Update: Chapter edited.
Disclaimer: Ditto ditto
A/N: Wow, sorry, I meant to have this up by Sunday night, but unfortunately I was away from my computer all day. Anyway, just to make up for that I'll do another double update. Also, just wanted to say thanks for all of the compliments, they are very encouraging.
Chapter Ten: Brotherly Love
Julia slowly opened her eyes. Seeing a ceiling above her seemed strange, as the last thing she remembered seeing was the night sky. So how did I get here? she wondered. Deciding it didn't matter, she sat up and focused on her clothes at the foot of her bed.
Wakana had been true to her word and Julia's normal clothes were neatly folded there. However, she also noted another set of the clothes she had worn the day before. Much like Inu Yasha's without the overcoat and the legs weren't bound like his were. It had actually been pretty comfortable to work out in. Deciding that she would save her own clothes for another day she donned the period Japanese garb. She ran her brush through her hair a few times and then placed it in a high ponytail. There was really no point since it would probably be messed up shortly anyway, but it couldn't hurt.
Glancing down at her watch Julia knew that breakfast would already be ready, and she was eager to see how the others were faring, so she headed off down the hall towards the dining room. She didn't hear any noise as she walked by the others' rooms, but that didn't really mean anything. It was not like they were going to have radios or alarm clocks going off.
Sliding the door to the dining room open, she was overwhelmed by the aroma that blossomed from the room. It seemed that the cooks had gone to quite a bit of trouble for breakfast this morning. First a banquet last night and now this, I'm going to need to do some major working out today she thought to herself.
"Julia!" called a voice from farther in the room. No sooner had she turned to see the owner than she was almost bowled over by a pair of strong arms wrapped around her legs.
"Good morning, Rin," she replied as she laid a hand on the small girl's head.
"Come sit by me." Rin commanded as she grabbed Julia's hand and dragged her farther into the room. Looking around Julia saw that Sesshoumaru was actually seated at the head of the room. Kouga was also there, as were Miroku, Kohaku and Shippou. It looked like Sango and Kagome had yet to join them, and Julia had no idea where Inu Yasha was.
Rin sat down in front of her small table on Sesshoumaru's right, sitting across from Kouga. Julia seated herself next to Rin, her smile in place, and glanced up at Sesshoumaru. He glanced back at her, but she couldn't read his mask. Just for him to be sitting there was a major feat though - she knew he had to be feeling something.
"Morning, guys," she greeted them. "Did you all sleep well?"
"Yes, Lady Julia," replied Miroku. "It had been a while since I've slept in a decent bed." He smiled brightly, but she could see that he was struggling with his chop sticks. The arm that he usually used was still bound and in a sling.
"Mmmmffff," added Shippou around a mouthful of food. It looked like he was already on his second or third helping.
"What?" she asked with a laugh.
"I said that the food is great, too," he clarified.
"How are you doing, Kohaku?" Julia asked when she did not get an answer from the small boy. He set his bowl and chopsticks down, and placed his hands in his lap. When Sesshoumaru had revived him he had also healed the wound on Kohaku's shoulder, so he did not have to deal with eating one-handed like poor Miroku.
"I," he said slowly, then looked up at her, "I'm not sure. I am grateful to be able to see my sister again, but after all of the horrible things I've done…" he drifted off and Julia could see him holding back tears. He had been fairly quiet the day before, and she did not want to press him into speaking. Then he changed his focus and looked at Sesshoumaru. "My lord, you should not have saved one such as myself."
"What are you talking about?" demanded Sango as she and Kagome walked in. "You did not do any of it. Naraku was simply using your body like a tool." She had marched over to Kohaku and embraced him. "It wasn't you, little brother. You are not that kind of person." They hugged for a moment longer and then Sango released him.
"You should eat, sister," Kohaku insisted. "You need to replenish your strength." Sango nodded and took a seat next to him. Julia glanced back at Sesshoumaru to find that he was watching the siblings with a mild look of interest on his face, but for Sesshoumaru that was really something.
"Where is Inu Yasha?" asked Kagome, taking a seat next to Julia.
"Not sure," she replied, looking over at the girl before Sesshoumaru caught her staring at him.
"He was here earlier, but left almost as soon as he arrived," answered Miroku.
"Julia," she felt a tug on her shoulder as Rin called her name, "will you play with me today?" Looking down she saw the little girl's big bright eyes pleading with her to say yes.
"I think that can be arranged." she replied, smiling brightly. "After all, Kouga's in no condition to spar," she added, throwing a mischievous glance the wolf's way.
"Hah," he laughed back, "even this handicap would not give you an edge over me."
"Sparring?" asked Kagome in between bites.
"Well, it was something to do." Julia answered, shrugging her shoulders. "Kouga really is a very good teacher." Then she put her hand up to cover her mouth and whispered to Kagome, "But if he were human I could take him." Kagome giggled.
"But, I am not human and even then, NO, you still could not take me." He fake-growled and punched the ground lightly causing everyone in the room to laugh. Looking to the head of the room Julia noted that Sesshoumaru seemed unaffected by their antics as he looked on with the same bored expression he always wore.
"Well, I'm good to go," she said once the giggles had died down. "Shippou, Kohaku, do you want to come with us so Rin can show us what's fun around here?" Shippou immediately jumped onto her shoulder, but Kohaku didn't respond right away. Rin was already starting to drag her out the door.
"I think it would be good for you to go play again, Kohaku," Sango prompted. Kohaku looked at her, nodded, and then joined them. This is going to be interesting Julia thought as she placed a guiding hand on his shoulder. Trying to play with a kid who has probably forgotten how to play will not be easy. She glanced back at Sango and saw that she was watching with worry etched clearly on her face. Julia gave the demon exterminator a reassuring smile – well, at least she hoped it was reassuring.
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Sesshoumaru watched Julia leave with the children and made a mental note to relieve Jaken of his babysitting duties for the day. He knew his faithful retainer would be happy for the reprieve in his duties.
The others in the room were now chatting about nothing that he considered important. He had only come this morning because he knew that Rin would want it. He normally never ate with her, but she had been through an ordeal and there were new people in his home so he knew he should be present for her. It still surprised him when he thought about the implications of these newfound insights, but he quickly pushed them away and went on with business.
"Naraku has changed his base," he said, interrupting the others' conversation. They all stopped speaking and looked at him. Inu Yasha even stepped inside the door at this point. Sesshoumaru knew his younger half-brother was close by and he had expected him to appear when the conversation turned serious. "We will need to relocate him before we can strike."
"How do we do that?" asked Kouga, rubbing the injury on his arm.
"That is being taken care of," replied Sesshoumaru. He would not give them a more detailed explanation of his father's network of spies. The fact that he was using it at all now chaffed at his sense of pride. But, it would be the quickest way to their goal.
"Why don't we just go for a stroll outside the barrier?" suggested Inu Yasha, sarcasm lacing his voice. "Then he'll find us."
"Because that would be idiotic," replied Sesshoumaru, staring at his brother. Surely even my idiot of a half-brother cannot be that dense. "That would give Naraku the advantage of surprise and allow the fight to happen at a time of his choosing. This would keep you on edge and fearful until he struck."
"Yeah, but we are also giving him time to devise a better way to defeat us." Inu Yasha shot back, his eyes not leaving Sesshoumaru.
"But if that were the case he wouldn't attack us until he was ready, anyway," responded Sesshoumaru, astounded at the lack of tactical training Inu Yasha had. He did run away before he was educated in the ways of leadership Sesshoumaru reminded himself. But…would I have allowed that training? he wondered. Sesshoumaru continued to stare at his brother, refusing to break eye contact. Hmph…at least he has the pride befitting a son of a father such as ours.
"Okay," interjected Sango, "but, how do we defeat Naraku once we find him?"
"He seemed affected by Inu Yasha and Sesshoumaru attacking at the same time," Miroku answered. "Perhaps a concentrated combined effort would deal enough damage to him." Sesshoumaru did not answer, nor did Inu Yasha.
"And what are the rest of us supposed to do?" asked Kouga, obviously annoyed at not being considered strong enough to affect Naraku.
"Do not forget that Naraku will, most likely, not be working alone this time. He knows that Sesshoumaru is working with us now. Kagura is sure to be there as well as Kana and whatever else Naraku can come up with." Miroku replied, using a calm lecturing tone that had probably perfected over time by having to simplify things for Inu Yasha.
Sesshoumaru was mildly amused that the monk would be so rational for a human. The monk's ideas on how to approach the coming battle were along the same lines that Sesshoumaru was thinking, but he would never have suggested that he and Inu Yasha work together. However, as the monk said, their combined power did seem to weaken Naraku's defenses considerably. Sesshoumaru had given his word to work with the others, but he was not sure Inu Yasha would put aside the past long enough to understand this necessity. In fact, the look in Inu Yasha's eyes said he was going to say something along those lines.
"Since we don't know where Naraku is, I think that the best thing to do for right now is to concentrate on getting everyone better." Kagome said suddenly as she stood and walked over to Inu Yasha. She must have sensed Inu Yasha's unrest thought Sesshoumaru. She has such patience with him.
"I will let you know when he is found," Sesshoumaru stated. He'd had enough of this conversation and saw no point in continuing it.
He stood gracefully and left the room via the main hall. He would see what Jaken had left for him to look over. His faithful retainer had said very little about the presence of the humans, but Sesshoumaru knew that he was not happy. Jaken had not been present during his father's reign, so of his servants he was the one most affected by their allowance in his home. Jaken will just have to deal with it for now. Sesshoumaru had given his word, as he kept having to remind himself, so for now they would be welcome. They would defeat Naraku and he would go back to his human-free life. Well, he corrected himself mentally, except for Rin. Then, an image of Julia smiling at him flashed through his mind.
Shocked, he paused at the door to his study, a hand outstretched and ready to slide the door open. Why would she suddenly appear in my mind? he wondered. Shaking off the thought, he continued on into the room where he would hopefully drown such unsettling thoughts in reports.
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Inu Yasha stood for a moment more and then sat down after Sesshoumaru left. Kagome sat down next to him, thankful that he had held back a moment ago. She knew, regardless of the facts, that Inu Yasha did not want to fight along side his brother. He was still holding a grudge that had begun when he was only a child.
"How do you think his arm was healed?" asked Miroku, looking up at Inu Yasha. Kagome and Sango both followed his gaze.
"How am I supposed to know that?" answered Inu Yasha, looking around wide-eyed at everyone. "Maybe he had a spare."
"It just seems odd that it would occur while he was saving Rin and Julia," explained Miroku, obviously staving off irritation at Inu Yasha's childish attitude.
"Julia said that Tenseiga seemed to be glowing for a short time afterwards," added Kagome, "Perhaps it healed him. After all it did protect him from being killed by Inu Yasha."
"True, but why now?" asked Miroku as he rubbed his chin. "It is possible that it is because Julia is human and the only way to save her was with his missing arm. But, still, that would mean that Sesshoumaru wanted to save her." Everyone looked at Miroku, shock evident on their faces.
"You're telling me that my human-hating brother wanted to save a human!?" Inu Yasha spat out as he punched the floor.
"Well, yes," Miroku replied, unaffected by Inu Yasha's outburst, "it is the only theory that makes sense."
"He did save Rin." added Sango, apparently trying to help Miroku out.
"Look, my brother hates anything human!" yelled Inu Yasha. "Believe me, I should know." He looked at everyone for a moment and then left the room. Kagome began to follow, but Miroku caught her arm and shook his head.
"He needs to work through this." Kagome nodded, Miroku was right. What could she say to him right now? Inu Yasha had spent his life trying to rid himself of his human blood, and somewhere inside of him he must have been doing it to gain the approval of his brother. Now, for some reason, there were humans more important to Sesshoumaru than his own, albeit half, brother.
"Yeah, let Dog Breath have his sulk." Kouga added with a smirk. Kagome smiled weakly at him, but her heart was too heavy.
"I'm going to go find Julia and the kids," she told them as she walked towards the door.
"I think I'll join you," Kouga replied as he rose to follow her. "After all, you don't really know your way around this place yet."
"We'll catch up later." Sango called just as Kagome reached the door.
Kagome wondered if Julia might have any advice for her. She was a woman, after all, and much more mature than she was. No. Kagome couldn't betray Inu Yasha like that; he would never want her to share his past with others.
They reached the back porch and looked out over the small field and stand of trees in the distance. Julia was apparently playing tag with the kids and it looked like Shippou was 'it'.
"Why is Shippou chasing them?" asked Kouga, scratching his head.
"They are playing 'Tag'," she answered, but Kouga looked, if anything, more confused. "Come on, I'll show you, but you can't use your shards." Kouga smiled at her and followed her out to the others.
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Julia had spent the last two days basically babysitting, though Kagome and Kouga also decided to help out. Sango and Miroku would sit out under a tree watching, but, as they were still recovering, they did not join in the rousing games of 'Tag' and 'Hide and Seek'. Inu Yasha would sometimes join Sango and Miroku, but he did not join in with the games. Ever since he had arrived it seemed like he was a different person from the one Julia had originally traveled with. She knew it had something to do with his brother, but Kagome had seemed reluctant to talk about it so she did not press the issue.
His brother had been another mystery. After his appearance at breakfast the other morning she had not seen him. She wasn't sure if he was avoiding everyone or was just 'busy' like the last time he vanished. When she asked Rin about it she just smiled and said she had no idea what Julia was talking about. Apparently she had just seen him the night before when he checked on her before she went to sleep.
They were currently being given a lesson on how to make a flower chain by Rin. Even Kohaku and Shippou were trying, and Shippou was actually really good at it. He had almost woven a complete heart.
"Julia," a small voice called her out of her thoughts, "Julia?"
"Yes, Rin?" she replied, looking down at the little girl.
"Are you going to stay here always and play with me?" she asked, eyes big and hopeful, hands resting on Julia's knees.
"I…I don't know Rin," she answered honestly, giving the girl a small smile.
"You are going to leave?" she asked scrunching her nose up and causing a cute pout to appear on her face.
"Maybe," she replied, "but not yet. There is still a lot to do."
"Is Kagome going to leave too?" asked Shippou taking an interest in the conversation.
"Oh, I…" she didn't know how to answer that question. The choice was really Kagome's and she had no idea what the girl was thinking. "Shippou, I don't know. I know she wants to complete the jewel, but I don't know what she will do once that is done."
"Can't you come back and visit, with Kagome too?" asked Rin.
"I'm not sure, Rin," she replied. "Kagome and I, well, we are from a place that is…much different from here." Rin looked up at her, confusion written on her tiny features. Shippou understood, but he looked as though he did not like it.
"Hey," Julia said brightly, trying to change the topic, "I bet the evening meal is just about ready. Kohaku? Why don't you go help these two get cleaned up?" Kohaku nodded and led the way back to the manor. He had perked up a lot in the last couple of days and seemed to respond well to the task of watching the younger two kids.
Julia looked down at the small flower chains they had been making and wondered how much longer she would be able to stay. She hadn't really thought about it much. She was just going along with the others; the future didn't really seem to exist anymore. She got up and began walking towards the manor.
But, she knew she would be going back, regardless of what she had told Rin. This was not her time. As much as she marveled at its beauty she knew that she did not belong here. Deciding that she did not want to go and sit down to dinner yet she walked past the room and wandered into the front garden, intent on finding her hillside and a little solitude.
She did not know what Kagome was thinking. Would she stay, would she go back for good, or would she attempt to continue a double life? Like her, Kagome belonged in the future, but she knew that the girl had found love here in the past. It seemed an impossible love affair.
As she walked the paths she thought of her stroll with Sesshoumaru a couple of nights ago. She had felt completely at ease walking with him. They had even ended the night civilly with no animosity between them. That had to be a first she thought and smiled. At least…she thought it had. She was almost positive she had fallen asleep and that it had been Sesshoumaru who took her back to her room. He had not said anything to her the following day, nor after that. Was it possible that somehow she had managed to offend him? Why am I over analyzing this? she scolded herself. It's just typical Sesshoumaru being his reclusive self, that's all. She nodded her head to affirm what she had just thought.
She could see hints of the sunset through the small stand of trees that created her secluded hillside. It would be gorgeous like it always was, but she never got tired of watching them. There was a magical quality about sunsets, especially the ones here in the past. She came around the last tree and stopped.
Sesshoumaru was standing at the edge of hillside, arms crossed over his chest, staring out at the horizon. Julia stared - it was almost like the day when he and Inu Yasha had first faced Naraku together. The light caught the loose strands of hair that blew slightly, shimmering, in the light breeze. Then Sesshoumaru turned his face towards hers and simply stared at her. She was slightly spellbound by his gaze. The whole scene was…magical.
"Oh," she said, realizing that she was staring at him, "sorry, I didn't know you were here. I just came to watch the sunset, but I'll go if you'd like to be alone." He shook his head, which she assumed meant he did not want to be alone. So, taking it as an invitation, she walked over to the edge of the clearing and stood next to him, only to sit down a moment later.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" She looked up at him, not expecting a spoken answer and was pleasantly surprised.
"Yes." It was only one word, but it meant that he was not upset with her. She felt silly about that, but for some reason it set her mind, and heart, at ease.
"Thank you," she said, after a silence had settled upon them once more.
"For what?" he asked.
"For not letting me wake up covered in dew the other morning," she explained and smiled up at him. He slightly nodded his head, so she assumed he was saying 'You're welcome', or, at the least, that he remembered the event.
They lapsed into silence once more, but she didn't feel like breaking it again. Instead she focused on the beauty in front of her. The sun was about halfway hidden behind the mountains in the distance. The clouds lining the mountains were taking on brilliant shades of pink and magenta that faded into a darkening sky above them. She was so absorbed in it she did not notice when Sesshoumaru sat down next to her. But, there he sat, one knee up, arm resting on it, still gazing out to the horizon.
They watched the sun finally set, no words between them, but Julia felt glad that she had been able to share it with someone. It just made the moment all the more…she couldn't call it romantic, she knew Sesshoumaru would have no interest in a human, but it was definitely more special.
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When she appeared on the hillside he was slightly surprised. He had many things on his mind and he had not planned on one of them appearing before him. He knew he could have asked her to leave, but part of him wanted her to stay. Somehow he felt at ease in her company, much like the other night when they had walked together.
"So have you been avoiding all of us, or are you just doing your Lord stuff again?" she asked, bringing him out of his thoughts. He was about to rebuke her when he saw the mischievous smile playing across her lips.
"I have been trying to discover Naraku's new base," he answered plainly, staring out at the last remnants of light peeking out from behind the mountains. He never got tired of watching the sun leave the sky.
"Any luck?" He shook his head, slightly annoyed at the fact that it was taking so long to locate the half-demon. "What will you guys do to beat him when the time comes? Kagome and the others really weren't all that clear on anything." He looked over at her. She was resting her head on her raised knees looking off at the horizon.
"The monk seems to feel that the combined strength of my Tokijin and Inu Yasha's Tetsusaiga will deal sufficient damage to Naraku," he stated in a monotone. He still did not know what to think of the idea.
"The monk?" he heard her mumble under her breath. "Oh, Miroku," she said a little louder. "I have such a hard time thinking of him as a holy man." She laughed a little and shook her head.
"Well, I guess that makes sense," she continued, "Naraku did turn tail and run the last time you both attacked him." She looked over at him, "But, you sound skeptical. Why?" He frowned slightly – she had touched on another of the topics occupying his thoughts.
"Is it because you would have to work with Inu Yasha?" she asked, though it sounded more like a statement than a question. "That's no real secret. The bad blood between the two of you, I mean. You yourself have said so." He took a deep slow breath. Again, he knew that he did not have to tell her anything, but like before he felt that he could speak to her.
"My father treated humans with kindness, and protected those in his domain. The other Lords are not as kind. Once my mother died and the other Lords' opinions of my father's practices started to change so did mine, especially after he married Inu Yasha's mother." He paused and looked out at the horizon. "So, I have hated humans, perhaps not all of my life, but for the majority of it and that hatred has included my half-human brother."
"Once my father died I allowed Inu Yasha and his mother to continue living with us out of respect for my father, but I turned my back on the cruelty shown them. After his mother died and Inu Yasha ran away I did not care - I thought that he would die shortly on his own and the memory of my father's affair with a human would soon fade."
"But he did not die. I would hear rumors of his exploits and they did nothing to improve my opinion of him. In fact, it only infuriated me to learn that he continued to survive to spread dishonor on our family's name." Sesshoumaru paused again and searched her face for some reaction, yet, as before, she showed no outward emotion other than interest. "When I heard that a human had been the one to bring him down by sealing him to a tree I was yet again disappointed. It happened at a time when he could have actually been useful in a fight against a family foe my father had defeated a century or so earlier." He paused yet again, reliving the past and reflecting on his most recent battle with the cats. He could almost consider his half-brother redeemed after that fight.
"Yeah, I guess you could call that 'bad blood'." Julia remarked suddenly, causing him to look over at her. She was staring off to the horizon much like he was a moment ago. "But what about now?"
"Now," he repeated, attempting to collect his thoughts, "now, I don't know." She looked over at him and he could see the questions in her eyes. "I no longer have a desire to end his life, but old feelings die hard." She raised an eyebrow at his comment and gave him a half-smile. "But, I gave my word to work with him and that I will do. Inu Yasha, however …"
"You don't think he will cooperate?" she filled in for him. He nodded his head. "You know, you could always talk to him." She made it sound so simple, but he could not remember a time he had said more that two words to his brother when he was not threatening his life. He arched an eyebrow at her, causing her to chuckle slightly, "Alright, I guess maybe not. But still, it can't hurt to try," she finished with a shrug. "Sometimes I even wish I had gotten closer to my younger half-siblings," she said quietly a moment later.
"What?" he asked, astounded that she had said something about her life. She was so tight-lipped about that he had given up asking.
"Oh, nothing," she said off-handedly, trying to cover for her slip, "Come on, we should get to the food before Shippou and Inu Yasha eat it all."
"Did you also promise to keep your past a secret?" he asked halting her in her progress to stand. She sat back down and looked at him, her eyes holding a touch of sadness.
"No," she replied softly, "It is just that I…I don't…" she paused and then took a deep breath. "My mother died when I was pretty young. She and I were very close and I still don't talk about it much. But, you told me your past, so I guess it is only fair to share mine." She gave him a smile and shifted until she sat comfortably once more.
He listened to her speak of her mother and the affect her mother's death had had. Of her father's new wife and family and of her feeling like an outsider in her own home – her experience was much like his own. But, she had been the one to leave her family behind.
"So I left and didn't look back," she concluded.
"I am sorry for your loss," he surprised himself at his words, but for some reason they felt right.
"Thank you," she replied, "but you know, in a way her dying gave me the strength to spread my wings. If I hadn't I might never have met you…and the others. I think that maybe she has been guiding me." She smiled at him and then he saw it. The same look of trust in her eyes that she had when she spoke with the wolf.
Then he did something that Jaken had once described as a sign that someone was sure to die. He smiled, but he had no intention of harming her.
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Julia's breath caught in her throat and her heartbeat seemed to rise rapidly. He was smiling. He was smiling at her. He really had changed from the man she had met only a couple weeks ago. Oh, he was still arrogant, there was no doubt about that, but the way he treated everyone seemed to have altered. Now that smile…she had always thought he was handsome, but that smile almost made her forget he was a demon lord.
"I think it is time I went to get something to eat," she said, not only break their little moment of silence, but to stave off the silly school girl feelings that seemed to be overcoming her better senses.
"Good night then, Julia," he replied. She nodded and smiled as she stood to return to the manor.
When she discovered that he was not coming with her she breathed a little sigh of relief. This would give her time to clear her head. He is a demon lord she reminded herself. Remember? And he's a demon lord who has spent most of his life hating humans, at that. No amount of good deeds is going to change that fact. She knew she would be fooling herself if she even thought for a second Sesshoumaru would look at her as anything other than a lowly human. Bah, she said to herself, it doesn't matter. It wasn't like she had any interest in getting involved in the kind of relationship that Kagome was going through. Problem solved she thought firmly as she hurried on to the dining room.
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Kagome had wondered where Julia was all through dinner, but no one seemed to know anything. The kids had said she was right behind them, but she hadn't appeared. Kagome had wanted to stay until she knew Julia was alright, but decided that the woman would not be in any trouble on Sesshoumaru's lands. So she left in search of Inu Yasha, who had also not shown up, though she had some idea as to why that was.
He had been fairly quiet the last couple of days. He would sit with them and watch some of the antics that ensued when they were entertaining the children, but he would not join in. Not that she really expected him to, although she could see him staring from time to time like he wanted to.
She had given him some time to dwell on his past, but she had decided that if he was not going to open up then she would just have to do a little prying. Defeating Naraku was more important that keeping Inu Yasha's pride intact. Besides, Sesshoumaru seemed willing to go along with it and if he could do it there was no reason why Inu Yasha should be acting so childish.
She had no idea as to where he was, but she figured the best place to start would be his room so she headed in that direction. She walked past the other boys' rooms on her right and left, then she passed her and Julia's rooms. She was going to continue on to Inu Yasha's but felt a familiar presence from the room right next to hers. It was a room that she had never been in and had never looked into as the door was always kept shut. She hesitated for a moment, but decided that she had to go through with it.
Upon sliding the door open she was slightly taken back by the sight. It looked to be a shrine room dedicated to Inu Yasha's father. There was a rather large mural covering the back wall depicting him in his true form protecting a village from an onslaught of demons. It was much like what Sesshoumaru had looked like when he transformed all those months ago. Various weapons decorated the other walls of the room, and in front of the mural wall stood a set of armor. It was in front of this that she finally laid eyes on Inu Yasha kneeling with his head slightly bowed. He looked so reverent, a look she had never, not even once, seen on his face. Not even when they were back in the cave where she had first seen a statue of his father.
"What is it, Kagome?" His voice shook her out of her thoughts and she felt her cheeks burning. She felt so embarrassed about barging in and interrupting him, she hadn't even knocked first.
"I, um, I just needed to talk to you," she answered, her face still flushed. He turned his head so that he could see her, but she wished he hadn't as it only made the blush worse, "but I didn't mean to interrupt, so it can wait." She turned to leave, but his voice called her back.
"It's about working with Sesshoumaru, huh?" She turned back around and nodded. He shifted and sat on the ground, raising one knee and resting his arm on it. "Has Naraku been found?"
"No," she answered, "but it is only a matter of time, right?"
"Yeah," he replied. "I don't think much can get by my father's network, and I am sure that Sesshoumaru is pushing them extra hard."
"When the time comes, will you work with him?" She asked, getting right to the heart of it. This issue could not be avoided.
"I don't really have a choice, do I?" he asked back, ice lacing his voice. She knew his anger was not directed at her, but she still felt it. "Naraku is too powerful for either of us to handle alone, right? So what other choice do I have?" She could see that he did not want to admit that as he practically had to choke it out. She merely shrugged her shoulders. She knew there was no other choice. It would take everything they had to bring down Naraku.
"So maybe you should try to…" She didn't know how to phrase her suggestion, but fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, Inu Yasha could tell what she was getting at.
"Try to what? Play nice? Become bosom buddies with my big brother?" He stood then and turned to his father's armor, arms crossed over his chest. "Why, Kagome? Why?" She was about to tell him because it would make the life in the castle a lot less tense when he continued his question. "Why did he hate me and my mother so much back then and now he can't seem to get enough of humans?"
"Inu Yasha, I…" she didn't know the answer to that question, she barely knew Sesshoumaru, but she knew he needed to hear something. "I guess it is just that people change." He turned his head and looked at her. "But, if it makes you feel any better, I don't think he is all that happy about having all of us here," she added with a small smile.
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"You honestly think he can change?" he asked, turning fully towards her. "You've seen what he is capable of and you really think he can change?" She walked over to him and placed a hand on his folded arms.
"You did." Her voice was hushed, but he had no trouble picking up the words as she looked into his eyes. At first he was shocked that she would compare him to his brother, but a moment of reflection brought forth the realization that he had changed quite a bit, especially since he had met Kagome. "Maybe you should try talking with him?" Her eyes told him she was serious about the suggestion, but he could not help but laugh.
"I don't think he has changed that much, Kagome," he replied. He was still reeling with the idea of Sesshoumaru actually accepting humans, but he did not think that his dear brother was ready for a heart-to-heart. Hell, he didn't think he was ready for one, either.
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A/N: You gotta love that smile…
I'd ask for a review, but I know you wanna keep going, so I'll wait to make my plea ;D
