Chapter 20

The next morning I rose before I heard the first sounds of morning. I carefully tiptoed from the room I shared with Maeko and was met with the first rays of light coming over the ridge of the surrounding mountains. The faint sounds of the servants about their morning duties touched my ears as I walked down the outside corridor. After a moment I found one of them, polishing the floor.

"Excuse me," I asked politely, and the youkai looked surprised, and quickly fell to the floor, bowing. I shook my head, "Please don't do that, I just wanted to ask you where I could find a pair of pants, and a simple shirt."

The servant said nothing, just looked at me curiously and the look on their face explained it . What did a woman want with pants?

"Please," I added, making my eyes wide and begging and he quickly nodded, and scurried away. Only a few minutes later returned with some folded clothing. It was a plain white outfit, and I realized it was a larger form of servant's clothing. I smiled and bowed, "Thank you, this is perfect." He blushed faintly and scurried away again. I returned to my room, and quickly changed, reaching into my bag for my sneakers, grateful that the day I went to Tokyo, I had the sense to wear them instead of my sandals. It was hard enough to run in the dirt with shoes, trying in my sandals would have been hellish.

I tiptoed out of the room and as soon as I shut the door behind me, headed straight for the thick of the forest. The soft sounds of morning creatures reached my ears, as I hurried down the worn path in the forage. It seemed that I wasn't the only one who enjoyed taking runs in this direction, the darkened blades of grass and other plant life that lay pressed to the ground confirmed that someone ran this way often, perhaps even this morning before I even rose.

I hadn't been on a serious run in a long time, even before I moved to Japan, and my legs ached with the lack of practice, but I ignored it and focused on the sound of my breathing, the feeling of the ground passing beneath me. I enjoyed running, as much as I enjoyed swimming, both gave me a feeling of being carefree and unburdened, and given all the stress I had been under, I was determined that I needed to have those feelings again. My heart still ached from yesterday, and I could feel the blush rise to my face when I remembered how I had behaved. I would have to apologize for that later, somehow.

I easily leapt over a fallen tree, clearing the thick rough skin of the bark without even coming close to touching, and landed neatly on the other side with a soft pat. I smiled then, and took off running even faster, now that my legs had warmed up, I let my mind go free from every thought and just ran.

I imagine this is what flying must feel like, the wind against your face, the power of your body moving you forward, nothing holding you back or holding you down. It was the most liberating feeling I knew, and I couldn't help but laugh as I pumped more power into my legs and jumped, grabbing a hold of a branch above me with both hands and used the momentum of my body to swing over a large obstruction in the path. I closed my eyes for that moment of being airborne, and felt the wind swirl around me just before I landed. Of course, being foolish, I landed wrong and fell forward into the dirt.

I froze, face firmly planted in the foliage, and opened my eyes. Nothing hurt, except my pride, and that I quickly laughed off as I rose, brushing the dirt from my clothing, and took off running again. The world around me disappeared, I wasn't in Feudal Japan, I wasn't chasing invisible monsters, I wasn't anywhere, except on this path, running full of joy for the moment.

I don't know how long I ran, time seemed to stand still for me as I continued deep into the foliage, without a second thought as to any threats that could possibly be awaiting me there. Up ahead, my ears caught the sound of falling water, the soft roar of a waterfall, and I began to slow my pace, till I reached the edge of a beautiful lake in a jog. I paused at the water's edge and looked in, noting how clean and clear it looked, the fish gliding peacefully below the surface, obvious to the world above. I grinned and took a few steps back, and dashed forward, jumping feet first as far as I could into the water.

The cold chill shocked me for a second, and as my feet touched the bottom, I pushed upwards, exploding to the surface in much the manner that a mermaid might surface from the ocean. I floated there for a moment, the surface of the water rising up to my top lip, as I simply adjusted to the temperature of the water, and then lazily swam back to the shore.

The sun was already over the tops of the trees and I smiled, quickly pulling off my sneakers and clothes, and carefully placed them spread out on a rock to dry. The air was already warming up and I knew they would dry in no time. Free of the weight of all that cloth, I dove into the water again, swimming with all those fish, seeing all that I could in the pristine water, till my lungs demanded refilling, then I would submerge again. The stones along the bottom were silky smooth, and I ran my hand against them as I swam, amazed. This lake was already several centuries old, even in this time. I wondered if this place still existed in my time.

"Probably exploited by some company or another for something," I thought bitterly. I loved being outdoors, loved being out amongst nature, away from the noise and sickening air that progress brought. Perhaps being stuck in this time wasn't the curse I thought it was, perhaps it was a blessing. A chance to see the pure earth, before industry and technology destroyed it.

Finally, my skin had had enough water, and I was sure that the dirt and sweat had been washed clean from my body. I floated a little while on the surface of the water, before resigning myself to the idea that I would eventually have to make my way back to the castle. I wasn't even sure how far away I was now, and by this point I'm sure the others were awake, probably looking for me.

I pulled myself reluctantly from the water, and lay out in the grass, beneath a break in the canopy and directly in the path of a ray of light. The sun felt wonderful on my chilled bare skin, and I spread my hair out behind me like a cape to dry faster.

"Perfect," I whispered to myself and crossed my arms behind my head, using my hands as a pillow before closing my eyes. I couldn't help yawning, as my body demanded to recharge and I wasn't going to complain as I drifted off into a light nap.

The sound of birds squawking in alarm caught my attention and brought me out of the light drifting sleep I had been in. I slowly opened my eyes, bringing one arm over my eyes to block them from direct sunlight as I glanced around at what I could see lying down. With a sigh, and a thought that perhaps my time to myself was too good to be true, I slowly sat up, and looked around.

The woods around me were unnaturally quiet, and even the wind stopped. The silence was heavy on my shoulders, and suddenly my breathing and heartbeat seemed thunderously loud. I felt a chill run down my back, what if it wasn't one of my friends, what if it was another youkai. I shuddered and slowly dropped my natural barriers over my empathy, carefully reaching out, feeling it spread out like a blanket over the ground, into the brush and shadows of the forest where my eyes couldn't see. I felt a familiar touch, and through the wave of empathy I felt guilt, shame, embarrassment, and a hint of excitement. I coughed loudly at that last one, and pulled back my senses, placing my hands on my hips.

"Keitaro, come out here!" I yelled loudly and heard a sound in the bushes.

"No," came a half whispered reply.

"Quit slinking around in the bushes like some sort of hentai," I called back.

"I can't," he returned, and I sighed.

"Why not?"

"Look at how you're dressed!" he spat back nervously and I looked down. I was wearing my underclothes, which covered as much, if not more than most bikinis. Wait a second, bikinis. Ohhhh, right! I laughed softly, realizing that for being alone in the middle of no where, I was fine, or even at the beach back home, but here in this time, it was completely wrong. Wait a minute, he's the one who came out here, I was here first. I grinned.

"If it bothers you so much, go back. I'm perfectly fine out here getting some sun, and I refuse to give up my first relaxing moment since I got here just cause you're too skittish to see a little skin. Besides, its not like you can see anything," I called back, and sat back down in the sun, laying back as I was before.

"That's not the point!" he argued and I just sighed, closing my eyes and my ears to his protests. He couldn't win this one, and frankly I didn't care, all that mattered right now was that wonderfully warm sunlight, soaking into my skin, and keeping my half decent tan.

"You don't have any decency do you?" I heard beside me, and I didn't need to open my eyes to know he was standing right next to me. I sighed. "You wouldn't understand," I said softly, turning my head away from him, and hoping he would get the point to leave me alone.

"Oh what? That in your world it's perfectly acceptable for women to go around half naked for all the world to stare at them?" he snorted and I sighed.

"Yes, that's exactly it, and I'm only doing it now because I WAS alone out here," I added with a hint of emphasis on the was. He ignored that.

"Well, I suppose I could go, but then again, if Kaemon shows up, who knows what kind of reaction you'd get from him," he said, taking a seat beside me, his back to my side. I watched him a moment, and smiled, "I don't need you to protect me from Kaemon," I said softly and he laughed.

"Who said I was protecting you? I just want to be here to see the look on his face."

I blinked and stared at his back, for a moment before he started to laugh. He glanced over his shoulder at me, careful to keep his gaze away from my torso, and winked. I just laughed and tilted my head skyward, looking up at a few clouds that floated by. I heard Keitaro's clothing shift and suddenly something heavy rested itself on my stomach. I gasped and the weight disappeared.

"Oh, was I wrong?" he asked. I stared at him. He had shifted down and had rested his head on my stomach. I smiled and shook my head, "No, just surprised, I don't mind." He grinned and laid back again, "I know."

"How would you know that?" I asked.

"Cause, its one of your memories. You let someone else lay like that before, and you didn't mind, so I thought you'd let me too. Who was it?"

I smiled as the memory came up in my head, "He was- is a friend of mine, a very good friend. Probably one of the best friends I have." I felt the air around him grow tense and I chuckled, a difficult feat when someone is pushing on your diaphragm.

"Don't worry Kei, you have nothing to worry about from him, other than the fact that he would find you very attractive," I laughed softly as the air became tenser.

"You mean-" he asked hesitantly and I laughed again, "Yeah."

Keitaro grew very quiet, and I saw his hands fold over his chest, "My father told me once of meeting someone like that, a man who thought weird things. He was constantly telling my father how cute he was," he paused as I began to laugh harder.

"Oh boy, Jakotsu," I said.

"You know about him too?!" he said surprised.

"Of course, I wasn't lying when I told you that I followed your family's adventures."

"This guy, he's not like that weird guy, is he?" Keitaro asked hesitantly and I smiled.

"No, Sean's not like that. I mean, he does find men more appealing than women, but not in a homicidal psychotic kind of way. It's much more acceptable in my time, though a shame for most women. A lot of them are really good looking." I smiled as I felt him tense up again, and I knew the question before he even formed it in his mind.

"Is he?"

I laughed again, and reached down, gently scratching at the spot where his right ear met his hair, using the pads of my fingertips. He stiffened slightly, and after a moment sighed and relaxed, as if he was trying to fight it and lost.

"That's not an answer," he said softly.

"I know," I said and smiled. Let him stew over that one for a while.

"I don't know if I could ever survive in your time, women there are too strange," he said softly and I smiled. "I think you'd have bigger problems to worry about."

"Oh?" he asked, and his ears twitch slightly in my direction.

"Well, if you were to show up in my time, you'd never be able to get the women off of you," I said softly, gently running a finger over his ear. He drew in a sharp breath.

"Why do you say that?" he asked, his voice a bare whisper.

"Keitaro, have you looked at yourself lately? You are very good looking, any woman in their right mind would be chasing after you," I said warmly.

"Even though I'm-" he began and I reached over and tapped the tip of his nose with my finger.

"No more of this 'I'm a hanyou, no one loves me' speech Kei. I wouldn't lie to you on something like this, I value your friendship too much to lie to you. If you showed up in my world, you wouldn't have a single problem finding someone."

He lifted his head and sat up, looking out into the forest, and the sadness that he felt surrounded him like a thick fog. I sighed and sat up as well, kneeled behind him, and wrapped my arms around his shoulders.

"My friendship," he whispered, and I nodded, "Aye," I replied. He pulled away from my touch, and his voice sounded pained.

"All the women in your world would want me, except the one I would want the most," he whispered and I sat back on my heels, confused.

"You know, that night I kissed you," he said and the memory came back, warming my cheeks a brilliant red. I was glad his back was turned and couldn't see it.

"You accused me of only pretending to want you, because I wanted to show off Kaemon. You were wrong. Yes, deep down a part of me wanted to be able for once, to achieve something that Kaemon couldn't. He was chosen to train with the shogun, he was the one always praised by the men in the village for his skills with a sword, he was the one that the girls in the village giggled and fawned over when he passed by, and he was the one who gave them attention when it suited his needs and then moved on to the next one. Just once, in something truly important to me, I wanted to surpass him. Just once. And then you showed up, and I knew deep down that I didn't want you to be someone else that he picked up and threw to the roadside when he was done. You were someone very special, and very important, and you didn't turn away from me like I was some sort of creature. You had the chance to collar me, and you didn't. You cared for my sister like she was your own, and you humbled yourself to the twins, all for the sake of trying to learn something new. I care about you a great deal Francesca, and if that means fighting my own cousin for you, then I will."

I stared at his back, my voice frozen in my throat as the voice in my heart gleefully yelled 'See, I told you he loved you, see I knew I was right, you know I can't lie to you.'

We stayed that way, frozen for what seemed like an eternity, neither one of us able to speak, and both of us afraid of what we'd say. Finally he sighed softly, "Please say something."

I opened my mouth to speak, when I heard a giggle coming from the woods, and growing closer.

"Kohana," I whispered and scrambled to my feet, running for my clothes.

"Kohana," he said, turning to face me, and found I wasn't there behind him anymore. He sputtered and opened his mouth to yell at me, when his ears twitched and I knew he heard her now as well.

"And Father," he replied, jumping to his feet, and looking guilty. I pulled the shirt over my head and grabbed my socks and sneakers, pulling them on just as a ball of white flew from the brush and attacked me.

"Nee-San!" she screamed and giggled as I caught her in midair. She turned her head, "I beat you Oto-san!" she yelled back, and I looked over to see Inuyasha's silhouette appear from the shadows of the underbrush, He stepped over the brush that Kohana had torn through, shaking his head at her path of destruction, before bowing his head in greeting. I rested Kohana on my hip and bowed in return.

"I didn't know you were going to be arriving today," I said and he nodded. "Kagome was very anxious to see how you all were faring," he turned his head to glance at Keitaro who stood with his eyes lowered and his ears pressed back against his head. Inuyasha studied his son for a moment before replying, "Did we come at a bad time?"

"No," I said softly, ignoring the feeling of embarrassment that radiated from Kei as I walked over to them.

"Oto-san wanted to wait, but I couldn't wait and so I followed your scent here. I even beat Oto-san, and he's really fast," Kohana announced proudly and Inuyasha smiled faintly. "Yes, you're getting much faster than your old father," he said playfully. Kohana pouted, "You're not old Oto-san, I was just less tired than you today, you'll beat me tomorrow."

I chuckled at her childish innocence. I stepped over to Keitaro's side and very discretely moved my hand to touch his wrist. The contact gave me entrance I needed.

'Later,' I thought gently before stepping back. He glanced over his shoulder at me, and his eyes held mine for a moment before looking away with a nod. Kohana bounced on my hip.

"Come on, I bet Nee-san and I can beat you two back to the castle," she said gleefully and Keitaro grinned at his sister.

"Oh, and I suppose you'll carry Francesca on your back," he said. Kohana puffed out her chest, "Yeah, you do it, I can too!"

I smiled, "Well, I'm sure you're a little tired from the race here, why don't you let Keitaro carry me, and you can ride on your father's back, and we'll see who is faster that way."

Kohana, whose only interest was the race, and not caring who carried who, nodded with agreement, and leapt from my arms to her father's. I glanced at Keitaro, who only turned his head and knelt so I could climb on his back. I sighed softly and wrapped my arms around his shoulders as I felt his hands scoop up my knees and hold them.

"Let's go!" Kohana giggled and the two men took off in a run. Kohana laughing happily and urging her father onward, while I remained silent and pensive. Keitaro's words rang loudly in my head, and I felt that inside, I owed him some sort of response. I pressed my forehead into my arms, trying to reduce the wind pushing against me, and simply let my thoughts carry me away.

How did I feel about him? Of course he was my friend, I knew that with certainty. I felt as comfortable around him like I did around Sean, and for a while I couldn't feel comfortable around any man. Kei was always there, and it was a little strange. I had warmed up to him faster than I normally let anyone. I began to wonder if there was any truth to what Sesshomaru had told us earlier. What if there was something else? That was silly, I didn't believe in such things, soul mates or destiny. I seriously think that my falling through the well had put a hole in any plans destiny could possibly have for me. No, there must be another reason.

'You're changing the topic,' my heart whispered and I bit my lip. Right.

'I'm not used to this,' I complained.

'An Empath who can handle everyone else's emotions but can't figure out her own, how pathetic,' my heart snorted and I sighed. It was pathetic, but I had kept my own feelings locked away for so long that I wasn't used to facing them. I sighed faintly. Well, I had to start sometime, no time like the present.

"Kei," I whispered faintly and saw his ears twitch slightly.

"Yeah?"

I opened my mouth to speak when I heard Kohana's triumphant laugh and knew that we had reached the castle. I sighed again.

"Later," I replied and as he came to a stop, I quickly pushed myself off his back. Before he could ask me anything, and before I had to face another awkward moment, I hurried up into the room I shared with Maeko, and away from him, for now. Deep inside, I knew that I couldn't avoid him forever, but for a few hours to straighten my mind seemed like a good idea.