Author notes: Now when I wrote this chapter, I honestly didn't know what to do with Hojou hahaha and to make it worst, at that time I was reading a fanfiction of FFVII, and for the ones that know about the game, you'll understand why I say that I hate Hojou with all my heart, but poor Hojou in here isn't the one to blame for having the same name than that psycho-maniac intent of scientist… anyway xDU I hope you like this chapter ^^ today we'll learn more about Sesshomaru and Kouga's past =D thank you for your reviews, alerts and readings!

Disclaimer: Besides the plot line, I don't own anything. Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Yomiuri TV Corporation. I'm not getting any profit from this story; this was just made for fun.

Warning: Maybe there is bad language? I'm not so sure what you consider bad language... ^^U

Thanks to: Thanks to my beta reader, PandaStarz, for her wonderful work on this chapter.

Slavery.

Author: MikoAucarod

Chapter 12: Past and thoughts.

"Hey guys… Have I ever told you that Sesshomaru had a daughter?"

"That Sesshomaru had a- what?" Miroku and Inuyasha looked each other, clearly shocked. The man with ice for a heart had a daughter?

"… centuries ago, Sesshomaru wasn't like this." Kouga looked again through the window and contemplated the scene in front of him. He could see the taiyoukai walking along the beach, looking at the sea to finally seat in one of the rocks near the coast, probably remembering the same thing he was remembering now. "He had a life… both of us had a life…"

"-and that would be all, General."

"Good, bring the report to Lord Sesshomaru and tell the rest of the clan that we'll part tomorrow.

"As you wish, my Lord."

A group of youkai left the room and only one stayed in his place, a small and green toad-like youkai. He was rolling the scrolls of parchment used at that meeting.

"Jaken, do you have any news about Sarah's condition?"

"She's still in a very delicate state, my Lord," spoke the small youkai, without distracting from his work. "But we have faith that she will recover soon."

"And what about the kid?"

"She's perfectly healthy, although we believe that because of the complications that occurred during Lady Sarah's pregnancy and childbirth, she may not have fully developed her youkai abilities."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well… it's not my place to tell you about this, Sir, but-"

"Speak right now, you worm." Kouga stood up and stepped on Jaken's head, which made a funny noise when his body hit the floor.

"Lord Sesshomaru thinks that probably the child might be only a hanyou or even just a human. Lady Sarah's pregnancy was so delicate that the baby may not have even been born. It's a miracle that she could even breathe on her own.

Kouga then exited the room and went towards the palace's garden where he knew Sesshomaru would be.

The young taiyoukai was sitting under a Sakura tree, and in his arms was a small bundle wrapped in cloth: his only daughter.

The small baby was trying to catch, in vain, a wheat spike that Sesshomaru was using to draw imaginary lines over her forehead.

"She looks fine," spoke Kouga, getting near the baby. Sesshomaru just observed him for a few seconds and then he turned his attention back to the child.

"She's very energetic to be only 2 weeks old. No one would think that she has such delicate health." Sesshomaru's voice was almost a quiet whisper like waters of a small stream. When he spoke, the small baby in his arms directed her gaze towards his face and smiled tenderly.

"Sarah is still in bed?"

"This morning we were walking in the garden, she's delicate health but she's not an invalid. However she could just walk for a couple of minutes before getting tired. Her company ladies took her back to our room. After that, I stayed for a couple more of minutes with Rhin."

"Who would have thought that you could be so paternal?"

"You have any idea of what it is like to be in a room with seven women and a baby that's only a couple of weeks old? They ignore you completely and don't let you get near it. I'm her father, I also have a right to be with her."

Kouga grinned at Sesshoumaru's childish protest. The times in which he acted like that were few, but they demonstrated that inside all the strength of the Lord of the Northern Lands was the same Sesshomaru that had grown up with him.

"A little bird told me that Rhin probably will not inherit any of your youkai abilities. Have you thought of what will you do if that happens?"

"Remind me to kill Jaken."

"Oh, if I reminded you every time you said that, he would have died centuries ago, Sesshomaru. He's just worried about you. After all, he was our protector when we were just pups."

"How was it possible that that toad had once taken care of me?"

Kouga laughed again and took little Rhin in his arms. She fell asleep a few seconds later, letting Sesshomaru stretch a bit.

"You know? I've been thinking about starting my own pack. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have pups running around the castle."

"Yeah, breaking vases, scratching the paintings, sneaking into dangerous rooms or forbidden rooms…"

"Hey! I'll remind you that it was you who had a daughter."

They went silent for a few seconds and then they smiled softly, enjoying that moment of peace that they hadn't had in such a long time.

"How was the meeting?"

"Tomorrow we will go to the northwest. You were right; they had started to concentrate their man on that place. If we keep fighting like until now it will be very easy to recover the northwestern lands. It was definitely an excellent idea to establish us at the north."

"It'll depend on the council decision about what should we do with the pups and women under our care, right?"

"Do you think that we should inform the human villages from the surroundings?"

"They know we're having a war. If they hadn't escaped it's because they're stupid or want to die."

Rhin choose that moment to open her eyes again and started to play with the fur on Kouga's armor over his shoulders.

Both men stared at the little child entertaining herself.

Five years had passed since then.

Sarah never fully recovered and died in her sleep. On the other hand, Rhin had managed to survive and move forward, despite having inherited none of her father's youkai powers. She was a very energetic, curious and intelligent girl.

However, the war continued and moments of peace like the one happened under the cherry tree could never repeat again.

Sesshomaru did everything he could in order to protect his lands and her daughter, just as his people. He was the Lord. It was his responsibility the safety of the pack.

Kouga started making deals and agreements with other packs and tribes in order to expand their territories. However, during one of the fights, a group rebelled to the two leaders and a human village, alongside itsFeudalPalace, was affected. That caused more and more problems.

Despite the humans being weaker than the youkais, they outnumbered them and since the palace that was attacked had been important, all the human leaders and landowners of the surrounding villages had united against the Clan of the North.

In one of those battles, several groups of warriors reunited and took captives to several members of one of the allied clans. No matter how hard they tried, Sesshomaru, Kouga and their group of warriors couldn't do anything to prevent that.

For the first time in millennia, Sesshomaru ordered the retreat of his troops. While the enemy didn't knew the location of the Palace, which was protected by the powers of the most powerful youkais of the place, they wouldn't need to worry for the pups and women of the clan, however, one day a traitor revealed himself.

One of those that had been captured, Onigumo, had given them the exact location of the palace in exchange to regain his freedom.

That's when everything shattered.

The surprise and massive attack caught the clan off guard and finally Sesshomaru and Kouga couldn't fulfill their roles as Lords of the land.

"Lord Sesshomaru, they're attacking the palace! They've passed the defense lines, sir!"

"General Kouga! They have taken prisoners to the elders of the tribe. They threaten to kill them if we don't surrender."

"Jaken!" Could be heard over the yells and alerts of the rest of the fighters that were in the place.

Little Jaken came running towards his Lord and, confused, received small Rhin who, besides looking scared, was unscratched.

"Take Rhin with you and go to a safe place. Go as far away as you can from the northern lands. Hide yourselves. Ah-Un will take you without any problem."

"But, Lord Sesshomaru! I can't leav-" Sesshomaru didn't say anything else and after giving her daughter a last look and caress her cheek and hair slightly, he took his sword and went out to fight.

"I'll look for you at the mountains in Ryukossei's Lands! Explain to him what has happened. Find Totousai and protect Rhin with your life," was his last command.

"Dad! Don't go!" Rhin attempted to pursue him but she was stopped by the small youkai, who barely reached the height of her nose but he was a youkai in the end, and a human child's strength was nothing to him.

"We must leave, Young Lady. This place isn't safe anymore." And just like that, Jaken carried the girl over his shoulder and started to run towards the stables where he mounted Ah-Un and quickly left the castle behind, ignoring the cries and pleas of Rhin to return alongside her father. Even if it was a hard thing for him to do.

Meanwhile, Kouga and Sesshomaru kept fighting, shoulder to shoulder. The enemy's army kept arriving; it was endless. From one moment to another, finally came the artillery.

"Well, Sesshomaru, look," Kouga looked exhausted, but that didn't prevent him from smirking. That mocking smile that characterized him. "The humans with those exported weapons have finally arrived. Do you think you can handle it?"

"It's nothing that Bakusaiga can't destroy." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. Beads of sweat fell from his forehead. He couldn't help but look one last time at the silhouette that was escaping through the sky. Even with his enhanced hearing, he could barely catch the cries of Rhin, who still begged Jaken to return.

The army went against the two warriors, the only ones left standing. And so, both fought with all the strength their warrior spirits could gather.

"… That day we both died. Finally an elite group that called themselves the 'Shichinintai', better known as the Band of Seven Warriors, came to the place and one of them used attacks with gunpowder. The castle collapsed and everything we had once had reduced to nothing. Finally, they threw bombs that reached us."

"Is that why during your anniversary you have so many injuries? I knew it had to be because of some kind of battle, but I never thought that it could have been so bad." Miroku was sitting in one of the room's beds. Inuyasha, leaning against the door frame, watched Kouga without saying a word.

"Yeah. Anyway, if I'm proud of something is to have died in battle and not as a prisoner. Our bodies weren't mutilated, but that explosion was the last we could handle. We were drained off our energy and we were so wounded because of the swords and bullets. Sesshomaru- well he wasn't in a better state than me. We both fell at the same time but truth be told I was the first one to die. Him, until the last moment kept clinging to life. We didn't know about the Slaves back then so we thought that it was the end. But when we woke up on that desolated battlefield, at the enemy's mercy, we realized our mistake."

Kouga walked and exited the room, signaling them to follow him. It was clear that his story hasn't ended yet.

"For so many years, Sesshomaru obeyed the orders only because the power of the shackle forced him to. A lot of times, thousands of times, we looked for a chance to escape. We managed to do so countless times but always something prevented us to reach to Ryukossei mountains. Or there was an ambush or our enhanced hearing detected an order that kept us from escaping the territory where we were captured… He could never reunite again with Rhin. A hundred years later, it was the first and the last time I saw him cry. It was also the only time I had ever seen him faint. That day was when everything collapsed for him. When he woke up he had turned into the person he is now."

Kouga couldn't help the pained look that crossed his eyes when he remembered the little girl who used to play with them, the small and innocent child that smiled at them when they returned from every battle, victorious, the same kid that swore every day that she would find a way to become a youkai like her father, a flower youkai who could always bring them the most beautiful flowers in the entire world.

"Rhin was a human. There was no way that she could have survived longer than that. She was his whole being and I'm sure that if he could have been able to stop time in a specific moment that would have been on that day, when he was sitting under the Sakura tree. Since his change he never allowed himself to trust anyone else, not since Onigumo's betrayal. If he didn't kill me was only because I was with him the entire time, since we were just a couple of pups training." Kouga interrupted himself when they entered the kitchen of the house.

It was old, but in perfect condition. Kouga opened the refrigerator and took a pitcher of lemonade from the interior – the one that Miroku had prepared for the girls when they entered the place, for once they finished playing – he served himself a glass; all that talking had dried his throat.

"I know that what he was in his past is still living inside of him. If that weren't true, he would be deranged today. Rhin's memory is the only thing that keeps him sane, but… well, it's not easy. I understand him but when the centuries passed I learned that even with a shell around you, it will still hurt, just like you said it, Inuyasha. I have the same thought. Sesshomaru hasn't lost his feelings, but he hides them, because he doesn't want to go through that pain again.

"I'm sure of that." Miroku served himself a glass of lemonade too and then he looked towards Inuyasha. "You won't let me lie, Inuyasha, but even if we don't speak a lot with Sesshomaru, tell me, in that era when the four of us met, did he even look at us one single time?"

And then Inuyasha remembered. When he became Slave and a couple of years later Tsubaki's father told him that she had died, he had sold him to a person who took him with Miroku. They both had spent a couple of centuries serving that family and their descendents and then, after another sell they had fallen on the hands of an owner who liked to collect Slaves.

That's when they had meet Sesshomaru and Kouga.

After a few months, Kouga had become in something like a friend – even if the past they only fought each other constantly – but Sesshomaru just acted as if they weren't even there. Since then, every time they changed owners the four of them remained together. They were excellent during battles.

It wasn't something he was proud of, but on his hands was the blood of a lot of people. In that era of constant wars they were forced to fight. Everything had been always the same, the four of them were unique, powerful, immortals and over all that, they couldn't betray their owner, lie or disobey their master if he just ordered it – and that had been a constant order all the time.

For his part, Inuyasha didn't trust in others and was arrogant. He didn't want to deal with anyone else. He knew that he would continue living no matter what happened, but the other people wouldn't do it. He had already suffered a lot before becoming a Slave so he didn't want to continue with that, yet sometimes he lowered his guard without noticing it.

But Sesshomaru never, ever, let down his guard and had remained stoic for centuries. Inuyasha didn't even know what he was thinking.

It wasn't until they had started to live with Kaede that Sesshomaru had began to change, finally opening himself a bit and talking with them once in a while, even giving them some advices, just like that one about being careful of Naraku or the one of walking slower than the others…

"Something definitely made him change," the half-demon finally spoke, trying to figure out exactly what time had Sesshomaru let down his guard that during those almost five hundred years had remained strong.

"I can almost for sure swear that it was Kaede. Do you remember when she became our owner?" asked Kouga, making Inuyasha snort at the thought.

"Her father was really an idiot. What kind of jerk gets her only child four slaves for her eighth birthday?"

"Well, you're right but you can't deny that that was the best that could have happened to us." Miroku smiled at the memory of his sweet former master.

"Well, at least until now…" Inuyasha couldn't help but mumble that, and then he looked away, ashamed and blushing when Miroku and Kouga began to giggle.

Truth was told, life with Kaede had been really healthy to all of them, who had lived centuries with so many malicious owners. But his actual life with Kagome… it was the glory and salvation itself. He sighed again and mentally smacked himself for his corny thoughts. Then he took a seat in one of the chairs of the dining room.

Kouga then continued with his tale.

"When Kaede received us we weren't slaves for her, we were her friends, the fathers and the example to follow that she had not received properly."

"What kind of examples we were…" Miroku smiled with guilt.

"Well, we all have our mistakes, Mr. Long-hand," joked Kouga.

"But for the record I never did anything to her."

"Just because as soon as she discovered that you had that kind of thoughts she ordered you to keep your hands out of her anywhere that weren't her head. And that was only because she liked it when you patted her. Anyway, stop interrupting me! I noticed Sesshomaru's change of behavior. Being able to see Kaede growing up was almost as if he were looking at Rhin."

"Was that why he was always taking care of her? I always thought that it had been some kind of order from Kaede. It isn't a secret that she had fallen in love with him when she turned fifteen." Miroku said.

"Hahaha, you're right about that one." Kouga smiled sorrowfully when he remembered how the poor girl had cried into his shoulder when she had received a refusal from Sesshomaru, who hadn't been harsh or rude to her at all, but that hadn't stopped the hurt in her heart. "Well, it also had a lot to do his refusal when she declared her love for him. Rhin was his daughter. Kaede was like his daughter. He could never see her as something different than that. But I think that precisely for him seeing her as a daughter was that he began to be a bit more like his old self."

"Yeah, maybe it was that." Inuyasha agreed.

The trio remained silent for a few moments, lost in their own thoughts. A few seconds later they heard laugh and yells from the girls outside the house.

"Kagome, that's not fair!"

"No-one told me there were rules!" they heard the raven haired girl exclaim.

"Oh, Inuyasha, let's go, it seems like your loved one is in danger," mocked Miroku, making the hanyou get angry.

"Shut up, Miroku!" but he still went out of the house, followed by Kouga and Miroku.

When they got out, they noticed Kagome stumbling and falling into the arms of a strange subject. That only made Inuyasha's blood boil. Who the hell was that guy who dared to touch HIS Kagome?

"Hojou?"

"Higurashi? Dear God, how long has it been! You look very good, Higurashi, how have you been?" Hojou was wearing a pair of marine shorts and a sleeveless shirt. His messy hair fell everywhere up to the height of half face.

"I had been very well, actually. What about you? I haven't heard from you since elementary school."

"It's been three years, right? Have you already finished high school?"

"Yeah, actually we've just finished exams. I'm still waiting for the results. Maybe I won't get the grades required to graduate."

"Don't say foolish things, Higurashi, you'll see that it'll all end for good."

"Yeah, thank you very much."

Finally after that trivial conversation, Sango got near the couple and made a noise with her throat, making Kagome jump.

"Sango, you scared me!"

"Hi there, strange boy," spoke Sango, with a smile over her face. "I'm Sango, Kagome's best friend and if you excuse me, I must kill her for destroying our beautiful sand castle."

"Oh, but please. There must be some other way to pay that outrageous debt." Hojou played along and that made Sango smile and Kagome felt frustrated. She didn't hate Hojou or anything like that, but this was her vacation and having him there, following Sango's game hasn't been so funny to her.

"Well, maybe if she pays for the food we'll forgive her."

"There's plenty of food in the house, Sango. I don't intend to buy anymore."

"Kagome, what's going on here?" Inuyasha approached and watched, unable to hide his anger.

Kagura, Kanna, Shippo, Kikyo and Ayame had kept aside, standing next to Kouga and Miroku. Sesshomaru observed them from the rocks, attentive to what was happening.

"I see that you have made a lot of friends, Higurashi. You see? I told you it was possible." At that phrase Kagome made a weird grin. He then extended his hand towards Inuyasha. "My name is Hojou, Akitoki Hojou, please to meet you. And you are?"

Inuyasha observed him, clearly suspicious, and then burst out a "Keh!" folding his arms.

"Inuyasha don't be rude." Oh, damn it with that girl!

"My name is Inuyasha." He spoke, narrowing his eyes and without being able to help look at Kagome with reproach.

"Oh, you're a Slave." Hojou said when he noticed the shackle around the hanyou's neck.

"Is there a problem if he's one?" This time it was Kikyo who had spoken, approaching. It was clearly notorious that at any moment Inuyasha would crack out at the slightest provocation.

"No, nothing. It's just that I never thought that Higurashi would be the kind of person who gets along with people who have Slaves."

"Kagome is my owner" Was the half-demon response, and Hojou's eyes widened in surprise.

"Higurashi? You? The owner of a Slave?"

She looked the ground between them for a few moments and then directed her gaze again towards Hojou. This situation was, curiously, very tense.

"They're actually two. The little red head over there is also mine. But I don't consider them Slaves. They're a part of my family.

"Oh, I see…"

An uncomfortable silence flooded the place. No one knew what to say, but after a few moments Inuyasha's stomach grumbled causing laughs among the present ones.

"Well, I think it's time to get inside the cottage and make something for dinner, see you later, Hojou." Kagome spoke, pulling Inuyasha's sleeve. He offered no resistance. That guy had to learn who Kagome was with.

'… Even if, well, we don't have any relationship but… Oh stop it! I'll protect her from fools like him and that's it.'

"Ah, wait Hig-" Hojou tried to follow them, but Miroku stood in front of the guy, while Kouga distracted the girls and took her inside the house.

"I don't want to seem rude, but we just came to this place and would like to have a holiday without any problems. As you can see we're a lot of people inside the cottage and we would like to spend some time only us, you understand me, right?"

Hojou looked at him with a slight frown, as if he were suspicious and confused.

"Since when has Higurashi gotten so many friends?" he spoke, surprising Miroku. His attitude was now very different to the one he had when he had said he was happy for Kagome for having friends. "How can I know that you won't do anything to harm her?"

"If may I say, Akitoki, you haven't been in her life, if I understood correctly, over the last three years. I think that you have no right to complain about her decisions, do you?"

After that, Miroku turned around and went towards the house. Kikyo was standing next to the house and, just as she had thought would happen, saw Hojou following Miroku so she approached the boy and stopped him in the middle of his tracks.

"Hojou, right?"

"What do you need, miss…?"

"Kikyo, I'm Kagome's cousin."

"Kikyo…" Hojou then recognized her. "You're that girl that in the elementary school always stopped to insult us or make fun of us. What are you up to against Higurashi this time?"

Kikyo smiled softly, she hadn't been wrong after all.

"I just wanted to tell you that I don't want you to keep being over protector with her, she knows to take care even from me. Even if now it's not necessary for her to take care from me or anything but…" Kikyo trailed off and then looked Hojou directly in his eyes. "I don't know what Miroku told you, but I think that the best you can do is leave, all right?"

"Can you tell to Higurashi that I would like to come and see her once in a while? If she has nothing to do tomorrow-"

"You're still being the same selfish boy you always used to be." Kikyo looked at him coldly. "We just arrived to this place and want to spend the time only with the family and closest friends. You can come in a few weeks if you want, but please let Kagome enjoy her time with us. She's not a doll that needs your care."

"Someone has to protect her, you don't know ho-"

"Oh, of course she has someone who protects her. Didn't you see it a moment ago? Inuyasha is always there for her."

And after that, Kikyo entered the cottage.

Hojou made a new attempt to follow them but Sesshomaru, who was still outside, stood quietly in front of him and then looked towards the house, from were they could hear some laughter and chatting.

"I recommend you to leave things as they are right now."

Finally, Hojou took a couple of steps back and turned around but a second later he stopped and looked towards Sesshomaru, then towards the cottage windows, from where he could distinguish Inuyasha's silhouette.

"Tell Higurashi that I live as always, she's welcome whenever she want!" and after saying those words, he finally left.

"Let me go to give him what he-!"

"Inuyasha, for all the sacred things, calm down!"

"Damn it, Miroku, didn't you understand that invitation? That guy is trying to keep us apart from Kagome!"

"Don't be exaggerated Inuyasha, he just wanted to chat with us for a while. Actually, you were the ones being rude with him."

Silence filled the place again and everyone looked at Kagome, who was calmly making dinner.

"Hojou was my only friend in the elementary school, and since people use to pull pranks on me he defended me. That's all. He's like a big brother to me, and he used to protect me a lot."

"Oh, how romantic!" Ayame squealed, making that a lot of reactions appeared in everyone's faces. From fury from Inuyasha to doubt from Shippo. "It's just like in books, Kagome! The old friend from your childhood that for the paths of life had got away from you has finally returned magically to be by your side."

"God, no, Ayame!" yelled Sango, then she discretely looked to Kagome and Inuyasha. Kikyo had imitated her gesture. "Kagome is not available for those kinds of fantasies."

"Oh, but Ayame isn't entirely wrong!" It was Kagura's turn to get in the conversation and then they were discussing about if it was convenient for Kagome to go out with Hojou. That just altered the poor hanyou.

"Stop it!" exclaimed finally the raven haired girl, facing them all. "Whatever I do or not with my love life doesn't have to matter to any of you!"

"Of course it matters to me!" jumped out Inuyasha, but then his expression looked terrified.

"Why would it have to matter to you, Inuyasha?" Asked Kagome, curious, and then Inuyasha began to sweat cold.

"Well, because I…" Inuyasha started to hyperventilate and looked around. He would say it… He would say it! God, please not there, please not there! Not in front of everyone. What kind of moment was that? His eyes met with Kikyo's for a moment and then he looked again towards Kagome. "Because I- I lo-!"

"Because Inuyasha would need to know what to tell to your mother if something happens." Kikyo interrupted, standing from her chair. "And I think that Kagome's food will be perfect if you collect a couple of oysters, Inuyasha. Go to the beach and get ones. Even some fish would be great, go Inuyasha."

And not needing to being told twice, Inuyasha ran from the room and outside the cottage.

The message was clearly understood to the ones who knew about the half-demon feelings and to Kagome and the other girls that moment went forgotten rather quickly.

That night, after everyone had walked around the house and discovered that it wasn't small at all, gave rooms to everyone and unpacked their things, Inuyasha was sitting on the same rocks Sesshomaru had been thinking on earlier that day.

"Thanks for what you did earlier, Kikyo." Said the young hanyou, noticing the presence of the girl, who was approaching at that moment wrapped in a blanket because of the cool temperature.

"It was nothing." Kikyo kept walking until she got to the edge of the sea and began to touch the water that came and went because of the waves.

Inuyasha stared at her for a few seconds and then he observed the cottage. He could see Kagome's silhouette wandering around her room, surely she was still unpacking her belongings.

"You really care for her, don't you?" Asked Kikyo, noticing how Inuyasha couldn't stop watching the shadow of Kagome projected from her window. A smiled formed on her lips when she saw the hanyou's soft blush.

"I love her." He whispered softly. Then, he looked towards Kikyo again. "And I must say that it hasn't been nice to be forced to acknowledge my own feelings."

"I'm sorry about that." Kikyo smiled guiltily, because she knew that it was because of that old order that Inuyasha had found out what he felt for Kagome. It hadn't been a good way to find out.

"It's weird, you know?" spoke the hanyou, after a moment of silence. "How things have been going on… and after all I had to live I had never felt this way before. I wish- I really wish that everything happened in a normal way. Even if… I'm not normal at all."

"Of course you're normal, Inuyasha." Kikyo stood up and approached the half-demon, giving him the blanket and starting to walk to the house again. "Believe when I say that you're even more normal than 'Bobou'."

Inuyasha couldn't help the laugh that escaped from his throat when he heard the nickname of the guy who had appeared that afternoon.

"Thanks, Kikyo," he finally said and continued staring towards the sea. A moment later, he heard an exclamation from Kagome.

"Kikyo, where did you leave my favorite blanket?"

"Inuyasha has it!" was Kikyo's answer.

He gulped and looked the fabric in his arms. At first sight he hadn't recognized it but now that he was studying it he realized that it was indeed Kagome's favorite blanket, the one that wasn't so thin but not so thick.

A couple of seconds later, he heard Kagome's steps over the sand.

"May I know what you are doing with my blanket in this place? at this hour of the night?" she said annoyed while taking back the object from Inuyasha. "I swear it, Inuyasha you've been acting really weird the entire day."

"Well I- I had it here because Kikyo gave it to me."

"And why would Kikyo give you my blanket?"

"She just got out of the house, walked to the edge of the sea, played for a moment with the water and then, before returning inside the house, she gave it to me. That's it." Oh dear lord, another interrogation? He was tired of that!

"But why did she give it to you?" She asked again, confused. Inuyasha sighed irritably. He watched the sea, the waves breaking against the coast and over the sand, the moon reflected on the water surface, the stars shining with splendor… maybe…

"Maybe… she just wanted you to see this landscape."

"…maybe."

Inuyasha observed Kagome and smiled softly when he saw her so relaxed, contemplating the sea.

"Come here, sit down or you'll get tired," he said, moving aside and inviting the girl to sit next to him.

Kagome didn't think about it twice.

They were both observing the place, with a calm atmosphere, sitting next to each other. When time began to pass and the salty air began to feel cooler, the young girl covered both of them with the blanket – despite Inuyasha's claims that he wasn't cold.

As the night advanced, Kagome ended laying her head on Inuyasha's left shoulder and he was holding her, with his left arm over her shoulder.

After all, this first day hadn't gone so bad.

"Let's see when he will thank me again," whispered Kikyo playfully, standing beside Sango as they watched the young couple from one of the windows of the second floor.