CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

Mikage

My hair wet as I sat in the bath, I allowed the water to seep up to my shoulders. The hot water felt nice after such a long time without a bath. How long had it been? Two weeks of staying within the village had me slightly sore, with all the rice picking and vegetable harvesting that I did for so many people. Leaning back against the rock, I let my tense shoulders sink down.

"Mikage... You've got scars all over..." Kagome's voice went through my mind as I lifted my eyelids. As if on instinct, my hand traveled down my arm. Without a word, I nodded. She hadn't even seen the worst of them, had she? I pressed my back against the rock. "What are they from?"

I opened my eyes to look at my rippling reflection in the water, watching as the fair-skinned blur ran over the small waves of the pool.

"Nothing. Just injuries collected over the years, nothing special," I lied. Kagome's eyes flew over my body, a look of disbelief on her face.

"All of them?" She sloshed her way over to me, kneeling down to look at them closer. "They look pretty bad, Mikage. You know, we're friends, right? You can tell me anything, and I promise I won't tell. It just doesn't piece together. The scars, you running here dressed as a man," Kagome began. I knew she wouldn't let this go.

"My mother."

I bit the inside of my lip, not wanting to meet her eyes as the news sunk in. The reaction I received I had been expecting.

"What...?"

I crossed my arms in front of my chest, looking to the rock beside me.

"It's just not important, Kagome. I know you want to help, but it isn't going to help me now. It's over, and done."

Kagome could sense the barrier that I had put up. But I didn't feel comfortable with her penetrating it.

"Mikage please... Let me help. I can help. Just you telling me will take a huge amount off of your shoulders, wouldn't it?" she asked, coming beside me. She put an arm around my bare shoulders, drawing me close to her.

I shrugged, her wet skin slippery against mine.

"I don't know..." I began, watching my hair split into strands in the water.

A sudden rustle in the bush caused me to redirect my attention.

"Who's there?" Kagome called, rising to her feet.

"Reveal yourself!" I placed my hands on either side of the rock, prepared to throw it if necessary.

Muffled whispers were exchanged before finally, I caught a scent of candles and incenses drifting from behind the bush. I felt my nose wrinkle as I lifted the boulder, staggering to my feet. Holding it above my head, I uttered a growl. "You better have a good reason for spying on us, you lecherous perv!" I screamed, feeling my face heat up in anger.

"Yee!" The monk revealed himself from behind the shrub, holding a hand in front of his face for self-protection.

Watching him scramble made me realize just how much men had been getting under my skin lately. First Akatsuki, then him... Another scent made me pause as I set the boulder down tentatively. It smelled musty- like a wet dog...

"Who else is there?" I asked as the waves subsided. Crossing an arm over my front, I huffed. Beside him lay a shaking tanuki- a leaf clutched in his paw.

"M-Master Miroku! Help me!"

"No can do, Hachi, you're fending for yourself!" Miroku cried before whirling and running into the dense woods.

"You better run, y-you...disgusting conniving..."

"Miroku, wait until Sango finds out!" Kagome roared. Sango? Must be a friend of Kagome's.

The badger trembled before me. With a fumbling hand, he held up the leaf.

"I-it's worth a try... Looks like listening in on the conversation might just save my hide after all!" Bringing the leaf in front of his face, he threw it into the air. As it landed on his head, he yelled 'transform'. To my horror, before me appeared Lord Sesshomaru- obviously one of the tanuki's conjuring tricks. He must have heard my conversation with Inuyasha...

"Get away from here!" I snarled, bringing the rock up yet again. This wasn't even close to fooling me. Automatically, the demon reverted back to his original form, letting out a startled yelp as he ran after the monk. I waited until he was out of sight before I set the rock down again.

Worn out, I let myself drop into the water, allowing the naturally warm water to run up my body.

"Sorry about those two, but..." I held up a hand to stop Kagome. It wasn't her fault. It was their's for being like that. And mine I guess. I was being so irritable, I hardly was giving anyone a chance to even explain themselves. What was up with me lately?

"Kagome? What does it mean if you aren't being yourself?" I asked, shifting my head to look at the pale-skinned girl. Her brow wrinkled up as she frowned, confusion evident.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean... I haven't been myself, you see. I'm almost always shy when I meet people, but then once I know them, I am more open and-and... I try to be kind, and everything, but I feel like I've been cruel, like now."

I knew that I hadn't given her a good explanation, but I had tried my best. I waited for her to reply, my head hard against the rock.

"Well, I think you are just beginning to feel more settled around people, you know? I don't think it's anything bad. Besides. Miroku totally deserved that. I might have a better answer, though."

"What?"

"So... Inuyasha told me about you and Sesshomaru, and..."

I couldn't help but let out a groan. Of course he did. Whenever I tried to isolate myself away from him, I just seemed to be pulled in deeper. I didn't want anything to do with him anymore. "Listen, Mikage. Maybe you still have some of those unsolved feelings from when you two were children. After seeing him like that when you didn't see him for so long, well that could stir up some emotions, couldn't it?"

I thought about it for a moment, staring at the night sky through the pine-green treetops. Sitting up, I heard my back bone crack. Kagome was right.

"Yeah," I admitted, running my nails through my hair.

"So what are you gonna do about it?"

"I'm gonna try and get over it."

"That's not the answer, Mikage." Kagome kneeled in front of me, a scolding look on her face. I looked away from her, as she placed a hand on my shoulder. Her next suggestion petrified me. "You should talk to him."

"No," I objected.

Kagome looked offended as I got to my feet, ready to leave the spring. Placing her fists on her hips, she protested.

"And why not?"

"Because that would be stupid!" I cried, walking out of the water.

"No it wouldn't! It could be totally romantic, you never know," Kagome poked at my shoulder blade, letting out a laugh.

"And what makes you think that I'd want something like that?" I grabbed the cloths that Kagome had brought, tossing her one. I ruffled through my hair with the cloth, allowing it to absorb most of the liquid remaining in my scalp.

"You would! It's written all over your face," she pointed out, literally doing so with her left hand. I shot a glare back at her, feeling anger and frustration returning to me.

"How so?"

"Well-" Her voice cut off, struggling to find words to complete her sentence.

"Exactly. If you'd excuse me, I'm going back to the camp that I set up earlier."

Pulling my top over my front, I begun walking in the opposite way. That was before a pang of guilt hit me. Inhaling some air, I twisted my head back.

"Hey." I shifted so my body was facing her, head coming down a bit into an apologetic gesture. "I'm so sorry for how I've been acting... I just..."

"It's okay! Friends forgive each other, right?" Kagome pulled me into a warm hug, her still wet skin slightly sticky against my bare arms.

Eyes softening, I nodded.

"Yes. Of course."

Friends... So my lifetime wish; it had finally come true.