As Kikyo emerged from the dense forest, she felt as lost as ever. Above all, she was sure Koga loved her enough not to have those ridiculous thoughts coursing through his mind. She found a seat beside the fire with a sigh, staring at the flickering flames before her. She was going to give him some space, just enough so he could think things over. He was angry towards Kohana for deeper reasons than she knew, so she didn't feel of much help sorting through the facts. She despised feeling so useless. She wanted answers – wanted to know what was truly going on in his mind. If only he would tell her. She used to be of such power and respect, she never used to just sit around and wait for things to happen. She wanted to take action, to do what she could to untangle the mess they were in. Things truly weren't as complicated as they felt, so why wasn't it easier? Why was it causing her to ache inside?

Their wedding was approaching fast; preparations would begin the following morning, but the last thing she wanted was to waste such an amazing experience with untrust and tension lurking around the corner. She had a bad feeling about Kohana. There was a haziness to her aura that Kikyo simply could not place, it just didn't feel right. If she'd had her soul stealers with her like in the old days then she simply could have tasted Kohana's soul and would have instantly known all of her secrets. She didn't need souls to sustain her artificial life force any longer; she and her sister had solved that dilemma quite a long time ago. She was pretty much human now, most of her magic had escaped her over time and only a small essence of it remained within her fleshy body.

Kikyo began to draw small circles in the sand beside the fire, resting her head against her knees as the sound of light padded footsteps approached her.

"Milady?" began a deep, smooth voice, "Can we talk?"

She lifted her gaze to the tall figure across the fire and smiled weakly, nodding a little, "Of course, what is it, Kane?"

He circled around and sat on the ground at her side, his brow furrowed with concern, "Something doesn't feel right."

She blinked, watching him, "What do you mean?"

"Well, ever since we found Hana in the woods things just seemed all out of whack. I've had this strange feeling that something isn't right. Please don't read too much into it, it's just a feeling after all."

Kikyo nodded and sighed, "I understand what you mean. I may not be as powerful as I once was, but with what little magic I have left in me mixed with these new heightened senses, it was more than obvious that something evil is lurking around Kohana's aura. Earlier, I wanted to get closer so I could see what it was, but she wouldn't let me anywhere near her. I just got close enough when she attacked me. I can take care of myself of course, but Koga was just around the corner and he wouldn't let her off so easily."

"Please, milady, I want to help." Kane pleaded, "Lord Koga has placed Hana under arrest, she can't leave the healer's den until he says so and no one else is allowed in. I don't believe Hana would do anything that would hurt Lord Koga; she cares too much for him to let that happen. If anything, she would naturally be protecting you with her life."

Kikyo lowered her head for a moment, "Why exactly does she care about Koga so much? I understand it's the clan's duty to both serve and protect their leader, but what makes Kohana so different from the rest?"

Kane stopped and placed his hand upon her forearm, his forehead wrinkling in concern again, "If Lord Koga hasn't told you then I don't feel that it's my place to do so either. You shouldn't worry, though. What's done is done, and Lord Koga isn't one to dwell in the past. He loves you, more than any of us thought was possible."

At that she chuckled and looked to him again, "What makes you so sure? There is something inside of him that still has ties with Kohana and I can feel it. He was hurt when he saw her strike me, but defended her against me when we spoke in private." she stopped for a moment, her gaze traveling to the crackling flames of the fire, "His emotions are torn and he's unsure what to do about them. He doesn't know who to protect; he won't even tell me directly what happened in the past or what's happening now."

Kane shook his head as he watched and listened, "Maybe it's just hard for him to express himself, especially when he's got jumbled up emotions. Talk to him again, okay? You shouldn't give up and go all morbid so easily; you're supposed to be our ruler too as of tomorrow. Start acting like it now, practice doesn't hurt."

She shot her eyes back over to him with a grin, "Well, if practice makes perfect, then perhaps I should punish you for speaking so demandingly to your future ruler."

He rubbed his chin as if deep in thought, "What kind of punishment are we talking about here?"

Kikyo's grin spread further across her pale face, turning to face him completely and placing her hand upon his shoulder, "You are sentenced furthermore to act as the personal nanny to Akai."

Any and all excitement that lingered in Kane's eyes vanished instantly, "Nanny? Why 'nanny', can't it be something more manly?"

She laughed and fell back, landing in the dirt and clasping a hand over her mouth to stifle her humor.

"What's so funny?" he questioned, raising his brows.

She tried to speak but had to reseal her hand over her mouth as her laughter wouldn't cease. Not wanting to wake anyone, she spoke only between fits of giggles, "How. About. Guard dog?"

He grinned and nodded, "Heh, very funny, milady. Guard dog it is, then."

Kikyo's laughed was fading away fast as she breathed deeply, gazing up at the twinkling sky above her. She smiled, feeling none of the stress, anxiety, and worry, she had felt all day. It seemed to have all slipped away, leaving only a bright and radiant smile.

"What's so funny over here? I could hear you laughing from the other side of our territory," came Koga's voice from the darkness.

Kikyo's dark eyes shifted towards the sound of his voice and she hopped to her feet, rushing into the darkness and straight into his arms. She held onto him tightly, burying her face into his chest. He blinked and wrapped his broad arms around her, relishing the feel of her cool skin against him, balancing out the heat of his own. He looked down at her with his bright eyes and smirked, "Does this mean you're not mad at me?"

A/N: I'm so sorry, everyone. I've been working on this one for a while, but every time I looked at it I got serious writer's block. It took me three months just to get passed the first paragraph. I know it's short, and it's not the last chapter like I promised, but I wasn't sure whether or not I'd be able to finish it for a while. I hit another snag. So instead of depriving you for God knows how long, I've decided to upload this small portion of the final chapter which I've written pretty much all of today. Don't kill me, bear with me, and please R&R!