InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Second Chance ❯ Something Like the Wandering: Mai’s Wisdom ( Chapter 11 )

SF: Aw, come on! Do I have to do one of these for every chapter?

Lawyers: Yes, now get to it or we'll sue!

SF: EEEEEEKKKK!! Alright! I'll say it! Inuyasha doesn't belong to me! {::opens the stage door::} Now, you guys don't have to go home, but you've got to get the hell out of here!

Author's Notes:

~ means flashback

~* means Sesshoumaru's reflections and whatnot

Second Chance Chapter Eleven- Something Like the Wandering: Mai's Wisdom

Kikyou glared at the silent taiyoukai inhabiting the dreamscape, becoming temporarily mesmerized by the sunlight as it shimmered over gossamer strands before sighing irritably, taking a deep breath, grabbing the nearest ear and screaming

"SESSHOUMA-urk!"

She blinked, her eyes wide and unseeing before her vision focused on the hand now buried deep within her chest. She felt his fingers move around inside her for a moment, then his other hand shoved her back, leaving Sesshoumaru with one of her lungs.

"Jerk," she wheezed. "How many times do I have to tell you that you can't kill me? Now give me that back!"

"Why?" Sesshoumaru innocently asked as he tossed the organ up in the air like a baseball. "You said yourself that you can't die here, so why are you so concerned with it? It is not as if you need it."

"But I want it. That's all that-Hey! What are you doing?" she screeched when a frying pan and a Bunsen burner appeared in front of Sesshoumaru. "Don't do it Sesshoumaru! I'm warning you!"

"Warn away," Sesshoumaru brushed off as he dangled the lung over the hot pan. "Should I cook this medium, rare or well done?"

"Alright!" Kikyou hollered as he lowered her lung to the pan. "I'm sorry about yelling in your ear! Satisfied?"

"It will do for now." He tossed Kikyou back her lung and returned to staring into the distance. Kikyou grumbled something close to a curse as she stuffed the missing organ back in place then watched as her body repaired itself before glaring at Sesshoumaru.

"That is how you got into trouble the last time," Sesshoumaru reminded her before closing his eyes. Kikyou huffed. "Well, if you would've answered my question, I wouldn't have had to yell in your ear."

"Can I not keep some things to myself?" Sesshoumaru inquired with one eye cracked open. "But then again, this is you we are discussing."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what you think it means, now what was your question?"

Kikyou shook her head, throwing aside all attempts to understand him before repeating herself. "I asked what you meant about Mai. You said she was wise. How?"

Sesshoumaru inhaled deeply and opened his eyes, the golden orbs less frigid than they were a few moments prior. "Mai. It's been a while since I thought about her. I met Mai a few weeks after Father died."

"That was years after my death, right?" Kikyou asked. Sesshoumaru nodded. "It was then that I decided to leave the kingdom in Inuyasha's care, with Jaken and Myouga helping him. Inuyasha wasn't happy about that decision to say the least…"

^

"But Aniki," Inuyasha whined as Sesshoumaru prepared to leave. "Why would you want to leave? You're still the lead of the kingdom. Everyone here still respects you. Why are you leaving?"

'It's something I must do,' Sesshoumaru responded with a few vocalized growls and barks. 'I cannot sit here. I must find a way to be rid of this curse.'

"But Aniki-"

'Enough Inuyasha,' Sesshoumaru snapped irritably. 'I'm leaving and that is that. You should be able to look after everything. The treasury and other assets are at your disposal. I will return in four moon cycles.'

"Promise?"

'Hai hanyou, I promise."

Inuyasha flinched visibly at the name, but bowed without another word as Sesshoumaru left the room. The guards bowed to him as he passed, neither giving the slightest hint of disrespect as Sesshoumaru exited the city gates and left the citadel grounds. Sesshoumaru took one last look at the grand palace, then disappeared in the surrounding wood.

^*

"The time spent roaming the countryside was…interesting to say the least. Among the humans, I was nothing more than a lowly cur, something to kick around and abuse. Youkai however, recognized my scent and markings, no matter how garbled they were, and respected me. I wasn't treated like the royalty I am mind you, but it was better than the abuse the humans seemed to inflict on anything that they felt was too weak to defend themselves. It was not a bad journey, but nothing could have prepared me for what I found a month after beginning my travels…"

^

Smoke….

Sesshoumaru frowned in his sleep, his tired human body resting in the high branches of a tree. His nose, though not the same as in either his inu or youkai form, still twitched as the smell of soot and burning…something wafted up his nose. Sesshoumaru soon roused out of his dreaming when the loud, triumphant whoops of human men resounded from far beneath him.

"Humans," he growled irritably, irked beyond all good reason at his sleep being interrupted. "Such loud creatures. I'll never get to sleep now." Sesshoumaru decided that, instead of staying in the tree for the rest of the night and staring at the stars, he'd climb down and investigate. He waited quietly until the last soldier passed, then jumped down from the tree a few branches at a time to the ground and walked toward a glow in the middle of the forest.

'The samurai most likely set something on fire,' Sesshoumaru determined as he buried his hands inside his haori sleeves after scratching an itch in the middle of his forehead. 'After all, it only takes little things to delight the simple creatures.'

He stepped free of the forest and into an inferno, finding an entire village blazing in the light of the full moon. Some instinct led Sesshoumaru through the burning huts to a single one on the other side of the village.

He stepped inside, surprised to find this hut free of the flames that engulfed it's neighbors. Inside lay the bodies of three people, a small boy, a man and a woman. The woman seemed to have died hours ago, a long gash across hers and the boy's throat hinting at the cause of death. Sesshoumaru grimaced at the scent of blood, wondering why his senses seem to sharpen at this time before turning at a strangled gasp near him.

The man, who Sesshoumaru presumed to be the father of the family, sat propped against a door to another room. His bloody hands grasped his right side, desperately trying to stop the blood that rushed from it. He looked up at Sesshoumaru, fear momentarily glinting in his eyes before sighing in defeat.

"Please," the man whispered brokenly. "Your comrades-"

"I have no comrades," Sesshoumaru replied coldly. The man glanced up at him again, then nodded as if in understanding before a set of hacking coughs wracked his beaten frame.

"Yes, I see that now. Forgive me." The man sighed deeply, then cast a mournful glance to the woman lying behind Sesshoumaru. "This is all my fault," he confessed brokenly. "If only I had gotten here sooner, then maybe-" He coughed again, this time grimacing at the splatterings of blood in his palm. "Maybe I could have done something."

"There is no use in lingering in the past," Sesshoumaru responded blankly, his gaze regarding the human as nothing more than a dying pest. "So you are wasting what little energy you have."

"Maybe I could have saved them," the man continued undauntedly. "But it's too late now. My son, my wife, all dead. All-" he wheezed, his skin pale under the luminescence of the moon. "but not her. Please-" he grasped the edge of Sesshoumaru's hakama, the life fleeing from his body as he pleaded.

"Please, she's all that we have left. Protect her sir. Protect-" The man's fingers slackened their grip, then fell entirely as the man slumped over on his side. Sesshoumaru listened as the last breath shuddered from the villager's lips, then turned to walk away. He stopped at what sounded like a sob coming from another room. He stood completely still in the middle of the room, then pushed the man's body aside and opened the door.

There in the darkened room sat a little girl, hiding against the edge of the soiled futon with her face in the furs. She looked up suddenly, her large brown eyes searching the room frantically before whispering, "Otou-san?"

'So,' Sesshoumaru thought as the girl called for her father again. 'These people were her family. Too bad. At least they won't suffer like she will. She'll spend the rest of her life scourging and begging. Maybe it would be best to end her life here.' Decision made, Sesshoumaru crossed the room toward the little girl, grasped her arm and jerked her to her feet.

She gasped in surprise, but didn't flinch away as Sesshoumaru's hand wrapped around her neck. 'One quick snap,' Sesshoumaru thought as his fingers tightened. 'And all will be over. She will thank me, sooner or later.'

"Otou-san?" the girl said again. "What are you doing? What's wrong?"

Sesshoumaru's fingers slacked in surprise, but his face remained stoic as he peered closer to hers. "Girl I am not your father."

She tensed instantly, then raised her hands to touch his face. Sesshoumaru allowed this, wondering to himself exactly what she called herself doing when she drew back from him in fear. "You-you're not my Otou-san! Where's my Otousan?"

"How is it that you didn't know that before now?" Sesshoumaru demanded, shaking her when she didn't answer fast enough.

"Because," the girl sniffed. "you don't feel like Otou-san. You don't feel like him at all! My otou-san's face feels kinder than yours!"

'She's blind,' Sesshoumaru realized while choosing to ignore the rest of her comment. 'How did she survive this long?'

"My otou-san's coming soon!" the girl cried, bringing Sesshoumaru out of his thoughts. "So you'd better get out of here!"

Sesshoumaru set her on the bed, turned and left the room without another word, all the while wondering what he should do. 'She is not my problem,' Sesshoumaru concluded. 'I will not saddle myself with another human.'

'Please,' Sesshoumaru heard the old man whisper in his mind as he stepped out of the hut. 'She's all that we have left. Protect her sir.'

Sesshoumaru thought a moment more, then sighed before picking up a burning piece of rubble and returning to the house. He dropped the wood in the middle of the room, watching as the flames lapped at the sparse furniture before returning to the bedroom and picking up the little girl.

"Hey, put me down!" the child protested loudly. "My Otou-san-"

"You're 'otou-san' sent me to get you," Sesshoumaru told her as they left the bedroom and walked through the living quarters of the house. "He also asked that you be a good girl and listen to what I say. Is that clear?"

The girl looked to argue, but nodded in agreement and held on to Sesshoumaru's neck. Sesshoumaru stepped over the bodies of her family to reach the door, then exited the hut and entered the forest beyond.

"What's your name?" Sesshoumaru asked when he finally set the girl down.

"Mai," she answered quietly. "When's my otou-san coming?"

"He's not," Sesshoumaru answered honestly. "He asked that you stay with me from now on."

*

>Wham!<

Sesshoumaru jumped up in surprise, his dream forgotten as he scanned the room for any danger. His eyes fell on Kagome, watching her as she bounded in the door like a happy bunny from Hell before rolling his eyes and flopping back down.

"Hi everyone!" Kagome chirped as she dropped her briefcase and jerked off her shoes. Souta rounded the corner from the kitchen with what looked like half of a ham sandwich hanging out of his mouth.

"Wha th fu," he mumbled around the sandwich, then swallowed and said "What are you so happy for?"

"Sango's coming over today!" Kagome replied before bending down to hug Sesshoumaru. "And how have you been boy? Have you behaved?"

Sesshoumaru yawned and graciously collapsed on his blanket, deciding to ignore her entirely for her stupid question. Kagome huffed in feigned insult, then grinned. "I know what to do to you. You're going to make me use my special weapon, aren't you?"

Sesshoumaru snorted and turned his head away, only to wag his tail blissfully when Kagome began scratching behind his ears. 'Embarrassing,' Sesshoumaru complained to himself as Kagome continued the wondrous ministrations. He barely heard the muffled thumps of his tail beating the carpeted floor as he tipped his head closer to her.

"Yeah, I thought you'd think differently," Kagome giggled back at him, then turned to Souta. "Hey!"

"Hey yourself. Why are you in such a good mood?"

"Sango's spending the night tonight, then tomorrow we're going Christmas shopping." Kagome patted Sesshoumaru's head one last time, then proceeded into the kitchen. She quickly washed her hands before digging around a nearby cabinet. She emerged with three packs of popcorn. "Here," she said as she shoved them into Souta's hands. "Pop these. We'll need them."

"Fine," Souta grumbled as Kagome ran out of the kitchen and up the steps to her bedroom. "I swear," Souta griped to himself as he tossed one of the bags inside and set the timer. "I think she thinks that I'm her personal servant. She should pay me more then."

'She pays you?' Sesshoumaru wondered to himself, only to be contradicted by Souta's "Of course, she doesn't pay me now, but she could!"

Three bags of popcorn later, and Kagome was running back in the living room dressed in a pair of cut off denim shorts and a red t shirt with Betty Boop on the front dressed like an elf. "Is everything ready," she asked, then yipped in surprise when the doorbell rang. "Souta!"

"yeah yeah," Souta grumbled yet again as he answered the door. Sango stood on the other side, her blue overnight bag in her hands as she bounced into the house. "Is it on yet?" she exclaimed before Kagome came into the room.

"Nope, not yet," Kagome responded as she turned on the T.V and sat down in front of it. Sango sat down beside her, then both she and Kagome jumped up while Kagome turned up the volume.

"What's goin-Oh no," Souta moaned. "Not that show. I hate that show!"

"So?" Kagome and Sango both replied, then began to sing along with the theme song.

~You came into my life, and my world never felt so right. It's true, you bring out the best in me when you are around. When you are around…~

"Bleeding saints! I've got to go!" He stooped down to pat Sesshoumaru's head, then gathered his books and prepared to leave.

"Where are you going?" Kagome asked as he stepped out the front door. Souta stuck his head back inside and grinned wickedly. "I'm going to see if Miroku will score me some alcohol."

"Yeah right," Sango replied sarcastically before Souta could close the door behind him. "I'd kill that hentai if he tried it."

~Days keep getting better, nights keep getting better,~ the women giggled while Sesshoumaru buried his head beneath his blanket. He kept it there for the rest of the hour, attempting to ignore the women's giggles and hoots, Kikyou's insistent questioning of his past, and the scent Kagome was unknowingly giving off. 'What did I do to deserve this?' Sesshoumaru growled to himself.

*

Hours later, Kagome and Sango sat in the middle of the living room floor, each giggling at some inane story or another as the hours waned. Sesshoumaru sat between them, his eyes closed as he indulged in their insistent petting of his fur. 'At this rate,' he purred lazily as his tail moved from side to side, slapping Sango's lap then Kagome's and back again like a pendulum, 'I won't have any fur left.'

"He's so cute," Sango cooed to the blissfully unaware canine. "He's just a giant teddy bear."

"I know. He's a great dog. Um, Sango. Did you and Miroku reschedule the wedding?"

Sango shook her head. "We figured that since most of the families are counting on the wedding being in March, we decided to leave it like that. We did change it to an afternoon wedding instead of a morning one."

"Wow, that would be pretty," Kagome replied wistfully. Sango nodded in agreement. "Yeah. What's going to be great is the reception. We're having it at night, outside in the pavilion of the local museum."

"Now that's cool."

Sango sighed in content, her head lulling to the couch behind her before glancing at Kagome with a slight frown. "I just wish you had someone."

"Don't start that," Kagome said with a laugh. "You know I'm perfectly happy here."

"Yeah, I know, but you deserve someone. It bothers me to think of you being alone."

"I'm not going to be alone," Kagome disagreed. "I've got you, Souta, Kagaromaru and Miroku. And let's not forget Chance."

"But you deserve to be loved Kagome. You'd make someone a great wife."

"Whatever," Kagome brushed aside. "I am loved. I have all the love I need right here." But Sesshoumaru could smell the slight twinge of sadness that clouded her scent and figured that Sango didn't quite believe her either.

"If you say so," Sango relented. "but if you do meet anyone, please tell me." Sango turned back to the T.V. seconds before a deep blush darkened on Kagome's cheeks.

'How would I tell her that I think I have?' Kagome wondered to herself as Sango watched T.V. 'I'd only get her hopes up anyway. Sesshoumaru's only a friend…or maybe an acquaintance but definitely not someone to fall in love with. Besides,' she sighed as she gave Sesshoumaru's ears one last pat. 'It's not like he'd go for a girl like me. He obviously has money, and I bet there are tons of girls willing to throw themselves at him that are prettier than me.'

The twinge of sadness fully engulfed her scent then, and Sesshoumaru turning to her with a concerned glance. 'What could be making her so sad?' he wondered to himself. 'I thought she would be happy for her friend, but it doesn't seem the case.' He rested his head in her lap and nudged her stomach, consciously blocking out the scent of her heat as he tried to get her attention.

'Troublesome creature,' Sesshoumaru growled.

"I am not," Kagome responded absently. Sango turned to her curiously after Sesshoumaru stiffened and sat up. 'That is right,' Sesshoumaru thought to himself. 'She can hear some of my thoughts.'

"What did you say Kagome?" Sango asked.

"Huh? Oh, um, nothing," Kagome answered with a shake of her head. "I just thought you said something."

"You're mind's playing tricks on you. Check out the time."

Kagome followed Sango's outstretched arm to the wall clock above the couch and gasped. "Oh no! How did it get to be so late?!"

"I don't know, but maybe we should get some sleep. I want to be up bright and early for tomorrow. I know the mall's going to be packed."

"Yeah, you're right." Kagome turned off the T.V., grabbed a couple of blankets out of the closet and tossed one to Sango before lying down on the loveseat. "I'm never going to see my bed again," Kagome groaned to herself, then waved off Sango's questioning stare before falling asleep with Sesshoumaru on the floor beside her.

*

"It's about time!" Kikyou said the moment he appeared on the dreamscape. Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes, being thoroughly immune to her show of temper before sitting on the edge of the well in the middle of the grassy clearing and closing his eyes.

"Oh no you don't! You didn't finish!"

"Finish?" Sesshoumaru repeated with a clueless look. "Finish what?"

"You know what! Gods, you make me so mad!"

"You were mad before I met you," Sesshoumaru retorted and smirked when she growled at him. "And miko do not growl."

"You're enough to drive someone nuts," Kikyou frowned, then sat on the forest floor at his feet. "Please finish the story."

"What story?"

"SESSHOUMARU!!!!" Sesshoumaru winced and clamped his hands over his ears to block out her deafening screech.

"Woman, you won't do that again," Sesshoumaru snarled, his eyes glowing a bright red. Kikyou sighed in defeat and sat back on her hands. "Fine. Would you please indulge me in the story you didn't finish Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Alright then," Sesshoumaru sighed. "As I said earlier, Mai's father died that night, and since then Mai stayed with me. She adjusted quickly to the oddness of the schedule, attaching to the inu version of me like a leech and accepting the human version as a sort of mentor.

~*

" I taught her many things, such as how to train your other senses to make up for the one you lack. Soon her other senses, like scent and hearing, were nearly as powerful as my own. She adapted quickly to the life we led, accepting her odd childhood with the grace of an adult. It was when she turned fifteen that everything changed…"

^

"Where are we Kamlyn?" Mai asked Sesshoumaru as they stepped into a clearing. Sesshoumaru stopped by her side, making sure to keep her hand in contact with the leather strap tied loosely around his neck and waited for her to use her senses.

Mai's head tipped to the side, the hair held back by a single low ponytail shifting over her shoulders as she closed her eyes and concentrated. "I smell water," she said after a few seconds. "I can hear it too. Are we near a river?"

"Woof," Sesshoumaru responded. He lead her to the edge of the stream, gently grasped her hand between his teeth and dipped her hand in the frigid water.

"Brrrr! That's cold!" she giggled. She patted Sesshoumaru's head in thanks and sat down by the riverbank before Sesshoumaru nosed her stomach. "Yes Kamlyn, I know. Go ahead. Would you like the coins Sesshoumaru-sama left me?"

"Grr…"

"Alright then," Mai replied with a sigh. "You go ahead. I'll stay here and wait for you." She listened as Sesshoumaru's footsteps faded into the distance, then sighed and leaned back against a nearby tree. 'It sucks not to be able to see,' Mai thought as she turned her face toward the sky. 'I know it's night, and I know that I'm sitting in grass, but for once I'd like to see it for myself. Oh well.'

She sighed again, quickly becoming lost in old memories before a song from her childhood popped into her mind. She hummed a few bars of it, then softly began to sing.

"Dreams are moonbeams of light and dark. Heavenly heralds when one feels lost."

A lone samurai on patrol stopped mid stride, his face thoughtful as the soft melody floated on the warm summer air. "Who is that?" he wondered to himself. "No woman should be out here alone."

"Days may be long and nights cold but as long as I'm here you're not alone."

He followed the sound to a nearby clearing, watching from behind a tree as one of heaven's creatures sat underneath another by the riverside. Her bare feet dipped in the water, a pair of tiny white slippers sitting beside her. She wore a petal blue yukata with a darker blue obi with what he could have sworn was a golden crescent moon on the edge of the right sleeve. She smiled into the water with the moonlight dancing on her beautiful face . 'I must touch her,' the samurai thought as he walked into the clearing toward her. 'I must know if she's real.'

"Spring becomes summer, summer to fall. Fall to winter before spring anew. I will see you, I will know you and you won't be-" Mai gasped, her head turning sharply toward the snap of a dry twig. "Wh-who's there?" she stuttered frightfully. She stood quickly and readied herself for flight if possible when he spoke to her.

"Please," he called to her, his hand outstretched to stop her should she run away. "I didn't mean to startle you. I-"

"What do you want?" Mai asked, her voice steadying as she calmed herself. 'Nothing can happen,' she told herself as the samurai watched her. 'All I have to do is call, and Kamlyn will be here. Besides, it would be nice to talk to someone other than Sesshoumaru-sama for a change.'

"I only wanted to find the owner of the song you were singing," the samurai responded kindly. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

"It's fine," Mai assured him. "Please, sit down. My companion should be here shortly."

"Companion?" the samurai repeated as he sat. Mai tensed at the sound of metal scraping against metal.

"Yes. Why are you wearing armor?"

"It's required for my station."

"You're a soldier?" Mai asked, not seeing the samurai shake his head. "Hello?"

"Oh, um, no, I'm not a soldier. I'm a samurai."

"A what?!" Mai gasped. She jumped from her place beside him and turned to run when he grabbed her arm. "Let go of me! Kamlyn!"

Sesshoumaru was there in seconds, deciding to watch the two for himself when the samurai grabbed her arm. He stood between the warrior and his charge and growled while wrapping his tail around Mai's ankle.

"Please!" the samurai begged when Sesshoumaru snapped at his hand. "I didn't mean to scare you! I assure you I didn't! Don't be afraid of me!"

"You should keep your hands to yourself!" Mai responded hotly. "How dare you assume to touch me!"

"I'm sorry. Please, can't we start over?"

Mai thought a moment, then kneeled by Sesshoumaru's side and hugged him to her chest; one of her many signs to calm down. Sesshoumaru growled in defeat and turned back to the forest, deciding to leave the humans to their own devices since he wasn't wanted.

"I'm truly sorry," the samurai repeated, unaware that Sesshoumaru sat watching from the woods around them. "Is there any way to make it up to you?"

"Well-"

"Have you eaten?"

"No," Mai answered truthfully. "But Kamlyn is hunting for us."

"A dog hunts for you? Why?"

Mai hung her head in shame, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Because I cannot hunt for myself."

"Then I'll hunt for the both of you. Call him back while I get something." He was gone before Mai could protest, leaving her with a very miffed taiyoukai.

"I don't know what to say," Mai whispered when she felt Sesshoumaru's head in her lap. "I've never had anyone other than Sesshoumaru-sama be nice to me. What should I do?"

The samurai came back fifteen minutes later with what looked like a deer. He skinned and dressed the creature after building a warm fire further away from the river. Sesshoumaru grasped Mai's hand once again, this time leading her toward a fire who's heat she could feel dancing on her skin. The samurai stiffened in alarm at Sesshoumaru's treatment, but quickly calmed when Mai assured him of her safety.

"Kamlyn would never hurt me," Mai explained as the samurai roasted the meat on a spit. "He's my dearest friend on this journey."

"But why does he lead you everywhere?" he asked after slicing some meat into strips and handing her some. He frowned when she didn't take it, nor did she look at it until Sesshoumaru lifted her hand toward his. "You're blind aren't you?" he realized. "Why are you by yourself?"

"I'm not by myself. I have Kamlyn," Mai disagreed. "And every complete moon cycle a dear friend of mine stops to check on me."

'Smart girl,' Sesshoumaru thought as the samurai's frown deepened. 'She knew instinctively not to say my name.'

"But where are your mother and father?" the warrior asked. "Surely someone's in charge of you."

"I am in charge of myself," Mai retorted angrily. "but thanks for your concern. I believe I should be on my way-"

"Wait! I've offended you again, haven't I?" the samurai asked. "Please forgive me. It's not everyday one is called to be sociable, especially to a tennyo."

Mai blushed instantly, her eyes downcast as she played with Sesshoumaru's ear. "I'm not a tennyo."

"You should be."

Sesshoumaru mentally gagged, but kept quiet as Mai brushed the compliment aside. "I'm sure this," she gestured toward the fire "has more than put you out of your way. How can I repay you?"

Sesshoumaru growled when the man's hand reached out and grasped Mai's, this time in a gentler embrace than the one he frightened her with earlier. "Tell me your name and allow me to tell you mine."

Mai's blush deepened, and Sesshoumaru snorted this time as she answered him. "I'm Mai."

"Toshiro my lady. Hopefully we'll meet again."

*

"That's sweet Sesshoumaru," Kikyou said with a wistful sigh. "Now there's a guy who knows how to treat a lady."

"I suppose it would have been 'sweet', if anyone intelligent really thinks in terms as such, if it were not for the symbol on his arm."

"The symbol?" Kikyou repeated. "What symbol?" Sesshoumaru repressed the urge to roll his eyes and pointed up. In the sky above a single arrow appeared with three white swan feathers on the shaft. Kikyou shrugged in response. "So….?"

"So that symbol is the same as the one I saw on the arms of the samurai that burned her village."

"Are you serious?" Kikyou gasped. "Oh no! He might have been there!"

"I doubt it," Sesshoumaru disagreed. "Both he and Mai appeared to be the same age. I do not believe he was there."

"Of course you told Mai, right?" Kikyou asked, her tone more like a gossiping teenager than a centuries dead miko. Sesshoumaru shook his head.

"Why?"

"Why should I? Mai seemed happy, and I could care less about the human so long as my charge wasn't threatened. The samurai was Mai's only human friend at the time."

"You mean to tell me that you cared?" Kikyou started in disbelief. Sesshoumaru glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, his golden gaze cool and impassive. "Contrary to popular belief, this Sesshoumaru is not completely cold-hearted."

"Just cold-hearted to me," Kikyou whispered. "Continue please."

"I cannot. Kagome is leaving soon."

"Please, just finish it," Kikyou pleaded. "You know I don't ask for much, and what I do ask for you rarely give me."

Sesshoumaru gave in with a silent sigh, promising himself to cut this extremely short so he could see Kagome off. "Fine. As I said, Mai and the samurai became close friends, closer than even myself would have guessed…"

^

"My lord?"

Sesshoumaru glanced up from his reading, surprised for once in his life to find Toshiro standing in front of him. "What is it?" Sesshoumaru growled. He placed the letter from Inuyasha inside his haori sleeve and folded his arms. "Please be quick, I haven't the luxury to wait."

"You see my lord," Toshiro began nervously. "I…well, myself and Mai…I know you're responsible for her and all but-"

"Do get to the point," Sesshoumaru interrupted. Toshiro nodded. "Hai Sesshoumaru-sama. I will be quick. I wish to marry Mai."

Sesshoumaru quirked a brow, his normally stoic face revealing his surprise before returning to his icy stare. "You have only known her for six moon cycles. What makes you think Mai wants to marry you?"

"Because Mai loves me, as do I her. I understand your hesitation my lord but-"

"You understand?" Sesshoumaru rose to his feet, not entirely surprised to find that he towered over the warrior's 5' 5" frame. "Tell me, what is it that you understand? That your clan has wronged Mai not once, but twice in her young life? That she has a fear of anything to do with you or your kind?"

"What do you mean by twice?" Toshiro asked.

"It is your clan that blinded her when she was but a babe, and it is your clan that stripped her of her parents and village years after." Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed slightly, his protective instincts completely in control as he glared at the young man. "Tell me, what do you know of love? You could never make her happy by continuing in your station."

"I know," Toshiro admitted. "That's why I'm going to quit. As of this day, I am no longer a samurai."

"It is not that easy," Sesshoumaru replied with a short bark of laughter. "They will hunt you down and kill you as well as her. Why should I allow her to marry one such as you?"

"Because I can make her happy. She longs for someone other than the dog you leave her with. I would protect her with my life."

Sesshoumaru considered this a moment, then walked toward a nearby pond. 'Would she truly wish to leave me?' Sesshoumaru wandered as he walked closer to her. 'Is she really that lonely for her own kind, or is there something else to this?'

Mai sat within Sesshoumaru's hearing range, but he was sure his young charge didn't hear their conversation. Sesshoumaru raised Mai's hand to his face and as she traced his features. "I suppose he told you," she said once she finished. "I bet you're wondering why, aren't you?"

"He is a samurai, just like the ones that murdered your family," Sesshoumaru reasoned, somehow finding the idea of the young woman leaving him slightly disturbing. "Do you not fear him?"

"No, not really," Mai admitted. "Toshiro is sweet, gentle and he loves me. I think I love him too."

"But how could you?" Sesshoumaru asked. "Does he not remind you of what you have lost?"

Mai stood up from her place beside the pond and turned to Sesshoumaru, seemingly looking at him though he knew her eyes saw nothing. "He does. Everyday, I think of my parents, of my village, and remember their screams. He reminds me of that, but he also reminds me that not all samurai are evil, nor is there a set destiny for anyone. You don't have to be like the company you keep."

"But how could you love something like him?" Sesshoumaru asked, still somehow unable to understand.

"Because you can't hate forever Sesshoumaru-sama," Mai whispered on the cool night wind. She wandered in her own thoughts for a moment, then shrugged and flashed him a happy smile. "Besides, to do so would only lead to a life half lived."

*

"So what did you do?" Kikyou asked, fully enthralled in the story.

"I did what I thought was best. I gave them a carriage to travel in, a few coin purses , told them to head for China and bid them goodbye that night. I never saw little Mai again.

"She may have been right," Sesshoumaru mused as he sat crossed-legged on the grass in the dreamscape. "Perhaps hate is the useless emotion. It does require energy that would be better served somewhere else."

"Perhaps," Kikyou agreed, but she couldn't help but notice the sudden peace reflecting in the taiyoukai's eyes. 'If I remember correctly, that next night I appeared to him. He actually let me in, though he never talked to me at first. Little by little, the humans he once despised are changing him, making him into something more than the rage-filled youkai I knew and loved. By making him weaker…'

A gentle wind picked up around them, lifting Sesshoumaru's hair and clothes to swirl in the breeze.

'I've somehow helped to make his heart stronger.'

----

Silver Fox: WHO'S IDEA WAS IT TO PUT 'QUEER EYE' HERE?!!

SF: Mine, why?

Silver Fox: I hate that show!

Trunks: What straight guy doesn't?

SF: Well, I just happen to like that show. Carson is great and you know it!

Silver Fox: Whatever. I refuse to have anything to do with this fic if you're going to have that show on again.

SF: Fine then. It's not like you do anything? Just to make sure, does everyone understand this chapter? If not, then let me try to explain. See, Sesshoumaru didn't exactly connect with Mai the way he did Rin. Mai was really just another possession, but what she said changed him somewhat. He'd been so used to hating Kikyou for what she did to him that it never occurred to him that hating her was a waste of time. Now that he knows that, that little lesson helped to shape what he did next, who he is now and why he does the things that he does.

Responses:

HellzAznGrl, Cocovanilla, Puffin, Defafaeth, Frozen Raine, CometsChaos, SuzumiTenshi, Bakaonna, Badgerwolf, Trom Kehra, DemonWicca1, IMPROVED Uber Rei Model 06, Pixy-Misa-Misao-Amano, BloodRoseOTDemon, SugarCube, The Fallen Angel of Death, Fluffy Sama 13, Midnight1212, IWorshipInuSesshyMalfoyLebeau, Kagome333, LoupeyLady, AnImEfReAk81, Dark Neko-Chan, Burning-Phoenix-656, Flame Dancer077, Cutiepie99, I, WriterLover101,HaPPy_BuNNy, JDLS & Chin:

Teresa: They're my fave too, but I guess you could've guessed that. I don't know about Inuyasha being a big jerk, but I definitely think the Kagome in the anime is a tad naive for her own good. Jeez, kick him in the rear and call it a day for God's sake! Oh, but never mind me. Don't worry about your English either. It's great.

Bob: I'm so glad you think Sesshou's in character. I worry about that. I know he's not for the full moon nights, but it's so much fun to see him act one way and think another. I think he might do it in the anime too. I'm always late, and it seems like Kagome is too for this fic. It's a wonder if either of us don't get fired.

Crystal Echoes: Kikyou is one of Kagome's ancestors, but not her incarnate. See, Kikyou and Sesshoumaru's positions prevent her from being incarnated. That's her punishment for casting the spell with malicious intent. Don't worry, that'll be explained sometime in the future. You know, I totally forgot that Kagome's moms wanted to see Chance. Thanks for the reminder. I'll have to find some way to repay you for that...maybe the little heart boxers will make an appearance somewhere.

Otakuannie: Thanks for the originality vote, and for the love. I'll try to give this story a Red Bull (have you tasted those things? No wonder they work! Gag!) so it'll go faster.

Ditto: You know, you're not the first person to tell me that. My problem is that I've never actually seen a Great Pyranees, so I wouldn't know what they look like. How big are they? You're right, the idea is helpful. It may give people a better idea of how big Sesshoumaru really is in his inu form.

Terra Mecca Solace: If you want the idea, go for it! I totally wouldn't mind seeing someone else's take on the story!

Unknown: Sesshou won't be as stubborn as he is in TBW. That's all I can tell you though. Oh, that and I plan to pull at least one of my mind-boggling plot twists. You'll see what I'm talking about sooner or later.

Teru04: YAY!!!!! (dances around like a loony chicken) Now that's what I'm talking about! I can't wait! Um...I have a question though. Who's the dog with the three tails? I thought Sesshou only had one? Oh, and could you warn me of the Kikyou episodes? I tend to get a little…upset over those. The last one to come on almost ended with my foot in the screen.

Starlit333: Yeah, I remember Midnight. Very cool! I'm glad you like it so much. I think Sesshou has a sentimental side too, in this story and on the anime. After all, if he didn't, would he keep Rin around?

S1Cherry: Believe it or not, I agree with you. I want to update this story more often, but the Little Muse is in charge of it and she tends to be a little stingy with it. I literally have to shake it out of her. I wish more guys were like him too, but Sesshou's thoughts get him in trouble sometimes, as I'm sure you're aware. Welcome back, by the way.

Earth Angel: Untitled huh? Why is it untitled? Oh, but I will give it a go, as soon as I find it. Thanks for the love, and I'm going to miss TBW. Sesshou's a really, really good liar, and that worries me in a way. But don't worry, he won't do anything to Kagome. He may do some things to other people who bother her, but she's pretty much in the clear.

Em Starcatcher: Naraku is worse than what you think, believe me. He's still got a few secrets up his sleeve, and I'm not entirely sure if you'll like it or not. They promise to be in character with the creep.

Fyyrrose: I just need to borrow him, not take him from you. I promise you can borrow Kikyou while he's gone. Poor Naraku. He has no clue how violent the sport is.

Lunatic Pandora1: I've given up on the game. I've planted all four cds underneath my flower beds. I'm happier for it too. I like it when Sesshou's human too. He's going to really come through for our favorite social worker in the future.

Yukari1: I honestly don't think I'd want to kiss Sesshou knowing that he bit Naraku's anything. That's just a little too much if you ask me. Kagome would quit too, so I try to keep the characters happy since they're not getting paid. Inuyasha's going to show up in the later parts of the story, and from then on he'll be one of the constants in Kagome's life, along with another person. I don't think he'll try to sabotage his aniki's relationship, but he will try to help it along.

CrazyOldWoman: And you updated too! I'm so happy! I almost freaked when I found the new chapter! And it's a great one too. I can't believe that baka told her he was a lamp!!! And she fell for it! Lol. I'm so glad I could make your morning. Consider it payback for making my day.

LovelyLioness57: The human Sesshoumaru is rather cute, isn't he? Don't tell Sesshou that though. He'd have a duck. Chance's thoughts kinda reflect the way I think as well, expect I don't have a dead miko bothering me at all times of night.

Arkygurl: You just stated my worst fear. I would so hate it if this story turned out like that. I have such a great ending planned, and that would just be murder if it turned out to suck. No need to beg on hands and knees. (blushes) It embarrasses me.

Peanut Gallery-Alaska's Own: She might, then again she might not. I'm not entirely sure about it yet.

Fireash: Great to see you back. I think I'd keel over if my internet went bust. He and Kikyou are really funny, and if you have a way you'd like to see her killed let me know and I'll be more than happy to add it.

Namesake: Yes, Kagome seems to be having an effect on him already. Don't worry though, there will still be times when the need to kick her head across the grass like a soccer ball will outweigh the urge to be nice.

Kagome: A Single Spark is a Kagome/Sesshoumaru site that's run by...crap, I think her name is Winter. Anyway, it's a pretty cool site. Thanks so much for sacrificing so much just for my safety. Sesshou won't hurt me though. There are too many stories with him in them for him to do that.

Skitzoflame: That won't deter him however. Mr. Naraku is very persistent.

KouseiJL: I write better fight scenes than fluff, especially the ones that jump from character to character and have all the really cool weapons and stuff. I get excited just talking about those! Oh, but anyway, to Sesshou, Kikyou deserved his treatment of her. He didn't think she was an equal, so he didn't treat her like one. But children are a strange and different case entirely. Can you be mean to a little kid? Sesshou can't either. I guess I just took that thing with Rin and spun it out of control. Hopefully it makes sense.

ReginaLucifer: Happy late Birthday! I hope you had a happy one! I do that y-u think a lot too, but the one that urks me are the v-b buttons.

Raine84: There may be physical violence between the two, but that's not even a possibility yet. Inuyasha will meet Kagome, and Shippou and Kanna will be in the later chapters. As a matter of fact, Shippou is in the next one.

Fire Phoenix: Not a problem. I've been busy myself lately. The romance in that chapter was enough to kill a squirrel, or at least that's what Silver said. I like it though.

Dana Daidouji: So glad you like Sesshou in this one. I always worry about his character. He's a hard guy to portray correctly.

BelleDayNight: I'm so glad you said something about werewolves! I totally forgot about them! Ack! Thanks so much. Inuyasha is a really good brother in this fic. He's done so much in his brother's absence, and somehow has kept hope alive that the prick will find a mate and end the curse soon. Souta's still important, and he adds some comic relief too. My brother is kinda like that too, except he likes to pick me up like I'm an overnight bag. I hate that.

WhitwWolf3167: I tried it, and it wouldn't load. What did I do wrong (other than pick up the game in the first place)?

Duke-of-Spades: (glomp) Yay! Thanks so much! You have no idea how worried I was!

Tsuki Yume: Any chapter with the title beginning with 'Something Like the Wandering' will include a charge. He's had a few, but I'm only going to focus on two besides Rin.

Kura: Um, thanks for correcting that Tetsusaiga thing. The thing is is that my computer changes it to that when I type the other spelling. I've long since stopped fighting it. You wouldn't happen to know where I could find other Romaji translations would you?

Bankotsu-Luver: Me too, but it's a long hard road out of Hell. There's so much to do, and so much to see, that it's going to take a while before that happens. I can't wait to get to that part too. It's going to be a real tearjerker.

Hime Shinidama no Megami: There should be at least two lemons in this story, but you never can tell with Silver's trifling a**. As for Naraku, you're kinda jumping the gun on me. I still have soooooo much to do before I can even consider something like that.

Mayukagurl: You want to do a fic with irresponsible me? I'm flattered! Sure, why the hell not! I'm sure we'd make a great fic.

Sesshoumaru luv you: You almost didn't get reviewed! I caught you in the nick of time though! Thanks for being patient!

Mediaminer:

JSCHU25, Paige189, Inugirl, Ladihouki & Sock: Thanks a lot! I'm glad you like it so much!

Youkai Yume: Believe it or not, finishing FMN gets a lot of props from me. I can't believe how hard it was to finish TBW. Thanks for the chocolate though. I need it for the others.

IsisTheEgyptianGoddess: A good guy friend likes to eat my sandwiches. He comes all the way from South Carolina to eat them. Naraku is already doing something bad, we just don't know about it yet. Kagome would find it strange if she weren't so wrapped up in Sesshoumaru.

Kitsune_Bi: Because you're one of the girls, I'll tell you this: Sesshou will be the one to kill Naraku, but which one?

Lunabelle: So sorry about the lack of fluff. This was more of a history chapter. The next chapter doesn't have a lot of fluff in it either. As a matter of fact, I think the next chapter is when we get to meet Shippou's mom.

SilverFangedTiger: I know! He's such a bad boy. Don't worry about it though. Let me know when you get to this chapter!

Sango16: I'm scatterbrained too. We're lucky to even read this fic with the way work is going. Thanks for sticking with me though.

Fluffy'sLova4Life: Wow. Four reviews. Thanks a lot! Sesshou's right though. You need to leave Miroku alone. I suggest he tie you up and sit on you.