"A Heart's Immaculence"

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inuyasha or any of the other characters that are in my story, excluding Mineko and one other character that has never come out in the series.

Author's Note: Please forgive me, my beautiful readers! Please forgive this stressed out writer who feels like she's suffocating every minute of her life! I'm extremely sorry for taking nearly nine or more days to update with a new chapter. I'm truly sorry! I'm on my knees begging for your forgiveness! I had a hard time writing this chapter for some reason. Since the time I began writing my story, I never had a problem with writer's block, but I guess it crept up on me. I knew I wanted this chapter to be important because you all will finally find out why Sesshomaru is "moody." I really struggled to write this chapter as best I could, so don't punish me if you don't like it. I tried my very best, revising constantly because I didn't like a great many things that I had written originally. You know by now I'm a perfectionist, so I didn't want to submit the chapter until I felt it was satisfactory enough for you to read. In this chapter, Mineko happens to be the one who "spills the beans" about Sesshomaru's past when she speaks to Kagome alone. Naughty, naughty, Mineko! And for all of you who reviewed my last chapter, THANK YOU WITH ALL MY HEART! The greatest fear I have is that I'll lose my readers somehow, but you all keep in touch with me to let me know that you are still there supporting my story. Okay, I'm especially going to thank Dartness, McKenze, Kiki, Sara, Sushi Sama, and Tori because I didn't reply to them to thank them for reviewing since they don't have a signed account. Some of you asked me about the song "A Heart's Immaculence." Of course no such song exists except for in this story. If you would like to know how I imagine the song would sound like if it were real in the story, you can look up somewhere on the internet for artist Loreena McKennitt, and her song is entitled "The Mummer's Dance." That song inspired me to put the whole song thing in my story, and I imagined that was what both Kagome and Sesshomaru were hearing. If any of you happen to have the chance to listen to it on the internet, please tell me and express what you think of it. Okay, here's my chapter. Please don't flame it! Please!

Chapter 26

All available light, the light from the moon and stars which illuminated the lands with a silver and blue glow, was temporarily kidnapped by the sharp slashing of sudden cold and icy winds, forcing the billowing clouds to glide across the sky and shroud its natural flames like a person blowing out the candlelight. Darkness ensconced all of nature, seeming as if a thick, black curtain had descended on it, its inhabitants stained by the bleakness of this heavy cloth woven together by the ominous workings of a cruel, disturbing presence.

Because the moon and its small, sparkling children were exiled from emanating their precious light, objects which could be seen easily as if they were on fire were not visible. The entire land was situated under a sable mass, dark and sinister, as delicate as a black veil but as macabre as the inside of a closed coffin. Visibility was near nothing, but the green fireflies which had settled on the leaves of trees or on bushes were a blessing, for though they were tiny, they held their own light within their bodies, unaffected by the darkness around them, and the insects remedied the blindness that everyone caught inside was experiencing, helping them see, if only slightly.

Kagome squinted her eyes and struggled to see through the dark, but everything around her was blacker than shadows, and she felt as if her eyesight was weakening, becoming less reliable every time she blinked. The only visibility she had came from the fireflies, but they were at a distance from where she was standing, and so they did not provide enough light for her to move elsewhere. She tried to locate Sesshomaru and reached out with her senses to find him, and she guessed that he was still near her, but then she felt something soft and furry brush against her arm. She knew it was Sesshomaru's boa she had felt against her, and she heard the movement of feet and the crunching of sticks and leaves. He was moving away from her, and she wondered if he was able to see through the darkness.

The sound of Sesshomaru's feet walking on the ground suddenly stopped, and Kagome was concerned that perhaps he sensed danger nearby.

"Lord Sesshomaru? Kagome? Master Jaken?" Rin said frighteningly. The little girl was frightened, one of her hands outstretched into the air, the other groping the trunk of a tree, waving her open hand wildly in hopes of grabbing onto one of the individuals whose name she had called out.

"Rin?" Kagome said, walking slowly and cautiously, both her hands outstretched as well, moving back and forth with each step she took.

Kagome felt someone grab onto her leg. "Is that you, Rin?"

"Uh, no."

"Jaken?" Kagome said, kicking her foot in the air several times to try and make the imp fall off. "Let go, Jaken! I can't walk with you holding onto me like that. I need to find Rin."

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken said. "Where are you, my lord? I can smell you but I don't know where you are."

"Jaken! I said let go!" Kagome yelled. "Lord Sesshomaru? I know you are there somewhere! Why is it so dark? I can't see a thing! I need help here!"

"Kagome!" Rin cried, her hand still reaching out through the dark. "Where are you? I can't feel anybody? Where's Lord Sesshomaru?"

"He's here somewhere, Rin," Kagome replied. "Don't worry. I'll find you, just keep talking so I can follow your voice and get to you."

Rin talked the entire time Kagome was struggling to walk through the dark, and she finally found the child, but she had banged her head against the trunk before she was able to embrace her in her arms and remain with her, Jaken still holding tightly to her leg.

"Where is Lord Sesshomaru!" Kagome said angrily. "Why doesn't he do something about whatever's going on here? These are his lands, aren't they? Wouldn't he be furious that somebody or something is causing this eclipse-like occurrence to happen?"

"Stop complaining!" Jaken said. "This has happened before. No need to get angry over it."

"What do you mean this has happened before? Does it always get blindingly dark at night in the Western Lands?"

"Not always, Kagome. Only on this day."

"What's so special about today? Does this day have something to do with Sesshomaru's bad mood? What about this freezing cold that just came out of the blue?"

Kagome could feel Rin shiver as the girl snuggled her head between her bosom. She herself was quivering, the cold penetrating into her skin, congealing her blood, her bones icicled. It was so cold that Kagome felt pain with each shake her body gave, and she figured that if she did not find something warm to cover herself with, or if the treacherous weather did not dissipate, she would most surely die of pneumonia.

"Rin?" Kagome said, rubbing the child's back to try and give her warmth. "Is Jaken right? Does it always get cold and dark on this day, whatever day it is?"

All Rin could do to respond was to nod her head wildly, for it was still nuzzled against Kagome's chest. She was too cold to have the strength to utter a simple 'yes,' and her shivering was more like a spasm now. Kagome could feel Rin's body becoming frigid, and she felt as if she was embracing a large piece of ice rather than the warm, cuddly body of a child.

Kagome was losing her patience. Not only was she cold and miserable, but Rin was practically freezing to death in her arms. She was worried that the child might become ill, and she desired desperately to protect her from the cold, but her own body was not enough to warm her.

"If only I knew where my backpack was," said Kagome impatiently. "I could use my flashlight to see through the dark and then find Rin's blanket to cover her up with. But I can't see a darn thing!"

What was nagging Kagome the most was that it seemed to her that Sesshomaru was doing nothing to correct the current situation. He did not seem to be anywhere, and she was angered by his lack of care for Rin. She was suffering from the cold, yet he was out there, concealed in the dark, making no attempts to remedy the immediate conflict.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Kagome shouted. "What's wrong with you? Can't you sense that Rin is dying of cold! She's turning into an icicle! You have to do something to help her!"

"Lord Sesshomaru will not be rushed!" Jaken said. "He has taken care of Rin every time this happens. She is used to the cold by now."

"Used to it?" Kagome said. "It doesn't look that way to me. She's shaking terribly."

"Her shaking used to be worse than that, much worse."

"Are you kidding me? I can't believe Rin has suffered like this before. I can't stand to feel her so cold! Lord Sesshomaru! I know you can hear me!"

There was the sound of snapping branches and leaves, the cracking of each one that was broken echoing in the darkness, resonating the atmosphere ever so loudly like thunder, making Kagome's ears ache, for they had become sensitive with the cold air which stung them, burning her face as well with its sharpness. Then there was silence but soon it was broken by a thunderous thud which slammed on the ground. She then heard a rustling as if something was being dragged along the grass.

Despite the night being too dark for her to see, Kagome was about to carry Rin in her arms and look for Sesshomaru, but a lustrous, gleaming light irradiated the small area of the forest in which it was situated. The roseate glow attracted Kagome's attention, for it was the same light that had come from her sacred jewel shards moments before. She remembered she had dropped the bottle which contained them when the cold had appeared, and now the light was at its brightest, streaks of pink-colored beams piercing the darkness like an enchanted sword.

Kagome realized immediately the reason for the jewel shards' illumination.

"Ah-Ha! There you are!" said Kagome, seeing Sesshomaru's tall figure standing next to the shards. "You have some explaining to do, you know. What's wrong with you? Can't you tell Rin's not in good shape? She's freezing! Have your senses been frozen by the cold or something? I would think that—"

"Jaken!"

"Yes, m-m-my lord," Jaken said, releasing his grip from Kagome's leg, shivering from the cold as well.

"It is ready, Jaken," Sesshomaru said calmly, the cold having no affect on him whatsoever. He looked at the shining jewel shards briefly before turning his head away, their light too strong for his eyes to bear. Looking at Kagome, he said, "And you, make that light disappear."

"It's not my fault my shards are acting like that again," said Kagome irritatingly. "You're the one making them glow. I can't control them, so if you want them to stop doing that, then you better move away from them."

Sesshomaru ignored her and waited for Jaken to prepare a fire. Before the shards had awoken from their slumber, Sesshomaru had used his claws to tear off branches as well as cut an entire tree from its roots. The tree lay on the ground, but it had a gash-like opening on one of its sides that ran all along the base to the head where the leaves were. There was also a pile of branches and leaves a few feet from the fallen tree, and to this Jaken used his staff of three heads to light a fire there. Soon visibility was almost returned, and although the fire's flames were not strong enough to light a wider circumference of the surroundings, it was sufficient for the night, since most of the remaining time would be spent in sleep.

Jaken then began to gather sticks and leaves to place inside the tree, which had been almost hallowed out by Sesshomaru's sharp, digging claws. He was making some sort of bedding, looking at each stick, making sure it was not too hard or too prickly. Once he placed as many leaves and sticks within the tree as needed, Jaken stepped back and allowed Sesshomaru to inspect the inside of the tree. He stared inside it briefly and turned around to look at the fire, Jaken breathing a sigh of relief that his master had an absence of disapproval for the time being. Sesshomaru stood next to the fire and felt its warmth, measuring its heat with his demonic senses. He soon moved away from the fire as well, and Jaken was immediately elated that his lord had approved that he had done both of his tasks well.

"Place Rin inside the tree," Sesshomaru said to Kagome. "She will be warm there."

"It's about time," Kagome said, walking over to the tree and laying Rin inside it gently. "How cute! It's a tree bed!"

Kagome grabbed Rin's pillow and blanket, placing them inside the tree for Rin to use. Looking at her jewel shards which were on the ground, she saw they had returned to their original, dormant state, picking them up and placing them in her bag.

"How are you doing, Rin?" Kagome asked, wrapping the blanket around the girl's small body.

"I feel warm now!" Rin said vivaciously as she wiggled playfully underneath the blanket. "Lord Sesshomaru always makes me sleep inside a tree like this whenever we come here. He doesn't like for me to feel cold. He hates the cold like I do, and he knows how it feels to freeze."

Kagome felt guilty for judging Sesshomaru too quickly concerning his inattention to Rin. She chided herself for not understanding that whenever Rin was involved, he never faltered to take care of her or to protect her. What he had just done for the child was an indication of that, and that was the reason why Rin made no complaint that she was suffering from the cold, knowing her lord and protector was preparing what was needed for her to be safe.

"Of course, Rin," Kagome said, tickling the girl's stomach. "Lord Sesshomaru cares for you. How stupid of me to think he'd leave you to suffer."

"Is the fire warm enough, Rin?" Jaken asked, his other duty being to keep the fire's flames at the appropriate temperature.

"Yes, master Jaken, it is," said Rin, taking Kagome's hand. "Kagome, your skin feels very cold. You should get Lord Sesshomaru's coverlet to wrap around yourself. You'll get warm right away like that."

Kagome blushed at Rin's suggestion, and even Sesshomaru himself was taken by surprise by her words, staring at the fire to distract himself.

"Maybe I will use it,' Kagome said uncertainly. "but not right now. I'm not that cold anymore since the fire is warming me up."

"When will Mineko be back?" Rin asked.

"That's right," said Kagome, pinching herself mentally for forgetting about the beautiful and mysterious demoness, Sesshomaru's loyal and trusted guard. "She went to go and find out if there were any more of Sesshomaru's enemies out there, didn't she? I hope she doesn't take that long. She seems like an interesting person to get to know better."

"She is already here," said Sesshomaru suspiciously. He stared into the forest, his eyes transfixed to a certain spot within. "Reveal yourself, Mineko."

Kagome turned around to see where Mineko was, but she saw no one. However, she did hear the movement of feet coming closer to her, and her eyes widened in fear, not knowing if it was a specter of some kind come to steal her body and possess it.

Suddenly Mineko appeared in front of her, and Kagome let out a soft scream, for the cold had caused her throat to become dry and scratchy.

"Why, hello!" Mineko said, holding her pearl-handled sword and placing it behind her back. "I gave you a fright, did I, Kagome?"

"Were you invisible just now?" Kagome asked curiously.

"Having the ability to make oneself invisible is a true blessing," Mineko said. "I have freedom to spy on whoever I want, and they do not know I am there."

"You were hiding behind that tree for the longest time, Mineko," Sesshomaru said rather arrogantly. "Remember I can detect your scent immediately. I do not need to see you to know where you are, invisible or not."

Mineko bowed to Sesshomaru respectfully but with a mischievous smile on her face. "Of course, my lord. How could I have forgotten that your powers are supreme in comparison to mine. Forgive me."

As Mineko raised herself up, Kagome noticed the demoness' appearance was slightly altered. Her face was soiled in patches with dried mud, a small, red cut at the corner of her forehead. Her lips were not as rubescent as they had been when Kagome first saw her, and her white cloak and attire was torn in places, looking as if they had been pulled and ripped. But the most conspicuous disorderliness was her hair. Her long, wavy auburn locks, which had been neatly kept in place by a silver headdress, was now loose and abundant down her back. A pearlescent hair brooch, decorated with swivels of silver and sapphire, was clasped in her hair, its jewels glinting in the firelight.

"For how long were you hiding behind that tree, Mineko?" Sesshomaru asked sharply. "You were watching me, were you not?"

Mineko took a deep breath and smiled, nodding her head. "Yes, my lord. I was watching you. I have always watched you."

Sesshomaru stared at Mineko silently, reflecting on her words, understanding what it was she referred to, images of the past trespassing into his mind, visualizing the times the two of them spent together in each other's company, when she was first introduced to him when he was but a small demon child, memories seeping through of when they fought alongside one another, especially on this particular day some hundred years prior to the present.

Moving away from Kagome, Mineko walked gracefully towards Sesshomaru and bent her head to one side, looking at him sideways with an inquisitive expression.

"My lord," she said carefully. "If I may say this, there is one thing I noticed about you. You did not detect my scent until now, but it took you quite some time before you did. I am very surprised you did not smell my presence sooner. It's not like you to do something like that. I find that peculiar."

Narrowing his eyes, as was his nature when analyzing something suspicious, Sesshomaru did not reply to Mineko's remark but looked at her mockingly.

"Maybe he's sick," Kagome said, blowing warm air into her cupped hands which she held over her nose and mouth.

"That's impossible, Kagome," Mineko said confidently. "My lord is never ill. Well, in all truth, he has been ill before, but that is when he was younger…"

"Then why did he feel very warm before?" said Kagome, now rubbing her hands together frantically.

"Was he warm? That is unusual," Mineko tapped her foot on the ground and narrowed her own eyes while still looking at Sesshomaru. "My lord, is this true? You are invincible when it comes to illnesses. Can it be Kagome who has made you this way? It is her, isn't it? Her presence here is affecting you."

Sesshomaru stared at Mineko coldly now, and the demoness reacted in the same manner any human or demon would if they encountered him in a murderous state of mind. Fear consumed her, and she suddenly bowed to her master lower than she had ever done.

"Forgive me, my lord," Mineko said, her lips quivering slightly. "Forgive me for my insolence."

The aristocratic youkai walked away from Mineko as if she had not said a word, and he paused a few feet away from her.

"Mineko," he said calmly, his coldness suddenly vanquished from him. "I must speak to you."

Adjusting herself and straightening her posture, Mineko stood beside Sesshomaru and listened as he spoke softly to her, much more softly than what was expected from a great demon lord of his status. But with every word he spoke, Mineko turned to look in Kagome's direction, looking at her briefly before her eyes met Sesshomaru's again.

Is he talking about me? Kagome thought as she watched Mineko turn to look at her again, but this time she had a blissful smile on her face and a gleam to her eyes.

What is going on? Sesshomaru must be talking about me. What a jerk!

Kagome stared with interest as both Sesshomaru and Mineko interacted with one another. Once again, they looked exceptionally well together, a matched pair that perhaps, had Mineko been younger, would have suited the youkai lord well as a lifelong partner or, in a more intimate setting, as his eternal mate.

"But my lord, what you request for me to do is…concerning my mistress…I cannot!"

Distracted by Mineko's sudden alteration of voice, Kagome's contemplation was broken by her bereaved tone. She saw Mineko was no longer wearing a cheerful face, for it was replaced with a mournful, wistful mask.

"You will do as I command, Mineko," Sesshomaru said, his face an eerie replica, an unexpected semblance of Mineko's own dismalness but with an underlayment of coldness.

"My lord, please understand. I cannot…" said Mineko, her azure-emerald eyes tinted with traces of scarlet and slightly dampened by moisture.

"You will do as I say," Sesshomaru demanded softly but firmly.

"Yes, my lord. I promise to do as you request." Mineko bowed without further protest and wiped a tear which had slid down her cheek.

Is she weeping? Thought Kagome as she looked at Mineko intently. Did Sesshomaru say something painful to make her that way? What in the world! What is he doing?

Kagome watched as Sesshomaru removed Tenseiga from his blue and gold sash and handed it to Mineko. She grabbed the sword from him carefully, holding it in both her hands, bowing to him more courtly and respectfully.

"My lord has given me Tenseiga to protect it," Mineko said, still bowed in a dignified, honorable manner. "I shall guard it with my life as I have always done while you are away at the Sacrosanct Path."

Sacrosanct Path? Kagome thought. She must mean that other path that is not allowed access. Why is he going there for?

"Mineko," said Sesshomaru. "You and my ward will wait for me at the usual location near The Sacrosanct Path."

"Including the young woman Kagome?" Mineko said, rising from her bow, a smile now curved on her lips.

"I will return by noon," Sesshomaru said, ignoring Mineko's question, turning around to enter the deep darkness of the forest.

"Where are you going?" Kagome said to Sesshomaru. "You're leaving me, I mean us, alone again!"

"Kagome!" Rin said, getting out of her tree bed with her blanket around her, pointing at Kagome's backpack. "Look! Your jewel shards are glowing again."

Kagome ignored her jewel shards since she was more distracted by Sesshomaru's sword as it shook in Mineko's hands. The demoness stared at Tenseiga confusedly, unsure on how to handle its abrupt, surprising behavior, not ever experiencing such an occurrence before when she protected it in the past.

"Why is Tenseiga shaking this way, my lord?" Mineko asked. "Can it be it's possessed?"

"It is not possessed," Sesshomaru said irritably. "Tenseiga is behaving stubbornly, that is all."

Tenseiga acted as if it had been affected by Sesshomaru's words, for after they had been uttered, the sword reverted back to its original state, shaking no more.

"Take care of Rin, Mineko," Sesshomaru said, walking towards the forest.

"Hey, what about me?" Kagome yelled, feeling begrudged. "I can take care of Rin too! I feel insulted. I destroyed a demon all by myself, didn't I? Isn't that proof I can handle danger and protect somebody like Rin?"

"It was luck that helped you destroy that demon," said Sesshomaru coolly. "Nothing else."

"Yep. That's you. Never giving credit where credit's due."

Sesshomaru then disappeared into the forest, and Kagome's heart was suddenly mired inside loneliness and dejection. He had left her alone again, and she wished he would return soon, knowing that once the morning light penetrated the cerulean sky, the natural clock of time would be ticking away the few hours she had remaining to be with him. A strong desire emerged within her to run and follow him, but she knew that it was wrong and inappropriate, especially because of his sour attitude.

Kagome sat on top of her backpack lazily, the jewel shards no longer glowing as they had been before. She looked into the fire in a daze, but Mineko's laughter echoed in her ears.

"And why are you laughing?" Kagome asked rather moodily.

"You're such a ludicrous, ridiculous little thing," Mineko said happily, her sadness and tears vanished completely. "I watched you while you tried to brighten Lord Sesshomaru's spirits. I desired to laugh but could not. You would make an excellent court jester for my lord, a good source of entertainment for his subjects."

Kagome blushed, embarrassed that Mineko had seen her make a fool out of herself. "Well, thank you, I guess. I'm glad someone found me to be funny."

"It took bravery and courage to perform something like that in front of my lord. I have never known anyone who has showed him how much they care for him, except for my mistress, of course."

Looking up at the sky, Kagome wondered who was the mistress Mineko was talking about, but what concerned her at the moment was the shooting star she had been waiting for since she had entered the Western Lands, to see with her own eyes the vastness of space and the universe above her. However, she knew it was impossible, since the black clouds which had loomed over the lands were still covering the moon and stars.

"You remind me of Lord Sesshomaru when you do that," Mineko said, sitting beside Kagome on a pile of leaves, placing Tenseiga on her lap. "Unfortunately, the moon cannot be seen tonight."

Suddenly a strip of silver light pierced through the dark clouds, and Kagome knew immediately was it was she was seeing, it's burning tail wavering momentarily in the air before it descended to the earth. Kagome closed her eyes and made a wish instantly.

"Ah, a shooting star," Mineko said, having seen it herself. "So you made a wish, Kagome? Tell me, what did you wish for?"

"I can't say," said Kagome. "or it won't come true."

"Your wish was about Lord Sesshomaru, wasn't it?"

Kagome blushed again but was very uncomfortable when she realized she was not warm enough, the cold wind brushing against her wildly. She searched for Sesshomaru's night coverlet to wrap herself up in, and while she was doing so, she noticed Rin had fallen asleep inside her makeshift bed. Jaken was asleep as well, yet he remained close to the fire, sleeping on the dirt with his pillow underneath his head and his blanket over him. Sesshomaru's purple coverlet was hanging on a tree branch, and Kagome had placed it there to prevent herself from dropping it and allowing it to get dirty. She walked over and grabbed it and came back to sit near the fire, but Mineko looked at her appallingly and with a contorted countenance. Kagome wrapped the coverlet around herself and snuggled her face into the soft, silky material when Mineko snatched it away from her hands.

"What do you think you're doing!" Mineko said, holding the coverlet tightly to her chest, looking at Kagome as if she had stolen a precious valuable. "This belongs to Lord Sesshomaru. It should not be in your possession!"

"Sesshomaru lent it to me, Mineko," Kagome said. "He said I could use it to sleep with for the night. I really need it, you know. It's really cold out here."

"That's impossible. My master never lends any of his personal belongings to anyone."

Mineko then accidentally dropped the coverlet on the ground, and she quickly removed the dirt that had slightly stained it, slapping the material delicately before she placed it on her lap on top of Tenseiga. She looked at the coverlet lovingly, tracing the intricate designs on it with her finger, a smile of reminiscence on her face.

"This coverlet was given to Lord Sesshomaru as a gift," Mineko said. "It was sewn with great love and care by my mistress' own hand."

Without knowing the reason, Kagome's temper flared inside her. "Am I the only one who's clueless around here! Can someone please tell me what's going on! Why is everyone being so secretive! I want to know what's happening! Why was I brought here! What did that undead demon want that Sesshomaru has! Why is he in a bad mood! Where did this miserable cold come from! Why did Sesshomaru leave! Where is he!"

"Your speech is rather uncivilized," Mineko said plainly. "What part of the country do you come from, what province? You don't have the characteristics of a commoner or an aristocrat. I noticed you use contraptions I've never seen before."

"I'm not from this era," Kagome said, catching her breath which she had lost from shouting. "I'm from the future."

"The future?"

"Please don't make me explain. I'm too worn out to do that right now."

"You cannot explain to me where you come from, yet you desire me to answer all the questions you just asked about my master?"

"Uh, sorry for acting like that. It was rude of me. I didn't mean to get so upset. It's just…"

Mineko stared at Kagome fixedly as a revelation appeared in her mind. Looking at Sesshomaru's coverlet and then at Kagome, she widened her eyes and parted her lips to speak.

"I see them," Mineko said, looking at the coverlet for the last time before handing it back to Kagome. "I see the connections now."

"Connections?" Kagome said. "Are we playing a connect-the-dots game? Because if we are, I'm having a real hard time trying to draw the lines together to get the whole picture. And now that I'm asking questions, who is the person I remind you of?"

Mineko shook her head as worry crept into her face. "Please don't make me speak of her."

"Why?" Kagome said kindly. "Is it painful for you to talk about her? Will it make you sad if you do?"

"I am already in a state of melancholy, though you would not know it because I can keep my true emotions hidden, not as well as Lord Sesshomaru, but I can. Doing so with you is difficult though, for you seem to have a power to penetrate within the souls of others and see the true selves they are hiding from the world. But to be truthful, I cannot tell you about my mistress because she is connected to my lord's past, and that in itself is a private matter. Whatever he is doing now only concerns him, that is why he must be left alone. Most importantly, though, Lord Sesshomaru will have my head if I tell you about her and what his relationship was with her."

"But I must know," Kagome said with pleading eyes. "How can I finally understand Sesshomaru if I don't. How can I finally…"

"Love him?"

Kagome blushed and turned her face away.

"It's nothing like that," Kagome said softly. "That's not what I meant."

"You have the same look of love in your eyes as my mistress once did."

"Please Mineko. Tell me what's bothering Sesshomaru."

Mineko sighed heavily, shrugging her shoulders, wrapping her hands around Tenseiga and lifting it up to rest on her shoulder. She stroked the sword's sheath with both hands as if it were a child that needed comforting, the smooth, polished lacquer surface feeling cool and slippery to her touch.

"Very well," Mineko said. "I will tell you, however you must not tell my master I spoke to you about him or his past. He can be cold and cruel towards anyone who angers him greatly. I do not desire to be punished by him. If I am, it will be your fault."

Kagome smiled excitedly and wrapped Sesshomaru's night coverlet more tightly around her body, rubbing her face against its silken material with ecstatic delight.

"I promise I won't say a word," Kagome said.

"First things first," Mineko said. "What is so important about this day? Why is Sesshomaru's deportment rather melancholy and wrathful? The answer is very simple. Today is the day his father died, and he comes to the Western Lands the same day of every month of every year to grieve."

Kagome's heart sank into a deeper abyss, her emotions swiveling within her like a black vortex, the capsizing of her soul too painful to endure. She pitied and sympathized for Sesshomaru, and although she felt an explosion of sentiment shatter every living cell in her body, she was unable to shed a single tear for him despite the anguish she now had.

"I had no idea the situation was that serious," Kagome said sadly. "Had I known he was so moody because of his father, I would have never—"

"Do not worry yourself about it. I am sure my master understands."

"Did Sesshomaru go to his castle? Is that where he is now?"

"Lord Sesshomaru hasn't been to his father's castle for hundreds of years. And although it is now his castle, he prefers to have it still be his father's and not his. My lord does not have a place of his own, and like I said, though he could claim the castle as his since he was the next in line and heir to take his father's place, he cannot go back and live there. He despises the memories that remain there, and he feels it has been contaminated with my mistress' memory as well. He only goes to the castle if he must and if it is necessary. However, he tries to avoid going if he can help it. But it is not only my mistress' memory which troubles him. There is his father and mother to consider too."

"Tell me about his father and mother," Kagome asked curiously.

"All in good time, Kagome," Mineko said impatiently. "Allow me to gather my thoughts. Oh, yes! You asked me why the weather changed. When Sesshomaru's father died, it was a horrible, miserable cold day like this one. Very overcast and cloudy. The atmosphere always changes like this when it gets near the hour in which my former master died."

"What's causing it to be cold, though? There must be something evil or sinister that's causing it all."

"It doesn't really matter now to explain that. Lord Sesshomaru is the topic of conversation at present. He is the only one who matters at this point. Do you not wish me to answer your questions about his state of being, to explain about him, to tell you what you want to know? I think you'll be interested to know why I believe my lord has been treating you so terribly."

"I know why. His father died today. That is a good reason. He has the right to be mean, cold, cruel, angry…"

"You are just as much to blame for my lord's foul attitude as his father's death, my mistress' memory, and his mother."

Kagome looked at Mineko quizzically.

"Did you make any advances towards Lord Sesshomaru as in physical contact?"

"What? Where did that question come from?"

"Did you or did you not, Kagome?"

"You mean touch him? Yeah, I did. It was that time he was sleeping under a tree. I touched his face and his hair."

"I see. Had you not done that, things would probably be different now."

"What do you mean?"

"Had you not touched him, Lord Sesshomaru would be treating you less harshly, perhaps even, do I dare say it, nicely? It has begun again for him. He has found someone new to push away."

"Push away? What's the big deal about that? He's been pushing me away since the first day I began traveling with him."

"Precisely. You don't realize what you've done. My master is not comfortable being around anyone who shows him affection, and he is not accustomed to being touched by anyone either. You touched him again moments ago when you grabbed his arm, did you not? And you were going to touch his forehead as well had he not stopped you."

"Well, I've touched him more than that actually."

"More? When was this?"

"There was that time I touched him when I had my hands around his arm when he held me up by the neck after practicing how to fight with him. I burned him that time. Before you came yesterday and before the demon attacked, I was unconscious and having my bad dream, and I held on to his arm, but I kind of cut him up with my nails. Oh, yeah, but before that I had accidentally tripped on him and hugged his waist to prevent myself from falling down."

"But he did not force you off him. Am I correct?"

"Yes."

"Did you do anything else to him that was awkward?"

"Lots of things, but I guess the other that stands out is when I spilt food all over him by accident. Oh, and I also touched his hair that time too trying to clean off the food that had stained it."

Mineko began to laugh. "You are such a silly human, always being funny and comical. I would've loved to have been there to see such a spectacle."

"I also tried on his clothes."

Mineko's laughter ceased immediately. "You did what?"

"Embarrassing and unthinkable, I know, but I did."

She lifted an eyebrow. "My lord allowed you to wear his clothes?"

"I was just trying them on when he went to bathe. I was curious, that's all. No one ever gets to be that close to him, if you know what I mean by that. I really don't know what made me do it, but there was just this feeling in me. I actually felt like I was inside him somehow, as if he was inside me."

"I bet they felt comfortable on you."

Kagome blushed. "He was really angry with me when he found out I did that, but he didn't say anything to me. He just kept dressing as if nothing."

"Hmm." Mineko was thinking. "From what you've told me, it seems you've touched Lord Sesshomaru more than anyone he's ever encountered since the time his father passed on. But there is something else I gather from what you've just told me. I said he's pushing you away for a reason. He may not push you away physically, but he is doing it mentally, you see. He is struggling to permanently obliterate you from his mind."

"Why are you telling me all this? And why is it so important that I know?"

"In some strange way, you have affected my lord. I can see it clearly. And your touching him several times has increased that."

"Are you saying that my touch has affected him, changed him somehow?"

"Not just your touch, but yes."

"I don't get it. I've touched Inuyasha many times and he's never been affected by me. Well, maybe a blush here and there, but not in the way you say it's affecting Sesshomaru."

"The male species! It's hard for them to adapt to such sensitive matters. I can tell you that from experience. But to get back to what you just said, Inuyasha was not so affected by your touch because he has been in love before."

"You know about that? You know he was in love with—"

"Kikyo. Yes, I know her. I met her a long time ago, right after—"

"It's Kikyo! That's who I remind you of?"

"Kikyo?"

"Wait a minute. But you said she was your mistress? Doesn't mistress mean…. I don't even want to say it. I'm confused here."

Kagome suddenly had a distorted idea inside her head.

"Oh, no! Don't tell me Kikyo was involved with Sesshomaru before she met Inuyasha. I mean it kind of makes sense. Is that why he's so grouchy too? Goodness, that kissing song I sang about the two of them turned out to be true! Is that why Sesshomaru hates humans, because he was in love with Kikyo and Inuyasha took her away from him? That's probably why he hates Inuyasha too and treats him so badly. But it's so hard for me to see Kikyo as being Sesshomaru's mistress. Yuck!"

"Calm yourself. Kagome! My, what an imagination you have! I like what your human mind has come up with though. It would have been very interesting to see how that relationship would have been like if it had happened. But everything you said is false, a made-up story you feared was true."

"Then who is this mistress you speak of?"

"First, let me explain something to you. When I say mistress, I do not mean a concubine. There are two separate definitions to the word. Did you not know that? The mistress I speak of is a woman who possess authority, control or ownership and is the Lady of a castle. Of course she earned the title when she married."

"Sesshomaru was married!"

"Yes, he was."

Kagome got pale and quiet.

"What's the matter, Kagome? Your face has turned ashen. It looks like you're in shock."

"I can't believe it. Sesshomaru was once married?"

"May I borrow your looking glass?"

"Looking glass? Oh, my mirror."

Kagome took out her mirror from her bag and handed it over to Mineko. The demoness looked at her reflection carefully, fixing her hair in place which had become disheveled while searching for and attacking the "enemy," sitting like a queen upon a throne. Had Mineko not mentioned she had been born a commoner, Kagome would have thought she was of royal blood.

"I still remember the day I was there, when I was young and much more beautiful than I am now," Mineko said, looking at herself in the glass with a satisfied smile before returning the mirror to Kagome. "The wedding was a grand event. Luxurious and spectacular. All the guests, including me, smelled the scent of love in the air. Everyone was celebrating and cheerful, overjoyed that Sesshomaru had found a bride!"

"Really?" Kagome said with a weak, unenthusiastic voice.

"You would have enjoyed it had you been there. I remember distinctly the love song that was played. It was the young married couples' love song."

No wonder Sesshomaru got mad when I played that song, thought Kagome. It reminded him of the love song played at his wedding.

Kagome was even more sad and pale now.

"I had never seen Sesshoamaru so blissful and content," Mineko continued. "He had finally fallen in love with someone who deserved him."

"I still can't believe it," Kagome said, looking at herself in the mirror.

"Don't believe it." Mineko laughed and Kagome almost dropped her mirror again, the young woman having caught it on time before it fell to the ground, thankful it did not break to cause her to have seven years bad luck. "Sesshomaru was never married, silly girl. I lied on purpose. It's more than obvious you have strong feelings for him."

"That wasn't very nice of you, Mineko. You tricked me."

"I know," Mineko smiled, batting her eyelashes. "But I find your sweet reactions towards anything I have to say about Lord Sesshomaru very amusing. You needn't worry. Up until now, he has never been in love with anyone."

Kagome began to laugh, believing Mineko's words to be another joke, yet when she looked at her, she saw the demoness had a serious expression.

"Up until now?" asked Kagome. "Are you saying he's finally fallen in love with somebody? Who is it?"

Mineko stared at Kagome silently for the longest time before she pointed a finger at the girl.

"You don't mean he's in love with me, do you?" Kagome said, feeling as if she wanted to hyperventilate.

But then that means, if Sesshomaru is in love with me, then I must be his first, Kagome thought. I can't believe it! Me! Of all demonesses and human women out there! Why me!

"Why not?" Mineko said. "You are suitable enough for him, in my perspective."

"Yeah, right! If he liked me so much, he'd treat me better, wouldn't he?"

Mineko shook her head. "There is much you don't know about him."

"Tell me about him then."

"You should be grateful. He treats you like an empress compared to the way he treated my mistress."

"Who is this mistress you're talking about?"

Mineko sighed deeply and straightened herself for the long story she was about to tell to the ever inquisitive but patient Kagome…

Yes, this chapter was long, and like I said, I tried my absolute best to write this chapter. I actually don't know how I got through writing it because it was a real pain trying to get everything to fit in right and make sense. There is so much Mineko still has to explain, so obviously you all haven't gotten the whole picture yet. Please be patient with me. For all you writers out there, you understand where I am coming from when it comes to the writing process. Now I'm going to take a break writing about Sesshomaru and Kagome in the next chapter. In a way, that will be a big relief because I need to rest from that. Anyway, Inuyasha and the gang will come out in the next chapter as well as Naraku. Yes, yes, yes! I miss Naraku, darn it, not that I don't miss Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kilala. Okay, the next chapter will be important too because Inuyasha has come to an important decision concerning his feelings towards Kagome. This will be important also because it will affect future events, especially when Inuyasha confronts Sesshomaru about Kagome. Oh, yeah! That is one confrontation I'm already dying to write about!

Please, please, please review! I worked so very hard to update this on time. I beg you to have pity on me. And like I said, please no flaming only constructive criticism, but positive comments are welcome too.