"This can't be the end of Suimei and Itsuko!" He stumbled after her, but she only looked back at him icily.
"It was the end of Suimei and Itsuko a long time ago." She said dryly and turned to leave.
"Itsuko!" He reached for her.
She twirled around, "Don't call me Itsuko, I am no longer her."
"But I'm still Suimei!" He tried again.
She looked unrelenting, "No, you're not."
He could only stare at her in bewilderment.
She turned around slowly and spat out the vehement words, "You are the Lord Inuyasha – my enemy - and we will battle each other until death."
Inuyasha sat up in a cold sweat. Why did he always have that dream? Suimei's obsession over Itsuko had been a long time ago and he no longer had any connections to that silly, improvident man he had once been. He had long since let go of Suimei – so why does the dream haunt him still?
Kikyou stirred beside him. She knuckled her eyes open and pushed herself up to gaze at him, "My lord? What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Inuyasha said shortly and lied down again.
But why is Itsuko my enemy?
He could hear Kikyou begin to sob beside him and reached around to caress her cheek, "It's all right, Kikyou – it's not like I have another woman or something. I just don't want you to worry. After all, you're my favorite wife, remember?" He pulled her close and bit her shoulder playfully, "That's what you get for being such a cry baby."
"My – my lord," Inuyasha could still feel her tears but he heard the musical quality coming back to her voice, "I'm sorry."
"No," Inuyasha suddenly sighed, "why should you be? After all, I was the one who pushed you away at first."
Kikyou threw herself into his arms, "No, that's not it at all!"
"Of course it is," Inuyasha said sadly, "That's what turned you from such an optimistic beauty into the tears you that are today. I really wish I could make you happy."
"But I am happy," Kikyou whispered into his hair and Inuyasha felt his lips curve into a smile.
"You idiot, stop it!" Kagome screamed into Sesshoumaru's face.
Panting angrily, Sesshoumaru threw down his whip and kicked the man over so he lay on his back. Kagome leaned down and examined his wounds anxiously.
"What are you doing, Kagome?" Sesshoumaru pulled her up by the sleeve, "This man showed you absolutely no respect!'
"That's no reason for trying to beat him to death!" Kagome shouted at him, "Just because you're almighty and powerful, that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want!"
The man opened one eye and Sesshoumaru, who was about to answer Kagome, glared down at him, "Will you show Her Ladyship the respect she commands?"
The man looked dazed, but Sesshoumaru carried on, "If you do not, you can be sure that I will kill you – with no mercy at all."
A groan escape the man's lips and taking it as defiance, Sesshoumaru hoisted him up by the collar, "You dare defy Her Ladyship? Then it's your death day today!"
"Sesshoumaru, I don't need the respect that I don't deserve!"
"Admit that Her Ladyship deserves your bastardly respect!"
Kagome could only gaze at the bloodied Lord Jōsuke of Nara and sink onto the ground, sighing.