Kiki's interest was based mostly on the wall in front of her. The small designs entranced her, and were a welcome distraction from the situation she had forced herself into. While her mind raced with facts, she subconsciously traced the designs. The explanation she had received from Inuyasha was far from believable.

Kiki blinked slowly, giving her eyes the moisture they so desperately craved. She had not blinked for a minute or so, and the pain was starting the burn. Tears formed in her eyes, and so the two people with her would not get the wrong idea, she forced them back. The words were slow coming out of her mouth, as if she had somehow forgotten how to speak in the last 15 minutes. "The… The… New… Moon…"

Sango gave her a sarcastic round of applause. After the long wait she had put them through, any words out of Kiki's mouth were a welcome but laughable accomplishment. "Alright. That is good. Anything else you want to say?"

"Human."

"Ah, well… That is quite interesting. Miroku, can you make anything of this?" Sango asked, glancing across the room at the monk. He was deep in thought, and jumped slightly at the question addressed to him.

"Hmm? Well, I have not known Kiki for very long. Your opinion would be much more accurate than my own, facing that realization..." Miroku sputtered, averting his eyes from whatever his lecherous stare had focused on. "But, judged by her actions… It must be about Inuyasha."

"Oh! You asked him about… last week, then? About him avoiding you?" Sango inquired, shifting her gaze back to Kiki. The girl was in her own little world; she just kept staring at the wall. "So our three clues are: new moon, human, and Inuyasha. Did… Inuyasha… Do something to someone on the new moon?"

Sango's words were dripping with caution. The tone made Kiki sick to her stomach. Why am I acting like this? Why can't I just tell them? "Perhaps the new moon did something to Inuyasha? That makes a bit more sense." Miroku suggested. "Something pertaining to humans?"

"Mayhap he has a dislike for humans and it grows on the new moon? Maybe a bad memory or experience?" Sango voiced thoughtfully. She looked to Kiki again for a reaction, surprised to find that a smug little smile had crawled up her face. It made Sango uneasy to see her smile like that, especially after all that had happened in the last few days. Something must have pushed her over the edge.

"I wouldn't doubt it." Kiki laughed, seemingly over her little shock. "He would hate humans more than ever…"

"So there's more to it than just a strong dislike of the new moon." Miroku sighed. "Perhaps… Because of this, he dislikes the new moon as well…"

"We're focusing on one day here. One night, actually. Inuyasha avoided her for a whole week. Was it because he was ashamed after the new moon? And before, was he just getting prepared for it?" Sango figured. "The thing that happens to Inuyasha on the new moon…"

"Kiki… If you were just going to play guessing games, why did you call both of us down here? And why did you call me down?" Miroku asked suspiciously. "Is there more to this than we think?"

"No, you're about done. You just have to wrap in one more little thing: Human." Kiki explained. Then she chuckled to herself, as if she had her own private joke that nobody else was in on. "Although, I don't suppose you will be able to…"

"Inuyasha. Human. On a new moon! I don't understand these clues!" Sango growled in irritation. Miroku's eyes widened in amazement.

"Sango! You are a genius! Inuyasha turns human on the new moon!" Miroku exclaimed. Sango fell backwards in surprise and Kiki flinched. "He was preparing for the new moon because he gets weaker, and he was ashamed about it afterwards. I suppose he wanted to tell Kiki, but he couldn't find the heart to do it. I heard somewhere that half-demons loose there powers on certain days. They cannot tell anyone because then those people might leak the information to enemies and… Oh…"

"Kiki…" Sango sighed, scooting towards Kiki and pulling her head onto her shoulder. "He didn't trust you…" Kiki could not hold it back anymore. She began to cry. They had done it – they had figured it out. Miroku and Sango knew. Moreover, she had not told them. She had not broken her promise to Inuyasha. They had figured it out.

"There, there, ladies. It's alright." Miroku said calmingly. Both Kiki and Sango froze at the stroking sensations on their bottoms. "Some men are slime…"

Sango whipped around and slapped him. "Yeah! Like you, you pervert!" Kiki rubbed at her eyes furiously in realization of something. How could I have been so weak?

"Sango… How do you have pity for me? How do you have the energy? Your brother…He died only… Three days ago…" Kiki choked, grabbing onto Sango's kimono sleeve. "How are you being so strong?"

Sango stared down at her distressed friend, head rushing. She surprised even herself when her reply was a smile, and she rested a hand on Kiki's head. "Kohaku would have been angry if I had been… upset. He would have wanted me to celebrate his life, not obsess over his death. Just knowing that helps me. I am not as strong as you think- I am using this idea as a crutch, to hold me up. Without it, I'd be a wreck." Sango began stroking Kiki's head as the younger girl slumped. "Kiki, you just need to believe that Inuyasha trusts you… but that he didn't want to inconvenience you. He did tell you eventually. Doesn't that count?"

Kiki jolted upright in surprise. Does that count? Does it count that he told me? "I never… thought about that."

"I suppose all she needed was some cheering up." Miroku said, raising his eyebrows. "Somebody who knew what she knew, and knew exactly what to say. Ah… a crying woman… So beautiful…"

"What was that? Crying women turn you on or something? Get out of here you lecherous pervert! Out!" Kiki shrieked, pointing at the door. Miroku sighed and stood up.

"I'd advise you to go talk to Inuyasha again… Just for comfort." Miroku said suggestively when he reached the door. "You could do some…Things…" He turned and smiled, raising his eyebrows up and down to clarify what he was suggesting. Sango and Kiki gave him looks that screamed with horror. Grinning at their reactions, he left the room.

"Maybe that's not such a bad idea." Sango giggled. Kiki turned her horrified look to Sango. "I mean… You love him and all…"

"SANGO! AUGH! Not you, too!" Kiki screamed, jumping back. "I won't, I won't, I won't!" Kiki stood up and went for the door that opened onto the porch. Slamming it open in a huff, she stopped dead at seeing the person behind it.

"Am I really that repulsive?" Inuyasha asked with a smug grin. "Truly?"

"I'll be going now." Sango peeped casually, slipping past them and half-walking, half-running down the porch.

"Inuyasha I can-"

"I don't mind that you told them. Although… I do have to pay you back for it…" Inuyasha smirked at her, grabbing her chin in his hand and pressing his lips hard against hers. They slowly made their way into the room, and the porch door slammed shut behind them.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Purple eyes flickered open, drowsily searching their surroundings. It was a room- her room in the demon slayer village. A lot had happened to Kiki in the past month and a half, and she had a lot of information to sort out, between the demon Naraku and the unexplored new power of electricity. Yet, right now, she was content with resting in the arms of the man she adored.

Despite the overwhelming desire the two of them shared for each other, nothing had happened. Kiki was a priestess, and with every kiss her power weakened. Love is a right denied to those with spiritual powers. Naraku could not be destroyed without her powers, so love was a risky business for Kiki.

Inuyasha had his arms wrapped around her waist, and was breathing softly into her ear. Their legs were intertwined at the bottom of the mat, and Kiki's arms rested on Inuyasha's chest. Kiki dare not move too much, only fingered the soft silver hair that was draped all over her. Her heart skipped a beat as Inuyasha's sleeping form shifted. She had never seen him sleep so heavily before.

She supposed he had gotten a lot of weight off his shoulders. He probably had not slept for three or four nights because of the new moon. Kiki stopped playing with his hair and let her fingers trace the bite mark on the side of her neck. Even if he could not lay claim to her in some forms, he marked her to ward of demons. Kiki smiled at the thought of belonging to him, and only him. The idea would have repulsed her 5 months ago, to say the least. To belong to a man…

"You are 16 now, child. You are 16, and now you must choose. I could wed you away, or you could practice the life of a priestess. I realize that you have not spoken to anyone in years… Yet this question will change your future. You must answer me." Kaede sighed. Kiki scowled and crouched down on the dirt road, picking up a stick. She scratched in the picture of a man.


"You want to be wed…?" Kaede began but stopped as soon as Kiki began stomping on the picture. She chuckled as the girl crouched down again and stabbed the dirt where the picture had been.


"Then you want to be a priestess." Kiki stood and gave Kaede a hug. Pulling back, she smiled warmly and then skipped off. Kaede watched her leave with a sad expression. "I wish she could have spoken to me about it…" As soon as Kiki got to the edge of the forest, she began to laugh at herself. "That was a fine way of showing Mother how much I hate men…" she snickered. "Ever since I learned of Kikyo, they have been utterly repulsive…"

Kiki mused in the knowledge that she had originally been repulsed by men because of the man she was now curled up with. Oh, how much things can change if you give them a bit of time. Kiki decided Inuyasha had slept long enough and knocked her head gently into his chin.

"Mmph? Eh? What?" Inuyasha mumbled in surprise, lifting his head. His eyelids were drooped with his abrupt awakening. "Where am I?"

"For a strong, powerful half-breed it sure does take you a while to wake up." Kiki commented with a giggle, twisting in his grasp so she was facing him. His eyes went wide with shock, and then steadied in remembrance.

"Feh. I wake up just fine." Inuyasha muttered in contempt. Kiki giggled again, watching him closely as he sat up and ran a clawed hand through his hair. At first, he looked only at the wall, but his eyes began to betray him and curiously wandered down to Kiki's amused face. They traced along her features until spotting the mark he had given her. Kiki was surprised as he gently raised a hand and traced over her wound. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault that your youkai half takes over when aroused." Kiki bluntly replied, sitting up and distractedly beginning pulling her hair back into a loose ponytail. "It's only natural." Inuyasha blushed, turning his head away from her and casually inspecting the ceiling.

"I was not aroused." He informed her stubbornly. Kiki raised her eyebrows but did not comment. He could not deny it- she knew by the spark in his eyes. Expertly slipping a leather hair band from her wrist and into her hair, she let the haughty locks fall into place. In one, quick movement she planted a sweet kiss on Inuyasha's lips and then hopped up. Inuyasha watched as she went to her swords and began snapping them onto her belt.

"In a hurry?" he said, pouting unhappily. "Going to go running to tell Sango?"

"Tell her what?" Kiki asked innocently, checking her swords one last time before fixing her stare on Inuyasha. "I seem to have forgotten anything of importance I might tell her. Want to re-inform me?"

Inuyasha took the invitation greedily, standing up and pushing her against the wall. He placed his forehead against hers and looked her straight in the eyes. "I don't know? Do I?"

Kiki felt a familiar shiver crawl up her spine, and a draft playing at their bare feet. Inuyasha twitched as electric sparks ran down his arms, carefully teasing his nerves. "Oh, look what you made me do." Kiki whined sweetly. "You got me all excited."

Inuyasha fed the growing desire between them, placing his lips carefully on hers. She kissed him deeply, breaking the kiss for a moment for air and then starting up again. After five minutes of this, she broke away completely with a teasing smile and slipped under the arm that had her pinned against the wall. "I'm off to train! See you later!"

"That was evil." Inuyasha hissed playfully, watching her open the porch door. "You had me all excited." Kiki stuck out her tongue and then left the room, closing the door behind her. After a good workout on the training course, she would tell Sango about last night and assure her that nothing had happened. Although not the most traditional of people, Sango still believed in marriage before mating.

"Miss Priestess?" a meek voice piped up from behind her when she reached the course. Kiki spun around to face a young girl with flaming red hair and deep grass-green eyes. She seemed to be about 15, and had on a dark brown kimono with green accents on the waist and tips.

"Ah! Ivy! What a welcome surprise. What do you need?" Kiki sighed in relief. She was a tad bit jumpy, still high on Inuyasha's kisses. Her expression changed from relief to worry when she saw the expression on the young girl's face. "Is there something wrong?"

"My… My mother is ill!" Ivy cried out, covering her face in shame of the tears that had betrayed her stiff body. "She… She fell down very early this morning with a high fever… She was getting water for breakfast." Kiki's eyes widened with horror. Ivy's mother was a strong woman who loved her children dearly. She was one of Kiki's favorite villagers because she had invited her over for dinner during the week Inuyasha was avoiding her, and it had been delicious. The kind woman laughed at her troubles and comforted her.

"Oh, my… Well, come on then. Let's go see her." Kiki insisted. Ivy nodded hurriedly and began to scamper towards the village. Kiki followed her easily, eyes shining with worry.