Forbidden

Chapter Ten: Farewell

Sesshoumaru followed Nanami's scent out of the castle back to the forest when Ryuu caught up with him.

"Sesshoumaru! Stop, wait!" Ryuu shouted. Sesshoumaru stopped and turned around, facing his former friend.

" Forget about her, Sesshoumaru. We must both forget about her. What ever she has or has not done, she is beyond your control. You can't change the past, so just let it go and go on... All I know is that our friendship is worth much more than that pretty girl. " Ryuu tried to win back his friend, but Sesshoumaru frowned and scoffed.

"Friendship? What friendship?" He continued on his way back to the campsite, leaving Ryuu speechless.

Nanami ran back toward the campsite, crying, barely able to breathe, as weak as she was before Sesshoumaru killed her. Shock and adrenaline kept her moving, but not for long. As she got closer to the camp, her body began giving up on her. Manipulating time drained all the energy out of her and she knew she would have to feel this way for a week or so. Every time she disrupts the natural flow of time, she disrupts her own body and mind, and that of those around her. That's why she never uses her power unless necessary and her body and mind are able to cope with the pressure. She felt as if in a nightmare, everything seemed wrong yet it all made perfect sense. Nanami could barely keep up with her own thoughts, her world seemed to turn upside down and shake until everything was shattered to pieces. Nanami was heartbroken, furious and hopeless all together. she didn't know what she was doing, her mind raced in different directions. She wanted to be trusted again, to be welcomed as a friend by those she loved, not shunned away like a diseased stray. She was sick of being treated as an outsider. As something to stay away from, or misfortune will follow. She kept running toward the camp, not stopping even when she felt like falling to the ground and just disappearing, forgetting everything. Yet she knew she couldn't. She had already called for help the night when she escaped from the pillaged village. Nanami finally stumbled into the campsite. Miroku, Sango, and Kagome stared at her, not knowing what happened. Rin popped out of nowhere and clung to Nanami.

"You're back!" She squealed happily. But Nanami just closed her eyes, and her hands still clutched her dress as they had when she was running. Rin looked up at Nanami, sensing something was wrong, and the woman's frightened, hopeless expression confirmed it.

"Nanami? What happened? What's wrong?" Rin wondered. "Where's Lord Sesshoumaru?"

Nanami merely opened her eyes and looked at the two women staring at her in concern. Sango made the first move and walked up to Nanami, but she was not sure of what to say. She knew something happened and it involved Sesshoumaru, but she had no clue of what exactly. Nanami just looked deep into Sango's eyes, her gaze saying "I'm sorry, but there is nothing you can do to help me."Then she quickly ran her fingers through Rin's hair and gave her a faint, but warm smile, after which she let go and walked to her sword, still in the ground, and sheathed it. She jumped on her stallion, and fixed the reigns. Kagome jogged up to the horse and placed her hands on its neck.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"Away from here." Nanami whispered.

"No, Nanami! Don't leave! Can't you stay?" Rin begged.

"I have to go, Rin... I can't... I can't ... stay here... or see them again... I'm sorry."

"Why? See who?" Rin pleaded desperately, clutching Nanami's dress.

"I'm sorry..." Nanami said finally, and lashed the reigns, speeding off toward the coast. The group remained silent, each one wondering about what went on during the day. Rin was crying quietly next to the campfire. Kagome sat down next to her and hugged her. Sango tried to figure out what Nanami meant by not being able to stay here and 'see them'. Miroku was also curious, but insisted that it was wise to stay out of it if Sesshoumaru was involved.

"You think Inuyasha found him by now?" Kagome asked.

"I don't know... I don't even know if it's better that he finds him or he doesn't... I mean if Nanami looked like she had gone through hell and lost all control, now imagine what Sesshoumaru looks like..." Miroku's face scrunched when he imagined Sesshoumaru.

"I don't know either... We'll just have to see." Kagome answered and kept glaring at the fire.

Inuyasha kept tracking Sesshoumaru up the mountain and through the woods. He was a bit confused, because he could not pick up Nanami's scent that he presumed Sesshoumaru was following. What was he following? Where was he going? A gust of wind blew in his face, Inuyasha caught a new trace of Sesshoumaru's scent, and it was approaching him, fast. Inuyasha decided to stay in place and just wait for his half-brother.

"What the hell happened between you two? Where is the girl, what'd you do to her?" Inuyasha interrogated his brother.

"Not now." Sesshoumaru ignored his younger brother and passed by him.

"Spill it, Sesshoumaru, what'd you do to Nanami?"

"You have no part in this."

"I think I do, actually. What the hell is happening?!"

"I do not know what I have done to her or what she has done to me. I have already told you, this is none of your concern."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"It means get the hell away from me!"

Inuyasha frowned for a moment. "You've changed. You're both hiding something. You don't even seem like yourself anymore. Who the hell is she?"

Sesshoumaru agreed deep down inside that ever since he met Nanami, he had changed, but he did not want to admit it. He just smirked to himself, knowing that the Sesshoumaru as everyone knew him was gone. He started running again, following Nanami's scent. -She ruined everything. Everything.- He followed her tracks to the campsite and was welcomed with cold glares from the two women. Rin crossed her arms, frowned and pout her lips.

"How could you upset Lady Nanami, Lord Sesshoumaru? Why did you do that?"

Sesshoumaru was speechless and shocked that even the very loyal Rin was turned against him. He walked past them and continued his search, his mind clouded, his heart confused.

"Why is he acting so strange? Why won't he talk about what happened?" Inuyasha reached the camp right before Sesshoumaru was out of sight.

"It's the girl, I'm sure of it. There's something between them that no one else has a clue about." Sango suggested.

"Something serious." Kagome added.

"Just stay out of it. Leave both of them to resolve their conflicts. And don't worry, he won't kill her." Miroku advised.

"How would you know? He already has, remember?!" Inuyasha barked.

"Not on purpose. Just look at them when they're together, and at Sesshoumaru's behavior around her. He threatens to kill her and pretends to not care, but he keeps saving her and making up excuses for it."

"Whatever, monk. They hate each other." Inuyasha scoffed.

"Ugh, you're so clueless." Kagome rolled her eyes and looked in Sesshoumaru's direction.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Inuyasha snarled, then returned to arguing with Miroku about who was right or wrong.

Sesshoumaru chased after Nanami, though he was not sure why. -Why bother? She's a figment of the long gone past. She will only make things worse. Damn it. This is a nightmare and I can't wake up.- Sesshoumaru's mind raced in different directions, almost to the point of not knowing what he was doing or where he was going. The wind lashed at his face and chest, telling him he was nearing the beach.

After being completely unaware of his past for 200 years, then suddenly meeting his tragic past and realizing he has lived a lie for the past two centuries was unbelievable. -She was so perfect... Or I was so blind. Or she was so flawless that she fooled even my father's judgement.- Sesshoumaru followed her scent until it disappeared abruptly and all he could smell and hear was the ocean. -She's in the sea?- A cold chill ran down his spine, fearing she was going to drown herself. He rushed out onto the sandy beach. But what he saw was perhaps worse than Nanami trying to drown herself; in that case he could at least have pulled her out. She was leaving.

Nanami was in a small boat, her head in her hands as she leaned over and placed her elbows on her knees. The boat headed toward a beautiful, enormous ship made of red oak whose burgundy sails billowed in the wind. Two sailors threw down ropes and about five men held the other end of both ropes. A sailor in the boat tied both ropes on either sides and it was pulled up. A man Sesshoumaru's age rushed down the stairs from the captain's cabin to the ascending boat. Under the moonlight, Sesshoumaru could distinguish his short brown hair, dark eyes, pointed ears and a recently healed scar from his ear to his mouth. The boat barely reached the rim of the ship when the man snatched Nanami out of it and embraced her tightly, whispering something in her ear. To Sesshoumaru's surprise, she hugged him back and buried her face in his chest, crying. The sight drove Sesshoumaru mad, but he restrained himself. His fists clenched so tightly from anger and jealousy, he cut his own palms with his claws. Just then, the captain turned and saw Sesshoumaru knee-deep in water. He scowled at the demon. Nanami noticed his reaction and looked in his direction. As soon as she saw Sesshoumaru, she jerked away from the man as if she was caught cheating, which she thought she was. The captain frowned in confusion at her spontaneous reaction and the longing way she looked at the man in the sea irritated the hell out of him. Nanami let out a heart wrenching sigh to prevent her self from crying again and stormed up into the captain's cabin. The captain threw a threatening look at Sesshoumaru, who returned an even more threatening glance, and both went their separate ways. The ship left into the dark horizon, with Sesshoumaru's heart on it.

The demon darted back toward the castle, heading to the cave where the old witch doctor lived. -She would know the truth, and where Nanami is headed. She has to.-Sesshoumaru shot past the group in the camp, with Inuyasha cursing at him.

He finally reached the cave, a dim light glowing deep in the cave. Sesshoumaru found it hard to believe that the witch was still there in the cave after 200 years. He walked in and followed the lights and the sound of the witch's humming.

"I knew you would be back, Sesshoumaru. But I am disappointed, if not angry at you." The witch announced eerily, without looking at him. She was focused on the fire, shaking her head every now and then.

"How is it that you know about this?" Sesshoumaru frowned and walked in front of the fire, opposite the witch.

"This? You mean Nanami..." Her bone chilling, misty white eyes looked up, waiting for his answer. Sesshoumaru cringed from her ghostly gaze.

"I was her mentor, her guardian, her predecessor. I know everything there is to know about that girl. You think I gave you that potion to help you? I did it for her."

"If you know everything about her, then tell me, is she responsible for my father's death?"

"What did I tell you the potion would do?"

"Erase any memory of her."

"Precisely, yet you still remember your father's death..." The witch began to stand up carefully, as if her thin figure was made of glass and any sudden movement would shatter her to pieces. Sesshoumaru frowned, not understanding what she meant.

"That does not answer my question."

"Heavens have mercy, of course it does. The potion erased memories of Nanami and anything she was the cause of." The witch flung her arms up in the air in frustration." You would not have remembered your father's death or your mother's tantrums if she was the cause of them!"

Sesshoumaru felt as if he had fallen through the earth into a pit of freezing water, realizing that he and his mother were the ones that ruined the life of an innocent girl, and that his mother deceived him beyond forgiveness. Sesshoumaru took a step back, regaining his balance and put his hands over his head. -What have I done?-

"Are you sure about that?" He asked.

"I consider that an insult. I can see the past, the present the future. I made that potion so that the innocent girl whose life you crippled would not have to live her life in regret. If you doubt me, then go to the netherworld and ask your father."

"How do I know you're not lying?"

"I have no need to. I held her power once, I was the one that chose her to be the next guardian. I would have never given her that power if she would have been a murderer."

"Fine. I believe you. Where is she now?"

"You won't get her back. She will not trust you."

"If you think that will stop me from going after-"

"I know it will not, but I am warning you in advance."

"Much appreciated, but I already know that. Tell me where she is."

"The only reason I will do so is because she is in danger there as she is here. But she will not be able to protect herself from all her enemies. From what I have seen, if you do not go after her and get her out on time, she will die. You must be silent, she must not recognize you until you get her out, otherwise both of you will be caught and heavens know what they will do to you."

"You cannot see what will happen?"

"Not if you have not done any thing yet. pay attention. She will be in a small fort, 50miles northeast of Hokkaido... Make your decision now, do you want her back?"

"Why do you think I'm here?"

"Then trust me. Come, there is much you need to know and do before you leave."

The ship cut through the waves smoothly, breaking each wave with ease. In the captain's cabin, Nanami sat at a table, arms folded on it and her head resting on them. The captain sat across from her, his arms crossed over his chest, observing the young woman.

"What happened, Zhanna?" He asked for the third time that night. Again she did not answer, just shook her head. "Honey, you can tell me. What's wrong? What happened? Why won't you talk to me?"

Finally, she looked up. "Vlad... please. I don't know what happened. I don't know... I... " She mumbled weakly. The man sighed and took one of her hands into his and kissed it.

"I want to help you, but to do that, I need to know what happened."

"With all due respect... there is nothing you could do to help me." Nanami pulled her hand away and stood up.

"Zhanna-" Vlad tried to talk to her, but Nanami interrupted him.

"I don't want to talk about this."

Vlad looked at the woman. -She's changed. Something happened.- He scowled at her cold tone, shuffled in his chair and glared at the woman as if she was guilty of sin.

"Who was he?" He questioned. "That demon. Why was he after you?"

Nanami looked at him nervously. "No one."

"You lie. Speak the truth."

"No one. I do not need your help, so leave me to deal with my life and my problems alone."

The captain was utterly shocked at her response. Just a few months ago, they lived together, and made the decision that they will be together and get married when she comes back, but now she seemed irritated by him.

"Fine. Get some rest... Clear your head. Maybe tomorrow you will come to your senses." Vlad muttered and left the cabin.

Nanami sat down on the bed and cried into her palms. -You ruined everything, Sesshoumaru. Everything.-

Note: Just to clarify, Vlad and the people on the island she will go to do not know her as Nanami, but as Zhanna. And their realtionship will be explained in the next chapter.