Timmain and Inuyasha walked through the forest in silence for a while. Timmain could tell he was clearly uncomfortable walking with her and she wondered if it was because she still carried Sesshomaru's scent or if he just didn't enjoy looking up at her considering she was a whole head taller than him. She did know for sure that part of it had to do with her comparing him to Sesshomaru and that gave her some amusement. She liked that he was easily provoked. It made him almost charming. But that wasn't the only thing she liked about him. She could also tell that he was a fierce warrior as well as a loyal friend who would put himself in danger to protect them.

"So, what do you want to say to me?" Inuyasha asked breaking the silence between them.

Timmain smiled slightly looking up at the moon through the leaves. She knew what she wanted to say but just not how to say it.

"I feel a little foolish about this," Timmain began. It was something that had been bothering her and she thought maybe talking to Inuyasha might shed some light on things for her. "It's obvious you and Sesshomaru don't get along so I'll assume the two of you have fought each other a few times."

"Yeah, what of it?" Inuyasha sniffed wondering where she was going with this.

"Do you ever wonder why he holds back?" Timmain asked glancing at Inuyasha sideways. She could feel Sesshomaru held back his true power the times she fought him. The immense power he contained was overwhelming and was a bit frightening to Timmain. She had never fought a demon as powerful as he. Yet he never unleashed his full strength against her. She knew he could have taught her a lesson and hurt her just enough to make her think twice about attacking again, but he didn't.

"Is that all you wanted to ask? Inuyasha cried out exasperated. He had always known his brother held back on him and it irritated him more than anything. He wanted to beat Sesshomaru. Wanted to beat him with his full strength against Sesshomaru's full strength. But Sesshomaru never did fight the way Inuyasha wanted him too.

"That's part of it. The other part is if you've ever wondered why?" She stopped to look at Inuyasha.

"No! Who cares? He's just a bastard who likes to toy with people," Inuyasha answered glaring at her.

"Does he?" Timmain countered. "Does he seem the type to toy with people?"

"What are you getting at?" Inuyasha asked suspiciously.

"I guess I'm trying to understand him better," Timmain said thoughtfully. "He doesn't seem like he would do anything without a definite reason. I don't think he'd toy with people, but perhaps he'd test their strength. Get them to fight harder and smarter perhaps. What do you think?"

"Yeah, like I'd believe that. Especially after all the times he's tried to kill me for my sword," Inuyasha said sarcastically. "The only thing you need to understand about him is that he'll kill you if you get in his way."

"But he didn't kill you, or else you wouldn't be standing here next to me," Timmain pointed out.

"Obviously," Inuyasha fired back. "Look, if you're trying to get me to think that Sesshomaru has been trying to help me is some weird twisted way, don't bother."

"I'm not trying to get you to change your opinion of him. I guess it's just wishful thinking on my part," Timmain sighed. "Perhaps I'm hoping he didn't want to hurt me because he cares for me."

Inuyasha stared at her in stunned silence. After a minute he finally found his voice to speak.

"Do you love Sesshomaru?" He asked timidly a little embarrassed for asking.

"Yes," Timmain said quietly. "Something a demon slayer should never do," she added sternly directing the comment more toward her self.

"Then why did you leave him?" Inuyasha wondered.

"I didn't come here to fall in love with a demon, Inuyasha. I came to kill Gulden, that is my main goal," Timmain answered in a sudden flash of anger. She already regretted leaving Sesshomaru and Rin. Inuyasha's question only reminded her more of how badly she regretted her decision. Am I still unable to accept how I feel for him? She wondered to her self. Or maybe I'm scared that Sesshomaru wouldn't return my feelings.

"So you're not going to tell him?" Inuyasha asked a little surprised.

"I don't think I have the courage too or if my pride will let me. I've barely acknowledged my own true feelings." Timmain paused thinking perhaps she had said too much to Inuyasha. "I should be going. I know you think it was ridiculous of me to drag you out here to tell you this but I appreciate that you heard me out."

She started to walk away but Inuyasha stopped her. He didn't know why he stopped her. Maybe because he understood what it was like to be in love with someone that you couldn't be with. He definitely knew it wasn't because he cared about his brother's love life. Perhaps, in the end,it was the idea of accepting something against what you thought was your true nature that he was able to identify with.

"Be careful," Inuyasha said with concern written all over his face.

The look on his face reminded her too much of Sesshomaru and she turned away quickly to leave before she betrayed any sign of how much she was already starting to miss him.

"I will. Thank you," she replied not looking back before disappearing into the forest.

As she walked along her mind kept going back to Sesshomaru. Why? She asked herself. Why did this happen? I am a demon slayer. Why does my heart ache for him? Why? Why? He's a demon. A demon I'm supposed to hate and want to kill.

She didn't know how far she had walked. She had been too preoccupied with her thoughts that she didn't notice the moon had now disappeared and a reddish glow was washed over the sky. She had also been too preoccupied to notice that she had entered a large meadow and Gulden now stood in the middle of that meadow waiting for her.