If the Roles Were Reversed

by Glon Morski

I: Until he fell down the well and 500 years into the past, Inuyasha didn't believe in legends. His beliefs were challenged when he found himself in a world in which said legends are reality. Problem? He wants to leave that world behind, while it is unwilling to let him go. And so he begins a search for a substitute for a duty, aided by Kagome, his slef-proclaimed hanyo protector.

38. Of Fear and Love

Alright, here's this month's update. As promised last month, it's extra long to compensate for the lack of an update back in June. I hope it's satisfactory… especially since it's exactly twice as long as a regular chapter LOL Happy reading everyone :)

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ANONYMOUS REVIEWER:

animefan21: Wait, you think Sango will somehow cause Kohaku to leave the group? O.o Sorry, I don't see the logic in that, unless you expect Sango to leave the group along with him. The only thing they both have left at this point is each other, so I really don't see why they should push each other away. Where did the idea even come from, I wonder?

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Tracks for this chapter:

Within Temptation: Somewhere

Standard disclaimer and reader's key apply.

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What happened last time: Arriving at the taijiya fortress, the group learns of the fatal fate of its inhabitants, finding only ruins. Left with no other choice, as they can hardly leave the two slayers behind in their current condition, Inuyasha, Miroku and Kagome remain in the ruins of the village for the duration of Sango's recovery. During their stay, they learn of the village's history, it's connection to the Jewel and even the history of the gem's creation and creator – the extremely powerful miko, Midoriko, whose sword is said to only allow the one destined to destroy the Shikon to take it from Midoriko's hand. It was the sword that the group believes was the reason for Naraku's attack, since, in an attempt to keep any and all spiritualist from trying to wrestle the sword form Midoriko's hand, the demon had also taken the miko's armed arm. Meanwhile, Kagome uses the fact that they have to remain in the village to try and help Kohaku get over his memories of what happened in Naraku's castle. However, Sango's arrival in the most inappropriate moment causes a mere training session into a life-and-death situation…

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Chapter 38 – Of Fear and Love

Inuyasha bit back something between a sigh and a yawn as he leaned his back against the wall of the hut he was sitting by. The chemistry book he had been studying from up until now fell hardly on his lap when his hands slackened and no longer supported it. It was useless, anyway. He studied and studied, but frustratingly didn't feel like he was getting anything out of it except a headache. It was as if all the formula were going in through the front and then right back out through the back of his head, instead of being filed away somewhere in his brain like they were supposed to.

If there was a chemistry test the next time he went home, he was sure all the studying in the world wouldn't save his grades, and as bad as he felt about that, he just couldn't fight the energy to try and stuff himself with knowledge anymore.

"Did you finally defeat this 'kemis tree' thing?" Shippō asked curiously when he noticed Inuyasha had dropped the book. The black haired priest didn't reply, opting instead to close his eyes and maybe rest a little. Just like the day before, he felt unusually tired and he still had no idea what was tiring him out so much. It wasn't like he was doing anything particularly exhausting during the day, after all – or at least nothing more exhausting than what he should be used to doing. Studying for half-a-day certainly shouldn't have taken this much out of him, even if he hadn't slept well the night before.

"From Inuyasha's expression, I expect the 'kemis tree' was the one who defeated him," Miroku said calmly, barely sparing Inuyasha a second glance. Instead, he gave his full attention to the tea he was drinking – where he had found it, Inuyasha had no idea, but he suspected it had been somehow salvaged somewhere beneath the ruins of one of the huts.

"Yeah, you're right. He looks just about dead on his feet," the little kit commented, but his voice lacked any real concern. Inuyasha glared at the kit from the corner of his eye, a rather crude comment dancing on the tip of his tongue. Before he could open his mouth to respond, however, Miroku spoke up again, as if their topic of conversation wasn't sitting beside them and listening to every word.

"That shouldn't be surprising. Anyone would be tired after half-a-day of non-stop battle, even if it was only in one's mind or spirit. But I must say, for Inuyasha to have taken so long, this kemis tree must be quite powerful."

Hearing Miroku's words, Inuyasha snorted. Gods, these two really didn't understand anything, did they.

"I wasn't fighting anything, I was studying," he corrected, opening one eye lazily to glance at the monk and the kit. Surprisingly enough, Miroku looked to be actually intrigued.

"Does this small assortment of paper really contain that much knowledge?" he asked, sounding almost baffled. If Inuyasha had felt like thinking a bit about it, he wouldn't have been surprised, either. While Miroku wasn't a stranger to studying and gathering knowledge, he was probably accustomed to using scrolls, which tended to be longer and thus made a normal chemistry book appear like it couldn't possibly hold much within its depths. "Would you mind if I took a look?" the monk asked after a while when Inuyasha didn't respond. The black haired priest shrugged carelessly and slid the book over to him.

Despite the obvious gleam of curiosity in his eyes, Miroku took care to be gentle with the book, as if afraid it would break in his fingers (again, probably because he was used to old scrolls that could do so). Opening it slowly, he observed the pages for a while, his eyes moving fast up and down as he read the columns of kanji and hiragana. It wasn't long, however, before he gently closed the book again and sighing in disappointment.

"I should have known. A time as long as the span between today and Inuyasha's time is more than enough for a language to change, after all," he said, his shoulders sagging slightly. Shippō blinked and turned his head to stare at Miroku from his spot on the monk's shoulder, where he had jumped to in order to try and read the school book as well.

"Can't you read it?" he asked in astonishment, which only seemed to grow when Miroku nodded. Only a blind person wouldn't notice that the monk evidently wasn't very proud to admit this, though.

"I recognize some of the letters, but many of them are different. This is not a language I can understand."

"How come you can't read it, yet you understand perfectly whenever I'm talking to you? It's not like I talk what's considered ancient Japanese in my time," Inuyasha pointed out, glancing at Miroku from the corner of his half-closed eye. The monk shrugged.

"It is easier to understand when you talk then when you write. The spoken language hasn't changed as much, and even if there are words I don't fully understand, I can guess what you're saying most of the time. However, it's not the same for letters. The kanji in this book are nothing like those I know. Some of the hiragana are different as well. If I don't have a clue how to pronounce the letters I see, I can't even begin to guess their meaning," he explained with another shrug, looking almost like he didn't care much. One careful look at him was enough for Inuyasha to know better, though. Miroku obviously didn't like this fact, most likely because it was stopping him from accessing a source of knowledge that was right in front of him.

"Maybe it's better that way, though. I'm not sure if you're supposed to know half of what's written there. Frankly, I doubt it. But rest assured, you're not missing out on anything interesting," Inuyasha replied with a shrug. He didn't care for chemistry much, after all. Not that he cared much for any subject, really, except wanting to have good grades in it to spare his mother some unneeded shame.

"I'm curious as to what's written there too, though. Do you think I'll live long enough to find out, Miroku?" Shippō asked suddenly, his green eyes full of hope staring at Miroku. The monk smiled slightly.

"I believe you will. You just have to wait for Inuyasha's time to come along," he said calmly, a slight note of disappointment present in his voice at the thought that he himself had no such luxury. Inuyasha couldn't help but snort.

"Oh, come on Miroku, that's five hundred years away. No one lives that long," he huffed, but to his surprise, Shippō didn't seem any less enthusiastic than before. The only difference was that he was now staring at Inuyasha rather flatly, as if asking if the black haired kannushi really thought so little of him.

"Five hundred years ain't that long for a demon," the little fox said with a shrug. Inuyasha opened his eyes fully at the response, genuinely surprised. It was only a short moment, however, before it faded away as a memory resurfaced in his brain. Kagome had told him once something about how demons and half-demons lived longer than humans, didn't she? And funnily enough, if memory served, she had also told him that half a millennium isn't that much time. He frowned.

"If you're laughing at five hundred years, then how old are ya now, runt?" he couldn't help but ask, remembering how Kagome had somehow found a way to avoid the question. Shippō didn't seem to have any qualms about disclosing his age, though.

"I'm seven," the kit replied, his expression adding the 'duh!' that he hadn't said aloud. Miroku chuckled.

"I believe Inuyasha meant how old you are in human years, not demon years(1), Shippō," the monk said calmly. Hearing about the distinction, Inuyasha, who had scoffed under his breath, was once again interested. Shippō, on the other hand, scrunched up his face in distaste.

"You mean how many springs I have seen? Come on, do you really think I keep track of that?" he asked, but still jumped down from Miroku's shoulder and started scribbling something in the dirt, muttering under his breath all the while. "How many springs has a human like Kaede seen?" he asked suddenly without looking up from his scribbles.

"Something between sixty and seventy, I believe," Miroku replied easily. Shippō nodded his thanks and continued whatever he was doing.

"And how many springs have you seen already, Inuyasha?" the kit asked again after another moment of silence. Stunned, Inuyasha opened his eyes to glance at the little fox in surprise.

"Sixteen," he answered slowly, trying to figure out why the kit needed this information. "Why?"

But Shippō didn't answer, focusing instead on his scribbles again, adding a few more lines here and there to the weird symbols he drew. A rather gleeful look was entering his eyes as he did so, and Inuyasha was uncertain why the kit was suddenly in such high spirits. Finally, after good five additional minutes, he snapped his fingers and looked over at Inuyasha proudly.

"That seems about right. In human years, I'm about a hundred and sixty-six years older than you, Inuyasha. So maybe you should treat me with some more respect as your elder," he said with an air of authority. If he expected Inuyasha to respectfully bow down to him and apologize for how he had treated him like a kid up until now, however, he was disappointed. Or maybe not, since Inuyasha actually fell over at the news.

"What the… a little runt like you… hundred and eighty-two years old?!" he asked in disbelief, easily adding his own sixteen years to the number Shippō had told him to deduce his actual age. It was hard to fathom, though. If what the little kitsune said was true, then he had already lived twice the maximal life-span of a human in Inuyasha's time, and he was still just a kid. How long would it take him to grow up, then? Or to grow old?

"Don't look like it, do I," Shippō snickered gleefully.

'Nope, not at all,' Inuyasha couldn't help but agree as he slowly picked himself back up to a sitting position. His brows furrowed in thought. 'But if the runt is hundred and eighty-two years old, but demons consider him to be only seven, then…' the little math-exercise was quickly solved and Inuyasha barely stopped himself from gaping. 'One year for a demon equals about twenty-six years for a human? Damn.'

Of course, twenty-six years in and of itself didn't sound all that great. Hundred years would be more astounding. But still, it was when the years piled up that it became truly astonishing. Especially when someone was older than Shippō, like for example Kagome, then the numbers got even higher. If he were to calculate it, that meant that Kagome was roughly four hundred sixteen years old.

Wait a minute.

Four hundred sixteen?

She was that old?

'Next to her, I must seem like a newborn…' Inuyasha couldn't help but think, although it wasn't a very pleasant realization. Not that it was correct, either. Being only half-demon, Kagome aged half as fast as demons did. Still, although Inuyasha wasn't yet aware of the little miscalculation, that left her at two hundred and eight years old, which compared to Inuyasha's sixteen was still quite a lot. 'I wonder if that's what she sees me as… am I but a child to her? A charge she has to take care of so it won't die prematurely?' he wondered, although he was far from liking his own thoughts. Still, looking back on it, he couldn't help realizing that even if Kagome did see him as nothing more than a child, she had no reason to think otherwise. Though they were the same age as far as their different natural life-spans were concerned, when he had first met her, he knew nothing of life in her era. That was normal, of course, as he hadn't been born there, but that easily-explainable lack of knowledge and survival-capacity was more than enough reason for Kagome to see him like a little kid, wasn't it?

His logical mind was saying yes. But another part of him, a much bigger one, was hoping that despite having all the reasons not to, Kagome saw him as an equal, rather than a child.

Inuyasha's rather unpleasant thoughts were interrupted when Sango and Kohaku suddenly joined them, although if not for Miroku and Shippō greeting them as they sat down, he probably wouldn't have noticed. The siblings didn't respond to the greeting, or say anything for that matter, both lost in thought and Inuyasha wasn't sure he wanted to know what kind of thoughts they were.

Sango seemed to be in shock, as if something had happened she had never imagined, or could scarcely believe for that matter. Every few seconds, she shook her head as if denying her own thoughts and Inuyasha could swear he heard her mumbling under her breath that the thing she was thinking of wasn't making sense, if it was even possible at all.

Kohaku wasn't any better off than his sister. His eyes were wide and he was pale, looking almost like he was on the verge of a mental break down or of becoming hysterical. Other than that, however, he didn't even budge, becoming a statue were he sat. Inuyasha frowned, wondering what had happened in the short time since Sango said she would go looking for her brother and the two siblings coming back.

Obviously, Sango had found who she was looking for. But other than that, the reason behind the siblings' rather odd behavior was a complete mystery. Somehow, the black haired priest suspected that the only person of their group who wasn't present right now, meaning Kagome, had something to do with it. Hadn't Kohaku mentioned something about talking to her before Sango went looking for him? Inuyasha was quite sure that was the case, especially since he himself had told Sango that her brother was most likely with the hanyō. But in case Sango had stumbled upon the two of them while they were still talking, what could have happened between the half-demon and the two slayers to warrant such a reaction?

"You do not look well, Sango-san. Neither does your brother. May I ask what has happened?" Miroku asked cautiously, effectively bringing the female taijiya out of her stupor and making her realize she had unconsciously walked back to where the two spiritualists were. It took a moment for her still shell-shocked brain to register anything had been said, but when Miroku's words finally sank in, she took in a deep, calming breath before responding.

"Your hanyō-friend attacked my brother, that's what happened," she replied tightly, her surprise fading to be replaced with an angry frown. Kohaku sucked in a breath at that, slowly coming out of his own stupor it would seem, but whether he wanted to agree with or contradict his sister, he never got the chance to.

"Kagome would never do that," Inuyasha replied instantly. His eyes narrowed at Sango as she turned her head to glance at him, daring her to contradict his belief. He was done doubting Kagome. No matter what things seemed like to Sango (or anyone else for that matter), he knew that he knew better than them. He knew Kagome and he trusted her. And one of the things he knew was that she'd never attack a human except in self-defense, in which case she would only aim to knock out, and not kill. The idea of her attacking Kohaku without reason was just plain ridiculous, especially since the boy didn't seem to be as prejudiced against her as his sister was. Inuyasha had yet to find out what made the two so different in that regard, though, if he ever would… which he probably wouldn't.

"Do you think I can't recognize a fight when I see one?" Sango challenged him, her eyes burning with rage. The black haired priest wasn't quite certain if it was directed at him, at Kagome, or maybe even someone else entirely, though.

"No, but I think you're quick to jump to conclusions. Did you see how it started?" he asked back, giving Sango little time to actually answer. Still, if she had seen it, she wouldn't have hesitated, so her silence was more than enough of an answer. "Then why do you suspect Kagome started it? It might have as well been your brother."

Truth be told, Inuyasha didn't believe his own statement this time. No matter from which angle he looked at it, the idea of Kohaku attacking Kagome was just as ridiculous as the other way around, if not even more so. Sango seemed to think so, too, considering her reply.

"That's ridiculous," she said.

"As is the idea of Kagome attacking without reason," Inuyasha fired back.

"It's a hanyō we're talking about. It doesn't need a reason," Sango replied defiantly, causing Miroku to glance at her suddenly for some reason. Holding up a hand to silence Inuyasha, who was about to stand in Kagome's defense again, he let his eyes wander over the slayer with a slight frown. When he spoke, his voice didn't sound accusing or angry, but there was a slightly chastising note to it.

"Why are you so adamant to repeat words you are no longer so sure are correct, Sango-san? Are you trying to convince us or yourself?" he asked calmly. Sango snorted.

"Why would I try to convince myself of something I already know?" she asked rhetorically, but got a response anyway when Miroku sighed.

"I am aware that clinging to what you always perceived as truth is a natural reaction, Sango-san, but I believe it would be better if instead of that, you opened your eyes to what facts are telling you. You may find that those truths are misguided and that the actual truth you're ignoring for now is much more appealing," the monk said wisely.

"Oh man, he's in lecture-mode again," Shippō muttered under his breath, but was ignored by everyone surrounding him.

"I am not clinging to anything, houshi-sama," Sango replied, although now, even Inuyasha could detect the slight doubt in her tone. Miroku was fast to catch on to it, too.

"Aren't you?" he asked with a raised brow, causing Sango to look away from his penetrating gaze, inevitably admitting defeat. Doing so, however, piqued Inuyasha's interest immediately as he tried to figure out what fake truth the slayer might try to be clinging to. He didn't get much time to ponder that, however, as in that moment, Shippō brought everyone's attention to himself and Kohaku as well with a shout of concern.

And indeed, there was cause for it. Kohaku, who hadn't said a word up until now, was even paler than before. His fists were clenched in his lap and trembling as if he were cold. The boy's eyes were slowly filling with tears and it looked like he was fighting with all his might not to break into hysterics, although it looked more and more like a lost cause with each passing second. In a flash, Sango forgot her own emotional turmoil and turned to her brother, worry etched in her features.

"Kohaku?" she asked slowly, but the boy didn't respond to her. Before she could try to call out to him again, however, another voice reached their ears.

"Kagome-sama, you mustn't ignore it. Such a wound could be potentially threatening. This Myouga insists you see Kaede-sama," Myouga's voice said, immediately causing Inuyasha to tense and glance in the direction it was coming from. The flea, however, along with the hanyō he was probably with, weren't in sight yet. Still, from what he heard, it was obvious Kagome was hurt and judging by Myouga's urging tone, it wasn't some little scratch.

"I already told you, it's not as bad as it looks. It'll heal. Get off my back, Myouga-jii-chan," Kagome replied, obviously slightly irritated. Inuyasha bit his lip worriedly, waiting for the two of them to come into his line of sight (or one of them, really, since Myouga would obviously be too small to see at first).

"How can you say that so casually?! This isn't some minor scratch, Kagome-sama, it could really turn out to be a problem…" the flea protested again, but apparently, Kagome's patience finally ran out and she cut him off.

"Will you shut up already, it's just an eye!" she yelled just as she rounded a corner of one of the huts and came into Inuyasha's view. Her words alone would have been enough to make him freeze, but seeing her at the same time amplified the effect and for a few seconds, Inuyasha found himself unable to move a muscle.

Of course, Kagome wasn't all torn up and bloody. Seeing her like this was slowly starting to become an everyday occurrence and Inuyasha was starting not to freak out too much. The difference between usually and this time was that at first glance, she didn't seem hurt at all… except for the red cloth covering almost the whole right half of her face.

Looking closely, it was easy to figure out the cloth had once been part of the fire rat robe Kagome was wearing. She must have cut a rather large, triangular chunk off for the make-shift bandage… or rather eye-patch, as it were. It was tied at the height of her forehead and covered half of it, along with her right eye and her entire right cheek before disappearing beneath her hair on the right side of her head. If she had human ears, her right one would have also been covered by the cloth, which was tied at the back of her head, the knot probably hidden beneath her hair as well.

Despite the rather large surface the 'bandage' covered, however, it wasn't very hard to figure out what the most injured area was, especially with the words Kagome had just yelled.

Grumbling under her breath, the half-demon slowly approached the rest of the group. It didn't seem like she noticed them, however, lost in thought pretty much like Sango and Kohaku have been. Kirara, who had come to Kohaku's side when the taijiya arrived to support him somehow, mewed worriedly from her spot next to the boy's knees. That soft mewl was enough for Kagome to stop and look up from the ground at the cat for about a second, before her attention was stolen by Inuyasha, who was finally able to move again. In an instant, he was at Kagome's side, staring in her face with a look that could only be described as fearful worry.

"What the fuck happened to you?" he asked in a mere whisper, barely registering the way his hands grabbed her upper arms as he stared at her face – or rather what he couldn't see of her face. Kagome sighed, but didn't make a move to shake the young priest off.

"Nothing. It was an accident. Nothing for you to worry about," she said quietly, although it didn't sound like it was out of shame or anything like that. Inuyasha's mind was too focused on what he was seeing to wonder why she spoke so quietly, though.

"Nothing to worry about my ass," he bit back furiously. "Stop lying to me."

"I'm not lying," Kagome replied, her good eye narrowing in warning. She was already irritated enough, for multiple reasons, and Inuyasha's accusations weren't helping. The black haired priest noticed the warning. He sighed in an attempt to calm himself, but didn't release the half-demon yet.

"I'll decide that on my own. Let me see," he decided, his hand slowly moving to remove the red cloth gently. But before he could get even remotely close to doing so, Kagome took a step back, effectively distancing herself from him.

"No," she replied in a tone that brooked no argument. Inuyasha paused. Sure, this wasn't the first time she refused to let him see or tend to her wounds, but it still felt somehow different than usual. A closer look at her easily provided what it was, too.

Ever since they had come to the demon slayers' village, Kagome had been acting odd, there was no doubt about that. She tried to keep to herself more than usual, she rarely talked and when she did, it was like talking to a machine – her voice held no emotions in it whatsoever, for the most part. The only emotions she allowed to show in any way were irritation and anger. And as if that wasn't enough, she seemed to be desperate to keep him at arm's length.

Sure, she had never been overly open, either. Whenever there were any problems, so long as Inuyasha himself wasn't the source, making her talk was next to impossible. But still, she hadn't ever been this closed off before. Even if she didn't want to talk, he had somehow been able to tell what she was feeling, and from there try to guess what was bugging her. But now, when he stared into her eyes, he felt like he was looking at golden ice. Her eyes weren't Kagome's right then. To him, they were the eyes of a stranger.

And to make things worse, not only did she look like one, she acted and treated him as one, too.

That one 'no' just now actually made her sound hostile.

Inuyasha clenched his fists. If she thought he was going to give up just because she told him off, then she was about to be disappointed. He was not going to let her push him away, no matter the reason. Whether she liked it or not, she was going to drop whatever act she was trying to pull because he was not going to play along.

"I said let me see," he repeated and took another step closer to her. "I only want to help," those words were said in a quieter tone, though Inuyasha wasn't certain why he felt the need to speak more quietly.

"And I said no," Kagome replied, her voice unnaturally harsh as she swatted Inuyasha's extended hand away from her, causing the black haired priest to stop dead in his tracks in astonishment. Yes, Kagome had tried to turn down his help before. But she had never downright refused him like that. Not since the nymph that came over to his time, anyway.

Inuyasha's hand fell lifelessly to his side and his head lowered. Why did she have to be so stubborn? He only wanted to help! Didn't she see that? It should be obvious by now, shouldn't it? Besides, it's not like she hasn't ever let him tend to her wounds before. So why was she acting so differently this time? Why was she so adamantly trying to distance herself from him all of a sudden?

"Kagome-sama, this Myouga thinks…"

"Shut up," Kagome interrupted immediately, knowing exactly what the flea was about to say. But this time, she would not budge. And it wasn't because she didn't trust Inuyasha to only want to make sure she was indeed alright. Rather, it was because as a human, there was no way he'd believe her she was fine if he saw her wound. For a human, it would have been a very serious injury, maybe even a fatal one. But she wasn't human, and Inuyasha sometimes seemed to forget that. Actually, he seemed to forget that all the time. She sighed.

"Tell me, Inuyasha, in the two moon cycles we've known each other, have I ever lied to you about whether or not my wounds were serious?" she finally asked, her words causing Inuyasha to raise his head and glance at her through his bangs. After a moment of thought, he shook his head mutely, as if his voice had failed him for some reason. Kagome raised an eyebrow before dismissing the observation, causing her face to become once again completely expressionless.

"Then do you trust my judgment where my own wellbeing is concerned?"

"Of course I do. I trust you," Inuyasha replied without a moment hesitation, barely realizing how much emphasis he put on those last three words, as if to make sure they were imprinted in Kagome's mind. Not that the hanyō-girl paid much attention to that. Instead, she sighed again.

"Then why can't you just believe me when I say I'm fine and let it go already? Didn't I say it would heal? Maybe not from one day to the next – it's not a scratch that small. But it's not a wound I won't be able to recover from. Why can't you just leave it at that?" the silver-haired girl asked, unaware of the impact her words had on the teen before her. In her own ears, she didn't sound any different than any other time they spoke of something like this – meaning slightly irritated. In Inuyasha's mind, however, her tone was interpreted differently.

'She really does think of me as a kid, doesn't she,' the black haired priest thought dejectedly. Yup, there was definitely no doubt about it. Her tone just now was exactly the same he heard her use when she chastised Shippō for something (not that it happened often) – the tone reserved for annoying little children. But then again, in her eyes, he probably was acting like a child, wasn't he.

But why did the possibility of her really thinking that make him want to hit something?

"Sorry," he said softly in response. Had Kagome been alone with him right then (or rather if Sango hadn't been among the people watching the scene in silence) she would have gaped openly. After all, Inuyasha backing off so easily and apologizing when he didn't really do anything wrong, was more than just unheard of. It didn't happen. Or at the very least, it shouldn't happen. In her current state, however, Kagome only allowed herself to raise a slender brow.

"What are you apologizing for? It's not like you did anything," she said with a shrug, causing Inuyasha to look up at her again. He still couldn't read the emotions in her eye or face, but the simple fact she asked for clarification instead of just accepting the soft apology for acting like a foolish child… it meant something, right?

Before Inuyasha could respond, however, the last person they expected to interrupt their more or less private conversation did just that.

"Kagome-sama is right… Inuyasha-sama didn't do anything… I did," a soft voice spoke through the silence, effectively bringing everyone's attention to the speaker. It was none other than Kohaku. He was staring straight at Kagome, his face stained with the same tears that had been filling his eyes a moment ago. His expression was that of such remorse, that Inuyasha couldn't help but pity the kid, although he had no idea what the child was talking about. As soon as Kohaku's eyes met Kagome's, however, he lowered his head and even went as far as bowing to her with his hands on the ground. "I… I'm sorry," he murmured so softly that Sango, who was sitting right next to him, had trouble hearing his words. And despite her enhanced hearing, Kagome, who was standing a bit further away, had the same problem. Even if she hadn't heard him, however, she would have guessed what the young boy was saying.

"I… I know 'sorry' isn't nearly enough to make up for what happened, but… but…" Kohaku didn't continue, most likely because he was unable to. Kagome sighed slightly, and if anyone had glanced at her right then, they would have noticed her cold mask slipping if only for a second, allowing her own guilt to flash in her own eye for a brief moment. It was gone as fast as it appeared, however, and it was with little to no emotion showing in her expression that Kagome approached Kohaku and knelt in front of him, no longer paying attention to anyone else surrounding her.

Or at least, she wasn't planning to pay attention to anyone else. Problem was, as soon as Kohaku had risen back to a kneeling position and she reached out a hand to lie on his shoulder in what she hoped was a comforting manner, she was forced to lean back when she saw a flash in the corner of her good eye. In the next moment, she found herself with Sango's wakizashi at her throat, the slayer glaring at her with all the hatred she could muster. Shippō's and Inuyasha's surprised calls at the happenings were unnoticed by both women as they stared at each other. Kagome only briefly noted that Miroku seemed strangely unsurprised. But then again, she herself shouldn't be as astonished as she was. Sango wasn't hiding the fact that she didn't trust and despised her with all her might, after all.

"Stay away from my brother, hanyō," the female taijiya almost growled threateningly, her choice of words causing Kagome's eye to turn even colder as the anger building in her transformed into cold fury. Her answer, however, sounded so calm it made everyone's hair stand on their heads.

"Don't you think you've done enough damage already, taijiya?" she asked. Her words definitely didn't please Sango, nor were they very kind, but Kagome was far from caring. She was furious. Here she was, trying to help Kohaku overcome his fears and Sango, the sister who should care for him, was trying her best to get in the way. Who wouldn't be pissed in such a situation?

Of course, Sango didn't know that. She wasn't aware of how Kagome had lived through something quite similar to Kohaku's ordeal, she didn't know Kagome knew exactly what the boy was going through and thus the best, if not the easiest, ways to get over it. Taking that into account allowed Kagome's fury to settle down a tiny bit, but not by much. Despite not knowing that, despite not trusting her, Sango should have been able to notice a few things which should have made her act differently. It was because she had failed to see those obvious little things that Kagome was angry, not to mention her current reaction after what had already happened.

The demon slayer opened her mouth to say something, but Kagome really wasn't planning on hearing her out. Whether the slayer wanted it or not, she was not helping her brother at all, she was only making things worse, and if the only way for her to see that was to be told straight out, Kagome didn't mind doing so. The slayer hated her already anyway, one more bad impression wouldn't change that.

"Did you not see the way our supposed fight went, taijiya? Are you so blind that you can't distinguish between attacking and defending? Or was it maybe not obvious enough that the only person on the offensive was your brother?" Kagome asked, her tone low and still eerily calm, proving more than shouting ever could just how livid the hanyō was. And Sango wasn't the only one to notice that. When Kagome stood and easily pushed the wakizashi away from her throat to stare Sango square in the eye instead of looking up at her, Inuyasha actually took an involuntary step back, as if she had approached him, instead. Sango didn't seem that far of wanting to do the same, though. To her credit, Kagome did a great job at being menacing without really showing it other than her voice. If she had been standing in front of a real enemy, she would have already been getting ready to rip him to shreds. Or at the very least, she would have flexed her claws. Inuyasha knew that, which was why he was sure Kagome wouldn't actually attack Sango. That didn't make him any less intimidated by her fury, however.

"If your brain has any way of working, taijiya, I suggest you use it right now. In the seconds you watched before interfering, did you not notice that all I did was avoid Kohaku's attacks to the best of my ability? Did you not notice the way he fought? Or was his control of his weapon always so lacking that you didn't notice?" the enraged hanyō went on. "That all may not tell you what we were doing exactly. But it should have been enough for you to know that your brother was in no danger, because if I had wanted to kill him, I would have done so long before you arrived. I probably would have done it long before we all came to this village, to be quite honest. And it should also be enough for you to realize that if you hadn't interfered, then nothing would have happened."

"If I hadn't done anything, Kohaku wouldn't be here right now," Sango replied, although despite the fire in her eyes, her voice didn't seem very convinced. Maybe Kagome was getting through to her, or maybe it was something she had known all along and just didn't want to admit. The hanyō-girl didn't care. In fact, she hardly realized that lack of conviction was even there, too absorbed in the words themselves. Her fury rose again, but she was so angry already that the change could no longer be visible in her demeanor, unless she started flexing her claws. She wasn't planning to do that, though.

"Are you deaf, taijiya, or just plain stupid? Did you not hear what I said? Or better even, did you not see what I did?" she asked coldly. Sango opened her mouth, probably to contradict her again, but just as before, Kagome didn't let her get a word in edgewise. "Tell me, taijiya, who was it that pushed you out of the way when you were too shocked to even think of avoiding the sickle? Who was it that took the blow that would have otherwise killed you?" she asked rhetorically. They both knew the answer to that. Problem was, for some reason, Sango was refusing to acknowledge it. Not that Kagome was really surprised. Humans rarely liked to admit that a half-breed had saved their lives, and taijiya were only different in the regard that they never, under any circumstances, admitted such a thing.

When Sango didn't reply, Kagome pointedly turned away from her. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she turned back to Kohaku instead and once again knelt in front of him. They didn't talk long and, seeing that there was nothing more she could do, Kagome decided to leave the boy and the rest of their group to their thoughts. She needed some time alone, anyway.

There wasn't much she could have said to Kohaku. But she hoped the boy understood that she did not blame him for what happened. It was not his fault. The fault lay with his sister… and with herself, too. If she had not rushed so recklessly to the slayer, if she had been just a little bit faster, both of them could have escaped harm. And while it was also true that if Sango hadn't revealed her presence as suddenly as she had, then there would be no dangerous situation to begin with, Kagome could not deny that the responsibility for getting hurt while protecting someone else lay with her alone. It had been her choice to protect Sango (although that wasn't really a choice, as she couldn't allow the slayer to be killed for Kohaku's sake, much less by his own weapon) and it had also been her choice how to do it. She could have just as well tried to yank on the chain like she had when Kohaku had tried to kill himself. It was her own choice to recklessly push the slayer away and risk not having enough time to avoid the blade herself.

And besides, if she were to really go to the root of the matter, Sango's interference wasn't the only thing that caused the accident. If Kagome had not asked Kohaku to train with her, there would have been no chance of the accident ever happening to begin with. So in all, there were two people to blame for what happened: Sango and herself. She seriously doubted Kohaku would easily believe her, however, and Kagome soon found herself cursing both Sango's and her own stupid choices.

The accident would have bad repercussions in more ways than just her temporarily losing an eye. What worried her more was how Kohaku would inevitably react to what happened. Her way of helping him was the only one he could overcome his fear, she was well aware of that. She was also aware of the fact that it would not be easy. It hadn't been for her and it surely will not be for Kohaku. But just as the harsh training could help him, it could also slow his recovery considerably – which Kagome suspected would happen now. The boy was truly unfortunate and fate really didn't deal him the best cards it could. Not only had his first field mission ended the way it had, now his first attempt to overcome his fear had ended with his worst fears coming true. She could only hope it wouldn't worsen the situation.

Unable to stop herself, Kagome sighed. She had chewed Sango out for doing more harm than good to her own brother. But thinking calmly about it… wasn't she doing the exact same thing? She was. And the worst of it was that, just like Sango, she only wanted to help.

Too bad she was failing miserably at it.

XxX

When Kagome said all she had to say to Kohaku and left, Inuyasha didn't even try to stop her. She might have acted calm towards Kohaku, but it was obvious she was still pissed. Not that he blamed her. He'd be, too, if Sango accused him of wanting to harm someone when all he did was try to help.

The thought that maybe Kagome really was trying to harm Kohaku didn't even cross his mind. It just wasn't possible. He knew her long enough to know at least that much.

Still, that didn't make him any less curious as to what exactly happened between those three.

"Now, Sango-san, would you mind explaining what all this was about?" Miroku asked before Inuyasha could even begin to think how to ask the same thing. Sango shrugged lightly and sat back down, reaching out a hand to pet Kirara. The cat, however, expertly avoided her hands and jumped into Kohaku's lap, instead. She didn't hiss or anything, but her actions were enough to make Sango stare at her in surprise. Apparently, Kirara wasn't one to avoid being petted.

As if sensing Sango's surprise, Shippō glanced at Kirara then. For a moment, both demons stared at each other until Kirara mewled softly. Nodding in understanding, the little kit turned to the still surprised demon slayer.

"She says she's disappointed in you," he said pointedly before shrugging. "I believe she means the way you treated Kagome."

Instead of making things clearer, that only seemed to confuse Sango more. It was almost as if she wanted to say 'how else was I supposed to treat the hanyō?' but in the end, she said nothing. All she did was glance questioningly at Kirara before turning to Miroku, who was still waiting patiently for her answer.

"As I said before, I found the hanyō fighting with Kohaku…"

"We weren't fighting, ane-ue. I told you that already," a subdued voice interrupted her and everyone's heads turned to Kohaku. The boy was no longer as pale as before and his eyes were dry, but he was still obviously affected by whatever has happened. "We were training."

Well, that at least made sense. But still, Inuyasha couldn't really blame Sango for misunderstanding. He was well aware of just how much like a real fight it looked when Kagome was training with someone. He hardly ever felt like training whenever she sparred with him, and he still remembered Miroku's reaction when he first saw them. It definitely hadn't looked like a spar to him.

"It didn't look like training," Sango said doubtfully, as if reading Inuyasha's thoughts. The teen snorted.

"It never does with her," he couldn't help but comment. "But it sure prepares you for a real fight better than any other kind of training would." Not that he had much experience in any other kind of training, but what could be better than a fake battle? He doubted there was anything more suited for training than that. At Sango's questioning glance, Inuyasha shrugged, suddenly remembering that Sango knew nothing of his training with the half-demon. "I'd know, I've been training with her for the last two months."

"And it is true that it does look like a real battle," Miroku admitted. "Except for the fact that Kagome-sama would never actually hurt the one she's training with."

"But back to the main topic. So they were training. What of it?" Inuyasha asked, trying to steer the conversation back to what happened to make Sango and Kagome act the way they had with each other. Once again, it was Kohaku who replied before his sister could say anything.

"We haven't heard ane-ue coming. When she called out to us, it surprised me…" Kohaku said shakily, but proceeded to bravely recount what happened next nonetheless. How his weapon turned on Sango and how he wanted to stop it before it could reach and hurt her. How his actions backfired and how the weapons trajectory turned from threatening to deadly. How he thought he would once again do the same thing he had done at the castle without even wanting to.

"I was scared," the boy admitted. "Even more so since ane-ue wasn't moving out of the way. I was afraid… I'd kill her," that fear was all but whispered, and yet it was plainly loud enough for everyone surrounding the boy to hear.

"Kohaku," Sango said softly, as if wanting to tell him that this was enough. The boy didn't listen to her, though, obviously determined to finish his tale.

"The only reason I haven't done so," Kohaku continued, referring once again to what he was most afraid of, "was because Kagome-sama stepped in. In a flash, she was there. She had pushed ane-ue out of the way… and she took the blow."

"In other words: she saved your life," Inuyasha deadpanned, his eyes glaring at Sango accusingly when Kohaku had once again fallen silent. "Again," he added for emphasis. "If you know that, how can you still be so stubborn as to treat Kagome like she's a devil incarnate?"

"She's hanyō," Sango replied, as if that explained everything. Inuyasha couldn't believe his ears. Just how dense and stupid was this woman? "She could be doing that just to gain my trust and dispatch of me easier."

Say what?!

That was so stupid Inuyasha wasn't even able to find a response anymore. In Kohaku's lap, Kirara seemed to think likewise, if her snort was anything to go by. The only one who didn't seem annoyed at Sango's words was Miroku.

"I understand where you're coming from, Sango-san. I, too, have heard many teachings about hanyō and their supposedly evil nature. However, as I have said before, I believe you cling too much to what you have always considered truth. It would truly be best for everyone if you allowed your mind to decide what to believe on its own using the provided facts, instead of what you always blindly believed in. Especially since it is very likely you and your brother will join us, if only to find Naraku, no? Would it not be better if there was peace among us, instead of tense animosity?" the monk asked calmly. Sango gave him an irritated look, as if wanting to deny his claims again. But when the houshi raised an almost daring eyebrow, she remained silent and the conversation ended there.

XxX

Kagome sighed as she leaned her back against the bark of the tree in which she had taken residence. When she left the others, she decided to go as far as the entrance of the forest near the taijiya fortress, needing to get away from the ruined village and into nature for a while. Because of this, she was much too far away from the others to be aware of Kirara's and Miroku's attempts to make Sango less distrustful towards her. And even if she had been closer, she probably wouldn't have registered much of their conversation, anyway. She was too preoccupied with something else.

Kohaku's eyes when she talked to him refused to leave her mind, haunting her with the fear and regret they were filled with when he glanced at her, however briefly. She knew very well where both of these emotions came from, too. But as much as she believed that what had happened was simply an unfortunate accident, the more she thought about it, the more she felt like it was some kind of twisted warning.

'Kohaku didn't want to fight me because he was afraid he'd hurt me. And in the end, he did, even if it wasn't really his fault,' Kagome thought, worry filling her eyes, the mask she had been wearing in the village long since discarded. Hiding behind it was unnaturally tiring, she noticed. Before, she would have never taken it off – it was so natural to pretend not to have any feelings besides anger, so that no one ever found out when she was hurting or afraid or anything like that, that she had always worn that mask, even when she was hundred percent sure she was alone. Even with Kikyo she hadn't truly taken it off. The late miko had merely caught a glimpse here and there of her true self, and these instants were few and in-between. Since she had met Inuyasha, however, it felt more natural to let her feelings show than to hide them and she wasn't quite sure whether to be glad about it or curse herself for allowing it to happen.

That wasn't what was worrying her, however. In fact, it had nothing to do with her reason for worrying.

'Kohaku's fear had come true, if not fully, then at least partially. He didn't kill anyway, but although I can't blame him for it, he did draw blood. His fear became reality despite my and his best efforts to keep that from happening…' she acknowledged in her thoughts, unconsciously biting her lower lip. Mercilessly, the words she had told Kohaku but a day or two before came back to haunt her, re-awakening a fear she had hoped to have left behind her a long time ago.

"It can, although I can't say when it does. There isn't a pattern to it, it's not a natural occurrence like when turning human. But I know that when it does happen, a hanyō is no longer himself, but rather the very monster humans fear."

Kagome shuddered at the memory of those words, words that suddenly had completely different meaning in light of what had happened not even an hour ago.

'When I was younger, I always feared it might happen again. That I'd lose myself and kill innocents. And when I grew up and it never happened, I figured I could keep it that way. I was no longer afraid… at least, that's what I thought,' Kagome thought dejectedly, a dread long forgotten reawakening in her heart with more force than ever before. Truth was, she had never let go of that fear. All she had done was push it into the back of her mind, believing that if it hadn't happened a second time thus far, then she could somehow make sure it would never happen again. But Kohaku had ended up hurting someone, even if not voluntarily, despite his best efforts not to. Who was to say the same couldn't happen to her? Who was to say her demon blood wouldn't overrun her human blood one day and lead her to killing all those that meant anything to her?

She didn't have any guarantee it wouldn't happen, did she?

'I have no idea why it happened back then. I have no idea what I could possibly do to make sure it won't happen someday… no way to assure it won't… And what if it does? What if I lose it and turn my claws on my friends? On Shippō-chan, or Miroku-sama, or Kohaku?

'What if I attacked Inuyasha?'

She shuddered at the mere thought. The idea alone of something like this happening, no matter who it'd be that she'd attack, terrified her more than anything else ever has. Especially since the Jewel had already tried to make it happen – it had spoken to her demonic side, and now that she thought about it, the sensation back then was somewhat like that one time.

Sure, Inuyasha found a way to seal the Jewel's power enough that it didn't affect her, but what if the seal broke or something? It wasn't impossible, after all. And if it happened and the Jewel called out to her and she transformed then…

She didn't even want to think about it.

What she needed to think about, however, was a way to ensure nothing would happen. No matter what angle she looked at it, though, there was only one logical response: the only way to make sure she didn't hurt anyone was to leave and never come back. If she was alone, then even if she turned, she would not hurt anyone.

The problem was… she didn't want to leave. And even less to be alone again.

"This Myouga believes to know what is troubling you, Kagome-sama," the flea suddenly spoke, reminding Kagome that he was with her. The young half-demon glanced down at her shoulder where he was hopping up and down to get her attention. He calmed down when he was sure Kagome was listening to him, though, jumping onto her outstretched hand when she offered it to him. "You're thinking of that night, are you not, Kagome-sama?" he phrased it as a question, but Kagome knew he was stating a fact. She also knew what he meant by 'that night'. He might be a lousy retainer and not always nearby when it could have been useful, but Kagome couldn't deny that the flea had been there without fail whenever she needed him most. Including right after her mother's death.

"Not really," she said with a shrug. Myouga scowled at her, easily realizing that she was trying to brush him off by pretending she didn't know what exactly he was getting at.

"Do you really think I am a fool, Kagome-sama?" the flea asked in a surprisingly firm and calm voice, like a father scolding his daughter. If Kagome had any doubt about whether or not Myouga meant business, they were gone now. She sighed.

"I could call you a lot of things, but a fool is not one of them, Myouga-jii-chan. We both know that," she replied, trying to sound casual and failing miserably at it. It was Myouga's turn to sigh.

"Sometimes, this Myouga has trouble believing what you say, Kagome-sama," he said in response, effectively destroying any resolve Kagome might have had to keep her troubles to herself. There were only few times in her life that she actually confined in Myouga or treated him like he was her retainer, but whenever she actually did, she never regretted it. And somehow she knew this time wouldn't be any different.

"Yeah, I was thinking of what happened that night," she finally admitted quietly, leaning once again against the tree's bark. "Or rather, I was thinking what I'd do if something like this happened again… how I could ensure it would not," she explained, her eyes wandering to the tiny, but wise flea in her hand in question. If Myouga was surprised by the level of emotion she was sure her eyes were showing right then, he made a point of not showing it.

"Not getting into any trouble or fights would be a good start, but I'm afraid we both know that is not possible," the tiny yōkai said half-jokingly, half-seriously. At Kagome's asking gaze, he went on, explaining to her why she turned on that fateful night and how she could predict when she would transform again.

"You see, Kagome-sama, there are only two situations in which your demon blood may awaken to the point of overrunning your human mind. One of them is if you're in mortal peril. If you were to fight a demon and sustain an injury that could potentially kill you in a short time, your blood would awaken to hasten the healing process and destroy the threat. It is like a survival instinct. Letting your human blood fade away strengthens your demon blood and thus allows you to heal quicker, move faster and strike stronger, so when Kagome-sama's life is in danger, you would subconsciously do it in order to save yourself," he explained slowly, his eyes never leaving Kagome's as he spoke and becoming more and more serious with each word. "But that is not what caused you to transform on that night, was it, Kagome-sama."

It wasn't a question. Myouga might not have been present on the night itself when it happened, but considering the circumstances and everything, it would be very unlikely for Kagome to have found herself in such a situation. And the flea knew it, Kagome was sure he did. Still, she responded to his pretended inquiry.

"No. That couldn't have been what caused it. I mean, my life might have been in danger back then, but not immediate, and not from a wound I had already sustained – since I wasn't wounded to begin with… not physically, anyway," she muttered the last three words under her breath. Whether Myouga heard them or not, she didn't know, but in a way, it wasn't important. Though she couldn't trust the coward with her life, there were many secrets Kagome trusted him with, and her feelings concerning her past with her mother were one of them.

Shaking those thoughts off, Kagome brought her attention back to the conversation at hand.

"What's the other situation in which I can transform? What was it that caused it back then?" she asked, her eyes practically demanding that Myouga answer right away. And what her eyes didn't convey, her urgent voice sure did. She had to know. She would not let the flea go until he told her.

For the very first time since Kagome knew him, however, Myouga didn't allow himself to be intimidated by her. Keeping a surprisingly calm demeanor, the flea raised his head to stare straight in her eyes and spoke. Instead of answering her question, however, he asked one of his own.

"I realize it may be hard for you to think back to that night, Kagome-sama, but please try and tell me: right before you transformed, what did you feel like? What were you thinking?" the flea asked seriously. Normally, she wouldn't have stood for his games and demanded he answer her question. But something in his demeanor told her that this time, for her own good, it would be better to treat him like the elder he was. Biting her lip, Kagome forced her mind to go back to that night. It wasn't hard. Ever since she first told Kohaku about it all, the few terrifying memories she had refused to leave her mind and haunted her every moment of the day. Up until now, she had tried to block them out, fearing they'd make her go insane. This was the first time she ever willingly thought back on that night, the first time she ever allowed the memories to consume her without fighting them. She also hoped it would be the last time she had to think about it, too.

"I was scared," she admitted quietly as the images of that night flashed in her mind again. What had up until now been blurry memories suddenly changed into vivid remembrances of color and sound and emotion. Suddenly, she could see herself in that room again, could see her mother barely a few feet away from her, could feel the arms and hands holding her back and all the emotions that raced through her mind and heart in that very moment. Suddenly, she was that small, three-year-old brat again who wasn't able to do anything despite wanting so much to.

Unable to stop herself, Kagome curled up on the branch she was sitting on, forcing Myouga to jump from her hand to her knees as her arms circled her legs so that she became an almost perfect hanyō-ball. Her head was tucked between her chest and her drawn-up legs and she was trembling, scarcely aware that she was in a tree far away from that village she lived in so long ago and that she was no longer a helpless little child. But to Myouga's luck, though she was stuck somewhere between her current self and the little girl that she was in her haunting memories, Kagome kept talking.

"I was scared," she repeated in a shaky whisper. "But not for myself. I was scared for kaa-san… I was scared what they'd do to her."

She didn't need to elaborate on who 'they' were, Myouga knew without having to ask, even if he hadn't been present. Kagome would thank the fates for small miracles later, when she would come back to herself. As she was now, however, she could only think of that night, of what she thought and what she felt.

"I… I wanted to protect kaa-san… I wanted to stop those who hurt her from doing anything more to her… But… I couldn't do anything except watch… I could only watch as they…" she trailed off, unable to finish that sentence, a small whimper escaping her when her memories provided an image of what she could not say aloud. "I could only watch. And I hated it. I hated myself for being so weak and helpless. I hated knowing that I was the reason for what was happening and that I could do nothing to stop it," she continued, her voice progressively calming down as the emotions of dread, fear and self-loathing slowly faded from her heart, just like they did that night, only to be replaced by anger and fury. Her body still shook, but for different reasons now and if she had looked up, she would have seen that Myouga had blanched in fear, only barely keeping himself from hightailing from where he was.

"But more than anything… I hated them for doing all this," the silver-haired half-demon growled, her hands clenching into tight fists at her knees. "I hated them for hating kaa-san and I. We haven't ever done anything to warrant their hate except existing! I couldn't understand how that could be enough reason for them to hate us and I hated them right back.

"I knew I wanted to save okaa-san. In order to save her, to help her, I had to remove the threat. And right then, they were the threat. I had to get rid of them in order to save her. I wanted to get rid of them. I wanted them dead. And next thing I knew… they were dead… and kaa-san along with them," Kagome finished in a sad and dejected tone as she slowly calmed down and forced herself to come back to the here and now, instead of dwelling in the memory of that night. Her eyes narrowed. Now that she thought about it, it was the first and only time she had felt such intense emotions, wasn't it?

"I… Never before and never again after that had I felt that kind of fury or hate… or that kind of a will to kill, to be honest," she added after a while, shivering again at the mere thought of what had passed through her mind and heart that night. She had really thought like a monster, hadn't she…

"And that is exactly why you have never transformed before or after that, Kagome-sama," Myouga finally replied, one of his hands rising to his forehead to wipe away the sweat that accumulated there. Kagome raised an eyebrow at the lingering scent of fear coming from the flea, but decided not to comment. She didn't want to know what except her words caused Myouga to have such a reaction. She felt thankful he didn't act on that fear, however, and even slightly impressed. She couldn't remember any other time when the flea stayed at her side despite being terrified out of his mind. But then again, whenever she faced an enemy, his scent spoke of a different kind of fear than the scent she smelled now.

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" she finally asked, her brain trying to understand what the flea was getting at. The tiny yōkai sighed again, but it didn't sound as if he were annoyed. It was rather the sigh of someone who wasn't looking forward to what he needed to say next.

"Well, as I'm sure you noticed, Kagome-sama, when you transform, you no longer distinguish friend from foe. Your demonic blood overruns your conscious, and while the power it brings can save your life, it comes at the price of losing yourself to your instincts. And a demon's most basic instinct, as many lowlifes show us every day, is the need to hunt and kill, be it for survival or for fun.

"Did you not say so yourself, Kagome-sama? You may have wanted to protect your Lady Mother, but more than anything, Kagome-sama wanted to destroy the threat: them. You have told this Myouga yourself that you wanted them dead. Which in a roundabout way means that Kagome-sama wanted to kill. It was that willingness to spill blood that allowed Kagome-sama to transform. By consciously wanting to kill someone, Kagome-sama might have as well invited her instincts, and thus her demon blood, to take over, so it did. At least, this is what this Myouga believes," the flea said calmly. Surprisingly, his voice didn't sound like an accusation at all. Kagome was glad about that.

"In other words, I thought like a beast, so I became a beast, huh," she said, her voice eerily detached. She chuckled humorlessly. "And here I thought I wasn't at all like the monster that ningen see me as…"

"Kagome-sama is not," Myouga interrupted, jumping in agitation on her knee. "Never think that, Kagome-sama! You're the proud daughter of one of the strongest and kindest daiyōkai and human who have walked this earth and you have inherited both their strength and kindness. Kagome-sama is no monster and anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool you should not concern yourself with!" he started yelling, his angry voice actually causing Kagome to smile. Once again, she stretched out a hand for the flea to jump on as she leaned back against the tree and extended her legs. Myouga easily reached the palm of her hand, and from the look on his face, he was about to continue lecturing her. The hanyō-girl couldn't help chuckling.

"Arigato, Myouga-jii-chan," she said softly before sighing. "But even if you believe that, there's no changing the fact that there's a beast dormant inside of me. A beast I have no idea how to keep in check. I can't shy away from fights and I can't predict when I meet someone stronger than myself who'll be able to fatally wound me, either. Nor can I ensure I won't ever meet someone who'll anger me to the point where I want to rip his head of like back then," she said, her mind wandering back to Naraku. He had a scaring ability to get under her skin amazingly fast and amazingly effectively – it was almost as if he knew what could happen if he riled her up enough and wanted to see how far he could push her until it actually happened.

Myouga didn't seem very concerned by Kagome's troubles, however.

"As this Myouga was about to tell you, Kagome-sama, you needn't worry. Your Lord Father has seen to it that you're protected from his strong blood-line," the flea said calmly, immediately catching Kagome's attention.

"Protected? How?" she asked. Myouga merely glanced at the sword at her side meaningfully before glancing back at her.

"Your Lord Father's sword, Tessaiga, has the ability to seal your demon blood away, Kagome-sama. As long as you have the sword by your side, you needn't fear transforming."

"Tessaiga?" Kagome repeated, glancing at the dormant blade at her side. If she didn't know of its true power, she might have thought the idea was ridiculous. As it was, however, she felt as if she should have figured it out on her own. 'Now that I think about it, back at that castle, when Naraku taunted me… I was close to thinking of nothing more than ripping him to shreds. I know I was. Yet I didn't transform, like I should if Myouga's telling the truth as to what can cause my transformation,' she thought with a frown, but it took her only a short while to figure out why she had not transformed.

'Tessaiga had been vibrating at my side… and I remember it being quite hot once I calmed down. Was it a reaction to keeping my demon-blood at bay?' somehow, she had no trouble believing that. And knowing that she had a working seal keeping her blood at bay relieved her more than she thought it would. But still, some tension remained, as if she was not fully satisfied with the explanation she got. And truly she wasn't, because there were a few little things that still didn't add up.

'If Chichi-ue wanted Tessaiga to protect me from my blood… then why the test?' she wondered, her question directed as much at herself, as it was at the sword. And it was a legitimate question. After all, Tessaiga had tested her before allowing her to become its wielder. What if she hadn't passed the test? Would she have been left without protection?

Somehow she doubted her father would have allowed that. But how could he have been so sure she's pass that test?

As if sensing her doubts, Tessaiga pulsed, catching Kagome's attention immediately. Frowning slightly, the young half-demon grasped the sheathed sword lightly, beckoning it to speak to her. It pulsed in response and Kagome bit her lip, her frown deepening.

'What are you trying to tell me?' she thought, irritated at her own inability to understand her blade. There were times when Tessaiga's pulse was like words to her – she wasn't quite sure how, but she understood them as if they were spoken in a language she had always known. And other times, like now, the pulse was just that: a pulse of power that proved Tessaiga was alive and had a will of its own, but nothing more, nothing that Kagome could possibly understand. And yet she was certain this was Tessaiga's way of communicating with her. It was something she should have been able to understand, and the fact that she didn't made her feel like she didn't deserve to wield the blade.

As if sensing Kagome's sudden doubts, the sword pulsed a third time, this time stronger and Kgome's eyes widened.

"Kagome-sama… were you listening to a word this Myouga said?" the flea's voice easily cut through Kagome's thoughts, only then making her realize that Myouga was in fact still talking. She shook her head before turning back to her retainer.

"Sorry, what were you saying, Myouga-jii-chan?" she asked absentmindedly, only half-listening to what he was saying, her thoughts occupied by what had just happened. 'Just now… it felt as if Tessaiga was reassuring me…' she couldn't help but think. In the end, however, she ended up focusing all of her attention on Myouga, whose words proved to be more interesting than she could have expected. In more ways than one.

"As I was saying, Kagome-sama is probably wondering why her Lord Father would wish for Tessaiga, his own possession which he did not know when and even if you'd receive, to seal away your blood. Why would he think of something like that, considering it left you without protection until the sword was in your hands? Do you not wonder, Kagome-sama?" Myouga repeated after clearing his throat. Kagome frowned. Yes, she did wonder. She wondered because it was indeed strange. If her father truly wished to protect her from the danger that her blood – his blood – meant for her, why use for a protection an item he could never be sure she'd get, unless he gave it to her himself? For someone as wise as her father was (at least from the way Myouga always spoke about him he seemed wise), it was a rather stupid decision.

"It is weird, now that I think about it," Kagome admitted, her eyes lowering to glance at the flea at her shoulder – neither of them had noticed when exactly he moved there, but Kagome didn't mind. Sensing the question, the tiny yōkai continued his explanation.

"That is because, unless he was no longer there to do it himself, Kagome-sama's Chichi-ue did not want for Kagome-sama to have to protect herself. While your Lord Father would have trained you in the way of fighting, both with your claws and a weapon, he would not want you to expose yourself to danger meaninglessly. Kagome-sama's Lord Father was a very possessive and protective inu, indeed – as protective as they come, this Myouga believes. That is why Tessaiga's ability to seal your blood was the last resort your Lord Father has thought of. Had he been alive, he would have used Tessaiga to protect your Lady Mother and Kagome-sama as well, while your blood would be sealed by the one thing that could ensure Tessaiga would eventually fall into Kagome-sama's hands, should something befall your Lord Father. That one thing was the key to the tomb Kagome-sama's Chichi-ue now rests in."

"You mean… that Black Pearl thing?" Kagome asked, her minding scarcely recalling the gem. It was something Sesshōmaru had desperately wanted in order to find Tessaiga, something she had given up willingly in order to protect Inuyasha from her brother… and if she remembered right, it had been hidden… "That gem that was stuck in my eye without me knowing it?" she clarified, raising a hand to her eye, only for her fingers to meet the cloth of the fire rat's fur that she used as a bandage. She hadn't realized the coincidence up until now, but the very eye that had once housed the key to her father's grave was the eye that she had lost a few hours ago. Not that it really mattered.

"The very one," Myouga confirmed. "It was a gem your Lord Father made of his youki – a way for him to be connected to Kagome-sama. That was why it led you to his grave and why it could seal Kagome-sama's blood, for the most part. But it would seem the gem alone had not been strong enough."

"Indeed, that's what it looks like," the young hanyō-girl agreed softly, her mind trying to wander once again to the memories of her first transformation before another thought chased those images away. "But still… he was looking out for me. I wasn't even born and he was already looking out for me…" she whispered, her eyes slowly falling to Tessaiga. Grasping the sheathed blade gently, Kagome removed it from her obi and held the sword in front of herself with both hands for a while, glancing at it with newfound awe and respect. Slowly, a small smile formed on her face and she hugged the weapon close to her chest. 'Actually… he's still looking out for me, even from beyond the grave… even after what happened with kaa-san… isn't he,' she thought, the idea making her both happy and surprised.

To any other child, it might have been obvious that their father would want to protect them no matter what. It might have been obvious that he would love them, as Kagome was now finding out that her father had loved her. But to the half-demon who had never experienced the joy and warmth of fatherly love, it was not obvious.

Once the surprise wore of, however, Kagome couldn't help but doubt that epiphany. The only reason her father would look out for her was if he loved her. And how could he love someone he had never met?

Of course, the fact that he had put so much thought into protecting her from her own blood said otherwise – he would not have thought so much about it, or done so much to ensure Kagome's protection from herself, if he didn't care. Even Kagome knew that.

But then again, he might have just done that for kaa-san, right? He loved her, after all, there was no doubt about that.

'He didn't love her enough to stay with her when things got rough, though,' Kagome thought bitterly, although those thoughts quickly dissipated. She shouldn't be so quick to judge. After all, even if you love someone, isn't there always something that's more important than your feelings? Or isn't it love anymore if you value something over your chosen one's happiness?

It sounded ridiculous. It couldn't be love if there was something else that was more important. At least, that was what Kagome tried to tell herself, but her denials were quickly silenced by her memories of her own experiences with love.

She could not deny that she loved Kōga. She wasn't planning to, either. And yet, if she looked at it at the perspective she had just tried to view love from, what she felt for Kōga couldn't be love. It could not, because there was always one thing that she'd value over Kōga and the feelings she had for him. And that thing was her honor.

It was to be expected, though. Aside from Tessaiga and the clothes on her back, her honor was all Kagome had. Without it, she'd truly be worthless. That was why time and time again, when forced to chose between her feelings and her honor, it was her feelings that always got pushed to the back of her mind. Her promises were more important than her desires. Keeping her word was more important than ensuring her own happiness. In a way, it was also a way for her to repent for her sins of the past… but it was more about not staining her honor than anything else.

Did her father feel the same way? Did he have some obligations he had to take care of before he could take care of her mother? Were there some honor-bound duties he could not look away from even if he wanted to?

Kagome didn't know… and realizing that made her sad. She might not have ever met her father, but that didn't mean she wanted him to be only a word and not a person in her mind. She wanted to know who she was – who her parents were. And their story. She had never fully heard it, being too young while her mother was still alive for the woman to even consider telling her half of it. But… even if both her mother and father died, there was still someone who could answer her questions, wasn't there?

"Ne, Myouga-jii-chan," Kagome spoke again after prolonged silence. Myouga seemed to have been giving her time to digest everything she had just been told and let it sink in. Kagome couldn't help but smile inwardly at how well he knew her.

"Hai, Kagome-sama?" the flea asked respectfully, easily adapting his tone to the situation when he noticed Kagome's sudden change of mood from troubled and uneasy to almost melancholy. The half-demon smiled sadly as she relaxed on the branch and absentmindedly tied Tessaiga back to her hip.

"Chichi-ue… I want you to tell me about him. About my father. How he met my mother. Why he could not stay with her. How… How he died… Tell me all you can about it," she commanded softly. To her surprise, Myouga didn't protest at all. It seemed almost as if he'd been waiting for her to ask – and as if her question was long overdue. And in reality, it truly was, though she didn't know why she hadn't asked before. It just… hadn't occurred to her. But now… 'I want to know my father,' Kagome thought regretfully. 'But since I can't know him in person, I at least want to know all I can learn about him from someone who did know him.'

"My Lord was a very kind soul, especially for a demon," Myouga started eagerly, his words sounding like he had repeated them in his mind many times. He had probably really been waiting for Kagome to ask, and thus had an all-prepared speech already waiting for that moment for a long time. "If Kagome-sama had known him, I'm quite sure you would have thought him more human than demon. And that was just how Milord was, though he could also be quite frightening if crossed. But he wouldn't have been a true daiyōkai if he weren't."

"He must have been a truly great Lord, loved by his people then," Kagome replied quietly, trying to imagine what the great, powerful yet kind inu-yōkai might have looked like. She supposed he shared some similarities with herself and Sesshōmaru, like their long, silver hair and golden eyes. He most definitely wore armor, too, and Tessaiga must have been tied to his belt, along with another sword, maybe. But beyond that, she had no idea how to imagine her own father's looks.

"You misunderstand, Kagome-sama. Milord wasn't a daimyo in the human sense. A demon lord doesn't need land and subjects to be a lord… although your Lord Father did have some demons he could consider servants, like myself, but he had no castle or wealth a human lord usually has. Not that this Myouga knows of, at any rate," Myouga said after a moment of silence. Kagome blinked and glanced at the flea with curiosity. That was something she hadn't been aware of, although she shouldn't be expected to – she had never come into contact with another demon lord and she hadn't known her own father, so when she heard he had the title of a lord, she immediately associated it with human nobility, which she knew a little about. It seemed that guess was completely wrong, though.

Now that she thought about it, Sesshōmaru, who should have inherited their father's lands if he had been a lord in the human sense, didn't act anything like a human lord or heir to lordship, either.

"What defines a daiyōkai as a lord, then, Myouga-jii-chan?"

"Power, mostly. Your Lord Father was considered a lord because he was so powerful most other yōkai feared his might. When forced to chose between fighting him and bowing low and leaving, most valued their life more than their pride."

"So… You're a daiyōkai if you're powerful enough that others fear you so much they prefer to flee than to fight?"

"That is the gist of it. It is also why Sesshōmaru-sama is not a full-fledged daiyōkai yet. He is powerful, yes, but there are still many who'd rather challenge him than bow down in respect. That may be because Sesshōmaru-sama is still young, however."

"But… There's something I don't understand. You told me once that Chichi-ue made the West into his domain, right?" Kagome asked, her brow furrowing in confusion. When Myouga nodded, her frown deepened. "But now you're telling me he didn't have any lands. So which is it?"

"Your Lord Father had no lands in the sense of a human lord's lands that he reigns over. He had no subjects to attend to like human lords do. But Milord did have a territory, and he did not tolerate any trespassers. Those who entered his domain were mercilessly eliminated, and if the fight happened to be against another daiyōkai, then the territorial fight became as serious as a war – which is why it is also called that.

"You should understand easily what I mean, right, Kagome-sama? After all, unlike Sesshōmaru-sama who wanders without end, while you travel a lot, you also have your own territory, no?"

"My… territory?" Kagome wondered aloud. She knew what Myouga was talking about. The village where Kikyo and Kaede had lived, and now only Kaede remained. It was a place she had stayed for a relatively long period of time, a place where she often returned and one she protected with everything she got. Trespassers were eliminated, especially if they happened to attack the village in the epicenter of her domain. That was the definition of a demon's territory, wasn't it? "I guess you're right."

Neither of them said anything for a while after Kagome's admission. It wasn't long, however, before the hanyō-girl noticed that they have abandoned the original subject.

"You still haven't told me much about my father, Myouga-jii-chan," she noted. The flea scratched its neck in an embarrassed manner before getting serious again. From his expression, Kagome figured she was in for a lengthy story, but she couldn't honestly say that she'd mind.

"As I've said, Milord was a very kind and gentle soul, although ruthless when crossed. It hadn't always been that way, however. The first time this Myouga had crossed paths with Kagome-sama's otou-sama, he was quite young and very much like Sesshōmaru. Many a yōkai bowed down to his power already, but even more challenged him more often than not, forcing him to prove his might. And when no one came to challenge him, Milord looked for a challenge himself. It seemed like power was all he could think about, and much like Sesshōmaru-sama, my Lord wasn't very fond of the weak. But he tolerated those who were of some use, and those who were too tiny to even take notice of. There was an aura about him, even at that young age, that told those who knew how to read it that Milord would one day become a truly magnificent demon lord, however – and it was this that made this Myouga curious enough about the young lad to remain by his side… though Milord hardly noticed my presence until many years later."

"Sounds almost like you volunteered to become his retainer," Kagome couldn't help but joke. Myouga only shrugged, as if saying 'if you want to put it that way…'

"I had expected Milord to become a truly frightening daiyōkai when he grew up. And he probably would have become one of the most fearsome ones, had it not been for one encounter with a human – a being Milord usually scorned for its fragility, short life and overall weakness, much like Sesshōmaru-sama does now, if not even worse. But the meeting with that one human changed everything, and this Myouga couldn't be happier about it," the tiny yōkai spoke, acting as if Kagome hadn't said a thing.

Ю

*That fateful encounter took place when Milord was quite young, though he was nearing his coming of age. This Myouga believes my Lord had been about fifteen years old at the time. As for the human he met, she was probably the only one who could have taught Kagome-sama's Lord Father that not all humans are weak and so far below yōkai-kind. She was a miko, and an extremely powerful one.*

"Who are you? Why did you come here, human?" a young male's voice cut through the silence that hung thickly in the air ever since Myouga, and thus also the demon he was with, laid eyes on the human in question. The speaker didn't seem very threatening, or at least he wouldn't to any human. He looked young, something around fifteen years old and he was wearing a simple-to-move-in kimono with elaborate designs. If not for the fact that it was clearly designed for battle, it would have almost looked like a noble's clothing, except for the breastplate covering it as additional protection.

However, even those who could not feel his overwhelming youki, it was clear that this young man was no human. The silver hair and golden eyes, as well as the jagged blue stripes on each of his cheeks were a tell-tale sign of that. However, that was all that revealed that the young male was not what he pretended to be, the disguise hiding his true form being as perfect as it could get.

Opposite him stood a woman. What was even more intriguing was that she didn't dress like one. Most women wore kimonos in varying states, though most of the time their clothing had seen better days. The only exception were the nobles who ruled the land. Women weren't expected to be presentable, however, they were expected to keep the household. Not that in any given village men were any better off, since they had to work they assess off so that there was even a household to keep. It were very hard times for the common folk.

The woman in front of him wasn't dressed as a common village-woman, however, nor like any noble he had ever seen. In fact, she wore the clothes of a warrior, a mighty samurai even and there was a sword tied at her belt.

A human woman in the clothes of a warrior and with a weapon that had obviously slain many an adversary. Even without being able to sense her power, as no yōkai could, Myouga could easily guess who, or maybe what, she was. There weren't many possibilities, anyway.

In front of them stood a miko.

"I have come here because I heard rumors of a strong demonic activity here. I heard there were many attacks on the surrounding villages. I merely come in order to exterminate those who threaten the defenseless," the woman replied calmly, completely unfazed by the youths display of power when he raised his youki slightly, as if trying to intimidate her.

"And what can you, a mere human, do?" he asked, his tone implying a challenge any other demon would have been more than willing to accept. The miko, however, merely threw her long, lose black hair over her shoulder, disregarding the challenge completely as she answered.

"I could do as much as you, demon, if not more. Being human does not make me defenseless against your kind. However, as I said, I came to eradicate those who threaten the defenseless, not every yōkai in sight, so calm your youki. I do not intend to fight the likes of you."

"And how do you know it was not I who attacked those villages? I am a demon, am I not?" the young demon demanded, his tone truly curious. He hadn't met a human before who was willing to just talk and not fight or flee at the mere sight of him. Meeting a human who obviously wasn't afraid of his power was even more of a surprise.

"You have a human shape, do you not? You speak a speech I can understand. You are not a mindless creature like those who feast on our bodies. You have a mind and a heart that make you different from other demons. For one, you did not attack me on sight. You could have, yet you did not. Instead, you decided to communicate. You would not have done that if you were like those who attack the weak," she replied as if it was obvious. The young demon snorted.

"Killing those who cannot defend themselves is meaningless. Unless it's a hunt for food, only a fool would go after a weak human. Fighting your kind isn't a challenge at all, so why would I bother?" he asked again, annoyance seeping into his tone. The miko merely shrugged.

"Whatever your reason, you refrain from attacking humans. And that is enough reason for me to not engage you in a meaningless battle," was her calm reply.

*She was not like any other human out there, especially in those hard times for humans where hundreds of them fell prey to demons' feasts daily. I believe it was her reasoning that had captured Milord's attention at first. But be it as it may, he remained near her for the next following days. They did not interact or talk. For all pretenses, it was as if the miko was not aware your Lord Father was following her. Until…*

The attack was so sudden Myouga hadn't even had time to think that something was approaching. The young demon he was with seemed just as surprised at the sudden appearance of this many demons. The only one who was completely unperturbed, as if she had secretly been waiting for them to come, was the miko herself.

In one swift movement, the sword that had up until now always stayed in its sheath cut through the air, glowing brightly with the miko's power. Faster than the eye could blink, the yōkai nearest to her disintegrated, as if they had never been there.

It all lasted maybe a minute, but hardly any longer. The demons tried many tricks to get to the priestess, from attacking from every angle at the same time to two groups attacking from different angles one after the other, hoping one of them would reach the woman while she was distracted with the other group. It all failed. With one stroke, the miko annihilated one demon after another, if not many at a time. One movement of the enchanted blade and ten enemies vanished from this world. In but a few moments, the battle was decided and the one who remained standing was the miko.

She had no scratch on her and her blade was as clean as it would be if she had just cut through empty air. Nothing remained of her enemies, not even ashes.

Then, the ground shook. A tiny tremor that quickly stopped, only to be followed by another one and then another, almost in the rhythm of footsteps – and that was what it was. A short while later, their source came into view, revealing itself to be a surprisingly large bear-demon. It easily towered over the trees, not to mention the tiny in comparison human miko. It wasn't a weak demon like those from before. This one was definitely stronger, although not as strong as a daiyōkai would be.

Seeing the miko, it roared angrily and charged towards her. It never made it anywhere close to her, however, as a shadow suddenly flew in its face, then through. The bear fell dead to the ground, the shadow landing lightly beside it. It was the silver-haired demon.

"I thank you for the assistance," the miko said calmly, as if she knew he would finish that last demon for her. She always sounded like she knew everything and nothing could surprise her, though, Myouga noted. The young demon snorted.

"I did not do it for you. He trespassed on my territory, so I disposed of him. It is as simple as that," he replied. The miko merely smiled.

"Be that as it may, you still slew a demon that wished to take my life. So I feel I should thank you for helping me."

"You did not need my help, miko, and I did not do it to help you," he said, his tone getting slightly annoyed.

"Maybe not, but gratitude is still in order."

The demon didn't reply to that, observing the miko calmly instead. She wasn't even out of breath, or slightly tired. If he hadn't seen it himself, Myouga would have never believed she had just singlehandedly dispatched of a rather large number of yōkai.

'That is one miko I am quite sure most yōkai should be weary of,' the flea thought, sneaking slowly out of his hiding in the young dog demons hair, where he hid both from other demons, and from the youth he chose to stay with, as well. The second he moved, the miko's eyes seemed to stare straight at him before looking back towards the silver-haired male, but the moment was so brief Myouga believed he had just imagined it. Especially since he was much too small for the human to see.

*This Myouga had not expected that Milord's interest in the miko would have lasted for long. Even less that she'd ever have anything to teach to Kagome-sama's Lord Father. And yet it was meeting her that changed his life, or at the very least his outlook on humans and other seemingly weak creatures, forever.*

"Tell me something, Miko," the young demon said, his voice sounding more like a command than a request in Myouga's ears. If the miko was bothered by it, however, she did not show it. "You came here to eradicate demons. You must have noticed by now that no matter how many of them you kill, more always come. So then why do you remain here, when it is most sure you will eventually meet your end?" he asked, sounding genuinely curious for the first time since Myouga started to follow him around (not that the demon knew he had a companion – he hardly even felt it when the flea used him as a source of food, his blood being the most delicious he had ever tasted). The miko raised a question, as if surprised by the inquiry.

"I stay because I am needed. I stay because there are people here who still need my protection. When they will be able to defend themselves better without my aid, that's when I'll leave and go where I'll be needed," she replied, her eyes wandering between the demon's face and his shoulder. "But I'm curious as to why you felt the need to ask such a question when the answer should have been obvious to you. Don't you have someone you wish to protect, as well?"

Silence was all that answered her words, the dog demon staring at the miko as if she had grown a second head. The woman's eyes bored into his for a while before slowly moving sideways towards his shoulder again. Following her gaze, the young demon slowly turned his head, thus finally taking notice of the other tiny demon that was there, and had in reality been there from the very beginning. The young yōkai raised an eyebrow in silent questioning, a reaction the miko did not fail to notice or interpret correctly as surprise at seeing the flea on his shoulder.

"That tiny demon had been with you ever since our first meeting. I had thought you knew he was there, and protected him for one reason or another," the miko said, her eyes solemn before she smiled slightly. "It seems I was wrong… but then again, maybe not."

She didn't say anything more, but turned on her heel and left, leaving the terrified flea and the curious dog alone.

"Someone to protect, huh…" the young demon said after a while, raising a hand to his shoulder as if inviting Myouga to jump on it. Glancing between the extended hand and the yōkai's face for a brief moment, the tiny demon finally accepted the invitation, inevitably sealing his fate. He had not known it at the time, but that one decision was what would lead to the development of a deep bond of friendship between that yōkai and him, leading him to become a vassal to a great and kind daiyōkai.

Ю

"Things started to change from that point onward," Myouga continued his story, leaving no time for Kagome to get a word in edgewise. She didn't mind, though, too absorbed in the story he was telling to even think about interrupting the flea. "Not only between Milord and I, but also concerning my Lord's perception of the world surrounding him. After that conversation with the miko, whom we have never met again, my Lord started to pay more attention to the villages within his domain, wishing to learn more of those weak, yet somewhat intriguing creatures called humans. Eventually, curiosity turned into fascination, then into respect. The more Milord knew about humans, the more he respected them.

"Of course, they were weaker than yōkai in many regards. They were more fragile and their lives were shorter. The most simple of things could kill them, the smallest of injuries incapacitate them for many moon cycles. And yet between all those weaknesses, your Lord Father started to see strength, which caused him to respect ningen.

"Still, the final experience with humans that fully made Kagome-sama's otou-sama understand the miko's words from so long ago, this Myouga is sure, was meeting your Lady Mother, Kagome-sama. It was falling in love with that one fragile, yet very strong human woman that fully showed Milord what that miko had meant. But long before that, he had met another woman who had also taught him something important. A female inu-yōkai."

"Sesshōmaru's mother," Kagome guessed easily. Myouga merely nodded.

"Indeed. That was many years after his initial meeting with a human, with that one miko, but also a very long time before he met the human woman that would truly change his life. I believe Milord was around thirty when his and Inugami-sama's(2) paths crossed for the first time. And what a meeting that was…" the flea said, his voice taking on a mysterious note. Kagome's ears twitched, but she did not interrupt. The way Myouga was talking made her more curious than she liked to admit.

Ю

*Considering how Milord met Inugami-sama, this Myouga would have never expected for those two to have anything between them. And yet it turned out to be so much more than the platonic relationship this Myouga had foreseen. Thinking about it now, however, it almost seems obvious that things would turn out the way they had.*

A shrill, ear-splitting scream cut through the silence that reigned in the forest that late afternoon. It stopped a second later, as its source, a demon that looked like a weird mix of human and bird fell to the ground. The overall appearance was surprisingly human-like, although the yōkai's height was more that of a child than an adult. That's where the similarities ended, however, as the demon had the head and beak of a bird, along with wings and bird-like feet adorned with sharp talons. Looking at it closely, Myouga had the feeling of looking at a humanoid crow.

To someone who knew little of yōkai, it might have seemed like a yōkai of mixed species, or maybe even a hanyō, with a half-human and half-demon appearance. That wasn't what it was, however. The hideous monster was indeed a full demon, although one could wonder what it was doing in this particular forest. Of course, it wasn't particularly odd for a tengu(3) to live in a forest. That's where they usually resided. But still, this particular wood was one tengu tended to avoid, and with good reason. Those who dared come there usually died, just like this one.

The killer of the tengu hardly cared about the oddities of it being on his territory, however. He was far more concerned with the creature's prey than the dead yōkai itself.

"I'm afraid it is too late, Shugonin-sama. The boy is already dead," Myouga said solemnly from his spot on the chest of the boy in question. Looking at the corpse, it should have been more than obvious that the child couldn't possibly be alive. There was no way a human could have survived the injuries that tengu's bird-like talons have caused when they tore into his body.

Except the boy in question was not human. He was a demon. An inu, to be precise.

He hadn't gotten to live a long life. The child was barely a year or two old from what Myouga could tell. It had truly only just stared to see much of the world, and it was truly a pity he had not gotten to see more of it.

Allowing himself only a regretful sigh, the grown inu-yōkai known as Shugonin came closer to the dead child and gently lifted him off the ground, carrying it in what some might describe as 'bridal style'. Though the child was obviously dead, the silver-haired demon still treated the boy's body with care, as if he were still alive and could feel pain.

"Let us bring him to his mother," was all he said to Myouga, who by then jumped back to rest comfortably on his master's shoulder.

It had been a few days ago that Shugonin had first noticed that another inu-yōkai, and a female at that, had entered his domain. Since she hasn't issued a territorial challenge, however, and seemed to care little about the surrounding human villages, Myouga's master saw little reason to drive her away. He hadn't approached her, either, however, as she had already been a mother. Shugonin knew better than to approach a female who cared for pups that were not his.

Things had changed abruptly merely a few hours ago. Myouga had been accompanying his sire on a stroll which Shugonin used as an excuse to patrol his territory, when the daiyōkai suddenly picked up speed, almost causing the flea to fall off. His questions left unanswered, Myouga only understood the silver-haired demon's sudden change in attitude only when they got closer to its reason. First he heard a call for help that sounded suspiciously like that of a dog, then he saw the tengu.

The humanoid crows had never been creatures Shogunin tolerated well. Usually, as soon as he caught scent of even one tengu on his territory, the mighty dog went on a purging hunt to get rid of all of them, preferably before they could do any harm to the humans the great dog had decided to protect long ago. This time, however, as the tengu had already gotten its talons on a prey, and an inu-pup at that, it was certain that its days were counted.

The fight had been short and Shugunin hadn't even bothered to reveal his true form. Scum like that tengu were not worthy of the honor of seeing his true self. But still, though the fight had been brief, Shugonin hadn't been fast enough, and the child had died, leading him and Myouga to searching for his mother.

It wasn't very hard to find her. Being the only inu-yōkai in these lands other than Shugonin, her scent was easy to find. And to make the search even easier, she was following the scent of her son, thus meeting Shugonin half-way.

She didn't greet him in her human guise, however. The first time he laid eyes on her, he saw the magnificent, gigantic dog that she was. And he also saw just how powerful she was when she attacked. Myouga was terrified of her might, but he did not flee, knowing that he would not be hurt if he remained by his sire's side. The flea wasn't very surprised that the female had attacked, either. Neither was Shugonin. But who could blame her? She had searched for her son only to find him already dead. It was only to be expected she thought whoever she found the corpse with to be responsible for the child's death. Why else would they keep the body if they hadn't killed the child, after all?

*Their fight had been both terrifying and magnificent at the same time. It was the first time since this Myouga has met him that I have seen my Lord's true form. And when he clashed with Inugami-sama, this Myouga really wondered who would come out on top. In the end, after a rather lengthy combat, Kagome-sama's Lord Father had won and Inugami-sama had calmed down.*

She was a beautiful woman when she looked like a human. Long, silver hair tied in twin pigtails cascaded down her back, reaching almost all the way to the ground. Bangs covered most of her forehead, except the exact middle, revealing a perfect violet crescent, and a pair of forelocks fell freely on her chest. Golden eyes that Myouga was starting to believe were a common trait between all dogs stared at them almost coldly, though she no longer seemed to bear any ill will towards the male who had defeated her. Her face was rather pale and she had very delicate features, making her look like a solemn queen. Right under her eyes, her cheeks were adorned with one jagged, magenta stripe each. Her kimono was slight pink with white flowers on it, making her even more regal than she already was. If she had been a human, there would be no doubt she was nobility, maybe the daughter of an extremely wealthy family, if not even the empress (or at the very least, the emperror's concubine). Yōkai didn't have such political and social standings, however, so all Myouga could speculate was that she was a daiyōkai, just like his sire.

"I did not take the life of your son. I have no reason to do such a thing," Shugonin finally spoke as he, too, returned to his human form.

"You need not explain it to me. The scent of his blood on you comes only from where his body rested against yours. That is not how it would have been had you been the one to kill him. I should have noticed that sooner," the female replied calmly and apologetically at the same time. There was another undertone to her words, though, but it was not one Myouga was surprised to hear. The woman had just lost a child, how could she not be sad?

"I may not need to explain, but I do find the need to apologize. Had I acted sooner, I might have been able to save your child," Shugonin replied solemnly, bowing his head slightly in regret. The female merely shook her head and waved his apology away.

"He was not your concern but mine. I should have been the one to protect him. You had no such duty."

"You and your son were within my territory. That is reason enough to make it my duty to ensure your safety." The response had been immediate, without a second of hesitation. The beautiful woman raised her head and her eyes met his. She seemed surprised by his declaration. But before she could say anything in terms of reply, Shugonin had already made a decision and acted on it.

"May I ask your name, Milady?" he asked her gently, once again stunning her – or at least, Myouga believed she was stunned.

"Inugami," she replied, her eyes questioning as they stared at his face. Hidden a bit behind Shugonin's hair, Myouga observed the scene curiously, wondering just as much as the female in front of him what his Lord was up to.

*My Lord could have planned a lot of things then. But what he had actually had in mind, this Myouga did not expect. Inugami-sama probably did not, either.*

"My name is Shugonin," the demon Lord introduced himself with a bow. "And currently, you are on my territory, and thus under my protection. Protection I have failed to provide to your son. I am truly sorry for that. Though I am not capable of bringing your son back to life, I can, and I will, bestow you with another one, if you're willing."

His words were calm and he was obviously completely serious. Silence was his answer.

Ю

"Wait, back up. Are you saying my father offered to pup Sesshōmaru's mother… out of guilt and a sense of failed duty?" Kagome interrupted, her eyes wide. Somehow, that just didn't fit the image she was starting to have of her father there. But to her surprise, Myouga nodded, and if the look on his face was anything to go by, he considered this as something completely normal.

"Indeed, that's the most probable reason," the flea replied. "You forget, Kagome-sama, that unlike humans, yōkai don't fall in love easily. There's only one person a yōkai can truly love in this world, and that's his mate. With anyone else, a demon cat only feel lust or get extremely attached to them, at best, but it is not what humans call love. Also, most demons find their mates only very late in their lives, if ever at all. Is it surprising, then, that most yōkai wish to have descendants even if the other parent was not their mate?"

"Looking at it from that perspective, I guess you're right," Kagome admitted after a moment of silence. Still, despite understanding Myouga's logic, it was a bit hard for her to fathom it. Probably because her mind was much more like a human's than like a demon's in that regard, since she had been raised by a human.

"What Kagome-sama might find even more surprising was that Inugami-sama agreed, despite just having lost her previous child. To someone else, it might have almost seemed like she did not care, but both my Lord and I were aware that was not the case," Myouga continued his story. "And that was how Sesshōmaru-sama had been brought into this world.

"This Myouga never found out why Inugami-sama raised her previous child alone. But no matter the reason why the father had not been with her, Milord did not do the same. He did not mate Inugami-sama, of course, but he did not leave her once pupped. Being the mother to his son and somewhat comparable to what humans call 'concubines', Inugami-sama was now Milord's responsibility to care for and to protect. The same went for Sesshōmaru-sama, naturally.

"This Myouga believes it was Sesshōmaru-sama's birth and childhood that proved to Milord how much stronger he had become. Ever since meeting the miko I have already spoken of, Kagome-sama's Lord Father stopped desiring strength for strength and started seeking strength in order to protect. But as you know, Kagome-sama, Sesshōmaru-sama was more like your Lord Father in his youth, and because of that, Milord could see the difference the reason for wanting strength can make. Many a time, he spoke of Sesshōmaru-sama's potential – the power lurking within him that he could not access because he was lacking a very important thing.

"Sesshōmaru-sama had taken after his mother in regards to humans, although he took them to new heights. Inugami-sama cared little for humans. She didn't bother enough with them to care whether they lived or died, but she didn't seem like she wanted to kill them herself, either. Sesshōmaru-sama, on the other hand… Well, Kagome-sama surely knows how he is."

"Yeah, I do," Kagome replied with a shrug.

"Things only got worse about five hundred years after Sesshōmaru-sama was born. By that time, my Lord and Inugami-sama had gotten as close as two yōkai who are not mates could become. My Lord obviously cared a lot for her, and the feeling was mutual. But when Milord met Kagome-sama's Lady Mother, everything changed.

"As Kagome-sama already knows, Milady was the daughter of a wealthy noble family. Her meetings with Milord were secret for that reason, among many others. But Milady's social standing in human society wasn't the only reason for Milord to want to keep their meetings a secret from Milady's family. At that time, he had been once again at war."

"Once again?" Kagome repeated, stunned. "You didn't mention anything about wars just now."

"If I had mentioned all of them, Kagome-sama would be sitting here with me for two more days and nights," Myouga replied almost flatly, although his tone somehow still contained the same respect as ever. "There were many yōkai who tried to take Milord's territory for themselves, and quite a number of them were daiyōkai. The strongest of them all was the dragon Ryūkotsusei. It was against him that Milord was defending his territory when he met Kagome-sama's Lady Mother.

"Inugami-sama and Sesshōmaru-sama both knew of these secret meetings, of course, but while Inugami-sama took it rather well, Sesshōmaru-sama did not hide his discontent. It would be wrong to assume Inugami-sama did not care, however. My Lord had been a very good partner to her and he cared for her as if she were his mate. Their relationship wouldn't be much better even if they had been mates. So, understandably, Inugami-sama wasn't very fond of Kagome-sama's Lady Mother. However, she did not wish to keep my Lord by her side when it was obvious Milady was my Lord's mate. So she did not interfere.

"The last time Milord went to meet your Lady Mother was shortly before what he decided would be the decisive battle between Ryūkotsusei and himself. Milord had planned to fight until one of them died and not allow the dragon to flee and recover, like he had many times before. How Milady had known of it, this Myouga isn't sure. Be that as it may, it was during that last meeting that Milord gave in to his demonic instincts… and Kagome-sama's Lady Mother's demands."

Myouga didn't need to say anything more. Kagome knew exactly what he was getting at.

"He pupped her," she guessed, not the slightest bit of hesitation in her voice. "He pupped her, but he didn't mate her. With that war going on, though, I guess I can understand. It'd be pretty bad if the dragon found out about otou-sama's human mate."

"The war was only one of the reasons. Even without Ryūkotsusei attacking, this Myouga doubts my Lord would have mated Kagome-sama's Lady Mother right away. He would have preferred to wait," the flea replied, once again surprising Kagome. Said hanyō raised an eyebrow.

"And why's that? Didn't you just say she was his mate?" she asked. Myouga gave her a pointed look.

"Milady was sixteen at that time. If Milord had mated her, her lifespan would extend to match his and she would forever remain a child to anyone who saw her with him. My Lord wanted to wait until Milady was closer to his own age, at least physically, before actually mating her," the flea explained, causing Kagome to nod in understanding. She couldn't say she didn't understand that reasoning. If her mate had been a human who was obviously that much younger than her, she would have waited for him to get older so they at least appeared to be about the same age, too. It was actually very thoughtful of her father to have wanted that.

"Milord had also commanded this Myouga to stay with Milady and to inform him if anything happened. Then he left and did not return for a very long time. But Milord did not know Milady was with child – he couldn't have known. Milady's family found out, however."

"Understandable. Pregnancy is not something you can hide for long. Even I know that," Kagome muttered under her breath, but her comment was ignored.

"Kagome-sama already knows the rest of Milady's story. Milady barely escaped assassination and was instead expelled from her house. With her permission, this Myouga left to find Milord and inform him of everything, as my Lord had ordered. But when I found him…" Myouga trailed off slowly and Kagome held her breath, waiting for him to continue. She knew they were nearing the end of the story. She just knew.

Soon, she would know just how her father had died. But even without asking, she knew it was certainly an honorable death.

Ю

*This Myouga had expected Kagome-sama's Lord Father to win. There had been no yōkai that could have ever killed him before, and the dragon could surely be no different. But I was wrong.*

Myouga could hardly believe the sight before him. Not because of the new crater that now existed on the top of the mountain where Shugonin had fought the dragon (although calling it a valley would be more fitting), but because of the sight of his lord himself.

He didn't look out of breath or like he was in pain, of course. The great daiyōkai was well above showing such things to anyone, no matter how grave his wounds were. Still, there was no denying the seriousness of the injuries.

Parts of his armor were broken and shattered. Those that still remained bore obvious marks of a reptile's claws. Blood stained the Lord's clothes in such quantity, that if Myouga didn't know any better, he would have thought it had always been red and the white 'stains' here and there were what needed to be washed away. Stains of blood also covered the demon's hair, though it still remained tied into a perfect pony-tail at the high back of his head.

Myouga sincerely hoped most of that blood belonged to the dragon, but if the tears in his lord's kimono were anything to go by, it was safe to assume about half of it came from the dog demon's own wounds. When he came closer, Myouga also noticed that one of his sire's fingers was missing a claw. That rather particular injury was easily explained, however, when he looked a bit deeper into the valley. The dragon was there, pinned to one of the stony walls by a gigantic claw that pierces his chest.

"If you have come to find me, then something must have happened. Speak," Shugonin said, his voice calm and commanding. Myouga shivered, but for the first time did not obey right away, worried for his master's reaction. Given his current condition, Shugonin needed rest. But if he knew what had befallen his future mate, there was no doubt rest would be the least of his worries. And if, by chance, anything happened…

*I did not want to let Milord know what had happened. This Myouga feared how it may end if Milord didn't rest and allow his wounds to heal, first. But at the same time, if it had been me and my future mate, this Myouga would have preferred to be told. So in the end, I told my Lord what had befallen Kagome-sama's Lady Mother. And as expected, he immediately started to search for her.*

Myouga really shouldn't be surprised by Shugonin's reaction. Really, if it had been him, he probably would have done the same. Even more so knowing that not only was his future mate only kami knew where, but she was also with child.

Besides which, Shugonin had left her behind and un-mated in order to protect her. Since the result was now coming back to bite him in the ass, he hurried even more – if he had mated her, finding her would have been child's play. Their bond would have led them to each other. As it was, however, the great dog had to search blindly and hope to find her trail. And also that she wouldn't be dead by the time he reached her.

They searched for many days and many nights, but it was all in vain. The only real result of their search was the dog Lord's obviously weakening strength. Of course, those who did not know him would not see it that way. But Myouga could very well see the tiny tell-tale signs of fatigue, if not even exhaustion, on the demon he had stayed with for so long. The fact that his wounds did not heal as rapidly as they would have if he had rested didn't help matters, either. If this kept up, Shugonin would eventually, quite literally, drop dead. And Myouga feared that might happen sooner rather than later.

*This Myouga had almost lost hope to ever find Milady. After looking for so long, there was still no trace of her. But then, Milord found a lead. And he got it from the last person this Myouga ever expected to help.*

"You are searching for that human you believe to be your mate, aren't you, father," it was not a question, it was a statement and the tone it was stated in said more than clearly enough what the speaker thought of such an endeavor. Myouga shivered slightly as he glanced at the young son of his lord. Sesshōmaru's eyes were as cold as his voice, although if one looked deep into them, they could see the hidden respect and admiration shining in them. Those feelings the young demon harbored for his father were not due to what he was doing now, though. Sesshōmaru admired his father mostly for his achievements in battle and for his strength, and both Myouga and Shugonin knew that.

"If you have come to try and dissuade me from doing so, you may as well leave, Sesshōmaru. I will not abandon her," Shugonin replied just as calmly as he turned his back on his son to face the wind. He was hoping the moving air would bring Hikari's scent to him, but unfortunately, that did not happen. It never did.

"You will find her in a human settling further to the west, deeper within your lands," Sesshōmaru revealed unexpectedly, shocking both his father and Myouga. Never in a million years would either of them expect Sesshōmaru, of all people, to help them find a woman he so obviously detested – for more than just her being human, although he tried to pass that for a reason to everyone else. "This Sesshōmaru doubts you will find her alive. I heard a group of dragons was planning to eradicate that settlement and everyone in it. The offspring of the daiyōkai you defeated, from what I heard," the young dog continued, his eyes never leaving his father's back and gauging his reaction to the news. Whether Sesshōmaru noticed one or not, Myouga didn't know, but the flea definitely felt his lord's shoulders tensing and knew they'd soon be running full speed towards the west. "Do you insist on going despite that, father?"

"And if I do, will you stop me, Sesshōmaru?" his father asked back, his voice calm, as if he hadn't just been told his future mate could possibly die, or even be dying this instant. That ever-present calm was something Myouga certainly admired in his Lord, although it was not the only reason to admire the great dog, by all means.

"I won't try to stop you," Sesshōmaru replied just as calmly. "However, before you go, should you not entrust Tessaiga to me?"

It was as much a question as a demand… or maybe rather a plea, as ridiculous as that sounded. Myouga knew what Sesshōmaru meant by it, though. He didn't want to disarm his father, by any means, he just didn't expect the great lord to return alive. Myouga didn't blame him. All three of them knew that by that point, no matter what he did, the great Dog Lord was not long for this world. If it came down to fighting more reptiles, he would kill his opponents before following them into the afterlife. All Sesshōmaru was doing was asking his father to leave Tessaiga as an inheritance to him, so that it would not fall into the wrong hands.

It was quite ironic. Tessaiga, the sword Sesshōmaru desired so much, probably because of its destructive power, was a sword meant for doing something Sesshōmaru would most certainly never do. Shugonin had asked a swords smith by the name of Totosai whom he had met long ago to make it from one of his fangs as a weapon he'd use to protect his human mate. It was a sword capable of destroying many enemies at once, a truly powerful blade, but one that would only ever work in order to protect. If the wielder fought for any other reason than protecting someone else, the blade would not respond.

Even more curious, the blade was prepared to protect others even before it was finished. During its creation, part of the blade fell off and refused to be part of the original sword. Thus, from one fang, the swords smith made twin blades of protection: Tessaiga and Tenseiga. But while Tessaiga was a sword to cut down enemies, Tenseiga did not cut anything that lived. It was not a sword of destruction, but a sword of healing. It did not take life, it gave life. It was a sword meant to heal or even revive those close to the protector.

It wasn't surprising that Sesshōmaru asked only for one of the twin blades. But Myouga still couldn't help but think his father was disappointed in his son, somehow, on some level.

"And if I say I won't, will you kill me, your own father?"

That was when Myouga understood. Shugonin was testing his soon, verifying just how far he'd go to take what he wanted. It was as if he was testing whether Sesshōmaru was worthy of Tessaiga or not – and that was probably what he was doing, considering it was not only frighteningly probable that this was the last time he'd ever talk to his son, but even certain.

When silence was all the answer he got, Shugonin snorted softly, his disappointment even more visible now than it was before. Apparently, Sesshōmaru's reaction wasn't the one his father was looking for.

"Do you desire power so much?" he asked the next question, its implications causing Myouga to freeze. Sure, he had always known Sesshōmaru was very power-hungry, much like his father had been in his youth, but Shugonin couldn't have just read an affirmative in his son's silence, right? That would be going too far, even for demons.

Then again, Sesshōmaru had always wanted to surpass his father's might, that was nothing new. And what better way than to defeat him in combat, in a deathly match? Myouga was sure, though, that Sesshōmaru would not do so now. He wanted to surpass his father. He wouldn't achieve that goal if he killed a man who's already close to tapping on death's door.

"Why do you seek power?"

"The path I walk is the way if supreme conquest," Sesshōmaru replied. "And it is power that will reveal the way to me."

"Supreme conquest, huh," Shugonin repeated, a wry smile on his face. He was probably realizing just how foolish he himself had been at Sesshōmaru's age, when he had longed for power for the sake of power, as well. Things were different now, though. Now, Shugonin was truly strong. He had gained strength he could not access before, because he had no reason to. Now, he did. And Myouga was sure he wished his son would find a good reason and find that strength within himself, as well.

"Tell me, Sesshōmaru, do you have someone to protect?"

That question could have seemed as completely out of the blue to anyone else, but Myouga knew exactly how it was connected to the rest. This was the final test. Sesshōmaru's next response would determine everything.

The young demon was probably aware of that fact, as well. He didn't respond right away, as if mulling over his father's words, trying to understand their meaning. Myouga didn't expect him to understand, though, just like Shugonin had not understood when the miko had told him the same. The great dog understood her meaning only many years later, and Myouga suspected Sesshōmaru would need just as long… if he ever understood at all.

"This Sesshōmaru has no need of such," he finally replied. Shugonin sighed almost inaudibly in response, then let his youki flare. Glancing behind him, Myouga noticed that Sesshōmaru had bent his knees, as if he expected his father to attack him. He most likely thought a test of strength would be the final test, and did not realize he had already been tested and had failed. Instead of attacking his own son, a thing Shugonin would never do outside of sparring, the great dog transformed into his true, gigantic form and, before the younger demon could so much as blink, ran off towards the west. Even if Sesshōmaru had tried to give chase, his father would be long gone by the time he had finished his own transformation.

They raced through the woods at a speed even Myouga was surprised at. The tiny flea found himself clinging to his master's fur with all the strength in his six arms in order not to be blown off. The idea of stopping his sire, or at least trying to get him to reconsider, passed his mind, but in the end, he did not act on it. If it had been him, he would have wanted to protect his mate, too… probably. If nothing else, he understood perfectly what his Lord was going through. And besides, death was awaiting the great dog soon, anyway. If he was to die, it was understandable he wanted to ensure his mate's and child's safety before he left.

*That last run I shared with Milord was both the longest and the shortest ever. It felt like an eternity before my Lord reached the village where Kagome-sama's Lady Mother took refuge, and yet once we arrived, this Myouga found himself regretting it had not taken longer…*

When Shugonin reached the village his son had spoken off, it was obvious he couldn't have gotten there at a better time. People were already screaming in fear as three snake-like dragons of varying colors and sizes flew towards the village. The biggest, and probably oldest, was only a taint darker than Ryūkotsusei had been, his scales reflecting the sun's rays and turning it into a malevolent, dark-violet light. His younger brother's scales were the color of a stormy sky and the youngest entirely black.

The great Dog Lord growled in warning, but the reptiles did not hear him as he approached. They weren't even anywhere near the village yet when the first dragon, the youngest, fell dead without knowing what had hit him. Surprised by the attack from behind, the other two had turned around and, easily recognizing the dog who defeated their father for who he was, attacked mercilessly. Despite being weakened, however, Shugonin was more than a match for them. Though they managed to bite into his flesh once or twice, it was the dragons that took heavier damage. It was merely a short while later that they both fled, both sporting what seemed to be mortal wounds. Surprisingly (or maybe not so much), Shugonin did not give chase, but instead laid down on the grass and slowly transformed into his human form, appearing in place of the great inu in a kneeling position a few short moments mater.

Transformation barely finished, the demon Lord was already standing and heading towards the village. He wasn't welcomed with open arms, though, as should be expected. Instead, he was met with the sharp ends of pitchforks. Before more blood could be spilled, however, a young woman stepped in front of the enraged crowd and with one look silenced them all. Maybe she was the local miko or the daughter of the headman. At any rate, she held some power. Once the villagers calmed down, she turned to the wounded inu-yōkai.

"I am grateful for your help, yōkai-sama, though I'm aware you probably did not do it for us. But know that your female and her child are both safe. I shall lead you to her if you so wish," she said.

Shugonin didn't need to be led to where Hikari was. He could easily follow her scent and find her himself. Still, he nodded in agreement and followed the young woman, the villagers around him making a more than spacious enough passage between them, most likely too scared to dare and come too close.

They reached the right hut soon enough. No sounds were coming from it, but Shugonin seemed calm, so Myouga suspected his superior ears and nose could catch things the flea was not aware of. Nodding briefly in thanks to the woman, the daiyōkai took a step towards the hut, while the woman turned to leave. But before she could walk off, Shugonin stopped and spoke suddenly.

"Those two dragons will return shortly," he said quietly, just loud enough for the human woman to hear. She stopped dead in her tracks at his words, but did not question him. There was no reason to. If they had attacked once and been only driven off, it was more than just likely that the dragons will return. "Tell your people to take all they need and leave the village. I shall keep those reptiles here and ensure they do not follow you. In exchange, you will ensure my mate's and her child's safety among your people."

With those words, Shugonin entered the hut without waiting for a response. He didn't need one. What he had just said to the woman wasn't an offer, after all. It was an order.

*The last meeting between Milord and Milady… This Myouga will never forget it. It is not a thing that could ever be forgotten, even if one wanted to forget.*

The reunion between the great dog and Hikari would have been one of the happiest things Myouga had ever seen, if not for the looming danger of a dragon attack and the fact that his Lord was already dying – despite refusing to even start looking like it. The former noble woman seemed to be aware of that fact somehow, too, if the look on her face was anything to go by. Her eyes were filled with tears, some of which have rolled down her cheeks, and her smile was painfully sad. But despite all that, she still pretended nothing was wrong, just like the daiyōkai in front of her. Myouga couldn't help but admire her strength at that moment, as she introduced the great demon Lord to his newborn daughter and kept smiling all the while, as if that first meeting between father and daughter wasn't going to be the last one.

Shugonin was visibly enchanted on the spot by the little female that was his daughter, though he refrained from asking to be allowed to hold her. Myouga was sure the 'risk' of staining her with blood was one of the reasons his sire refrained from doing so. He did, however, bestow a gift on his daughter: a magnificent Black Pearl, which he infused with his youki in his should-be-mate's full view.

"That pearl will ensure her safety," the daiyōkai said as he held the stone over his newborn daughter before letting it fall. The gem floated slowly towards the infants face, shrinking on the way until it was as big as the child's pupil, only to fuse perfectly with her eye. "Through it, I shall ensure her protection, no matter what may happen to me, as I ensure yours, Hikari," he explained, his eyes focusing on a very similar gem that hung around Hikari's neck.

Before the woman could reply, a dragon's roar echoed in the distance and human's yelling at each other to hurry up could be heard from outside. It was time to leave. The dragons were approaching. Shugonin glanced one last time at his daughter, then at his mate and before he could think twice about it, he leaned down and captured her lips with his in a passionate, albeit short, kiss.

"You must leave now," he commanded softly, his voice commanding though his eyes seemed more pleading than anything else. The former noble woman looked like she was about to protest, but before she could, her beloved spoke again. "You must live, Hikari. Live long, together with our daughter, Kagome," he said while putting a robe around her shoulders. Myouga recognized it instantly. It was the red robe of the fire rat, a robe lighter than any kimono, and sturdier than any steel. Shugonin had explicitly sent him once to find a fire rat, just so the great dog could kill it for its fur and make the robe he intended to gift his daughter with, just in case. And though he could not be possibly aware of this fact, the robe would save his daughters life many years later on many an occasion. But right now, it was bestowed not on Kagome, but on Shugonin's should-be mate, Hikari. It was the perfect protection for her right now.

The young woman was obviously unwilling and very hesitant to obey Shugonin's wishes, but in the end, she agreed and slowly walked out of the hut with her child in her arms and Myouga on her shoulder. Shugonin had ordered the flea to remain at Hikari's side to watch over her and the infant and for the first time in his life, Myouga found himself willing to decline. Not because he did not wish to remain with Lady Hikari and her daughter, but because he wished to stay by his Lord's side, no matter what that might mean. He obeyed in the end, however, just like Hikari had – there was just such authority in the Dog Lord's voice that declining or disobeying wasn't an option. They left the village. Many hours later, Myouga faintly heard a dying dog's howl. The howl of his master bidding him, Hikari, and the daughter he had barely met farewell, while promising them protection even from beyond the grave.

Ю

Silence followed the end of Myouga's tale. That was only to be expected, though, as there was nothing Kagome could reply to it, for more than one reason. Her own reaction to all that information was part of why she was silent, however – to say she was stunned would be a great understatement.

Of course, what surprised her was not the obvious depth of her father's feelings for her mother. She had expected as much. They had, after all, had her, and Kagome was well aware of one fact: there was a lot one could say about a hanyō, but that it's not a child made out of love is not one of them. Hanyō are only ever born when there's love – although humans preferred to overlook or twist that fact, unable to imagine the two races mingling in such a way.

However, Kagome was surprised by how much her father seemed to care for her. He barely knew her. He had actually met her only once, and before her birth, he had scarcely been aware that he was about to be a father again. And despite all that, he really did all he could to protect her.

'He tried to ensure okaa-san and I would have an acceptable life… or at least a roof over our heads when he was gone. He had made the best armor he could for me, to protect me when I would without a doubt be left alone, as he had not mated kaa-san. He had ensured to the best of his abilities that his powerful blood, the blood I inherited from him, would not destroy my human part and would not define who I was…' Kagome thought, the hand that was not supporting Myouga rising to the eye that had once housed the black pearl without her noticing. When it came into contact with her make-shift eye-patch, she let it fall to her side, effectively brushing her hand against Tessaiga's sheath. The sword he had left for her. 'He had left me a weapon to help me to protect others and myself. And all because of his feelings towards me,' she realized. It was strange that the thought hadn't crossed her mind before. It was rather obvious. Why had she not thought about it?

'He… He really cared about me… he loved me, didn't he? He almost didn't know me… but he still loved me…'

Why was this thought so alien? He was her father, she should have expected him to care. And yet for some reason, it was only now that Kagome actually realized that her father had indeed loved her. He had loved her enough to protect her even from beyond the grave, even when she was an unexpected addition to his pack – Tessaiga was proof of that.

She couldn't deny that knowing that made her insanely happy.

XxX

The days passed slowly. Inuyasha had already lost count of the time they had stayed in the ruins of the taijiya fortress, each and every day resembling the previous one so much one could wonder if time wasn't standing still. The only indication that any time had passed were Inuyasha's diminishing reserves of food (mostly ramen) and of the contents of his first aid kit.

Unfortunately, there wasn't even much to do to pass time. With Kagome avoiding staying within the village as much as she could, Inuyasha had no one to spar with, so that wasn't an option. Miroku was also quite often busy with one thing or another, and Shippō was playing with Sango's cat most of the time. Kohaku was avoiding everyone, too, despite Sango's attempts to often keep him company. She probably wanted to ensure he was alright, but it didn't seem to work very well. Quite frankly, since the 'accident' which cost Kagome her eye, the boy had become even more closed off than before. Only when Kagome showed up did he seem to feel a bit better, or at least that was what Inuyasha suspected, since Kohaku was always with the hanyō-girl whenever she actually entered the village. The two of them talked a lot about one thing or another, and Inuyasha actually felt a little jealous of Sango's brother, especially since Kagome seemed to be avoiding him lately for some reason.

Speaking of Sango, the taijiya woman was recovering rather nicely. She still wasn't in any condition to move around too much, despite trying to prove to everyone otherwise. Which was why their stay in the village steadily prolonged itself.

The same couldn't be said for Inuyasha, however. Whereas Sango's condition was improving, he felt worse from day to day. No matter what he tried, he just couldn't seem to get enough sleep. Nightmares he could not remember upon waking kept his sleep shallow and very far from rejuvenating, not to mention thoughts of it kept him awake for most of the night after he actually woke. The lack of rest left him utterly exhausted and practically on the verge of collapsing, although he tried his best to hide it. What he didn't know (not that anyone else did) was that it was mostly during the night that Kagome entered the fort, and in order to check on him no less, so his attempts to hide it from her were totally meaningless. Which was why one and a half weeks later, the half-demon decided to take matters into her own hands.

"How are the taijiya's wounds? Do you think she can travel anytime soon?" she asked Inuyasha when she landed in front of the hut she slept in. Just like on their first night in the village, or any other night after that for that matter, Inuyasha was already there, as if waiting for her. He hadn't slept in the hut he was supposed to share with Miroku even once and Kagome had wondered many times already why the priest always came to the hut that was supposed to be hers and Shippō's (though the kit had already moved to Miroku's hut instead, when it became apparent that Kagome wasn't planning to stay in the fort if she could help it).

Inuyasha blinked at her question, his tired mind needing a few additional seconds to process and comprehend what she was saying. Even if she hadn't kept a close eye on him before, Kagome would have certainly noticed now that there was something wrong. But she did not ask what was going on. There was no point. If Inuyasha had wanted her to know, he would have already told her.

That didn't mean she would just sit down and do nothing, though.

"I don't think so. Her wounds seem to be almost healed, but they're not fully closed yet. She might reopen them if she's not careful. Plus, she still hasn't recovered all of her strength," the black haired priest replied, holding back a yawn. He didn't know why he was trying to hide his fatigue from Kagome, but he was dead set on not having her know about it. Had he been more rested, he would have figured it was futile – his condition was way past the point of not being noticeable no matter what he did.

"Then Kirara will carry her, I'm sure she won't mind," Kagome decided, not even asking if such a solution was acceptable. "We'll leave tomorrow, as early as we can. We'll head back to Kaede's village."

"Why? You want Kaede to get a look at Sango's wounds?" Inuyasha asked, this time unable to keep his yawn at bay. Kagome almost sighed, but did not reply.

'No, I want her to get a look at you,' she thought grimly. Inuyasha didn't smell of sickness, luckily, but that didn't make the half-demon any less worried. His inability to sleep properly was still abnormal. Plus, a human's body was not meant to function that long without proper rest.

As for the future born priest himself, the idea of setting out really didn't appeal to him at all. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, he couldn't hide the fact that he was utterly exhausted. He sincerely doubted he'd have enough strength to walk anywhere tomorrow to be quite honest, although he'd never say so to Kagome. Sure, it was probably a bad idea to keep quiet about it, but it's not like anything could be done about it. He had already tried the most obvious thing, namely resting, and he knew he just wouldn't be able to rest. It was almost as if there was something in the air that purposefully kept sleep away from him as if to tire him out.

If he hadn't been so exhausted, Inuyasha would have probably snorted at such a ridiculous idea.

Yawning again, the future-born teen gave up on waiting for Kagome to answer and lay down in his sleeping bag, instead, deciding to get as much shut-eye as he could. If Kagome had decided to leave the next day, then come low or high water, they'd leave tomorrow and it'd be best if he got as much sleep as he could.

As should be expected, the black haired teen was out like a light in an instant. Kagome didn't fail to notice, however, that his sleep was just as light as the previous nights. Inuyasha was definitely sleeping, but he was not resting at all. And if his behavior mere minutes after falling asleep was anything to go by, he was probably having a nightmare. The hanyō-girl bit her lip, wondering whether she should wake the priest or not. On one hand, he wouldn't rest like this. On the other, what good would waking him bring? He had nightmares every night from what she could tell. If she woke him, he'd just fall asleep and go straight back to another nightmare.

Kagome sighed. She couldn't just look at him and do nothing. Deciding to wake him, the half-demon slowly walked over to the priest and reached for him to shake him awake. She stopped suddenly while nearing, however, when a weird yet familiar sensation washed over her. Kagome frowned and retracted her hand again.

'That feeling just now…' she thought, a suspicion slowly forming in her mind. Observing Inuyasha closely, the sliver haired girl allowed her youki to spike and tried to surround Inuyasha with it. However, it felt like there was something surrounding him already, and whatever it was, it was trying to push Kagome's youki back with a vengeance. It was also a feeling Kagome knew well, which made her hesitate and even back off for a moment. But then, with a deep breath, she raised her youki again. She easily overpowered the force that tried to oppose her and allowed her youki to surround Inuyasha like a blanket. Almost immediately, he calmed down and his breathing and heartbeat slowed, indicating deep, rejuvenating sleep the likes of which the priest had not experienced since they arrived in the fort.

It only lasted a moment, though, before Kagome was forced to lower her youki again and even leave the hut, sweat coating her brow.

"Kagome-sama?" a familiar male voice asked and Kagome turned to see Miroku next to her. She sent him a questioning glance, and although he definitely had some questions of his own, the monk answered her unasked one first. "I sensed your youki rising. Did something happen, Kagome-sama?"

"Yes and no," she replied after taking a deep breath to calm herself. "Tell me, Miroku-sama, are you absolutely sure Inuyasha's condition is not related to his lack of spiritual control?"

"Yes, I am sure. Though he might lack control of his own powers, they're not what are harming him right now. I am absolutely positive of that," the monk replied without a moment of hesitation. But Kagome didn't look convinced – not that it was not for a good reason.

"Then why do I feel a spiritual blanket around him that keeps him from truly resting?" she asked quietly, directing the question more at herself than at Miroku. The houshi frowned.

"A spiritual blanket? What do you mean, Kagome-sama?" he asked and Kagome shrugged and quickly explained what had just happened to her. It didn't seem the monk had expected something like this, though. "It is indeed curious. And did it feel powerful, Kagome-sama?"

"Not at first, no. But when my youki overpowered it the first time around and Inuyasha seemed to feel better, it struck back with so much force that I had to retreat. If I hadn't, my youki would be most likely completely purified and I would have become human. Permanently," Kagome replied with a sigh. To say she wasn't worried would be a lie. But then again, given the situation, anyone would worry. Even Miroku seemed troubled by this development.

"Well, whatever the case, we need to get to the bottom of this and soon. I doubt Inuyasha will be able to hold out much longer. It's actually quite surprising he hadn't collapsed already, but I don't expect the miracle to continue. I highly doubt he'll be able to keep up with us tomorrow with no trouble" Kagome finally said with a seemingly nonchalant shrug when Miroku didn't say anything.

And true to her expectations, Inuyasha wasn't able to keep up at all.

The moment they had sat out, Kagome could see that Inuyasha was in fact much worse than she had originally thought. He could barely keep his eyes open by that point and he was swaying dangerously on his feet. So it came as no surprise to the hanyō-girl when, after barely taking a few steps beyond the ruined fortress's gate, the black haired priest simply collapsed.

Though she had expected something of the sort to happen, Kagome surprised even herself with her own reflexes, catching the falling teen in the nick of time before he could impact with the ground. He didn't react to her touch, and the half-demon doubted he would have reacted if he had hit the ground, instead, too. Inuyasha was out cold and well beyond feeling much of anything regarding physical contact or discomfort.

Seeing the kannushi's obvious inability to go anywhere, Sango commented that they probably wouldn't be going anywhere, after all. But Kagome surprised her. Stating in a tone that brooked no argument that they were leaving this very instant, she swiftly, albeit gently, hoisted the black haired teen onto her back. It wasn't like she minded the additional weight any. Quite the contrary, in fact. The more or less sudden close contact allowed her to ensure Inuyasha wasn't running a fever, and his close proximity made it easier for her ears to keep track of his breathing – which, Kagome noticed with a frown was quick and labored, much like the previous night in the fortress. It wasn't long before the smell of perspiration reached her nose, either. It seemed that even in unconsciousness, overpowered by his exhaustion, Inuyasha could find no rest.

The problem was resolved a few moments later, thanks to Kagome's instinct more than anything else. Worried about the teen's condition, the hanyō hadn't noticed when she reflexively raised her youki and surrounded Inuyasha with it as if it were a blanket. Miroku did, however, and quietly inquired it, carefully keeping his voice low enough for Sango not to hear his words.

"I'm doing the same thing I did last night," she answered after a while, also keeping her voice low. "And this time, there's no reaction. There was nothing surrounding him, either. Whatever it was, it would seem to have been an external source."

Miroku merely hummed in response, his expression becoming contemplative as he pondered her words. Kagome, meanwhile, turned her attention back to the priest on her back. She didn't fail to notice that the moment her youki surrounded him, his breathing evened out and his heartbeat calmed, indicating the kind of deep sleep that the teen hadn't enjoyed in much too long. What was mildly intriguing, however, was the moment when his sleep finally became rejuvenating. It felt almost as if Inuyasha felt it was safer to sleep when she was nearby and he could feel her youki.

Kagome shook her head at the notion. The idea alone was ridiculous. But still, she couldn't fully dismiss it. Just imagining that feeling her near made him feel safe, safer than when he was alone, was enough to make Kagome feel warm inside – the kind of warmth she got only very few chances to experience – and because of that, her conscious mind didn't even want to discard the idea, no matter how stupid it seemed to be.

Kagome's worry resurfaced only when evening came along and the priest had yet to wake up. Still, she decided not to wake him, telling herself that his body needed the rest. Thus, the black haired teen slept through the whole night as well, making the hanyō-girl wonder whether she should try to wake him or not in the end. But yet again, she decided against it.

Miroku seemed to think along the same lines as her. The same couldn't be said for Sango, who was unaware of Inuyasha's exact condition, but Kagome cared little for what the taijiya woman thought. The two of them would probably never get along, so why she should she bother? It wasn't like she could do anything about what Sango thought except remain cautious of the woman.

Then, there was also Kohaku. Unlike his sister, the boy obviously trusted her and, whether he realized it or not, he had already entrusted her with his own wellbeing on a level she had never protected anyone on. He wanted her to save him on an emotional level. He wanted her to help him through the hard times he'd been pushed into. The boy probably didn't realize it, but he had already latched on to her like a saving grace. And Kagome wasn't sure if she could help him anymore. She had tried once already, but it had backfired immensely.

Such thoughts occupied Kagome's mind for the best part of the night. She slept very little, but unlike the humans she travelled with, she wasn't bothered by it. As a hanyō, she needed little sleep. It was only in the wee hours of the morning, when the sun was just starting to rise, that she was brought out of her thoughts by a sound she hadn't heard in a long while. Her ears twitched in response, easily catching it again, though this one sounded like a response to the first. She frowned.

'What's going on? Why are they howling like that? That's not their usual means of communication, even between different packs,' she wondered as another howl reached her ears. Intrigued, the hanyō-girl found herself listening intently, trying to understand what the topic of conversation was.

She wasn't the only one that heard the howls. Kirara and Shippō woke instantly after the first one and Miroku and Sango were eventually roused by the far-off, but still continuous disturbance of the silence, as well. Kohaku and Inuyasha were the last to wake up, the black haired priest feeling much better after a long rest, but slightly disoriented as to where he was.

"What's going on?" he asked while rubbing his eyes. The last thing he remembered was the blurry, swaying vision of the forest somewhere in the distance when they left the taijiya fortress. Then, everything went completely black. Had he fallen asleep on his feet? Or rather, had he fallen unconscious?

Just then, another howl resonated through the silent air and cut through the teen's thoughts, making him instantly alert.

"Are those… wolves?"

"Yeah. But you needn't worry. It doesn't sound like they're out on a hunt. And even if they were, they're pretty far off, so they wouldn't bother with us," Kagome replied, turning her head to glance at him with her good eye. Inuyasha turned away before he could stop himself, for some reason unable to look at her bandaged face. Of course, he knew that he wasn't the reason for her injury this time, but still, seeing the proof of it made him uncomfortable, especially since she refused to let him see how bad it was. Noticing his reaction, Kagome's expression softened for a second, but she caught herself quickly and regained her bearings. If anyone saw the slip, they would have thought their eyes were playing tricks on them.

"Are you feeling better now, Inuyasha?" Shipppō suddenly asked, surprising the black haired priest more than he would have expected it would. Of course, Shippō often showed that he somewhat cared for his wellbeing (though not as much as the kit obviously cared for Kagome), but to see such blatant worry in his eyes was surprising.

"Yeah, I'm fine, runt," he replied gruffly, though he was unable to stop himself from ruffling Shippō's head, like he would with a younger brother.

"I would hope so, considering you slept through one whole day and night," Miroku remarked calmly, although his own relief was visible on his face if one knew how to look for it. Inuyasha blinked.

"I slept that long?" he asked in astonishment.

"Yes, you did. Kagome carried you the whole day yesterday so we wouldn't have to stop," Shippō replied, his voice sounding a bit mocking. The kit was obviously trying to get Inuyasha riled up, and he would have probably succeeded if a particularly loud howl hadn't prevented Inuyasha from responding.

"They don't stop, do they," Kohaku remarked worriedly. "And it sounds like they're getting closer."

"They must be talking about something truly important then. From what I can tell, they're all calling to their leader, probably to report something, but I don't know…" Kagome started, but another howl interrupted her. Well, it was not loud enough to actually cut her off, but the hanyō-girl must have understood something from it that surprised her, for she stopped talking. Instead, her ears twitched on her head as she waited for another howl to reach them, frowning when it did.

"What's wrong, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, intrigued by her sudden change in demeanor. At first, it seemed as if Kagome was going to ignore him, but after a prolonged silence, during which the hanyō listened to a few more howls, she finally replied.

[T]

"These are reports, no doubt. The wolves are reporting to someone…" she said slowly, her face and tone revealing only slightly the worry that was starting to built within her.

"You seem troubled by that, Kagome-sama. May I ask why?" Miroku asked slowly. Kagome shrugged, most of her concentration staying on the wolves' conversation as she replied absentmindedly.

"Their leader happens to be someone I know… an old friend, actually."

"Since when do dogs, especially hanyō, and demon wolves befriend each other?" Sango asked disbelievingly, as if the idea alone was ridiculous. Kagome snorted in response, but didn't as much as turn her head as she answered the demon slayer.

"Since when do humans, especially yōkai taijiya, and nekomata get along?" she asked coldly, referring to Sango's close relationship with Kirara. The taijiya bristled.

"That's different," she said defiantly, causing Kagome to send her an incredulous look. The hanyō didn't fail to notice this time, however, that while Sango's tone was firm, her face betrayed confusion and doubt, however slightly. The hanyō ignored it, though.

"I don't see how, but whatever," she replied with little care.

Inuyasha barely listened to the conversation, too lost in his own thoughts to really hear what was being said. The mystery of his inability to sleep not too long ago was already forgotten, his mind being occupied by something else entirely. He didn't know why, but the mention of an 'old friend' made warning bells resonate in his mind, as if the topic was dangerous for some reason. He couldn't for the life of him imagine why that was, though. He should be happy for Kagome that she had friends before meeting him, right? And yet, he couldn't help but feel angry.

Kagome, for her part, didn't pay much attention to the people surrounding her anymore, either. She was too focused on the howls she heard, wanting to understand the situation. There was no more doubt. All those wolves were reporting something to their leader, one she knew well. But what could have possibly happened to cause him to contact even packs that were so far away from the actual clan? Was he preparing for a war again? Was the eastern clan that Kōga was leading in danger of some sort? Did he need help?

Her questions were easily answered when another howl reached her ears, this one mentioning a name she had definitely not expected to hear. She froze. Her mind comprehended what she had just heard, but it was hard to let it sink in. It was just so… unbelievable.

'There's no way,' she told herself. It just couldn't be true. No way in hell. She had to be imagining things…

As if to contradict her, another wolf gave his own report just then, calling to his leader and mentioning the second name she'd heard as well. Kagome bit her lip, still unwilling to believe what she heard and what it implied. 'There's just no way…'

This time, it wasn't Inuyasha who noticed something strange was going on with the half-demon, though, but Sango's brother. He usually tended to stay quiet and pretend not to be there, but Inuyasha (and Sango probably too) noticed that the boy seemed to feel far more at ease talking to the hanyō than to anyone else for some reason.

"What is the matter, Kagome-sama?" the boy asked quietly, his tone more subdued than it had ever been before. Kagome was sure his behavior was due to what happened. But while Kohaku obviously showed remorse for that 'accident', Kagome pretended like it never happened to begin with. It was quite obvious she didn't blame the boy, too.

"Those wolves," she started slowly, her voice betraying her surprise to anyone who could truly read her – which in this case was limited to just one kitten, as not even Inuyasha managed to catch the subtle undertone in her words. "They're… looking for me," she said slowly, obviously finding this hard to believe it herself.

"Looking for you?" Shippō asked as he jumped into his arms, his voice fearful. "Why would they?"

"I think… I might have an idea," Kagome replied slowly, barely realizing she was speaking aloud. 'He's looking for me,' she thought, something within her bursting with happiness she didn't dare show. Of course, Kaede had already told her that she's met a wolf who was looking for her, and before that she'd met an ōkami who seemed to know Kōga and who obviously criticized his still-existing fetish for a hanyō – which most likely meant her. But it was only now that the reality of it actually sank in. 'He's looking for me. He wants to find me… he even asked other packs to help him in his search…'

Before she could think twice about it, Kagome leapt to her feet and up the tree they were resting under, wanting her voice to carry as far as it could as she howled. She didn't know if her voice would reach Kōga, but she hoped it would. She was suddenly desperate to call to him, to talk to him, to see him and embrace him. It was a need she just couldn't ignore any longer. She had to meet him, as soon as possible. And if he could not hear her, then she wanted to at least ask one of the wolves that heard her call to relay her message.

"Kōga-kun!" she howled at the top of her lungs, barely registering just how desperate her call turned out to be. She hardly cared though. She just needed him to hear her, to know she was nearby, to know she wanted to see him as badly as he wanted to see her…

Inuyasha stared after her, even more stunned than he was before at her sudden movement. Her howl caused his eyes to widen. Of course, he understood nothing of the obviously demonic language she was currently using, but the tone of her howl alone was enough to make him feel unexplainably cold all of a sudden. It wasn't out of fear or anything like that, however, but he didn't know what exactly caused him to feel this way, either. Or why it suddenly brought up words he had heard from Miroku seemingly so long ago.

"That friend Kagome-sama spoke about… it is fairly obvious it is a man she loves."

She had mentioned an 'old friend' just now, too. And if Inuyasha recalled right, back at that cave, Kagome had left a scent trail for her 'friend' to find. Unless he was a demon, though, and a canine to boot, he wouldn't have found it, so it was quite clear he was both. And wolves were canines.

Could the 'old friend' Kagome just mentioned be the same man she had once met regularly at that cave with the lake? Could it be the love of her life?

Suddenly, Inuyasha found himself wishing the hanyō's calls would be left unanswered. He didn't know why, but something deep inside him didn't want Kagome to meet that demon again. Even more surprising was the fact that he had yet to meet the yōkai, yet for some reason, he already despised him. He couldn't think of any reason for it, though. It didn't make any sense. He didn't even know the wolf, or if the ōkami Kagome was trying to contact was the same person she had briefly mentioned back then. And yet, he really hoped Kagome would never hear from him again, much less see his face. And he couldn't even bring himself to feel bad for it.

Unfortunately for him, just then, after a prolonged lack of response, an ōkami's howl pierced the silence, and even Inuyasha recognized it was as desperate as Kagome's had been, and even more surprised. As for Kagome, her ears picked up a familiar voice howling in response to her call, but it was a howl that sounded so pained and happy at the same time, that it caused the hanyō-girl to freeze briefly in her tracks.

"Kagome?!"

That was all he said. There was nothing else. But just that one word, just her name, was enough for her to understand how he felt. His voice betrayed all of the anxiety, the fear, the utter disbelief… and the wish to not be mistaken. Kagome couldn't help but smile, part of her hurting that she couldn't just see him right now.

"Indeed, Kōga-kun. It's me."

"Tell me where you are. Where can I find you?" His words weren't a request, but an order. A desperate one at that, which made Kagome hurt and yet feel happy all the more. He really cared. He hadn't moved on. He waited for her, searched for her… she had been told that before, and yet only now did she truly realize that it was the truth.

"I'm on my way to the village where the miko once lived. I'll be there in two days time," she replied obediently, suddenly feeling overwhelmingly happy as an idea struck her. "Let us meet there. At the tree where you've visited me for the last fifty years. Let's find each other in two days time in that spot."

Kōga did not decline, not that Kagome expected him to. Suddenly, knowing that she would meet the wolf prince upon reaching Kaede's village, the hanyō-girl wanted to reach it even faster.

It was high time Kōga and her found each other. Their meeting was long overdue. But neither of them would wait any longer. Now, nothing would stop them from meeting. Kagome wouldn't allow anything to stand in the way of that one meeting. Just this once, she'd be selfish and put her own wants before anyone else's.

Just once wouldn't hurt, right?

"I will see you in two days time."

[/T]

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(1) human and demon years – this foot-note is meant to avoid any confusion, since I noticed that different authors understand something a little different under the terms 'human years' and 'demon years'. Some see 'human years' as 'human equivalent of a demon's age', while others call that same thing 'demon years' and 'human years' are 'the length of life as humans count it'. So, to assure we're on the same page, in my fic, 'human years' are a demon's age as humans would count it (so it can go even into the thousands), while 'demon years' are the 'equivalent'. In this case, Shippō looks seven to a human because he's seven in how demons count years, while he lived many more years as humans see them.

(2) Inugami – The name I chose for Sesshōmaru's mother. It means something like 'godly dog' or 'dog god' (from 'inu' – 'dog' and 'kami' – 'god'). In Japanese mythology, Inugami were magical dog spirits in the same sense as kitsune, although in contrast to foxes, they were human-friendly and protected people, instead of playing more or less cruel tricks on them (even if there were cases where a kitsune could also help/serve humans). Dogs are believed to bring good luck. When a family is protected by an inugami, it serves the head of the family like a servant and, despite being overall human-friendly, it can, just like kitsune, posses a human, leading to illness or ever death.

(3) Tengu –Winged goblins that resemble humans a bit. In Japanese mythology, there are two types of tengu. The one described here is the kurusa tengu (also called konoha tengu) which means 'crow-like tengu', which, quite obviously, implies their appearance resembles that of a crow. The other type are daitengu, who are the leaders of kurusa tengu. In contrast to the previous type, daitengu have a much more human-like appearance, though they still have wings and a beak. These demons are known for kidnapping humans, especially hewers since they destroyed their homes, more often than not in order to kill them. They're rather bloodthirsty and violent. Daitengu are also capable of changing their shape (kurusa tengu cannot do that), an ability they love to use to play cruel tricks on humans that also quite often lead to the victim's death. They also loved to play tricks on monks to make them stray off the Buddhist path. In time, the vision of tengu in Japanese mythology became less violent – they preferred to scare humans rather than kill them and their tricks became less violent, as well – and eventually tengu became even human-friendly, in some cases even willing to grant wishes (most often as payment for a good deed done to them), or being portrayed as happy, curious beings who liked to play, resembling a regular child more than anything else.

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Notes for the curious:

1) I know in canon, Inuyasha never actually turns demon just because he got extremely pissed. However, as Myouga explained to Kagome in this chapter, I think it is a valid reason. Demon blood usually resurfaces when the half-demon is in mortal peril, and when it does, the mind thinks only of killing – it doesn't matter if what you kill is really a threat or not, so long as it moves, the demon wants to kill. Also, Inuyasha's blood steadily manifested itself easier during the time Tessaiga was broken, whether he was in truly mortal danger or not. Most of those times, he was more or less angry at the situation as well. That led me to believe that, mortal peril aside, a half-demon could possibly turn full-demon if someone angered him/her to the point of truly thinking of nothing else than killing the person who pissed the half-demon off – like Myouga explained, the hanyō thinks like a monster, practically inviting its demon blood to take over, and thus becomes the monster. That's my own, personal turn on this, so if at any given point Kagome turns, but is not really in mortal peril but just extremely pissed, don't be surprised.

2) It might to some seem surprising that Kagome's father, in this fic, is said not to be a lord in the human sense of the words (meaning has no actual lands and subjects like a human lord), yet most likely has a castle – if some of you remember, Sesshōmaru's mother lives in a castle in the sky, so it is safe to assume it had once been Sesshōmaru's father's. Still, at one point in the manga (I think it was when Sesshōmaru realized Tenseiga's Meidou was meant for Tessaiga), Sesshōmaru talked inwardly with his father and said something akin to his father not wanting to leave him any inheritance. This led me to believe that, apart from his two swords and the castle (if it had been indeed his), Sesshōmaru's father had nothing to leave for his son's. Thus, he had no lands to leave them with, and while he still holds the title of Lord of the Western Lands, there are no Western Lands he politically owned – they were his territory, but he did not rule over them as a human lord would, and thus could not really leave them for either Sesshōmaru or Kagome. As for the castle, in this fic, Myouga is not necessarily aware of its existence, or may simply withhold the information from Kagome for one reason or another and Sesshōmaru's mother still lives there.

3) You may also have noticed a seeming inconsistency concerning Tessaiga. How in the world can Shugonin have made it so that it can seal Kagome's blood, if the passage in this chapter implies that he had, in fact, considered to leave the sword to Sesshōmaru, and just decided against it in the end? When could he have added this 'feature' to the weapon if the decision to leave it to Kagome was a last-minute-one, shortly after learning Kagome could be even born? The answer is simple, but because I'm unsure if I'll be able to add an explanation somewhere in the story, I decided to do it here: Tessaiga works like the Black Pearl did. The pearl (I believe) sealed Inuyasha's (and in this case Kagome's) blood simply because it was made of his father's youki. Feeling the more powerful demon's energy, the demon blood was kept at bay. Tessaiga is the same, merely stronger. Unlike the pearl which, in this fic, had been made of a part of Shugonin's youki, the sword was made from a part of his body – his fang – thus being as strong as he is himself. It contains Shugonin's youki, in its full potential, and that youki responds to the wielder – and in Kagome's case, keeps her beast in check. But, if Inuyasha were to purify the sword of its youki, then Kagome would be unprotected for the duration of the time in which Tessaiga restored its strength – as shown in the battle against the ōkami, when the Jewel's voice, which taunted Kagome's demon, was easier to ignore when Tessaiga held back Kagome's blood than when it did not.

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Alright, that's all I had to say. I hope this is a satisfactory chapter and that the length made up for the lack of an update back in June ;) I hope to keep updating monthly still, but things are about to get stressful for me and I'll be rather busy, so I give no promises. Please bear with me if the next update is delayed again, OK? On my side, I promise to try and meet my deadline ;)

Next chapter: Kagome's Nature

See you then.