Nikita stared from the saftey of the trees. Inuyasha had stopped drinking? Never, not in 150 years, no matter how innocent the blood was, had he stopped drinking.

"You really do love her, don't you?" she whispered.

"Kagome...." Inuyasha muttered as he watched her stumble off into the woods.

"Inuyasha... How... how could you... Why did you do that? Is my blood... not good enough for you?" She looked at her hand, which had a light scab covering it. "Why was I the only one?" she sighed, still staring at her hand, and promptly ran into a tree.

Nikita, watching this from the shadows, sweat dropped.

"Oh, dear."

"Kagome, Please, don't g-" Inuyasha was running down the path, but he stopped and starred at Kagome, lying on the ground, her eyes swirly.

"Kagome, you dummy." he knelt by her side, staring at her. Gently, with his regrown claws, he pulled away her hair from her face. "you dummy... do ya think I would have pulled away for anyone? For Kikyo? Nah, I fed off her for an hour, it was one of the reasons I thought she didn't trust me, because I couldn't pull away even when she tried to hurt me... but you..."



~For the first time, Inuyasha's true self surfaced in a moment of Blood Lust. I have watched this half-breed since he was a babe in his mother's arms. I have witnessed him grow, seen him cry, laugh, grieve. But, in 150 years of this child's life, I have never known him to Trust anyone. Not even those which he loved. Can this... This girl, this reencarnation of a dead miko, can she change him so? Does this girl mean so much to him, that he would risk the livelyhood of the the forest, of himself, of me?~

Could this be... Love?

A group of people with similar markings on their faces and all with brownish red hair stood at a stream, washing garments in the river, they were smiling and laughing, and for that moment, it seemed that the world had no demons, no war. Nothing but peaceful days...

Nikita smiled as a four year old Inuyasha rushed up to her, smiling.

"Niki! Look, Look! I found a lizard!"

"Oh, really? Let me see" Niki crouched next to Inuyasha, and examined the lizard within his claws.

"Oh, yes, you see the markings on his back, the Triangles? This means the lizard's tail is very valuable in medicines to heal the heart"

"really?! Really, Really?!" Inuyasha jumped up and down, and all the Mediae laughed at his enthusiaism.

Nikita smiled. She was much younger, only a child to her clan, but, a respected nurse to this Half-breed child.

"Hello lady Nikita, Inuyasha" came the voice of Cari( I forgot Inuyasha's mother's name, or if she even has one, but Cari is a good name for now ne?)

"Good Day, Lady Cari" Nikita greeted the older woman.

"Mama! Look, I found a useful lizard! Niki told me that the lizards-"

"lady Niki, Inuyasha."

"LADY Niki told me that the tail is good for medicines of the heart. I'm helping I'm helping!"

"That is wonderful Inuyasha, why don't you run along now, and give the lizard to Danica?"

"Lady Danica, mother" Inuyasha corrected her. All the Mediae smiled and laughed at Inuyasha's innsolence, even his mother cracked a weak smile. That smile was everything to Inuyasha as a child.

Nikita laughed along with the group.

" Lady Nikita, may I Speak with you?" Cari asked carefully, as she watched Inuyasha run away, taking great care for the lizard in his hands. She seemed weak to Nikita.

"Certainly Lady Cari" Nikita followed Cari to a quiet place, away from the chatter of the Mediae. Cari sat on the rock, her fragile body shaking slightly with the effort. Nikita, as a sign of respect, kneeled on the ground, but Cari nodded to a rock opposite her. Nikita took the gesture greatfully, and sat on the smooth rock's surface.

"Nikita, I must tell you, I'm feeling old, and soon, I will die"

"What? No, Lady Cari, Gatta said you had years left."

"In the medical sense maybe, but, being away from the one you love can steal away years just as a thief takes jewels. I will die sometime this moon cycle." Nikita stood up fast, furious at this woman's temperment.

"And what of Inuyasha? What of your child? Lady Cari, there is someone who needs you here, right this instant. Do not give your soul to the Gods so easily. We will find you a way to live with us, until Inuyasha is old enough to understand. You cannot just abadon a child! YOUR child!"

"Nikita, please, I am not abadoning him. He has you, and the rest of the Mediae." Cari sighed. "He will be well cared for. However, Nikita, I beg of you, be a mother for him, for me. Take my place-"

"NO one can take the place of someone else's mother. I know this from my own life. A mother is something too precious to just be replaced like a broken dish. Lady Cari I implore you, Inuyasha NEEDS his Mother. Not, an impostor of one."

Cari starred at this Mediae. This, woman who was called a girl, a child.

"your clan is wrong about you, Nikitamerisen. You are wise beyond your years. They can no longer call you a child." Cari stood. " That is why I leave Inuyasha to your care. Watch out for him, as I would. Be a mother to him. For the good of the world, for the good of Peace. I forsee a Peaceful future for him, if he is left in your care."

"How can you give yourself so easily to death?" Nikita asked.

"Because I know that the ones I love are safe." Cari stood, shaking at first, but regained her composure.

"Love, is a strong emotion Niki. It can bring someone to suicide, while at the same time, take two people into complete bliss. If nurtured, love with spring eternal. If ignored, it can destroy the very soul who created it. I know that your kind is immune to it, but I think it might be wise for you to understand it. Mayhaps, someday, Inuyasha will fall in love...

All that I am for sure of Nikita is three things: Love, Death, and Birth."

" And I am only sure of one thing: If you leave a child motherless, he will grow up to be rutheless."

"And that, Lady Nikita, is why I leave Inuyasha to you. Love him."

"That, My lady, is one thing, I cannot do."

Cari smiled softly. "Although your kind is immune to the consequences of love, it does not mean that you cannot love. Your parents, Nikita, loved each other very, very much. I expect that you will love someone just as dearly as they did. Whether it be in friendly, motherly, or loverly love. I am certain that you can love. " she paused, as if to reflect on what she had said

"Grace be with you Nikitamerisen."

"And with you, Cari." Cari stumbled along the path, quietly, and slowly, to the grave yard, where her small baby girl lay, enclosed in wood and dirt.

Nikita took a moment to regain herself, then walked back to the stream, her smile gone, and a new determination within her heart. All the Mediae turned to her when she walked by them. They felt a difference in her. One of the boldest, and Nikita's good friend, Jhason (Jay son) came up to her. He sat by her as she scrubbed dirt from the bottom of one of Inuyasha's shirts.

"Niki?"

"hmm?"

"Did something happen in the woods? You seem... Different" Nikita stopped her scrubbing, and turned to Jhason.

"Yes, something did happen"

"What?"

"I grew up" she said smiling slightly. Jhason stared at her.

"Wha' do ya me-"

"NIKI!!" came a cheerful yell. Nikita turned to Inuyasha just in time to be pushed back into the stream by the flailing four year old. And, once again, all the Mediae laughed.

"Sure, Niki" Jhason said as the two of them surfaced, Niki's face dripping water and her shoes floating.

"Hello Inuyasha. Thank you for helping"

"Helping with what?" Inuyasha smiled, sitting up in the water.

"With the wash, we got two outfits cleaned in one splash."

Inuyasha grinned, and walked out of the water. Nikita followed, carrying her sandals in her hands and swishing her hair from her face. When she arrived at the bank, Inuyasha was looking around expectantly.

"Nikita, where's my mother?" Nikita looked down at the young half-breed and saw behind him, a silvery soul floating out of the woods.

"She's... sleeping Inuyasha, and she won't wake up."

" NOt even to eat your cherry blossom Mochi?"

"nope. Not even for that. She's going to rest, so when she wakes up, she can play with you forever."

"Really? I have a great mom!"

"Yes... You do."

"My wish for you is Simple, my dear one, my dear one, May you never know pain... I hope you don't grow up too fast... Live this way, and Life can be Grand."- HawkSong.

Inuyasha stood beside Kagome's bed in present time. He had run all the way from Nikita's to the Well, stopping only to pick up Kagome's bag. He was hoping, praying that she wasn't hurt, or in shock, or something truely terrible. He took her hand in his. Too many emotions were pouring through his brain. Anger at himself, anxiousness for Mrs. Higurashi to get back with the cat scans, Worry for Kagome, Love for...

Love?

Did he really... love her.

Sure, he wanted her near him, and he wanted her to be happy.

How did we get to love?

~Let's just go on

believing that we're just friends

Let's never finish our journey

So, we never need to say good bye.

I know, if you stay, you'll never

be happy.

But, I know if you go,

I will die.

No matter what you think

or say

or what I do

Remember

I'll always trust you.

Only You.~

"Our Past is just that. Our Past. We can't change it. Why would we want to? It shapes us, moves us. Our past makes us who we are today. "

Only our Past.