Author's Note: I have the next seven chapters outlined! I'm so excited. It took a bit getting there, but I think I've finally settled on where the next bit is going to go. A part of me hopes this will encourage me to crank out the chapters faster, but we'll see. I alternate working on this with one or two other stories to avoid getting burned out. Thank you all for all the wonderful reviews, favorites, kudos, and follows!

~*Flame

Disclaimer: InuYasha & Final Act are all owned by Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Viz Media & Madmen Entertainment.

Chapter Twenty One

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru-dono!" Tears of gratitude streamed down Rouyakan's face as he bowed before me. It had taken him nearly two days to recover from the injuries left from his encounter with Naraku. With each passing hour during his recovery, my rage at the hanyou increased. It took a lot for youkai to heal so slowly. I would ensure Naraku would pay for each agonizing hour Rouyakan suffered.

"Hn," I nodded, giving him the signal he could depart once he was ready. I wouldn't force him to leave my side, but he had a duty to the forest as its guardian. I knew he wouldn't linger here for much longer. I was sure that was much he needed to set to rights after his encounter with the hanyou.

"If you hear any news of Naraku, be sure to send it to us." Jaken folded his arms across his chest, head bobbing and eyes sliding shut. "The coward will be no match for Sesshoumaru-sama once he's found." Rouyakan grunted in agreement before turning and making his way deeper into his forest. I didn't expect him to encounter the hanyou again. After his plan had so drastically failed, I doubted Naraku would try the same thing again. He thought himself far too smart for that.

Yet, that left ever the mystery of where he was or what he was planning next. Clearly, it would center on Inuyasha, but beyond that, I was at a loss. What I needed was more information, something beyond Jaken's network. The only thing to come to mind was Bokusenou, as much as it pained me to admit.

It would take some time to reach the old magnolia. Time where Naraku could make a mistake and reveal a hint to his location. Thankfully, I had just the way to avoid missing anything. Gaze shifting to Jaken, I nearly smirked, anticipating the excitement this vital task would bring my retainer.

"Jaken," the imp turned quickly, bowing as he called my name. "I must travel to speak with Bokusenou. I need you to watch Inuyasha and discover what you can about Naraku." As I expected, pride glimmered in his yellow eyes as he looked up at me.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama! I won't let you down!" He bowed again as I turned, leaving the clearing for the first time since coming to Rouyakan's aid. It was a shame Kagome had failed to live up to her agreement regarding revealing the distinguishing mark Naraku held. It would have been helpful for Jaken to have. Far easier for him to ignore the useless information he was certain to be flooded with.

A flash of her surprised eyes came to mind, nearly causing me to misstep. She had been so shocked at me pointing out her betrayal it was near impossible to fake. I hadn't returned to the Dream Realm since our last encounter, and the time apart was giving me a bit more perspective. Could it be possible she hadn't meant to betray me?

With a shake of my head, I dismissed the idea. She had clearly shown her favoritism towards Inuyasha. Had I come to her for aid in obtaining Tessaiga, nothing would have changed. The hanyou would still have fought me, and I would still have lost my arm in battle. Wishing for things to be any other way was foolish. Her claiming otherwise was nothing but a ruse. I had to remember that. She wasn't who I thought she was, who I wished she was.

Forcing her eyes from my mind, I instead focused on how to approach Bokusenou. The last we spoke was before the fiasco with the Tessaiga and I wasn't looking forward to hearing any lecture the old tree may give. I only hoped that the potential threat of Naraku would be enough to distract him.

The trek to the old magnolia's grove was uneventful. In the past, I would have been eternally grateful for the time alone with my thoughts. Now, Kagome's eyes haunted me. It was driving me mad. Even if I believed her; that she didn't betray me, it would have happened eventually.

Kagome was firmly on Inuyasha's side. Even without our recent violent encounters, he and I had never seen eye to eye. It would be impossible for her not to be swayed by Inuyasha's view.

"Ah, Sesshoumaru." Bokusenou's withered voice forced my focus away from thoughts better left alone. "I was wondering when you would show." I just stared at him, not surprised in the slightest that he knew of my impending arrival. He always seemed to know when I was seeking him out. It was part of why I hoped he had information on Naraku.

"Hn," I stepped closer to the old magnolia. "What have you heard of the hanyou Naraku?" I doubted I would get a straight answer right away, but I was hoping to distract him for a bit.

Bokusenou chuckled, his branches shaking, leaves twirling around me as they fell to the earth below. "I told you Tessaiga wasn't yours to command." I glared; any chance of distraction shattered in an instant. "Now look at you, tossed aside just like your Father."

"I am nothing like Father." I growled, a hint of red bleeding into my vision. How dare he compare me to the once great Inu no Taishou. I dedicated everything I had to serving the West. Not once had I shirked my duty. It was not my fault the West had no use for me.

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong." The bark around his eyes crinkled as a wistful smile twisted his lips. "Great and powerful, the Western Court cannot see beyond their own corruption. Did you truly believe your Father turned his back on you when he followed what his instincts knew was right?" I frowned, refusing to answer. Bokusenou didn't need me to voice it, anyway. We both know that's exactly what I thought. Yet, if he were to be believed, that wasn't the case.

I had seen it, though. Centuries ago, when Father stood before Mother and the Western court to answer for his distraction with Inuyasha's mother. His slight continuing beyond his death when he left me Tenseiga; a blade that refused to answer my call when hundreds of Western citizens lay dead on the battlefield.

"That is not why this Sesshoumaru is here." I growled, refusing to give his words credence. I was here for another reason. If his words had any merit, I could mull them over another time, when things were not as pressing as they are now. "Tell me, what have you heard of the hanyou Naraku?"

The old youkai hummed, squinting at me. I could almost see the thoughts running through his mind as he debated what to tell me. Or, more likely, what infuriating question to ask me next. He didn't disappoint me.

"What shall you do now that the West has forsaken its greatest protector?" I nearly snorted. He knew they had stripped me of my title yet didn't know me as the Western's Folly? How foolish. I was no great protector, and he very well knew that. The West would still have need of me if that were the case. Yet, I humored him. It was the only way I would finally get the answers I so desperately wanted.

"I shall protect those who cannot protect themselves. Naraku is a threat to those under my protection."

"Ho…" His eyes roved over me, searching for the truth of my words. "And what of the Shikon Miko? Should she not be under your protection?" I jerked back, utter shock breaking through my bored facade. Never had I ever expected Bokusenou to bring up Kagome in conversation.

"You know not of what you are saying." I sneered, forcing my roiling emotions down.

"Is she not Naraku's biggest threat?" I glared, refusing to respond. "She may fear this strange world now, but it's only a matter of time before she settles and reveals herself as the treat to his goals." It didn't surprise me he knew more of Kagome's origins than most. With the Goshinboku so close to the well she traveled through, I was certain he had secondhand knowledge of her adventures.

"Kagome doesn't fear this time." I scoffed. Bokusenou's bark shifted as if he was raising an eyebrow. He stared at me for a long moment before sighing in defeat.

"There are strange whispers surrounding the young Kagewaki Hitomi." As my lips parted to ask for something more, Bokusenou sank back into his tree. Glaring at the old magnolia, I growled. He may have provided some kind of clue, but it was a near useless one. I had no knowledge of this Kagewaki Hitomi, let alone where to find him. Turning on my heel, I left Bokusenou's grove; once again with more questions than answers.

I was still struggling with the audacity of him for bringing up Kagome and her supposed need for my protection. She had Inuyasha, did she not? An uncomfortable weight settled in my gut as flashes of her phantom like form came to mind.

Bokusenou's claim that she would become a threat to Naraku was a given. She was a Miko, and the Shikon Miko at that. If she didn't have the power to protect the Shikon, the Kami would never have placed it in her care. If that couldn't be disputed, perhaps he was not so off base with his claim of her fear of this time.

Coming to a stop, I let the serenity of the forest surround me; a complete contrast to the storm swirling in my mind. I could still remember the fearful tears in her eyes when she first told me of her travel to this time. Of course, she was frightened. Youkai didn't exist in her time, and without warning, she was pulled from the safety she knew. Her first days here were spent having the human villagers capture her, Mistress Centipede rip the flesh from her bones, and Inuyasha nearly decapitating her.

How long had she been here before we met outside the Dream Realm?

Guilt washed over me as her pain-filled eyes came to mind once more. Inuyasha may have tried to kill her, but he also protected her from Mistress Centipede. She had no way to protect herself in this time, as untrained as she was. Inuyasha was her only option for protection. She might not have even trusted him when she started traveling by his side. The only one she really trusted when she first arrived was me… My heart ached, finally admitting that it wasn't her that betrayed our friendship.

It was me.

I betrayed her first.

The pain of the truth ripped through me. Every moment of our encounters since she arrived in this time flashing before my eyes. We were supposed to be friends, yet at every opportunity I spat in the face of that friendship. She was only reacting to my poor treatment of her. I hadn't even believed her at first when she told me about falling through the well.

I didn't deserve her friendship.

Clenching my fist, I turned swiftly toward where I knew the well sat. I had to make this right. Even if she never forgave me. If she was still as frightened of this time as Bokusenou implied, she needed all the focus she could get. Distracting herself with the bleeding wound our broken friendship caused was unacceptable. Naraku could, and would, exploit that.

Trees flew by in a blur as my once casual pace quickened. The urge to give Kagome some kind of peace spurring me on. In no time at all, I found myself beside the well. There was no mistaking this to be the portal Kagome used to travel between times; her scent blanketing the area with the sweet tang of lightning.

There was no telling when she would be returning, which was something I desperately wanted to avoid. Not because I was hesitant to face her, but because an encounter with Inuyasha would only make things worse. Without pause, I leaped into the depths of the well.

Decay scented dust floated around me from the impact of my landing. Looking up, I couldn't help but wonder how she could climb out of this the first time she arrived. The well was far deeper than it appeared from above. Shifting my gaze to the stone wall, I let my Dokkasou pool around the claw of my index finger.

It was no guarantee Kagome would see the message, but it was the only way I could think of reach out to her outside the Dream Realm. Scraping my claw against the stone, the hiss of my Dokkasou melting the rock hummed in my ears. There was always the chance Inuyasha would see the message, his caution over catching my scent forcing him to investigate. It wouldn't matter, though. He wouldn't understand what it meant, but Kagome would, and that's what mattered.

Taking a step back, I looked over the message one last time. Satisfied, I leapt from the well. The deep etching of kanji faded from view; the darkness of the well the only witness to my apology.