A1969: whoa! Really, thanks a million to the anonymous reviewer who reviewed every chapter!
Sango: talk about generosity.
Miroku: it just meant that the person had a lot of time on his/her hands.
A1969: er…I'm guessing that would be a 'she', Miroku, though it's best if I avoid being presumptuous.
Miroku: hm…anyway…
A1969: thanks again to all those who bothered to read and review! (Hm…I always seem to thank you guys, hope it's not getting boring.)

C H A P T E R_ E I G H T E E N: T I M E_ A N D_ T A L K

CoCoCoCoCoCo

-o-o-Kagome-o-o-

I looked up at the brilliant moon—a pale disk of ethereal silver against the silky black of the sky, surrounded by shimmering diamond stars, and sighed. The cool night air whipped around me, sending a shiver through me. Where was Inuyasha? He had vanished, once more, from our camp. A strange lump seemed to form in my throat. Usually, when Inuyasha vanished mysteriously, his disappearance was usually associated with Kikyou, but with Kikyou gone…

I didn't bother to finish my train of thought. Don't think about Kikyou's death, I told myself. Whenever I thought of her, a heavy weight seemed to fall on my shoulders, and I knew I wasn't the only one. I sighed again as I thought of what Clara had said last night—that she had been the cause of Kikyou's death. I wonder how she felt right now. She must feel so guilty, so alone. I could easily say alone, because I was assuming that she was traveling with Sesshoumaru—you couldn't get any more alone than that.

Overhead, I could hear an owl hoot sorrowfully. It seemed to be the perfect sound for Inuyasha's brooding (I knew he would be brooding). If only I could find him…

I made my way through two bushes, parting them carefully with my hands. The leaves rustled as I passed, scratching my legs and hands. I stumbled past the bushes and into a clearing. Flowers grew amidst the grass in the clearing, bathed by the moonlight. My eyes scanned the clearing until I found Inuyasha. He was sitting at one side of the clearing, leaning against a large oak. Moonlight filtered through the leaves of the oak, causing shadows to dance across his still form. He was so still, I wouldn't have been able to pick him out if he weren't wearing red.

"Inuyasha," I called out softly.

His eyes locked with mine. "Kagome," he said, his voice low. "What're you doing here? You should be with the others."

I shook my head as I carefully made my way towards him. "I'd rather stay here with you," I whispered as I sat down next to him, leaning against the tree.

He looked at me, his eyes sad and gentle. "I…don't—"

I held two fingers to his lips to keep him quiet. "I'll always be with you, Inuyasha," I said quietly. "Through thick and thin." We were quiet for a moment. "Okay, now tell me what's on your mind."

He shook his head. "Inuyasha," I said, annoyed. "You should at least tell me…I could help you…"

"I really can't…"

I raised my eyebrows. "Please?"

He sighed and then, I felt his hand wrap around mine. I blushed, feeling my heart beat faster. "If you must know," he said hesitantly. "I was…thinking about Kikyou."

My heart seemed to slow down. He was thinking about her? About Kikyou? I felt as though a sharp pain seared through my chest. My hand—so warm in his—suddenly seemed to grow cold.

Inuyasha noticed the subtle change. "It's not like that, Kagome," he muttered, his hand leaving mine and slinging over my shoulders. "It's…How can I explain? Kikyou…let's just say that…well…I'd be brooding about her…it's natural. I was with her for so long…she was…like a habit, you know?"

Oh no. I've made Inuyasha feel guilty. "I understand," I said hastily. "No need to be worried about me, Inuyasha."

"It wasn't just Kikyou I was thinking about," he suddenly said.

I raised my eyebrow. "Who else were you thinking of?"

"Clara."

Oh. He let out a sigh. "I…I've been horrid. I shouldn't have treated her the way I did. I-I nearly killed her, Kagome." His eyes were hard. "If it wasn't for Sesshoumaru…" He didn't finish that train of thought.

"It wasn't your fault," I said soothingly. "All the blame is on Naraku—not you, not Clara, but Naraku."

He let out another breath. "It's just…so hard to believe that…Kikyou is gone…"

Another searing pain through my chest. This time, Inuyasha didn't take notice of my discomfort. "You're not over her yet," I murmured, my voice low, my eyes on the ground.

Inuyasha gave a start and turned to face me. "What makes you think that?" he asked, a little panicked.

I sighed. I felt another stab of pain in my chest, but I ignored it. I would understand Inuyasha, I would give him the time he needed.

"It doesn't matter," I said quietly, leaning my head against his shoulder. "I'll give you time and…I told you before, didn't I? No matter what, I'll stay by your side."

CoCoCoCoCoCo

-o-o-Clara-o-o-

I buried my face in my pillow and sighed. Outside, the moon shone brilliantly against the velvet night sky and a gentle breeze blew through my open balcony doors. I groaned, the sound smothered by the pillow. Guilt still raged in me, but it wasn't as painful as it was before—thanks to Sesshoumaru, that is.

Sesshoumaru…

Did he really say all those things to me? The words that lessened the pain? It seemed so…disbelieving. It had seemed so…out of character for him. And yet, I was thankful for the lapse in his character. Who knew that he had it in him?

I rolled over in bed, my eyes on the white ceiling. Sesshoumaru was coming back tomorrow, or rather, I was going back to Feudal Japan. I sighed. I might as well enjoy civilization as much as possible while I was here. I closed my eyes and slowly felt myself drifting to sleep when I suddenly heard a gentle knock on my door.

"Clara? Can I come in?" Mother.

I immediately sat up. "Come in," I called out, feeling pleased about her visiting me in my room. After all, it had been such a while since she had done that.

Alexis came in, looking a little sheepish as she stepped into the threshold of my room. Her gaze darted around, as though she had never been here in the first place, finally coming to rest on me. "Hey, mom," I said, smiling. It still felt so strange to talk to her without the slightest trace of hate and anger in my voice.

She smiled at me, then gestured to the bed. "May I?" she asked. I nodded and she sat down on the bed next to me. She let out a sigh. "It's been such a while since I talked to you." Her blue eyes were warm.

"We talked this morning, mom," I said, smiling. I remembered how she had comforted me when I told her about me being the cause of Kikyou's death—I hid nothing from my mother, nowadays.

"Well," she said. "I was just wondering how you were doing."

I shrugged. "Well…I'm feeling…well, not as guilty as before, but still not over Kikyou's death."

She looked into my eyes with a searching look in her own. "Almost sapphire," she muttered.

"Eh?"

"Your eyes are almost sapphire again," she clarified. "Meaning, you weren't lying." I have often heard people say that I lacked my mother's bright, voluptuous beauty. Instead—in contrast to my mother—I was somewhat plain, my hair being the color of milk chocolate as opposed to my mother's golden locks. The only thing about me that caught anyone's attention—according to them—were my eyes. Strange enough, they sometimes switched color with my moods, and this was strange. Sometimes they were an icy blue when I was vexed with a problem, stormy ocean blue when I was mad, dreary blue when I was feeling down and sapphire blue when I was happy.

"What could've pulled you out of your depression so fast?" she asked lightly.

I gave her a tiny smile. "A friend of mine…talked to me," I said. Well, I couldn't really consider Sesshoumaru my friend, but how else was I going to answer my mother without explaining anything about Sesshoumaru? Wait a minute…why did I want to hide anything concerning him from my mother? Ah, well.

Alexis tilted her head. "Friend? You mean, there's someone else aside from you, me, Kagome and her family who know about the Feudal Era?"

I shook my head. "No…someone from the Feudal Era." Please don't let her ask. Why didn't I want to tell her about Sesshoumaru? I shrugged it off. Maybe it was the fact that she would've disapproved of me traveling alongside a supposedly cold-blooded killer.

She seemed to read the reluctance in my voice and didn't bother to ask. She pulled me close to her so I leaned on her shoulder. "I'm glad you're no longer saddened," she said. "I'm sorry I wasn't the one who comforted you, however."

"It's alright mom," I said. "As long as we're acting like family again, it's alright."

She slightly cringed at that. "I'm sorry I haven't been there for you," she said, sighing. "I've been so busy lately, I totally ignored you…I should not have done that—I should have been a good mother."

"You are a good mother," I said. Which was true, except when she had completely thought I was insane for telling the truth about the Feudal Era, that is. No, don't think that. She's always been a good mother—she was just a bit…temperamental.

"Please, Clara, I know when I am and when I'm not a good mother," she said as she stood up and looked down at me. "I promise I'll make it up to you…" Her voice trailed off and her eyes fell on the small velvet box that rested on my bedside table. She picked it up and looked down at me. "Is this…?"

"Yup," I said, smiling. "The locket that dad gave me." I inwardly cringed. I shouldn't have brought up dad.

To my amazement, mom only smiled. "Ah, yes," she said. She opened it and took out the locket, letting it dangle freely from her hand. The diamond embedded on it glistened in the light, throwing tiny rainbows across her hands. "Actually, this came from me and your father."

"You and dad?"

"Yes." She sat down on the bed and flicked the locket open. Immediately, a familiar melody emanated from the locket. Mom smiled as she listened to the music, a reminiscent look coming into her eyes. "Do you hear that music? Your father composed it on the piano when you were born. The diamond on this locket"—she turned the locket to expose its underside, the side with the diamond—"belonged to me. My own mother gave it to me when I turned sixteen." She leaned over towards me and fastened the locket around my neck, where it rested beside the Sacred Jewel. "You're wearing another necklace…"

I unfastened the Sacred Jewel from my neck and placed it on my bedside table. "This locket is more important," I said. "Sacred Jewel out, locket in."

She smiled at me, then her eyes fell on my wall clock. "Oh," she said, standing up. "It's ten already…I could've sworn it was still nine forty-five when I came in…Ah, well, I have work tomorrow"—I smiled to myself; mom was such a workaholic—"good night, Clarita."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. She had actually used her nickname for me…the one she had stopped using when dad died.

I smiled as she left. "G'night, mom, love you."

CoCoCoCoCoCo

-o-o-Sesshoumaru-o-o-

"Ah, my son, come to collect your packages?" were my mother's first words as I strode into the courtyard of her palace. Night had completely fallen, but my mother waited patiently for me to come and collect Rin and Jaken. The light of the silver moon made her hair glisten as though it were made of diamonds and her silken kimono seemed to shimmer.

"Mother," I said, stopping a few paces away from her and tilting my head slightly forward.

She, likewise, did the same. "My charges?" I asked.

She let out a sigh. "Rin is well-behaved, as always, though she often laughs," she said as she turned to the palace. I followed her. "And Jaken…has been telling me interesting stories." I stopped in my tracks. What had Jaken told my mother? If he had spoken of anything that I would not wish her to learn of…

He was going to die.

My mother stopped when she sensed that I had stopped walking alongside her. "What has he spoken of?" I asked.

Mother gave me one of those looks of hers. "Follow me," she said. Instead of entering the palace, she walked towards her pride and joy—her perfectly manicured gardens.

I followed her and together, we walked alongside the lake. At the lake's edge were tiny stepping stones that led to the middle of the lake where a small pavilion rose out of the water. My gaze strayed to it. I used to remember Mother and Father spending many an afternoon there, before Izayoi tore them apart…

"So," my mother's voice brought me back to the present. "Jaken has been telling me of your little adventures."

I raised an eyebrow expectantly at her. "He says that you have…taken on another burden," she said, with a slight frown on her face.

Another burden.

Clara, obviously.

"Yes."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Another human," she went on. "A young human woman…a priestess." She sounded disgusted. Hn. "Not just any priestess…Midoriko's reincarnation." Her eyes narrowed themselves into little slits as she gazed at me. "Why have you taken her under your protection? For what reason? Wait…is she…the woman you said you've been chasing after?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Of course not," I replied. "I would never chase after a woman…The woman I told you that I had been hunting is dead."

"The last member of the Hyouga clan? Riyara?"

I nodded.

She was silent. "You killed her, I presume."

"No. Midoriko's reincarnation did," I said, still regretting that it was not I who had dealt the finishing blow.

"As to Midoriko's reincarnation…" her voice trailed off and she narrowed her eyes critically at me. "What do you intend to do with her? Spar?" She sounded mocking.

I inwardly snorted. Clara was not even much of a challenge to spar with. "No, of course not," I said dismissively. "I am to take her to Mt. Tenku."

"And what would reap such an act of charity from you, my son?"

"A vow," I said. A vow that I easily regretted taking.

"And to whom would you make such a vow?"

I knew if I told her that I had made it to a priestess, she would be most furious. I did not answer her question, instead, I turned my gaze up to the moon, a frown on my face.

"My son?"

She was not giving up.

Mother was silent for a moment. "Ah well," she said condescendingly. "If you prefer to keep things from your honorable mother…" I turned to her, then. "My son…Tell me about Midoriko's reincarnation. Is she powerful, like her past self?"

"Weak," I said carelessly. "You needn't worry." Not that she ever needed to worry about me. I seldom found myself in a position that compromised my safety.

She let out a long sigh. "Still, you must be careful. You are traveling with a young human woman…Midoriko's reincarnation."

"I needn't be careful. She is, as I have said, pathetically weak."

"I did not mean that you should be careful about her abilities," she said, with a slight shake of the head. "I meant that you must be careful about her…Do you wish to end up like your honorable Father?"

I felt disgust course through me. "Do not even imply that I, Sesshoumaru, Lord of the West, would fall prey to infatuation," I snapped.

She raised her eyebrows at the tone of my voice. "Oh? You dare to use such a tone with your mother?"

I was silent, a way to show that I was repentant. Normally, I wouldn't be, but seeing as she was my mother…

Both of us were silent. The horizon suddenly glowed with a faint glow, heralding the coming of dawn. "Have your servants rouse Rin," I said. "I will be leaving shortly."

"You wish to rouse the little girl at the break of dawn?" she asked with disbelief, disgust in her tone. Mother enjoyed sleeping and took pity—well, not really—on every sentient being who did not get enough of it. She shook her head. "Poor girl. Why do you hurry, my son?"

"I…have another package to pick up."

"Midoriko's reincarnation?" she said, disgusted. She was quiet again. "Leave your charges with me," she said. "And return here after you have picked your other burden. There is someone I wish you to meet."

I raised my eyebrow. "Who?"

She smiled enigmatically. "Ah, my son, you know how I hate spoiling surprises."

CoCoCoCoCoCo

-o-o-Clara-o-o-

Beep. Beep. Beep.

I rolled over in bed, turning to the source of the noise. My alarm clock had awoken me at six thirty in the morning. Groaning, I covered my head with my pillow to no avail. The alarm clock's noise was deafening in the early morning hours.

Why did I set you at six thirty? I groaned as I punched it off. As I did so, my eyes fell on the Sacred Jewel resting next to it. Oh. Right. Feudal Era. I groaned as I sat up and caught a glimpse of myself in my dresser mirror. My hair was tousled and just stood everywhere and there were pillow creases on my face. Wow. I looked…messy. Not a very good way to be seen by the general public.

I stretched as I stood up, yawning. I grabbed my towel and made a beeline for my bathroom. After a quick shower, I put on a white shirt with close-fitting sleeves that reached to my elbows and a pair of blue jeans. Normally, I'd wear the miko clothing, but I just could not stride out into modern day Japan wearing such clothes—people would stare at me again, like what they did yesterday. I bounded out of my room, greeting the servants as I plodded into the kitchen for some breakfast.

"Look who's up early," Lin, the cook, commented. She turned to me and smiled. She was a middle-aged woman with maroon colored locks that she kept back in a bun. She gestured to the table in the kitchen that was heaped with food. She knew I hated eating in the dining room. "Take your pick."

I managed to grin at her as I took a piece of toast from the table. She raised her eyebrows incredulously. "No way," she said. "What happened to your giant-sized appetite?"

"I'm sort of in a hurry," I muttered as I spread a healthy dose of strawberry jam onto the toast.

Lin shook her head. "Where are you going anyway, Clarita?" Lin was half Latin American and she was the one who had first given me that nickname.

"Mmm…to a friend's place," I said, shrugging. Like everyone else, she was curious as to where I would go every time I vanished off to the Feudal Era. I wolfed down the toast in five bites. "I'm off to a friend of mine's. I'm sleeping over, see."

"Oh?"

I shrugged innocently as I rushed off back to my room to prepare the things I would drag along—not that I brought a lot of things to the Feudal Era.

I pulled out a lavender backpack from my closet and threw in my miko garb along with other things. I took the Sacred Jewel from my bedside table and placed it securely into one of the bag's pockets. Packing, done. Sighing, I sat back down on my bed, thinking…

How was it that someone like me would get pulled into a place like the Feudal Era? Until now, I still couldn't believe that I really was someone's reincarnation, traveling in Feudal Japan alongside a cold-blooded killer of a demon lord, a little girl, an imp and a two-headed dragon. Wait…Did I necessarily have to travel with Sesshoumaru? I could travel with Inuyasha and Kagome instead. I thought of this plan, until I remembered that Inuyasha was still furious at me.

At the thought of Inuyasha, I immediately felt the guilt swell up in me. Oh, Inuyasha…

Kikyou had told me not to tell him, that telling him would hamper his ability to fight, and look what I did—I told Inuyasha. What a doofus I am! At the start of the guilt, came the void again. Lady Kikyou…I had disobeyed her, I had…killed her.

My arms wound around myself and I closed my mouth. Why was it that I seemed to make people suffer lately?

Stupid, stupid! Argh! Telling Inuyasha, getting Kikyou killed, making my mom feel guilty about treating me the way she did…Whose life had I not messed up yet?

"Crying again?" a cold voice remarked.

I looked up and there was Sesshoumaru, leaning casually against the glass doors that led to the balcony. "You…" I mumbled as I straightened up.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "You are wasting my time, crying," he said, folding his arms across his chest. I stood up and turned my back on him to hide the single tear that rolled down my cheek. What a cry-baby I was.

"Right," I mumbled as I turned to face him. He was so annoying! Fine, I'm wasting his time, I knew that already, but did he have to rub it in my face? Besides…the way he said actually…hurt. "I'm wasting your time, I know that already, thanks, so will you please stop rubbing it in my face?"

His face was a blank mask of coldness, but his eyes narrowed infinitesimally. "Watch your tone," he warned, his voice deadly.

I narrowed my eyes at him, then sighed. I had already made such a mess of things with everyone else, there was no reason for me to mess things up with Sesshoumaru as well. I raised my hands in mock-defeat. "Fine," I acknowledged. "I'm wasting your time." I picked up my backpack. "Well, let's get back to the Feudal Era, shall we? So I won't waste your time anymore."

CoCoCoCoCoCo

-o-o-Sesshoumaru-o-o-

Insolent wench.

"I'm wasting your time, I know that already, thanks, so will you please stop rubbing it in my face?" Clara snapped, her voice sharp. I never knew that she could act with so much insolence and disrespect. Truly, humans were…unpredictable.

I narrowed my eyes at her, reminding her that I could easily dispatch her in the blink of an eye. "Watch your tone," I warned her. I did not tolerate such disrespect.

Her eyes—a stormy blue color, I couldn't help notice—narrowed at me. I thought that she would retaliate with a harsh word, but to my surprise, her features relaxed in defeat. "Fine," she mumbled, "I'm wasting your time." She turned to the bed to pick up a bag and turned back to face me. "Well, let's get back to the Feudal Era, shall we? So I won't waste your time anymore."

There was something about the way she said that that made me think...

Did my words hurt her, rather than insult her?

Though the question formed itself in my mind, I did not feel compelled—indeed, I did not care—to ask her.

CoCoCoCoCoCo

-o-o-Clara-o-o-

In contrast to my mood, when I climbed out of the well in the Feudal Era, the day was sunny.

I grunted as I eased myself out of the well. Sesshoumaru was waiting for me, his arms folded across his chest. The least he could've done was help me out, but then again, with the way I had talked to him in my room, I was surprised that I was still alive.

I perched myself on the well and sighed. I looked up at Sesshoumaru—he was staring at the trees, his eyes narrowed analytically, then he turned on his heel and walked off.

"Hey, wait for me!" I called out as I hopped off the well and ran after him. Before I could even get close enough to him, a red blur flashed out of the trees, blocking my path.

I gasped. "Inuyasha!"

It was Inuyasha. He didn't look angry anymore, instead he looked defeated. His gold eyes seemed to be dim. Though I knew these, I couldn't help but panicking. It was hard to forget the sensation of his claws cutting off my air.

"Clara," he mumbled. "I—"

Before he could even finish, a blast of energy hurtled seemingly out of nowhere. Inuyasha gasped as he was swept off his feet and sent flying against a tree. The tree shuddered from the impact and several leaves fell from its branches. A second later, a loud cracking sound echoed throughout the forest as the tree snapped in half. I gaped as the tree fell on top of Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha!" I shouted as I rushed to his aid. Before I could get to him, however, a silver blur cut across my vision, blocking me from the hanyou.

"Sesshoumaru!" I gasped. His sword was drawn and his eyes were fixed on the fallen tree under which his brother was pinned. "What did you do that for?"

"Silence." His tone discouraged argument.

The tree now groaned again. I made out the sleeve of Inuyasha's haori as his claws fastened themselves around the tree's trunk. Another groan came from the tree as Inuyasha lifted it off him. It rolled away from him and onto the ground, crashing into another tree, making the second shudder and groan and causing a few of its leaves to fall gently to the ground.

"Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha snarled, drawing out his sword and glaring at his elder brother. "You bastard. What was that for?"

"You were in her way," his brother replied coolly. "And I do not care for anymore delays, little brother."

"You hit me because I was in her way?" Inuyasha asked, shocked. "Oh, so now you're playing the gentleman? What's the matter, Sesshoumaru, hiding your true colors?"

"Do not be so foolish."

His first question made me blush. Why was I even blushing? Well…it was pretty…flattering that he would knock his brother out of my way, but, seeing as this was Sesshoumaru, I knew that wasn't the case. His second question made me think. True colors? I already knew that Sesshoumaru was as cold hearted as can be, but what did Inuyasha mean by true colors? If he meant Sesshoumaru's true form, then I already knew about that as well.

True colors…

I was snapped out of my pondering when Inuyasha's voice cut through the clearing. "I'm not gonna harm her, you mutt, I just wanna talk to her."

I inwardly gulped. Inuyasha wanted to talk? This couldn't be good.

"Allowing you to speak to her will only waste my time," Sesshoumaru replied.

Inuyasha wanted to talk…

This could be my chance to earn his forgiveness, tell him how sorry I was to have been such a burden to the woman he had loved, the woman who had died because of me. But it didn't look as though Sesshoumaru would let me.

"Sesshoumaru," I said. He glanced at me from over his shoulder, his cold eyes slightly narrowed. "I don't get it…you're around five hundred years old, and yet you speak about the need to hurry…Why are you always in such a rush? Surely, it's not because you've got some sort of terminal illness, right?"

Inuyasha let out a howl of laughter, which I didn't think necessary because it wasn't really that funny. He laughed anyway.

Sesshoumaru turned on me with an angry look in his eyes. "You insolent wench," he said, his tone emotionless and cold as ever, though I thought I detected a hint of anger in his voice.

I blinked. "What're you mad at me for?" I asked. "Well, isn't it sort of true? You're always in a rush."

His eyes narrowed into little slits, but before he could reply, he glanced sideways at the trees that surrounded us. What was coming now?

A moment later, we heard a familiar voice shouting. "Inuyasha!" It was Kagome's voice.

"Maybe he isn't here, Kagome," another voice—Sango's voice—was saying.

"Kagome, are you sure he isn't just somewhere else?" Miroku's voice suggested.

A moment later, they came through the bushes. "Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted with relief in her voice. She stopped when she saw the scene in the clearing—a tree felled to the ground, Inuyasha with his sword drawn, and Sesshoumaru standing in front of me, his sword held out.

"Wh…what's going on here?" Kagome asked.

"Kagome!" I said, with relief in my voice.

"Inuyasha…what's all this about?" Miroku asked, approaching us, followed by Sango and then Kagome.

"I just wanna talk to Clara," Inuyasha said, those his eyes weren't fixed on Miroku, they were fixed on Sesshoumaru, as though he were answering Miroku's question and stating his intention to his brother again.

Kagome looked at me curiously, possibly wondering what Inuyasha wanted to say to me. I wondered about that, too.

Sesshoumaru stared at his brother long and hard, then, unbelievably, he stowed away Bakusaiga. "Make it quick, little brother," he said, his tone cold. "Unlike you, I do not have time to linger."

I felt my knees turn to jelly as I made my way past Sesshoumaru and towards Inuyasha. I saw Inuyasha throw Kagome a reassuring look which she returned with a nod of her own. Inuyasha and I made our way to the far side of the clearing, next to the well, away from everyone else, so they couldn't hear. Though not everyone could hear what Inuyasha and I would talk about, I knew that there was one exception—Sesshoumaru would be listening, I was sure.

I sat down on the edge of the well and Inuyasha remained standing. He was silent for a moment, staring at the ground with an unfathomable look in his eyes. Silence reigned around us for a few long, agonizing moments, and then he spoke up.

"Clara…about the other night," he began, his tone unsure.

"You…you don't have to mention that night," I said. I, too, didn't want to remember the night he nearly choked me to death.

"No, I have to," he said. He sighed. "I just wanted to apologize, okay? I shouldn't have acted that way towards you, like it was your fault that she…that she…"

He couldn't finish his sentence. I felt compelled to fill in the silence that took over. "Inuyasha…you have every right to be mad at me," I reassured. "It was my fault that Kikyou…that Kikyou…" I shook my head. I couldn't seem to finish my sentence either. "If I hadn't been such a burden…well…I already told you how…how…she…"

We were silent again. "Clara," he went on. "It isn't your fault…you don't have to make yourself suffer for something that you didn't do."

I was about to open my mouth again, but he went on. "I've seen what you looked like when you told us about…about…Ki…Kikyou," he breathed, still struggling to say her name, "and…you looked…empty. That was when I saw that you were suffering. That I wasn't the only one who was suffering."

"Inuyasha, please—"

He held up a hand. "Clara…it isn't your fault. I've come to accept that. I did some thinking and, well, it occurred to me that you were never really the one to blame. Sure…the first time you told us about…Kikyou, I really did think that it was all your fault"—I flinched at that—"but, as I've said…I did some thinking and…well, it isn't your fault. Besides, I shouldn't have acted that way…it was so unfair for Kagome, seeing me enraged…willing to kill all because of…Kikyou."

I blinked, puzzled. "Why would it have been unfair for Kagome?" I asked.

He suddenly looked embarrassed, not ashamed-of-something embarrassed, just embarrassed. "Well…Kagome and I…well…"

My eyes widened in understanding. "Oh! You're together!" I cried out, feeling happy for Kagome and Inuyasha. I had known about their love triangle for a long time now and I really did think that Kagome deserved to get her guy…demon…half-demon.

"Shh! Not so loud you idiot!" he said.

"Oops, sorry. Don't Miroku and Sango know?" I inquired.

"'Course they do," he said as though it were pretty obvious. "It's Sesshoumaru I want to keep in the dark."

"Er…" I was about to tell him that, with his brother's super canine hearing, Sesshoumaru might have known already, but I thought better of it. I was earning Inuyasha's forgiveness and reassurance—now was not the time to be so cocky.

We were silent again, and this time, it was Inuyasha who broke the ice. He looked down at me and offered me his hand. "So…no grudges?"

"Never have been," I said, smiling, as I took his hand. He pulled me to my feet and together we traipsed back to where the others were waiting. Sesshoumaru was standing apart from everyone else, underneath a tree, his arms folded again. Kagome and the others were sitting a few yards away from him, engrossed in a game of dominoes.

At our approach, Kagome immediately looked up, her eyes automatically finding Inuyasha's. The hanyou gave her a reassuring look, and she looked at me, smiling. I returned her smile accompanied by a sly look at her, and then at Inuyasha. She seemed to get my meaning and went beet red.

- - - - - - - - - -

"So, Sesshoumaru, where are Rin and Jaken?" I asked after we had left Inuyasha and the others.

"They are with my mother," he said shortly.

I stopped in my tracks, shocked. "Wait…your…mother?" I asked, flabbergasted. Well, of course he had to have a mother, but, with Sesshoumaru being around five hundred and all, I assumed that she had…moved on already.

He didn't answer, instead, he continued walking. "Wait!" I called out. "We're going to your mother's?" Why was it that I felt dread build in the pit of my stomach?

"No more delays, Clara," he said.

I wasn't delaying…

Yet, anyway.

For some reason, the prospect of seeing his mother seemed to fill me with nerves, nerves and more nerves. Of course, who wouldn't be nervous about meeting this demon lord's mother? I wondered if she was like Sesshoumaru…or worse, seeing as she was the one who had reared him and who had presumably shaped his cold-hearted nature.

As though the overhead sun had given me an idea, I rushed up to Sesshoumaru. "Sesshoumaru, wait," I said, catching up to him.

He didn't reply.

"Could we…sidetrack for a bit?" I asked. Talking to Inuyasha about Kikyou had only made me remember something that I had forgotten.

He stopped and turned to me, annoyance hidden beneath the cold layers of his eyes. "Wait, please don't say that I'll be wasting your time," I pleaded. "I already know that."

"What do you want?"

I hesitated. I didn't think that I'd be able to go back to this place, but, for the sake of continuing what Kikyou and I had failed to do, I'd try.

"I want…I want to go back to Midoriko's grave."

CoCoCoCoCoCo

A1969: nothing like a good cliffy to end a chappie.
Miroku: it wasn't even that good a cliff hanger.
A1969: you're just jealous!
Miroku: how childish of you.
Sango: stop picking on the poor girl, Miroku.
A1969: yeah! Stop picking on the poor girl, Miroku!
Sango: aannyway…the author—
A1969: I'd very much like to thank those who reviewed and read! Oh! And, please, don't forget to review! I'm sure you can't miss that big old review button at the bottom! Follow the arrow if you miss it!

l
l
l
l
V