Disclaimer: Don't own Inu-Yasha or characters from the story. Just using 'em in my story.

Chapter 7

"What did you find?" Sango and the others leaned towards her futon all with big eyes and curious faces.

Kyaru still gasping for air turned her head to the wall where Inu-Yasha was facing. It was obvious he didn't care what she was saying. His eyes were closed and his head was down. 'He should be paying more attention! He'd love to hear what I'm about to say!' She sat up and smiled. Almost breathing normally again and finally answered,

"A way back home..."

"Omigod that's great!" Kagome shouted.

"We're so happy for you!" Sango exclaimed.

"Oh I'll miss you so!" Miroku jumped up and hugged her tightly and his hand going down to pat her butt one last time.

"Ah Pervert!" Sango and Kagome hit him on the head. Kyaru only giggled.

"Oh that's ok!" They all laughed and group hugged her.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Inu-Yasha's head shot up at that very moment she said she'd found a way to get back home. He should have been happy. He knew he should have been happy but he wasn't and he didn't know why. 'Feh...I don't care. Good riddance! I never have to see her or hear her annoying voice ever again!'

* But won't you miss her Inu-Yasha? * A voice in his head was countering what he wanted to think. ' No! I'll never miss her and I'm glad she's going!' * You should at least congratulate her that she's found a way to get back to her own time. * ' Why? She's having a great time without me. She doesn't care if I say 'goodbye' or not!' * How can you be so sure? You haven't spent any time to get to know her better like the others have. * 'I don't even know who I'm arguing with but screw off! You know nothing!' * You should at least say goodbye Inu-Yasha. You might not see her again... *

And with that the annoying little voice in his head was gone. When he was done fighting his own mind he looked up to see that everybody had gone to sleep. "Maybe in the morning..." He said and dozed off.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When the group left the village they all walked in friendly silence not saying anything. But they stopped walking when they noticed that Kyaru wasn't with them. They looked back and saw her about 10 feet behind.

"Come on! Let's go we're not taking a break from walking just for you!" Inu- Yasha growled.

"You won't? Oh that's too bad. I...would have liked to say goodbye. But then if you want to keep going go!" Kyaru looked at the rest of the group with sad eyes. But to Inu-Yasha she looked at him with cold eyes.

"Oh...you're going? Why're you leaving so soon Kyaru?" Shippo asked.She smiled at the little boy and said, "It's been two weeks. My mom is probably worried about me so I better go."

"How are you gonna get back anyway?" Kagome questioned.

"Well...I have to hold the necklace..." Kyaru explained things to the group and tried to do it the way the old mystic did. When she was done which was only a minute later the group looked at her awed.

"That's all? Wow that's an easy way to go back home anytime you want!"

"What! You can't go back!" Inu-Yasha suddenly turned to her and snatched her pendant.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing! I need that pendant whole to go home not half disheveled!" Kyaru yelled and tried to lunge to get it back but Inu-Yasha turned around.

"Yeah...and I need this to become a full demon. One way or the other a person loses. You might as well just stay with us and 'help' us as you say you can on getting these."

"Sit!" Kagome said. She walked up to Inu-Yasha who's face was in the dirt and grabbed the pendant from his hand. "Inu-Yasha how could you do that?! If this was in the future it's obviously here in the past. We'll get it one way or another but not by taking it from her. She needs to go home and she's not even from my time so she can't use the well." She handed the pendant and necklace back to Kyaru.

Kyaru clenched it in her hand and thought of her home. 'home....mom....wavy tiles on my roof....home...' She let go of the pendant. Her fingers now outstretched. Kyaru was starting to dissolve again like she did the first time.

"Goodbye everyone! I'll miss you all and I'll never forget the favor you've done for me!" She smiled. She was almost gone when...

"Wait!" Inu-Yasha got up from the ground and walked towards her, "Goodbye Kyaru." He said.

She smiled at him. Her first warm smile to him. "Goodbye Inu-Yasha. Until we meet again!" Those were her final words and she disappeared.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kyaru reappeared at her front door in Mission Viejo on a sunny day it seemed. She didn't have her keys so she rang the doorbell. Nobody answered. She looked at her watch and it was 3:38 PM. Her mom should have been home so she rang again. Still nobody answered so she rang the doorbell again. Finally she heard steps inside the house. Faint steps but she could hear them. The person unlocked the door and swished it open.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" The person at the door looked awful. It was a woman in her early forties. But her eyes were red-rimmed with tears and she was slouched and it looked as if she hadn't slept for days or eaten for that fact.

"M-mom?" Kyaru stepped back and almost fell off her porch.

"Kyaru? Kyaru? Oh dear it's you! I was so worried!" Her mother ran to Kyaru and hugged her tightly. "Oh Kyaru! I was so worried! You could have been kidnapped or worse!" Her mother started to cry again but this time they were tears of joy.

"Tell me dear! Tell me everything that happened!" The two went inside the house and sat in the kitchen Kyaru started to boil some water.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"And well...That's what happened." Kyaru had told her mother everything. Her mom didn't look at her like she was crazy or if she was lying. Her mother looked at her cup of tea and sighed.

"I...have to go tell the police that they can stop the search for you." Her mom got up and left the kitchen. She grabbed her keys and purse and left.

"She doesn't believe me..."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As Mrs. Honami drove she had many flashbacks but only three stayed in her mind.

~*~ Flashback 1 ~*~ "You should let her stay with me for a while!"

"No! She can't stay with you! She'd be embarrassed. And if she wasn't she'd tell her friends and we'd have to move again."

"Are you ashamed of what I am? Do you think Kyaru would be ashamed of me? Of who she is?"

"Yes! Just like you were years ago! I'm sorry but she can't stay with you and see you the way you are."

"Then she'll never see me for who I am and she'll never know the truth. Until it happens to her."

~*~ End of Flashback 1 ~*~

~*~ Flashback 2 ~*~

"Mommy?"

"Yes dear?"

"Why can't I see daddy? How come you get to see him but I don't?"

"But you do see him dear! Once a month!"

"But you see him for lots of days! It isn't fair! I wanna see daddy all the time like you!"

"...I...I'm sorry Kyaru but it's not possible. One day you'll be able to see daddy all the time. But not now."

~*~ End of Flashback 2 ~*~

~*~ Flashback 3 ~*~

* gasp! * "Mom! Why is dad's hair white?! I...I thought he had..."

"Old age dear. That's why you're dad's hair is white instead of black like it used to be."

"But...but...He's not-"

"Shhh dear. A moment of silence for your poor father."

"...old..."

~*~ End of Flashback 3 ~*~

"Mrs.Honami? Detective Kyle will see you now."

"Yes Mrs. Honami? Any news?"

"Yes Detective. You don't need to search for my daughter anymore. She's come back."

"Really? What happened?"

"She said she was...with some friends."

"That's it?! We searched for weeks only to find she was with friends...." The detective kept on talking but Mrs. Honami wasn't listening. All she was thinking about was her late husband and the tale of her daughter.