"Miyuki... You are home," greeted Lady Mameha softly.

"Mother," greeted Miyuki, down-casted.

"Please, do go up to your room and rest. It must have been tiring."

Miyuki gave her mother a grateful smile before quickly going away.

Lady Mameha looked as her daughter walks away. Her heart went all out to this poor girl. She then slowly walk back into the tea room in which she had been all along before she noticed Miyuki's arrival home. She had been entertaining her bosom friend, Lady Shiriwa. No doubt, they both held large lands and great powers.

"How is Miyuki, Mameha?" asked Shiriwa, truly concerned.

"She looked like she's going to be sick... She is so pale. Though she had been that way since she had returned. I have been so worried about her."

"I am too."

"Thank you, Shiriwa. You have been such a dear. You leave everything and came as soon as I told you that Miyuki suddenly appeared in the castle again."

"She had looked so miserable then. I truly am very curious about what had happened for the past hundred years if you don't mind my inquisitiveness."

"Truly, I want to know too. Yet, Miyuki is not willing to say anything at all."

"It's been four years since her reappearance. While she has had enough time to settle down slowly back to this life, I hope this is not too soon."

"I hope, too."

Miyuki sat on the ledge as she looked out towards the mountains and lakes. She has had a certain attraction to lakes, and would spend many hours on end at the bank. Yet, it seemed so long ago...

Miyuki smirked at her own foolishness. It has been so long ago! Being able to see Sesshoumaru again... was indescribable. Sesshoumaru still remembers her, doesn't he? If not, he wouldn't have made such a remark. Miyuki felt herself tearing again. The way the remarks had sounded. It was so painful to hear. It was almost the voice of resentment.

Miyuki shook her head in defiance. She had just been liberated four years ago and so many things have changed. If only she could speak out about what really happened, then her poor mother would finally be less worried. Miyuki stopped thinking about all these and in all agitation, slumped herself onto her bed.

"Where are we going, Sesshoumaru-sama?" asked Jaken tentatively.

When Sesshoumaru had returned home that night, he looked deep in thought. Of a sudden, he asked Jaken to be ready for a journey. Jaken gladly followed his master's orders but curiosity sinks in as they travelled towards the east.

Sesshoumaru, however, had remained quiet throughout the whole journey. Even though his face is one of boredom, his mind races. He had been summoned by his mother to the Castle of the East. Of course, that Castle is where Lady Mameha is currently staying. He had all these years deliberately avoided going there. He had even deliberately avoided seeing Lady Mameha. It would have changed so many things. He doesn't want reasons. If that female just now was truly who he thinks she is, then why had she been acting weirdly then? But if she is truly who he thinks she is, then that would explain the sense of presence. After all, that presence is...

Sesshoumaru stopped amongst the trees. They had been walking through the forest for awhile now. Jaken was shocked at his master's actions. There was nothing in sight, just trees and greenery. He was about to ask when of nowhere, a bridge appeared. In awe, Jaken followed his Lord into the bridge that leads to a magnificent castle. It is almost as magnificent as Sesshoumaru's own castle in the West.

"Sesshoumaru-sama... Is this..?" Jaken asked tentatively.

"This is the castle of Lady Mameha. It was long ago that I known her. Long before you met me. My mother had asked me here."

"Your mother, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Jaken was shocked.

Sesshoumaru continued walking and ignored Jaken's question. He is already in the territories of the Castle. The wife of the Great Demon Dog would have noticed his arrival. Sesshoumaru smirked. Oh his great mother, doesn't she always have schemes up her sleeve. Whatever it is right now, it would always be for her own selfish reasons. His mother is still not fond of humans, and just as much, she did not approve of him keeping companies with humans. Just as his father had been.

Sesshoumaru had ascended the lasts of the long stairs when he saw the familiar form of his mother. He kept his nonchalantly face - well, not like he cared anyway - and stood in front of his mother.

"Well there. You have not seen your mother for years and you stood there quiet. Oh well, I should have known. What would I have expected, anyway?" said Lady Shiriwa - more to herself than to her son. "Forget it. Come on in. We have got to talk."

Lady Shiriwa walked on ahead into the tearoom she had been earlier on. She didn't even seem to care that Sesshoumaru did not immediately follow her. It was only after a cup of tea that Sesshoumaru entered the room with a solemn face - again. When would her son get over this already? It is like talking to a powerful walking mannequin. He sat, still as motionless, waiting for his mother to state her objective of asking him to come to such a place. Why she is here of all places is also something beyond him.

"You have been staying at your lands, hadn't you? Surely you would want to roam about and..."

"Mother..." interrupted Sesshoumaru.

His mother stopped and raised an eyebrow.

"Get to the point."

"Why, Sesshoumaru. Wouldn't you even have a casual talk with your dear mother? Fine then. As you please. I need you to gather precious items for me. I could well do it myself - the demons would be no feat to me - but I guess all these years slacking around had indeed made me lazy. Furthermore, it would be a great use of your powers."

"Aren't you indeed very weird, dear Mother? You called upon me for a favour as trivial as this?"

His mother merely laughed out loud. If this plan goes through, it is this mother that had helped him.

"Go, Sesshoumaru."

Just about then, the door to the tearoom opened. Sesshoumaru remained passive as Lady Mameha entered the tearoom, taking her seat beside Lady Shiriwa. Then it pounced upon him - that very scent. Sesshoumaru caught himself in time before he turned abruptly to the door, to find the source of that scent. He managed to hide his shocked expression before anyone could notice. He did not even realise that his mother had noticed that momentary change of expression. Inwardly, his mother smirked.

"Sesshoumaru. I have not since you in decades." Lady Mameha greeted.

"Lady Mameha."

"May I be allowed to ask something of you?"

Sesshoumaru looked up straight at Lady Mameha. The resemblance was striking.

"Would you... be kindly enough... as to bring Miyuki along?"

Miyuki. At that point, when Lady Mameha said her name, Sesshoumaru's eyes widened. He did not even tried to mask any change in emotions. Lady Mameha had asked him to do that one thing he could not do even if he had wanted to. Miyuki. That foolish Miyuki. Why would ever he bring her along anyway? What use of her, would this Sesshoumaru be needing? Sesshoumaru smirked at the very thought.

"Mameha, don't fret over it."

Lady Mameha looked at Sesshoumaru, waiting for a concrete answer.

"I will be back as soon as I have gathered everything."

Sesshoumaru stood up casually and walked out of the tearoom. He walked in the direction of Jaken who is sitting at the top of the stairs. Of course, there would already be someone waiting there with Jaken. What else could he had expected? As he approached the two of them, they both stood. Sesshoumaru walked past the two of them, knowing deep inside that both of them would follow him anyway.