Well, this is my way of saying sorry for the long delays ^^ I... kinda have slumps every now and again, but hopefully I won't make you guys wait too long again (hopefully). The last time I said that it didn't work out too well... but... well... yeah :)

Anyways, here's the next chapter just for all those... few fans I have left :P Oh I'm a bad, bad girl :'(

So, yeah. Please review :D I love all you guys 3

A Friend Returns:

It had been three months since Nozomi had vanished. Three long months with no sign of Naraku, Kagura or jewel shards. Three months with a very quiet Shippo.

"How do you think she is?" asked Shippo one day, while they were camping near a river, "Do you think she's alright?"

Kagome nodded and replied, "I think she's just fine. Nozomi knows how to handle herself."

"But she's all alone again! I don't want her to be alone..."

Sango patted Shippo on the head and said, "None of us wanted it to turn out the way it did... but Kagome's right, Nozomi knows how to handle herself. I'm sure she's fine."

"But we don't know where... or when she is! She could be hurt or in danger!"

"Keh, stop you're whining," growled Inuyasha, shooting a glare at the young fox demon, "The kid's stronger than she looks."

Kagome smiled. "Inuyasha, did you warm up to her?"

Inuyasha moved his glare to Kagome and simply grumbled, "Keh."

"I want Nozomi back," whimpered Shippo, "I miss her."

"We all do," murmured Sango, "Don't worry, Shippo. She'll be back sometime. I don't think she'd be able to leave you."

Shippo grinned at Sango and nodded. "Yeah... I hope I see her soon!" As soon as the others turned away, the grin dropped off his face. With tears swimming in his eyes, he glanced upwards at the sky and whispered softly, "I miss you, Nozomi. I really miss you." Anguish covered his face as he slowly curled up beside Kagome, silent sobs escaping his mouth.

oOo

"I'm worried," said Kagome as she glanced backwards at Shippo again. The small fox demon was sleeping on Kirara, too tired to walk, "It's been three months but he just seems to be getting worse."

Sango nodded. "I'm worried too," she said, "Do you really think Kaede can help him?"

Kagome frowned. "Probably not... but I'm all out of ideas... I just thought that maybe she knows some grandmotherly trick to help him through the pain and all."

"He really liked her, didn't he?"

"Yeah, he did. I wish she didn't go through time again."

Sango nodded in agreement. "He just wants her back now."

"I'm sure she wants to be back, as well."

"I wonder if she misses him as much as he misses her," mused Sango, glancing back at Shippo yet again.

Kagome also looked back and murmured, "She probably does. She really liked him, as well. They were perfect together!" Kagome let out a sigh and turned her head up to stare at the sun. "I wonder what she's doing right now."

Sango followed Kagome's action and said, "Probably trying to find a way back. Hoping she'll get back to see us again."

"Probably..."

oOo

"What is wrong with him?" asked Kaede, staring at the small demon kicking the dirt on the ground.

"He's heartbroken," replied Kagome, "Is there any grandmotherly tricks you have to help him?"

Kaede frowned. "Grandmotherly tricks? I am afraid I do not know anything of the sort. Time will heal the wounds in his heart."

Kagome let out a sigh. "I'm just worried about him. He's been like this for ages."

"Do not fret, dear child. He was bound to go through something like this eventually. If you do not mind, can you tell me what transpired for him to end up like this?"

"Well... we met this half-demon girl who could travel through time, not that she wanted too. Her ability had been temporarily stopped for a while when she met us. Her name was Nozomi and-"

"Nozomi? As in the cat-demon Nozomi?" interrupted Kaede, recognising the name.

"Do you remember her? She said that when she was travelling through time and everything, she spent a while with you and Kikyo."

Kaede nodded slowly. "I remember her; we used to play in the fields near the village – she loved the flowers there. But she always looked so sad... How is she?"

"She was... alright the last time I saw her. Distressed, though. She... she had this thing that stopped her from moving through time and she destroyed it to save us... we haven't seen her for ages now."

"Ah, so that is why Shippo is acting this way. Did he love her?"

Kagome nodded and said, "Yeah. He hasn't admitted it but he did... but now she's gone and Shippo's been like this for ages."

"She will be back," said Kaede, "Although moving through time is... complex, she always gets to be where she wants to be. Many years ago, when she was here in the village, she told me the story of how she wanted to meet her mother so badly that her next stop through time was just before her mother had her. She was able to meet the woman, before disappearing two days later."

"How did that happen? I thought travelling through time was too complicated and had too many variables."

"That is true. Yet you came to this time, and we ended up needing you. Nozomi does not know this, at least Kikyo said she did not, but she does have control over her gift. She just does not know how to control it. Controlling a gift such as hers takes years of practice and patience."

"And she's still too young for all of that," murmured Kagome.

Kaede nodded and replied, "Exactly. As she gets older, she will learn to master it, but for now she cannot and she sees it as nothing but a curse and a burden."

"Do you really think she'll see us again?"

"I do. If she really wants too, she will see you all once again. However, she could be years, if not decades older."

"Kagome! Let's get going!" yelled Inuyasha, his silver head suddenly appearing in the doorway, "We need to get finding more shards."

Kagome rolled her eyes and got to her feet. "I know, Inuyasha. Let's go. Thank you, Kaede."

"Any time, child."

oOo

"So what did she say?" asked Sango, suddenly appearing beside Kagome. They'd been walking for an hour in silence.

"That 'time will heal all wounds'," replied Kagome, "And that Nozomi will probably be back again someday."

"Soon I hope."

"So do I."

"I smell something," said Inuyasha suddenly, making the entire group stiffen and cease their movement, "It smells... like a demon."

Kagome squinted her eyes, trying to see up the road more. For several seconds, there was nothing, until suddenly a figure appeared a metre or two in front of them. The demon. Kagome frowned as she studied the young woman now standing in front of them. She looked familiar, but different. Her long, blonde hair was waving in the wind as her red-brown ears twitched and her similarly coloured tail swished to and fro. She was wearing a long, pink dress that filled at the bottom, looking like something a human woman would wear, not a demon. She was rather short, about a head shorter than Kagome and was in a very relaxed stance.

Inuyasha sniffed and walked forward a little, the woman's head tilted to the right as her eyes continued to scan over the group. She obviously recognised them, and was only waiting for them to recognise her.

Inuyasha frowned and murmured, "It... it smells like-"

"NOZOMI!" interrupted Shippo with a shriek, flinging himself at the young woman, who just laughed and held him tight.

"Hello again," she said brightly.

"H-how are you back?" stammered Kagome, moving forward, "A-and how long were you gone... I-I mean for you."

"It's been a while for me," replied Nozomi softly, "A few years, actually. I know it hasn't been long for you, and I'm sorry for not coming earlier... but... well, time travel is unpredictable."

"You're back!" sobbed Shippo, "You're back! You're back!"

"Yes, I'm back Shippo... and... and I need your help."

"Help?" repeated Sango.

Nozomi nodded. "I know how to eradicate my... gift. But I need your help to do it."