A1969: long, long time since I last updated.
Sango: we know, we know, you were busy.
Miroku: with what, we wonder?
A1969: taking over the world.
Sango: we won't even ask for the details. Anyway, the authoress doesn't own anything.
A1969: and I'm really sorry for the late update! Oh, and I really wanna try doing this story from Clara and Sesshoumaru's point of view—so bear with me, thanks!

Chapter Fifteen: Sayonara

CoCoCoCoCoCo

-o-o-Clara-o-o-

Riyara's grip tightened around my arm and I could feel the cold steel of her dagger against my throat. The breath suddenly seemed to be knocked out of my lungs—or rather, I was breathing slowly, aware that with just one flick of the dagger, Riyara could easily kill me. The demoness was easily aware of this tiny little fact that was probably known to everyone.

"So, Sesshoumaru," Riyara said again. Even though I couldn't see her face, I had a strong suspicion—judging from the tone of her voice—that there was a triumphant smile on her lips. "What's it going to be—this brat or my freedom?"

I ignored the name calling and looked at Sesshoumaru. I could easily make out the look of annoyance that crept across his eyes, hiding just beneath their cold exterior. What was Riyara talking about? Sesshoumaru would rather have my head than let her go again. I bit my lower lip. Yes, it seemed as if Sesshoumaru would rather have my head than let Riyara go. Fear suddenly crept over me. I was going to die today—in this very clearing, in the presence of these two powerful demons. I wasn't prepared for it—the flash of the knife, the spasm of pain…and the black darkness that was death.

"Well?" Riyara asked again, her tone impatient. "Choose to save her, and at the same time you swear to leave me alone. Choose to continue the chase, Sesshoumaru, she will die."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at her—a perfectly shaped eyebrow, I couldn't help noticing. "Save her?" he asked, his tone cold as always. "Why must I choose that? She is of no importance to me."

My heart sank, not because he said that I was nothing to him—it was because I knew that he was going to let me die. And he was right, why should he save me?

"Oh?" Riyara asked, sounding amused. "It is alright with you if I…kill the girl?"

"Do as you wish," Sesshoumaru repeated. "She does not matter."

"No!" a voice suddenly shouted at Sesshoumaru.

Both demons turned to look at the source of the scream, Riyara tightening her grip on my arm. Kikyou was standing, her weight balanced on one foot. To my horror, miasma was now dripping freely from her arm, which was blackened as if it had been burnt. I guess I came to care a lot about Lady Kikyou since, at the sight of her blackened limb, my stomach seemed to clench in fear and in horror.

"No!" Kikyou repeated. "Sesshoumaru-sama, you cannot sacrifice Midoriko's reincarnation for your own selfish gain. Only she can kill Naraku. Only she can vanquish him!"

Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrows at this and his gaze held mine, as if trying to assess what power I had within me. If I had any, that is. In truth, I was touched at what Lady Kikyou said to me—it showed that she actually believed I was capable of doing great things.

"Only she?" Sesshoumaru asked. I could hear a bit of mockery in his silky voice and I suddenly had a mad urge to hit him. "She can defeat Naraku? Don't make me laugh. What can a mere human do? She is nothing but pathetic and weak—I see no power in her. You say she is capable of defeating Naraku. Tell me, miko, if she were so capable of that, why is it that she cannot break free from Riyara?"

His remark stung me. I've never heard anyone openly insult me before—my mother made sure of that. I couldn't believe that I was actually hurt by what he said. Lady Kikyou told me that I shouldn't listen to him. Easier said ithan done. I bowed my head, a shadow cast by my bangs falling across my eyes.

"All of you are under the delusion that this girl is…special," Sesshoumaru went on, as if he were truly enjoying himself. I suddenly longed to break free from Riyara's iron grip and show him, bastard that he was. "A delusion that this girl could single-handedly defeat Naraku. In my eyes, I do not see anyone who could defeat a demon—all I see is a little girl, capable of doing nothing but getting herself into trouble."

If it weren't for the fact that she was holding on to me tightly, I would've forgotten that Riyara was here. The demoness was silent, listening—almost intently—to Sesshoumaru. "You…" Kikyou's voice trailed off. She herself was shocked that Sesshoumaru would even find the time to openly insult anyone except Inuyasha and Naraku. "You dare?" I could feel Kikyou's anger rising in her.

"Oh?" Sesshoumaru turned his attention to the dying priestess. "You think she is worth defending, miko? What a waste of your precious time." He eyed her blackened arm.

I had had enough. I looked up at him, narrowing my eyes angrily. I didn't even answer. I didn't know what happened next—it was all such a blur. The moment I meant his eyes, my vision suddenly filled with a brilliant white light, almost as if I was staring at the sun…

And then everything went black.

CoCoCoCoCoCo

-o-o-Sesshoumaru-o-o-

"All of you are under the delusion that this girl is…special," I said. Truth be told, I was fed up with all this Midoriko nonsense. "A delusion that this girl could single-handedly defeat Naraku. In my eyes, I do not see anyone who could defeat a demon—all I see is a little girl, capable of doing nothing but getting herself into trouble." Which was quite true. Ever since I had met the girl, Clara, she has been getting herself into more trouble than Rin. How could they say she was powerful if that was that? Truly, power belongs only to those who deserve it.

My eyes strayed for a second to Riyara before settling on Clara. She was giving me a look of deepest loathing to which I did not care.

"You…" the dead priestess said, sounding angry. Heh, what care have I if I insulted her protégée? "You dare?" I could feel Kikyou's anger rising in her. Yes, miko, I dare. Why should I not?

"Oh?" I turned my attention to her. "You think she is worth defending, miko? What a waste of your precious time." My eyes strayed to her blackened arm. True, the scent of death lingered heavily on her person—I knew she was about to die at any moment, at any second…so why would she bother wasting her time with Midoriko's reincarnation? Clara was, admittedly, a complete waste of the priestess's efforts.

From the peripheral of my vision, I could see Clara looking up at me from Riyara's iron hold. I met her gaze without hesitation—her blue eyes seemed icy with rage and anger. Anger? At my insults? I was not insulting her—what I was saying was the truth.

Our eyes locked for a moment, and then I could feel an unbelievable rise in holy power coming off of her. The amount of her holy aura was enough to remind me of the barrier around Mt. Hakurei, curse it forever. I narrowed me eyes at her. Her eyes suddenly seemed to glow with white light…

"Wh-what?" Riyara stammered. I knew what was happening. Midoriko—or at least a much experienced side of Clara—was waking up again.

A surge of white light enveloped the girl, completely consuming both her and Riyara. Instinct told me to draw out Bakusaiga, but before I could do so, the light surrounding the girl seemed to pulse from within. There was a shriek and the next thing I knew, Riyara broke free of the light and landed a few yards away from me. She was a mess. Her kimono was torn in several places and there were bruises on her arm.

The light slowly subsided to reveal not the useless girl that Kikyou had trained, but the priestess Midoriko. Her eyes were glowing white as well as the mark on her forehead.

"Unbelievable," I could hear Kikyou say with awe in her voice. Unbelievable? Hn…

"What is happening?" Riyara asked aloud to no one in particular.

"Is it not obvious?" I said, turning to her. Although I was loathe to talk to her—she being my enemy and a traitor—I felt she needed to know what was happening before she was going to die. Yes, I had no illusions about who was going to kill Riyara—I was not foolish enough to get in Midoriko's way, though I strongly desired to do so. "Midoriko has taken control of the girl."

"M-midoriko?" she stammered. She suddenly turned her eyes to me. She knew that she was going to die. The moment my eyes met hers, I could see…an emotion behind them. Was it remorse, regret, for betraying me? It had to be. The emotion in her eyes was so intense; it was almost as if I could hear her plea to help her. Why should I? She betrayed me—death is the only punishment for traitors.

I turned my gaze away from her and to Midoriko. The priestess was looking at Riyara. She held out her had in front of her and there was another rise in holy power. I could feel the hairs my nape stand on end, though I was not foolish enough to admit it. A ball of light appeared on her hand, its light just as intense as the sun. I watched as the ball of light elongated and stretched itself, twisting itself into shape until it took on the shape of a bow. From the peripheral of my vision, I could see that Riyara had set up a barrier, a pathetic attempt. Though I admit Clara was weak, I had no illusions about what Midoriko could and could not do.

Instinct told me to draw out Bakusaiga which I promptly did. For what? Midoriko was not after me. Riyara seemed to realize how hopeless her situation was. Her eyes searched mine and I was silently shocked by the emotions I saw in them. I saw regret in her eyes and a plea to save her from the inevitable doom that Midoriko would so swiftly deliver.

Midoriko notched an arrow to her bow…

"Sesshoumaru…" Riyara whispered my name. I ignored her—she had betrayed me and my clan, why would I help her?

I glanced at Midoriko, she was now aiming the arrow at Riyara. I jumped out of her way and underneath a tree and Riyara's eyes widened—not because she knew she was finished, but because I chose not to help her.

Midoriko released the string and I watched—feeling slightly troubled, truth be told—as the arrow lit up with a strong pinkish white light. I narrowed my eyes. I had seen holy arrows being shot before, but I had never seen an arrow quite like this one. Light erupted from the tip of the arrow, enveloping it. What was so strange about this particular arrow was its light. Kikyou and Kagome both fired arrows that lit up with light, but Midoriko's arrow's light took on something bird shaped, I couldn't make out what it was, though.

Now the bird shaped light completely enveloped the arrow so only a bird seemed to be soaring through the air towards Riyara…

"Incredible…" I could hear the undead miko whisper, awe clearly etched in her voice. "A Familiar's Arrow…"

I neither had time nor interest to find out what a Familiar's Arrow was for the bird shaped light soared through the air and struck Riyara's barrier. I watched as Riyara braced herself against the strong holy assault. Her eyes widened in shock as her barrier slowly started to crack…

And then, the arrow—if you could still call it that, it was light and had an unfamiliar bird shape—pierced through her barrier. Riyara's eyes widened in shock as the arrow made contact with her neck. She opened her mouth and a loud, piercing shrill filled the air. The light from the arrow intensified and I shielded my eyes with the sleeve of my haori, Riyara's screaming ringing shrilly in my ears…

And then, it stopped.

The light suddenly faded and I felt that it was safe to lower the sleeve of my haori which I promptly did. Riyara was gone. She had been purified into oblivion; there was nothing left at all. I stared at the spot where she had last stood and a part of me inwardly regretted the fact that it was not I who killed her.

My gaze strayed from the spot to where Midoriko was. The miko still stood there, unfazed by what she had just brought about. Suddenly, the white glow of her eyes intensified; she suddenly glowed with a pinkish white light, the same as her arrow. The wind suddenly seemed to pick up speed, and as it did so, a lock of my silver hair blew across my eyes, cutting my vision short. When the wind had settled down, I saw that it was not Midoriko whom I was looking at, it was Clara. She swayed where she stood; her eyes were unfocused and she seemed clammy and she was visibly shaking. A tiny groan escaped her and she fell to the ground, unconscious.

The wind rustled in the clearing, making the trees sway. Shadows thrown by the twilight made the place seem strange. In fact, in my opinion, the whole affair was strange. A mere mortal, an improperly trained priestess, managed to defeat a great demon like Riyara! The whole idea was humorous. And yet, it had happened.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by the sound of Kikyou stumbling towards Clara. The undead priestess knelt beside the unconscious girl, her good hand going immediately to her neck so she could find a pulse. She must have had, for she sighed in relief. I knew perfectly well that she was alive—with my superior senses I could tell that from a distance.

I was about to turn around and leave, when Kikyou suddenly called out to me. "Lord Sesshoumaru," she called.

I stopped in my tracks. Not that I found I wanted to find out whatever she wanted, no, I've always felt a certain, grudging respect for her and I knew that she felt the same respect for me—hence, why she used the honorific when others didn't.

I glanced back at her. "I wish to ask a favor of you," the miko said. Hn, just who did she think she was?

"Favor?" I said, disdain clearly in my voice. "And why should I comply, miko?"

The wind blew silently around us, making the grass ripple and the trees sway eerily. Above us, the vaults of heaven turned. The stars slowly started to appear and the sun as well slowly started to retreat west. The clearing echoed with the incessant droning of the cicadas, something which I found annoying.

Kikyou raised her eyebrows at me. Oh, she had courage, I'll admit. "Do you remember Mt. Hakurei?" she asked. Figures. I knew where she was heading. How could I not remember that wretched mountain?

I didn't answer her; I merely continued staring at her in a way that meant yes. "Then you will remember that I saved your ward's life?" she went on. She was still kneeling beside Clara and I noticed that she was holding on to her hand like a sister would.

"Hn," was all I could say.

"Of course you would," Kikyou said. "Then you will also remember that that is a debt to me, a debt which, if you are honorable, you will pay."

I did not like where this conversation was going. She dares to talk me in that way?

"What are you saying, miko?"

She smiled. It was not a friendly or gentle smile, it was not even sinister. It was as if she knew something that I didn't. "I am saying that I wish you to repay your debt to me," she said.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "In what way?" I inquired, though deep down, a part of me wished to leave. Now.

"It concerns Clara," Kikyou said softly.

I stiffened slightly. I did not want to have anything to do with that girl. "Oh? What might your request be?"

The smile promptly vanished from Kikyou's face. "I am dying," she admitted. Surprisingly, I felt a sense of loss slowly creep up over me. It was not that I had any feelings for her. The sense of loss was more like loosing an ally rather than someone else.

She took a breath. "Sooner or later, maybe even tonight, I will die." I noticed her eyes were downcast at this. "I cannot continue training Clara"—As if she had ever managed to teach the girl anything, I thought scornfully—"therefore, I need someone who can."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "I am a demon," I said, thinking that maybe the fact that she was dying was starting to get to her. "I cannot a train a miko, neither do I wish to."

She raised her eyebrows at me. There was a look of mockery in her eyes. "I am not asking you to," Kikyou said. "I am aware that you are quite incapable of training anyone."

Touché, miko.

"I was not referring to you," she went on. I swear, she was relishing the fact that I could be so presumptuous. "I know of a miko, so ancient that her flesh appears to be made of paper…"

"And?"

"She lives in a shrine on a mountain at the very northern tip of the country. The mountain is called Mt. Tenku…I would like you to bring Clara there."

I raised both my eyebrows. I had heard of that mountain. It was so holy that it could have easily surpassed Mt. Hakurei…and its barrier was rumored to have been created by Midoriko herself. "You wish me to bring her there?" I asked, feeling slightly awed that she would dare to ask this of me. Not only did I relent such a task, Mt. Tenku, lying at the very northern tip of Japan, would surely mean a month's trip. Not that I was slow—I could easily reach it within a day, flying. But if I were to take Rin and Jaken…They were another matter.

"Yes," the miko said. "If you wish to repay your debt to me, that is."

I suddenly felt a conflict within me. I do not wish to be ordered around—especially not by some undead priestess. That would be degrading and beneath me. On the other hand, if I did not repay my debt to a human…

Curse Suikotsu for trying to kill Rin.

I must have been debating with myself for quite a while, for the miko's voice suddenly broke through the silence.

"Well?"

What were the advantages and disadvantages of her request? The advantages—I would repay my debt to her (me, unbelievably, indebted to a human—and a dead one at that). The disadvantages—I would be taking that girl under my care, she would be a burden, especially since what she does is attract trouble. But to be indebted to a human! And a priestess, no less.

"Very well," I said, knowing I would regret this decision later.

Kikyou nodded, and then returned her gaze to Clara. "At least I can die knowing she's in good hands," she said.

There was something about the way she said that made me raise my eyebrow. It was as if she knew that something—I do not know what—was under way.

CoCoCoCoCoCo

-o-o-Clara-o-o-

"Clara?" A gentle voice was whispering above me, a soft hand grasped my own in a worried fashion. "Clara?"

My eyes were closed. I seemed to be hovering above the thin line that separated consciousness from its counterpart. I felt as if I had drowned—no, worse than that, I felt as if I had been swallowed up by a black abyss, swallowed and suffocated by a blanket of darkness. I shivered as I remembered the feeling. It was as if I would never see daylight again…

"Clara?" the gentle voice persisted. I suddenly realized that it was Lady Kikyou's voice.

I struggled to open my eyelids, they felt so heavy—or maybe I was just so tired. After a moment, I managed to open them. Lady Kikyou was staring down at me, there was worry in her eyes and it was indeed her good hand that gripped mine.

"Thank the Enlightened One," the miko muttered when she saw that my eyes had opened.

I blinked several times to clear away the weariness that threatened to envelop me. "Wh-what happened?" I asked, my voice sounded groggy.

I could not discern the emotion in Kikyou's eyes—was it pride or was it some sort of wicked joy? "Of course you wouldn't remember," she said softly. "Since there is no definite way to say it…let's say Midoriko took over you again."

I looked up at her, slightly confused for a few moments, and then it hit me. The side of me—the side that was buried deep within my incomplete soul, the side of me that was more experienced at being a miko—had become conscious, completely taking over me, defending me from danger.

"And?" I asked. "What happened?" I looked around. Night was slowly falling around us and the cicadas droned on incessantly. To my dismay, Sesshoumaru was still here, standing underneath a tree, a shadow cast by the twilight partially covering him. He was looking at me and Kikyou, eyes narrowed.

I pulled my gaze away from him and returned to looking at Kikyou. "What happened?" I asked again.

A small smile seemed to form on Kikyou's lips; though it was hardly noticeable, I could've sworn that I'd seen it. It was the same smile she gave me whenever I accomplished something that she thought I couldn't do. "You killed Riyara," she said with satisfaction.

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. "H-how is that even possible?" I asked. Riyara was a powerful demoness—there was no way someone like me could kill her.

"When Midoriko took over you," Kikyou said. "You launched a very powerful Holy Arrow. Her barrier couldn't stop it. She was completely annihilated."

I shook my head. Was this why Sesshoumaru looked annoyed with me? Because he wanted to be the one to kill the last of the Hyouga family and I had taken that pleasure away from him?

"But—"

Before I could even finish my question, Kikyou suddenly gripped my hand tightly. Her eyes widened in pain and she bit her lower lip to stop from crying out. Seeing her like that, adrenaline must have rushed through me. I sat bolt right up and held Kikyou at the shoulders just as she fell against me.

"Lady Kikyou!" I cried out, alarmed. Dread suddenly engulfed me. I didn't need to know what had happened. The miasma was working its deadly art on her.

A shudder passed through her. She looked up into my eyes…

…and smiled.

"You know what's happening," she whispered.

"No!" I cried out. I never realized that I would be this upset about her dying. "You can't die! What about killing Naraku? What about…what about Inuyasha?!"

Kikyou now leaned against me, she was still smiling. "Clara, forgive me…" she whispered.

What was she saying?! To my terror, I realized that she was about to give up on life. "No!" I cried out again. "You-you're willing to die, aren't you?" My voice sounded shaky even to my own ears.

She smiled. "There's nothing else that can be done," she said simply.

I shook my head. To my surprise, I felt tears welling up in my eyes. "No, you can't die! We haven't killed Naraku yet…we…we're friends…I don't want you die!" I knew I sounded childish, but I didn't care. Lady Kikyou was not going to die out on me!

She closed her eyes and a serene smile crossed her face. "Friends…" Her voice sounded distant. "I've never had one before…not even when I was just a child…not even Inuyasha was a friend to me…I guess you are my first friend, ne?" She opened her eyes and smiled at me. It was not an enigmatic smile, it was not a devious or wicked one either—it was a real smile. Seeing her smile broke through my defenses and made a tear roll silently down my cheeks.

"Don't cry, Clara," she whispered. She shuddered again. "It is not your fault."

But in my eyes, it was all my fault. If I had been more experienced, I would've been able to save her…

I shook my head—I was persistently stubborn, I guess. "What can I do?" I asked her. "I know I can do something…" Kikyou only smiled at me, the same sad, real smile and she closed her eyes. Seeing the smile on her face, an idea suddenly filled my head. "Lady Kikyou…what if…what if I called Inuyasha?" Inuyasha was the only last one I could think of who would make her death…bearable. I know that Inuyasha seeing Kikyou would cause some…discomfort to Kagome, but right now, curse me for it, I didn't care.

At the sound of Inuyasha's name, Kikyou slowly opened her eyes. "Inu…yasha," she murmured. She looked up at me and smiled again. "You are very thoughtful…" she said. "…however, I do not wish to see him."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wh-why?"

"When I am gone, Inuyasha won't be himself," she said. A bit presumptuous, but quite true. "He will brood over my death and this will hamper his search for Naraku…as well as his ability to fight. I do not wish that to happen to him."

I sighed and looked up at the stars which seemed to grow dimmer.

"There is one thing I want you to do."

My eyes snapped back to hers automatically. "Name it." Then and there, I felt as if I could've done anything for her.

"Stay with me."

Kikyou looked up at me and smiled. "I want you to stay with me before I die."

I clenched my hands. Death was no small matter. How could she take it so lightly? "I…Of course, I would," I said, still feeling guilty. The guilt was slowly eating me up, filling me with a black void—the void of Kikyou's upcoming death—that I could not escape. It would continue growing, I knew.

She smiled again. "Thank you," she said. "While we wait…there is something I wish to discuss with you." Her voice suddenly became brisk again.

I looked at her, slightly surprised that she could be this brisk now. "Wh…what?"

From the corner of my eye, I could see Sesshoumaru emerge from the shadows of the tree, his silver hair glinting softly in the moonlight. I tensed slightly as I saw him approach. Kikyou felt me tense and gently turned my face to her with her good hand.

"It is about your training," she whispered.

I raised both my eyebrows. I had thought she would be too preoccupied with her approaching death to even remember that little problem her death would bring about. "My…my training?" Really, she was dying and she was concerned about my training?

"Yes," Kikyou said again. "Listen, this is very important." She paused for a moment. "When I die, I want you to continue training—to continue our fight against Naraku. I do not want our efforts to be wasted. Hence, I wish you to train."

"But…I don't who—"

Kikyou raised a hand to silence me. The fingers of her hand were blackened; seeing this, my stomach squirmed.

She glanced sideways at Sesshoumaru. Oh. No. Surely, he wasn't going to be the one to train me, was he? The thought made my stomach clench even tighter.

Kikyou saw the pained expression on my face and laughed softly. "No," she said. "He will not train you. As a favor to me, he will take you to Mt. Tenku."

I raised an eyebrow. Mt. what?

"Mt. Tenku," Kikyou said calmly. "Is a sacred mountain rumored to be one of the Seven Sacred Mountains. Its barrier was created by Midoriko herself."

I ignored the fact about Midoriko. "Seven Sacred Mountains?" I asked. It sounded like a Shinto thing to me.

She smiled—a mysterious one this time. "You'll learn more about that later. The important thing is you have to get to Mt. Tenku, is that understood?"

"Sesshoumaru's taking me there?" The thought of going anywhere with him made my stomach clench and I didn't know why. I sighed. "Well, at least this Mt Tenku's near, isn't it?"

Kikyou's smile shifted to one of amusement. "No. It is at the very northern tip of the country."

My eyes widened. "The most northern tip?" I glanced at Sesshoumaru. He was looking at me without much emotion in his eyes…duh.

The most northern tip of Japan. With Sesshoumaru. Strange enough, I seemed to be reluctant. In truth, I was afraid of him. Shippou had said that he was a merciless killer, quite capable of slaughtering anyone who annoyed him with one swipe of his claw. Who wouldn't be afraid of traveling with him, I wonder? I thought of Rin. Oh well, question answered.

"I will not force you if you do not wish to," Kikyou's voice brought me back from the farthest corners of my mind where I thought of what might happen if I were to travel with Sesshoumaru.

I looked at Kikyou. "No," I said. "I'll go." Gripped by emotions that were threatening to take over due to her inevitable death, I gripped her hands in both of my own. "And I promise you, Lady Kikyou, I will train, and I will defeat Naraku."

Kikyou smiled at my little speech. I guess she found that pretty funny.

"There is one more thing I want you to promise me," she said.

I nodded.

"Promise me you'll be happy."

CoCoCoCoCoCo

-o-o-Sesshoumaru-o-o-

Clara was hesitant. She did not like the prospect of traveling with me anymore than I did. I could see that she, like me, was also weighing the pros and cons of Kikyou's request. Inwardly, I hoped that she would not acquiescence. I had Naraku to worry about without having to babysit the miko.

"Sesshoumaru's taking me there?" Clara asked, I could easily hear the dread in her voice. The thought of Midoriko's reincarnation being afraid of me easily amused me, I admit. Clara sighed, as if trying to find some sort of compromise to all this. "Well, at least this Mt Tenku's near, isn't it?"

I raised an eyebrow. Kikyou smiled, amused at the girl's ignorance. "No. It is at the very northern tip of the country."

Clara's eyes widened. The prospect of having to travel that distance with me seemed to have unnerved her. "The most northern tip?" she repeated. She glanced at me and I met her worried glance with nothing but a cold look. She hastily turned away.

"I will not force you if you do not wish to," Kikyou said, suddenly aware of Clara's reluctance. Clara looked at Kikyou, determination in her eyes.

"No," she said. "I'll go." I inwardly sighed. I was hoping that she wouldn't agree. "And I promise you, Lady Kikyou, I will train, and I will defeat Naraku," she added. I raised both my eyebrows. She, defeat Naraku? Don't attempt to humor me.

Kikyou smiled at her in a sisterly way. Their bond seemed to have moved from master and apprentice to friend. "There is one more thing I want you to promise me," she said.

Clara nodded, so ready to accommodate whatever Kikyou asked of her.

"Promise me you'll be happy." This last request caught both Clara and myself off guard. Clara blinked for a moment, clearly confused about this queer request.

"Of…of course," she stammered.

Kikyou nodded, and then smiled. "Good." She suddenly turned to me. Her eyes held a different emotion in them—was it sadness? "I want to thank you for complying with my request."

"I am merely repaying a debt."

"Of course."

"You, of all people, should know that I do not like to be indebted," I said. "Especially to a human."

Kikyou turned away from me and her eyes found Clara. "I am sorry for having put you through all this," she said. "Did you know that it was I who asked Inuyasha and Kagome to find you?"

Clara was silent. "I should not have pulled you away from your mother. I should not have dragged you into this danger," she went on. "Forgive me, but it was necessary."

Clara nodded. "I understand."

Kikyou sighed then smiled, now leaning herself in Clara's arms. Silence reigned once more in the clearing. We knew what would happen next, we knew that it would happen tonight.

And we waited.

The full moon now hung high in the sky, bathing the clearing in its silvery glow. The wind blew silently around us, making the grass ripple and scattering the sweet scent of peonies and honeysuckle through the air. Whenever I catch the scent of peonies and honeysuckle combined, I always remember that night—the night that Kikyou had set everything in motion, the night that Clara decided to twine her fate with mine.

The wind continued to blow through the clearing, its soft gusts almost like a lullaby to the dying miko.

There was no warning.

Kikyou suddenly gripped Clara's arm tightly. The latter's eyes widened. "Lady Kikyou!" she cried out, tears automatically falling from her eyes. "No!"

"Don't cry," Kikyou whispered as she closed her eyes for the last time.

"But I don't want you to go."

Childish.

Kikyou smiled comfortingly. "I am never gone," she whispered. "I am always with you…you just have to learn to listen…" She suddenly glowed with a brilliant white light. Out of nowhere, her soul collectors suddenly came. They circled around Clara and Kikyou, the latter glowing with same light as the moon. There was a sudden flash of brilliant light and Kikyou's soul collectors swooped down on the miko. Clara automatically let go of Kikyou and the moment she did, Kikyou's body became nothing but light, which I now realized was her soul. Her soul collectors gathered around the light, taking it up with them into the sky, towards the moon.

As the soul collectors took up the ball of light, my eyes strayed to the younger miko, Clara. She was still kneeling on the ground, looking up at the soul that was leaving the world. By the light of Kikyou's soul, I could see her eyes were filling with tears. At that moment, I suddenly realized how much Kikyou must have meant to her. She continued to look up at the sky. Kikyou's soul suddenly glowed brightly, some of the soul collectors swooped down on Clara, bearing glowing balls of light which were part of Kikyou's soul. They gathered round the miko, allowing the ball of light to brush her skin gently.

"She's saying goodbye…" Clara's voice was barely audible as she watched the soul collectors fly higher towards the sky, watched as Kikyou's soul slowly faded towards the moon.

The light of Kikyou's soul vanished.

The silence that followed was complete.

The wind blew through the clearing again, making the grass ripple. Clara's dark brown hair danced around her, giving her a strange and unearthly look under the light of the moon. The realization suddenly hit me. Kikyou was gone. Naraku could now execute his plans without fear.

I glanced around the clearing then made my way towards the shocked miko. She was still kneeling on the ground, her eyes slightly wide, tears slowly running down her cheeks. I looked down at her. "Miko," I said. It was over, Kikyou was gone, and I had given her my word to bring this girl to Mt. Tenku. I might as well get it over with.

She looked up at me; her eyes were red at the corners. I raised my eyebrows pointedly at her. She seemed to get my message. She slowly stood up, her legs were unstable and she was shaking from shock. She stood there for a moment and then she fell to the ground in a faint. I automatically caught her as she fell, her scent of strawberries permeating my senses. I looked down at the girl.

"What a bother," I muttered as I carried her out of the clearing.

CoCoCoCoCoCo

A1969: man, it's been quite a while!
Miroku: you promised to update sooner than this…

A1969: I know, but I'm really really busy with my algebra and trig…I just gotta work on those!
Sango: what're those?
A1969: modern human means of torture. Anyway, sorry, sorry for the late update! Hope you guys don't kill me or anything! Oh and don't forget to review!!