I'm sooooooo sorry about the long delay. I just moved back to college and have had virtually no time to write. But since this chapter was so important, I didn't want it to be anything but perfect, so I hope you'll forgive.

This chapter was originally intended to be a song-fic chapter, though after a lot of consideration, I decided it had to be left out. Anyways, if you were interested, the song still adds to the emotion of the moment, so if you'd like, you can listen to "Prefiero" by Alex Ubago. A great source of inspiration for this chapter, and really the whole moral of the story.

Here it is, and perhaps you'll all get the metaphor now in the title…

Chapter 30: The Butterfly Keeper- Prt 1

"What will become of me?"

The words echoed through his fragile mind countless times. The words of his Kagome. Causing him to lose his head. Such was the fate of the warrior, to not know how to fight against words. Talking, revealing oneself through mere words… had had no real place in his life before. The wicked irony of it all was that he knew all along where the miko could belong, where he wanted her to belong, and in the matter of a few seconds, any hope that she would was dashed from him. And such damage was done, he didn't know if his feeble words could mend the wounds.

He had been angry, when she had said that she had nowhere to go, and that he mistook her for his old love. It never struck him as ungratefulness, though he did demonstrate as such, but rather it was that she didn't understand that drove him off the edge. If she had been worried about belonging, it was a waste of her time. For two years, she had always belonged, not only in this world but in this heart. For her to think that she was alone, to fear that no one cared… To assume even a second that he would think she was Kikyo… How couldn't she know how he felt?

It was a foolish question on his part, for how could she when he was always so closed off, but he still said it to himself all the same. Not that it mattered anymore. The battle with Naraku made sure of that. Whether she knew or not, whether she had belonged or not, what was that to the purpose anymore? When he reveled in the afternoon of autumn, the foreboding memory whispered unto him that he would soon be just as bleak and dried up as the red and brown leaves. The season of change was upon them, for both good and bad.

Placed before him was the butterfly tank Kagome and Shippou had used for their little captures. The hanyou carefully opened the door and opened his hand. The newly caught butterfly joined the others, who at this point were not even panicked when his monstrous hand entered their cell. It was a rather big tank, and maybe they had just given up on fighting something so big that had such power over them. He closed the small door, 'Sixteen.'

A blitz of wind came to comb his hair back, and his eyes got a full glance of the valley from where he sat. Beyond a patch of trees in the northwest lay the root of his troubles. The section of the forest where the well resided. Kikyo had said the well would only stay open for a short time, probably enough so that Kagome could pass through once. Who knew when it would close up for good and not let her through? Something told him that Kagome would want to go through as soon as possible. Both to assuredly get back to her family and to escape him. A big part of him wanted to ask if he could go through with her. He didn't even know if that was possible for two to go through, but remembering her broken face as it flashed through his head, her would-be answer seemed clear enough.

He didn't smell Kikyo anywhere. It was likely that she had come while he was away, though a part of him wished it wasn't so. She had said she would come to tell Kagome what her options were, but Inuyasha certainly wasn't ready for it yet. He had hoped that she would stay away just a little longer, so that maybe, just maybe, Kagome could be convinced to stay. A single flower lay next to him, the one he got when he left the hut, in case such a situation would come up. In a way, it didn't even matter if he convinced her to stay or not. All that he really hoped to accomplish was to earn her forgiveness. Even if he never saw her again, to know that she didn't hate him, because not having her near was going to be bad enough.

His white ears moved back as he heard the rustle of beads when someone passed into the outside world, and the scent in the air confirmed his fear.

Soft footsteps played with his heartstrings as they came closer and closer, until he could feel no more fear, but an overwhelming sadness. When the steps stopped some feet behind him, he held his breath. There was no escaping what fate she had in store for him. Countless prayers reached out to her from him, asking her to embolden him with a smile, asking for her to become his home, asking her to somehow make him immortal with a kiss. How he wished she would keep silent, that she would run into his waiting arms and never let him go. Speak no more of hatred or sadness. Know beyond a shadow of a doubt what lay beneath his rough exterior.

But she did speak, and a horrid tone it was. Black, and dismal as the winter. "I need to hear it from you, Inuyasha. Is it true?"

Could he even begin to utter the sounds of confession? For her, God help him, yes. He sighed in dismay of himself, "It's true."

He heard her shaky exhale, and the rustle of wind upon her face, drying the tears that he had smelled long before she began talking to him. "Oh God… Inuyasha… I never thought you could…"

He shut his eyes to the sounds of sobs she failed to restrain. She went on with a louder, angrier tone, "How could you do this to me, huh? After everything we've been through together… I thought… You gave me flowers, Inuyasha. You remember that, don't you? Whatever happened to the kindness you showed me then? Or was that just part of your plan? To lure me away with false promises and then lock me away?..."

His eyes fell to the flower he had lying next to him, and wondered if she would even accept that apology, "…And all those times I cried for my family, you didn't say anything. You just let me suffer…"

He flinched, but didn't interrupt the entire time. He knew he deserved ever word of it, if not more. And off in his own world, he spoke the words he could never say, 'I don't deserve you Kagome. You go home. You be happy and find yourself someone who can make you happy. Go have pups and raise them with your kindness…. But please don't forget me. Don't forget the moments that were just ours.'

"…Did it even occur to you that I had wanted to stay with you?"

That comment brought his attention up full force, and he lifted his head into space, as though he could see her by doing so, even if she was behind him. She noticed, "That's right, Inuyasha! You didn't see all that stuff I've been bringing out here? I wanted to stay here! I wanted this to be my home! I wanted…"

A sob escaped her and her voice lowered for but a moment, "I wanted to be with you!"

A few more steps and she was standing right next to him, and she shouted, "I trusted you, Inuyasha! You were my best friend, and so so much more! How could you do this to me, to us? Tell me, Inuyasha! Please just tell me why you would do this to me?"

A long silence followed. Inuyasha didn't know if he could put down this barrier, the one thing he knew would never sway beneath his feet. It was already asking too much of him to let go of what he had treasured more than anything. Surpassing the mere physical, it was the simple memory of her smiling voice that held him together. He wanted to reach out to her, touch her so that he could know she was not a dream. It would be his fate for the rest of his life, after all. He knew full well that he would see her smiling at him, and he would run to her only to find that she was a piece of the stars come to torment him with the all-too-cheerful memory.

No matter how much he wanted to beg her, to ask this was impossible. He didn't deserve to ask. Instead, he gathered what ounce of hope he had and picked up the flower. It was the only one left given the season, and so very hard to find. But it had survived. A fuchsia, bright and beautiful, yet simple and timid like himself. Yet when he lifted it slightly into the air in her direction, she stepped back and away from him, and his heart gave out. She yelled, "No! No, not this time, Inuyasha! I will not be manipulated by some damn flower! You think a flower is going to make it all okay, but it won't! I want you to tell me why you kept me away from the home that I love, Inuyasha! If you cared for me even a little bit, you'll at least give me that!"

He eyed the flower in his hand, which already appeared to be drooping. The curly pink petals ornamenting the sides seemed a little wilted. For Kagome, he had no choice. "I don't know why. Except maybe… that I wanted to be your home, Kagome."

She stiffened at his word, not thinking once to stop her mouth from dropping open ever so slightly. He went on, "I… needed you."

Those words, such as at any other time would have made her heart his forever now proved to be her worst enemy. Like their very nature was interrogating her, feeding on her trust all over again. She couldn't give in. "And did you even stop to think about what I needed?"

In a weird twisted way, it gave him the strength to finally look at her. A rudimentary current between them ebbed into something far more powerful than they could ever hope to understand. It was the story of their bond, edged permanently into the immortal waters, leaving a mark among the liquid that only they could read. The history of their lives, the purpose of time. The strings of air and space attaching their eyes to each other wrote it for them, black and white. A savage nature boiled between them, the desire to reach out. And amidst the chaos of it all, only one question came out, finally defining him. "Kagome, what do you wish?"

"…… I… I hate you," she whispered.

She took a step farther back and screamed, "I hate you!"

He cringed, hard. What did he expect? That she would say she still wished to be with him? Tears pushed at him. Her tears, and his tears. They were one and the same. He smelled the salt choking his lungs. In turn, it made his eyes well up. They flowed through him like air. The three words he never wanted to hear again, and to know that after what he did, she no doubt meant every word of it.

No longer did she attempt to hold back the sobs that racked her body as she screamed, "I wish to never see your face again Inuyasha! I don't even want to think of you anymore! I wish that I could turn back time and never release you from Goshinboku! I wish… I wish…"

Her voice got a bit softer, but became about ten times sadder. "… I wish I never met you……… Farewell."

And she ran.

Inuyasha only caught her figure out of the corner of his eye, fading over the hill into the valley that would take her home. Battling the urge to run after her, he bunched up his haori in his fists. He shut his eyes tight as her scent left him, never to return. The scent that lulled him to sleep countless times would never grace his senses again. All there was left at her absence was empty air, as cold and unfeeling as his life before her. 'Kagome… I'll never forget you. Never….'

"Goodbye…" he whispered.

The sound of it echoed lightly upon the wind, and he was stuck in his own private torture. How many times before had he been unable to say goodbye to her? It just wasn't something he did. Like if he said it even once he would be allowing everything he held dear to slip away from him. And as her scent and her voice disappeared from him, he only then let go. Because he knew there was no use in fighting for something he could not keep.

His breath was hard and shaky, a truly panicked thing. Inuyasha shut his eyes and grimaced in the hopes that he could redeem himself. Tears that mercilessly shot through the back of his eyelids managed to make its first marks upon the corners of his eyes. In the end, he'd let them come whenever they wanted to. What need was there to hold them back? 'Kagome… I'm sorry I did you so much wrong. I hope that someday when you remember me, you'll remember how it was before. Maybe if I'm lucky,' a sad smile crossed his features, 'You'll remember how I kissed you, and you'll finally understand.'

He sighed, 'Keh, all I can do is hope you'll even think of me. It doesn't matter. I've held you here long enough. It's time I let you go. You deserve to be free. It's who you are. It's why you mean the world to me.'

A flutter of color within the tank caught his attention, and he gazed down at them in awe and in pity. The most vibrant and beautiful creatures in the world, and all anyone seemed to care about was their beauty. The livestock of a garden, as they were. Ornaments by association. When it came to butterflies, what did people see? Beauty, is all. Had they no color in their wings, they would have been considered monsters. Beauty was the story of their fame. It was all they knew. It was why they were wanted only to be locked away.

The light flutter of their wings winked at those who watched them, seductively drawing them closer to nature, becoming one with life. And the exquisite mating dance, as they spun around each other… it looked as though they were fighting. Everyone would think it was fighting, except maybe those who knew them. They knew it was there way of saying that they wanted to be near.

'You were far more than beautiful to me. You were… so much more than that.'

Inuyasha saw it. He knew… there was far more to them than just beauty. There was passion. There was survival…. There was freedom.

Quick and swift, his hand shot forward. Not really thinking, but knowing the intent that lied within him. The truth that only came with thoughts of Kagome. And in an instant, the door was opened, and the sixteen butterflies were free. Their wings fluttered against him as they passed him quickly, shooting fast into the air as a flock rather than as individuals. They moved as one, swirling and twirling together in harmony. Higher and higher until they became absorbed in the rays of the sun, and then descending back to fly past him one more time, perhaps whispering goodbye, before leaving him on the hill alone.

Inuyasha brought his knees up to his chest, and set the Tetsusaiga at his side rather than holding it close. It was the first time he could remember when he hadn't turned to his weapon for strength. His eyes looked to the ground between his legs. The bitter ground which held no future for him. Now passes the time, when he can't figure out who he is. Now he repents, giving the best of himself. No one to give it to but the bitter ground. Embracing it by sight, here it became welcomed. Begged to absorb the obscurities of his future. It did, and there was nothing left.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

If I'm in a dream, I don't want to wake up. I want to believe that everything's okay.

She wiped the tears from her eyes, her face. The badge of her pain would not leave her despite the attempts to keep herself at bay. Her heavy feet shuffled in the dirt and streams. Kikyo had said she would be there. She would meet her at the well and steady the portal so that she could go through, if she wished it. But of course, she had wished it. Why wouldn't she? There was no reason for her to stay. And yet Kikyo wanted an answer later, at the well.

Kagome grimaced. What did Kikyo think? That she knew Kagome better than Kagome herself? That she questioned what her reincarnation would do? Stupid. There was only one thing to do, and that was to go home and be with her family again. Forgetting Inuyasha, forgetting ever having come to this world.

At the top of the next hill, the winds changed to the southeast, and it caused her to turn her head instinctively. On the otherside of the small valley, on the other hill was the new village. In front of the village was Kaede's knew hut, and in front of the hut was a tree. And beneath the tree was a figure. Unusually small and timid, it disheartened her to even gaze upon the hanyou. The wind blew his hair in every direction as it changed far too quickly to notice. The majesty of Inuyasha haunted her still, and the trust that had been eaten away began to nag at her again.

I wish to live here, lost in my own reality, simply passing the time with you. I wish to give you everything. I wish that when I go, I return quickly. I wish to see your happiness, and to be your energy.

Kagome saw as his head lifted into the air. So far away he seemed, and yet, as she watched the hair shift across his face, she could have sworn… she had seen tears. The sight of it nearly caused her to scream, and she turned to break into a run. Disappearing into the darkness of the forest, she didn't look back. Couldn't look back. She panted hard, her bruised muscles shouted back at her. But nothing could keep her from that well. That sacred well which held the key to the life she had held so dear. Her family, her friends, her steady ground.

Quicker than she had expected, she reached the clearing, and the well stood warm and inviting. In front of it, there stood Kikyo. She spoke quickly, "It is settled then. My power will steady the well for only a short time, so that you will most definitely make it to the other side in one piece. It won't hold out forever, so if you are to go, it must be now. What you do with this choice is up to you."

She disappeared just as soon as she had arrived. Why had she left so suddenly? Did she not trust that Kagome would do it? Of course she would! It would be ridiculous not to go, right? Inuyasha had betrayed her… he had… said he needed her… said he wanted to be with her.

Her face fell back to the shadow of the forest. Its beauty suddenly seemed a haunting thing. As much a beautiful scar as the lingering milky way. The temptation to reach the stars assailed her. The desire to run back into the darkness, the unknown, back to what had before been too deliciously naïve of her to believe as truth. It had all been a lie. Her very existence here had been a lie. Kagome clutched her pounding chest as she succumbed to the inevitable, that there was no place for her among the stars.

The world was spinning around her relentlessly, playing as it cornered her with the memories of Inuyasha and herself. The voices meant just for them to hear. Both the keh's and the gruff complaints, her sit commands and her screams, but also the moments that had taken her breath away. They came at her a hundred miles a minute, and she became dizzy in them.

"Kagome!... Inuyasha!... When are you coming back?… You cried for me… Osuwari!… I won't leave you again… Kagome?… Can I stay with you?… Would you stay with me? … I like you as a hanyou… Happy Birthday… You'd be surprised at what you could catch… Osuwari!... Breathe with me… Do you trust me? … I had to catch you… You're very warm… Am I?... You could be like my own personal security blanket, if I wished it… Tell me, Kagome, what do you wish?… You always catch me. You always keep me… Kagome, what do you wish?"

"I know what I wish!" she cried into the emptiness of the forest.

She covered her ears with her hands as if it would block out the memories. Which ones were memories and which ones were those of her own mind. She had not the strength to fight them off. The well, her way home, it lay just feet away from her. A few minutes longer and the portal would be no more. Now was the time to retrieve the life that had been stolen from her. All because of stupid, selfish Inuyasha, who she hated, who she would forget with time.

'He said he needed me. Why did he do that? He doesn't care what happens to me? I'm just a shard detector...'

'But…'

Her face turned back towards the southeast. Somewhere beyond the vastness of brush and trees lay was the world she had come to expect. It was something she dreamt about even when in the comfort of her home or the chaos of school. Could she ever forget how many times she sat at her desk, looking at her books without even seeing them as her mind wandered off to the past? Was this her fate? Would she forever pine for this world, these people who she held so dear now she wouldn't trade for the world? Recalling all her adventures here, how many times she had nearly been killed, one fact always held her up: she may have been a wound upon them all, but they healed her. He healed her. Perhaps… she had healed him too?

The wind cascaded around her, blanketing her in the scents of nature. It was rushed today, more unpredictable than she truly cared for. Wrapping around her relentlessly, it held her very soul to this forest. She shut her eyes as it slowly began to dry her tears. They told her, just as Inuyasha did once, to cry no more, for all their sakes. Despite the comfort they intended, she wrapped her arms around her body as more tears came. Too many thoughts. Too many worries. Too much love for home, yet not enough to take that final step. To pine away forever in her life, to lose that which made her whole, to abandon the promise she had made to herself long before she had made to him. 'Yes, I did promise, didn't I. That I would be at your side forever. I meant it… I meant every breath.'

The winds picked up and swirled around her. She lifted her head to the sky and breathed in the world, not even caring as her own hair whipped at her skin. 'If I'm in a dream, I don't want to wake up. I want to believe that everything's okay…'

"What do you wish?"

'…I wish to live here, lost in my own reality, simply passing the time with you. I wish to give you everything. I wish that when I leave, I return quickly. I wish to see your happiness, and to be your energy.'

The moon embellished the afternoon sky, nearly invisible under the cover of daylight, something nameless standing upon her, dashing away her strength to move. It sang along with her, the melody she knew by heart ever since the day she was pulled through the well. Light as a flute, it carried her higher and higher into the skies, speaking of her pain and her joy all at once. From the sky she inhaled it rather than heard it.

"I wish…" she whispered.

A large gust of wind, and they came bursting through the ambiguity. Ambushing her from the trees and meadows afar, they collided with wind and let it pursue them, push against them. And following their own intuitions, those of freedom and of love, the sixteen butterflies asked her in earnest, "What do you wish?"

"I wish…"

Relentless, cursing butterflies… refusing to give up on their former captor, weren't they? Refusing to give up on her freedom. They rushed her, twirled around her, wrapped her in the warmth of their fluttering wings. Begging and pleading for her to choose her freedom. She alone could grant it. The wind followed suite, pushing her hair into the air.

Her eyes flashed open as the heart-shaking gasp broke open and tears flooded her vision as she cried into the moon, words that only she could fully comprehend, "I WISH FOR YOU, INUYASHA!.!.!.!"

Kagome's hands shot out to part the path as she sprung from their barrier. Blurry eyed, broken hearted, and exhausted, she ran… back into the darkness, back into the stars. Branches gave way to her, puddles splashed beneath her feet. Through the darkness, beams of sunlight broke through to guide her. Sixteen butterflies flew beside her, gleeful as they were in nature, until descending back into the skies once they knew she had made her choice.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

There were two of them. Now so beautiful and mysterious, he was surprised he hadn't noticed them before, but there they were. Two cocoons, slowly hatching and bringing forth a rebirth of life. Inuyasha watched them for but a moment before burying his face into his sleeves. Around him everything seemed to be blooming. Everything but himself. It was to be a long life ahead of him, and already he felt wilted and dried. Countless mornings he could envision of walking up in cold sweats, eyes searching for the miko that wasn't there. Nightmare upon nightmare of not being able to get to her. All because he hadn't been smart enough to give her what she deserved.

He almost wished the others were around, even if they did see him like this. Just so he could know that he wasn't completely alone again. But he was alone, wasn't he? As much as he cared for them, a thousand friendships didn't seem enough to fill the new void now growing within him. The comfort of knowing that he was worth something came only from Kagome.

'Damnit,' he wiped his wet cheeks on his sleeves, 'Stupid tears. When have I ever cried?'

He sighed remorsefully, 'Keh… Pathetic hanyou. Kagome's not coming back. I'll never see her again. It's what's best for her, and it's what she wants. I… won't stand in the way of that.'

And the missed voice wafted to him as softly as the owner's scent, flowing against him like splashes of water. His head shot up, daring to believe, daring to have his heart broken again. There, just in the distance, he could see her. So small from where she was, but she was definitely running towards him. And it was her voice… calling his name, something draping her voice so thick it brought on an onslaught of more tears.

The hanyou sprang to his feet, barely making it to a standing position before he was off and running. Her cries for him continued to ring in his head, filling him with thoughts of wildfire. The idea that maybe, just maybe, she still needed him… perhaps even wanted him, it had to be too much. Could he even dare to assume that she had changed her mind? How could she? But it didn't matter. There was no way in a million years he could avoid that call.

Struggling past the swarm of towns people filling the lower valley, he sprinted towards the well. Towards her scent. Whether she wanted him to have her, whether she needed him to rescue her, that which held sway to his heart would not yield as he burrowed through trees and brush to find her. And as he approached the well, he skidded to a halt. Kagome was not there. Her scent was a few minutes old. 'Where is she? I saw her running towards me. How did I miss her?'

He frantically searched the area to regain the scent so well manipulated by the wind. 'Did she already leave? But then why would she call to me?'

Another scent he came across, not one that filled him with joy, but instead with dread. His wide eyes sprung back in the best direction he could think of, towards the meadow outside the forest. As the second scent seemed to mix with that of Kagome, he snarled so sinisterly into the trees, they may have wilted and died. The assumed answer to her thick cries, 'Naraku…'

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Her panting increased to the point when her sides were aching. As she came to a clearing, she had to take a few seconds to catch her break. After all, Inuyasha must have heard her calling, and he would not have let that alone. But when she looked up, she saw not the valley she was familiar with, but the meadow. She cursed herself, 'Baka, baka, baka! I should have known I didn't know the forest well enough. I have to get back to Inuyasha.'

She turned and continued running into the forest, and held a hand to her ribs, encouraging them to hold out a little longer. But as she ran, something grabbed a hold of her. So hard and swift, the wind was knocked out of her by the halt of her own movement. And before she knew what was happening, she was lifted into the air, and a hand hoisted her up by the throat.

Kagome opened her eyes, and gasped as much as her contained lungs would allow. "Naraku…"

He snickered, though there was a definite trace of frustration lingering within the smile, "Foolish girl! You should have just left! You should have forgotten him! But now I'll just have to get rid of you myself!"

She brought her hands to her neck and attempted to pry away the fingers. They only sank in deeper, and she opened her mouth with a grimace as the breath of life eluded her. "…Pity such a fine thing should be stained with blood, but I do love to see such purity die. I'm going to enjoy every minute of this."

"NARAKU!"

He turned towards the sound, nearly gasping as the edge of the Tetsusaiga sliced through his arm. The mound of flesh fell to the floor and he looked at his severed arm in an odd passiveness even for him. It writhed as he came back together and merged with the rest of his body.

Inuyasha caught Kagome before she hit the ground, and stood her quickly behind him as he took two hands to the hilt of his sword. Kagome looked to him, "Inuyasha…"

Foolish, for him to think that she was coming back to him. No doubt, it was because she was being pursued by Naraku that she had cried out to him. He mentally cursed himself for having thought otherwise. "Kagome, go!" He stated rather abruptly, "I'll take care of him! You get to the well and go home before it's too late!"

"No, Inuyasha! I…"

"Don't worry! This bastard won't get away with this," and he turned his full attention to his arch enemy, "Naraku! No more waiting! It's here, right now! Your final stand! I'll kill you now… or die trying!"

Naraku hesitated for but a moment as he eyed the proposition. The white-haired hanyou had the same determination he had always seen, and something added, something only the miko could provide. Protectiveness, yes, but so much more. A strict devotion, a beloved duty, a noble will. He could see it in his eyes, and his mind was made up. He lifted his sword into the air, signaling to the hanyou below him that it would not be easy, the final battle.

To be continued…

GRRRR, I hate ending here, but it's been too long since I've updated and I just had to get this up now. I'll try to get the second part out on schedule, but I can't guarantee anything. At least I can say it'll be within the week. Anyways, this was a fun chapter to write. Lot of poetic fluffy stuff and the like. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. As always, please leave a response.

LaceyBeans: Whew! Well that's a relief! God, I can't tell you how many times I stopped typing, thinking that no one would understand what was happening. (hugs)

Inubaby2: Yeah, I like crying. It means I did it well, I think. Aw, but don't cry forever. (hugs)

CalineDaniels: OMG, did I not respond to you last chapters? Ugh, I'm such a baka baka baka! Gomen! I promise I'm not ignoring you. I don't know how I missed that. Jeez, Kelly no baka! …Oooh, and I love fluffiness myself, so I'll be trying to get as much in as possible without taking away from the story line. Last chapter it was hard to do because there was just so much happening. But the next will be fluffy at least. Hehe! (hugs)

NeuroticallyDignified: Whenever I bring em down, Iwill definitely pull em back up again. Things can only get better after so much sadness. As for your question, I'm saying no, but in the chapter you probably saw that it doesn't matter since Kagome is mad at him and the portal will close soon anyway. (hugs)

Jenn-silent breed: Ooh, I love it when it's that great! I put a lot of effort into that chapter, so it really means so much to know that you loved it. Arigato! (hugs)

Fanficluv7Inu: I love Rakuen. It's become my current favorite. I love to update often, even if I do run into conflict now and then. I swear I've moved four times this summer. Ugh. (hugs)

HelikaAkileh: No mistakes, huh? Fantastic! Good to hear, especially that I'm one of the best. Hurray! (hugs)

mizz Tasuki: I'm all about sweetness, even if it is bad. And all this sadness only means there's lots of fluffy goodness to come. (hugs)

nekoxlove: Yes, I did have the whole thing planned out a long time ago. I do modify as I go, but for the most part, the story remains the same. And the title is supposed to be a metaphor, which I talked about before, having a lot to do the relationship of love and freedom. I'll explain maybe at the end of next chapter. (hugs)

mooximxaxwhale: Hey, I DO care! Lots and lots! Of course I do! I just make em suffer before I make them happy! And there will be plenty of that, let me tell you. (hugs)

Kawaii-CherryWolf: Poor little puppy. (sigh) I guess I'll just have to rescue him. Off I go. (hugs)

Eclipse77: I'm glad you think so. Getting out the chapters in an orderly fashion sometimes gets difficult, and I try not to make it too quick. It means a lot to know that I'm going well with the pace especially. Arigato. (hugs)

Kamira: Yeah, I thought a blue one would look cool. I love blue! Yeah, I hope that whole destroyed future thingy didn't confuse you. Kinda a weird twist, I know. Anyways, thanks a lot. (hugs)

Srg1: Lots of stuff to reveal these past few chapters, so I'm really grateful that it all came together okay. And I love plot twists, especially when I get it right. Thank you lots. (hugs)

InuyashaGal: Grr, trying to get that moment out there. Damn college and it's delays. Must… write… fluffy… (hugs)

Trekker4life: Perhaps he does need to be sat. Hmm… but it's just too funny to be taken seriously. Lol! (hugs)

A100rinchhead: Calamity of blood? I like it! I'll keep it as '-saiga' but we'll just assume, k? (hugs) Ooh, and give me the website, please. I'd love that. (hugs)

?whoknows: Usually, I'm faster than this, I promise. Blame school! Argh! (hugs)

KOalaPaNda: Believe me, I'm getting there with college! It'll be the end of me, but I don't think I'll ever stop with this fun stuff. Wow, that's a weird assignment. But I suspect that can be fun. Make it fluffy! Teehee! (hugs)