Chapter 80: Waterfalls

It had been several years since she had ventured into these woods, the last time being right after she moved to the states, before she started school. Still, she knew where she was going. Traveling all over feudal Japan hunting down jewel shards with Inuyasha had given her a good memory when it came to knowing terrain. Yes, it was possible she might get lost, but it wasn't the same circumstances as it had been then, nor nearly as dangerous. At least she only had to worry about bears or equal wildlife, and not some rampant youkai power hungry for the jewels she carried.

She walked for about an hour before she saw the small stream. She smiled, she was going in the right direction. She had remembered. Now, all she had to do was follow the stream as it led her deeper into the Catskill Mountains until she reached her destination.

The hike was pleasant. Light filtered through the canopy, birds hopped along the branches and woodland critters scurried as she disturbed the serenity. A doe was drinking from the stream ahead of her with a young fawn. The sound of her approach sent them prancing off through the woods.

The water in the stream was begining to move faster. She knew it wouldn't be long now. Her pace was slow. She was in no hurry. There was no Inuyasha rushing her along faster. There was no one at all. No one to try to impress. No one to proove she wasn't weak to. No one to cheer up. No one needing her... at all. No Inuyasha, no Miroku, no Sango, no Shippo, no Kilala, no Kouga, no mom, no grandpa, no Sota. She was alone. Everyone she held dear in her heart she was separated from, either by distance or time.

She poked as her side, where the jewel now rested in her body. Something so little had destroyed so many lives. The greed of the evil hanyou, Naraku, had caused so much suffering. She had thought, that by defeating him, maybe things would be balanced at last. Had she made no difference? She fought what seemed to be in impossible war at times and yet, now, Youkai all around the world were suffering. Caged and sold to slavery. The new villain was man. Back then, at least they were free. What role was she to still play in this theater production of 'The Shikon Miko'? She had no answer.

She stopped in the familiar clearing. The clear blue sky could be seen overhead. Dropping her yellow backpack, she laid on the grassy earth, using the backpack as a pillow. She was proud of herself for finding her destination, by herself. She breathed in the cool, woodsy air. This felt familiar. This felt right. This is where she belonged.

Eventually, she forced herself to make camp as the sky began to darken. She wanted to at least have a fire going before dark, setting up the tent she could do by campfire light. She walked around the clearing, gathering fallen branches and dried grass. After that she walked over to the river, picking up several large rocks and dumping them near the firewood. It took five more trips to the river before she had enough rocks to make a small firepit ring. Opening her backpack, she removed a small spade and began digging out the grass and moss and leaves, leaving behind a dirt circle. She carefully outlined the circle with the river rocks. The last thing she wanted to do was start a forest fire... the possibility of burning to death in her sleep wasn't appealing. She stacked the wood in the shape of a teepee, putting the dried grass in the center. She removed her lighter and a sheet of paper from her pack, and ignited the corner of the paper. Once the flame was started, she poked it through the wood so the dried grass would catch fire.

Now that she had a fire, everything else could wait. She started following the stream, farther up the moutain, leaving her stuff back at camp. It wasn't like there was anyone around to steal it. It wasn't long before she found the real reason she liked this particular spot. A small waterfall, cascading down from the the top of a cliff, spraying up mist that sparkled like a thousand fireflies when it caught the light of the moon. The water was maybe three times her height, and it's water was cold, even in the summer, but it was still breathtakingly beautiful. She climbed up and sat on a large flat rock near the base and closed her eyes, just listening to the sound of the water as it tumbled freely. The pitter patter of tiny flows to the crashing sound of the main flow. It would still be a while until the moon reached the height to display a light show for her, but she was quite content with the music it provided during the wait.

"I see you have found me, Lord Sesshoumaru." Kagome said, not bothering to open her eyes because in all likelihood she wouldn't be able to actually see him.

"What are you doing, Miko?"

"Sitting. Relaxing. Waiting." Kagome smiled.

"Waiting for what?"

Now Kagome opened her eyes and scanned the surrounding area. She found Sesshoumaru standing to her left at the bottom of the rock she sat on. "Why don't you wait with me and see for yourself? I promise I don't bite." She patted the rock next to her, an invitation, and then closed her eyes again.

"How did you know I was here?" His voice came from her right side now, where she had patted moments ago.

"You're aura. I feel it a lot stronger now than I did before. I don't know if this is because of the necklace or if you are somehow becoming more powerful. I felt it shortly after I started my hike... I guess that is when you decided to follow. You did lock the door, right?"

"Yes."

"Thank you, Lord Sesshoumaru." Kagome opened her eyes and looked at him. "You left, though, after you started to follow me. Why'd you come back?"

"I am bound."

"I know, I am trying to fix that. Like I said, I don't want to control you. You could leave if you wanted to."

"This Sesshoumaru is bound TO you."

Finally it dawned on Kagome what he meant, "So you did try to leave, you just couldn't go far because the necklace keeps you close to me." she frowned. While that sucked for her, must be awful for the prideful demon to be stuck close to her. "When I go back home, I will try to find some answers."

"The answers you seek do no exist."

"Well, then I will make my own answers."

"Foolish woman."

Kagome huffed, "You know, you don't need to be rude. I am doing the best I can to set you free. There's nothing in it for me, yet I am willing to put forth the effort for you. I don't need your criticisms and insults."

"Facts are not criticizing or insulting, facts just are."

"Well, for future reference, keep these kind of 'facts' to yourself, Mr. Negativity!" Kagome frowned.

"I am not negative."

"I am positive you are negative. I am trying my best here. I am trying to make the best out of the whole situation. You know, you aren't exactly the easiest person to be around."

"I frighten you?"

Kagome shook her head, "No. I haven't been afraid of you for a long time. I know fully well that you can kill me, you have had many chances to do so back in the feudal era, but you didn't. Quite the opposite, actually. You've saved me more times then I care to recall..."

"I never saved you." Sesshoumaru interrupted.

"Okay, well intentionally or not, you did. Thank you for that. If you choose to kill me, there is little I can do to stop you. I don't want to live in fear my whole life, so I just choose to accept and trust you as you are. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Do you always act so foolishly?"

Kagome laughed, "Yes. I guess I do. But what you consider foolish, I consider compassion. It is all in how you perceive things. I don't like to judge others without knowing them, and as you said before, I don't know you Sesshoumaru."

"Indeed."

"I would like to though." Kagome turned her gaze off Sesshoumaru and back to the waterfall. "Soon the show will start, the moon is getting higher."

Sesshoumaru said nothing. They sat in quiet companionship and watched the water flow down the small cliff face. It wasn't long before the moon peeked over the branches and the light show began. Kagome stared, watching the beads of water as they caught the moonlight on their journey to join the stream. It really was beautiful, so much better than she had remembered. All thoughts, worries and stress drained from her body listening to the music and watching the dance the water and moon put on. She loved waterfalls.

As the night drew on, the chill in the air grew. Her skin was prickled with goosebumps before she came to her senses, "I am getting cold now, I am going to head back to camp. You are welcome to come... or stay." Kagome smiled at him before jumping down from the rock. Sesshoumaru followed, landing much more quietly and gracefully than Kagome had. ~Show off.~ Kagome laughed in her head.

After getting the fire going and pulling on a sweater Kagome unrolled her sleeping bag. She walked over to Sesshoumaru, who had seated himself against a tree trunk on the opposite side of the fire, and offered him the extra sleeping bag.

"I do not get cold as easily as you humans."

"I know. And I know you don't really sleep. But it is here if you would like to use it." Kagome said as she placed the blue roll next to him, then walked back over to her own and slipped in. She was close enough to the fire to feel the heat on her face, but not close enough to catch on fire if she rolled in her sleep. Sleeping under the night sky, she had done it so many times before and yet the novelty hadn't worn off yet. She enjoyed it as always.

Kagome fell asleep watching the flickering of the flame and the golden eyes that peered through it.