Kiyomsa: Oh I am so sorry! I never meant to take this long to update, if anyone's still waiting. *bows deeply* Gomen nasai! I won't waste your time any longer, here it is!

* * *

"M-meinu!" Ukyo choked out and rushed to her side, her eyes wide with fright and concern.

"She's not dead," Sesshoumaru muttered as he pressed his fur wrap to her wound. Within seconds the white fur turned crimson. He glanced up at the crowd of motionless youkai. "What are you waiting for!? Get some bandages!" he snarled ferociously; the youkai scatted like sand fleas before feet.

"Sesshoumaru-san…" Kagome murmured in soft awe. Golden eyes fixed on hers momentarily and their depth threatened to suck her down. He-he really does care about her.

"You, how dare you do this to her!" Ryoga shouted in anguish at the youkai lord.

"I told her to stay in her room," Sesshoumaru bit out tersely, trying to keep the pressure on the wound. Ukyo took out her hair ribbon and tied the fur down, ignoring Sesshoumaru and concentrating instead on Meinu.

Ryoga opened his mouth to shout something else but Inu-Yasha interrupted him. "If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I didn't check my swing in time…"

"Inu-Yasha…" Miroku began, then stopped, shaking his head. Now wasn't quite the time to point out that Meinu had been the one to jump in the way.

Three youkai returned, the old tanuki with some hot water, a young kitsune with some linen bandages, and a female basilisk who held clean robes. The tanuki shooed Ukyo out of the way and began cleaning the wound efficiently. Then, he bound the bandages tightly. Sesshoumaru stood up, still cradling her limp form to his chest.

"I'm taking her to my room," he announced. "Take the clean robes there," he ordered the basilisk. She nodded jerkily and dashed off.

"Like hell you're taking her anywhere! Put her down right now!" Ryoga roared.

"Ryoga, she needs rest," Miroku scolded gently.

The lost boy growled and Sango scowled, but Inu-Yasha and Kagome were watching the older youkai wearily. He was already leaving, being careful to move softly. He paused at the doorway.

"Leave or follow, I care not which," he said without looking at them.

The group, a little surprised, followed.

* * *

Kohaku sat broodingly by the window, watching the rain drizzle down. There was a time when he enjoyed the rain. To feel the cool drops fall on his skin, washing away grime and sweat from a hard day's training; now, it only reminded him that he couldn't remember. He thought once more about the girl that traveled with his lord's enemies. She always looked sad when she looked at him. Why? Why did his heart twinge whenever he thought of her?

"Is something wrong?" a gentle voice asked him. It startled him. There weren't any nice people in his lord's company. Except Jousuiko, but she was genki and annoying. He looked up at the newest victim-*vassal*, he corrected himself.

"Iie," he told the older boy. An eyebrow quirked up, letting him know that the Chinese warrior didn't believe him at all.

"If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to," was all he said as he sat down next to him. He peered into the soft drizzle. "So, I turn into a duck when I get wet, hunh?"

"Only with cold water," Kohaku replied absently. "You change back with warm water."

"Hmm…" Mousse reached out his hand to catch some raindrops, and he turned into a duck. The duck blinked in mild surprise and Kohaku couldn't help but grin.

" I told you."

Mousse rolled his eyes, then proceeded to pull out some juggling balls. He looked unsure as to how he was still holding him, and began juggling. His wings proved to be no impediment. He quacked with surprised delight and began to get fancy, adding some throwing knives and eggs.

Kohaku laughed out loud at the sight and Mousse began quacking some nonsense song in time with his juggling. He finished the song, caught all of his items and bowed with a flourish. Kohaku clapped lightly, still chuckling. Mousse grinned at him and looked highly amused.

Jousuiko passed by, saw Mousse as a duck and shook her head in disapproval. "Ba-ka," she announced and sprayed him with magically warm water. Giggling at the sight of his nakedness, she stuck her tongue out at a frowning Kohaku and skipped away.

Mousse was chuckling lightly as he pulled his robes back on. "You look better when you smile," he said warmly. Kohaku blinked at him.

"I don't have much to smile about."

"Then I'll just have to become a juggling duck again."

Kohaku stopped him from reaching the rain and shook his head with a smile. "No, that's not necessary. Arigatou."

Mousse's expression turned serious once more. "Why don't you have much to smile about?"

Kohaku bit his lip, unsure whether he wanted to trust this man, but…the concerned warmth in his deep brown eyes filled an emptiness within the younger boy. "I told you how Naraku-sama has many enemies," he began. Mousse nodded encouragingly.

"There's a girl with them, about your age," he clarified, seeing the small smile on the China-man's lips. "So, she's my enemy, but she knows my name and…my heart pangs whenever I see her, as if it knows more about her than I do."

"It probably does," Mousse said quietly. "You said yourself that you've lost your memories like me."

"But how am I supposed to fight her then?"

"Just because she's Naraku's enemy, doesn't mean that she's your enemy."

Kohaku stayed quiet; he had no idea what he could say to that.

* * *

"So that's it then," Ranma said as he peered at the manor in the moonlight.

"There doesn't seem to be any guards-Ranma what are you doing?" Akane demanded. The boy was striding right up to the front gate. "Goin' in," he replied, tugging on the door. It didn't budge and he frowned at it. Akane smacked the back of his head lightly. "Baka! The thing's locked or bared or whatever."

"Not for Shampoo," the amazon said grimly, hefting her bonbouri. Ranma and Akane barely had time to jump to the side before she bashed her way through the hefty gate. "Sooner we kill dog-man, sooner Shampoo get Mousse back," she growled and strode through the knee-deep debris.

"Shampoo's scary!" Shippo squeaked from his position wrapped around Akane's waist; his eyes were almost impossibly wide as he stared after the girl.

The empty courtyard was eerily quiet in the soft moonlight, and they fidgeted, looking at the various doors they could use.

"There!" Shippo cried, spying a ferret-youkai darting across the courtyard. Ranma was there in a flash, catching it by the scruff of its neck. It squealed and struggled piteously.

"Help, help! Rape! Murder! Hell-p!"

"I'm not raping you!" Ranma protested. The ferret didn't seem to hear him as it continued wailing in a panic. It certainly couldn't see him, as its paws were clapped firmly over its eyes. Ranma lost his short patience and shook it firmly. "Hey shut-up already!"

The ferret whimpered and stared at the four with wide eyes, peering between its claws. "I'll shut. See? I'm not saying anything. Quiet as a mouse. Silent as a-"

"Shut up!" Ranma snapped, shaking it again. "Where's Meinu!?"

"Me-meinu?" the poor thing stammered.

"An inu-youkai, brought here recently by your master," Akane elaborated.

"Oh. I don't know-"

"Where Master-inu then!?" Shampoo snarled impatiently.

The ferret looked terrified. "If I tell, I'll be punished!"

Ranma looked at his fingernails lazily while Akane cracked her knuckles. "Think of it this way. We're here and he's not," the pigtailed martial artist said calmly.

"Ah, you make a very good point!" the ferret squeaked.

The small youkai led them through a twisted maze of hallways and passages until they were all more lost than Ryoga.

"Are you sure you're taking us the right way?" Akane demanded, glaring dangerously. The ferret nodded vigorously and opened a door. Several youkai were crowding around a door curiously, murmuring quietly amongst themselves.

"What's going on?" Shippo asked the nearest one.

"The master's new mistress has been hurt. He's in there with her and some travelers. I've never seen him so concerned in my life," an excited kitsune replied.

Shampoo snarled at the news and began shoving youkai out of her way, clearing a path for the others. She didn't bother opening or smashing the door, she just walked through it; it crashed to the floor with a resounding bang.

"Hey be quie-Shampoo!" a startled Ukyo said as the four entered the room. "What are you guys doing here?" she asked in mild surprise.

"Chasing after you guys. What's going on?"

Ukyo frowned and looked away into space. "Meinu's been hurt. She jumped between Inu-Yasha and Sesshoumaru while they were fighting…" she said quietly. "…she said she'd agreed to marry him…"

"What!?" Akane and Ranma demanded. Ukyo scowled and said that she knew as much as they did.

"Where others?" Shampoo demanded.

"In the room," Ukyo said and stepped aside to let them in.

On one side of the large room, Miroku was leading Sango, Ayame and Ryoga in meditation; on another Kouga paced anxiously and Inu-Yasha sat with Kagome in his arms; on the third side was a large, wealthy bed, in which a pale Meinu lay motionless. Sesshoumaru sat just as motionless beside her, his golden eyes never leaving her face. Ukyo quietly sat on the other side of her and checked her bandages.

Akane and Ranma quietly went over to Kagome and began asking her what had happened. Kagome explained as best as she could.

There came a small moan from Meinu and her eyes flickered open. She opened her mouth to speak, but Sesshoumaru and Ukyo shushed her at the same time.

"You should rest," Sesshoumaru scolded gently. Meinu smiled wanly at him and held his arm to her chest, snuggling into it like a second pillow. Ukyo glared at him.

"I don't know what you did to her, but if you've hurt her or gave her drugs or-"

"I'm all right, Ucchan," Meinu said tiredly.

"But Meinu, you said you were going to marry him!" Ryoga protested.

"I-I did. And…I meant it. I'll marry him, if he still wants me…" she finished, blushing and glancing at him.

"I do," he replied seriously, lifting a hand to gently brush her bangs from her eyes. Meinu smiled happily and drifted back into sleep.

"Sesshoumaru-" Inu-Yasha began.

"I-I think I finally understand Otousan," Sesshoumaru said quietly, not looking at his half-brother. "He…loved your mother, common human she was…and I believe that I love her," he finished, this time lightly stroking her cheek.

"How could you know what love is," Sango growled softly to herself, but he heard her anyway and he pinned her with his golden gaze.

"It hurts," he said simply. "It is so powerful, so strong…so pure that it hurts. It…frightens me, how much I care for her. If that is not love, then pray tell me what it is so that I can name it."

Sango blinked in utter surprise, then dropped her gaze as her cheeks reddened in shame. "Gomen nasai," she murmured huskily, as if she were trying not to cry. Miroku placed a soft hand on her shoulder and surprisingly she didn't shrug him off.

"He right. Love hurt," Shampoo said quietly. "Shampoo know, must find Mousse."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at her in mild curiosity. She fisted her hand angrily. "Naraku take Mousse from Shampoo. Shampoo must get back."

"We'll help you," Kagome said, giving the Amazon a small hug.

"Naraku is cunning and hides well," Sesshoumaru said. "…you can stay here when you rest from your searches."

The demon-lord was the focus of twenty-four surprised eyes as the group stared at him disbelievingly. Sesshoumaru ignored them and turned back to the sleeping youkai.

Shampoo was the first to recover and she grinned feraly. "Shampoo get Mousse back. Shampoo smash Naraku!"

* * *

Kiyomisa: Yes, I know it's not much, but I'm really, really running out of ideas for this. It's probably going to end soon, though I have a little more drama to play out. If anyone has anything they especially want to see, let me know and I'll try to throw it in! Once again I'm so sorry for taking so long to update! Hopefully some of you will find this and continue reading it ^-^'