I take Naraku's hand and I guide him back to underneath the tree, I motioned to him to sit down. We sit across from each other, that way we can see each other face to face, so that I can see the real him through his eyes.

"I told you before that I'll be here to listen whenever you need someone to talk to. I'll listen with a open mind, so tell me everything Naraku. Tell me why you suddenly told me that you hated me that night." I tell him.

Naraku smiles and nod, he inhales and looks at the cherry blossoms falling in mid air.

"Like I said, I never hated you. I thought I was doing the right thing..." He tells me.

"You thought you were doing the right thing? Why did you think it was?" I ask him curious.

"I suppose I should start on that night. When you jumped in front of me to protect me, I realized just how strong your love was, and because of the love that I felt for you I was able to break through the barrier blocking my past memories. I wanted to protect you from harm, just like how you protected me from death. When I took you to my castle, I thought that we would be safe, that you would be safe. I was still knew to love so I thought keeping you away from the world was the only way to keep you close and safe, I was happy to know that you survived the injury, I was happy to have spent that intimate night with you. I loved you so much that it was blinding me from reality, I only wished to spend the rest of my life with you..." Naraku says recalling the past memories.

"Reality? Why was it the reason that you had to push me away?" I ask him feeling an ache in my heart.

Naraku's face suddenly looks solemn, I want to touch him and embrace him but I can't do that... just yet at least. I want to hear the rest.

"I had to push you away, because of my own reality. I was a demon born of darkness, it was me in the past life. I was hunted down my Inuyasha and the others, including Sesshomaru. My past life has carried into my new life, I'm still seen and known as a demon that needs to be hunted down and extinguished. A few days before that painful day, I had sensed Sesshomaru's demonic aura nearing the castle. Although he never came to the castle, but close proximity was dangerous as it was." Naraku says.

My eyes suddenly widens in shock, but then I find my composure again and thought about it, putting the pieces together bit by bit. So that's why he looked so conflicted those days, Sesshomaru was tracking him down.

"The flower field that you took me to... it wasn't just because you knew that I love flowers was it?" I ask him remembering.

"Indeed. I know about the Alluring Field, the fact that it repels demons with acute senses. That day in the morning, I sensed that Sesshomaru was nearing the castle and could potentially attack me. So that's why I lied to you and took you to the flower field, because that place was safe enough to keep Sesshomaru in a distance and unable to find us amongst the strong scents of flowers." Naraku says.

So that's why... he did that to protect himself from being killed and potentially that possibility of me getting injured again. But why did he had to lie?

"Why didn't you just tell me that Sesshomaru was after us? Why didn't you just tell me that we are going to hide at the flower field? Was it all necessary?" I ask him confused.

"Knowing your personality and persistence, I believed it was the right choice." He answers with a slight smile.

"My personality? What does that have to do with everything?" I ask him.

"It has to do with everything. Being with you in those few weeks, I have come to know that you're persistent and brave from your love, you even said it yourself. Seeing you jump in front of me that night to protect me, I knew that if Sesshomaru was to come for me again, you would stand your ground and protect me again if necessary." Naraku finally discloses.

I feel my mind going blank for a split second, and then clicks. That's right... I told him that. When you truly love someone, you'd do anything to protect them. I've already stood up against Sesshomaru, and to be honest, I would have again if the situation calls for it.

"So that's why you pushed me away..." I say in a slight daze.

"Yes. I didn't know how to keep you safe while you were with me. I was being targeted and by having you near me, I was putting you in potential danger. Sesshomaru was catching on to me day by day. By telling you that I never loved you, I thought it was enough to keep you away from me, to keep you safe. It was the hardest thing I had to do, but I convinced myself that it was for the best. I convinced myself that I didn't love you so that I can let you go. In the end, I couldn't lie to myself anymore, I loved you. I thought that by looking after you once in a while will be enough." Naraku says looking back up at the sky and inhales.

Everything that has happened was to protect me, he knew what type of person I was, he didn't want me to put myself in danger for him again. Such cruel fate to have been born from darkness, my heart ached for Naraku. He didn't ask for a life like this, and he fell in love with a stubborn person like me, someone who was so in love with him that he had to go to that extreme to keep me safe. That night then, he did paralyze me, it was to make me think that I was in a dream, that way he can tell me his inner most feelings without me thinking if it's real or not before he left me. It was all a facade, if only I had known. I suppose deep down, a part of me believed that it was, because Kagome told me that a while ago. "Sometimes in order to protect the one you care, is to hate them." Wait... he was watching over me? So he was at the village. Then does that mean, when I was out in the field back in the village and at the flower field, was the thing that Sesshomaru was looking at in the distance... Naraku?

"I understand now... but what made you come today? What made you come so close to me to touch me?" I ask him finally understanding everything.

Naraku looks back at me, his red eyes reflecting the afternoon sunlight.

"I had a bit of convincing that what I was doing was wrong." He says.

"Convincing? By who?" I asked confused.

"The very demon who wanted me dead." He simply says.

The very demon who wanted him dead? My eyes widen in realization.

"Sesshomaru?" I ask to clarify.

"Indeed. He finally found me 2 days ago, I thought that this is it. My life has finally come to an end, I have let the love of my life go, and now I'm about to lose my life. Sesshomaru and I did have a fight, but he didn't kill me. Instead, he told me about you. He told me about how much I was pain I was causing you, how much I've broken your heart. He told me that what I'm doing is wrong, he saw right through me. He told me that if I loved you, I should return to you. Or else I'll regret everything. He decided that he will not kill me anymore, because I'm important to someone. I've became someone's happiness." Naraku says with a solemn smile.

Sesshomaru did that? For me? How could I ever thank him. Sesshomaru is truly kind indeed and compassionate, I never let that intuition go. So that day when he told me that he has something to take care of, I'm guessing it was to confront Naraku. Now I know everything, and all of it just made me fall in love with Naraku more, and more appreciation towards Sesshomaru. Without saying anything, I crawl towards Naraku, and when I come face to face with him, I wrap my arms around his neck, I hug him, I hold him close to me, I want him to know that I don't hate him, I want him to know that I love him. He has changed, he wasn't that evil demon that everyone saw him as.

"__________..." I hear Naraku say quietly.

"Shh... let's just stay like this for a bit." I reply.

Without saying anything, I feel Naraku's strong arms wrap around my waist and back. He gently pulls me into his lap, I'm now sitting with my legs over his thighs and my upper body turned towards him. He holds me close and he buries his face into the crook of my neck, the silence fills my senses. The breeze whispers as it travels across the field, the tree rustles.

"Thank you for everything that you have done to protect me. But remember that I said it takes two people and their commitments in order to make a relationship work. It also applies to situations like this, I really wished that you told me, together we could've figured something out, that way neither of us had to suffer through the heartache." I say pulling my face back and to look at him.

"I really though it was the only way, I'm sorry for hurting you________. I love you so much, because of you I was able to feel happiness and know love." Naraku says, his red eyes looking into mine.

I smile, I then remembered something. My left hand comes up and touch his cheek, I caress his cool skin. I feel bad for slapping him, but it was before the truth came out.

"I'm sorry for slapping you earlier, I was just so full pain and anger." I tell him with regret.

Naraku smiles, and holds my hand, I feel his big cool hand wrap my hand in his, I feel safe, and happy. He gives me a slight shake of his head.

"No, I deserved it. It was a wake up call for me, it allowed me to see and realize just how much I have hurt you. I promise you, I'll never leave again, and I'll never hurt you again________." He tells me.

I nod and smile. My left hand holds his face in place, I then leaned down and I find his lips with mine again. The warm feeling of love courses through me, I feel happy just to feel him again. We kiss for a few seconds then I pull away from his soft lips, I rest my nose against the left side of his temple. I feel everything is at ease again, the waiting wasn't for nothing. Knowing that Naraku still loves me and I still love Naraku, it's enough for me. The two of us stayed underneath the cherry blossom tree for the rest of the afternoon, we caught up on all of the things that we've missed out on in each other's life. Turns out, Naraku didn't really have anything to do, he did tell me that he came to the tree once in a while to find some peace of mind, it was a place for him to escape reality, a place where he could remember our past memories together. Hearing him say that means a lot to me. Time flies when you're doing something that you love or being with the one you love, the afternoon has turned into evening. The once blue sky has turned fiery orange and brown, it covers the cherry blossoms in shades of yellow. The two of us lay down side by side, with our hands laced together we look up at the sky.

"Do you still remember the promises that we made?" I ask him out of the blue.

"Of course, to start a family and live out the rest of our lives together." He replies.

I smile up at the sky, he remembers.

"Then come back with me tomorrow, I told the others that if I manage to figure things out with you, I'll bring you back with me." I say.

There's a brief silence.

"I don't know if it will be a good idea for me." Naraku says quietly.

I prop myself up and turn onto my stomach, I look at Naraku who's gazing up at the sky. His black bangs just barely covering his eyes. I touch his cheek and guide his face to look at me.

"It will be fine. Kagome even told me that she'll give her effort to understand you, the new you. She wants to know why I fell in love with you. If Kagome is willing to do that, then I'm sure the others will try too. They know how much you mean to me, they won't hurt you I promise. Even if they do become hostile, I'll stand in front of you and shield you from danger." I say with a smile.

Naraku smiles at my words, he takes my hand and kisses it.

"Putting aside that I'm a demon, I am a man after all, I'm able to protect myself, and I should be the one to protect you. Don't put yourself in danger anymore, you've saved me more than I have saved you. Alright, I'll go with you." Naraku replies with a subtle laugh.

"Really?" I ask him with a tone of happiness.

"Yes, you said for a relationship to work, trust and commitment are required. I'll follow your intuition__________. And I'll follow you to the end of the world." He replies.

I break out into a smile, I put my arms around his neck and lay my body on top of his, I hug him, my head rests just below his chin. Naraku's arms comes around my back. Everything seems to be back to how they were before that night, we're both happy again like nothing happened. I suppose I have one more thing to do. With my right hand, I pull up the sleeves of my kimono on my left arm. I then take one of the red bamboo bracelet off of my wrist, I then take Naraku's left hand and bring it to the side of his head. I look back down at Naraku who's lying underneath me.

"Can I gift this bracelet to you again?" I ask him.

Naraku looks at me with his equally vibrant red eyes, he smiles.

"I'd be honoured to wear it with you as my other half." He says.

I nod and smile, I then tie the bracelet onto his left wrist. I then lace my fingers with his again, I rest my head back onto his chest. I can feel his heart beat in my right ear as I lay on top of him, the rhythmic sound slowly lulls me into the start of a slumber.

"I love you Naraku." I say with drowsiness in my voice.

"Goodnight, my love." He replies.

I close my eyes, with our hands entwined. I fall into a dream. Time seem to go by slowly now that I'm sleeping, I open my eyes to the bright sunlight. It's morning already? My eyes feel swollen from sleeping so much, guess all the stress and traveling has tired me out these few days. I feel refreshed though, I'm lying on something soft but sturdy. I lift my head up and I see Naraku's face, he's still here.

"Good morning_________." Naraku greets me.

"You're still here." I say wondering if I'm still out of my mind.

Naraku smiles and runs his fingers through my hair.

"I promised that I won't leave you again, you don't have to worry anymore." He reminds me.

I smile, I then nod as my response. I go and wash up, I eat some berries that I was able to find with Naraku's guidance. After getting ready, the two of us hand in hand walk back to wear Boshi is. Our footsteps rustles along the grass as we walked, no words were said during the short distance. When we arrive, Boshi is kneeling on the ground and resting near the tree.

"We're back Boshi, it's time to head back to Kagome and the others." I say untying him from the tree.

I turn to look at Naraku, he looks serene as he looks at Boshi.

"What's wrong Naraku?" I ask him as he gazes kind of absentmindedly.

"Nothing, it's just that, I have seen Boshi before but never rode on him. In fact, I don't think I've ever rode on a horse before. Perhaps the human that I possessed, Onigumo had during his days, but I never had." He says.

I feel sad that Naraku never experiences such beauty in life, or experienced all the beauties in life. I'll make sure that we'll have fun on the way back to Lady Kaede's village. I walk over and take his hand, his big hand feels cool to the touch but it feels safe. Naraku looks at me with his red eyes.

"Then today will be the day that you'll ride on a horse, I'll make sure that you'll experience this with all you have. Come on Naraku." I say with a smile.

Naraku looks at me with a slight surprise, but then smiles. I guide him to Boshi, Naraku touches Boshi's nose and glides his hand down his nose. Boshi moves his head up and down slightly, I smile at the interaction.

"Now grab onto Boshi's reigns and give yourself a boost while holding onto the saddle. Swing your leg over the saddle and pull yourself upright, I'll be sitting in the front so that I can guide us back." I instructed him.

Naraku nods and follows my direction, he easily pulls himself over Boshi with a boost of his power. His long black hair sways behind him as he does, he shifts himself to the back to give me my space. Naraku then holds out his right hand to me, I look at it and smile. I grab his hand and he pulls me up onto Boshi. I grab onto the reigns and I feel Naraku sliding one of his arm around my waist and pulls me back into his chest gently. I can feel my heart beating faster slightly, it was a nice feeling. I hold his hand around my waist with my left hand, and I turn my head slightly to the left to look at him. I can feel his steady breathing beside my ear.

"Ready to leave this place and start a new?" I ask him.

"If you are, then I'm too." He replies.

I nod and smile. With a snap of Boshi's reigns, the three of us set off back to Kagome and the others. Another day and a half of traveling, but this time, I'm alright with it because I have Naraku here with me. Naraku's embrace and warmth never left me as the three of us rushes through the plains with the wind hitting our faces.

"How is it to feel completely free like the wind?" I ask him.

"I have flown before above the clouds and in the sky, but never had I felt something like this. I remember one of my incarnations, Kagura wanting to be free like the wind... to finally feel this freedom, true freedom, it's something to be cherished." I hear Naraku say from behind me.

I smile at his words, I place my hand over his and gently squeeze it. His fingers gently holding mine in return, we rode across the land for hours. We took breaks in between and continued on till the sun turned from white to fiery orange and red, that was when we decided to stop and rest for the night. Well, at least I do. We come to a big open field, similar to the one on my way to the cherry tree. Naraku hops off of Boshi gracefully and helps me off, the stars are twinkling in the night sky with the moon as their leader. I untie the two large towels from Boshi's saddle and spread one over the soft grass, I then hold the other one in my arms.

"Let's sit down here for a bit before sleeping." I say to Naraku.

He smiles and nods. Naraku then takes my hand in his, he guides the two of us down onto the soft towel. He places me in between his legs and gently pulls me back into his chest, I rest perfectly into the space that is between his arms and chest. I drape the other towel over Naraku's shoulder, it's big enough to cover me as well. Naraku's arms comes around me and locks me in between them as he holds me to him. In the quietness of the night I can hear his quiet breathing next to my ear, his soft long hair tickling my face gently. Moments like this makes me believe that we never had a fallout a month ago, although it was something that wasn't real, but it felt real and painful. I let out a sigh without knowing.

"What's wrong___________?" I hear Naraku ask from behind me.

I turn my head slightly and I rest my forehead underneath his chin, he rests his chin gently against my head, his soft skin feels soothing against mine. His hand squeezing mine softly.

"I was just thinking back to what we went through this past month, the pain, the fears and worries." I reply back quietly.

"I understand, it's because of what I am and who I was that lead to me breaking your heart that night. I wish I wasn't born into this world as a demon of darkness." He says.

I feel a slight ache in my chest as I hear him say that. Demon of darkness, not once have I seen him as one. I fell in love with this demon of darkness, and if he was a demon of darkness, he wouldn't love someone or something. I free my right hand from his clasp and bring it up to his right cheek, I caress his face and hold it.

"If you weren't born, I would have never found my love. I might be a hundred years younger than you but in the end, we've met, we went through a lot but we're here right now. In love and heading to a future together, don't think that you don't deserve happiness, you do, and I'll be here to give it to you whenever you need it." I say to him.

I feel Naraku's chin leaving my forehead, his left hand comes up and holds my chin gently, he tilts my head back so I'm looking up at him. Black strands of his hair falls onto my face tickling me, his bright red eyes holding me in place like chains. Naraku leans down and his lips finds mine, the soft skin of his lips caresses mine with love. He pulls away and looks back at me with a soft smile.

"Thank you____________, for saving me and giving me a new life to look forward to." He says.

I smile and nod, warmth fills my chest at his sincere words. Naraku pulls me back with him onto the soft towel, he holds me close as I fall asleep with my head against his chest. The soft silk fabric of the kimono that I bought him glides along my face, lulling me into a carefree slumber. Time ticks by and from the coolness of the late spring night comes the warmth of the morning sun, I open my eyes to see bright red ones looking back at me.

"Morning Naraku." I say with a croak in my morning voice.

"Morning_________." He replies with a smile.

He touches my cheek with his right hand's fingers lightly. The gentle touch sends slight shivers through my body, it wasn't just a normal touch of affection, it holds a slight hint of sadness. I hold his hand in mine and I pull the two of us up into a sitting position. The gentle breeze welcomes us to a new day, I give his hand a squeeze.

"Let's finish this trip back together." I say to him.

Naraku nods with a smile. I hug him and kiss his cheek, Naraku wraps his arm around me and rests his head beside mine. We stay like that for a while and then we retrieve Boshi and start off again into the horizon. With the wind pushing against us as we rode through the vast world, we finally arrive back on the outskirt of Lady Kaede's village. We hop off of Boshi, the sun has started to set, the orange light shines onto the world around us. It's magnificent, I take Naraku's hand in mine as we stand on the hill looking down at the serene village. I turn to look at Naraku, his facial expression looks slightly troubled. Gently tugging his hand, I turn him to face me. His red eyes complimenting the orange glow beautifully.

"Hey what's wrong?" I ask him.

"To come face to face with the people that tried to kill me and I've tried to kill in the past, I wonder how this will end." He replies.

I can never understand the life he went through in the past, I can't do anything for him except be here. I close the distance, and I wrap my arms around him. I lean my ear against his chest just above his heart, I can hear the faint thumps that echos in my ear.

"I promised you that I'll be here to protect you, I'll jump in front of you to protect you again if I have to. All I want in return is for you to be you and look forward to a future of love and beauty. Can you do that?" I ask him quietly.

Naraku's left hand comes up and holds my head close to his chest.

"Of course I will. With you here beside me, I think everyday will be beautiful." He says from above me.

I smile at his words. I suppose it's time for us to greet Kagome and the others.

"How about I'll get them and bring them back here, that way they can be prepared." I say as I lean back to look at him.

"Alright." Naraku responds with a nod.

I nod back, I hop onto Boshi's back again and grab his reigns. I look back at Naraku, his red eyes locked on mine with a gentle smile. I give him a nod, and he nods back in response. With a snap of the reigns, Boshi gallops down the hill towards the village. This will be the big moment, enemies of the past coming together to dissolve years of hostility and hate, I wonder how it will turn out. Thinking back on Kagome's words, if she's willing to open her heart and see the new Naraku that I fell in love with, then I think the others might too. I smile as I think that, the sun and I are racing against each other as the village entrance nears.