A1969: it's been ages since I last updated this fic, hasn't it?

Kagome: definitely!

A1969: sorry about that—I've just been so busy and all.

Inuyasha: we'll forgive you—if we knew what you were busy with.

A1969: -rolls eyes- Kagome knows what I'm busy with.

Inuyasha: but I don't!
A1969: yeesh! You're nosy for a half-demon. Anyway, I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters, etcetera, etcetera, and etcetera.

C H A P T E R_T W E N T Y:

STUPID

CoCoCoCoCoCo

-o-o-Clara-o-o-

I can't believe that I'd actually done it.

I stared at the sheathed sword in my hands, self-satisfaction welling up inside me. After all, I had Midoriko's sword in my hands, the sword that Kikyou had wanted me to obtain. It felt so strange to be holding something that belonged to Midoriko—it felt as though it had been mine, but I had lost it then found it again.

Well, technically it had been mine—sort of.

I was sitting underneath the shade of a tree, right beside a peaceful river. Sesshoumaru had left me with Ah-Un while he went off somewhere. Truth be told, I was curious about where he went all the time. A secret rendezvous, perhaps? No, I don't think so—it just wasn't in Sesshoumaru's nature. I sighed again and stared at the crystallized sheath in my hands. How to break the crystal? I eyed Ah-Un and wondered if that heavy tail of his could do the job…

As though reading my thoughts, the dragon made his way towards me, abandoning his fresh patch of green grass. I watched, somewhat apprehensively (I still wasn't used to his size, two heads and fangs) as he curled up beside me, his scaly tail brushing my arm. He rested one of his heads on my lap and the other on the ground in front of me.

Tentatively, I stroked his scaly neck and he closed his eyes almost lazily. Well, I could get used to this—or maybe he was just trying to make up for the fact that he had thrown me off his back earlier because Sesshoumaru ordered him to.

Speaking of Sesshoumaru…

"Where do you think he is?" I asked the dragon. "You'd think he'd be here, saying that we need to go 'cause we're wasting more of his time…so why isn't he here yet?" Ah-Un raised his head slightly and I felt his warm breath on my face as he snorted in reply.

Unluckily for me, I didn't know how to speak dragon.

Having made his reply, Ah-Un closed his eyes and laid his head on my lap again. I sighed. Why was I so curious about Sesshoumaru these days? I sighed again as Takeshi's earlier question filled my mind. What did he mean by 'can he protect you from himself?' How arcane a question it was!

I sighed as I closed my eyes, feeling the warm sunlight on my skin…

CoCoCoCoCoCo

- -Sesshoumaru- -

I did not wish to waste more of time, however, it was necessary.

The moment Clara had come out of the cave with Midoriko's sword—a sword which she had miraculously obtained—I picked out a familiar scent…Kagura's scent. She had been hiding in the trees, spying, perhaps? It was because I wished to know what Kagura wanted that I left Clara with Ah-Un. I was not worried about Kagura attacking the girl—it seemed that Kagura's business was with me…again.

She had been following me since I left Clara and had yet to make her presence known. However, as always, I already knew about her presence before she announced herself. She thought she could spy on me, undetected? Don't make me laugh.

"Kagura…you are becoming a nuisance. Show yourself before I grow tired of your hounding me," I said, over my shoulder to a clump of trees.

"Sharp as always, Sesshoumaru." There was a sharp gust of wind and a figure leapt out of the bushes and landed in front of me with a certain grace that would bring the wind to mind.

"One needn't be sharp to detect your presence," I said.

She raised her eyebrows at the insult. "You don't seem to be in a good mood," she pointed out.

"If you followed me merely to talk, then I suggest you leave before I lop off your head," I threatened. Really—this woman was wasting my time.

"I didn't come here just to talk," she said, tapping that fan of hers to her chin.

"Oh?"

She smiled—almost coquettishly—at me. "Naraku has decided to renew his request," she said. "Truth be told, he is worried that the girl has managed to obtain Midoriko's sword." She sounded pleased at the thought of Naraku being worried. "He wants you to kill her."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "And why," I began. "Does he seek my permission?"

"Because he does not wish to offend you—he is interested in the thought of you becoming his ally." It seems that she was interested herself.

"Well, unfortunately for him, I am not interested." I turned on my heel and began walking off, but she persisted on following me.

"You can't turn down an alliance with him," she pointed out, trying to keep pace with me. "Think about it—sooner or later, Naraku will win. And when he does, he will hunt down his enemies. Why not side with him? Kill the girl—or let me do it."

"Have I not given my answer before, onna?" I stopped in my tracks and glared at her. "I shall not harm her for I am bound by my word to protect her."

"And if you weren't bound by your word?"

I was silent, staring on ahead. What if I did not make a vow to Kikyou to protect the girl? Would I not hesitate to kill her as I was now? Maybe I wouldn't.

Kagura narrowed her eyes. "You're weaker than I thought you were," she sneered. Before I could react, she took out her feather and, amid a gust of wind, flew off.

I frowned as I looked up at her flying off. So, Naraku wanted Clara dead? Hn. He would send more of his incarnates to eliminate her, I was sure of it.

What a nuisance.

CoCoCoCoCoCo

-o-o-Clara-o-o-

There were flowers everywhere.

I looked around me. Where was I? It was such a beautiful place. There were cherry blossoms everywhere, their elegantly dangling tendrils trailing into the clear waters of a lake and beautiful Acacia that trees surrounding the place made the scene more picturesque. I felt as though I'd been here before…

Where was I?

I looked around and the wind blew gently around me, sending a flurry of Sakura petals into the air and releasing their sweet perfume.

Where was I?

I'd been here before…

Amidst the swirling petals, I could make out a woman in the distance, standing near the edge of the lake, her back turned to me. The only thing I could make out about the woman was that she had long, silky black hair that shined softly in the sunlight; she wore armor and there was a sheathed sword strapped to her waist. One of her slender hands rested on the hilt of the sword. Her skin was pale with just the faintest hint of pink beneath. Even from this distance, I could tell that if she chose to face me, she would be very beautiful.

"Clara." I started at sound of my name which had obviously come from the woman. Her voice was gentle, musical. She turned her head slightly to me so I saw a portion of her face which wasn't much.

"H-how do you know my name?" I asked, taking a step towards her.

"How can I not?" At that moment, the wind swirled around me, sending a flurry of Sakura petals into the air, blocking my vision. I saw nothing but pink as the flowers swirled around me, and then they presently fell to the ground.

"How can I not know you?" the woman said again…but her voice was different. I looked up at her. She was facing me, her eyes fixed intently on my face…

I looked into her sapphire blue eyes…

My eyes.

- - - - - - - - - - -

"Clara."

I woke with a start. The cold voice was not what had woken me up, it was that dream…

"Clara." I hesitantly opened my eyes fully and looked up at the owner of that voice. Sesshoumaru was standing in front of me, looking down at me with annoyance—was it that?—written all over his face. I looked around. Ah-Un was now standing by his master's side—no doubt he had woken up when he sensed Sesshoumaru nearby. He could've at least woken me up as well…then maybe the said demon lord wouldn't look so annoyed with me.

I looked hesitantly up at him. "Sorry," I apologized as I stood up, dusting off my clothes as I did so. "I guess I fell asleep."

He didn't reply. Instead he turned on his heel, looked up at the sky and, without warning, he flew off, leaving that strange trail of white behind him.

I sighed and turned to Ah-Un.

Guess this meant more flying.

CoCoCoCoCoCo

- -Sesshoumaru- -

She was at it again.

I glanced slightly at her as we flew, she riding on Ah-Un. Once again, the girl buried her face among the dragon's necks. Her fear of heights was amusing…

…and pathetic.

To think that Midoriko's reincarnation should fear heights…

It was such a waste that Midoriko was reincarnated as a weak, pathetic, annoying human girl.

I pulled my gaze away from her as I focused on the horizon. Mother's palace was still a few hours away flying. Hn. The girl wasted my time, retrieving that sword of hers. I frowned as I thought of the person my Mother wanted me to meet. Who would be that person be? Another lord, no doubt. Or worse…

As we flew over a forest, a movement underneath the leafy canopy of the trees caught my attention. The movement was followed by a scream. I automatically glanced down to see a flurry of movement in the forest. As I watched, a figure ran at a slow pace beneath. The figure was no doubt an old human woman—no other being could run so slowly.

The woman was chased by bandits.

"Oh!" Clara was looking down at the scene, panic written on her features. Hn. She was actually looking down at the ground. She suddenly turned to me just as the old woman and the bandits pursuing her vanished underneath the wide leafy canopy of the trees. "Sesshoumaru, you have to help her!" she cried out.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "It is none of my concern—neither is it yours." I quickened my speed, causing Ah-Un and Clara to fall behind me.

She gripped Ah-Un's reigns and the dragon sped up to me. "But you have to help her!" she pointed out. "If you don't, those bandits might kill her!"

"She is old. She'll die soon enough."

She glared at me, her icy blue eyes narrowed. "How could you say such a thing?" she asked. "Don't you feel…sorry at all?"

"None of my business."

"You're impossible!" She glared at me once more then, to my surprise, she turned Ah-Un around and flew back.

I had to admit—openly defying and insulting me took courage…

And stubbornness.

CoCoCoCoCoCo

-o-o-Clara-o-o-

I couldn't believe him!

How could he totally ignore someone who needed his help?!

What a heartless jerk!

"C'mon, Ah-Un," I whispered to the dragon, leaning closer to his heads. "Go faster, please, that old lady sounded like she was in trouble."

Ah-Un snorted as he sped on.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

"Stay away from me, you brats!" The woman was more than old—she was ancient. Her hair was a startling shade of silver and tied behind her head with a piece of straw cord. Her pale skin was wrinkled almost like a turtle's; her clothing was tattered in some places and she was short. Slung behind her back was a bundle of cloth that only seemed to make her look shorter. The most startling thing about her was her eyes—they were a clear chocolate brown color, the kind of eyes that you saw only on a teenager. Despite her shriveled appearance, she was holding her own against the bandits that surrounded her. She was backed against a tree, her walking stick held in front of her, almost like a weapon.

"Stay back!" she warned again.

One of the bandits laughed. "Just hand over the goods, granny," he taunted, leering at the old woman. "And maybe we won't sell you!"

"Besides, what's there to sell?" one of the other bandits asked, guffawing.

"Right," the first bandit agreed. "Lemme rephrase—hand over the goods and we won't kill you!"

"I'm warning you!" the old woman threatened.

I watched all this from above. Ah-Un fidgeted quietly and I gave the reigns a gentle tug to silence him. "Shh!" I said, turning my gaze back to the old woman. To my horror, one of the bandits drew out a short dagger and slowly advanced on the old woman.

"Get away from her!" I shouted as I urged Ah-Un on. Ah-Un lunged towards the ground, towards the bandits and I held the reigns tightly to keep from falling.

At the sound of my cry, the bandits and the old woman looked up, shock on their faces. "Get away from her!" I shouted again as soon as Ah-Un touched the ground. I quickly dismounted without falling over—which was a miracle—and glared at the bandits, hoping that the crystallized sword at my waist was enough to deter them.

"Oh ho!" one of them said, leering at me. "And what do we have here?" He looked me up and down, as though inspecting what he saw. "Not beautiful but pretty enough—those eyes ought to count for something, don't you think boys?" The other bandits chortled in agreement. Really…I knew that I was no beauty…but did people have to rub it in my face?!

"You're right, boss." They seem to have forgotten the old lady, who was still pressed up against the tree. "She ain't no beauty but with those eyes, Lord Fuji ought to pay big for a girl with eyes like those!" They slowly started to advance on me, their eyes gleaming.

Behind me, Ah-Un growled. "Don't kill them," I whispered to the dragon. He gave me an 'if-I-don't-kill-them-they'll-kill-you-idiot' sort of look.

"Get away from here, girl!" the old woman suddenly shouted, waving her walking stick in the air. "Go on, scamper!"

The bandits glanced at her from over their shoulders. "Ah, keep your mouth closed, you hag!" their leader shouted. He then turned his attention back to me. "Now, you're coming with us, otherwise, we'll have to kill you…and the old woman."

I pretended to place my hand threateningly on the hilt of Shinsei and glared at them. Okay, I'll admit—I felt like an idiot doing that. I mean…I couldn't even handle a sword, for Pete's sake. "Stay back, or else," I threatened, using my best scary voice.

"You don't look like a fighter!" the leader laughed.

"Hey, boss, she looks like a priestess," one of them remarked, eyeing my clothing. He suddenly sounded hesitant. "Maybe this ain't such a good idea, boss, the gods might curse us."

"What gods?" their leader sneered, taking several steps towards me. "You idiots actually believe in gods?"

He stepped closer and Ah-Un growled at him. The bandits jumped at the sound of the dragon's voice, eyeing him apprehensively. Their leader only laughed.

"C'mon, men, what're you, a bunch of mice?" He laughed again. He must be demented; not being afraid of a demon dragon was somewhat…deranged.

"Run, girl!" the old woman shouted again.

This time, my hands remained frozen to the hilt of Shinsei. These men were dead serious—the wicked gleam in their eyes confirmed it. They weren't afraid of Ah-Un. I could've easily asked Ah-Un to kill them, but, either my voice was just stuck in my throat or I was just afraid of the guilt that would follow. Either way, I couldn't move.

"Are you a simpleton?" the old woman shouted again. "Run!"

The bandits suddenly stopped in their tracks; at the same time, I felt Ah-Un move away from me. I was still too frozen with fear to turn around. These bandits were merciless—one glance was enough to ascertain that. They were the kind of people whose hearts were black.

"Uh…b-boss," one of the bandits stammered.

"Don't be idiots, he's just a human!" the boss said. "With really nice armor to boot!"

"Clara, move." I can't believe how his calm voice easily dispelled the fear I felt. The moment I heard his voice, all the fear vanished to be replaced by a sense of security. He was here—I would be safe.

I spun around. Sesshoumaru was standing behind me, his cold golden eyes fixed on mine.

CoCoCoCoCoCo

- -Sesshoumaru- -

Despite the situation she was in, she was still pathetically amusing.

From my place behind the trees, I could easily hear her words (her back was turned to me) as she tried—in vain, I would say—to defend the old human woman from the bandits. However, the table seemed to have been turned—it was Clara who was in trouble now, not the old lady.

She placed a hand on the hilt of the crystallized sword. "Stay back," she threatened in a would-be frightening voice. It was during times like these that she amused me, I'll admit. Of course, now would be the time to help her, but I wanted her to experience an ample dose of fear as punishment for her little show of disrespect earlier.

"You don't look like a fighter!" the leader taunted. He couldn't be more right—and a human being right is just so wrong.

"Hey, boss, she looks like a priestess," one of them remarked. "Maybe this ain't such a good idea, boss, the gods might curse us."

"What gods?" their leader sneered. "You idiots actually believe in gods?" He took a step closer towards Clara and Ah-Un growled menacingly at him. Despite Ah-Un's warning, he only laughed. He looked over his shoulder, at his men. "C'mon, men, what're you, a bunch of mice?"

"Run, girl!" the old woman warned. Clara didn't seem to hear her. She appeared frozen where she stood. Was she so frightened that she was actually paralyzed with fear? I had heard of paralysis by fear, but I'd never seen it before due to the fact that I had nothing to fear before.

"Are you a simpleton?" the old woman shouted again. "Run!"

Clara still didn't move. Fine then—she was afraid enough to make up for her disrespect earlier. I stepped out of the trees and into the daylight. The bandits stopped in their tracks, their eyes wide with shock. Even the old woman, whom I had nearly forgotten, managed to show the proper amount of fear and awe at my approach.

"Uh…b-boss," one of them stammered.

Their boss was stunned for a moment then he regained his composure. "Don't be idiots, he's just a human!" the boss said. "With really nice armor to boot!"

I turned my attention from him to Clara whose back was still turned to me and who hadn't managed to move an inch.

"Clara, move," I ordered. At first, I thought she was permanently paralyzed from her earlier fear, but she suddenly spun around, relief in her sapphire blue eyes. Relief and…something else. Something—an emotion—that I couldn't discern.

"Sesshoumaru," she breathed, relief in her voice. "It's you."

"Move." Usually, she would be annoyed with me, but it seemed that she was too grateful for my appearance to say anything spiteful. She quickly stepped aside and I strode passed her to face the bandits. I had no illusions about what these men would have done to Clara if I had not decided to intervene—and to my surprise, their malicious intent annoyed me.

"So," I began. "You wished to harm my charge?"

The leader glared at me, then looked at his men. "What're you fools waiting for?" he shouted. "Attack!"

CoCoCoCoCoCo

-o-o-Clara-o-o-

I watched as Sesshoumaru flexed his clawed hand in front of him, his cold eyes fixed on the charging bandits. His hand glowed with a greenish light and his eyes narrowed at the men.

He was going to kill them.

No.

I have never seen Sesshoumaru kill a human in front of me before. In fact…I've never seen a human killed in front of me in my life. The only person I've seen die in front of me was Lady Kikyou—and she wasn't even killed in front of me. She was killed because of my stupidity. But, no. What I meant is that I've never seen human blood spilled in front of me before—except on television. And even in television, the sight of blood was already quite appalling.

And now, Sesshoumaru was going to kill these bandits, these humans…

I didn't want to see him kill—I didn't want to see the killer whom everyone spoke of, not when I thought of him otherwise. I didn't want that. Why? I told myself it was because I would only be afraid of him.

"Sesshoumaru, please don't kill them!" I cried out.

He glanced behind me from over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed slightly, as though annoyed at my interference. "Please don't," I whispered. "I don't want to see you kill." His eyes were still narrowed but he must have heard something in my voice because the greenish glow of his claws slowly receded.

"Argh!" The bandits screamed as the neared Sesshoumaru, their daggers drawn. The blood froze in my veins at the sigh of Sesshoumaru weaponless. I knew it was pointless to worry about Sesshoumaru in situations like this—but I couldn't help it. I managed to stifle the small, startled cry that rose from my throat.

One of the bandits swung his dagger at Sesshoumaru, who only dodged it. The moment he dodged the dagger, he caught the unfortunate human in the gut with his fist and sent him flying into the trees. The bandits looked at one another warily.

"Attack!" their leader shouted. The other bandits were already in doubt about attacking Sesshoumaru, but they had to obey their leader. Sesshoumaru smoothly avoided the daggers and made his way towards the leader, his movements all a blur. Sesshoumaru had the leader's throat in his hands before anyone could blink.

I felt cold because I thought he was going to snap the man's throat in half. Fortunately for the leader, Sesshoumaru felt somewhat magnanimous. He threw the leader against a laurel tree which shook as the bandit hit its trunk.

"Let's get out of here!" the other bandits shouted as they dashed into the trees.

The whole fight—if you could call it that—lasted only for a few seconds.

I was stunned at how fast he was. And at how…arrogant…and graceful…and…alluring…

I blushed at the last word.

"Clara." His cold voice snapped me out of my musings. I hesitantly looked up at him. "Are you inured?" I shook my head. He nodded and turned on his heel. He was about to walk off, when a movement caught my eye.

"Oh!" I cried out. The old woman had been so silent, that I nearly forgot that she was there in the first place. Now, she collapsed to the ground, bringing to mind an ancient tree falling to the forest floor.

CoCoCoCoCoCo

- -Sesshoumaru- -

Clara's small exclamation of surprise made me stop in my tracks. I turned back to face her, expecting to see something trivial that had caused her to cry out. To my surprise, Clara knelt beside the ancient human woman who had collapsed to the floor.

"Granny, are you okay?" Clara asked. She carefully slid one arm beneath the human's shoulders to raise her up to a sitting position. Her eyes suddenly widened in shock. "She's very hot," she murmured, obviously to herself. "Granny, can you hear me?"

Slowly, the old woman's eyes flickered open and the first thing she saw was the human priestess who held her.

"Oh," she said. "It's you—that priestess. Yes. I owe you my thanks and my life, then."

"Oh, you shouldn't be thanking me," Clara said, looking a little sheepish. Her gaze flickered to me then back to the old woman in her arms. "You should be thanking him—he's the one who got rid of the bandits, not me." At least Clara knew to whom the credit was due.

The old woman looked up and saw me. Fear suddenly flashed in her eyes. "Demon!" she screamed. Her thin withered arms flailed about as she attempted to free herself from Clara. "Demon! Quick, priestess, purify the scourge!"

"Ah, no, Sesshoumaru isn't…er…" I watched, amused, as she struggled to find an apt description. "Let's just say he's okay for the moment."

"Demon!"

"No, he saved us! He's the one who got rid of the bandits!" Clara reasoned, trying to calm down the overexcited hag. She was getting annoyingly louder with each passing second.

At her words, the woman stopped flailing and glared up at me. "I'd rather the bandits killed—!" Before she could finish her sentence, she was suddenly seized by a violent fit of coughing. She covered her hands with both of her hands and coughed incessantly. Disgusting.

Clara gently patted the old crone on the back. The old woman coughed once more and, to Clara's horror, she coughed blood into her hands.

"Don't know why you look so shocked," the old woman said as she wiped her hands on her hakama, leaving a red trail against the dark green cloth. Disgusting. "I'm not long for this world."

"Granny, you—"

"I have a name and it isn't 'Granny'," the old woman interrupted. Hn. Her rough manner certainly wouldn't be missed when she died. "My name is Shougkyo."

Clara nodded. "Shougkyo-san," she continued. "You feel very hot and—"

"Well, didn't you hear me say that I wasn't long for this world?" she interrupted again.

Clara blinked, clearly taken aback by the seemingly frail woman's attitude. "Why are you here on your own?" she asked, looking around.

The old woman sighed. "I'm an old woman on her own," she said, sighing. She attempted to stand up, but Clara held her back. "What are you doing, girl? I have to get back home!"

"Please, let me take you home," she offered, much to my chagrin. She was going to waste my time again—this time over an old hag.

"No!" Surprisingly, the old woman refused. Which was good.

"But you're ill!" Clara cried out, genuine concern in her voice. "Let me help you, please."

Shougkyo looked up at her with annoyance in her eyes. She was about to open her mouth to say something when she was suddenly seized by a violent bout of coughing. Clara automatically patted her on the back, concern still in her eyes.

I turned my back on the pair of them and was about to walk away when Clara let out a small cry of surprise from behind me. I turned around. Shougkyo had fallen unconscious, leaning against Clara. There was a small bead of blood dripping from the corner of her mouth and her pale skin looked even paler.

"Sesshoumaru," Clara said, looking up at me with entreating eyes. "I know I've wasted much of your time, but please. She's really sick, despite the tough attitude. Let me help her. Allow me to take her home, please."

"And do you know where this woman leaves?" I raised an eyebrow at her.

She opened her mouth, and then closed it again, hesitant. "She lives around here somewhere…I think," she said, somewhat sheepishly.

I narrowed my eyes at her. What a fool she was, helping someone who was dying. Why waste her time—and mine—on someone who was already destined to die?

"Please?" she entreated, her sapphire blue eyes desperate.

I turned around. "Do as you wish," I said, sighing inwardly.

"Thank you." The way she said it was as though I had given her something precious.

I let out a sigh. The sooner I get her to Mt. Tenku, the better.

CoCoCoCoCoCo

-o-o-Clara-o-o-

It was a rundown sort of place.

I looked at the hut in front of me and felt pity mingled with disbelief. The hut leaned against a cliff wall, the cliff's shadow covering it. The trees on either side of the hut swayed somewhat eerily, bringing to mind the setting of a haunted mansion. The hut itself was somewhat…broken. The wood was thoroughly old, cracked almost, revealing gaps between the planks. The eaves sloped slightly, giving the hut an almost tipsy sort of look. Moss grew along the wood and the bamboo mat that served as a door dangled by a single thread. It looked as though a breeze could easily blow it down.

I sighed as I supported Shougkyo, one arm wrapped around her waist to help her stand. She had regained consciousness and had told me where to find her home. Sesshoumaru was nowhere to be seen—the moment Shougkyo had awoken, he had vanished, though I had a feeling that he was just nearby.

Shougkyo raised a gray eyebrow at me. "It ain't no palace," she said brusquely, in her rough manner. "But it's home."

I gave her a smile. "Of course," I replied. I carefully helped her into the hut, taking care to be gentle as much as possible—she was very sick. The inside of the hut was even gloomier than the outside. There were no windows to give any illumination. There was a raised wooded area with a fire pit in the center and a single tatami mat beside the fire pit. The mat seemed thoroughly worn. I could see the straws sticking out. Pots were hung on the walls as well as eating utensils. Several more mats were rolled up against the walls and a faded red kimono, tattered and threadbare, hung on a peg.

It was gloomy indeed.

Shougkyo sighed. "It's home," she said again, as though ashamed to acknowledge this place as her home.

"It's better than nothing," I said, smiling.

She looked at me for a moment then coughed again. I helped her to lie down on the tatami mat but found that the sheets were rather dirty. Sighing, I replaced the dirty sheets with fresh ones that were rolled up against the wall. Once Shougkyo lay down, I started to make tea. There were herbs in a basket that hung from the low ceiling and in them, I found herbs that Lady Kikyou said worked wonders for a fever.

"I'm not going to drink that!" she declared as soon as I handed her a steaming cup of the brew.

"But, it works wonders on a fever, and you're very sick," I pointed out, trying to reason with her. She could be stubborn, I'll admit.

"What's the use?" she grumbled, turning to her side so that her back was to me. "I'm not long for this world anyway."

My eyes widened. "You shouldn't say that, Shougkyo-san." I was shocked that someone could be so blunt about death.

"Bah."

"Please, you really must drink it—"

"I don't want it, girl, and if I were you, I would leave now," she said. "I'm used to being alone—always have been." I thought I heard a faint catch in her voice and I wondered what must have happened to her to make her so bitter. Some incident, no doubt.

Sighing, I stood up and left the hut, the cup of tea still in my hands. There was no persuading her. I guess I would just have to do some cleaning. After all, the place looked as though it needed it. Besides, maybe Shougkyo's fever would abate by nightfall; I was worried about her coughing, though.

"Useless." I stopped in my tracks, completely taken off guard. The hot tea sloshed around in the cup as my hand shook. Sesshoumaru was leaning comfortably against a tree at the side of the hut. He basked underneath it, enjoying the shade of the afternoon shadow. He was eyeing the cup I was holding.

"Excuse me?" I asked. "What do you mean?"

"Your attempted ministrations are wasted on her," he said, his honey-gold eyes sliding to the hut behind me. "She will die soon."

"Don't you dare say that!" I snapped. "How would you know?"

"The scent of death clings heavily to her person," he said impassively. "Why do you still continue to waste your time, then?"

I ignored him and looked at the hut. The fact that Shogkyo would die was…unnerving. Disbelieving. I hardly knew her, yet I didn't want her to die. It was that feeling of not wanting to see someone die…I guess all humans must feel that way.

"Maybe she won't die," I challenged, glaring at Sesshoumaru.

He smirked at me.

I felt the red rising in my cheeks. Did he have to look…indescribable when he did that?

"Oh?" he said quietly. "You think she will live? You are amusing."

"You know what," I said, "why don't you just go on ahead to your mother's and collect Rin and Jaken? That way, you won't be wasting your time much."

His gaze strayed to the trees and I could make out a small frown tugging at the corners of his mouth. "No," he said quietly, his eyes moving back to mine. "If I were to leave you, Naraku will take the chance and kill you."

I blushed. I knew I should have been afraid—Naraku was after me, for Pete's sake—but somehow, the fact that Sesshoumaru would protect me—though only because he was bound by his oath—made me…happy?

I smiled at him. "Thank you, then."

He raised his eyebrow. "I am not protecting you for you," he pointed out, automatically bursting my bubble. "I am protecting you because I have no choice."

My mood was automatically dampened. Geez…did he have to be so…blunt? What he said…really hurt…

"Oh," I said simply. Stifling a sigh, I turned back to the hut.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Throughout the day, I managed to keep Sesshoumaru's words from the front of my mind by keeping busy. Luckily for me, there were a lot of things to be busy with. First off, I began by cleaning up Shougkyo's hut. Though I don't want to say it, it was one level away from being a complete pigsty. Underneath a few moldy blankets, I found pieces of equally moldy bread which I cleaned out while trying not to inhale the scent. Not only that, but I thought it my duty to wash out Shougkyo's old robes and sheets in the stream near her hut.

Sesshoumaru was very disdainful about it all.

"I do not understand why you bother," he said. He was leaning against a tree, half hidden in the shadows of the approaching twilight.

I sighed as I continued to hang the wet clothes on the clothesline. "Geez, you're being talkative," I grumbled, still not looking at him. What was wrong with me? I was still so…mad and sad about what he said earlier.

He was silent.

I let out another sigh and turned to him. "Besides, what are you still doing here?" I asked.

He didn't reply. Instead, he continued giving me a look between a glare and a stare. Okay…I wasn't going to get an answer from him. Besides, I don't think I'd want him to say that he was only protecting me because he had no choice…

"Anyway," I went on, hanging another robe. "I'm doing this because someone should help her. She looks so alone, don't you think?"

"She is not long for this world."

"Still…"

I turned my back on him and returned to the hut.

- - - - - - - - - - -

"You really must eat it, Shougkyo-san," I coaxed, offering the bowl of soup to the old lady. It was night now and, despite knowing that it probably wouldn't taste that good, I had decided to cook something for Shougkyo to eat. She was so skinny! Unfortunately for me, she was also quite stubborn.

"That demon of yours is right," she muttered. "Why do you bother? I'm going to die soon enough. I wouldn't waste my time if I were you." She was still lying down on the futon. I was silent. The only sounds in the hut were the crackling of the fire in the fire pit and Shougkyo's somewhat haggard breathing. Shadows thrown by the fire danced eerily across the walls.

"Why is it so easy for you to accept death?" I asked suddenly.

She was silent. I could tell she was taken aback by my question. "I'm alone in the world, girl," she said at last, sighing. Her back was still turned to me. "Don't think I can stand it anymore."

"But…death isn't the key," I replied. How could someone say such a thing?

"You're too young to know loss," she suddenly said, after a moment's silence.

I was stunned. Too young to know loss, huh? I thought of those whom I had lost—my father and Lady Kikyou. A gut wrenching pain seared through me, causing a single tear to roll down my cheek. How could I have been too young to know loss?

"You're wrong," I whispered as I stood up. "You're very wrong." I sighed then left the bowl of noodles on the floor next to her futon. "Please, eat it." Without saying anything else, I took Shinsei—which had been leaning against a wall—and left.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

I sighed as I leaned against an acacia tree. I had walked a few yards away from the hut and found myself in this tiny clearing—the perfect place to clear my head. I slowly slid down the whole length of the tree till I sat down and leaned against it, closing my eyes. I had thought that I was over the guilt and pain of Lady Kikyou's death—how very wrong I was. Shougkyo's words only brought back Lady Kikyou to mind…

I waited for the hurt and guilt to wash through me and, sure enough, it did. I wrapped my arms around my waist, squeezing my lips together to keep from crying out…

I don't know how long I was like that—squatting on the ground, wrapping my arms around my waist. I lost count of the moments…

This was getting ridiculous.

Something was glimmering softly in the moonlight, on the ground…

It was Midoriko's crystallized sword, Shinsei.

Oh, right, I had brought it with me.

How could I forget?

I sighed, picked it up and then stood up. Here was something to distract me—trying to figure out a way to break the crystal. I let out a long sigh as I fingered the smooth crystal beneath my fingertips, tilting the sword this way and that so the crystallized sheath glinted softly in the moonlight. The crystal wasn't really that thick—probably a good whack against something hard would get it to crack. But…What if the sheath cracked along with the crystal?

Okay…

I glanced around and found a small rock on the ground. I knelt down to pick it up then sat down on the ground, cross-legged.

I stared at the rock in my right hand and at the crystallized sheath in my left. Okay. I wasn't physically powerful or anything, but I could certainly hold my own in P.E.

"Alright, Clara," I muttered to myself. "Time to see what Midoriko's sword looks like."

Owls hooted with melancholy in the trees and the moon's light shone gently in the clearing, giving me a clear view of the sword which I laid on the ground in front of me. The high shrilling of the cicadas almost seemed annoying and the wind blew gently all around me, making the grass ripple softly in the soft breeze.

Holding my breath, I brought the rock down on the crystallized sheath. The sound of rock striking crystal resonated throughout the clearing, almost making my hairs stand on end. I watched in utter amazement as the crystal slowly started to crack…

CoCoCoCoCoCo

- - Sesshoumaru- -

In truth, she was quite gentle.

And stupid, wasting her time on a useless old wind bag.

I watched her as she did all manner of trivial human chores. Boredom slowly crept upon me until I considered leaving her to retrieve Rin and Jaken and, in addition, meet the person I was supposed to meet. Of course, I didn't leave her. Naraku would get her and I would fail.

So, I could do nothing to alleviate the boredom except watch her.

As I said, she was gentle and compassionate, helping the old lady, but also quite stupid for wasting her time on Shougkyo who, to all intents and purposes, would still end up dead. I estimated that she had at least a few days left to live and, seeing as Clara wouldn't leave her, that would mean I would be wasting a few days of my time.

Mother was sure to angered, I was certain.

No matter—I could do what I wished, after all, was I not Lord of the Western Lands?

I stared up at the moon now. I wasn't so far away from that excuse of a dwelling place, the old lady's hut. In fact, I could still hear everything that Clara was saying to the old hag. I listened. It seems as though Clara was trying to coax the stubborn woman into eating. They had eventually progressed into the delicate topic of death.

"You're too young to know loss," I heard Shougkyo say. The wind rustled in the treetops as though to emphasize her point.

Oh, no.

I knew what effect this kind of conversation would have on Clara. I strained my ears to hear her answer. To my surprise, she answered in a voice that sounded firm. How disappointing—I was expecting her to sound as if she were choking on her tears.

"You're wrong," I heard her whisper. "You're very wrong." A moment's pause and the sound of a bowl slid across the wooden floor. "Please, eat it."

Well, there was nothing interesting to be gained any more. Closing my eyes, I leaned against the tree, letting my thoughts wander…

A few minutes later, the scent of blood permeated the air.

Blood.

Clara's blood.

Before the eye could blink, I whisked out Bakusaiga from its sheath and darted off into the dark forest.

- - - - - - - - - -

Clara was kneeling on the ground, bent over her hand. There was no danger and I sheathed Bakusaiga.

The first thing I noticed when I entered the small clearing were crystal fragments lying beside a rock and an empty sheath. Beside that sheath lay a sword. It was glinting silver in the moonlight, sharp-edged with a beautiful ivory hilt engraved with characters that read, "To live is to die, to die is to live."

Midoriko's sword.

There was blood on the blade.

"Clara."

She automatically looked up. A look of pain twisted her features and she was biting her lower lip to keep from crying out. The expression did not suit her at all. I made my way towards her and knelt on one knee beside her.

"What have you done?"

She lowered her eyes, the expression of pain still apparent on her face. "I…I…cracked…the crystal," she stammered.

"I am aware." I eyed the crystal fragments and the rock. To think that she managed to crack it was quite surprising.

"I…pulled the sword out…and…and it slipped," she breathed. Her lower lip was trembling and she was shivering. Whether it was from the cold or from the pain, I couldn't tell.

"Show me your hand."

Reluctantly, she showed me her right hand where a deep gash bled profusely. The scent of her blood was strong, almost overpowering. I resisted the urge to wrinkle my nose in disgust. Though…I'll admit—there was something almost pleasing about the scent.

Carefully, I took her wounded hand in both of my own. I looked at it. The wound was deeper than I'd thought, though not severely deep. It was deep enough that it would need a few days to heal.

"Idiot," I said, looking into her sapphire blue eyes.

Amidst the expression of pain that clouded her face, there slowly emerged a look of annoyance. "Sorry for being an idiot." There was that tone in her voice again. Sarcasm.

I squeezed her hand gently.

"Ow!" she cried out, pulling her hand away from me. "Baka! That hurt!"

I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Masochist," she muttered to herself.

"Give me your hand," I said impatiently.

"No." Her tone was childish.

"Now."

"No!"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Instead, I pulled her hand towards me gently amidst her protests.

"Let me go!" How childish of her.

"Keep still." I looked her hand over. Blood was still pouring from the wound, a sight that made Clara avert her eyes. I held her hand in one of my own then, with the other, I tore a portion of her sleeve. The fabric easily came loose with a loud ripping sound that echoed throughout the clearing.

"Hey!" Clara cried out. I wished she would stop shouting—it was getting more than annoying. "What are you doing?!"

I didn't answer. Instead, I carefully wound the scrap of cloth around her hand, making sure that it was clean lest it be infected—humans were easily prone to such trivialities. When she realized what I was doing, she stopped fidgeting and remained quiet, eyeing me furtively. I looked up at her when I had finished. There was a different expression in her eyes. They had softened and…there was a look beneath the surface—a look I couldn't discern. What emotion was it? It was hard to guess. I wanted to find out what it was.

I did not pull my gaze away.

CoCoCoCoCoCo

-o-o-Clara-o-o-

I was truly beyond stupid.

If there was an adjective that went beyond point blank stupidity, then I fit it quite well.

How could I have not known before?

Urgh!

I was so stupid; my I.Q. was probably negative one hundred.

Can he protect you from himself?

The answer had been so hazy, yet so clear…

Because now, it was all so transparent, all so obvious…

I couldn't believe I didn't see it before. Maybe it was due to the fact that this had never happened to me because my mother—hearing of what happens to young girls in my position—definitely made sure that this would never happen to me…

But now it had.

I knew that my subconscious knew what was happening but my conscious mind—never experiencing this—failed to see the reason why…

Why I felt delighted when I was with him, why I blushed excessively when he looked at me, why I felt so safe in his presence…

Looking into his golden eyes as he held my wounded hand, the answer became as clear as crystal, as enchanting as moonlight, as gloriously indescribable as life…

I was in love with him.

It was as simple as that.

CoCoCoCoCoCo

A1969: first thing's first—I want to apologize for my very late update. Busy…

Inuyasha: as always.

Kagome: don't chastise her, Inuyasha, you try going to school and see how you like it.

Inuyasha: bring it on anytime!
A1969:-rolls eyes- like you can handle it. Anyway, I'm sorry for the late update and I do hope you all review!