't you?" Shippou opened her eyes wide and looked at Anna. "Maybe I've understand." he said, before he heard a sound of voices. He turned. "Miroku and Sango?" he asked, before Anna carried him behind the tree, hiding them. "Anna what." tried to ask the little kitsune. "Sst.- Anna murmured- I feel this is a good occasion." She gave a look to Shippou, that put an hand over his mouth to not laugh. ** "I'm sorry for Kagome-sama. She cares so much about this situation." Sango said, while they walked to her house. Miroku nodded but didn't replied. Sango became annoyed. Since the moment they had left Kaede's house, she talked and he replied only with deeds of his head. Sango didn't dislike to walk with him a night so beautiful, but the monk, after had asked her the permission to escort her, wasn't been so much friendly. He didn't even look at her. She gave a glance to his serious face and her stomach gripped. Sango looked away. Hell, she felt in this way only looking at him, and he didn't even looked at her! But that afternoon he had tried to kiss her, or not? Sango cheeks reddened. Bah, another lecherous and perverted trick. And she had nearly fallen into! Really mad, Sango started to walk quickly, leaving behind a surprised Miroku. "Ehi!- he called her- Ehi, Sango! Wait me!" Miroku had to run to reach her. "Sango, what's up?" he asked. She gave to him a firing glance. "What do you want?!- she asked, angry- You don't even want to talk to me, so go home!" "I don't.?! Sango, what are you saying?" the monk asked, perplexed. "Leave me alone." Sago said, but Miroku stopped her, making her turn to him. "Sango, what - are - you- saying?- Miroku almost spelled out, looking at her right in the eyes- Who has aver say that?!" "Oh, please! You have replied only in monosyllables, while I tried to talk with you!- Sango said, annoyed- You don't act in this way with Kagome-chan, or with those girls." Sango bit her tongue. Now Miroku would surely fool her because her jealousy, and in this way she would be forced to hit him.but without Hiraikotsu, she had forget it inside Kaede's house. But Miroku looked at her with a penitent air. "Forgive me, Sango.- he said- I heard, but.well, I'm very nervous, this evening." Sango looked at him in surprise. Didn't happen often that Miroku explained his real feelings. She felt she was a stupid about become mad so easily. "Ah.I understand. It's because the story of." Sango whispered, lowering her eyes. "Ehm, no, it's not because that." Something in his voice forced her to look at him another time. She could be wrong, but.Miroku seemed embarrassed. "I was thinking about this afternoon.- Miroku confessed, scratching his neck with one finger- More precisely, about what.what Inuyasha, with his typical grace, has interrupted." Sango's face flamed. The girl noticed in that moment that in the area there were only her and Miroku. Her heart started to beat madly. "I was wondering.- Miroku cleared his voice- how to rescue what I've lost without give the image of a lecherous perverted one. I was wondering how.how to tell." "What?" Sango asked, almost without voice. It was too much beautiful to be true. Now, Miroku would say something to destroy all the atmosphere, or would try to touch her behind, as always "That I.she.- Miroku muttered- Ah I haven't ever had so much difficult with words." He took a deep breath, then drew Sango to him and kissed her briefly on her lips. "I love you.- he whispered against her lips- Wow, I've said it! What a fatigue!" His mouth was immediately closed by Sango's one, who started a passionate and undisturbed kiss. "It was time, baka." Sango said, when they ended the kiss. Miroku smiled. In the trees, two peoples known gave to each other a five. ** Kagome went out from Kaede's house. All was dark and silent, the night was deep. She went to the sit figure near the house, folded arms. It was full moon, and the light was all over Inuyasha, making his silver hair shine and showing his handsome face. Kagome sighed sadly, at the sight of his serious face. She had hoped their problem were finished with Naraku, but Inuyasha had other thoughts. One was his brother. Inuyasha turned to her, noticing her presence. "Don't you sleep?" he asked. Kagome shook her head, sitting near him. "I can't.- she said- You're not with me." Inuyasha smiled lightly but didn't reply. "They were wrong, and I was right." he said, after some moments. "Mmh? What?" Kagome asked, puzzled. Inuyasha laid his head against the wall and closed his eyes. "Anna and my father. They were wrong about Sesshoumaru- the new youkai explained, reopening his eyes and sighing- And I was right." "Are you sorry for this?" Kagome asked. "I don't know.- Inuyasha murmured, darkening- I don't know." Kagome took away a lock of hair from his forehead with gentle hand, looking at him with worry. Inuyasha turned to her and smiled, than kissed her. "I'm glad you're with me, Kagome.- he whispered, hugging her and smelling her scent- My life is life since the day you're with me." He kissed her again on her forehead, than laid his head over her one. The two fell asleep in this way. ** The youkai was in trouble. He had searched everywhere without results. Even the rain had played against him. For weeks, he had idled, following the humans' chit-chats. The big golden dog. It seemed to be everywhere and nowhere in the same time. He couldn't keep faith in human's words. There was a war prepared for him, but in that moment he didn't care much. His first point was to find the golden dog before they could find it. The others were after him. They hoped he would carry them to the golden dog. Fools, if they really believed he would help them. The servants hadn't found it. Better. he knew that the golden dog had killed the first group of servants, and the thing hadn't surprised him. He wondered how would be their meeting. Fool thought, he had to find it, first. "Where are you, Anna?" he murmured, looking all around. He had searched everywhere. Where could she be hidden? Surely she was no more in her inu- youkai form, because he would feel her immediately. He knew her well.maybe not that well. In fact, he had lost her and now he didn't find her. "Where are you?- he asked again, listening the wind- Where is your shelter?" He opened his eyes wide. There was a place he hadn't visit, yet.a place he wanted to avoid, but now he found it as the only answer. She had a liking for that bastard, hadn't she? "Leave alone your brother!" she had cried to him. "Are you with Inuyasha, Anna?" he growled, while an anger he had rarely felt burned in his veins. Was it.jealousy? It wasn't important. If only Inuyasha had dared to touch her, he would pay for this. With his followers still far from him, Sesshoumaru started to run to Inuyasha's village.