InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Into the East ❯ Walls ( Chapter 22 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

A/N: I'm… not even going to try to come up with an excuse…

Into the East

Chapter twenty-two: Walls

Posted: 22 April 2007

Characters/Plot originally appearing in the anime/manga Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Everything else © me

Nearly week of traveling found the group well into the continent. A human and three youkai, an odd group no matter how you look at it, especially setting out as they were into unknown lands. They had flown to the southernmost islands and crossed the sea at its narrowest point before continuing their journey.

So far it was fairly uneventful. They passed over forest and mountain. At night they slept beneath rocky outcroppings or in dark thickets that were surprisingly warm and cozy when the chill of early autumn nights took over.

Sesshoumaru would scout the area each evening and always came back with some small catch for their dinner, and even located the occasional hot spring, but more often than not it was a cold stream. It was easy to fall into a routine, and as Vanessa laid out her bedroll for the night, she glanced over her shoulder at the taiyoukai.

It might have been like their travels before, except for the fact that they'd barely spoken. If it weren't for Shizu, and occasionally Kaminari, she thought she might have gone crazy. Sesshoumaru had been quiet for most of the trip so far - not that he was overly `talkative' by nature, but it was still awkward between them, just as it had been since she had announced she was leaving. Maybe tonight after Shizu and Kaminari went to bed she'd try to talk to him about it.

The winged horses had fallen into the habit of wandering off to graze while Vanessa and Sesshoumaru made camp, and then going to bed shortly after returning. They were doing most of the work after all, but they would go to bed just after the sun set, which left a couple hours at least before Vanessa was ready to sleep. Normally she would have liked to spend that time talking to Sesshoumaru, but he didn't seem to be in any kind of talking mood at all so far.

When they had set out that first day, it seemed like things might have changed, that the awkward silences had ended, but apparently that wasn't the case.

Tonight, Vanessa told herself as she watched him watching their dinner on the fire. I can't take this much longer.

“Vanessa?” She was jerked out of her thoughts by Shizu's voice in her head just as her friend stepped into the small clearing. Kaminari followed close behind her.

“What's up?”

Sesshoumaru looked up at the sound of her voice, but when he saw Shizu walking toward Vanessa he turned his attention back to the fire.

“Why don't you talk to Sesshoumaru-sama?” she asked without preamble, and Vanessa glanced worriedly in Sesshoumaru's direction. Shizu laughed in her head.

“Don't worry. Only you can hear me.”

But he would be able to hear Vanessa.

“Sesshoumaru, Shizu and I are going for a walk.”

“But-”

“The hen is almost finished,” he told her.

“I know. We won't be long.”

Before she could complain or pose any more objections, Vanessa grabbed a fistful of mane and led Shizu a few paces away before swinging herself up onto her back.

“What's the big idea saying that in front of Sesshoumaru?” she hissed when they were far enough into the forest that she hoped her voice wouldn't reach the taiyoukai's sensitive ears.

“Well, you've hardly talked at all in almost a week. I know you don't while we're flying. You can't. And you barely say two words to one another when we stop to make camp.”

Vanessa didn't know what to say. It was true, and she was trying to find a way to remedy the situation. Somehow.

“He… We haven't really had much to talk about. That's all.”

Shizu narrowed her blue eyes. “Get on.”

“But-”

Suddenly she grabbed the back of Vanessa's kimono in her teeth and tossed her up onto her back.

“All right… Where are we going?” she asked as she straightened herself and sat comfortably.

“Keep quiet. We're going back.”

“Okay…”

“Shh.”

Shizu stole back to the campsite on silent hooves and Vanessa wondered if even Sesshoumaru could hear her. It didn't seem that he did.

“Look at him.”

She only just caught herself from asking `what about him?'

“I may not have spoken to him until recently, but I've known Sesshoumaru-sama my entire life, and this isn't like him. He hasn't been himself since we left. Surely you must have noticed.”

Of course she had. She noticed long before they ever left the palace.

“And it's the same with you. You need each other. Everyone else can see it but you. Talk to him, Vanessa. We all know he's too stubborn to make the first move, so make him talk and get rid of whatever this nonsense is between you.”

“I was already planning to,” she said quietly and slid off her friend's back. “I will…”

“Good. I'm going to bed,” Shizu said with a bob of her head. “Good night, Sesshoumaru-sama.” She bowed to him before folding herself up next to her father.

Sesshoumaru returned the gesture with a nod and glanced at Vanessa before slicing off a piece of chicken for her. She accepted it with a smile and sat beside him.

They ate silently. Again.

“So… think we're making good time?” Way to get deep, Ness… Baby steps.

“Actually… yes. Shizu and Kaminari are doing better than I could have hoped.”

“Good.” And that was it. How was this so difficult?

After dinner, Vanessa curled up on her bedroll and tried to sleep, but it wouldn't come.

Tonight, she reminded herself and turned her head to find Sesshoumaru staring into the fire again.

So she rolled over and poked his boot. Well it got his attention anyway. He looked down at her with a raised eyebrow. “Yes?”

“You're brooding.”

The other eyebrow rose to meet the first. “Brooding.”

“Yeah.” She sat up to face him with her back to the fire. “Ever since… Well, ever since I said I wanted to go things have been different, especially after… after what happened in Kagome's village.”

Sesshoumaru didn't say anything.

“It's just… I want things to be like before… but I guess it can't be, you know? It must seem pretty pointless to try and fix a friendship with someone you'll never see again, but I'd hate for all this awkwardness to be the last you remember of me. I just-”

“Stop,” he interrupted, holding up his hand, and then he sighed and let it drop to his lap again. Vanessa waited. “It is true,” he said finally. “Your leaving has troubled me since that day in the gardens. I couldn't then, and still cannot understand why you would choose to leave when it so obviously hurts you.”

“Sesshoumaru, I'm sorry. I-”

“You have to. I know. I do understand duty, and I would not be doing mine if I were to keep you from going… or to make it harder than it already is. You feel this is something you need to do, and I… will simply have to come to terms with the fact that I will likely never understand the mind of a human female.”

That little sparkle returned to his eyes - or maybe it was merely the firelight. Nevertheless, Vanessa couldn't stop her grin and scooted to his side to lean on his shoulder. She felt him look down at her curiously. It was a bold move considering that they had hardly spoken in weeks, but she didn't care. She missed his subtle teasing and how every now and then he would share something with her that she just knew was kept secret from everyone else. She missed… him.

“Does this mean you won't be giving me the cold shoulder anymore?”

“I really had no intention of doing so before,” he said and shifted slightly - not to push her away, only to get more comfortable. That alone made Vanessa feel that they were finally putting this mess behind them - at least for the few months it would take them to get her home… “I suppose…” he said softly. “I retreated to my thoughts and did not consider how you would feel.”

“Hey, don't worry about it. I've sort of shaken up the peace in your world the past few months, haven't I?”

“Yes. You have.”

She swatted him lightly on the chest, ignoring his surprised look. “You're not supposed to agree.”

“But then I would be lying.”

“Humor me,” she said and yawned wide.

“You should go to sleep,” Sesshoumaru said softly. Vanessa was almost there already.

“Can I say here?” she murmured sleepily.

Sesshoumaru hesitated and didn't answer for a long time, but finally pulled the edge of his own cloak around her as she drifted deeper and deeper into sleep.

VvVvVvVvV

Can I stay here?

Vanessa's words rolled around and around in his head long after she fell asleep against his shoulder. He hadn't expected her to come to him like that, though he should have suspected something when she and Shizu disappeared earlier. But he was glad. And she had a point… he had been brooding. Did he really expect someone like her to accept his silence for the entire journey - a journey that could take months?

Can I stay here?

He knew she only meant that she wanted to sleep where she was, but that simple question stirred within him once more the desire to never let her go.

Can I stay here?

Sesshoumaru slid his arm around her shoulders under his cloak and waited for the dawn. She was right, and he wouldn't want her last impression of him to be the tension between them over the past weeks.

As the sun rose, Vanessa began to stir, and Sesshoumaru removed his arm from her shoulders. She awoke with a start and sat up, letting the cloak slide from her shoulders. And as she looked around her, he caught her eye and she blushed furiously.

“Um… hi,” she said.

“Good morning.”

“Sorry I crashed on you last night.”

“Don't be,” he said and stood. “I will find something for your breakfast.”

He felt her eyes on him as he disappeared into the forest to find that stream. There wasn't much time left, and somehow he felt certain that this was going to work. It was only a matter of time before she would be out of his life forever and he was determined not to waste another moment.

She was gathering up their things to prepare to load up Kaminari and Shizu when he returned with the fish and set them over the fire. Vanessa glanced over at him several times, almost shyly, and Sesshoumaru waited patiently, unsure whether he should try to talk to her or let her come to him again.

After a while, she sat down beside him and wrapped her arms under her knees. “So…” she began hesitantly. “Did you mean it?”

“Did I mean what?”

“What you said… about my leaving bothering you.”

Sesshoumaru kept his silence. He didn't like to repeat himself when he chanced to say something remotely personal. But he also knew that Vanessa would be upset by this silence. As the fish began to crisp over the fire, he finally looked over at her.

“What makes you think I would tell you that if I did not mean it?”

She really should know better than to question his sincerity. After all, as she so often loved to point out, she would be able to sense a lie.

“Why didn't you tell me before? Why make me think you didn't care at all?”

Because he didn't want to care. Would it have made any difference if he had told her before? She would still leave. Caring for this mortal only complicated things.

“It was simpler.” It was partly true, but still…

“Was it really?”

No. It wasn't. He'd felt the tension growing between them as acutely as she had and he'd tried to distance himself even farther from it. It had always worked in the past - until Vanessa. Whether she was conscious of it or not, she wouldn't let him continue on as he always had.

“Your fish is ready,” he said instead of answering directly and rose to begin retying their packs to Kaminari and Shizu's saddles, leaving his own fish uneaten.

After they had washed up in the stream, Vanessa approached Sesshoumaru once more. “Here,” she said and handed him a small leaf-wrapped bundle. He looked at her curiously.

“It's from breakfast. In case you get hungry later.”

“…Thank you.”

A silence fell over them.

“Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push you away. I just want to understand you, Sesshoumaru. I guess we have that in common.”

“I suppose we do…”

“I guess… we should get going. Can we talk more tonight?”

“Of course.”

Before long they were in the air again and flying steadily westward. Sesshoumaru was interested to find out how Vanessa planned to find their way once they reached this `Europe' of hers. But since they would eventually be sailing, he supposed they would simply continue until reaching the ocean.

He looked forward to talking more about it with her, but unfortunately the wind and distance between them while they flew made conversation impossible. Occasionally he would relay information through Kaminari and Shizu, but for the most part he was left to his own thoughts.

When the sun was high in the sky, Sesshoumaru began looking for a suitable place to take a break. He scanned the landscape around them and when his gaze passed to the south he stopped. There was something there… something that didn't quite belong. He leapt off of Kaminari's back and flew on his own.

“Continue without me for a moment, Kaminari-san.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Sesshoumaru floated where he was, searching the land to the south until Shizu and Vanessa circled in front of him.

“What are you looking at?” Vanessa called before Shizu took them around again.

“There is something… Shizu, follow me down and ask your father to join us.”

When they landed on a rocky hillside, Sesshoumaru drew Vanessa aside. “What do you know of this land?” he asked her.

“Um… honestly? Not a whole lot. What do you want to know?”

He looked south once more and then back to Vanessa. Perhaps she would recognize it if she could see it. “Would you come with me for a moment?”

“Sure…” She stepped up to him, rightly assuming that they would take to the air, and as he slipped his arm around her waist she smiled up at him. Her grip tightened as it always did when they left the ground, but he would never drop her.

They rose higher and higher until the pale ribbon in the distance was clearly visible - at least to Sesshoumaru. “Do you see that?” he asked, nodding to the south. She squinted and shielded her eyes against the sun glare.

“Is that…? You want to know what that is? Way out there?”

“You know?”

“It's got to be Great Wall of China.”

“Great Wall…” It was huge, the largest structure he'd ever seen, and stone by the look of it. “Who built this wall?”

“Um… the Chinese? It was meant to protect their northern border, and I think even now it's already centuries old.”

“Humans built this?”

“Well, yeah. At least, as far as I know.” Impossible. How could mere humans have constructed something of this magnitude?

“I should like to see this wall someday,” he said and Vanessa looked up at him.

“Why don't we?”

“What?”

“Why don't we go see it? It can't be that far out of the way.”

“You would delay your return simply to satisfy my curiosity?”

“Sure, why not?” she shrugged. “We're here, and I've never seen it.”

“If you are certain… Then we should collect our companions.”

They took a brief break and ate their lunch. “Just one thing, Sesshoumaru,” Vanessa said as they were mounting up.

“Yes?”

“Well, we'll be coming at the wall from the side that's meant to stay out. I don't know what kind of guards are on the wall or what their range is, but… I'd rather not be shot out of the sky.”

“I agree with Vanessa,” Shizu put in a bit nervously.

“We will use the appropriate caution,” he assured them. In truth, he had no desire to be shot full of arrows either. “Fly low and when we get closer take to the ground.” Near the trees they'd be somewhat less visible than they would be against the open sky.

They lifted off, and Shizu pulled away to the usual distance and Sesshoumaru was once more left to his thoughts. Perhaps… he should try initiating conversation with Kaminari? He heaved a mental sigh. There was no way he would return home from this trip the same youkai as he left.

“Kaminari-san,” Sesshoumaru began.

“Yes, my lord?”

And… then he drew a blank. “Nothing. Forgive the interruption.”

Kaminari turned his head just enough to peer back at him with one blue eye, then tossed his mane in what might have been a shrug.

Moments later, he looked back again. “That Vanessa is an intriguing human,” he said.

Sesshoumaru started and cast a wary glance at the human, and Kaminari actually laughed.

“She cannot hear me - or you. This conversation is just between us.”

That only made him feel marginally better. Well… he did want conversation.

“Yes… She is rather unusual. She has told me a great many strange things about her time.”

“From what Shizu tells me, it seems that the world as we know it will not last.”

“It would seem so.”

“Has she made any mention of what she intends to do when she returns home?”

“Only that she will finish her education and move on. I suppose she intends to put her time here behind her.”

Kaminari was silent for a long time. “I don't believe it will be as simple as that.”

“What do you mean?” Of course it was simple. She would leave and live out her life in her own time, just as he would live out his. It was what she wanted, and it was what he had been hoping for all along… wasn't it?

“Look at her.”

Reluctantly, Sesshoumaru slid his gaze to the side to peer at Vanessa from the corner of his eye. She sat easily on Shizu's back, rocking gently with each wing beat, and laughed occasionally at something the horse said to her. “What of her?”

“She is happy here.”

“She mourns the family and friends she left behind. She would be better off in her own home.”

“In a way… this has become her home. She could be happy here.”

“It has already been decided. She is leaving. That is why we set out on this journey to begin with. Nothing changes that. Why do you say these things?”

“I merely wished to point out that what makes a person happy is not easily left behind.”

“Hm.”

Sesshoumaru decided then that perhaps conversation wasn't so great after all, and kept his peace until evening came, but Kaminari's words plagued him. She wouldn't be happy. This wasn't her home, but he still jumped constantly between hoping she would change her mind and wishing the journey would come to an end quickly.

He couldn't make up his mind already, and the fact that Kaminari's words caused him to tend toward a solution that was as undesirable as it was appealing, and just as impossible no matter how he looked at it… gave him a headache.

As dusk approached, Sesshoumaru called a halt. They would reach the wall on hoof by mid morning the next day. He'd found a small spring not far from where they set up camp and knew that Vanessa would enjoy a hot bath.

He scouted the area for any signs of possible danger, but found nothing, and when he returned to camp with dinner, Vanessa was sitting by the fire with her back to him, digging around in one of their packs. Kaminari and Shizu had already disappeared into the forest to graze.

“I found a spring.”

She jumped as he stepped up beside her and set the small deer by the fire.

“I think you've read my mind,” she said and stood to watch over his shoulder as he cleaned the animal.

“Have I?”

“How else would you know that I was just thinking about how nice it would be to have dinner and a bath?”

“Well… It is evening, and I have noticed that you enjoy having a meal at this time,” he said dryly. “And you have not seen hot water in days. I assumed.”

“I think maybe you just know me that well.”

Let her think what she wanted. It didn't hurt that he also wanted a hot bath.

When the meat was roasting happily over the fire, Sesshoumaru sat across from her and began unlacing his armor.

He could feel her eyes on him and wondered what she might be thinking as he let the heavy bone armor fall to the ground, but didn't look at her. She wanted to ask him something, he could feel it, and wasn't surprised when she finally spoke.

“Sesshoumaru…” she began hesitantly.

He looked up at her, but she didn't go any further. “Yes?” he prompted. She looked him up and down with a small frown.

“I was just wondering… I mean, I'm only curious…”

It was quite entertaining, watching her squirm, but there was obviously something she wanted to know, something that she wasn't sure how to ask.

“Is there something you wish to ask me?” he asked after another long pause.

“Actually… Now, please don't take this the wrong way, but I couldn't help wondering… with all the ties on your clothing - not to mention the laces on your armor, how…?”

So that was it. She wanted to know he functioned with just one hand. He knew she wouldn't be intentionally cruel, that her question really was nothing more than her curiosity, but to be reminded once more that he was incomplete…

“You wish to know how I dress with just one hand,” he said, and even he could hear the coldness in his voice. She fidgeted under his gaze and he could feel the minutes ticking by, but this was not how he wanted it to be between them.

“Not without difficulty,” he admitted finally. “Jaken often assists.” But the imp was left behind. It had been difficult to change and to dress without his tiny aid, but there was nothing to be done about that now.

“If you want…” Vanessa said, drawing his attention once more. “If it would make things easier for you…” She was fidgeting again, and Sesshoumaru couldn't help wondering where on earth she was going with this.

“What I'm trying to say is if you would allow me to, I could… help. I'm sure you can manage,” she added hastily, dismissing the idea. “I mean, obviously you can. I just thought…”

He studied her for a long time. She wanted him to trust her. She wanted him to let her in, but he didn't want her pity. He hated that simple tasks were suddenly difficult, and yet… what had Vanessa ever offered him that had anything but friendship at its heart? Finally he nodded slowly.

“Your assistance would be… appreciated.” And after a brief pause he added, “Thank you.”

She beamed at him, “Just tell me what do.”

Sesshoumaru nodded, but he couldn't quite share her joy. It was always a stretch to let anyone help him, and this time was no different. This was bound to make things awkward between them. Vanessa ate silently, sneaking a peak at him every now and again, but he barely noticed.

Presently, Shizu and Kaminari returned and settled themselves in the shadows away from the fire.

“Good night, Shizu. Sleep well,” Vanessa said as Shizu said her `good nights.'

Well, there was no time like the present, so he rose and walked over to Vanessa. “Come. I will show you to the spring.”

He waited a few moments for her to gather her things before grabbing his own wash supplies, and then led the way to the hot spring. Vanessa stumbled in the dark, and immediately Sesshoumaru was at her side, silently guiding her through the brush.

“The spring is just ahead,” he said when they were close. “I will wait until you are finished.”

“I won't be long.”

“Take your time.”

She picked her way toward the spring, and after a few moments Sesshoumaru heard a small splash and a soft delighted sound. He smiled to himself and began a watchful circuit around the spring.

VvVvVvVvV

The water was… wonderful. Sesshoumaru was always good about finding some water for Vanessa to wash up in, but nothing could compare to a nice hot bath. She did say she wouldn't take long, but it just felt so nice.

Finally, reluctantly, Vanessa dragged herself out of the water and dressed. She was still drying her hair when she left the spring in search of Sesshoumaru and the way back to camp. He stepped out of the darkness to meet her before she got too turned around and lost her way.

“Hi. So… should I wait here? Or…”

“No. Come with me.”

“Come… with you?”

He turned with a smirk. “Not all the way. Kaminari and Shizu are in camp, and I will be in the spring. I don't want you alone in the middle.”

“Oh.”

Vanessa followed until he turned again and with a look asked her to stop and wait. She turned around and sat down, trying not to blush as the sounds of Sesshoumaru undressing and stepping into the water reached her. This wasn't like taking a bath in the same building. Here there was nothing but their own honor separating them.

Sesshoumaru didn't initiate any sort of conversation, so she left him in peace and simply waited in the quiet night for him to finish, hoping against hope that this whole idea wouldn't be too awkward. She was just starting to nod off when he spoke behind her.

“You may turn around now,” he said, and she did, wondering what state of dress she should expect. Thankfully, he was fully clothed - even if his shirt hung loose and his pants threatened to fall down over his hips if he weren't holding them up.

Under his soft-spoken instruction, Vanessa tied every knot and stepped back to admire her handiwork. Sesshoumaru tested a few ties and then nodded his approval.

“Your armor…”

“Tomorrow. It is not especially comfortable to sleep in.”

“Yeah, I wouldn't think it would be.”

Silence stretched between them, but neither made any move to return to camp.

“So… I saw you talking to Kaminari this afternoon.”

He cocked his head curiously, but watched her warily just the same. “And?”

“I'm glad.”

Sesshoumaru looked at her like she'd lost her mind and frowned. “Why?”

“I don't know. I guess I figured since I miss our talks, I thought maybe there was a chance you did too? You've been so quiet lately, I'm glad you've got someone to talk to. I think I would go crazy if I didn't have Shizu to talk to during the day, but… it isn't the same as talking to you. I miss those nights when we'd just sit on the balcony and talk after Rin went to bed.”

She felt the heat rising to her cheeks. They had always just… talked. She never told him before how much those nights meant.

“There will be time enough for that. Spend what time you have with Shizu before you send her back. Does she know that you intend to do so?”

“I think so. It hasn't really come up, though.”

“Wait a while,” he said and looked out into the night. “Knowing that your days together are fewer than she might have originally expected may taint the time remaining for both of you.”

Vanessa gaped at him. Is that what this was all about? Is that how he really felt about her leaving? Had he felt this way all along? She couldn't help herself, and before she knew what she was doing she stepped forward and slid her arms around his waist, resting her cheek against his strong chest.

“What are you doing?” he breathed.

“Thanking you.”

“What for?”

“For trusting me. For coming with me. Everything.”

“There is no need,” he said softly.

“Maybe not, but I would feel awful if I never told you.”

“Then…” slowly he returned the embrace, “You are welcome.”

She could count on one hand the number of times he'd ever just held her - and would have fingers to spare, but she felt so secure in his embrace. For that moment in time he shielded her from everything life could throw at her. She could almost forget what awaited her at the end of this journey. She could almost forget everything she'd been through, everything they had been through in just the past few months.

“Sesshoumaru,” Vanessa whispered and felt his muscles tense under her arms.

“Yes?” he said softly over her ear, almost as though he were afraid he would scare her away if he spoke too loudly.

She pulled back just enough to look into his face. His expression was one of mild concern, but buried beneath that was… sadness. He hadn't dropped all of his barriers by any means, but his face wasn't a stony mask either.

Suddenly Vanessa felt utterly overwhelmed and buried her face in his chest, trying to fight back the tears burning her eyes.

“Vanessa? Vanessa, what is it?”

She clutched the fine silk of his kimono and tried to bring herself under control while he stroked her hair, obviously at a loss as to what to do with her sudden tears.

“I… I don't want what time we have left to be tainted,” she said finally, and to her astonishment, Sesshoumaru chuckled softly.

“You needn't worry,” he said holding her and resting his cheek on her head.

They stood there just like that until Vanessa finally stepped back and wiped her cheeks. “We should probably get back,” she said. Sesshoumaru nodded silently and looked at her thoughtfully.

“What?”

“Would you like to do one more thing for me?”

“Okay… what?”

He reached into his empty sleeve and withdrew the gold and ivory comb, waving it once at her before turning back to camp. Vanessa grinned and hurried after his ghostly pale form, following him easily under the now-risen moon back to their winged friends.

Things might just be getting back to normal.

VvVvVvVvV

Sesshoumaru couldn't remember the one other time that Vanessa had combed his hair, but… he found he rather liked it. It was intimate in a way, how she gently toweled his hair dry and then went to work on the tangles. He wasn't entirely sure how comfortable he would be in any other setting, but here, without a town or even a village in sight, what did he have to lose?

She seemed happy that he offered, and actually it was quite soothing, her fingers sliding through his hair. He had to watch himself or he just might fall asleep. His mind wandered to what had transpired less than an hour ago. It was surprising, yet pleasant, having her arms around him. She needed him and, more shocking than her boldness in making that move, was that he wanted to be needed - by her.

And that was a dangerous feeling to have. He couldn't fall for her, but what surprised him was that it had nothing to do with her humanity. If it were even possible, that fact alone made it hurt all the more to know that she was leaving. It couldn't last. Their time remaining could be counted in weeks, months if they were fortunate - or unfortunate, depending on how one looked at it.

He was pulled rather forcefully from this revelation by a hand on each of his shoulders, and he felt Vanessa's weight shift behind him before she leaned to peer over his left shoulder.

“All finished,” she said cheerily and came around to sit in front of him with her hands clasped in her lap. “You kind of zoned out there for a while. Something on your mind?”

Sesshoumaru shrugged. “The future.”

“Oh.”

He shouldn't have said anything. Thinking of the future now, meant thinking of her leaving. But she didn't say anything about that. Instead she suggested that they get some sleep.

“It's got to be late, and we all know I'm not a morning person. If we want to see the wall at all tomorrow, we should probably get an early start.”

“So we shall. Sleep well, Vanessa.”

She curled up under her cloak next to the fire, but sleep was long in coming for Sesshoumaru. He watched her silently as she slept and listened to the sounds of the night. Even this far from home, the power of his presence was strong enough to be recognized and to ward off the lesser creatures that might have otherwise come to find a meal.

He tried to sleep, but only managed a few hours before the rising sun woke him. Used to the travel routine by now, the others quickly followed suit, and before long they were riding at a comfortably brisk pace toward the south.

That humans could have built such a structure intrigued him and he was interested to see some glimpse of what Vanessa's world must look like. A world where humans reigned hardly seemed possible. Then again, that world was apparently very large, and he had only ever seen a small portion. Perhaps youkai only existed on his island nation. This trip would show him what he could only guess at the moment.

Sesshoumaru kept his eyes on the top of the wall and let Kaminari watch their surroundings. When they were close enough that he could clearly see the patrol, he called a halt and watched. He was looking for a section where they could explore without being discovered.

There were few people on the wall itself, but there were watchtowers spaced along its length. He turned them westward and rode parallel to the wall for a while. As they continued, Sesshoumaru noted that the wall actually appeared to be a series of fortifications that joined together over time, and the farther they went, the more he could see the difference, whether it be age or building style.

Finally they approached the wall. This portion had no guards that he could see and it wasn't built entirely of stone. The renovation apparently hadn't reached this far, probably because access to this area was already limited and there were more important areas to strengthen security. Upon closer inspection, he found it to be a combination of packed earth, wood and brick. Still, it was impressive.

Sesshoumaru dismounted and walked along the base while Vanessa waited with Kaminari and Shizu, absently scratching under their chins. He cast a questioning glance back at Kaminari who only snorted and refused further comment, but closed his eyes and enjoyed the human's attentions.

When poking around the base of the wall failed to satisfy his curiosity, he decided to take a look at the top. He judged it to be four or five times his height so he simply… jumped. Vanessa's soft gasp below him didn't escape his notice, but for the moment he was too caught up in the sight of the wall slithering like a pale snake as far as he could see in either direction. For a human structure made of hundreds of mismatched segments… it was magnificent. And he wanted Vanessa to see it.

He heard her laugh below him and say something about leaping tall buildings.

“What is a super man?” he asked after landing soundlessly behind her, causing her to squeak and whirl to face him.

“Don't do that! You startled me.”

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow and waited for an answer to his question.

“I was just talking about a character in a story, and one of his defining characteristics is that he can `leap tall buildings in a single bound.' The way you jumped like that made me think of it. That's all.”

“I see.” He supposed if he knew more about this story it would make sense, but he really didn't care that much. “Would you like to take a look?” he asked instead and held his hand out to Vanessa.

She looked up once then nodded and took the offered hand. “I'd love to.”

As Vanessa wrapped her arms around his waist, he slipped his arm around her and leapt to the top of the wall, just as he had done before, but this time he heard her breath catch in her throat, heard her heart hammering within her breast, and felt her hold on him tighten reflexively.

“I think my stomach just fell into my toes,” she said when they touched down softly on the broad walkway.

“You have flown with me before,” Sesshoumaru stated. He hadn't meant to frighten her, but he couldn't deny enjoying the feel of her holding tightly to him.

“That was different. One moment we were on the ground and the next we're up here. It was… thrilling!”

She enjoyed being frightened that way? What an odd creature.

“Wow…” she breathed and stepped away from toward the battlements. “I mean… we've been flying all week, but here it's like… we're still on the ground, but at the same time we're not, and… I'm not making any sense.”

She laughed and Sesshoumaru leaned against the wall next to her.

“Thank you. I don't think I'd have ever come to see this otherwise. It's okay that I'm enjoying this journey, right?”

“Of course.” He didn't think he could tolerate her being miserable the entire way. If she was concerned about leaving him with good memories, then he was happy to do the same for her.

Suddenly a shout rang out behind them. Sesshoumaru whirled, pushing Vanessa behind him and reaching for his sword, but paused when he heard still more footsteps coming from the other direction. He could easily eliminate all of them, but they were only doing their duty in protecting their land, and he was trespassing. It would also put Vanessa in danger.

“Get on my back,” he whispered urgently over his shoulder. He wanted his sword hand free - just in case.

“What -?”

Impatiently he swept his hair over one shoulder and lowered into a crouch. “I cannot hold you. Climb on. Now!”

Finally Vanessa silently clambered onto his back, but by now the guards had formed a loose semi-circle with spears and arrows trained on them. They cast wary, questioning glances at them and to each other, clearly wondering how these two managed to scale the wall without notice.

Sesshoumaru barely gave Vanessa enough time to secure her hold on his hips and around his neck before he stood and further assessed the situation. The arrows were what concerned him most. He could easily leap out of range of the swords and spears, but the arrows…

He could rush the guards and go directly to his companions on the other side of the wall, but he would be putting his back to those arrows, if only for a moment, and that was precisely where Vanessa was at the moment. Or he could simply go straight up, but until he reached the limit of the archers, they would be completely unprotected from below.

Instead, he slowly backed toward the battlements, the guards following each of his steps backward with a step forward of their own. One of them said something, but it may as well have been gibberish for all that he understood him.

“Are you ready?”

“No -”

“Hold tightly to me.”

“But -”

In one movement, Sesshoumaru drew his sword and leapt backward off the wall. Vanessa screamed and tightened her hold, but he hardly noticed. The moment they went over the side, the guards quickly recovered from their surprise at this clearly suicidal move and began to rain arrows down on them. Some threw their spears, but most drew arrow after arrow.

Sesshoumaru spun the blade, intercepting and knocking the arrows away to twirl harmlessly into the trees around him. The ground rushed up to meet them, but he touched down in the upper branches of a tree for an instant before lightly springing away, always keeping himself between Vanessa and the arrows. But somehow during a split second pause, fire erupted in his right shoulder and spread down to his very fingertips, causing him to misstep. Vanessa cried out once more, but Sesshoumaru quickly regained his balance and his momentum. Angry at the breach in his defenses, he snarled and snapped the arrow shaft before resuming his deflection of more arrows.

Every swing thereafter only fed that flame so Sesshoumaru sped away, leaping from tree to tree until finally daring to scale the wall once more. He blew past one startled guard on patrol, but further cries of alarm were lost behind him as he doubled back to where they left Shizu and Kaminari.

Sesshoumaru sheathed his sword before the arrow in his shoulder made it feel too heavy to carry, and it was only then that he realized he had drawn not Tokijin, but Tenseiga. He didn't have the time then to think of why could have possibly caused him to select that particular blade, as he was quickly coming upon the winged horses. They were agitatedly looking for a break in the tree-cover away from the arrows where they could take to the air and meet the challenge when they saw him coming at them fast.

“Sesshoumaru-sama! We heard a commotion - you're wounded!”

“Move. Now. Follow me.”

He didn't wait for them to obey, but the sound of galloping hooves behind him was almost immediate, and when the ground cleared enough for them to spread their wings, the four of them took to the sky once more to seek a safe place to catch their breath.

Vanessa trembled against his back and her breathing came in harsh, ragged gasps. She was terrified. It was foolish to think that those watchtowers would be left unattended for long, and he had endangered Vanessa. Again. He placed his hand on her arm wrapped securely around his neck, and astonishingly her breathing began to slow to normal. She still trembled, and he could feel that her face was pressed against his left shoulder, but she no longer seemed consumed by her fear.

They flew north and west until Sesshoumaru spotted a craggy cliff face rising high above a river. The waters of long ago had etched a wide alcove into the rock, and it appeared to be large enough to house two large winged horses in addition to the two-legged travelers.

He landed cautiously and kept his hand on Vanessa's arm, silently telling her not to move, but it seemed that as far as she was concerned, for the moment she was simply an extension of his own body. He scanned the dark corners and listened for any sign of inhabitants, all the while testing the air and reaching out with his senses to detect any sort of youki. It was empty, and there appeared to be no hidden openings to chambers leading deeper into the cliff.

Once more he crouched, this time for her to get off, but Vanessa made no move to let go of him, so he gently pried her legs from around his middle and laid his hand on her clasped hands. His shoulder seared with every movement, but he could see to that later.

“You are safe now,” he murmured, and slowly she released her hold on him. Freed from her grasp, Sesshoumaru let his pelt fall to the floor and went to the ledge to tell the circling horses that they would stay there for the night. It was barely past midday, but there was no hurry.

“Vanessa, are you injured?” he asked and dropped to one knee in front of her. He didn't see anything; she seemed more stunned than physically hurt.

“No… I don't think so - but you are!”

She lurched to her knees and reached out to him, but he waved her away. “This is nothing,” But as he reached for the shaft once more, muscles contracted and scraped angrily across the embedded arrowhead. He sucked in a breath and forced his muscles to relax. A functional second hand would have been really useful right about then. He may heal quickly, but that didn't mean he was immune to pain, and having a bit of sharpened steel embedded in one's flesh was far from a painless experience.

“Let me,” Vanessa said and winced as he dropped his hand and she took a closer look. “Lie down.”

Sesshoumaru grudgingly obeyed, and braced himself as she reached for the shaft, but her hand stopped just short of its goal.

“Wait…” She stood and went to Shizu, who was looking on wide-eyed with her father, and took a small pail from the packs and untied her backpack. “Shizu, would you get some water from the river for me?”

“Of course.” The horse turned and leapt off the ledge to glide across the river to the bank below.

“I want to clean that right away,” Vanessa explained and began rummaging around in her bag.

“Take your time,” he responded dryly. If he lay very still, the shooting pain quieted to a dull throbbing. Focusing his thoughts away from that pain helped, too. He thought of Vanessa. She was right there, and she was pleasant to think of…

“Ready?” Well… that ruined any pleasant thoughts.

“Do it.”

Vanessa leaned over and peered at his shoulder, and the whole time he watched her face. She winced as she plucked at the bloody cloth as though it hurt her as well, and while it was touching, he wished she would hurry and pull the arrow out.

“I'm going to have to cut your clothes.”

“Do what you need to.”

She sliced through the silk and his linen undergarments, and gently peeled the fabric away from the wound. “Okay… this is going to hurt.”

“I have sustained worse injuries and survived,” he bit out. “Remove it.”

Sesshoumaru winced as she grabbed hold of the shaft with one hand and held his shoulder with the other and he swallowed a shout of pain as the arrowhead came free with a squelching sound. He gritted his teeth and for an instant he saw red, but as Vanessa pressed a wad of cloth to the wound and the pain slowly began to recede to a constant throbbing, he looked up into her face. She seemed on the verge of tears, but stoutly refused to let them fall; she had a job to do.

“I hope this water is clean,” she said, looking uncertainly at the pail. “I should have boiled it first.”

“Bring it here,” Sesshoumaru told her and took a deep breath before lifting his hand to dip his fingertips in the water. Then he let his poison flow. “That will kill any infection,” he explained. “Wash the pail in the river before you use it for yourself.”

“Will it be a problem? If I pour this in the river, it won't kill everything downstream?”

Sesshoumaru shook his head. “The river will dilute it and render it harmless.”

As he finished speaking, Vanessa began to gently remove the clothing from his torso, leaving him in nothing but his hakama.

“Now is hardly the time,” he said with a smirk despite the pain in his shoulder.

Vanessa only gave him a withering look and dipped another cloth into the water. “I want to see if I can salvage your clothes and I don't want them ruined any more than they are,” she said and squeezed the water over the wound, flushing it out. Sesshoumaru hissed through his teeth. That stung!

“Sorry,” Vanessa said softly, and continued to squeeze water over his wound until she was satisfied that it was as clean as it could be.

“There is no need - for you to be sorry or for you to trouble yourself over my clothing.”

“You can't exactly buy new clothes in the middle of nowhere.”

“I will not need to. I admit, the linen will need to be repaired, but the silk comes from a youkai worm. The fibers want to be whole and they will weave themselves back together until they are. If it is left to soak for a time, you might also notice that the bloodstain will remove itself.”

Vanessa stared at him. “Really?”

“I was wearing it the day I lost my arm. You are a healer. You should know how much blood is lost when a limb is severed. I was also wearing it when one of Inuyasha's attacks destroyed my armor. Do you really think ordinary silk would survive where steel and bone did not?”

He looked up at her curiously and she eyed the pile of silk beside her. “I didn't know…” Then she turned her focus to the wound she had cleaned. “It's closing… I don't think I'll need to stitch it, but hold still just a minute longer while I bandage you up.”

“That will not be necessary.”

Her eyes flashed defiantly. “Humor me. At the very least the bandage will keep it clean until it's healed.”

“Do what you like.” He would be healed by morning with only a bit of soreness and a nearly invisible scar to prove he had ever been wounded, but if it made her feel better, he would allow her to bandage him.

When she finished Sesshoumaru sat up and winced as his torn muscles protested the movement. He looked up to find two pairs of blue eyes trained on him. “You two have been awfully quiet,” he commented.

“We didn't want to interrupt.”

“You'll be okay, Sesshoumaru-sama, won't you?”

“Of course.”

Vanessa looked at the pail and unconsciously rubbed her hands. “I should probably wash up. Shizu, would you help me?”

Sesshoumaru stood back as Vanessa quickly unloaded the winged horses, grabbed the silk haori from the floor of the alcove and swung up onto Shizu's back. “I'll take care of this. Just let it soak, right?”

He nodded and stepped toward the ledge, silently surveying the area and watching for danger as Shizu dove off.

“Truly an intriguing human,” Kaminari said as he too watched over his daughter and her human friend.

VvVvVvVvV

“Some day,” Vanessa commented as she sat down beside Sesshoumaru on the ledge of their home for the night.

“Indeed.”

She watched him from the corner of her eye. His gaze ceaselessly scanned the land below on the other side of the river where Shizu and Kaminari grazed. He was always watching, even when he seemed to be relaxed he was alert. It seemed nothing escaped him. Maybe she'd have to work on that. She smiled to herself and suddenly felt his eyes on her.

“What?”

“You are smiling.”

“So?”

“Hm.”

It had to be asked: “Why don't you show anyone what you're feeling?”

His eyes stopped searching and fixed on a place far in the distance, but he said nothing.

“I guess it's part of what makes you who you are, but don't you think some things might be easier if people could understand you a little better? Everything about you, why you do what you do is a mystery and sometimes… Sometimes it makes you seem unapproachable.”

Slowly he turned his head to face her, his expression unreadable. Whether he meant to or not, he only proved her point. “Is that how you see me? Unapproachable?”

Vanessa met his gaze and smiled softly as she shook her head. “Not as much anymore, but sometimes it seems like you're off somewhere no one else can go, somewhere you don't want anyone else to be.”

Sesshoumaru turned back to the landscape.

“You're there now.”

“The less my enemies know of me, the less they can use against me,” he stated simply without facing her.

“You don't have any enemies here. It's just me.”

He glanced at her briefly. “But I guess old habits die hard,” Vanessa said gently. She didn't blame him for not opening up to her more, but it did hurt a little.

“Youkai have long memories,” he said.

“And humans have short lives.” Sesshoumaru winced and finally turned to face her.

“Is that how you find it to be so easy to forgive?”

“Easy? Hardly. Sometimes forgiveness is the most difficult thing in the world, but we have a saying: `forgive and forget.' I think when you really care about someone you don't want the past to always be hanging over you. What's done is done. You can't go back and change it so you just have to let it go.”

Sesshoumaru cocked his head curiously. “You have said that before, that I need to let go.”

“Then I guess I really mean it. For humans, life is too short to be constantly living in the past.” She wrinkled her nose and leaned over to him. “I suppose I'm kind of an exception though, huh.”

“That you are,” he said softly. His eyes positively sparkled and Vanessa wondered if he meant more than simple agreement.

“How's your shoulder?” she asked, changing the subject and focusing on his bandage. His clothes were still drying by the river and he hadn't pulled new ones from his pack yet.

Sesshoumaru followed her gaze. “Fine.”

“I can't believe how quickly you heal.” She'd seen with her own eyes the edges of his wound knitting together, but it was still so far beyond imagining.

“I will find something for your dinner,” Sesshoumaru said and began to rise.

“You will do no such thing!”

He froze and stared at her in surprise.

“You're hurt, remember?”

Sesshoumaru rotated his shoulder and there was no evidence of pain in his expression at all, but with him that didn't exactly mean anything.

“This hardly bears mentioning,” he scoffed.

“I don't care if you mention it or not. I don't want you doing anything to tear it open again.”

“Nothing will happen.”

“Shizu can take me down to get some firewood and water and we can cook up some of the food we brought along.”

“That will not be necessary.”

“Sesshoumaru.”

He sighed half-exasperatedly and sat down again. “You have no reason to be concerned.”

“Maybe not, but I would feel better if you took a little more time to let yourself heal.”

“If you insist.”

“Thank you.”

“Will you at least allow me to retrieve my clothing?” he asked with raised eyebrow.

“I think I can do that.”

Sesshoumaru leapt off the ledge and glided down to the riverbank where his clothes were hung to dry. While he was below, Vanessa pulled a clean juban out of his pack for him so he didn't have to wear the torn one. She'd see how good she was at patching later.

He held still while she fastened the ties, and then they sat together again in silence for a while, just watching the scenery.

“It is difficult,” Sesshoumaru said suddenly, “Letting go of the past.”

“No one ever said it would be easy,” Vanessa said gently.

From the corner of her eye she could see his hand clench into a fist. “I lost… everyone that I held dear because someone I trusted used those feelings against me. I told myself then that it would never happen again.”

Atsuko… He had told her that they were betrothed and that she had somehow betrayed him. She must be the one he's talking about.

“But doesn't it get lonely shutting everyone out like that?”

He didn't seem to have an answer that he wanted to share for that.

“Not everyone is like her, Sesshoumaru,” Vanessa said softly. “Someday you'll have to take a chance and let someone in.”

Sesshoumaru turned slowly and looked at her. “I know.”

Vanessa looked back at him, watched him watching her. He did talk to her. He did share things with her… in his own way. Something meaningful just passed between them, something special that couldn't be taken back. “Sesshoumaru…”

Anything else she might have said stopped in her throat when a gust of wind and the sound of hooves to Sesshoumaru's right entered the alcove. She quickly looked down at her hands and Sesshoumaru turned back to watching the horizon.

“We're back,” Shizu announced cheerfully, oblivious to the interruption.

Vanessa stood and went to her. “Hi there, pretty girl. I know you were just down there, but do you think you could take me down for a minute to get some water and firewood?”

“Absolutely.”

She grabbed a sack and gave Shizu the pail before hauling herself onto her bare back. They dove over the side and Vanessa's breath caught in her throat, even as Shizu's wings caught the air and they spiraled lazily downward. Had it only been this morning that she and Sesshoumaru had made their mad dash through the treetops? She tried not to think about it, but the entire experience terrified her.

The way those arrows were falling, Sesshoumaru was lucky to have only been hit by one, and the way he did everything he could to shield her… Then it dawned on her: he didn't kill any of them. He didn't even fight back. He could have taken them all out and not thought twice about it, so why didn't he?

For that matter, why did he do anything that he did?

Vanessa sighed and looked toward the setting sun. Was it that late already?

“Shizu, you and your dad were down here practically all day,” she observed when they landed.

“It's nice here,” Shizu replied as she dipped the pail in the river. “Besides. You and Sesshoumaru-sama were talking. We wanted to give you some time.”

“Oh… well, thank you.”

“Did you have a nice talk with him?”

Vanessa glanced up to see Sesshoumaru and Kaminari watching over them. She smiled and waved. “It was… interesting, but good.”

“Good.”

She splashed some water on her face and gathered a couple armloads of dry wood before returning with Shizu to the males.

Dinner was small and rather quiet, and it wasn't long before Shizu and Kaminari retired to a corner to stand with their heads lowered and wings drooping rather than try to find comfort on the hard stone without a soft layer of straw or grass beneath them. Vanessa draped a blanket over each of them and sat by Sesshoumaru near the fire.

“You didn't hurt them,” she said, wrapping her arms around her knees.

“Who?”

“The soldiers on the wall.”

He frowned in puzzlement. “Did you want me to? We can go back…”

“No!” she countered hastily. “No… I just wondered why. It would have been easy for you.”

“Would it have been easy for you?”

“What do you mean…?”

He took a breath and looked into the fire. “You were there, and you were frightened. Would killing the humans have lessened that?”

“So you spared them for me?”

“If you choose to think of it that way, then yes. I spared them to spare you. You should get some sleep. We will leave early to make up time we lost today.”

“Alright.”

Rather than push her luck with the personal talk for one day, she smiled at him and went to find some semi-comfortable place to lay out her bedroll on the stone floor.

“Good night, Sesshoumaru.”

He glanced up from the fire and nodded. “Sleep well, Vanessa.”

Something woke her in the middle of the night. She wasn't sure what it was… It wasn't sudden… but something felt off. She lifted her head and stared. It was Sesshoumaru. He stood at the entrance, bathed in moonlight so that he seemed to glow. His hand rested on what remained of his left arm and he peered out into the distance.

Vanessa rose up onto her knees and Sesshoumaru let his hand drop to his side as he glanced over his shoulder. She hadn't meant to disturb him, but he probably knew she woke up before she even moved.

“You should be asleep,” he said quietly.

“I was. Something woke me up.” She got to her feet and went to his side, rubbing her arms for warmth against the chill night air.

They watched the night in silence for a few minutes and then she turned to him. “Does it still hurt?” she asked.

Sesshoumaru looked from his shoulder to Vanessa. “I told you before, I heal quickly. The pain left hours -”

“Not that,” she interrupted. “This.”

Vanessa laid her hand gently on his ruined limb and looked up into his eyes. He didn't flinch away from her touch, but he didn't answer right away either.

Finally his eyes dropped to her hand and he frowned before looking at her again. “There is no longer pain…” he said slowly, and brought his own hand up to his arm, never taking his eyes from Vanessa's - even when their hands brushed together. “Sometimes it aches where there it should not, and sometimes I feel as though I should be able to take hold of something, but…”

“Must have been hard.”

“I have learned to live with it.”

She turned her eyes down to the heavy silk under her fingers for a moment before meeting his eye again. “May I see?”

He pulled back slightly in surprise and he studied her. It felt like he was searching her soul, but finally he nodded.

Sesshoumaru let her pull his collar down over his shoulder, exposing half of his chest and ribs. The silk fell away with a whisper, revealing the aftermath of his first encounter with Tessaiga in the hands of his half-brother. He smirked down at her.

“I believe this is the second time today that you have undressed me.”

“Hush.

Vanessa gently ran her fingers over the scar tissue. “It's healed well,” she commented.

“You expected otherwise?”

“Well… No, I guess not. It must be nice to be able to heal so quickly. I suppose it makes you less dependent on healers.”

“My healers would have preferred that I had returned home right away after this happened, but I stayed away.”

“Why?” she asked as she pulled his clothing back to its proper place. “What if something went wrong?”

“Nothing did. And my pride had already been dealt a rather heavy blow. I did not wish to share that with my House.”

“You and your pride,” she smiled and began fastening the ties again.

Vanessa linked her arm with his good one and watched the moon for a while longer before returning to her bedroll. It wasn't much longer before she heard Sesshoumaru settle himself for what was left of the night.

A/N: There. I told myself I'd get this thing done before the end of the weekend and… I did. Yay!

And… I know I also said that I was going to be updating the early chapters - and I am - but I've made a couple minor changes that are relevant to some of the later early chapters so I'm going to lump that re-post together. I'm hoping for next weekend for that set.

For my lovely reviewers (Kinda wish Mediaminer had a handy `reply' feature like Fanfiction does. ::seeks out suggestion box::):

KajiKitsune: Sorry about the wait! Again! I hope this chapter is as much worth the wait as the last.

Laa_girl: I hope I haven't damaged your sanity too much - sorry about the wait! The end is still fairly far off, but I'm getting excited to get there too. I know what's going to happen and you don't ^_^

Ina Sama: I'm glad you liked the chapter, hope you like this one ^_^ And take care of those two.

GrayPheonix: You're going to have to wait like everyone else to see who gets to carry these two across the ocean - sorry ;) I'm glad you've enjoyed what I have so far. The best thing about intriguing `secondary' characters is there's a lot of room to play with them. I've watched the anime and read some of the more recent chapters in the manga, and there just isn't a lot of definitive `this is Sesshoumaru.' My imagination can run wild. It's fun.

Shikiori: another update! Hope you like it as much as the last ^_^

Rubix_Cube: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoy!

Regarding chapter-update reviews:

Laa_girl: see? I'm still working on current chapters, just… not as quickly as before. Give me a break, I'm in Europe ^_^

Cochrann: the key is finding spare time… I've got about 4 or 5 hours between when I get home from work and when I would like to be in bed, and in that time I have to make dinner, do laundry and any other errands that need doing. :sigh: I miss school. ^_^

Idiot745: Nice name… ^_^ I'm hoping to add a little continuity to the style of my writing from beginning to end.

Shikiori: would you like a PM for changes I make or a general author's note? I don't mind telling I just don't know who else would be interested in knowing what changes have been made. I suppose I could ask.

Nessie-poo: So, how's the sanity? Chapter 22 is out!! Yay!!