Kohaku noticed a change in Hotaru after their visit to the underworld, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. At times she seemed much more single-minded and focused. Maybe it had something to do with the fact she was now dressed in the kimono from Lord Sesshomaru's mother instead of her strange future clothes, but she no longer seemed like such a foreigner. She stopped talking about her home all together.

Other times she seemed to be distracted and distant. He would catch her staring off into nothing, her eyes glazed over. It was as if she could see something no one else could.

Kohaku also noticed that she was having difficulties sleeping. They had fallen into the habit of sleeping with their backs pressed against each other at night. Lately she had started fidgeting in her sleep. Some nights she would wake up and go sit by the fire. Kohaku would always go to join her. They never spoke. They would just sit side by side watching fireflies float around the trees until eventually either they fell back to sleep, or the sun began to peak over the horizon.

Kohaku couldn't help but wonder about the things that Lord Sesshomaru's mother had told them about Sailor Saturn and the kingdom on the moon. He didn't want to ask Hotaru about it. He figured if it was something she wanted to talk about, she would tell him about it herself.

Yet other times, still, Hotaru's personality would shift in an entirely different direction. She became much more playful and adventurous, even mischievous at times.

"My friend Usagi used to always say, 'We're only young once. We need to enjoy it.'" Hotaru had told Kohaku one evening, "And she had a point. We are going to figure out a way to defeat Naraku and destroy the Shikon Jewel. That means we don't have a lot of time left together. So let's make the most of what we have. Let's make a little time everyday to just be kids, and have fun. Take everything else and put it aside, and pretend we're just normal kids."

At first, Kohaku wasn't sure if he would be able to do that. Did he deserve any happiness? He had done so evil, but Hotaru took his hands and looked into his eyes with her powerful violet stare. He wondered if she was aware of how formidable her stare was. Probably, she certainly wielded it effectively. She had won the respect of both Lady Kikyo and Lord Sesshomaru through eye-contact alone. Her eyes were telling him to trust her, so he agreed.

Everyday Hotaru, Kohaku, and Rin would spend part of their day just having fun. Lord Sesshomaru often left them for hours on end. During which time the three of them would play around and explore. For the first time since his death, Kohaku felt like an actual kid again. He put aside all of his guilt, all of his pain. He didn't think about the overwhelming task of defeating Naraku, or his inevitable death at the end of it. He allowed himself to be an ordinary 12-year-old, playing with his friends. It was exhilarating.

One day, while Lord Sesshomaru was away, the children came across a village. Rin instantly stopped and retreated to the trees. Kohaku couldn't be sure, but it seemed like some of the color drained out of her face.

"Let's try this way!" Rin suggested heading north away from the village.

"No, wait." said Hotaru. "We should go check it out."

"What for?" Rin asked.

"I've never actually seen a thirteenth century village...at least, not an intact one. I'm curious."

Rin shook her head. "I don't think it's a good idea." She seemed really nervous. She dug at the dirt with her foot. Kohaku was surprised. He had once held Rin captive on Naraku's orders. They had sat together in a hut surrounded by hundreds of demons and she hadn't looked as nervous as she did now.

"Rin." Hotaru said, "Are you afraid of humans?"

Rin looked at the ground.

"I know not all humans are cruel." said Rin. "A lot of them are kind. Just...a lot of them aren't."

"It's okay. You don't have to explain yourself. If you don't want to go, I'm not going to make you, but would you mind waiting here while I look real quick?"

"I'll wait with you." Kohaku told Rin. He felt uncomfortable in human villages as well. He had destroyed so many during his time under Naraku's control. So many innocent people were slaughtered by his hand. He was unable to look at houses full of people without seeing ghosts.

"I'll be right back." promised Hotaru.

She hurried off to the village. Kohaku and Rin waited by the forest's edge. Hotaru was true to her word, she wasn't gone for more than five minutes. When she bound back to them, she was grinning widely.

"Look what I got!" She tossed something small through the air. Kohaku caught it. It was a small sack, just bigger than his palm, stuffed with rice and sewn shut.

"My friend and I used to play with these all the time!" He said. He dropped the little bag and kicked with the side of his foot, sending it up to his knee where he bumped it again, he caught and balanced it on the curve of his foot for a moment, then kicked it back to Hotaru. She caught it with her knee and proceeded to do a few tricks of her own with it before passing it to Rin.

"I don't know why it surprised me, but I didn't know they had hacky sacks in the feudal era." Hotaru said.

"I can't believe they still have them where you're from." said Kohaku. From what Hotaru had told him about her world, it seemed incredibly advanced. It was actually comforting to think kids still play with the same kinds of toys.

"Did you find this in the village?" Rin asked as she took her turn juggling the bag with her foot.

"Yeah, a boy tripped and scraped his knee. I healed it for him and he gave me this to say thank you."

For the next couple of days, the small rice-filled toy got a lot of use. Every time they stopped for a significant period of time, they would pull it out and play with it. Hotaru also seemed to enjoy throwing it at Jaken's head whenever he was being rude, which was quite often.

During one afternoon rest, while Kohaku, Rin, and Hotaru stood around in a circle, kicking the hacky sack back and forth between themselves, Hotaru kicked it too hard and it went sailing over Rin's head into the trees.

"I'll get it!" Rin said. She ran off. Seconds later there was a scream. Instantly Kohaku and Hotaru ran to their friend. Kohaku drew his weapon as Hotaru's appearance changed in the usual flash of light.

Jaken reached Rin the same time they did. Rin was trapped in the arms of a large boar demon, two more lurked on either side of it.

"What luck." said the demon in a deep, gruff voice. "I was glad to find one delicious looking morsel for lunch today, but now we can truly feast!"

"Let her go!" Kohaku shouted. The boar demons laughed.

"You are brave for a human child."

Kohaku threw his weapon, it struck the demon in the face, right above its eye. It dropped Rin who scrambled towards her friends, she took shelter behind Jaken. One of the remaining two demons ran to recover Rin, while the other headed towards Hotaru. Their leader let out a furious roar and charged straight for Kohaku.

"Take this! Staff of Two Heads!"

A stream of fire burst from Jaken's staff and roasted the one who came after Rin.

"Midnight Shriek!" Hotaru shouted. A wave of dark energy swept through the air, when it struck it's target, the boar demon disintegrated in a flash of violet light.

Kohaku threw his weapon a second time. It sliced through the lead demon's thick neck, but it still wasn't quite enough to take the beast down.

"Meido Zangetsuha!" From somewhere deeper in the forest, Lord Sesshomaru's attack burst through the trees, cutting a hole in the world and sucking the boar demon straight into the underworld.

As soon as the hole closed again, Lord Sesshomaru stepped out from the trees.

"My lord, you've returned!" Rin said brightly. Now that the attack was over, she was completely unphased by it.

"It would appear you have some skill." Lord Sesshomaru stated.

Hotaru let her clothes fade back into the kimono she had received at the floating palace. She shrugged. Kohaku knew that Hotaru did not like attention being drawn to her powers. Luckily, Lord Sesshomaru didn't seem to care enough to make more than a single comment.

"Jaken, fetch A-Un. We're leaving."

"Right away, milord!"

As Jaken scampered away, Rin ran forward and searched for something in the grass.

"Ahhhh…" She stood up and showed them their hacky sack. The boar demon must have trampled it with it's sharp hooves, for the toy was now torn down the middle, what little rice still remained was leaking out.

"Well." said Hotaru. "It was fun while it lasted."

Updated:So I added this chapter because I really want to show the kids having a little time just being kids.