Chapter XI

The Memorable Sound

With the return of their youkai blood, both hanyou's emerged in to the sunlight of a new day. Nobara was quiet and sullen, her mind now continually vigilant of the past. Her arm was still in the sling, but she could already feel the youkai blood within her mending the fractured bone. She stood outside Kaede's hut, the sun shimmering in her yellow hair, as she watched the group prepare to leave. Kagome had begged her to travel with them and since she was in debt to the young girl she could not refuse. But she already felt uncomfortable to the thought of a long commitment to these people; she was not used to being with a group. Inuyasha was standing next to the hut as everyone was about to leave. He had his arms folded in his haori and was looking down. Nobara watched him for a moment. They had not exchanged words since last night and Inuyasha would not look at her. She looked down and sighed.

"What did you expect?" she scolded herself. Her pale blue eyes scanned the village searching for the young girl and saw her in the garden with Kaede.

Kagome was gathering herbs with the old miko for the journey and inevitable battles ahead. Despite learning so much about herbs since her arrival to the Sengoku Jidai, the old miko still knew how to gather the freshest and best of the crop. Kaede was foraging quietly as Kagome stood behind her. The young girl looked down at the jewel shard in the bottle under her shirt. She took it out and gazed at it, the soft pink shard glowing slightly. A breeze blew and moved some overhead branches of a nearby tree enough that the morning sunlight glinted on the shard.

"This is the last free shard" she realized as she held the bottle in her hand. Except for the two in Kouga, the wolf demon's, legs and the one keeping Sango's younger brother, Kohaku, alive; this shard was the last that was not in the hands of Naraku. "The last."

Kagome's eyes widen as she the reality behind that fact becomes clearer. Their journey would soon be over. She glances through the village and down to where she could see her friends approaching from Kaede's hut. She remembered how she and Inuyasha started together gathering the shards of the Shikon jewel after she accidentally shattered it. That is how they met Shippou, Miroku and Sango with Kirara. Her eyes saddened a little as they focused on the silver haired hanyou. "Will I still be able to come here? Will I still be needed?"

"Kagome," Kaede's voice drifts into Kagome's thoughts. Kagome jumps slightly and turns to the old miko smiling. Kaede squints her eye at the girl, sensing something amiss, but decides not to address it.

"Hai?" Kagome responds.

"Here," Kaede says, handing Kagome a bundle of green leaves.

"Ah, arigatou, Kaede-obaa-chan," Kagome says and places both bundles in the yellow backpack at her feet.

"Is Nobara-san going with you?" Kaede asks standing up and squinting her eye in the sunlight to the approaching group. She sees the yellow haired hanyou with them.

"Hai. I asked her if she could," Kagome answers kneeling down and zipping up the bag. "Since she has no where else to go."

Kaede nods thoughtfully.

"You must be vigilant of Naraku then."

Kagome looks up questioningly at Kaede as she rises and swings the heavy pack on her shoulders.

"He wanted to use Nobara-san for something and knowing Naraku he will not give up on that plan."

Kagome nods, realizing the truth in the old miko's statement. Especially with Kagura's attack just last night.

"Sayonara, Kaede-sama," Miroku says as the group stands outside the garden. "Again domo arigatou gozaimas for your hospitality, but we must continue our search for Naraku."

Kaede nods in response. Kirara chirps in Sango's arms. Nobara then steps forward, keeping her gaze down.

"Arigatou, Kaede-sama," she says quietly. Kaede nods, she was only slightly taken aback by the hanyou's appreciation. Nobara's cool blue eyes continue to look away as she steps back.

"Keh! Let's go already!" Inuyasha spats impatiently, folding his arms and walking down the road. Miroku, Sango and Shippou roll their eyes as they begin to follow.

"Bye, Kaede-obaa-chan!" Kagome waves as she quickly walks out of the garden and catches up to Inuyasha. Kaede stands in the road and watches them depart. As always at these times she wonders if this will be the last encounter she would have with them. She sighs and turns back to the village. The sudden thought of Nobara caused her to stop and turn.

"Will she…?"

Everyone was quiet at first as they walked. Small conversations started and ended. Shippou and Inuyasha bickered. The whole time Nobara observed, always at the back of the group. She had never really seen people who were this close being together. She had taken the sling off her arm and though her arm was still slightly sore, she knew it would be all better by sun down. They had only been walking for a few hours and had taken an unfamiliar road at a fork earlier. Kagome suddenly stops and takes her bag off her shoulders.

"Oh no!" Kagome gasps digging through her bag.

"Huh? What is it Kagome-chan?" Sango asks. Kagome retrieves the canteen from her bag.

"I forgot to fill my canteen!"

"Keh!" Inuyasha spats.

"Hey Kagome! I hear a waterfall!" Shippou shouts, pointing through the trees.

"We can fill the canteen there," Kagome says. Her face lighting up.

Nobara stood quietly watching the trees, something was bothering her.

"The scent here is too familiar…"

It made her skin crawl slightly and the hairs stand on her neck. She peered through the trees trying to focus on the rushing water. She hears laughter and she turns to the group to see if anyone was laughing. But it was not them. Kagome was talking and then tried to get Nobara's attention. Nobara heard the laughter again and looked into the trees. The hanyou stayed still not acknowledging Kagome. Nobara focuses everything on the distant laughter till it becomes louder.

"…..hanyou……." the laughter whispers

Nobara's pale eyes widen as she recognizes the laugh.

"Kikyou!"

Nobara suddenly runs into the woods away from the road.

"Nobara!" Kagome calls alarmed. Nobara did not hear Kagome's voice as she ran through the trees towards the laughter. She suddenly comes across a clearing where a waterfall cascades down the cliff side to a pool at her feet. From the pool a small river flowed past into the trees. There was a small outcropping of rocks on the opposite side beneath the cliff face. It was a beautiful and peaceful place but the laughter still echoed in Nobara's ears. She walks up to the water and looks into the small pool at the base of the waterfall. All she could hear now was the rushing water. She kneels down and places her hand in the cool water, the scent of this place overpowering a forgotten memory. She suddenly glances up in the water and sees the reflection of the miko laughing.

"Kikyou!?" Nobara quickly rises and unsheathes Hisuibara, ignoring the soreness in her right shoulder. She leaps to the other side of the bank hoping to surprise the miko. But there was no one there. Nobara looks around cautiously, until she suddenly stops and lowers Hisuibara. There along the cliff wall was a spot that had no moss growing on it, the tangled roots of a tree could be seen bursting from the rock wall. Nobara slowly walks up to it, Hisuibara lowered to her side. She stares at the spot she knew was there and as she approached she saw it. There a small chunk taken from one of the massive roots of the tree. She reaches out a hand as she approaches, her eyes wide. She feels the spot over her heart burn and she flinches slightly. She closes her eyes as she places the outstretched hand over the spot.

The waterfall in the background lulled her to the sound of the bow string vibrate and the whistle of the arrow.

"Nobara?"

The hanyou flinches and turns opening her eyes. She raises Hisuibara again seeing Kikyou out of the corner of her eye. She tightens her grip on the youkai katana and turns, sneering. She then stops and widen her eyes. Kagome stood there, where she thought Kikyou was just a moment before. There everyone stood with her on the opposite side of the bank. Kagome stares at her worried; Inuyasha just continued to look at her annoyed, his hand holding Tessaiga sensing the sudden hostile ness.

"Nobara? Are you alright?" Kagome asks. Nobara relaxes and sheathes Hisuibara. Kagome looks to where Nobara was staring when they first approached and sees the massive roots. Her eyes widen as she sees the strange bare spot of moss where Nobara was staring. She then squints her eyes and widens them and gasps slightly. Nobara knows what the young girl had seen. She turns away and lowers her head then looks over at the bare spot. The whistle of the arrow still fresh in her ears. Everyone was silent.

"This is where I was sealed," Nobara's voice drifts over to them from the crashing of the waterfall. Sango gasps, Inuyasha glares, and Kagome just looks down. She saw the small hole and remembered the bare spot on Goshinboku where Inuyasha was once sealed.

Miroku looks on thoughtfully, and then gazes up the cliff from where Nobara was sealed at the overhanging branches of the tree. The houshi takes a step forward and gasps slightly.

"What is it, Houshi-sama?" Sango asks sensing her friend's reaction.

"This tree…is a Goshinboku…."

Everyone looks up at the overhanging branches of the massive tree.

"Goshinboku?" Kagome thinks as she watches the branches sway in a small breeze. The young girl's memory goes back to the day she met Inuyasha sealed on Goshinboku. How he was sleeping peacefully. She wondered if Nobara slept peacefully when she was sealed.

The yellow-haired hanyou took one step forward and furrowed her brow. She knew of goshinbokus' from Yuugi. Goshinboku, sacred time trees, trees that existed in their own time. Her eyes widen as she realizes, she turns and looks at Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha was sealed on Goshinboku 50 years ago by Kikyou-onee-sama…."

Kaede's words drifted into her thoughts. The young hanyou did not look like he was over 50 years old. She looks back up at the tree and realizes.

"Goshinboku…freezes time for those who are sealed! Kikyou…." Nobara sees the miko's solemn face before she releases the arrow that sealed her. She then looks down at the arrow hole in the root of the Goshinboku. Her anger starts to clench her teeth. "Kikyou…why did you?! Why did you seal me when you knew I would remain frozen in time?! Why?!"

That night everyone sat around the small campfire. Sakana skewers dripped fat into the blaze causing the hot embers to sizzle. Shippou played with Kirara, both running around in the fire light. Miroku and Sango sat together, Miroku deep in contemplative thought and Sango watching the sakana cook. Across from them Kagome sat, her nose stuffed in another text book. The young girl sighed and glanced away from the paragraphs of knowledge to look at Nobara and Inuyasha. Inuyasha sat cross-legged nearby and Nobara was some distance behind him, her back to the firelight. She had been silent and reclusive since their visit to her place of sealing. Kagome wished she knew how to help her, but Nobara seemed to be chasing her own demons. Then the sakana was ready and the usual farce took place again. Inuyasha and Shippou fought over a sakana until Kagome stopped him, using the word of subjugation. Kagome sees Nobara sit in the distance and walks up to her, offering her a sakana.

"Here, Sango-chan made one for you."

Nobara looks up at Kagome wearily and gingerly takes the sakana and stares at it in her hands. Kagome could tell that something was bothering her. She sat down next to her.

"Why don't you join us by the fire?"

"I am not used to this," Nobara says and glances over to Kagome with sad pale eyes. "I am used to being alone, it suits me."

Kagome did not know what to say at first. Her heart ached for the sad hanyou.

"You never had friends?"

Nobara just looks away.

"Oh," Kagome responds sadly. She had never met anyone so alone before in her life. "Well, you can only have friends if you want them. Sometimes you find them in the least likely of places." Kagome stops for a moment and looks over at a grumpy Inuyasha and smiles to herself. "Friends are the ones you know are going to be there for you no matter what." Kagome looks over at Nobara and then places a hand on her shoulder. The hanyou glances her eyes over to the young girl. "Come sit with us, Nobara."

Kagome smiled brightly.

"You are not alone anymore, Nobara."

Nobara looks at Kagome as she gasps slightly. She remembered Inutaisho placing his hand on her shoulder and saying the same words, one distant night in the courtyard of his castle. A small genuine smile began to curl the corners of her lips. She then slowly rises and nods to Kagome. Both return to the circle just as Shippou and Inuyasha began arguing again.

"Baka Inuyasha!!" Shippou whines rubbing a bump on his head. The hanyou sits next to him smiling evilly, his fist floating above the kitsune youkai's head

"You should watch your big mouth," Inuyasha retorts.

Kagome walks up and looks at the small kitsune youkai.

"Shippou-chan, what did you say about Inuyasha?"

Shippou just huffed and looked proud.

"He was talking out loud again and called me a dumb dog," Inuyasha growled. Folding his arms in his haori sleeves.

"Inuyasha you are a bully!" Shippou whined.

"Inuyasha, you should be nicer to Shippou-chan, he is just a child after all," Kagome reminds him as she sighs and sits next to Shippou to comfort him. Nobara sits just within the fire light across from all this.

"Keh!" Inuyasha spats, turning away as Kagome, while holding Shippou, turns to dig into her backpack for some ointment for Shippou's bump. As Kagome eyes are turned Shippou sticks out his tongue at Inuyasha. Inuyasha glances back right as Shippou flapped his tongue at him. Inuyasha growls and cracks his clawed fingers in anticipation. Kagome sets Shippou down and digs further in her bag, as the kitsune taunts the hanyou further. Sango and Miroku just sat there and sipped on some tea, Kirara is curled asleep in Sango's lap. Nobara watched their behavior peculiarly then got the indication that these little tiffs were common amongst these two.

"Aha! Found it!" Kagome exclaims as a loud bonk is heard with another whine from Shippou. Without facing the inevitable scene Kagome's face became annoyed. She closes here eyes and grits her teeth. "Inuyasha….osuwari!"

"Ga!" Inuyasha cried as the prayer beads around his neck pulled him down into the earth. Shippou sneered triumphantly. Nobara was slightly concerned for the young hanyou till she heard him moan in annoyance. Then jump up and start yelling at Kagome who ignored his spat as she administered the ointment to the new second bump on Shippou's head. Nobara watched the scene and she began to forget her troubles.

"Well?! Why did you do that!? W-" Inuyasha started then stopped as his ears heard a sound he had never heard before. Kagome stops too and looks over to Nobara. Nobara sat there with both her hands covering her mouth. Sango and Miroku looked at her wide eyed.

"Gomen." Nobara quickly mumbles as she turns. Inuyasha realizes what the sound was as Nobara suddenly rises and walks out of the fire light without another word. Kagome watches her as a hopeful smile crosses her lips.

Nobara had laughed.

The embers of the fire smoldered as everyone slept. Inuyasha was on first watch and sat in a tree above the others watching vigilantly. Nobara tries to sleep, the knowledge of her sealing to Goshinboku troubled her constantly that and the laughter that came from her before. Her mind toiled on when the last time she laughed was. Her eyelids began to feel heavy, despite her want to stay awake. She was still used to being watchful of herself. Just as they started to close she thought she heard a sound. Her eyes spring open and she jumps up to attention. The darkness of the night was overpowering her senses at first until the moon resurfaced from behind a cloud. There the others were sleeping, but there was a strange smell in the air.

"Blood?"

She walks over to where Inuyasha was in the tree and sees nothing.

"Inuyasha?" she whispers not wanting to wake the others. She then decides to wake Kagome. She walks over and nudges the still girl's form gently. Nobara gasps at the feel of cold flesh. The moon goes behind a cloud again as she shakes the girl harder till she hears her move. She feels something wet and raises her hand to her face, just as the moon reappeared.

Nobara gasps loudly and backs away in horror. There was blood on her hands.

"Nobara."

Nobara turns to the voice behind her and sees a figure in the shadows. She recognizes the form right away.

"I-Inuyasha?" her voice quavered, still confused as to what was going on.

The hanyou unsheathes Tessaiga in the shadows and points it at her.

"I trusted you, you promised."

For a moment Nobara was disoriented, and then she glances down to Hisuibara in her hand and sees the blood drip from the tip. She looked at the familiar blade confused. When did she unsheathe it?

"Inuyasha! Wait!" she calls, looking back desperately to try and understand what was going on. She looks back down at Kagome and her eyes widen into circles. There on the ground lay Izayoi.

"Izayoi!?" Nobara exclaims backing away.

"You promised," the voice said again and she turns to see a different figure before her. Her heart freezes as she recognizes him in an instant.

"Inutaisho."

The tai-youkai now held Tessaiga and raises the blade to attack and she could feel Hisuibara throbbing in her hand to fight back. But she wouldn't. The great blade struck her and she flew back against a rock wall. She rises slowly, doubled over from the pain that quickly dissipates and then finds she can't move. . She tries to move but suddenly realizes she is pinned to the rock wall. Everything is dark and her head hurts terribly. She then hears an all too familiar sound, the falling and rushing of water. She then hears the familiar laugh again.

"Nani! Kikyou!"

She looks around and finds herself still in the campground against the stone wall. Inutaisho is gone along with everyone else. Kikyou stands before her, bow raised. Nobara winces expecting to be hit, she opens her eyes when she hears the running water from the waterfall. The arrow is mere inches before her chest, frozen in time.

"You! You ikeike!?" Nobara screams.

The Miko looks at Nobara curiously.

"Why did you do it? Why did you seal me to be frozen in time?! You knew all I wanted was death!"

Kikyou stood quiet not responding. Nobara's anger boiled as she looks back at Kikyou with mad pale eyes.

Kikyou continued to stand silently. Nobara lowers her head wearily, realizing the miko won't answer her. She then hears laughter and jerks up to see Kikyou with Izayoi, alive, laughing at her.

"Izayoi!"

"You will never change, you who always try to be what you are not!" Izayoi laughs wickedly. Nobara suddenly sees the arrow move again.

"Why do you think he deserves you!?" both women howl.

"NO!" Nobara screams, closing her eyes as the arrow with her fate pierces through her kimono.

"Kikyou!!!"

Nobara gasps and opens her eyes and jumps up. She is back in the campground, sitting up and gasping for breath. The burn over her heart subsiding as she finds her right hand clutching Hisuibara. She looks at the sheathed sword strangely. Was it throbbing? She raises her hand to her face and sighs in relief that there was no blood there. She uses it to wipe the sweat from her brow. Her head falls into her hands as she shakes away the horrible laughter that still echoed in her head. She stands up and replaces the sheathed katana in the obi at her side. Quickly she walks around the fire checking on Kagome. She could see the young girl sleeping peacefully in the moonlight. She glances up in the tree and sees that Inuyasha was not there, but she could sense that he had just left.

"Where did he go?" she wonders. She suddenly sees a strange light as a snake like being drifts through the trees and disappears. "A Shinidama Chuu?" Nobara runs ahead to investigate.

As Nobara leaps over the sleeping Kagome she awakens her. Kagome opens her eyes and sees Nobara run away, she is about to call out when she sees the Shinidama Chuu. She glances up at the tree where Inuyasha was and her heart sinks when she realizes he is not there. She knew where he was.

"Kikyou…"

Her eyes suddenly widen though when she remembers seeing Nobara run towards the ghostly youkai beings.

"Nobara!"

.....End Chapter