"Ladies first." Papa said.

"Don't mind if I do." Kagome kissed his cheek then hurried over to the bushes. The boys walked off.

"Do you really think they'll actually bathe, Kagome?" Sango queried as she undressed.

"We can only hope."

"My lord never bathes. He doesn't need to." Rin pointed out.

At my questioning look, Rin explained, "he's a daiyoukai. He secretes a thin layer of poison from the pores of his skin to keep himself clean." Her belly became more obvious after she had undressed. She says that like its a normal thing. And what's a daiyoukai?

Still confused, I glanced at Sango and Kagome, who were peering over the bushes, watching the two sitting forms.

"Those two have a bit of a rough history. They've learned to tolerate each other at best but-"

Kagome interrupted Sango, "We've been trying to push them to be even closer." Kagome winked, "Bathing in each other's presence would be a huge milestone."

"Sesshomaru never takes his armor off around Inuyasha. In fact, I've never seen it off at all." Sango added.

I nodded, "I saw he has two swords. Why?"

"One of them is not so much of a weapon. The black one," Rin pointed at her lord's left hip, "That's the tensaiga. It saves lives. It saved my own."

"Well duh, a sword can be used to kill someone who's trying to kill someone else. In effect, you're saving someone's life."

"Are you talking about Inuyasha's sword, the tetsusaiga?" Sango queried.

Kagome explained the origins of the swords.

I was in the middle of relaying what she'd said about grandfather and his swords in my head, when she interrupted my thoughts. "Moriko-chan, can I borrow your ears?"

"They're spying."

Inuyasha huffed, "Keh. I know that, Captain obvious." A phrase he'd picked up from Kagome.

The both of them were an expecting to hear a slight splash of water, signaling the girls had entered the spring.

Even if the women were purposely discreet, they were close enough to be able to hear any disturbances in the water, for their protection from the uninvited of course.

Inuyasha wondered, "Why they have so much interest in what we may say behind their backs, I'll never know."

"Hn."

"They know." I stated, turning away, "Let's just get in already!"

The soothing liquid seared my skin gently, like a fiery creature welcoming me but also warning me of one important sizzling aspect.

I felt like glass, but in a good way. If one were to imagine the sound that hits your ears when something fragile shatters and make into a tangible feeling, rather than a sound itself, then one could imagine the feeling that pulsed throughout my body from my core. Glistening smooth shards of glass crowded in my heart, as if they were trying to form something.

I sighed, relaxed, and closed my eyes. The steam cleared my sinuses and I welcomed the ability to smell so clearly.

"Hey Moriko-san?" I heard Kurenai's voice.

Eyes still closed, I said, "What?"

"Do you like him?"

"What?" My eyes shot open to see her slim form a few feet away, "Who?"

As the name was forming on her lips I knew who she was talking about. I didn't need to hear his name.

"No. Why?"

She nearly sighed with relief. HUH?

My eyes narrowed. I had protected her, and she likes the guy!?

"You like that jackass?!" My voice quieted as I was speaking. No reason to yell.

She defended, "No! Of course not!" So much for keeping quiet.

Her blush gave her away however, and it wasn't the water's fault. "I don't believe it!" I exasperated.

After some time of her looking away as if to hide it, I reasoned, "Well, I don't know what you see in him, but rest assured, I'm not interested." I disliked the guy so much, I didn't mind repeating the fact that I didn't like him.

I'd had my arms crossed on the rocks holding up the scroll, when I came across the meeting of the wolf demon, Koga. As I continued, it was clear to me that Inuyasha was already falling for mom. He showed it by accepting that she may come to love someone else, when he'd asked her what she'd done with the wolf demon. Reading about her reaction and telling him to sit, I couldn't suppress a chuckle. It was clear mom didn't know at the time that he was only asking to make sure she was okay with whatever Koga might've forced her into. She may not even know that now. The fact that their love for each other started when she was only fifteen.

I sensed Kurenai exiting the water fifteen feet away or so. Did I hear her? Smell her? I didn't know how I knew it was her. I think my senses are becoming instinctive.

"Do the others know?" I asked, not breaking an eye away from the scroll. I didn't care, but I didn't want to be the one to drop the bomb on everyone. If it was a secret, I would keep it. For her sake, only, if nothing else.

I could sense her looking my way, and as she was silent, I knew she sought my eyes before she would decide to tell me. I tore my gaze from the kanji, a bored look on my face. Did she still not trust me?

"Only mom knows." She said flatly after some time, "Father would die at hearing such nonsense."

I pitied her, and she must've seen it in my eyes because her expression softened too, more relaxed.

I hummed, "Love doesn't always make sense, huh."

It wasn't a question, but a statement that desired assurance. For she answered a tight "No" before walking away to get dressed.

I wasn't sure what to make of that encounter. Had I gotten closer to Kurenai? Or . . . The latter thought scared me more. Had I pushed her away?

Seriously Moriko? These are people you are going to be around for the rest of your life! You can't just screw it up!

I sighed. I wasn't good at making friends. I'd had little practice. As I rose from the water, I found myself wanting to regret. Regret what? That I came to this era without hardly a second thought? That I was forcing myself to automatically make friends with whoever I met?

I wrapped a towel around my shivering form. The cold always seems to bite harder when you've come from somewhere warm.

Something else bothered me. In the scroll, when mom had met Sesshomaru for the first time, though it explained that she had not known it then, it had explained that sesshomaru had lived about two hundred years. Even now, he looked young. Father looked younger than mom as well, though the scroll had made it clear that mom was younger than him when they'd first met.

How long will I live anyway? Will I outlive everyone here anyway? Did it even matter what I did when eventually . . . I'd just lose them all?

"I guess Sesshomaru will be around longer than me and maybe father and I will leave this world around the same time, since he's already much older than me."

Why had I come to this world? I barely noticed the familiar pulse. I wanted aventure! As the pulses repeated, I decided that I didn't care. Is it so wrong to want something for myself for once? My heart cried out in my chest, wanting to escape this torture, this pain.

I worked hard in school to go to a good college. I worked my ass off at a job to build up savings for college tuition. I stayed with grandma even though it was so far from school. None of it bothered me then, and I don't regret it now. "SO WHY DO I FEEL THIS WAY, DAMMIT!"

I heard an exhale in the bushes to my left. I froze, adrenaline pumping, coursing its way from limb to limb.

The girls had all already left and were waiting on me with the boys. I'd thought I was completely alone.

"Wh-who's there?"

Silence.

"I know where you're hiding so you might as well come out," I quivered. Then gaining confidence, I quickly added, "Before I pummel you into next week."

Kami, I hoped I'd sounded threatening.

Though he didn't come out, he said, "I apologize for the intrusion. I was heading towards some friends of mine and I'd thought to freshen up first." He paused and I didn't say anything so he continued, "I didn't want to get pummeled, as you said, so I figured I would just wait till you left."

I was starting to form an angry response, when he explained further, "If I had moved, you'd have heard me and gotten the wrong idea, as you did anyway."

That still doesn't make me suspect what you were doing while you were 'waiting for me to leave.'

"Keh. Well, lucky for you, there isn't much to see." I said as I started dressing.

He waited as he heard the shuffling of my clothes. I was concealed in the bushes anyway, but I appreciated his politeness.

"When you live this long, the exterior becomes meaningless. Surely your voice is enough for any bachelor."

I made a noise of surprise. It was the first complement I'd gotten in this world other than from people who'd already met me. And what does he mean about living long? Don't tell me I'm talking to an old man!

I calmed my inner thoughts. This was a complete stranger, possibly a youkai. Was he just pitying me? Trying to boost my confidence?

"I'm dressed now. Show yourself."

He stepped out of the shadows. The first thing to notice was the glossy white hair that was swept about his face elegantly and had purple highlights. The highlights were impossible to name as they changed with every flicker of the light through the forest canopy. If I were to pick a shade in my mind I'd say it's like a . . . a radiant orchid.

Then there was the armor. A sign of status to most, but to me, it was a warning not to mess with him. It was a lot like Uncle's, minus the spikes. I really liked the Kusazuri below his waist. It looked flattering on men. For armor. He also sported sode shoulder armor. He had a heko obi like Uncle as well, but it was wrapped more simply and was a mint green. His yukata was a royal blue, a sign of wealth in this era, with sky blue sakura blossoms dancing at his sleeves. His hakama was a shade or two darker than his top, but less vibrant.

Finally, his eyes were a seductively dark green that glowed in his intense gaze. He bore markings like sesshomaru did, and he did share the pointed ears that nearly all demons have. Was he possibly only part demon? Like me? Then again, he's probably more demon than human, from the looks of him.

"Who are you?"

"I am known as Umi Byakko," he put a hand to his chest and bowed. I suddenly felt awkward. He'd complimented me, possibly even flirted in a demon's perspective, and yet, here he was bowing like a gentleman. Somehow I got the feeling he was spying after all. I couldn't say why, but my eyes narrowed in suspicion, as if I could just see the nervous beads of sweat on his face.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance miss . . .?"

Distracted, I regretfully started with "Um" but after closing my eyes, summoning inner-confidence, I finished, "Moriko, granddaughter of the late Dog General."

I'd discovered my heritage when reading about the travel to his grave over the famous sword. I figured it might protect me since it seemed no one else seemed to smell, hear, or in any way sense that there was an unknown demon near the hot spring. You never know a demon's true intentions, or at least it was safe to assume that since I knew nothing about demons at all. My eyes narrowed to my left, my thoughts traveling even farther to the two watchdogs. Some bloodhounds they are.

"I know of your heritage."

My face must've betrayed my thoughts, or rather the lack of them.

"Not only can I sense it in your youki and your scent, but, ah," he pointed to the air above his head, "the ears."

I think, in a demon way, he was trying to be polite about my ears.

"I guess it's a dead giveaway." I looked away then, not knowing what else to say.

"Why were you yelling?"

The trees swayed. Isn't it usually 'why were you crying?' Guess I'm not your everyday girl.

"Oh, it's complicated," I said, trying to think of an explanation that didn't involve time traveling. Then I looked up, anything to avoid that beautiful, deadly gaze, "I just considered how I am going to outlive almost everyone I've come to know here. I won't live as long as Sesshomaru or possibly even my father, but . . ."

"You will live for five hundred years at best. Though even most half-demons don't live out their full lives."

"Oh, I see."

There was no point dwelling on it then. Must make the best of what I've got. There was no point in worrying about making too many mistakes, I'd have long enough to live to make up for them.

I heard a crunch of his boot and I whirled to face him. He'd halted at that of course.

"Tell me, what do people like me mean to you?"

I'd caught him off guard. Recovering his composure, he said nothing, just gazed at me and then my back as I walked away.

He didn't have an answer.