To angel, thank you. I'm very flattered. Rinseternalsoul, you are so sweet! Thanks! Thank you so much for everyone's constant support! And this is for those who—is 'like' an appropriate word? Anyway, those who —like— Haruko's story, here you go.

Chapter 23: Silence

Their search for Haruko continued with a few found shards along the way. Everything seemed peaceful for a while, Shippou's training had been going well, Sango and Miroku were still the same. At night, Kagome would come to Sesshoumaru's isolated spot and sleep in his arms. And at night, Inu-yasha would watch her come to him and feel his heart clenching in pain.

It was also a heart-warming sight to see that Sesshoumaru was starting to enjoy the company of Miroku, Sango and Shippou lately. They were starting to joke around with him and Sesshoumaru started expressing his sarcasm (or dry humor) which sent everyone rolling on the floor. Kagome was glad that he was finally, at some point, opening up to them. He was finally doing what he could to make friends. It was a good sign that he was starting to trust again. She was happy for him.

Inu-yasha had been unusually quiet the whole time, often staring up at the sky with blank eyes. Kagome wondered what was wrong with him and thought of asking him. But she decided, if Inu-yasha had a secret, he'll just tell her when he's ready. And she would be there to make him feel better. After all, that's what friends do, right?

"Though I do hope that I could get to your castle, Sesshoumaru-sama, it sounds really interesting from what your daughter's told me." Sango said, smiling at the taiyoukai who was checking the cleanliness of his sword.

"Yes, I hope there are many beautiful women there." Miroku said to himself.

"There are." Sesshoumaru answered blankly. Miroku perked up at that, but then, "They look much like the transvestite you were battling."

Miroku paled at that, looking as if ready to puke at the memory and the sight of him made Sango and Shippou laugh, clutching their stomachs. There were animated tears on the chibi Miroku's face when he said, "Sesshoumaru-sama is so unkind to me…"

"Serves you right, Miroku. You're just a pervert!" Shippou joked.

Sesshoumaru just went on looking at his swords with cold calculating eyes but he had on his lips a hidden smirk. No one saw it. He looked to Kagome who was near the stream a few feet from where they set camp. She was bent over, getting water from the stream with her pot. She had a small smile on her face. She was beautiful. And she was his forever as he was hers. Forever.

Kouga entered the hut and had to duck to avoid the bundle of cut up ropes thrown at him. Why was it that he couldn't even enter his hut without having to duck ever since he let her stay there.

"Oh, Kami, what did I do now?" he asked almost impatiently, looking at her pouting, but pretty cute, face.

"You left me!" she yelled angrily.

He faltered at that. What did she just say? Was she really the one that said that? He blinked, not really believing his eyes nor his ears. But then he understood. How would you feel if you were in a foreign place with only one person to trust and suddenly you wake up and that person was no longer there? Of course you'd feel angry and abandoned.

She looked away with a cute pout, a sulky look on her face. But then the pout vanished when she noticed him smiling a lop-sided smile at her. "What are you smiling at?" she asked suspiciously.

His lop-sided smile turned into his trademark grin and he said, "You know, you're really cute when you're mad."

She blushed prettily at that and tried to find anything to change the subject quickly. It was then that her eyebrows lifted with curiosity, "A new Haori?" It was just his size, as if made for him. It was white, her favorite color with blue lines streaking the ends of his sleeves. Where did he get it?

"Oh, this? Hah, yeah, a village chief gave it to me." He said, sitting down on the mat beside her bed. She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. He smirked at that with a raised brow. "Yeah, he gave it to me. He gave me this too." He took out something wrapped in a banana leaf and he opened it, proud of what he exposed to her. Beautifully made rice balls!

"How did—why would a village chief give this to you?" she asked him with confusion in her tone.

He shrugged and rubbed his shoulder, "I did him a favor. His village got burned down by a gang of youkai bandits so I helped them make new huts. It was a bit of a work out too since those villagers were absolutely clueless and I had to do it all on my own. Ng, well at least they paid me with enough food for the whole pack. I just hope now you'll eat. You're nothin' but skin and bones now." When he opened his eyes, he was surprised to see a soft smile on her face.

Compared to the lonely smile he'd seen from her before, this smile was much sweeter, much better. "Thank you." She said softly, gently.

He blushed lightly at that, remembering the night before and the thoughts that had entered his mind. "Hey, don't get all mushy on me, just coz I brought you some food." He said, turning around to let his back face her. For one thing, it was rude to watch a hime eat. And besides, he didn't want her to see what effect her smile had on him.

She tapped his shoulder and he turned back to be faced by her kind smile. She offered him a rice ball. "Take a bite. You'll like it." He hesitated for a moment, not accustomed to her being kind or gentle to him. But he took a bite anyway and was surprised to find that he did indeed like it. Maybe it was because rice balls were naturally tasty, or maybe it was because he worked hard for it. Or perhaps it was because she was feeding him with a gentle smile. Whatever the reason was, he liked it. And he didn't want the feeling to end. He wanted to keep her smiling like that.

They stayed that way, looking each other in the eyes while she fed him and smiled all the while. She was proud of him and flattered that he would do that for her. It seemed that he wasn't as insensitive as she thought. And it seemed that she wasn't as cold as he thought she was. It was a revelation they were both glad they discovered about each other.

"Enough feeding me," Kouga said with his own sweet smile, wiping the rice left on his face. "You should eat it. I took it for you after all."

"Hai." She nodded calmly, "Arigatou." With that she took a rice ball and ate it slowly. Yes, she was hungry. But that didn't excuse her from being a lady while eating.

Kouga watched her silently, very disoriented by her suddenly submissive nature. What happened to all the yelling and the cold treatment? What happened to Inu-hime the Ice Queen?

"Your name's Haruko right?"

"Hai." Silence ensued.

"Hey, you've been here the whole time? Since you woke up, I mean?"

"Hai."

"Why didn't you get out and see the sights?" he said, leaning back on the wall behind him with his palms as his pillow.

She looked at him then and answered, "I...I don't like staying out in public alone for too long."

"Oh?" he asked with a raised brow. "Why so?"

She swallowed and averted her gaze at that, a bit embarrassed to admit. "It's…uncomfortable."

"How's it uncomfortable?" he went on.

"People start staring." She tried to put it as simply as she could. She didn't want to sound arrogant or vain or anything. It was simply the truth.

"Nonsense! I'm sure you're just being paranoid." He said with a boyish grin. Suddenly he took hold of her wrist and stood up, starting to pull her to her feet. "Come on."

"W-where are we—"

"Outside. I want you to meet the family." With that, he dragged her out of the hut, the food forgotten for now.

When they finally got outside, he found it adorable that she quickly held tightly onto his arm and kept herself close to him. "Really, I'm fine staying inside."

"Oh, come on, Inu-hime. You shouldn't be scared of the world." He said, getting out of her grip and going forward.

"Scared of the world? Not me." Haruko answered with her fists to her hips. When she realized he was getting too far away, she quickly walked after him and held onto the end of his ponytail.

Kouga laughed in his mind, she's just like a lost little girl. She's so cute. As they continued walking, he noticed a lot of his family members were starting to stare at her. Some would peek through their windows, some would openly gawk, some even stumbling on their own toes. It was hilarious!

"I told you, did I not?" she whispered to him, coming closer until she could practically hide behind him.

Kouga laughed at that, enjoying the awkward position they were in. "Well, I guess it can't be helped. An inu is one thing but to be beautiful too is—"

"Kouga, thanks for the delicious food this morning." Arashi said, coming to them with his normal expression, a smile. "I have no idea how you got it but it's good."

"Hehe… Thanks, Arashi." Kouga grinned widely.

"Oh? Is this our dear lady Haruko hiding behind you?" he asked, raising an interested brow.

To be polite, Haruko gave him a nod and a small smile of acknowledgement. Kouga laughed again, "She's a little shy."

"Oh, I understand." Arashi answered good-naturedly. "Would you like to join us for a drink?"

"I don't drink." She answered.

"We'd love to!" Kouga replied.

"Great! Follow me." Arashi said, turning around to lead them to the large hut where they held their ceremonies and most of their dinking get-togethers.

"What? I don't drink, Kouga-san." Haruko said, trying to contain her nervousness. She didn't want to be surrounded by drunken men.

"Don't worry about it." Kouga reassured, taking her hands from his hair and holding them in his, "You're with me now, remember?" looking up into his sky blue eyes she found reassurance in them. So she determined herself and schooled her features.

"Alright."

When they entered the larger, wider hut, she was surprised to see that not only is it full of drunken men, it was also filled with drunken women. Everyone reeked of alcohol. When they saw her, they all stopped their merrymaking and openly stared. She was only dignified enough not to blush in front of them.

"Hey, guys!" Kouga grinned. "I want you all to meet my woman. Inu-hime, meet the family."

There was a low buzz in the room, then one of them spoke up, "Inu-hime? Kouga, what did you just call her?"

"Haha! Cool it, guys. It's her nickname." Haruko hid a glare at him; to think that he branded it her nickname was very irritating. She didn't want to be recognized as Inu-hime.

"Are you feeling better now, darling?" that sultry woman from earlier asked, putting down her bottle of sake and pushing off a drunk guy who started falling down on her.

Haruko smiled and nodded, just like earlier. It was against tradition to talk to someone that's not formally introduced to you by a friend yet. But then again, she didn't want to be impolite. So a small smile and a nod will do, she thought.

The sultry woman frowned, "What? Has she gone mute or something?"

"Haha! No, she's not mute, Yuujin. She's just a little shy." Kouga answered, sitting down beside his drunken family members and grabbing his own bottle of sake. When he noticed she didn't follow him, he turned to her and found her simply standing there with her head bowed. Just like how a princess should be. He shook his head. She should really stop doing that. It's unhealthy.

She looked at him when he patted the space beside him. A silent message. Come sit with me. She silently obeyed, sitting down like how a princess should right next to him.

"She's very pretty too." Yuujin said, scooting closer to her to inspect her features. "She looks sort of familiar. But I can't put my finger on it." She said, narrowing her eyes and leaning closer. Haruko leaned back ever so slightly and felt a bit of nervousness. What if she finds out? Then, to her surprise, the young lady laughed like a drunken man and said, "Maybe it's coz I'm so drunk today!"

"Yuujin, you're always drunk!" a family member yelled.

"Hey, shut up!" Yuujin yelled but with a smile. Soon everyone laughed and resumed drinking. Yuujin smiled at her kindly with a drunken smile, "Want a drink?" she asked, holding up her half empty bottle of sake.

Haruko smiled, holding her finger to her lips to stop herself from laughing. This woman seemed only a few years older than her. She had purple long hair and emerald green eyes. She also had a little mole under her left eye. She remembered that Rin-sama called it a sign of beauty. She wasn't sure if she remembered what it was called so she let the subject go.

"No, thank you." She said softly to the beautiful woman. "I don't drink."

"Aw, what a pity!" she said, pouting like an immature woman. "Well then," she put down her bottle of sake quite loudly and grinned at her. "I guess I won't be drinking too."

"Oh, really, you don't have to—"

"What are you up to now, Yuujin?" Kouga asked with a smirk at his playful cousin.

"I'm not up to anything." Yuujin said, returning the smirk and looking much like a seductress. "I just don't want our new friend to feel out of place. You're an idiot in handling classy women, Kouga. I should know."

"Hey!" Kouga said indignantly. "You're not a classy woman yourself, miss drinks-a-lot." He mumbled under his breath.

"What did you say? Eh?" she pressed on, leaning closer to him, across her with a dangerous look in her eyes. But it was dulled because of the glossy look in her eyes. Perhaps it was because she was so drunk.

"I said you weren't such classy woman yourself!" Kouga yelled impatiently.

"Eh! You're gonna pay for that! Is that how you talk to your beautiful, attractive, loving cousin?" she said coming over to him and rubbing her knuckles on the top of his head.

"Ow! Ow! Get off me, get off me!" Yuujin just laughed loudly. Everyone laughed at them, cheering Yuujin to go on. Haruko looked at them with an innocent look on her face. They looked so happy. Everyone was happy. Slowly a small smile came upon her lips. They were a big happy family. Even though they were living in the mountains, forced to steal for a living and overly populated…they were always happy, smiling and laughing and goofing around with each other.

Why couldn't she have had a family like Kouga's? A happy, content family. That was what she wanted, she just realized. She just wanted to be in a happy family.

"Haruko," she was snapped to attention and she looked up at Yuujin. "That's your name right?" she was still rubbing her knuckles on the tope of his head and he was still squirming under her hold.

"Hai." She smiled.

Yuujin gave her a wide grin, "Let's be friends, okay?"

Haruko blinked twice, not accustomed to being directly confronted. "Ah—o-okay."

"Get off me already!" Kouga said, successfully getting Yuujin off of him. "Tsh! You're so embarrassing." He mumbled, averting his gaze from Haruko who was smiling at them.

"Woah, this is the first time you became embarrassed, Kouga-kun! What' happened to you?" Yuujin said, coming to sit back beside Haruko. Before Kouga could even try to answer, she quickly changed the subject. "Oh, that reminds me. Haruko, can you sing?"

"S-sing? Me?"

"Yeah! Get her to sing!" "Yeah, sing something good!" "It's been a long time since my ears heard something good!" most of them yelled.

"Hahahaha! Hear that? They want you to sing!" Yuujin said.

"Oh—please, I—I can't possibly—"

"Inu-hime…" she looked at him. He turned to her with that boyish grin of his and said, "Sing. For me."

Oh, how could she deny him with that look on his face? Besides, he went through all that trouble just to get her to eat. She owed him. Her repayment would be to grant his wish. A song. "H-Hai."

She closed her eyes and tried to remember a song. When she remembered a tune, she started singing softly, as quietly as possible so that no one else could hear. "canta per me ne addio, quel dolce suono, de' passati giorni, mi sempre rammenta" Sing for me farewell, that sweet sound, of the past days, it always reminds me.

"Louder!" a guy from outside yelled, wanting to hear her sing as well.

She complied with nervousness. "la vita dell'amore, dilette del cor mio, o felice, tu anima mia, canta addagio..." the life of the love, beloveds of my heart, oh happy, you my soul, sing slowly...

Beautiful. She was so beautiful. Was captivating enough to describe her? Bewitching? Alluring? No. Her beauty was other worldly. She was above everything else, singing a lonely lullaby no one could understand yet everyone could feel. It was…melancholy.

"tempra la cetra e canta, il inno di morte, a noi si schiude il ciel, volano al raggio" strengthen your, lyre and sing, the hymn of death, the sky opens to us, they fly to the ray.

"la vita dell'amore, dilette del cor mio, o felice, tu anima mia, canta addio..." the life of the love, beloveds of my heart, oh, happy, you my soul, sing farewell...

When her song was over, she slowly opened her eyes, revealing enchanting, lonely blue eyes. She looked around, blinking. Everyone was silent, staring at her with their mouths open. She looked down at her hands and concentrated on that.

Did she do something wrong? Didn't they like songs like that? That was the only song she knew. Did she not sing it well? She shouldn't have sung in the first place. She looked to Kouga but found that he was no longer there. She found him standing at the door, his back turned to all of them. Was she really that bad? She looked down again. "Gomen."

Without warning, Yuujin's hand held hers gently. She looked up at Yuujin to see her smile at her. "Don't be. It was good."

She should have smiled at that but she was too worried. She looked at Kouga, still standing at the door. He didn't seem very happy.

Kouga was silent, deep in thought, a frown marring his handsome features. So that was why. Last night he wondered why no one has taken her yet. He didn't understand why. Now he did. He understood perfectly. She was too good. She was too good for anyone. Only a few should deserve to be graced by her presence. And those who were foolish enough to believe that they deserved it should be considered either arrogant or stupid.

But he was neither, really. He was just selfish. But he didn't want to be selfish when the subject was her. She was too beautiful to be kept all to himself. And yet…he couldn't help it. He felt torn now. Should he truly let himself fall in love with her? Was it really his choice? Could he stop it?

He looked back at her, smiling softly to Yuujin who started crying in her arms, screaming out her life story. No, he couldn't. With her every smile, he felt himself falling. With her every glance, he fell even deeper. He never thought he'd be one to fall so easily. But he supposed love was just so unpredictable. It will come to you in the most unexpected ways and time. And there was no use in denying it. Denial was a stupid thing. But the question was…could she love him?

"Let u take our leave." Sesshoumaru said, sheathing his sword. Everyone stood and started walking when suddenly,

"Oi, Sesshoumaru." They all turned to Inu-yasha, who was standing there with his sword sheathed and threatening. He looked at Sesshoumaru with silent malice.

Shippou's eyes widened. He told Inu-yasha not to, didn't he? Inu-yasha, no!

"I challenge you to a duel."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes and Kagome gasped. What was happening to Inu-yasha?