Chapter 39: Reunion

It took just over a week for Mizuki to put her plan in motion. They had stopped by a shallow stream for lunch and relaxing. Everyone was seated around a small fire roasting fish Shippo and Kori had just caught. Everybody was alive with conversation: discussing where the last shard could be; about schooling, weapons, fighting, and different spells. They all concluded their chatter when lunch was announced done. Everyone sat in silence eating their own fish and bag of chips Kagome had handed out. Once lunch was finished they started talking again.

A sullen silver headed teen stood up and brushed himself off. "I'm going for a walk. I need to do some thinking." Kenji turned, stuffed his hands in his pockets and started down the river bank, weaving between boulders.

"What's with him?" Inuyasha voiced quietly so only Kagome would hear. "I should go see and-"

Kagome stopped him as he started to rise, she shook her head 'No' and nudged it toward Mizuki who was starting to get up. She then whispered into his fuzzy white ear, "Let's leave them shall we."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow and looked at her completely lost in her meaning. He crossed his arms over his chest with a "Keh!"

Mizuki ran after Kenji, following the riverbank. 'Now is my chance. I need to know…he's my best friend…if he continues like this…we'll never get…' "KENJI!" Mizuki hollered as she came up behind him, her voice hovered between a scream and a growl, but it got his attention.

Kenji spun around in surprise. He looked upon the enraged blond hanyou. Purple flames danced in her violet eyes and she breathed a little heavy from her quick spurt to catch him. He started to go red as images danced across his mind. 'Why didn't I hear her or smell her? Was I that lost in thought?' He started to turn his back on her when he found himself shoved against the rock wall that ran along the river.

Once Mizuki had her friend pined against the wall all she could do was stare up into his inviting yet sad golden eyes. She watched him look at her for a moment, surprised, then direct his gaze to the ground at her right. She used her hands to hold him at the wall, he was held stationary but he didn't fight against her. 'This isn't like him!' Mizuki was starting to really worry about him. "Kenji, I want to know what's been wrong with you lately. Why have you been ignoring me?"

Despite wanting to look up into violet orbs he kept his gaze on a set of rocks. "It's nothing." His voice was hushed and shaky "and I haven't been…ignoring you."

Anger was starting to ensnare her. "THAT'S BULL KENJI! NOW TELL ME!" Using her right hand she grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her. "TELL ME!"

His eyes grew wide upon seeing her so mad for once and at the same time she looked ready to cry. "I'm sorry, I can't. It's nothing, really."

"I'm not letting you go till you tell me then." She grabbed his shirt tightly, threw him to the ground on his back and proceeded to sit down on his stomach. She crossed her arms over her chest and placed her right leg over her left and waited.

The sky started to darken and Mizuki was still posed upon Kenji's stomach, waiting. She sighed heavily and looked down at her sprawled out friend. "I just want to know what the problem is so I can fix it. It's like we're not friend anymore. I don't like that." She then turned her gaze to the small river in front of her. "I just want thing back to the way they were. Back to when we would talk and laugh and play. I miss that…I miss you." Mizuki then looked back at him.

Kenji looked up at her and to her sad violet eyes that reflected the approaching emptiness of the moon. He also saw the glassy appearance of her amethyst orbs and watched a tear trail down her left cheek. 'Please don't start crying, I couldn't take if you started to.' He tilted his head to look at the rushing waters. "I'm sorry Mizuki, but we can't ever go back to way things were. Too many things have changed."

The sadness in Mizuki's eye and voice increased. She twisted slightly to place her hands on his chest. "Why, what's changed? What happened to make you feel this way? TELL ME, PLEASE." Several more tears rolled down her cheeks and landed on his shirt. She then bent down and laid her face on his chest as even more tears escaped. "Just tell me, please…please…"

At hearing how trembling voice was and how wet his shirt was becoming, Kenji wrapped his arms around her and stroked her long hair. "I'm sorry Mizuki but…" when Mizuki lifted her head to look at him with a miserable tear drenched eyes, he couldn't do it. He was planning on NOT telling her the reason in his change of attitude, but when he saw how heartrending and lost she looked, he couldn't do it. He closed his eyes and started, "Mizuki, the other day when you where bathing under the waterfall…" he felt her stiffen above him. " When I was on look out, I accidentally saw you."

Kenji was surprised when Mizuki started to giggle. "is that all, we all use to bathe and swim together naked when we were little."

"Ya but…I'm sorry, but I couldn't look away. The way the water traveled over your skin and the way the moonlight reflected and danced over your hair and body…" Kenji blushed as he remembered the fateful night. "I probably would have continued to stare if the deer hadn't startled you."

Mizuki continued to giggle, "If it will make you feel better, you could always show yourself to me." An evil grin crossed her face.

"NO…it's just that…I realized at that moment that we're no longer kids. And how could we continue to act as such? I can't look at you as my little sister anymore." Kenji blushed and looked up at the dark purple curtain overhead and the pin holes that were quickly appearing.

She watched Kenji look at the night sky and rested her head on her hand after she placed her elbow on his chest. "You're probably right. As we grow older, things change and our actions must follow. But ya know, they may be changes for the better…" Mizuki leaned forward just enough so she could place her lips on his.

Kenji laid on the ground, eyes wide open, frozen from shock, Mizuki still sitting on his stomach and her lips pressed gently and warmly to his. He let his eyelids slide closed as he himself and Mizuki simply feel one another's feelings.

A pair of honey colored eyes peaked at the couple from behind a boulder. A cheerful smile crossed her face as she watched them embrace. 'So that's why he was acting funny. Well, looks like their fine now.' Kagome turned and silently snuck back to camp. Worry had drawn her to investigate their late arrival, now that she knew the answer she wasn't about to interrupt them.

"Did you find them?" asked Inuyasha.

"Yes…they're having a serious talk. Just leave them ok." Winked Kagome. Inuyasha looked at her perplexed behind her wink.

Now that things were more or less back to normal, they had been back on their journey for three days. It was now the night of the new moon and was extremely dark. The only light available was emitted from the camp fire and stars dotting the night sky.

Chiisai sat with everyone as they talked and breathed a heavy sigh. "Guess we should go and start our scouting, right Mizuki." The once silver haired hanyou stood and waited for Mizuki to join her. "Well let's go.

As they walked deeper into the forest, Mizuki kept a close eye on her continually sighing friend. "What's the matter Chii?"

After another sigh Chii looked up at the dark sky. "Ever have the feeling something was about to happen? Well I've been feeling like that all day. I'm not sure what it is or when it will happen, but I feel it's going to be big and will change our lives."

Mizuki stared at her friend with a critical eye, "do you have your mom's gift of foresight?" she watched Chiisai shrug her shoulder and stop walking then look at the ground.

"I haven't a clue. Let's split here and circle around like always, ok." The two friends split and went in opposite directions.

Chiisai walked in silence, keeping her sense alert for any sign of a problem. Aside from a family of raccoons and a lone deer, it was turning out to be a long and lonely night. 'What is this foreboding feeling and why can't I shake it. I should talk to mom when I get back.' Chiisai continued to walk along in silence while trying to dispel her ominous sensation. Just as her ill-fated mood was starting to lessen she was grappled from behind and wrestled to the ground. Chii struggled with her assailant and rolled on the ground and over bushes. Both fighting and struggling for the upper hand. They stopped rolling with the assailant on top. "I don't think so!" Chiisai kicked her legs up causing her to flip over backwards, landing her straddling the attacker with her drawing her dagger and aimed at her enemy's throat. She was breathing hard and growling, a tight grip on her dagger. The combating had ended and Chiisai had the upper hand. Now that the rolling had stopped she had a chance to see who had attacked her. Naturally it was a guy; no woman had ever attempted to fight her, aside from Mizuki for practice. He was dressed in a silk white shirt trimmed in black with blue ties and had on black pants. He had long grayish purple hair tied back in a ponytail. Despite the ice blue if his eyes they were warm and kind.

Once the world stopped spinning, the guy lying on the ground looking up at the one that had beat him. 'It's a GIRL!' he looked her over, flaming blue-violet eyes, long silky black hair with white tips, short pink kimono with blue flowers. She was tiny in physique and height but she was close to his age of 18. His eyes then locked onto the sharp metal object in her hand. He looked over the design of the dagger then looked back at the girl holding his life in her hands. His eyes went wide as he came to realization. "Chi…Chiisai?"

The sound of her name coming from the guy beneath her stupefied her. She moved back so she could sit on her legs and he could sit up as well. They sat staring at each other for several minutes. Chiisai wracked her brain for an identity to the man. She looked at him confused, "do I know you?"

The 18 year old face faulted at her innocent oversight to his characteristics. "Ha he he…I'm Yuu…your intended…"

"My…intended…you mean…my FIANCE!" hollered Chiisai, shocked.

"You don't remember?" He watched her as she shook her head. "Years ago, my father kidnapped your mother for revenge. She talked him into betrothing us to appease him. He accepted and we were engaged. I was 5 and you were 3. I gave you that dagger as a gift." He smiled as her eyes widened with acknowledgement.

"YUUUUU!" Chiisai leapt at him happily and wrapped her arms around his neck. The force of her leaping at him almost knocked him over backwards. "I didn't recognize you." She was so happy she felt like crying.

"CHIISAI…CHII…WHERE ARE YOU?"

Chiisai froze at hearing her friend. She stood up and pulled Yuu up next to her then followed her friend's voice. She found her in a matter of seconds.

Mizuki looked over her friends dirty clothes then to the guy behind her and his dirty clothes, she then noticed their clasped hands. "Chii…who is this?"

Chiisai looked behind her the guy and smiled joyfully. "Mizuki…this is Yuu…my fiancé."

Mizuki stumbled backwards a few steps and stared at her in astonishment. "Your f….f…FIANCE?" All Chiisai did was nod with a smile and mumble a "Unnn" then Mizuki face faulted. "Well let's get back to camp. I'm sure everyone would be worried." Mizuki led them back to camp and informed Kagome and Inuyasha about no finding anything but Yuu.

Everyone was greatly surprised to see the tiger/wolf prince. "Wow, you grew up well Yuu." Mentioned Kagome. "Did you keep up with your studies?"

"Yes! I know more than my father does. He gets so mad when he has to ask me to read him his letters." Everyone started laughing at the simple announcement.

"So why were you out here so late? And so far from the castle?" questioned Inuyasha.

"There have been bandits running around this area robbing homes, businesses. They started killing last night, a single woman living alone." Yuu hung his head in sorrow. "I'm afraid they've moved on. They weren't staked out where they were reported to be." He then looked up at everyone inquisitively. "So why are you all this far North?"

"We have one Shikon shard to find and we're hoping to get it before Naraku does. He already has the rest of it." Replied Kagome.

Yuu looked from Kagome over to Chiisai then back to Kagome. "Would it be alright…If I join you? Then if we come upon those bandits I can get them."

Kagome looked over at Inuyasha who merely shrugged; she then smiled and looked back at Yuu. "Sure sounds good to me."

Chiisai once again leapt at him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug, causing everybody to start laughing.

"I wasn't aware you were so incompetent Kohaku." Growled a mess of body parts.

The 24 year old youkai exterminator winced at the evil hanyous statement. It wasn't that he was incompetent it was that he was stalling for time, for the moment he could get his hand on the jewel and escape. 'All this time since I've remembered the past events, I cant let Naraku know I remember, or I'm good as dead.'

"Kohaku, go and get Kanna and Kagura, then return immediately. I know where the other jewels are located and they are all together. NOW GO!"

Without a word, Kohaku stood and left the hidden temple they had been hiding in. After 14 years of being held by Naraku, Kohaku had grown into a man. He had grown to just over six feet, his freckles had disappeared and his hair had grown very long, yet it was still in a ponytail. He was wearing a set of purple and gold robes from the temple. The one thing about that hadn't changed was his contempt for Naraku and his need to be free of him, whether he lived or died.