"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident."
- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860).
"Ahhh..." Kagome closed her eyes and placed the wet folded towel over her head as she dipped into the onsen. It was simply heavenly. She had not had a bath for a week. A total of seven freaking days. The warm mineral waters rushing around her bare skin relaxed her muscles, while the rising sulphur steam comforted her frazzled nerves. Onsens were always a treat for her, since bathing facilities were scarce and not as complete as her own personal bathroom. She sometimes missed her hair-dryer.
"Kagome-neesan, do you like onsen that much?" Rin asked puzzledly, not understanding why the older onna looked so relaxed and happy.
"Hai! Soaking in onsen is very good for one's body and blood circulation!" Kagome leaned her aching back against the smooth boulder and rested her head, slowly splashing the warm waters over her shoulders. It is definitely good, to be away from that pompous jerk for a while... A smile appeared on her moist face, as she tried to recall his look of annoyance when she pulled his ear.
Rin nodded and dipped her head under waters, but could not see anything swimming around. It was disappointing to her that their meal would not have any of fish. It was afterall her favourite food. "Kagome-neesan! There is no fish here."
Kagome could not help but to laugh out at her naivety and innocence, "Rin! There is no fish here, the waters are too warm for the fish to survive!"
Rin looked down in embarrassment while Kagome waded to her and ruffled her wet hair, "do you want me to wash your hair?"
"Hai!" her reward was Rin's wide toothy smile, she almost could not remember when was the last time her own mother did that.
Kagome thought for a long on how to approach the issue while she scrubbed Rin's scalp, and yet not hurt her heart. She did not know why, but felt that it was her duty to teach Rin. She was afterall the only grown female in the group now, and the only one who was a human. Perhaps her maternal instincts were kicking in, she mused to herself.
"Rin, what do you want to do when you grow up?"
The little one replied instantaneously without a blink, "Rin wants to be with Sesshoumaru-sama!"
Kagome slumped her shoulders, "iie Rin. What do you want to do? Other than to be with Sesshoumaru-sama?"
She tilted her foamy hair and frowned, chewing on her lower lip as Kagome continued to wash the grime off her soft black hair. "Un... Rin does not know. Rin only wants to be with Sesshoumaru-sama and Jaken-sama."
The miko let out a soft sigh, it seemed that Rin had not yet consider her future without her lord and the kappa-retainer. "Rin, but you must find something to do ne?"
Rin turned around and brushed the bubbles that was threatening to drip into her eyes away, "Kagome-neesan. What can Rin do? Jaken-sama says that I am useless to Sesshoumaru-sama because Rin will die one day. And he says that Rin is not strong."
Kagome's eyes rounded. Jaken had already told her.
"Dakara, maybe you should learn something useful to help Sesshoumaru-sama?"
The light returned to her dull eyes, "honto? What can Rin do? Rin can pick flowers and catch fish..."
Kagome rinsed her hair with the waters and nodded, "ee, maybe one day you can learn a skill. But I don't want you to steal. Stealing is wrong, and is bad."
The little one bent her head again, she knew that stealing was wrong. But it was a habit, the only survival skill that she knew. And Sesshoumaru-sama had not mentioned a single thing about that. "Hai."
It was obvious to Kagome that Rin was ashamed, and she clutched both her tiny shoulders firmly, "Rin, daijoubu. Sesshoumaru-sama loves you a lot, a lot. Really. He is not ashamed of you, and one day you will be able to help him, like Jaken. Soshite, the strength that we have is different from what Sesshoumaru has, it is inside us, here."
Kagome pressed a hand to her heart and the other against Rin's flat ribbed chest. Rin lifted her head at the twinkle in Kagome's eyes and smiled brightly. Kagome did not know whether to feel happy or sad, glad or worried at her unwavering affection and unabated loyalty to the taiyoukai.
"Why can't Sesshoumaru-sama and Jaken-sama come?" Kagome laughed out nervously at her question while Rin swatted at the mysterious-looking bubbles, wondering how she should answer her when another female voice replied.
"Because they are males."
Kagome froze, the voice sounded too familiar. She turned around slowly, pulling Rin to her defensively, "Kikyou?"
The undead miko stepped out from the veil of gushing stinging steam and fixed her cold stare at her reincarnation. "Kagome, I see that you have now consorted with youkai. Where is Inuyasha?"
She hastily grabbed her towel from the rocks and wrapped it around her body, not wanting to make a fool of herself before Kikyou. "What are you trying to say?"
Kikyou raised one of her thin eyebrows up, "are you playing ignorance? You are with Sesshoumaru."
Kagome swallowed and asked back calmly, "so?"
"Has Inuyasha deserted you?" her tone was emotionless even though her black eyes possibly glinted.
"Inuyasha and the rest are in Kaede's village if you must know."
"I did not ask about that."
Kagome narrowed her deep molten irises at the undead miko and tightened her grip over Rin's shoulders, "iie. Inuyasha has not deserted me."
Kikyou let out a breath through her nostrils, it seemed to her that Kagome had not let go of Inuyasha. When would this silly witch finally learn her place? "You are with Sesshoumaru, isn't it so?"
"It doesn't mean anything, I am helping him."
The undead miko let out a breath through her nostrils, "helping him? Does Inuyasha know then?"
Kagome bit on her lower lip hard and remained silent. She could not imagine the tempers that Inuyasha would throw if he knew that she was now travelling with his half-brother willingly. He would probably ignore her, and perhaps lose his trust in her. Kikyou took another step forward, seeing that her reincarnate had chosen to keep her mouth shut.
"Hand me the Shikon no kakkera."
Kagome urged Rin to get dressed while she clutched the precious glass bottle around her neck, "iie. It is mine, not yours. You are no longer protecting the Shikon no Tama."
The undead miko seethed in anger, "you are merely my reincarnation. And your level is nowhere near me."
Kagome climbed up onto the boulders warily, not daring to turn her back fully on her incarnate, "you have told me many times. Aren't you sick of it?"
"Why should I? This is the truth. Do not waste my time, hand me the Shikon no kakkera."
Kagome could not help but to shiver a little in the open winter air, even though the hot steam still swirled around the both of them. Rin was now fully dressed in her yukata and hid behind Kagome, not understanding what was going on but she knew that something was not right. There was a dangerous edge to the other miko's voice that she did not like at all.
"I will not, you are going to take out the one from Kohaku's back isn't it? You want Naraku to complete the Shikon no Tama, to purify him at the same time right? Inuyasha will not allow you to do that. Kohaku is Sango's otouto, we will never let you have your way."
Kikyou flexed her fingers over the long bow she held in her left hand, "Inuyasha will not be able to stop me. Not to mention you, nor your silly friends."
Kagome took a step back, "we will. Kohaku will not be sacrificed, there have been too many unnecessary deaths. Onegai, try to understand."
Kikyou tightened the grip over her bow, "are you going to give me, or not? Do not force me."
Her lips tightened into a straight line and Kagome shook her head hard, "where is Kohaku? I want to talk to him! Sango needs him, you cannot do this to them!"
Kikyou had reached the limit of her patience. She had merely wanted the Shikon shards, but now that Kagome was refusing her request, she felt tempted to retrieve the rest of her soul back. If she had her full soul, she would be able to live with Inuyasha as a real human, with a real body.
If, if only she had her full soul.
She took out an arrow from the quiver slung over her back, and steadied it on her long bow, "Kagome, do not tempt me either."
Her deep molten orbs widened in fear as her heart pounded hard against her chest, "Kikyou! What are you doing!"
The undead miko narrowed her eyes at her easy target, Kagome was less than a hundred steps away from her, "give me the Shikon no kakkera, and I will leave."
"Your hamaya will not work on me," Kagome replied as coolly as possible, while she tried to pry Rin's fingers away from her towel and whispered, "Rin, run. Run!"
Rin shook her head, tears brimming around her frightened eyes while she hung on tightly to the white thick towel that was in front of her, "Kagome-neesan! Kowai!"
Kikyou nocked the string, and the tip of arrow glowed light pink, "my hamaya works on youkai. But it still kills. Through flesh and blood. Do not tempt me Kagome. The rest of my soul is still with you."
"But it is mine, NOT yours!" Kagome cried out as she ducked to the side desperately, pulling the frightened Rin with her. The undead miko's arrow had almost hit her. "Kikyou! Are you mad!"
A small smile crept up her pale lips, "iie. I am not mad. Since you do not want to give me the kakkera, I will have to take it by force. Besides, Inuyasha never belonged to you. Nor this soul that resides within your body."
She took out another arrow and readied it on her bow, taking her aim before letting it fly to its human target.
"SESSHOUMARU-SAMA!"
Sesshoumaru lifted his eyelids and stared at his hand. He could see nothing, not even a hazy outline of his palm and fingers. He draped his arm over his right knee and laid back against the tree, wondering when the day of light and colour would come.
He yearned to see her face, to cup her cheeks, yet at the same time afraid of that moment. How would he react? What would he say to her? He had never felt so confused before; to do, or not to do. To say, or not to say. To begin, or to simply let it end. Sesshoumaru could not entirely figure out his feelings for the wretched miko. She frustrated him, angered him, taunted him; yet he still felt deeply attracted to her, this he would not deny to himself. Kagome was more than just an interesting creature, she filled his head with surprises, and sometimes unexpected shocks, depending on what the situation was.
He knew that it was impossible between them, a youkai and a miko. The mere thought of such a pairing was ridiculous at best. Besides, Kagome had declared to him that she love Inuyasha, not him. He let out a soft growl at the mention of Inuyasha's name. He did not have good feelings towards the few memories that he held for his half-brother, and after her declaration for him, he was sure that his dislike for Inuyasha would only increase.
Sesshoumaru was dying to know what Kagome thought, but he could not bring himself to ask. Somehow or the other, he did not think that she was honest with her feelings, whether in regards to him or to Inuyasha. But who was he to inquire? And what did he want out of it? He had no answers to these questions, and was not prepared to jeopardize the already strained relationship he had with Kagome. Their enemy was still lurking around somewhere, waiting for his chance to attack them and it would be foolish of him not to cooperate.
Perhaps, this is only but a short period. It will pass away, he closed his eyes and rested his head against the tree bark, not wanting to think anymore. It was a waste of time and effort. There were bigger issues to tackle with, like the possibility of another attack by Naraku and his underlings.
"SESSHOUMARU-SAMA!"
Or, the safety of Rin and her. Sesshoumaru rose up in less than a second and dashed for the wretched onsen, inwardly cursing himself for leaving the two defenseless females there. All Jaken saw was a flash of white before he could open his mouth to ask what had happened.
When he arrived at the onsen, he could hear the soft frightened cries of Rin and Kagome's whisper-like groans. He could smell blood, and a cold earth-mud scent that mingled with the sharp scent of the onsen's steam.
"Kagome! Rin!" he shouted, not knowing where they were. Fear gripped his heart as he cursed himself again for his blindness, he did not know whether they were alive, or dead.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin cried out, to which the taiyoukai quickly located the source of the voice and rushed to her. "Kagome-neesan is hurt! She is bleeding!"
He frowned, the blood had belonged to her. Kagome reached out and grasped Sesshoumaru by his arm, "hayaku, nigete. Kikyou is here. Take Rin and RUN!"
"Kikyou?" Sesshoumaru could not remember the name at all, and he could not understand why Kagome had asked him to run away. Was he such a coward in her eyes? Or did she think that he would not rescue her? Or had she doubted his abilities? He swiftly swiveled his head to the cold voice that floated through the steam next.
"I see that he is blind. Then it is easier for me," Kikyou took a few steps forward and steadied another arrow on her bow.
"Iie! He is Inuyasha's ani-ue, you cannot kill him!" Kagome winced in pain as she tried to pull the arrow out from her right calf. But a mere touch of the arrow would send more jolts to the wound, and she squeezed her eyes shut from the pain. She never knew that it hurt this much, and for a second wondered how Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru could ignore their injuries.
"Leave, this Sesshoumaru do not wish to fight the likes of you," he wrinkled his nose a little at her faint scent.
"Do not presume, youkai," Kikyou's calm cold voice was all that Kagome could hear as she squinted her eyes hard.
Sesshoumaru's brows creased further and he got to his two feet, brandishing Toukijin and pointed it at Kikyou, "you dare to harm those under my protection?"
He suddenly felt very protective over the two females, and could hear the soft bubbling of his blood raging, at the edge, waiting for it to burst forth, to be unleashed. Someone had harmed Kagome and Rin, right under his nose; this was unpardonable. They belonged to him and no one could touch them. Absolutely.
Kikyou arched an eyebrow up in surprise, "ho? Kagome is now under your protection, not Inuyasha's anymore?"
He twisted the angle of Toukijin and lifted his chin up a little, ready for battle, "do you want to fight this Sesshoumaru?"
She pulled the string back and smiled widely, "all youkai are my enemies."
Kagome could see the bright pink hamaya flying through the steam towards Sesshoumaru and gasped loudly, "IIE!"
He could hear the swoosh in the air and the purifying energy that accompanied the projectile, and easily blocked the arrow away with a swish of Toukijin. "Miko ka? Hamaya ka?"
The undead miko frowned, Sesshoumaru was not any easier to deal with even though he was blind. His excellent sense of hearing could gauge the direction and the speed of her arrows, and it would be futile for her to aim for him. She knew that it would not be so easy to take on Sesshoumaru, but she had not expected such demonstration and wits from a blinded taiyoukai.
Then she smiled.
Changing the angle of her bow, Kikyou nocked another arrow on her string and narrowed her eyes, aiming for Kagome's chest.
"Return everything that you have to me, none of it is yours!"
Both pair of eyes widened in horror when they saw the bright pink hamaya flying towards Kagome. "Kagome-neesan!" Rin shouted helplessly as she sat limply beside the injured miko. Sesshoumaru instantly dashed to Kagome, wanting to knock the deadly arrow away. Just at that very moment, Kikyou pulled her right fist back and the hamaya changed its course, the bright pink deadly tip now aiming for the taiyoukai's chest.
Kagome's jaw dropped, they had fallen for Kikyou's plan. She did not know since when had Kikyou acquired this new skill but there was no time to think as the hamaya neared both of them. Sesshoumaru would not be able to duck in time, and she could not bear to let him die.
The last thought of his death was more than unbearable actually, and she did what came to her mind first.
"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome leapt to the front and clung onto his shoulders desperately with her nails, hoping to cover his long torso with hers as much as possible. He would die from the hamaya, but she would only be injured, if she was lucky.
Kikyou's eyes widened as her hamaya pierced right through Kagome's creamy right shoulder, while her reincarnate pushed the taiyoukai away. Sesshoumaru's grip on Toukijin's hilt loosened from her sudden jump and he staggered back a little from her next push. When he heard her soft cry next, he knew what had happened.
Sesshoumaru lunged forward and slipped his arm under hers, holding her up against his chest as he wound his only arm around her waist. He could hear her strained and ragged breaths, and Rin's frightened cries. He could smell her blood, and feel the warm bodily fluid trickling down past his wrist. He could feel her body going soft and limp, and the anger and vengeance that accompanied the hamaya, which was firmly lodged in her shoulders.
All that raged through his mind and heart was the kill. To kill Kikyou, the offender who had injured his Kagome. They did not even have the time to sort through their feelings for each other, and Kagome could not die, yet. He surmised that she was somehow important to him, and she was also under his care and protection. No one could take her away from him, yet. The mixture of unidentified emotions was too much for him. He thought he could almost hear his blood rumbling through his core, and he trembled a little as winds of his own youki swirled around him fast. He could feel his fangs and claws lengthening, and a mysterious sensation traversing up and down his body. Like something was going to emerge out from him, something... truly him.
"Sesshoumaru..." Kagome moaned as she tried to open her eyes.
Sesshoumaru was brought back to the reality and the gusts of his youki died down. He knelt down slowly, laying Kagome's head on his left shoulder as the bright burning green youki whip materialized from his fingers. Without another word, he flung the whip across the onsen, hurling up broken pieces of boulders and earth as he destroyed the hot spring. He continued this for several more times, not contented until he felt that his youki whip had got the undead miko.
Kikyou's eyes rounded and immediately called for her Shinidama Chuu, which swiftly flew to her command and carried her away from the dangerous blast. She wanted to continue, to retrieve her soul and the Shikon no kakkera, but she had not expected such a display of his uncontrolled anger, which indicated something about the mysterious relationship between her reincarnate and the taiyoukai.
"This is not the end, I will not rest until I retrieve every bit of my soul," her bitter parting words echoed through the wispy remnants of steam as Kikyou left the battle scene with her Shinidama Chuu. The bright green string of youki disappeared as Sesshoumaru frowned at Kikyou's words. He did not understand what she was trying to get at, and it seemed that she and Kagome were enemies, love rivals perhaps. He pressed two fingers under her jaw, inwardly feeling glad that Kagome was still alive.
"Kagome?" his voice sounded almost strangled.
Kagome slowly forced open her eyelids and realized that he was well and uninjured. The searing pain in her shoulder was sending a burning sensation down her shoulder, and she could feel her right arm going numb and cold. "Yokatta..."
He frowned hard at her foolish act, the arrow could have pierced right through her tender human heart, could have sent her to the Netherworld, could have left him without her. "Baka, you should not have shield this Sesshoumaru."
She smiled, even though she felt a little woozy and heavy from the pain, "you sound like your oldself you know."
His frown deepened at her unrelated nonsensical babbling, "you are injured, badly."
"I will not die, I have a long life."
"You still speak nonsense. You can bleed to death."
"Doushite?"
His frown disappeared, and his neat eyebrows went up a little at her question, "'doushite?'"
It was her turn to frown, and even that took a lot of her already-sapped energy, "doushite? Why do you not leave?"
His eyebrows dropped from the arch, and he paused for a long while before he replied slowly, "you are under my care. Just... like Rin."
"Just like Rin."
Kagome thought that the pain in her heart was more intense than the one in her shoulder. It seemed to rip her apart, from the insides, carelessly, ruthlessly and methodically. She knew that she should not have asked the question; it was purely a matter of his pride and honour to protect his servants and subordinates. But she had asked, and his answer was not what she had wanted to hear. It was funny now that he had made clear of their relationship, she finally understood what her heart and mind were saying. She had initially ridiculed her own emotions for the taiyoukai, dismissing it as the similarities that he shared with Inuyasha. Then she denied it, thinking that it was impossible for her to like someone like Sesshoumaru. But now, it was so painfully obvious that she could not ignore the fact that was right in front of her eyes. She really did like him.
What a joke...
Tears rolled down her cheeks unwillingly and she closed her eyes, "sou ka."
Sesshoumaru could smell her salty tears and frowned, had his answer upsetted her? Was that not what she wanted to hear? He concluded there and then that he would never understand the female gender.
"Kagome, I cannot touch this hamaya. It still burns with her purifying ki."
"Rin, daijoubu desu ka?" Kagome asked softly as she glanced to the side, Rin was now kneeling beside them silently, her face stained with tears and trembling slightly in her fear. Her black eyes were rounded and wide as she look worriedly at Kagome.
Kagome tried to smile at the frightened girl, "Rin, do you remember the well? Where my home is? Bring me there, I need-"
"No, you will stay here with me," he slipped his hand under her butt and carried her up as he got to his feet. He would not allow Kagome to leave him, there were too many enemies around them, and he could only feel safe if he was with her.
"Demo-" her sentence was once again interrupted by his voice.
"I will take out the arrow," he turned on his feet while Rin made a hasty grab for Kagome's clothes and bag and followed her lord quietly.
Kagome rested her chin on his shoulder and remained silent. She was in too much pain, emotionally and physically, to argue with him, and her eyelids were getting heavier and heavier with each step that he took. She knew that it would be futile to say anymore if he had made up his mind. A sudden thought came to her as she struggled to keep her eyes open. And that was how well she actually understood him. There were still certain areas of his character that remained gray and hazy, and she attributed it to him being a full youkai. Inuyasha was a hanyou and he surprisingly retained more human traits than his own youkai lineage, and that was when he did not transform. She could not afterall fathom the satisfaction of tearing your enemy into pieces, nor remain cool when one is facing all odds; just like the one they had experienced with Kikyou. She thought that Sesshoumaru would probably never knew how worried she was when he came to their rescue. He could be purified to ashes with one of Kikyou's hamaya, and he might never know what happened, literally.
Kagome finally gave up and shut her eyes, willing herself to think no more of Sesshoumaru but of Inuyasha and her close friends. He was the one that she love, not the taiyoukai. Inuyasha was the one she had spent three years with, not Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha was the pitiful lonely one, not Sesshoumaru. By the time they had returned back to the campsite with a flustered Jaken waiting anxiously, she had fallen unconscious. To which Sesshoumaru was immensely glad for it.
He turned Kagome around and laid her back gently against his chest, careful not to move the arrow lest the wound tore through her flesh further. He felt around for her bare right shoulder until his fingers touched the hamaya. The purifying ki from it stung and burned his skin and he frowned. Kikyou indeed had the intentions to finish her off, judging by the intense ill-meaning emotions that she had attached to the hamaya. Whatever that was, Sesshoumaru vowed to himself that Kikyou would not have another chance to harm Kagome. Whatever that meant.
He gritted his teeth and wrapped his fingers around the hamaya, ignoring the sizzling pain and apologized softly to the unconscious miko, "sumanai." With one push, the tip of the arrow speared through her flesh and with another firm quick snap, he broke the shaft into two and pulled the hamaya out from the front of her injured shoulder. Kagome's eyes flew open in shock and pain, as her body tensed and she straightened up and cried out, "aahhh!"
Sesshoumaru dropped the arrow and pulled the half-conscious miko back, pressing his burnt palm hard onto her wound to stop the blood, "Kagome..."
But she had blacked out again from the intense pain and her head rolled back onto his shoulder. He frowned when he felt her body relaxing, indicating that she had slipped into unconsciousness again. He then pulled out the other arrow from her calf, inwardly hoping that her muscles and tendons would not be too badly damaged.
"Sesshoumaru-sama..." Jaken's teeth chattered together as he stared at his lord's injured hand. He had ignored the bright shining lethal hamaya, and took it out from Kagome as if it was nothing but a fly. Words could not even describe the admiration he felt for his youkai lord. Sesshoumaru was indeed the eldest born of the once feared Inu no Taisho.
"Jaken, gather the herbs necessary for her wound. Now," he issued out his command, her life was the topmost of his priorities.
The kappa-youkai scrambled away with a deep bow to the nearby woods and dragged Rin along with him, they would have to search for Jinenji before his head got chopped off.
"Sumanai..." he apologized to Kagome again, even though he knew that she could not hear him. If he had been more prudent, and not gave in to Kagome and her silly protests about privacy and equality of gender, none of this would have happened. He had misjudged the situation and paid a severe price for his blunder. Somewhere in his mind, he knew that it was not the first time that he had made a mistake, since he was sure that he had lost his arm in a battle. But this was different, Kagome was wounded as a result of his miscalculation. This almost unpardonable mistake unnerved him. To such an extent that he almost could not think rationally and act quickly to save her and dispose of the attacker.
It was appalling. Really. His lips twitched a little at the self-reached conclusion.
He removed his palm away from the closed up wound and wrapped his pelt around her half-naked body, resting his arm on her belly as he propped her legs up on his, away from the frozen snow ground. He could feel her soft body against his, and the tendrils of her long moist hair across his arm. It felt good, like he was pleased and contented; and comfortable, as if he was soothed and taken away from the tension that he experienced just now. It suddenly occurred to him, that he wanted her like that. Lying on him, resting peacefully with him, as long as possible. He wanted Kagome, her body and her heart. Her mind and her soul. The thought of she returning to Inuyasha was simply awful. The next thought of she leaving him when he was healed and well was alarming. Have I grown so used to her?
And Sesshoumaru finally admitted to himself that, perhaps he did not want to see. His sight was precious, but the miko lying on top pf him was even more so in a way. If he did not recover, and if, he remained blind, then perhaps Kagome would stay with him forever. Even though he did not like the fact that she was taking care of him, a big part of him wished that somehow or the other, Kagome would be by his side as long as possible. He enjoyed her presence, her not-so-witty yet sometimes-intelligent retorts, her summery scent and her body. Her stubbornness, her fiery temper, her kindness, her childishness, her soothing touches, her soft melodious voice. Everything about her was attractive, there was actually nothing about her that could be even remotely deemed as repulsive to him. Perhaps irritating, but lovable and adorable to him in a twisted manner, he thought to himself wryly.
But he yearned for more than her presence. He wanted her love and admiration too. And he did not want to share her heart with another person, whatmore with a half-hanyou brother that he could not even remember his face. It was disgusting, even though again, Kagome herself was a ningen. A miko!
Sesshoumaru pressed his temples hard, this was all too confusing and complicated to him; his thoughts running around in circles, making no progress at all. It would take him a long time to figure out his feelings, but at least he knew what he desired. And if he knew what he wanted, then he merely had to execute whatever actions needed to attain his goal. Yes, he believed that he was always a single-minded methodical youkai, always with a goal and aim, plans and contingency plans. Nothing would deter him from his goal. It was as simple as that.
He tightened the hold around her waist, and rested his chin on her sweet-smelling head. He would have to win Kagome's heart over from Inuyasha, by hook or by crook. She would belong to him and no one else. And it really did not matter whether he liked her or not, as long as she stayed with him. To think like this was much simpler and clearer. There was no need to further complicate things; when they are already so entangled in their own mess.
Really.
A/N: Another quick update! Because I have just watched Guren no Horaijima and am so happy... therefore this update. ) Pls continue to send in reviews, I live off them! This chapter killed 90 of my brain cells.
onsen - hot spring
ano - erm/excuse me
dakara - and so/therefore
soshite - and so/in addition
ee - equivalent to 'yes' (casual you might yes)
daijoubu - alright
Shikon no kakkera - Shikon shards
onegai - please
hamaya - purifying arrow
kowai - scary/scared
hayaku - quick
nigete - run away/escape
Shinidama Chuu - the soul stealers that Kikyou uses, look like long gigantic insects
yokatta - that's good/I'm glad
doushite - why?
sou ka - i see/so that's it
daijoubu desu ka - are you alright?
sumanai - sorry (masculine)
