AN: Thank you all of you loverly reviewers! Every single one of you get your very own Kirara clone! Go you! Do you not feel oh so special? This chapter is dedicated to Giliath. TWICE! This, of course, is due to the fact that this wonderful person sent two identical reviews to every chapter I have posted thus far! So Giliath, you also get an Amulet of Extreme Plot Significance! WOOT! I know it doesn't have anything to do with Inu Yasha or Lord of the Rings but there it is. And I forgot to answer reviews last time. Thanks muchly Hyper Fox Child for the brownie!

Chapter 4: So Much Fluff

Kagome knocked on the door of Inu Yasha's room. There was no answer. Cautiously, she opened the door and peeked inside. No one was there. Her resolve was slipping; she knew that she had to find him fast. She knocked on the door of Miroku's room. There was grumbling coming from inside. A couple seconds later a very sleepy looking Miroku opened the door. Kagome blushed. "Sorry, Miroku. I didn't mean to wake you up. Um, I was going to ask you if you knew where Inu Yasha was but the answer is obviously no." Miroku rolled his eyes.

"Oh course I know where Inu Yasha is. He woke me up about a half a hour ago to tell me that he was going for a walk. I was just getting back to sleep when you knocked."

"Oh my, I am so sorry Miroku. But thanks for telling me. I'll go find him," Kagome said, bowing and turning to go.

"Wait Kagome," Miroku said suddenly. Kagome paused. "You look lovely. Just thought that I'd say that." Before Kagome could reply Miroku had shut his door and probably gone back to sleep. Kagome smiled and went to look for Inu Yasha. Kagome found no sign of him on the level of the palace that their rooms were on so she went up a level. This floor was much livelier with Elves coming and going every which way speaking that strange, ethereal language of theirs. Kagome decided that she wanted to learn how to speak it one day. It sounded like it would just roll right off the tongue. Besides, it would be neat to learn a new language. Occasionally, an Elf would nod politely at her or even stop and say hello. Once it was obvious that she was one of the King's guests she was much more welcome. And Kagome had a strong suspicion that Luinel had been right about the short skirt thing. Still, there was no sign of Inu Yasha.

Kagome was actually beginning to give up hope of ever finding him when she stopped at a junction where many hallways connected. At the center of that junction was a fountain, and sitting at the edge of that fountain was Inu Yasha. Kagome walked silently towards him. He seemed lost in thought. She stopped a half a dozen paces from him. "Inu Yasha," she said. "We need to talk."

Inu Yasha's POV

Inu Yasha sat at the edge of the fountain and stared off into space thinking of the strange circumstances that he had somehow found himself in. He and the others were somehow trapped in an alien world which seemed to have problems of its own. The tale of the One Ring sounded an awful lot like the Shikon no Tama. Both were magical objects which granted their users with great power, but at the same time corrupted their hearts. Both must be destroyed.

Then there was the matter of these Elves. They were pure beings, Miroku had said. He could sense no evil in them whatsoever. Inu Yasha agreed, but he could sense something else about them. A great sorrow that hung in the air so thick it was almost palpable. It could simply have been the fact that their home was quickly becoming a very dangerous place to live. It could have been the fact that their youngest prince hung on the edge of death. But Inu Yasha felt that it was something more. He just couldn't put his finger on it quite yet.

Inu Yasha was sure that there were other mysteries waiting to be unlocked in this strange place called Middle Earth. But Inu Yasha was equally sure that whatever came their way, he and the others would make the best of it. Suddenly, he was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of Kagome's voice. "Inu Yasha," she said. "We need to talk."

Inu Yasha looked up and stared, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. He had never seen Kagome look so beautiful. Heck, he'd never seen anyone look so beautiful. Her hair was done Elven style, and bedecked with jewels. She was wearing a long silken dress that flowed elegantly about her. It was chestnut brown with deep green sleeves. The sleeves flared to her knees but were held tight against her upper arms with silver ribbons. A loose sash of matching colour was tied about her waist. The neckline was also laced with silver. She smiled shyly at him before sitting next to him on the fountain. Inu Yasha swallowed and some how managed to find his voice. "W-what is it Kagome?"

"Inu Yasha how do you feel about me?" Her question startled Inu Yasha, to say the least.

"What kind of a question is that?" he demanded.

"I need to know how things stand… between us," Kagome was looking at him strangely. Inu Yasha had no idea what to say. He opened and closed his mouth several times, but no words can come. "Inu Yasha, do you love me?" Inu Yasha knew what to say then. It was going to be one of those conversations, like they had had so many times before.

"Kagome… I… Kikyo…" was his oh so intelligent reply. He cursed his stupidity and inability to articulate his feelings. He had no idea why she was bringing this up now of all times. He guessed that she was feeling insecure about the future… or something like that.

"I know that you still love Kikyo. I cannot change that. But… do you love me as well? I need to know." Kagome put her hand on his and leaned in until her face was mere inches from his own. "Be honest with me Inu Yasha." Inu Yasha remained silent, staring into Kagome's enormous brown eyes. Did he love her? He had never actually thought about it. Even that time where he thought that he had made his decision and finally chosen Kikyo, he had never actually stopped to consider the strength of his feelings for Kagome. He thought of how he felt when she was near him, how afraid he was for her whenever she was in danger, how he longed for her to return to him when she was back home in her era. Yes, he did love her. He loved her so much. And suddenly, he had to tell her, he had to tell her the enormity of what he felt.

"Yes, Kagome. A thousand times yes, I do love you." He leaned in that extra few inches and kissed her. "I don't know why I never realized it before." Kagome smiled at him.

"Did you ever even stop to think about it?" she asked, lightly. There was joy in her face like Inu Yasha had never seen before. It practically shone from her with visible light. Inu Yasha shook his head and laughed. He suddenly felt happy too. It felt as though, with this admission, a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He kissed her again before rising to his feet. He took her hand. "Come on! Let's go explore!"

Neither he nor Kagome noticed the four heads peeking around the corner watching them. "It worked!" Luinel whispered happily. "Just as I planned."

"But I wonder," Miroku said, not sounding nearly as happy as the She-Elf. "Will this only bring more heartache to Kagome when we return to our world and Inu Yasha meets Kikyo again."

"That's saying we ever even return to our time," Sango said sadly.

"You'll find away," Luinel said instantly with a confidence that surprised the others. "But back to the matter at hand. I think that now that Inu Yasha has realized his love for Kagome it will only grow. By the time you get back to your world it will likely have surpassed his love for Kikyo."

"But will he forget all that the moment he lays eyes on Kikyo?" Miroku asked. Clearly he was worried for Kagome.

"No, for it is in Kagome that most of the soul is located," Luinel said cryptically. When she only received blank stares she sighed and set about explaining. "Inu Yasha loves both Kagome and Kikyo right? Have you ever stopped to wonder why? The reason is that they are Soulmates. Inu Yasha is so torn because the soul inhabits both bodies. He will eventually stay with Kagome because only a small piece of the soul is in the resurrected Kikyo. Understand?"

"I think so," said Miroku.

"I'm just glad that those two came to their senses," Shippo said. "What gave Kagome the courage to actually say those things?"

"I gave her the mother of all pep-talks, that's what," Luinel said. "I'm going to go check and see how Prince Legolas is doing. Do you guys want to come? You can all meet Hithwen. She's the head healer and my brother's wife."

"Sure," said Sango, rising from where she had been crouching on the floor. "That sounds great. I have been worrying about Legolas ever since they took him away when we first crossed the bridge."

With Luinel to guide them, they reached the infirmary in no time. They all paid close attention to the way that Luinel took them so that they could find their way back to their rooms without the need of a guide. Sango was sure that there were many things that Luinel would rather be doing than playing tour guide for them all day long. They halted in front of the infirmary. Luinel motioned for silence. She knocked lightly on the door. The door creaked open and Hithwen poked her head out. She said something in Elvish that Sango didn't understand.

"Yes it's me," Luinel replied in Common. "I brought some of King Thranduil's guests this time. They are concerned about Legolas' welfare. They were the one's who brought him here after all." Hithwen opened the door wide and bowed.

"Then you have my thanks. Because you brought him here with such speed he will likely survive," Hithwen said, sitting down in her chair next to Legolas' bed. Sango got a good look at Legolas and felt a pang of sorrow. He looked so small, lying there in that bed. He had a cold cloth on his forehead and…

"He's sleeping with his eyes shut," Luinel said, moving closer to the bed.

"Is that bad?" Shippo asked.

"Yes, Elves ordinarily sleep with their eyes open. They only sleep with their eyes shut when they are exhausted to the point of collapse or severely injured," Luinel explained.

"His fever has gone down," Hithwen said suddenly. Luinel looked down at the Prince's face. She traced her fingers down the side of Legolas' face. Sango found this gesture rather tender for a servant to her master. It was then that Sango first began to suspect that something might be going on between those two.

Suddenly Legolas stirred and, slowly, his eyes opened. "Luinel?" he said, his voice barely audible. Luinel nodded, and sat down next to him. "Were you calling for me?" Luinel cupped his face with her hand.

"No, mellamin, I did not," she said, tears in her eyes.

"Oh," said Legolas, shutting his eyes. "I really heard you. You seemed so very far away. I must have been dreaming."

"Rest now, mellamin," Luinel said. "Hithwen will send for me if you need me." Legolas nodded sleepily and nestled deeper into the bed.

"Thank you, Luinel," Hithwen said, adjusting the blankets.

"You're welcome," Luinel replied automatically. Then she blinked, confused. "Um, what for?"

"He had not awoken before this. Maybe, he did hear you calling, just not out loud. You called him with your heart didn't you? You wished above all else that you could hear his voice again. Am I right?"

"Yes," Luinel said, her voice rough with emotion. She looked down at Legolas. Sango felt like she was intruding on something she really shouldn't.

"Should we go?" she asked. The sound of her voice startled Luinel so much that she jumped.

"Yes, let's go," Luinel said, standing up suddenly, and brushing absentmindedly at her skirts. "We've found out what we came for. The Prince is recovering. Is there anywhere else that you would like me to show you or should I show you back to your rooms? I am sure that you would like something to eat first, at the very least." Before Sango could correct her she marched passed them and out the door. Sango stared after her retreating back.

"You'll have to forgive her," Hithwen said, shaking her head sadly. "This whole thing has been rather hard on her. I think that she is embarrassed that she revealed more to you than she would have liked."

"Does she love Legolas?" Miroku asked.

"Yes, and he loves her in return. I would ask that you mention it to no one. Such a relationship would be… frowned upon," replied Hithwen.

"But why? If Elves believed in the idea of Soulmates then no relationship between two people who truly love each other, as Luinel and Legolas obviously do, would be hindered in any way, regardless of cast." Miroku shook his head. He didn't understand.

"Yes, cast does not matter. Neither does race. But it is the fact that she is a servant in Thranduil's household, and the circumstances under which she came to be in his employ. To some, it would seem that she is getting above herself and taking advantage of those who gave her care, when no one else would. Do you understand? Please tell no one of the fact that they are lovers. Previously, only Thaurondo, Vanaaduial and myself knew."

"Don't worry," Sango said, reassuringly. "We won't tell anyone. Luinel is lucky to have such close friends who are willing to keep such a secret for her. We will not betray your trust you have my word."

"And mine," Miroku said instantly. "I would do nothing that would harm so true a love."

"And I promise too," Shippo said, sitting up tall on Miroku's shoulder. "Luinel was really nice to me. I would be a bad kid to go back on that and tell her secrets on her."

"It is nice to know that there is kindness to be found outside of Eryn Lasgalen," Hithwen said. "Now, you had better go and catch up with her. I don't think she will be very happy when she realizes that you have remained here." Sango and the others found themselves being shooed out of the Infirmary. They hurried after Luinel.

But they had no idea where she had gone. They stopped to have a look around. Chances are if they stayed in the same place Luinel would come back to find them eventually. "What did you mean back there Houshi-sama?" Sango asked Miroku.

"Hmmmmm?"

"When you said that you would never harm so true a love? You must have been lying you letch.," Sango looked at him shrewdly.

"Actually I spoke the truth. Have I tried to seduce Kagome once that you know of, for example? No, because I know that she belongs to Inu Yasha, despite him not realizing this himself until just now. Besides," he said, the corners of his mouth twitching upward slightly. "I know something of love myself you know." Sango's eyebrows shot up into her bangs.

"Oh really," she said disbelievingly.

"Yes," Miroku said. "I just haven't discovered the way to her heart yet. But I don't plan on giving up."

"And who might this woman be, I wonder," Sango sniggered. "If you can call her lucky."

"Oh you know her very well," was Miroku's cryptic reply. "And she would be very lucky to have me, I should think."

"You arrogant prick!" Sango was full-out laughing now. "Seriously though, if you were to snag this lucky woman, would you remain faithful to her?"

"Of course," Miroku said instantly, sounding insulted. "I know I haven't shown evidence to it in the past but if I were to share a truly meaningful relationship then I would not stray. I would count myself too blessed to risk messing it up."

"Hmmmm…" was all that Sango could think to say.

"Are you gonna tell us who she is or what Miroku?" Shippo demanded impatiently, folding his little arms. Shippo knew full well who Miroku was talking about, it was driving the little fox crazy that Sango was too blind to see it. He was hoping that Miroku would just come out and say it. He was also hoping that love wasn't this frustrating for him when he was older.

"She'll just have to figure for herself," Miroku said, walking off. Sango stared after him.

"Did I miss something?" she asked Shippo. Shippo shrugged.

"I dunno."

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In this particular fanfic, for the sake of convenience, common just happens to be Japanese. Westron isn't even English, not really. So I can say that common is Japanese all I want. Even though this entire fanfic is in English. Yeah.

For those of you who don't know any Elvish, mellamin means "my love". Luinel can use this without confirming Sango's suspicions because Sango, of course, does not speak Elvish. Poor Sango.

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AN: Here's another chappie. I introduceded footnotes this time. Been reading too much Terry Pratchett me thinks. Ah well, they weren't humourous footnotes like the Terry Pratchett ones were. I hope they were informative. I won't use them unless I absolutely have to though. Promise! ;p First one to review gets a Get-out-of-Naraku's-castle-free card!