"I promise you,

these storms are only trying

to wash you clean." — Jessica Katoff

Chapter 6

Kagome stood in the study with her back to the door. A grid wall to her right was covered with thick tangled vines, large-faced green leaves, ivies, and dense mosses. Beautiful creamy white lilies bloomed in the low light and tantalized Kagome's nose with their sickly-sweet scent. The vertical garden wall hid her from view from whatever lay beyond it so she took the opportunity to make herself a tad more comfortable. Awkwardly, Kagome crouched and slid her shackled wrists under her rear, wiggled a foot in the space between, and then drew her other leg through. The iron of the cuffs bit into her skin for only a moment before she was able to situate her hands in front of her comfortably. Pleased with her current state she walked forward, following the flickering oil lanterns that hung by chains from the ceiling high above.

Kagome stopped at the edge of the green wall and peeked around the corner. This room was something out of an ancient fairytale. Bookshelves crawled up the walls and disappeared into the darkness above; They were engorged with books, scrolls, papers, artifacts, antiques, relics, anything that would fit. More vines, mosses, and wild flowers webbed and bloomed off of the stone walls, around the bookcases and spilled out of crevices and cracks as if nature were trying to reclaim the man-made room. More oil lamps with flickering, dancing flames hung from the mysteriously endless expanse above her head giving the study a cozy, dimly lit glow. Weaving in and around the lamps were the glowing, ethereal bodies of soul collectors. Kagome watched them pick up books, bones, rocks, anything they could grasp on to, and move them to a new location. They didn't even look real, their translucent spectral bodies slicing effortlessly through the dark air. A loud crackle and pop of a healthy fire startled her out of her musing and drew her eyes to the middle of the room where a long table was placed, Inuyasha sitting at the head of it staring at her.

Kagome immediately straightened herself and emerged from behind the wall, awkwardly pausing before approaching the table. She bowed to him, feeling slightly ridiculous, and waited for him to invite her to join him. She now saw the loud fire in a large hearth situated under an enormous mantle to the right of the long table. Resting on top of the mantle was the bow Kagome retrieved from Mount Azusa all those years ago. Kagome's eyes darted back to Inuyasha and found him studying her hands.

"Sit." He commanded. Kagome promptly seated herself on the floor at the opposite end of the table in a nest of pillows. The irony did not lose her at Inuyasha commanding her to sit all of these years later. Kagome took care to bury her hands under the table as to not draw attention to them and she began to anxiously finger the edges of a pillow by her feet. They spent many moments in tense silence, Kagome, extremely preoccupied with the pillows at her feet, and Inuyasha, determined to stare a hole right through her.

"The soul collectors came here on their own seeking shelter. Now they spend their days rearranging everything in my study and I can't find a damn thing when I need it." His voice cut through the silence and Kagome looked up at him. He was turned, watching the soul collectors float serenely above their heads.

"Shelter from what?" Kagome asked, watching one glide up a stone wall and circle its body around a large pink bloom before slithering off.

"The war." Inuyasha answered settling his palms on his knees.

"Is that what "the resistance" is?" she asked, recalling a phrase she'd heard tossed around weeks ago.

"Yes," Inuyasha hesitated, "it's a long story, but I'm sure you already know about it." His tone taking a suspicious turn. His golden eyes developed a hard edge, and the dreamy moment was gone. The air was tense again.

"Who are you?" He asked simply, his voice possessing that dark smoke and honey quality that scared her but held her captive.

"You know who I am." She stated, a bitter edge to her voice in response. He said nothing and they both waited for the other to speak before she forfeited, "I am Kagome."

"How did you get here?" He asked.

What was this, an interrogation? She wondered.

"I was dragged here by your -" she started but was interrupted.

"That's not what I mean." He said, his knowing eyes searching for something deep in hers.

"I don't know. The well just opened and let me through." She offered. Inuyasha slammed a balled fist on the table, the sudden BANG sent Kagome's heart through the roof of her mouth and caused her hairs to stand on end. He stood up, obviously agitated, and paced the room switching between running his hands through his hair and squeezing the hilt of Tessaiga on his hip. He stopped and looked at her for a long minute before quickly approaching her and slamming his hands down on the table, towering over her.

"How do you know about the well?" He barked down at her. Kagome shrunk away from him, stunned and confused.

"What do you mean? It's the WELL!" she shouted, exasperated, "It's the same well I've always used to come here!" Inuyasha seemed to digest her words carefully before scowling and pushing away from the table with a growl. He wasn't satisfied with her answer but he let it slide for now. He stormed up and down the room again while Kagome watched anxiously rooted to her spot.

"Inuyasha, what's going on?" she whispered. His head whipped around and he glared at her, his nostrils flaring and his jaw ticking in frustration, probably deciding whether or not he should correct her on the missing honorific before his name. He didn't bother.

"You are not Kagome." He finally said.

"I am Kag-"

"No! You are not!" he shouted over her standing at the end of the table opposite of her.

"I don't understand." Kagome said. She was beginning to worry. Had Inuyasha finally lost it?

"Kagome is dead! She died a long time ago! It's impossible that you are Kagome, here, sitting right in front of me!" He raged slamming an open palm against the table sending tremors ringing down the length of it.

"What? No! I didn't die! I'm right here! I was just gone for a few years! I didn't die. I just couldn't get back through the well!" Kagome exclaimed.

"A few years?" Inuyasha laughed as he collapsed gracefully in his spot at the end of the table, crossing his legs and gripping his knees with his hands. "I suppose it's only a few years if you're a demon. But you purified one of my men, so you're obviously human."

Kagome's brain was reeling. What was he talking about? What was going on here? Had he been hit across the head? Injured in battle? Suffering from a form of dementia? Somewhere in that hanyou brain of his he was genuinely convinced that Kagome was dead and that was frightening. He was mentally unstable or something. Kagome wasn't a psychologist by trade, she was a writer, and that was going to be entirely useless in this situation.

"No human could live 150 years. You are not the real Kagome." He said with finality. Kagome's eyes ripped away from her fidgeting hands to meet his eyes. What had he just said? Had she heard him correctly? Kagome could have sworn he just insinuated 150 years had passed.

"150 years?" Kagome asked incredulously. Inuyasha nodded.

Kagome scoffed. "No, it's only been 6 years. I'm only 21. 6 years have passed."

Inuyasha was losing his patience with her, "I have seen many empires rise and fall, I have fought many wars, and I have felled thousands of men and demons. I am not mistaken when I say that this is the 150th year since Naraku has been defeated." He growled at her.

Kagome felt a creeping dread begin to rise in her throat. "I'd be dead if that were the case though."

"That's why I don't trust you." Inuyasha stated grimly, glaring at her from across the table.

The room began to spin and Kagome couldn't find the strength to lift her hands to steady her head. "That's impossible. Only 6 years passed on my side of the well. Only 6..." Kagome looked up at Inuyasha with a wild panic in her eyes, searching his, but shockingly enough he looked disarmed for once, "Inuyasha it's only been 6 years! There's no way 150 years have passed! You're lying!" she cried out. This was a nightmare unfolding right in front of her eyes.

The pieces began to fall together into a puzzle that created a picture. Kaede's village was no longer a village, but taking the shape of what would later become Edo. The industrial boom. The war. The unfamiliarity of everything. Nobody knew who she was anymore. Kagome had managed to return to the past, but in a different time period. Kagome felt like she was going to be sick. She felt her stomach lurch and fought her paltry dinner back down her throat. For the first time since their meeting began, Inuyasha had nothing to say and had apparently been stunned into silence.

"That means Miroku and Sango…" she trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought. Inuyasha stood up and turned away from her, finished with the conversation. He donned a long fur pelt down his back that she hadn't noticed before this moment.

"They've been dead for a very long time." Inuyasha finished for her, his voice had marginally softened. Inuyasha swept out of the room and left Kagome sitting alone at the head of the table, the only sound was the crackling of the fire in the hearth.

Kagome's blood ran cold and she sat in shock. Slowly her brain tried to come to life, the engine turning over and over, not finding the momentum to get started. She couldn't think about anything. All she could do was taste the words "They've been dead for a very long time" on her lips. She let it sit heavy on her tongue and test it with her teeth but she couldn't break the sentiment into bite sized pieces – she supposed she'd just have to swallow it whole.

Kagome didn't remember falling asleep that night across the floor of Inuyasha's study. She wailed and howled in pain until her body was too tired and gave into exhaustion. She cried with her entire body, it convulsing and twisting with every shuddering sob that wracked it. Her friends were dead – every human she ever knew in the feudal era was dead. Not only were they dead, but they had likely been dead for a century. She was one hundred years too late and she hadn't even known it. What was she doing while they were on their death beds? Finishing high school? Out at the movies with her friends? At her own family's funeral? Did Sango and Miroku have many children like they wanted to? Had they built a big happy home and lived long, prosperous lives? Another sob quaked through Kagome as she realized she'd never even get to know their children because they would have died a long time ago, too. All of her hopes and dreams were dashed. It was a stupid dream, she told herself as she sniveled and wiped her nose with the sleeve of her yukata; this dream of living the rest of her life in Kaede's village with all of her friends. It was all so stupid! Kagome threw herself down onto the floor and cried into the pillows like a small child. Every trace of everything she once knew was gone, forever. Except, that is – Inuyasha – but he was as good as gone, too.

A gentle but firm hand shook Kagome by the shoulder. "Kagome!" Misuzu hissed quietly, "You cannot sleep in Lord Inuyasha's study!"

Kagome slowly opened her red, swollen eyes and tightened her grasp on something in her hand. A simple wooden flute was tightly clutched in her fingers, and Kagome studied it curiously before she realized she was surrounded by random objects. She propped herself on her elbows and counted books, bone tools, utensils, crystals, and even a small dagger placed at her feet. The soul collectors circled in a frenzy over Kagome's body in a tangled mass until Misuzu stood and walked toward a far wall near the bookshelves where tall shoji doors stood. She struggled against the heavy weight of the doors but managed to slide the entire wall open. Early morning light spilled into the study and illuminated the soft snowfall that landed on the pine trees just outside the doors.

"Go on, get out of here and get some fresh air. You all are so bothersome!" Misuzu whispered fiercely to the soul collectors. Slowly, they departed from Kagome and floated out the door and out of sight.

Misuzu hurried back to Kagome and grabbed her arm trying to pull her up, "Don't worry, they always come back. They seem to like you a lot though." Kagome stood and Misuzu frowned at the restraints situated at Kagome's front before continuing, "They don't have any souls to collect though, so they collect just about anything they can find. Funny they brought you all their treasures, it's almost as if they knew you!" Misuzu quipped. Kagome swallowed uneasily, an image of Kikyo's solitary face appearing in her mind.

Kagome said nothing as Misuzu continued to chatter on the way back to the dungeon. It was idle, nervous chatter because the servant, along with the entire palace, most likely heard her painful cries all night. The pair stepped into the court yard and into the soft glow of grey morning light. The sky above was cloudy and dreary and snow still gently danced down until it landed on the earth. If Kagome thought hard enough, she could almost convince herself she was back home standing by the Goshinboku searching the grey clouds there. Misuzu opened the door to her cell and waited for her to step inside before unlocking her shackles. The servant opened her mouth to say something but decided against it and left the room instead. Kagome was glad. She sat on the floor with her back against the wall and drew her knees into her chest.

What was home, anyways? In present day, Kagome had an apartment of her own in Tokyo where she lived her days quietly. It wasn't home, it was just a place she slept, worked, and ate. She moved into that apartment 3 years ago and moving boxes full of memorabilia and keepsakes still lined the insides of her closets. Home wasn't that apartment, or wherever Kagome was living, it was where her mother was cooking dinner over the stove, or her brother was watching Sunday cartoons, or her grandfather was appraising priceless relics. Home was on the road, sleeping under the stars, and huddled around a fire with her friends. Home had never been a place, it had always been a feeling with the people she loved most. Kagome wrapped her arms around her knees and buried her face into the crook of her arm before new tears had the chance to spill again. She wondered, despairingly, if she'd ever feel at home, again.

Kagome spent the next several days in a catatonic state, not touching the food brought for her or responding to Misuzu's attempts at conversation. The food went cold and the meals piled up until they were removed at the end of the day by Misuzu who eyed her warily. Kagome didn't notice, she had built walls around herself so high that she didn't even smell or see the food around her. She was busy inside of her own head playing out the life of Sango, Miroku, Kaede, and Kohaku. She imagined every detail of their lives and how they went, like she was a playwright, and watched the story unfold behind her closed eyelids.

Sango and Miroku had 5 children, 3 brave little girls and 2 daring little boys. They, along with Kohaku, protected Kaede's village and surrounding villages from demons. They lived happily, for many, many years. They built houses next to each other so Sango and Kohaku were never too far apart again.

Kagome could feel the two halves of her broken heart mending and she smiled absently. She was lying to herself, because she didn't know any details surrounding their life, but this made her feel better. Kagome was just about to add a new tale to the Saga of Sango and Miroku when a blunt object rapped against her skull. Kagome shot up in surprise and clutched her head. Misuzu was standing over her with a closed fan in her hand and a frown on her face.

"You haven't eaten a single thing in three days." Misuzu said matter-of-factly. Kagome just stared up at her before burying her face again in the crook of her arm again. Misuzu rapped the fan against her skull harder and Kagome winced.

"Ow!" she yelped rubbing the aching spot on top of her head furiously.

"The Lord has decided you will pay him back for the food you have wasted." Misuzu proclaimed. Kagome groaned. Couldn't he let her mourn in peace? He's had a century to do it, but she was expected to move on in 3 days? Her mood soured instantly.

"You'll be coming with me to repay your debt to the palace, Kagome." Misuzu declared as she turned on her heel to leave. Kagome didn't respond or move from her position on the floor.

"If you do not get up and walk yourself I can arrange to have you dragged." Misuzu threatened dryly.

The better of the two options was obvious so Kagome slowly stood up and walked into the hall following the servant, an unpleasant sulk plastered on her face. Kagome was led into the court with the throne where she had first seen Inuyasha weeks ago. In the corner there was a large wooden bucket and a rag draped over it – Misuzu jerked her chin in the direction of it.

"You'll start by scrubbing this court," Misuzu began, vaguely gesturing to the large room in front of them, "then, when you're finished with that, you'll scrub the main hallways just outside." Misuzu went on to explain that there were 4 large halls that framed the outside of the court that got plenty of traffic and desperately needed a wash. Kagome recalled one of the halls was one she was initially dragged down and had bled all over. She wrinkled her nose realizing her plan had backfired, seeing as now she was the one cleaning the floors and not them.

Kagome shot an exasperated look at Misuzu but the servant turned her back and strode to a far wall and sat against it. She dismissively waved her hand at Kagome when she still hadn't started working and Kagome huffed at this. She stalked over to the bucket, rolled up her sleeves as high as she could, and dunked the rag in the cold soapy water. She pressed the rag to the floor, dug the ball of her foot into the wood, and took off running.

Kagome spent hours crawling across that damnable floor while Misuzu stood to the side and watched. To her displeasure, Kagome also found out she had to fetch her own clean water from an outside water source and haul the bucket back in by herself. The pond she fetched the water from had frozen over and she had to take a pole and break the ice before dunking the bucket in and awkwardly waddling back into the palace with it. Her back ached and her knees and arms were sore from all the work, all while running on little fuel. Kagome wiped the sweat from her brow with her forearm as she looked up to find the bored-looking servant picking at her claws and munching on a snack.

"Why aren't you doing any of this work?" Kagome asked sulkily.

"Because I don't take what I'm given for granted here." Misuzu replied simply without looking up from her apparently interesting task.

"What do I have to take for granted? I sleep on a dirt floor and I get scraps for my meals." Kagome panted, wiping her brow again.

"You're allowed to stay in this palace under the protection of the Lord, who hasn't killed you or banished you, who is feeding you, and sheltering you. Anyone else would have killed you… or worse." Misuzu explained patiently. Kagome understood her reasoning, but she didn't like it.

"You're right, I'm so lucky to be kept here as a prisoner." Kagome responded sarcastically.

"It's not about luck," Misuzu said angrily. Kagome spun around to face her, surprised she had upset the demon, "It's about being grateful for what you have despite the hand you've been dealt." She said before standing up and stomping away. Kagome's eyes fell to her hands wrapped around the rag in front of her. Was she being too insufferable? Misuzu returned with a jug of water and thrust it at Kagome's chest.

"Here. Drink it." She said, not looking at Kagome. Kagome took the container gingerly and drank from it, downing several long swigs of crisp cold water before handing it back to the woman with a sheepish "Thank you". Misuzu shrugged her off and told her to get back to work.

Kagome worked for several more minutes in silence, slowly creeping closer to Misuzu's spot on the floor when the servant spoke up.

"I wouldn't be alive today if it weren't for Lord Inuyasha's kindness." She started, speaking to nobody in particular, "A demon like myself is considered weak in the grand scheme of things. When the war started I found myself alone and homeless. Lord Inuyasha took me in and allowed me to live and work here for him."

Kagome continued to work but decided to probe the woman for answers, "Why did the war start?"

Misuzu thought for a moment before speaking, "I don't really know. I suppose the humans didn't want to share the land with us anymore. I don't know the politics or anything, I just know the humans stopped being afraid like they were before. They ran us out of our homes and lands and burned everything. This is the only safe place I know of."

"How long ago did the war start?" Kagome asked.

"About 60 years or so I think. It was right around the time I came here looking for sanctuary." Misuzu recounted, a slender finger pressed to the corner of her mouth.

"So Inuyasha has been in charge around here for about 60 years?" Kagome assumed.

"It's Lord Inuyasha to you," came a masculine voice that was definitely not Misuzu's. Kagome dropped her rag and spun to see Inuyasha standing over her with a frown on his face. "I've been Lord for 130 years." He finished. Kagome looked over at Misuzu who was engaged in a deep bow. She followed suit and bowed as well. Inuyasha, seemingly satisfied, continued, "You don't need to worry about stories while you're so busy. You'll have your chance to talk to Misuzu over dinner tonight I'm sure." He said giving her a once over before turning and disappearing out of the room.

He is such a cocky bastard. He's such a self-important jerk! Kagome thought to herself before picking up her rag again and returning to her work.

It was another 2 hours and several trips out to the pond later when Kagome finished cleaning the floors. Misuzu had opened up the walls to the outdoors to allow the cool winter wind to dry the polished wood that was now shining brightly in the afternoon sunset. Misuzu whistled in audible appreciation and patted Kagome on the shoulder.

"You did well! We might add you to the servant ranks here if Lord Inuyasha allows you to live!" Misuzu laughed. Kagome's stomach growled. It had been several days since she had properly fueled her body and she was ready to collapse. That dirt floor she was complaining about earlier wasn't sounding too bad now. The thought of rice and meat for dinner made her mouth water. This was their plan, she supposed. Her brain had been reprogrammed in a few short hours through the trials and tribulations of good, old-fashioned, hard work and suddenly she was grateful for a bit of earth and scraps for food.

"Thanks." Kagome finally responded looking at the pinks, oranges, and reds that streaked across the sky in the light of the disappearing sun.

"Let's get back, shall we? Your dinner should be waiting for you." Misuzu chirped. Kagome followed the woman with heavy feet, giving the reflective court floors one last appreciative glance.

"You know," Misuzu started while unlocking Kagome's cell door, "You're the only prisoner we've ever had that's been fed more than twice a week."

"Twice a week?" Kagome asked incredulously, finding her dinner as promised in her cell.

"Yes, that is, if they're even alive for a week. Lord Inuyasha has something in mind for you, I believe." She said, a smile on her lips. Kagome had already begun wolfing down her food and only glanced at the coy woman in front of her before returning to her task.

"I understand it may be hard to see Lord Inuyasha's kindness at first, but it's there. He is a gentle man but he has a troubled soul. You must give him time. I do hope you are the Kagome we have been searching for." Misuzu whispered.

"You've been… searching for me?" Kagome stopped eating and looked at the woman with knitted brows.

"You have no idea." Misuzu sighed. Kagome opened her mouth to ask for clarification but Misuzu shook her head. "Have a better night, priestess." She said before ducking out of the room.

Kagome finished her food, slowly this time, enjoying each bite. Underneath the bowl she found a small slice of orange. She cradled it in her hand carefully, inspecting it before popping it in her mouth and chewing and savoring the rich sweetness of the fruit.

"Thank you, Misuzu." Kagome murmured.

Eight bodies sat around the long table in the study, Inuyasha stood at the front.

"Why didn't you kill her?" asked a man three people down to his left.

"She's a danger to us all if she stays here!" cried a shrill voice of a woman closer.

Tsunekane raised his hands to the group, "I spent all that effort bringing her back, it'd be a shame if we just killed her." He reasoned, a smug smile on his lips.

"She's out in the court right now, unshackled, cleaning the floors. Who could stop a rogue priestess if she decided to escape?" another demon grumbled.

"I could no problem!" chortled another and a round of laughter erupted around the table.

"This is why we don't bring a priestess into the heart of our palace!" shouted another voice before a large object wrapped in a blanket was dropped onto the table. The group around the table leaned in to get a closer look before the sheet was removed, revealing Ryuu's amputated, purified leg. The group shrunk away in disgust from the rotting, decomposing limb. A few gagged and other's faces screwed up in pain and repulsion. Harue, who had been sitting silently fingering at one of her braids croaked to life.

"Get that damn thing off of the table before I take your leg off as well!" The leg was quickly removed and a servant was called to dispose of it. The poor servant, a young man, looked like he was going to faint as he took the limb by the ankle and scurried away with it. Inuyasha pressed a finger to his temple rubbed it in circles, trying to ward off an oncoming headache.

"She knew about the Bone Eater's Well." Inuyasha finally spoke up.

"Good! We can take her back to the well and throw her in it. Send her back to wherever this godforsaken place is she comes from, according to you." Suggested one of the council members.

"And just give her back to the humans with all of the intel she's collected on us while she's stayed here in the palace? She'll go running right back to them and sell the information to the highest bidder!" argued another council member.

"The beads of subjugation also responded to her command." Inuyasha stated, exhausted already. The room fell silent – nobody knew what to make of that. To be fair, Inuyasha didn't know what to make of it either.

"Did the last one know about the well or the beads?" asked one member. A round of apprehensive "no's" went around the table. The room fell silent again.

Tsunekane took this as his chance to speak. He placed his hands down loudly on the table and flashed Inuyasha a grin. One of his eyes, now black and swollen shut where Inuyasha had crushed his eye socket, was starting to look better. Tsunekane stood up and began to pace around the table slowly, addressing each council member.

"My fellow council, these are troubling times now that we have a dangerous human among us. She is a priestess, and she is the bane of our very existence. But have we forgotten why she was brought here in the first place?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes – here we go. "We have a duty, to our King, our Lord, that we have yet to fulfill. This woman could be the answer to all of our problems – she could be the key if we utilize her correctly. Are we going to be so quick to sentence her to death because we are afraid? Because we are frightened of a little girl? Not I! Not when she could be our Lord's salvation." Tsunekane stopped at the other end of the table, opposite of Inuyasha, and thrust a hand in his direction, "I, for one, remember the day our Lord was cursed and I have never given up fighting to break said curse." He proclaimed. Inuyasha glowered at him, he was laying it on too thick for his liking. "I say we invite this woman into our home, like one of us, and make her help us. We use her for our benefit. Treat her as a guest instead of a prisoner. Hell, I'll even let her share a bed with me and-" Tsunekane was cut off by a dagger slicing through the air, narrowly missing his head and whizzing right past him. He looked to Inuyasha, who sat in equal shock, staring at Harue, who was now standing, arm outstretched toward Tsunekane.

"You talk too much." She crowed before sitting down. The room remained silent and Tsunekane stayed standing awkwardly until Inuyasha cleared his throat and spoke.

"I am not going to kill her, yet. She may have valuable information that I have not yet been able to gather. While I do not yet know who she is, or what she is, I am still on guard. I do not trust her, and I do not believe she is Kagome. In the meantime, she will not come under any harm while in this palace. However, I do agree that if we want her cooperation we will need to treat her as a guest and not a prisoner. I will be making the arrangements for that transition. She will stay under close supervision the entire time." Inuyasha concluded.

The members around the table shuffled uneasily in their places. They didn't like the idea of living among a human.

"My Lord, the people will think you have gone soft protecting a human woman." Said one member.

"I challenge anyone to tell me that in my presence and we'll see how soft they think I am." Inuyasha snarled, his calm demeanor diminishing. The group around the table nodded in agreement and adjourned. Inuyasha remained seated at the table, staring at the patterns and ridges in the woodwork of the furniture. Harue also remained seated to his right and studied him.

"You know," she spoke softly, "there is one last way you could prove her authenticity…" Harue trailed off.

Inuyasha's nostrils flared and he shot her a warning look, "No. Out of the question."

Harue ignored him and continued, "If she's not the one then she won't see a thing. If she is, well, we have a lot more on our plate than we bargained for." Harue was the only other person in this entire palace that knew about this and Inuyasha was regretting telling her about it.

Harue slowly stood and left the study leaving Inuyasha to think alone. The woman was crazy, disrespectful, arrogant. How dare she suggest bringing a random person to such a sacred place that Inuyasha held so dear?

Harue had suggested that Inuyasha take this mystery woman to Miroku and Sango's grave, and he was frustrated with himself because he was now considering it.