Another shorter chapter, but I want to get it all out. School starts Monday! This is mostly a funny chapter with a character growth for our dear Moriko.

Green shimmers blinding, her arm lifted and shaded her vision. She lay in the shadow beneath the tree, knotted roots pillowing her head. Byakko stood near her, grass swaying about him. He offered his hand.

Moriko grasped his forearm and lifted herself. He smiled. She returned it. Dressed in her kimono once again, and her hair tied back, she found herself at the edge of a field. The field. Wooden planks stood firm in the ground even after all the years since Kagome had began her journey.

A strong gust of wind shuffled the trees to the right of her vision. Autumn leaves twisted and flew like a current through the air. It drew closer until it came upon her at full force. She tucked a loose lock of her silver hair behind her ear. Kaze.

"Grandma." She whispered.

All is well, Moriko. She is just fine.

"Grandfather?"

Come. Go to the well.

"Er what? Why?" She asked as she drew towards it.

Place your hands on it.

Not knowing what he was planning and figuring there was no harm in it, she did as he said. The wood was crisp beneath her claws.

Close your eyes.

She breathed in. And closed them gently.

Eh? Who is this? She thought when a man appeared in the darkness of her mind.

"Souta!" She said aloud.

Moriko-chan . . . He spoke as he looked at her, Do not worry for us. You cannot choose us both. Inuyasha and onēchan will be there for you.

"But . . . I don't want to forget you."

Souta put a hand on my shoulder. No.

What? I thought.

Remember. A pulse clutched my heart. I grasped at it. Beside him, my little cousins appeared. To his other side, grandma and Hayami-chan appeared, smiling.

Then, before them all, a boy in a school uniform appeared. I gasped. His arms reached out. My knees gave out. And I felt them brush the side of the well as I held on to the edge of it.

"Yousuke-kun."

He embraced her, her soul. You don't have to forget, he said warmly. But you can't keep yourself in the past. He kissed her. Or at least, somehow, she was seeing him kiss her inside her head. Like a dream where you can see yourself.

It was a goodbye kiss. But she took it. A hand cupped her cheek. She spent their last moments memorizing every feature in his face.

His love for her wrapped her in a warmth like no other. Take comfort in your memories. And live to make new ones.

Her eyes flashed open. She felt a weight on her shoulder and for a split second, she thought he was really there with her. Her head turned to find another concerned face.

"Oh. momma."

"What is it child?"

She couldn't form the words. "I-" she croaked, "I had to say goodbye."

As she hugged her mother affectionately, she thought, Arigatou, Ojī-san.

A clawed nail itched the top of his bald head. "You're telling me that for some reason you can only latch onto this runt?"

"Oi!" I crossed my arms, "Old geezer, my name is Moriko. Mo-ri-ko."

Though I didn't take it personally, Grandfather ignored me, "I tried with both my sons."

Just as described in the scroll, the old swordsmith still wore his billowy ugly-shade-of-green outfit and still kept his mallet with him at all times. His three-eyed ox had carried him here obediently. I wonder if . . . Like Rikona and Kirara, he also has his own personality?

I felt an itch on the back of my hand, and rubbed it absent-mindedly as the two men went back and forth on ideas. Then a slight pinch caught my attention. It's not a mosquito!

A little demon appeared on my hand. "Eh- Myoga! What are you doing?" Inuyasha lectured.

"The old flea, Myoga." I recalled.

"Ah I see you've read the scroll I suggested to be made for you."

"But . . . Haven't you always bit Inuyasha on his neck or nose?" I dangled my fingers in front of my nose, eye-level with the little bloodsucker.

"Ah but you're a lady. Think of it as merely kissing your hand!"

I narrowed my eyes, "Doesn't that usually include an introduction, literally, beforehand?"

"MY-O-GA!" Grandfather said in a slightly raised voice.

I raised my hand into a tight fist and closed my eyes. "Master! It's been a long-" Splat. I lifted my soon-to-be-bruised hand from the bark. The flea had remained on the tree and started to fall to the ground unceremoniously. "Ah female . . Inu blood . . Totally . . Worth it."

"Why are you here Totosai?" Kagome said from my left.

"Myoga and I sensed the presence of the master. I checked with Sesshomaru before coming here but he seemed in the middle of something."

I imagined InuTaisho nodding in agreement, "Hai. I no longer only have a granddaughter."

Kagome peered at me, or rather through me, at grandfather, "What do you mean otōsan?"

"Ah what a sweet sensation to be called father . . . Sesshomaru will soon know what that's like."

"Eh?"

"Rin-chan!" Kagome said worriedly, "Why didn't he say something?"

"Keh. It's not the first time he's up and left before, Kagome."

InuTaisho made a sighing noise, "Turns out both my sons are rude and thoughtless. Hopefully this newborn won't be the same way."

"Well, considering they're half-brothers," I said, thinking out loud, "There can only be one person they get it from."

Myoga, having recollected himself and sitting on papa's shoulder, gaped along with Totosai. I glanced between the two before a booming laugh had me reaching for my ears.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Grandfather managed between a series chuckles. Too bad the boys aren't as charismatic as you are though. I thought.

It took me a decade to train myself to be this way. Made for a better leader among my allies.

Huh. That so? I laced with sarcasm.

"Feh. That only means Moriko has it too."

Whu- what a rude thing to say!

"How could you call your only daughter an idiot?! Just because someone else is, doesn't mean I am!"

My husband looked as if he'd been struck but he quickly recovered. "I never implied that! Oh so I'm the stupid one now, huh?!"

My daughter crossed her arms, "For someone so stupid, you sure figured that out quickly."

I started laughing, doubling over. "So . . ." I wiped a tear from one eye, "You read the 'fine print' on the back?"

"WHAT FINE PRINT?!" Father growled.

"Well, no one finishes their homework without checking the back first." I peeked one eye open and had my arms crossed in my yukata sleeves. Even though I had discovered it by accident. My back is still stiff from sitting and reading the scroll. Eventually I had laid down on my chest and elbows. The flickering light of the fire was visible through the old parchment (I guess paper doesn't last as long in these times.), as well as backwards kanji. I'd nearly died at finding quotes from shippo and the others that they'd recalled from their journey.

Inuyasha was still dumbstruck. "Clearly they wrote the scroll without you present." I said.

Kagome was wiping a tear from her eye. Automatically, one ear flicked in her direction as she said, "You bet we did."

He raised a fist, "Oi! What gives you guys the right to pick on me!"

"I agree with Inuyasha."

"Grandfather?"

"Now is not the time for bickering. Your friends have been abducted, have they not?"

Father was silent. Kagome's expression grew grim. I found myself staring at the ground.

"Besides! I'm the only one who gets to pick on my son!" He chirped.

The three of us nearly fell over.

Inuyasha was suddenly at my side, talking to grandfather, "Ha! What's there to pick on? You don't know a thing about me old man."

"You do realize that I can see just as well as the rest of you right?"

Both parents made noises of surprise. Inuyasha's fist lowered slightly.

"I can see through Moriko's eyes if I so choose to. My senses are no different than when I was alive."

"Inuyasha." Kagome explained, "That means he read the scroll too."

Inuyasha was about to say something but was interrupted.

"It sounds like your soul is blending with Moriko's soul." We all turned to Totosai. In my mind, my first thought was, Well, prepare for the monthly emotions. I swore I heard grandfather groan jokingly.

"If I knew how to detach myself, I would."

"What does that mean for me?" I asked.

"Your senses and your emotions are becoming one. The longer you two are attached the more unified you become . . ."

"Totosai. Tell them the rest of it." Grandfather demanded.

"Depending on who is stronger, one will likely take over the other . . ."

Yousuke and Moriko had a relationship that even they weren't quite sure how to describe. Alot of the characters in this story are based off of people I know. So their relationship is based off of something that's real, so I know it's an acceptable . . . thing? Anywho, I have question dear readers. Do I spend too much time with detail or does the detail make it feel more real? I WANT YOUR OPINIONS!