Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

It started out as a normal day in the Feudal Era. The sun was shining brightly, the birds singing merrily as if rejoicing in nature’s beauty. One couldn’t help but smile on a day like this, not even the normally surly hanyou who lounged against the ancient tree, standing proudly next to a clearing within which sat an innocent-looking wooden well.

Of course, Inuyasha’s good mood might have had more to do with what day it was, or more specifically, who was supposed to return that day. He grimaced. Her departure had been marked with an argument, abruptly ended by the dreaded "Osuwari!" command. He scowled as he remembered exactly why Kagome had thought it necessary to utilize the kotodama rosary’s subduing power. It had been nearly dusk, while they were on their way back to the village so she could take some more of her ‘test’ things, when Kikyou’s shinidamachu had made their appearance. He hadn’t even glanced at Kagome as he disappeared among the trees. He didn’t need to; he could sense her sadness, her heartache without the use of his eyes. If he looked back at her, saw the hurt in her normally dazzling expression, there was a very real possibility that he wouldn’t have been able to go at all. But of the many things he owed Kikyou, the first was his attention when she called. So, heedless of the angry glares and cold shoulders he would undoubtedly receive in the morning, he left.

The meeting had been short; he and Kikyou didn’t have much to say to each other anymore. He did notice something different about her, however. Flashes of contentment, the subtle and momentary softening of her eyes, glimpses of the old Kikyou he hadn’t seen in over fifty years. More of Kagome’s influence…just what happened to Kikyou at that lake, where Kagome purified Naraku’s poison from her body? She had changed, though only to someone who knew her well. Even so, he still saw far too much of the frigid, bitter, dead Kikyou for his liking. When she once again asked if he remembered his promise to her, he hesitated in answering. His heart rebelled against the notion, but his mind, his deep-seated honor quashed it. "If it comes to that," had been his soft-spoken reply. She nodded, apparently accepting his less than enthusiastic answer for what it was, the temporary outcome of an inner battle, fought within a man wavering in his once iron-clad convictions.

He departed soon after, but did not return to camp. At times like these, when his emotions were in utter turmoil, he sought out his old childhood refuge: the trees. When he was young the trees had been his only friends, the wind his only comfort as it wrapped around him. It was different now, in large part because of the kind miko who had shown him how to trust again. The miko he had abandoned to go see his former love. Sighing in self-disgust, Inuyasha sat down on a branch and stared wistfully at the near-perfect half moon. He thought about many things: Kagome, Kikyou, what he wanted, what he should do… Answers eluded him, and hours later he knew no more than when he first began reflecting. When he finally returned to camp, he found Kagome propped up against a boulder, fast asleep, her math book in her lap and a burned out flashlight lying next to her open palm. The scent of her tears and the fact that she had tried to wait up for him filled him with guilt, and he gently placed her in her sleeping bag, his fingers lingering on her cheek in a soothing caress before he caught himself. Growling at his indiscretion and wondering what had come over him, he leapt into the tree overlooking their camp and remained awake, eventually watching the sun rise on the eastern horizon.

As he suspected, the others had given him the icy treatment the rest of the day. It was clear that they, Kagome included, simply assumed he had been with Kikyou all night. And with as sour as his mood was, he wasn’t about to correct them. They wouldn’t have believed him anyway; they never did, when it came to Kikyou, and it pissed him off to no end. So when they reached the village, and Kagome spoke up, having apparently decided that his nightly absence entitled her to an extra day in her time, he snapped. Fortunately, Kagome was at her breaking point as well, and she brought the argument to a thundering halt before Inuyasha could shove his foot too far down his gullet.

So here he was, waiting for her, on the fourth day since her departure, not the three they had originally agreed to. He had not gone after her, vowing to give her the time she needed to pass her tests, not to mention cool her temper. That was not to say it hadn’t been difficult; it always was, when she was gone. Kagome... The sound of her name, those three exquisite syllables, was enough to bring a small upturn to the corners of his lips. His heart always beat just a little faster when she was near, her scent invading his nostrils and dominating his senses. And yet, when he was with her, he had never felt more relaxed. Such conflicting sensations, but so wonderfully balanced by her simple presence.

Things were entirely different when she was gone. He found himself constantly on edge, and if he wasn’t sitting in Goshinboku brooding, he was probably either eating, sleeping, or grouching at his companions. He new his anxiety was foolish, but whenever Kagome left a small part of his mind couldn’t help but wonder if she would come back. But she had always returned, never failed to forgive him, and for that he was eternally grateful. Sometimes he would travel to her time with her, and she didn’t seem to mind, as long as he ‘behaved.’ But times like these, where he had done or said something stupid, he couldn’t, wouldn’t follow. And the guilt made the waiting all the more intolerable. Yes, even if he could only admit it to himself, he missed the wench…a lot.

Tap, tap, tap… The soft sound of his foot repeatedly impacting the ground reached his ears, lending a rhythmic cadence to the otherwise jumbled sounds of nature. His arms folded over his chest and an irritated scowl plastered over his face; he was the picture of impatience. Come on, wench! You should have been home from that ‘skool’ thing of yours by now. Let’s go! Grumbling under his breath about lazy wenches and their stupid modern responsibilities, he resolved to give her a little while longer before going through to retrieve her. Suddenly a strange scent reached his nose, and he pushed himself upright while laying a cool hand on Tetsusaiga’s handle. He stood calmly, eyes scanning the surrounding forest for signs of a foreign presence. Inhaling once more, deeper this time, he frowned in consternation. What the…a neko youkai? The scent was unlike Kirara’s, however. It was more powerful, less animalistic, and more closely resembled the scents of those rogue panther youkai he had fought months ago. Sure enough, a feline youkai emerged from the foliage a moment later. Dressed in black clothing that perfectly matched his hair, he stood proudly, his smug expression lending itself to the utter contempt dripping from his yellow eyes. He was not a panther youkai, but his gait was predatory, and he moved with a sort of grace that only cats seem to possess. He stopped short of Inuyasha, eyes raking over the hanyou, sizing him up as his sneer grew.

"Ah, the hanyou Inuyasha, just the…creature I was looking for." Inuyasha bristled at the offhand comment, but remained externally impassive. He did, however, tighten his grip on Tetsusaiga before responding.

"Who the fuck are you and what do you want?"

The strange youkai chuckled. "I’m sure you’ve entertained this demand before. Your shards of the Shikon no Tama—you will give them to me."

Inuyasha smirked. Good…I could use a distraction. "You’re right, I have heard that before. Tougher bastards than you have tried to take the Shikon shards from me, and they all died. Why don’t you go back where you came from before you get hurt, pussy."

If the youkai was bothered by Inuyasha’s defiance, he didn’t show it; his wicked smile never wavered. "And yet I don’t sense the power of the jewel coming from you. It is rumored you travel with a miko…could the jewel shards possibly be in her possession?"

Inuyasha growled fiercely, tearing Tetsusaiga from its sheath and brandishing it in front of him. "The jewel is under my protection, as is Kagome. Attempt to touch either one of them and I will slice you to pieces."

"Kagome, is it? What a pretty name! I only hope she is as pleasing to the eye as her name is to the ear."

"I’ve had just about enough of you, bastard! Kaze no Kizu!!" he screamed as he slammed Tetsusaiga into the Earth, sending rippling waves of energy tearing toward his opponent. The youkai easily leapt out of the way, landing effortlessly on a nearby tree branch.

"Is that the best you’ve got, puppy?"

"Kongousouha!!" With the diamond spears aimed upward at an angle, the youkai dove for the ground, avoiding the attack. Just after the last spear passed he leapt to his feet and charged Inuyasha, very nearly severing his neck from his shoulders. Only instant reflexes honed from years of combat allowed him to dodge the swipe, though he did receive a small gash on his neck.

"Aww…puppy’s already bleeding, is he? I had hoped you’d be more of a challenge."

"I ain’t even gotten started yet," Inuyasha replied, quickly taking stock of the situation. This fucking cat was fast, and the odds of hitting him with Tetsusaiga were slim to none. Besides, if the fight moved any closer to the village, all the inhabitants were at risk of suffering collateral damage from the sword’s stronger attacks. Inuyasha sheathed Tetsusaiga, relishing in the opportunity to fight an opponent hand-to-hand. Normally he wouldn’t dare, not with Kagome and the others under his protection, but none of them were here, and the only one in danger was him. And he had no intention of letting the bastard draw any more of his blood.

"Giving up already, half-breed? It’s a wonder you’ve survived this long."

"Feh! All I need to defeat a bastard like you are my claws." Inuyasha lunged, aiming a swipe at his enemy’s torso, but the youkai dodged. He continued to avoid Inuyasha’s strikes, his contemptuous expression never vanishing. He’s toying with me…fuckin’ bastard! I’ll teach him to underestimate me! Digging his claws into the wound on his neck, Inuyasha flung his arm forward and yelled "Hijinkessou!!" This time the youkai was a little too slow to dodge the unexpected attack, and one of the blades tore into his shoulder, sending him flying backwards only to land on his feet with true feline agility. When he raised his eyes they were narrowed, his face no longer amused, but quite irritated.

"You’ll pay for that, filthy mongrel!" Inuyasha was about to reply in kind when a flash of light to his left and a delightful scent alerted him to Kagome’s arrival.

"Inuyasha," she called tiredly, "help me up! This bag weighs a ton!"

Moving to position himself between the well and the cat youkai, he called back, "Quiet, wench! Stay in the well!" Then, once more wielding Tetsusaiga, he turned his full attention back to his opponent. Damn…she makes me wait four fuckin’ days and then spoils my fun! Gotta finish this quickly now.

"Ah, now I sense the Shikon jewel shards! I’m feeling generous today, Inuyasha. Hand over the shards and the woman and I’ll let you live." He spoke haughtily, as if he was making an offer too good to refuse.

"Fuck off!!" Inuyasha yelled as he once again unleashed the Kaze no Kizu. The youkai leapt into the air, twirling above the turmoil as he expertly flung a short sword hidden behind his back. The blade glowed red as it came on, wisps of youki trailing behind it. Inuyasha tried to elevate Tetsusaiga to block it, but he could see the effort was useless; the blade was moving too quickly. He could only brace himself for the pain.

"Osuwari!!" The command sent him slamming to the ground, the blade slicing his billowing hair on its way by. Furious, he raised his head, but his retort died on his lips as he glimpsed a scene that made his blood run cold. The youkai was darting toward Kagome, who was struggling to notch an arrow in her bow from her place next to the well. It wasn’t going to happen; the youkai would be on her long before she was ready. Unable to rise because of the cursed spell, Inuyasha did the only thing he could do: he flung Tetsusaiga with all his might, praying to every Kami imaginable that it would strike home.

For once, his prayers were answered, as his desperate heave cleaved the youkai clean in half, spattering the shocked miko in blood even as the youkai’s body dissolved and dispersed to the winds. Instantly Kagome unleashed a bloodcurdling scream. She screamed like she had never screamed before, her head thrown back and eyes bulged impossibly wide. Then, as if her body had suddenly shut down, she stopped, wavered for a moment, and toppled forward. Inuyasha, who had been cringing from her high-pitched shriek, broke the spell’s weakening hold and caught her just before she hit the ground. His ears would be ringing for at least a day, but that was not a concern at the moment. No, at the present, his primary worry was the miko in his arms, and just what the hell had happened to her. Gathering her up bridal-style, he took off at a spring toward Kaede’s hut, not even bothering to pick up Tetsusaiga beforehand. Miroku and Sango had just mounted Kirara when he arrived, apparently having heard the scream themselves. Then again, half of Musashi had probably heard it. Inuyasha brushed past them into the hut, ignoring their questions and forcing them to follow in his wake.

Kaede took one look at the frantic hanyou, and the unconscious miko in his arms, before motioning to the pallet in the center of the room. She was alarmed at the amount of blood on Kagome’s blouse, but a quick lift of the garment revealed that it was not her own. Kaede frowned; it appeared the girl had no physical injuries whatsoever. "What happened, Inuyasha?" she asked calmly.

"I don’t know! Fuck! A youkai attacked, but the bastard didn’t even touch her! Some blood splattered on her, then she screamed bloody murder and passed out!"

"Calm down, Inuyasha, I’m sure it was just fright," Miroku chimed in, attempting to placate the anxious hanyou.

"I’m not so sure about that, Houshi-sama," Kaede replied as a disturbing thought occurred to her.

"What do you know, Babaa?" Inuyasha growled dangerously. Under the circumstances, Kaede let the disrespectful term go. Kagome wasn’t awake to sit him for it anyway, which brought her back to the problem at hand.

"About fifty-five years ago, before she met ye, Inuyasha, the same thing happened to my sister, Kikyou." No one in the hut dared speak, each waiting for the old miko to continue her story. "She slayed a youkai, some of its blood got on her, and she screamed before falling unconscious. She awoke later in the day and was finally able to tell us what had happened."

Kaede sighed wearily, and the entire group knew they weren’t going to like what she had to say next. "Apparently some youkai have a strange power Kikyou simply called ‘Rebirth.’ It is a very rare power, and those youkai who do have it are usually unaware of it. But at the moment of death, these fortunate few are able to launch their spirits inside the body of whoever wears their blood, and attempt to take over. The youkai Kikyou slew tried to possess her, but after a long battle within her, my sister was able to purify it. I fear this is what happened to Kagome, and at this very moment she is fighting to keep control of her body and mind." A long, heavy silence engulfed the hut, as all the members of the Inu-gang tried to digest this new information.

"Is there anything we can do?" Sango asked.

Kaede shook her head. "I’m afraid not, child. We can make her as comfortable as possible, but I’m afraid the rest is up to Kagome."

"But Kagome’s strong! She’ll be ok, right?" Shippo said hopefully. This time the old miko smiled reassuringly, but her expression was hollow, her eyes belying the confidence of her words.

"Ay, young fox, Kagome is strong. If any of us could pull through this, Kagome can. Now, why don’t ye go gather some flowers for Kagome; it may aid her recovery." Shippo nodded and bounded out of the hut, and Kaede once again allowed her worry to show.

"Give it to us straight, Kaede-sama." The old miko started, taken completely off guard; as far as she could remember, Inuyasha had never addressed her as ‘Kaede-sama’ before. But as she looked at the hanyou she could see the guilt written on his face, his eyes locked on the floor, ashamed to make eye contact with anyone.

"If things happened as you say, Inuyasha, there was nothing more you could have done. There was no way to prevent—"

"I shouldn’t have let the youkai get so close! Now just shut up and tell us what you really think!"

So much for respect… Kaede thought, sighing. "My sister, Kikyou was able to purify the youkai’s spirit because she had been trained. In terms of pure strength, Kagome rivals my sister, but she knows not how to properly channel it nor how to deal with threats of this kind. Kagome probably has no idea what has happened to her, and she may not be ready to deal with what the youkai will show her. I do not know what Kikyou saw as she was battling the youkai, but for a long while afterwards she was sad, distant. She only began to come out of her depression when she met ye, Inuyasha."

"What happens…if Kagome loses?" Inuyasha asked in a voice barely above a whisper, hiding his face behind his bangs.

Once more Kaede hesitated, before answering, "The youkai will possess her mind, and her body will slowly transform back into his original form. She will become the youkai whose blood she wore, and the rebirth will be complete." Once again silence gripped the inhabitants of the hut, as everyone tried to control their fragile emotions. Finally, Inuyasha spoke up.

"That won’t happen." Eyes blazing, daring anyone to object, he picked Kagome up and settled against the wall, the miko nestled in his lap. Shocked by his uncharacteristic affection as well as the open concern in his gaze, all of the humans smiled at him in reply. A slight flush rose to his cheeks but he tamped it down, fear overriding embarrassment. "Kagome will win." She has to…

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

*Beep! Beep! Beep!*

Kagome jolted to wakefulness to the persistent chirping of her alarm clock. Groggily, she tried to sort through her jumbled thoughts. I’m home? But wasn’t I just in the Feudal Era? A quick look at her clock revealed that it was in fact Friday, the day she was supposed to return to the past and make up with Bakayasha. She sighed; despite how frustrated and angry he made her, she could never stay mad at him for long. She had missed him these past few days…a lot. Still, as she got ready for school, she couldn’t help the feeling that something was amiss. She could have sworn she had been in the Feudal Era recently, but it must have been a dream, right? It was really foggy, and she couldn’t even remember what happened. She went through the well, then something bad… Shrugging, she resolved to give the mysterious dream no more thought, as she finished getting ready, grabbed a bite to eat, and scurried off to school.

Her day was…odd would be the best way to put it. For one, Hojo didn’t ask her out, even though it was Friday. In fact, he barely even looked at her. Kagome wasn’t sure how she felt about that; on one hand, she wasn’t interested in Hojo and was glad that he had apparently given up on her. On the other hand, she was now realizing that some part of her had enjoyed the romantic attention, even if it wasn’t from the person she loved in return. Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi acted even stranger. They kept talking about Inuyasha, and that one time they had met him at the shrine. Even weirder, they kept praising him, tossing around adjectives like ‘perfect,’ ‘boyfriend,’ ‘hot,’ ‘sexy,’ etc. It gave her a headache, not to mention rosy cheeks, though she couldn’t say she disagreed with them (ok, maybe she didn’t agree with ‘perfect’).

And throughout the entire day she couldn’t shake the foreboding sense that something as seriously wrong, despite the number of times she tried to reassure herself. All in all, it was an exhausting morning, and Kagome was only too happy to flop onto her bed after trudging home. She hadn’t intended to fall asleep, but then we all know how that goes… She roused to the tender touch of fingertips on her forehead, brushing a few unruly strands of hair behind her ear. Thinking it was her mother, and not fully cognizant of when it was, she snuggled further into the comforter.

"Ten more minutes, mama…" she moaned sleepily.

"Kagome." It took her a few seconds to figure out who the speaker was, but when it finally clicked she bolted upright, the last vestiges of slumber pushed out by rising panic.

"I-Inuyasha?!" Oh, no…I fell asleep! I was supposed to go back today! A quick look out the window confirmed what she already suspected; it was dark already. Hoping to stave off the inevitable tongue-lashing, she hurried to explain herself. "Inuyasha! I’m sorry…I didn’t mean…I fell asleep…I’ll make it up to you! I’ll bring you extra ramen, and potato chips…"

"Kagome."

"…and I won’t ‘Osu—’ you for a whole day…"

"Kagome."

"…and—" Inuyasha finally cut her frenetic tirade short with a gentle finger to her lips. Kagome’s eyes widened in shock; he had never touched her in such an intimate manner before, not counting the desperation-induced kiss they shared at Kaguya’s castle. And the look in his eyes had countless butterflies fluttering in the pit of her stomach, creating an all too pleasing sensation. Then he smiled—not his usually fanged smirk but a real smile—and she swore her heart almost leapt from her chest. She could hear it thundering in her ears, a testament to the effect this one man could have on her.

"It’s ok, Kagome, I’m not mad." He removed his finger, but Kagome still lacked the ability to speak at the moment, leaving a silence that was somehow comfortable and nerve-wracking at the same time. Still grinning, Inuyasha sank down to one knee, bringing his eyes to her level. If Kagome didn’t think her heart could beat any faster, that simple act had done it. She unconsciously licked her lips while simultaneously trying to convince herself this wasn’t what she thought—hoped it was. "Kagome," Inuyasha continued, never breaking eye contact, "there’s something I’ve wanted to tell you…" Kagome held her breath, afraid to do anything to break the beauty of the moment. "I love you."

And she was struck still, unable to move or even make a sound. She wanted nothing more than to leap into his arms and tell him his love was reciprocated, but something stopped her. The instant those three delightful words passed his lips, the feeling of wrongness returned full force. Torn between her deepest desires and what her instincts were telling her, she remained motionless, even as Inuyasha leaned forward and brought his lips to hers. The kiss was warm and gentle, and the passion behind it nearly overrode her enigmatic reservations. As he cupped her cheeks in his hands she couldn’t help but lean into him, even respond hesitantly to the soothing undulation of his lips against her own. But when he slowly pushed forward, laying her down on the bed and placing his hands at her waist, she could contain her anxiety no longer. Breaking the kiss, she pressed lightly but firmly on his chest, and the feel of powerful muscle under her hands as well as the disappointed look in his eyes nearly shattered her resolve once again. But she couldn’t deny her feelings, and as much as she wanted to be intimate with Inuyasha, she knew she would never enjoy it with so much unease hanging over her head.

"I’m sorry, Inuyasha," she muttered, brown orbs pleading, willing him to understand. "I’m just not ready…" He tried to hide his pain, that much was obvious, but the unmistakably fake smile he adopted only served to increase her already overwhelming guilt. Nodding once, he rose to his feet before stalking to the window. "You know, you could stay…" Kagome suggested hopefully, eyes shining with unshed tears.

"No," he replied with a shake of his head, amber orbs locked on the wall, the floor, anywhere but her. "I should go." And with that, he was gone.

It took only a few seconds for the proud miko to break down completely. Sobs wracked her thin frame, and it was a long while before she calmed enough to think clearly. What the HELL is wrong with me?! I finally get what I want, and I blow it! Inuyasha tells me he LOVES me, and I can’t even say that I love him back! Why do I feel this way?! WHY?!!! She had never before experienced such a level of self-disgust, but a small part of her, the part that had stopped her from enjoying Inuyasha’s company that evening, assured her she had done the right thing. But why was that? She wasn’t afraid of having sex with Inuyasha, and it wasn’t because they weren’t married. How many kids these days waited until they were wed, anyway? And no thoughts of Kikyou had ever crossed her mind. If anything, the dead miko’s continued "survival" assured her that Inuyasha had truly chosen her, Kagome, and that she wasn’t just some replacement for Kikyou. So what was it? Why couldn’t she follow her heart? What was holding her back?

Kagome sighed heavily, drying her tears with a handy kerchief. Judging from his reaction, I don’t think Inuyasha understood. I need to see him, to explain myself. Ugh…how am I going to do that? I can’t even explain myself to…myself! But I can at least tell him that I love him. Maybe then he’ll understand. I just need some time to figure out what the hell is wrong with me. Nodding in determination, Kagome leapt from the bed and rushed down the stairs, out of the house, and into the well. The normally comfortable sensation of the time warp did nothing to calm her suddenly raging nerves, however. Deciding to confess her feelings to Inuyasha was one thing, but actually doing it was another altogether. Just do it, girl! You can’t possibly screw things up any more than you already have, anyway. After taking a deep breath to regain her scattered composure, she heaved her way out of the well. The melodious chirping of the crickets helped calm her, bring her peace within the serenity of the clearing. The moon cast more than enough light to see by, but a soft glow from the direction of Goshinboku drew her attention.

She started toward the ancient tree then abruptly halted. Her heart seized and lodged in her chest as several familiar youkai soared into view, their long bodies bathing the trees in an eerie radiance. Kikyou’s shinidamachu! Wh-what are they doing here?! An all-encompassing dread gripped her as she creeped inexorably closer, hoping against hope that she was wrong, that Inuyasha wasn’t there. The logical part of her argued that she would be better off not moving any closer, but she was drawn in like a moth to flame, and the hot, searing pain was worse than she ever could have imagined. For when she glimpsed her hanyou, the man who had just told her he loved her, holding Kikyou against the tree in a passionate embrace, his lips locked with hers, she felt her very soul cry out in indescribable anguish. When Inuyasha’s hands drifted downward to rest on her hips, massaging her belly, Kikyou responded by throwing her arms around his neck, leaving his hands to do what he saw fit. Finally, Kagome tore her gaze away; if she observed the two lovers any longer, she might die on the spot. Though under the circumstances, she would be lying if she said that thought didn’t appeal to her, at least somewhat.

Heart beyond shattering, its bloody pieces dripping downward into her gut, she stumbled backward. Then she turned and ran. She had no particular destination in mind; she just ran, away from the man who had betrayed her, away from the pain, and away from the final resting place of her unrequited love. Nature seemed to share her grief, as a downpour opened up, soaking her to the bone. A tree root came out of nowhere, taking her feet out from under her. She made no attempt to break her fall, nor did she get up. What was the point? I’m such a fool…I thought he really loved me. But in the end, it had been Kikyou who held his heart. It had always been Kikyou. Dammit! I never had a chance…Kikyou was always better. I wish…Dah! I don’t want to think about him anymore! I just want to forget…

"I wish I never met him!" she cried aloud, as a clap of thunder boomed to punctuate her statement. The rain continued to fall in torrents, the cool night air causing her to shiver violently. Still she lay unmoving, wallowing in her despair, not caring in the least about her body. Eventually Kagome stopped shivering as her heartbeat slowed, and she closed her eyes, waiting for blissful darkness to take her.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Inuyasha stared off into the sunset, his shimmering golden eyes reflecting deep emotional trauma though his face revealed nothing. Glancing down at the girl in his arms, he silently pleaded for her to wake up. As with the first several hundred times, his soundless entreaties went unanswered. Kagome had been asleep for two days and two nights; tonight would be her third. ‘Asleep’ being the operative word, because he didn’t want to think about her forced unconsciousness as anything else. People woke up from sleep.

It was like that run-in with the Band of Seven all over again. Back then, there was so much shit going on that he hadn’t had long to dwell on the thought that Kagome, Miroku, and Sango might not survive Mukotsu’s poison. He had been able to keep his emotions mostly in check, until seeing Kagome awake again, knowing she would be alright, caused a few stray tears to sneak past his carefully woven countenance. This time, however, there was nothing to distract him from his worry, his pain, or his guilt. All he could do was stay by her side, hold her close, and pray.

He had been doing that for the better part of two days, only leaving when Kaede and Sango kicked him out of the hut so they could clean her up and change her clothes. Otherwise, he was always there, supporting her while Sango tried to get her to eat, watching over her as she slept, his nose and ears constantly on alert for any change in her condition. He even stole her away from them and brought her to Goshinboku, hoping the magic of the ancient tree would help. But still there was nothing. She hadn’t uttered a sound since that bloodcurdling scream, hadn’t even altered her hauntingly blank facial expression. Dammit, Kagome! Wake the fuck up! If anything happened to you… He scratched that thought, not wanting to think about the possibility that he had seen the last of the Kagome he knew. The next time she opened her eyes, those beautiful brown orbs might not belong to her anymore.

And he wouldn’t be able to do shit about it. Even if the youkai succeeded in taking over Kagome’s body, he knew his claws would be stilled. The thought of tearing into her flesh, even if it was permanently occupied by another’s soul, filled him with intense nausea.

"Come on, Kagome," he whispered softly, "you have to fight him. You have to…come back. I can’t…I need you." The last part was barely audible, as he realized for the first time how true the statement was. He needed her. It should have made him feel vulnerable, to need someone so badly that it hurt when they were gone. And yet, at this moment, when she was in his arms yet so hopelessly out of reach, he couldn’t remember ever having felt so vulnerable, so alone. It was a far cry from how he felt when she was smiling at him, laughing, yelling, Osuwari-ing. He drew strength from her, and when she was weak or injured, he suffered along with her. For over a year and a half, she had been his greatest strength, and his greatest weakness. (1)

"Inuyasha…no." The sound of her voice startled him from his musings and nearly caused him to topple out of the tree. He lowered his eyes to her face, and he was shocked to see it twist in a pained grimace. He had seen that look before, and instantly knew that her pain was emotional, not physical. He also had a fairly good idea what she was seeing behind her eyelids. Her next mumbled query only confirmed it.

"Inu-…how could you?" His ears drooped; she looked and sounded absolutely miserable, and he was not surprised to see tears streaming down her cheeks. He considered taking her to Kaede as he had promised to do if her condition changed, but decided against it. The old miko wouldn’t be able to do shit anyway, and the others would just glare at him for causing Kagome pain. No, he had created this insecurity within her, this "darkness in her heart," as Naraku’s creepy baby had so eloquently put it. And he would be damned if he didn’t at least try to offer her comfort. Awkwardly he wiped her tears away, whispering encouraging words.

"Shhh, Kagome. It’s alright. It’s not real." His reassurances had no effect, and Kagome continued to cry unceasingly as seconds turned to minutes, all the while murmuring her softly spoken pleas. Inuyasha was rapidly becoming frustrated; he could only take so much of hearing his name spoken in such a dismal manner, as if he was the one causing her pain.

"Dammit, wench!" he yelled as he shook her firmly, "I’m right here! I ain’t fuckin’ goin’ anywhere! Whatever you’re seeing in that STUPID head of yours ISN’T REAL!" If she heard his frantic cries, she didn’t show it, and Inuyasha found himself quite suddenly at a loss. Drawing her into a powerful embrace, he held her tightly to him as he felt moisture begin to gather at his own eyes. Blinking back the useless drops, he gritted his teeth and struggled to reign in his unruly emotions. He wouldn’t shed tears for her now, not while there was still hope! Not while his Kagome was still in there somewhere, fighting for her life. She had never given up on him, and he wasn’t about to relinquish his faith in her.

His resolve wavered as an unwelcome scent reached him. Seeking the source, he found his nose buried in Kagome’s hair, and a feeling of overpowering dread settled in the pit of his stomach. Pulling back to look at her, his eyes widened in alarm. Kagome had stopped sobbing; in fact, she had gone deathly quiet. A dark, malicious aura flared around her, growing ever stronger and more intense. The scent of youkai, the youkai, hung heavily in the air, rising in vigor even as Kagome’s own scent began to fade. Her eyes flashed open, revealing nothing but white, empty shells. Here expressive brown pupils, the windows to her soul, were gone. Reality set in slowly for Inuyasha. The demon was taking over. Kagome was losing…

"Shit! Kagome! Wench, you better not give in that easily! Didn’t you hear me? I said I needed you! You can’t leave...you can’t…I can’t…live without you…"

He didn’t know why he did it. Perhaps it was merely the act of a desperate man who could do nothing else. Perhaps it was something more, a final farewell, a confession, an apology… Either way, as he brought his lips to hers, he knew he was losing his best friend, the one person who made his life worth living. He slumped against her chest, all light, all energy deserting him. And he finally allowed his tears to fall.

Cold. It gripped her, filled her, was her. She was cold, and that’s all she was. And yet, she welcomed it, even as grogginess invaded her mind, and it began to shut down. A voice, faint, too faint to worry about. Too sleepy to care, she slipped further into oblivion.

Warmth. It burned, scalded, drew her out even as she fought against it. Her lips tingled, shooting heat throughout her body and setting it aflame. Then the sensation was gone, but the warmth remained. She could no longer feel the night’s chill, hear the patter of the rain against he grass. An unfamiliar pressure against her chest, warm arms wrapped around her. She could feel these, but not see them. Gradually she came to realize that her eyes were closed. Opening them, she glimpsed the familiar canopy of the Goshinboku above her, though the foliage shook periodically for some reason. Or rather, she shook. Looking down for the source of the motion, she spied a white head of hair, with her favorite two dog ears perched atop it. Inuyasha… He was holding her tightly, almost painfully so, his face planted on her sternum, shaking her ever so slightly.

"Inuyasha?" His head snapped up, nearly smashing her chin on its rapid ascent, and seeing his visage wrung a stunned gasp from her throat. He was, to put it simply, a mess. Track marks marred his normally smooth cheeks, and blood leaked from a wound in his lip where a careless fang had punctured. His eyes were shining with unshed tears, the amber orbs conveying disbelief, then hope, and finally something else, something that had the butterflies in her stomach fluttering all over again. She reached up and wiped away the evidence of his sorrow, but before either of them could say anything, she felt herself being pulled back into unconsciousness. She thought she heard him call her name as the blackness took her once more.

When she woke, she was no longer sitting in the tree with Inuyasha. In fact, she wasn’t entirely sure she was…anywhere. Everywhere she looked was gray, the gloomy dye even covering the floor where she apparently sat. Rising to her feet, she tried to gather her bearings.

"Damn, bitch. You’re a hard one to crack, aren’t you?" Smothering her gasp, Kagome spun sharply to face the owner of the strange voice. Her jaw dropped as she realized just who had addressed her.

"Y-you?! How…you’re dead! Inuyasha killed you!" The cat youkai chuckled venomously.

"You’re right. I am dead…but not for long." A cold shiver ran down Kagome’s spine as he eyed her intently, and she struggled to staunch her rising panic. I’m a miko! I’m not helpless! Without her bow and arrows, however, things were not looking good. Yet the youkai made no move toward her; he just stood there and stared. Thoroughly confused, Kagome was about to ask what he wanted when the substance of his words sank in. W-what? He’s dead? But how—why can I see him now? Am I *gulp* dead as well? She remembered the youkai lunging toward her, too quick for her to target with an arrow. Then, just as he was upon her, Tetsusaiga flashed across her vision, slicing the youkai in two. She remembered looking down at the blood staining her blouse…then pain, blinding, excruciating agony. Pain so unbearable it felt like her bones were melting. She had screamed…then nothing. Kagome frowned; something here didn’t make sense. How could she be dead when she hadn’t even suffered any wounds?

"Where are we?" she growled, allowing her miko aura to flare just slightly, hoping to intimidate the arrogant youkai standing before her. The jerk just smirked even wider.

"What, you don’t recognize your own mind? Though I suppose you wouldn’t, considering how I’ve made a few…slight alterations." More confused than ever, Kagome tried futilely to make sense of the situation. Inside my mind? So…are we not really here? Seemingly oblivious to her consternation, the youkai continued his conceited speech. "This rebirth power is really quite wonderful, you know. And I didn’t even know I had it! All that’s left to do is quell that rebellious will of yours, and my original form will be restored!" And suddenly, it clicked. The blood on her shirt, the searing pain, her strange encounters with Inuyasha, waking up in the hanyou’s arms… Somehow, this demon had gotten inside her body, and he was trying to possess her mind so he could return to his original form. Nothing that had ‘happened’ since the battle by the well had really happened. The only thing she knew for certain was that Inuyasha’s embrace, his tear streaked face, those had been real. How she knew this was a mystery, but the conclusion that followed filled her with righteous rage. Everything else was just an illusion…

"You…you BASTARD!" she shrieked, earning a startled look from the youkai before her. "It was you the whole time! You made me see those things…in my room…Inuyasha and Kikyou. Why? How could you toy with somebody’s emotions like that?!" The youkai responded with a humorless chuckle.

"Isn’t it obvious? If you became lost in the illusion, your mind would lay dormant forever and your body would be mine for the taking. And it would have worked too, if that damn half-breed hadn’t interfered." Kagome’s expression turned contemplative; she remembered lying face-down on the ground, nearly slipping into unconsciousness before something stopped her. Some unknown force, strong and resolute, had gripped her, forcing warmth into her frozen limbs and dragging her back toward the light. The feeling had centered on her lips… Her eyes widened, hand coming up to touch her lower lip. He kissed me…and he was crying for me. Her smile was small and brief; her principle emotion shifting to anger once again. How dare he?! How dare this youkai cause Inuyasha so much grief! It was bad enough when the youkai had just wronged her, but now her fury had doubled, even tripled. Her miko aura flashed and sparked around her, beginning to push back the gray, revealing a luscious green patch of grass below her feet. The youkai took a nervous step back, before going on the verbal offensive once again.

"Don’t look so mad! I showed you exactly what you wanted didn’t I? You could have been happy; you could have lived your entire life with your pathetic hanyou, the man you supposedly love." At Kagome’s shocked expression, he continued to berate her. "Oh, yes, young miko. I’m inside your mind, and all your memories are open to my gaze. It’s sad, really, your shallow, deceitful notion of love. You claim to love Inuyasha, and yet, you wouldn’t even tell him, let alone show him, when he told you he loved you. You are a liar, little girl. And you just let the poor puppy believe you care for him, stringing him along for the ride as y—"

"Shut up!" Kagome yelled, trying not to let the youkai’s harsh words get to her. But there was a measure of truth behind them, a truth that weighed heavily on her. No! I refused Inuyasha because I had to…something deep inside told me it was wrong. And I was right! "You’re wrong! Me stopping Inuyasha had nothing to do with my feelings for him!"

"Ha! Your feelings are weak! ‘I wish I never met him!’ Sound familiar?" Kagome gasped, remembering with crystal clarity how she’d screamed that cursed phrase just before giving up, waiting…waiting to die? She suddenly felt so ashamed, and the youkai showed her no mercy. "Your faith in Inuyasha is just as fragile. Tell me, why was it so easy to believe the sight of him making love with Kikyou? How could you doubt the man you claim to love so much, to think that immediately after confessing his feelings to you, he would run back to his former love? You are pathetic, Kagome. Inuyasha would be better off without you, and your incessant weakness of both body and soul."

Kagome closed her eyes, tears falling freely as the bitter accuracy of the man’s accusations set in. When she opened them again, the gray had returned full-force, growing ever darker. The youkai was wavering before her, slowly fading into the distance as blackness closed in on her. His diabolical laughter drifted to her ears, as well as what was intended to be a final comment. "That’s right, little girl. Just give in; I promise you will feel no more pain. Be at peace…" Peace. The notion was so tempting, to run away from her shortcomings, her pain, her guilt. Inuyasha really would be better off without her.

A single image passed her mind, causing her to cease her descent into oblivion. The vision of Inuyasha, staring at her with tears in his eyes, shining with pure emotion. The feel of his lips on hers… The memories gave her a reason to live, a reason to fight. Her miko powers surged to life, spiraling around her and granting her an entirely different kind of peace. They caressed her, spoke to her, reassured her that everything was alright, that everything she had done today she had done out of love. It was them…it was my miko powers that stopped me from making love with Inuyasha! Deep down, at the most instinctual of levels, her inner miko had known the truth, that Inuyasha’s confession of love was nothing more than the perverted adaptation of her own dreams, created by an evil youkai. And somehow, feeling that way about his declaration had made his being with Kikyou that much more believable. I ran. I ran because I’ve always known that things could turn out that way. I want Inuyasha to be happy, and if he needs Kikyou for that… And if things do turn out that way, then I have every right to be heartbroken! But I won’t force Inuyasha to choose between us. I’ll stay with him as long as I can, because…I really do love him.

The reaffirmance of her deepest feelings gave her strength, and she summoned the full measure of her miko powers, fueling them with the purity of her heart, the love she stored there. Quickly the curtain of black surrounding her turned to gray, then an opaque white. The youkai was there, and Kagome took small delight in the look of fear gracing his features as he struggled to maintain the integrity of the bubble he had enclosed them in. But it was futile; bursts of miko energy punched through as if it was made of paper, revealing all manner of vibrant colors in the background. As the shield imploded and finally collapsed completely, Kagome’s breath hitched in her throat. Laid out before her was the single most beautiful, breathtaking landscape she had ever seen. It was truly a spectacle of nature, the wide flowing valley, covered in lush green. Rolling hills stretched for miles until the edge of a distant forest, which slowly climbed upward to the bases of picturesque mountains, rising gracefully to snow-capped peaks that disappeared into the clouds. She felt humbled as she took in the magnificence, the sheer vitality of it all. So this is what the inside of my mind looks like...I should come here more often! Remembering why she was here, Kagome turned to regard the youkai once more, the fury radiating off him standing in stark contrast to the tranquility of the valley.

"Damn you, bitch!" he growled, brandishing his razor sharp claws menacingly. "I tried to do this the easy way, but it looks like I’m going to have to use force after all! Prepare yourself!" Kagome didn’t flinch as the youkai charged, didn’t react as he leapt in preparation for a single, killing blow. She raised her hands just as he swung his arm. A horrid screech of pain broke the silence of the valley, the smell of charred flesh overpowering even Kagome’s human nose. For several seconds the youkai just hung there, suspended inches from her outstretched palms by a fiery torrent of miko energy. Then he was flung back, his body landing bonelessly in a heap and rolling to a stop some fifty feet away. He lay there unmoving as wisps of smoke continued to rise from his broken form. Kagome stumbled back, nearly falling as strange images rushed past her eyes, visions of things she’d never seen before.

Orphan. A young boy, weeping silently over the remains of his parents. Loneliness. Searching for kin, but finding no soul willing to take him in. Survival. Killing, growing, learning. Others, strangers who became friends, brothers, sisters. Power. No mercy, slaughtering humans, burning villages. Seeking the Shikon no Tama. Power. The power to protect those held dear, to ensure that neither he nor they would ever be lonely again…

Kagome choked out a sob as she rushed over to the fallen youkai. He lay there in his true form, a giant black cat, about eight feet long from head to tail. His chest was as still as Kagome’s heart, and tears flowed freely down her cheeks. He had seen inside her soul, and when she had attacked, engulfing him in the full might of her miko aura, his soul had been bared to her as well.

"Why do you cry, miko?" Kagome gasped sharply and looked up. There, hovering a few feet away, was the young boy she had seen, the child the dead youkai lying before her used to be. He was a spirit, his body transparent, but he was smiling nonetheless. Kagome lowered her eyes, unable to meet his gaze.

"So…so sad," she mumbled. A gentle hand raised her chin, forcing her to look at him. Still he smiled, eyes shining with an inner serenity.

"Don’t cry for me. My life has been difficult, but I’m not alone anymore. Somehow I found others like me, and we created a family. I only regret the last few years. Somehow I forgot how it felt to be an orphan. I killed…how many humans did I slaughter in the name of power? How much misery have I caused in the name of becoming stronger?" Now the boy’s eyes were closed, and Kagome stared at rapt attention. Then he opened his yellow eyes, and a grin returned to his countenance. "But you have saved me, miko. You purified me of my hate, took away my lust for power. Thank you," he said, bowing low. "But now I must return to my body, and you must purify me. Only then will you be completely free of me."

"B-but if I do that, won’t you go to hell?" The boy chuckled, amused by her concern, considering how he had just tried to kill her.

"It matters not. I must pay for the sins I have committed."

"No! Y-you’re just an innocent kid now! Like you said, I purified you of your evil. Why should you have to suffer now?"

"Because you cannot rid yourself of my youkai essence unless I am purified along with it. The moment my spirit leaves you, the youkai body I leave behind will completely dissolve. It will remain inside you forever, and you will never be able to rid yourself of it." Kagome gave herself no time to reconsider before she gave her answer.

"Then let it stay." The spirit’s eyes hardened in anger, then softened as he realized just how determined Kagome was to not let a child suffer. Kagome, for her part, was thinking back to her adventure with Mayu. She refused to let the spirit of a child burn in hell before, and she wasn’t about to let it happen now, no matter what unknown consequences awaited her decision. Reluctantly, the boy nodded his consent.

"Very well, miko. Thank you. You are truly amazing…I have never before met a heart so pure. Who knows? Perhaps you will make better use of my youkai essence than I ever did. Farewell."

Kagome smiled and waved as the youkai’s spirit vanished, and just as he predicted the giant cat melted instantly, and was absorbed into the earth beneath it. And Kagome was left in blessed solitude, her mind finally free of foreign influence. Suddenly she felt very tired, and she surrendered to fatigue, lying down in the soft grass. When she awoke, she knew she would be in the real world again.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha called as she slipped back into unconsciousness. Dammit! He took a deep breath to calm himself. Kagome had woken up, she seemed back to normal, and she was no longer emanating a dark aura. She still smelled a little of that bastard cat youkai, but it was very faint. He had to have faith; Kagome’s ordeal was not over, but he knew she could overcome. That confidence was very much shaken when it happened again—her eyes going blank and the dark aura gripping her. But it was over before he had time to react, and from that point on her miko aura had steadily grown in strength, eventually driving out the last speck of evil. He was very surprised that he himself was not being purified by her unruly powers, but he hadn’t even felt a tingle. He would worry about that later, he decided, after she woke up. Finally, after what seemed like hours of waiting, she stirred in his arms and opened her eyes.

"Inuyasha…" The hanyou felt his mouth go dry. Relief had never been such a powerful emotion before, one that threatened to reduce him to tears again. But he held back, not wanting to show that weakness twice in one evening.

"Are you ok, Kagome?"

"Yeah." Comfortable silence fell between the pair, each contemplating their own thoughts about the events that had just taken place. Gratitude welled up inside Kagome, too strong to be kept quiet. "Inuyasha?" she asked nervously.

"Yeah?"

"D-did you kiss me?" He stiffened and stuttered, his reaction confirming what she already knew to be true. She could tell he was about to say something stupid, something he didn’t really mean, something that would definitely ruin the atmosphere of the moment. She didn’t give him the chance. "Thank you." Inuyasha’s gruff reply died on his lips as his eyes widened impossibly. He found himself questioning his demonic hearing, before she continued, "You saved me. I…I was lost in the illusion. You brought me back. And…you shed tears for me." Inuyasha tightened his grip on her. Normally, he would deny them—either kissing her or crying for her—but tonight, after everything that had happened, after almost losing her, he just couldn’t.

"Yeah, well, I guess I owed you for Kaguya’s castle. You just better keep all that shit to yourself." Kagome giggled, and Inuyasha couldn’t help but grin in response. Talk about ruining the moment... Kagome shivered, and Inuyasha shrugged off his haori to drape it over her bare legs. "You wanna go back to the hut?" he asked, secretly hoping she would say no. When she shook her head vigorously, he drew her closer until her head was resting comfortably on his chest. As the sound of his heartbeat lulled her to sleep, Kagome couldn’t help but think that maybe Inuyasha hadn’t ruined the moment after all.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Inuyasha woke with a start, temporarily blinded by the bright sunlight that had roused him. What the…I fell asleep? That in itself wasn’t odd; even hanyous needed some sleep. The strange part was that he’d apparently slept through the whole night, not even waking at dawn like he normally did. The last time he slept so soundly had been on Kagome’s bed, after a battle with Naraku. At the time, he realized the depth of his slumber had much more to do with being wrapped in Kagome’s scent than the softness of her mattress, and it appeared last night had been no different. Hell, he could probably sleep with a hundred Shippos dancing on his belly, as long as Kagome was close. Expanding his lungs, he drew in the soothing scent of the girl still snuggled against his chest…and nearly pushed her out of the tree in his alarm.

Kagome awoke to the unpleasant sensation of being jostled, and not the kind of gentle motion her mother would wake her up with. Instantly alert, she opened her eyes to find Inuyasha, holding her at arms length, staring at her as if she’d just sprouted another head.

"Inuyasha! Wha-aahh!" Clenching her teeth, Kagome covered her ears with her hands, trying to get them to stop ringing. Oww! Why was my voice so loud? Taking a deep, steadying breath through her nose proved even more painful. She sputtered and sneezed, trying to fight off a rising sense of panic. Her nose felt like it was on fire! She slammed her eyes shut and curled in on herself, trying to fight off the alien sensations as they pounded against her skull. Suddenly she was pulled against a strong chest, her nose pressed firmly into the fabric of his haori. She started to struggle, but his words stopped her.

"Don’t fight it, Kagome! Just relax. Focus on me, just my scent." His words were nearly whispered, yet they still rang loudly in her ears. Inuyasha, for his part, had realized what was happening as soon as he snapped out of his shock-induced stupor. Her scent had been his first clue; Kagome smelled like a youkai. And it wasn’t the same as when she smelled like him after riding on his back. No, her very being smelled of youkai, as if the scent was coming from deep within her flesh. One look at her confirmed his worst fears. There, standing proudly atop her head, were two black, triangular ears. That in itself filled him with dread; only one kind of creature had ears of that type… The sight of Kagome’s hands flying up to cover the fuzzy appendages bought him back to reality, as he observed her struggling to cope with the new information the world was hurling at her. She looked to be on the brink of passing out when he took action. He would have been lying if he said he knew what he was doing, but it was all he could do to keep her new senses from overwhelming her.

Kagome did as she was told, concentrating on Inuyasha’s scent. He smelled of so many different things: woods, sweat, dog. But his scent was entirely masculine, and despite how strong it suddenly was, she found it anything but unpleasant. Gradually her breathing slowed, and she relaxed, leaning bonelessly against him, physically and mentally exhausted. As time passed, a new nuance snuck into his scent, one that made her very anxious. She didn’t know what it was, but she knew she didn’t like it. Eventually, she grew comfortable enough to remove her hands from her ears. Her headache returned full force, but she focused on Inuyasha, his breathing, his heartbeat, and slowly the background noise faded to a more manageable level. How long had they been sitting there like that, twined around each other with her face nestled against his chest? To Kagome, it seemed like hours, and in fact it had been almost an hour. Finally feeling more like herself, Kagome pulled back only to have Inuyasha tighten his arms around her. Feeling the beginnings of a blush start to form on her cheeks, Kagome realized the full extent of their compromising position. She was sitting on his thighs, one knee planted firmly on either side of his abdomen, her legs bent and folded underneath her. Again she tried to extricate herself and again she was denied.

"Inuyasha," she said, a little annoyed, "you can let me go now." Instead of complying, he gripped her even tighter, and shook his head vehemently. Her exasperation and embarrassment melted away, however, as that strange nuance in his scent intensified. Then, somehow it clicked, something deep inside told her what it was: fear. Fear? What’s he afraid of? "Inuyasha," she asked, much gentler this time, "what’s wrong?" He shuddered as the scent of his fear continued to strengthen. Finally, he spoke in a barely audible whisper.

"D-don’t hate me." The pleading in his tone, the desperation there made Kagome’s heart ache.

"Hate you? Why would I hate you?" she asked, genuinely confused. Unable to form words, he settled for reaching down and grasping her hand. Hesitantly, he brought it up until it rested on top of her head. Kagome gasped as she realized what her fingers were touching. Somehow, in the chaos she had been too distracted to notice that her ears were not where they should be. And they weren’t human anymore; that was abundantly clear. Now she knew why Inuyasha was so afraid; she felt no small amount of trepidation herself.

"Inuyasha," she inquired in a shaky voice, "what happened to me?" Finally he pulled back to gaze at her, and the haunted look in his eyes, as if he knew what he was about to say would ruin their friendship forever, cut her to the core.

"Kagome…you got demon blood inside you. You’re a hanyou." Kagome stared at him, contemplating his words for a moment before the stress of the morning finally caught up with her. Her eyes rolled back and she fainted.

When she came to, she was lying on the ground, her head propped up on something warm and comfortable. Ugh…what a crazy dream. Still, as she opened her eyes and slowly blinked the haze of sleep away, she couldn’t help but feel that something was off. The smells and sounds of the world bombarded her senses, and she turned her nose into her Inuyasha’s leg pillow to escape the onslaught. The situation baffled her; in fact, it all too closely resembled that of her dream, where Inuyasha told her she was a hanyou. Kagome’s eyes widened as reality set in, and she inched her hand upwards until it made contact with the furry appendage she was afraid she would find. Bolting upright in shock nearly knocked her unconscious again, but Inuyasha’s firm hands on her back supported her as she adjusted to the incredibly loud and stinky world around her. Finally, when the cacophony that was nature had regressed to a more bearable level in her head, she dared a glance at the hanyou behind her. His expression was guarded, as if he had resigned himself to something. She had never seen him look so defeated.

"Inuyasha, what’s wrong?" she asked, wincing at the sound of her own voice. Inuyasha didn’t respond, merely looking away, refusing to make eye contact. Kagome was beyond confused; just what had gotten into him? It was she who had been suddenly turned into a hanyou! But maybe that was the problem… H-he can’t accept me like this? But why? I’ve always accepted him! How…how can he…reject me? Tears sprung to her eyes, but she blinked them back as another thought, a memory, occurred to her. "D-don’t hate me." That was what he said. Is that why he can’t look at me, ‘cause he thinks I hate him? His response to her earlier question of why she would hate him confirmed her suspicion.

"Inuyasha," she said gently. No response. "Inuyasha, look at me." Still no response. Kagome reached out to gently caress his cheek, tenderly turning his face toward her. As his eyes became unhidden by his bangs, she gasped at the moisture she glimpsed in his amber depths. She let her fingers linger on his cheek as she endeavored to offer some much needed reassurance.

"Inuyasha, I don’t hate you." Finally his eyes snapped to hers as he sat up straight, breaking their intimate contact. His face revealed unabashed confusion, and his scent spoke of surprise, and tentative hope.

"Why?" was all he was able to articulate.

"Why should I?" That did the trick, as Inuyasha’s golden orbs filled with anger and frustration, and he quickly launched into one of his trademark tantrums.

"Why should you? Because it’s MY FAULT you’re…like THAT!!"

"It’s not your fault," Kagome cooed softly, placing her hand comfortingly on his. But he jerked it away as if her touch burned him.

"Yes it is, wench! If I had protected you better, you—"

"That’s enough!" Kagome yelled, her own frustration rising. For once, Inuyasha did not further escalate the argument. In his mind, he deserved far more than a painless tongue-lashing. Seeing his chastised silence, Kagome took a deep breath to calm herself. "Look Inuyasha," she continued, in a voice that was equal parts comforting and firm, "it’s not your fault. I should have stayed in the well like you told me. AND" she raised her voice to curtail his protest, "even if it was your fault, even if I died under your protection, I could still never, ever hate you."

The look of wonder and gratitude that graced his visage at that moment was one Kagome would never forget. Inuyasha was humbled, utterly and completely, by the sheer kindness and forgiving nature of this girl, this one human who could not hate him, even when she had every conceivable reason for doing so. It was his fault, no matter what she said, that she had been turned into a monster, an abomination rejected by human and youkai alike. After she fainted, he had relived memory after painful memory. Taunts, insults, attempts on his life, they all beat him down, so much so that at some points he had wished for nothing more than a merciful end to it all. But his will to live was strong; at times it had been the only thing that kept him going over the years, back when he had no one else to live for.

But things were different now. Kagome was continuing what Kikyou had started. He now had friends, other people to live and die for; the concept was still somewhat foreign to him, even after more than a year in their company. None of them see me as a monster. They all accept me, even as a hanyou, and Kagome…she even said she loves me… Yes, perhaps the other humans hadn’t heard it, but Inuyasha’s sensitive ears allowed him to easily pick up Kagome’s exclaimed confession just before he crashed through the door and rescued her from Naraku’s infant. He thought of her words and her feelings regularly, but never mentioned them, or what he knew. It wasn’t because he doubted Kagome’s sincerity; she wasn’t the type of girl to say something like that without really meaning it. No, it was himself he was unsure of. Even after months of searching his feelings and grappling with his emotions, he couldn’t say he loved her in return. On the other hand, he couldn’t say he didn’t love her either. He just didn’t know, and Kikyou’s presence among the living only complicated matters. Inuyasha had concluded long ago that it would be best to focus on gathering the jewel shards and destroying Naraku, and let the rest sort itself out.

Now, it seemed like he would have to add something else to his list of priorities. Kagome may accept me as a hanyou, but she has no idea what I’ve been through. I can’t let her go through that…she’s always been loved, and everyone who meets her likes her. Inuyasha growled internally as he thought of how much he hated that sometimes, especially when other males were involved. Kagome doesn’t know what it’s like to be shunned, to be so completely alone you start talking to the trees… I can’t allow her to experience what it’s like to be hated just for being alive…it would break her. No, Inuyasha vowed then and there to find a way to change Kagome back to her human self, no matter what the cost. He would do everything he could to shield her from the hate, the loathing that faced every hanyou. He just hoped he could accomplish his task before her gentle spirit was permanently tainted.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome’s worried voice brought him out of his musings, and he realized he had been staring at her for longer than he should have. Quick as a flash, he enfolded her in a powerful embrace, as much to hide his lone falling tear as to assure himself that she was really there, forgiving him.

"Thank you," he uttered in a near whisper. Then, pulling back to gaze at her determinately, he pledged, "Don’t worry Kagome. I promise I’ll find a way to change you back to normal. We’ll go to Totosai’s and see if he or Myouga know anything." For some unknown reason, his words caused a slight pain to materialize in Kagome’s heart, but she pushed it aside, deeply touched by the fact that he was apparently prioritizing helping her over finding Naraku.

"It’s ok, Inuyasha. We don’t have to put off our quest. I’m not dying here. It’ll be an adjustment, and my head is still killing me, but I’m already doing better than befo—"

"No, wench! We’re going to see Totosai right away, and that’s final!!"

"Ok, ok, you don’t have to yell!" Kagome shouted, lowering her ears.

"Sorry," Inuyasha replied quickly, as Kagome blinked in shock. Her hanyou friend just continued to surprise her today… "Is it…really that bad?"

As she looked at Inuyasha, his own ears lowered, probably in shame, Kagome couldn’t help but smile at his concern. "No, it’s not that bad. The hearing gives me a headache, but I haven’t noticed much of a change in sight. The smells are the worst… But you really helped me out this morning, when you told me to focus on you." She flushed lightly, both because of the reminder of their close contact that morning and because of the question she was about to ask. "D-do you thing you could…maybe, teach me how to use my senses?" Inuyasha’s shoulders slumped incredulously in relief; when he sensed her nervousness, he expected her to request something either embarrassing or difficult.

"Of course, baka," he replied, a small smile working its way to his lips, letting her know he didn’t really mean the insult. "Just keep practicing focusing your senses on one thing. I’ve lived with my senses for so long that the things I need to hear are clear, and everything else just fades into the background. And you probably won’t notice the change in vision until tonight, especially since you’re a cat." He spoke the last word with just a hint of disgust.

Kagome chuckled. "Well, I suppose we fight like cats and dogs anyway." Inuyasha snickered as well, still unbelievably happy she was even speaking to him at the moment, even if it was to tell lame jokes. Comfortable silence fell until another related thought struck Kagome.

"Inuyasha, before…I could smell your feelings, your emotions." She wisely made no mention of the hanyou’s fear; Kagome knew better than to tell Inuyasha he had ever been afraid of anything.

"Yeah, so? I’ve been able to do that my whole life."

"But how did I know what each emotion was? It was like something inside me told me what I was smelling."

Inuyasha merely shrugged. "Maybe you have demon instincts, too."

"Do you have them?"

"Feh! Bloodlust ain’t the only thing that takes over when I transform…" His voice cracked with old remorse, and Kagome placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He grasped it in his own and held it there, adding full-demon transformations as another reason why he had to change Kagome back as quickly as possible. Then Kagome spoke as if she had been reading his thoughts.

"I don’t know if I could transform. I am a miko…" She trailed off as an alarming thought occurred to her. Am I still a miko? Did I lose my powers? Can I sense the jewel?! Fighting off a sense of rising panic, Kagome focused her concentration, summoning her powers in the same way she always did. To her surprise and immense relief, it worked. Her hands glowed with the same pure, pink light, as if she didn’t have cat ears and claws. Claws? Examining her fingers, she observed that her nails had sharpened and elongated, narrowing down to fierce points. They were still clear like fingernails, but much thinner and rounder, and if she flexed her muscles the right way they disappeared into her flesh. Retractable claws…I really am I cat! This time it was Inuyasha who interrupted Kagome’s musings, as he continued their previous line of conversation.

"Earlier, when you were asleep, your powers came out…but you didn’t purify me. Why?" he asked, utterly stumped. Kagome thought about it a moment, then shrugged.

"Well, I would never want to purify you, so I guess my miko powers reacted to that…" Remembering the second part of her earlier concern, Kagome once again focused her powers, searching for a familiar presence. There! "And I can still sense the jewel shards. Thank the Kami!" she sighed in indescribable relief. Inuyasha frowned, sensing there was more to her reaction—over-reaction—than met the eye.

"Kagome," he said firmly, waiting for her to look at him before continuing. "Even if you couldn’t sense the jewel shards, it wouldn’t change anything. I wouldn’t make you leave." His tone suggested he was mildly offended, and Kagome mentally berated herself for thinking that for even a second. The old—very old—Inuyasha might have abandoned her in that situation, but they were friends now, good friends, and she should have known better.

"Sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed—"

"Keh! Damn right you shouldn’t have! I’m not a complete bastard, you know."

"Yeah, I know, it’s just…"

"Don’t worry about it, alright?" he interrupted, already tired of her remorse. Why could he never stay mad at her when she said something stupid to him. It happened far less frequently than a similar exchange the other way around, so he should be using this chance to wrangle a sympathy promise from her, damn it! Maybe no visits home for a lunar cycle, or no "Osuwari!"s for a week. And yet… "It’s no big deal, ok? Now, quit blubbering and tell me what the hell went on inside that head of yours. Either you were supposed to purify that youkai or he was going to take over your body, so how in all the layers of hell did you wind up as a hanyou?"

Kagome glared at him as she ceased her ‘blubbering.’ Honestly, I haven’t even started crying yet… And she had a feeling that might not last too long. She was not looking forward to this part of the conversation. "Well, when I fell unconscious, the second time," she said, blushing as she remembered the glorious sensation that had saved her the first time. Inuyasha had the good graces to blush as well. "I was able to summon my powers and purify the demon. Only he didn’t vanish. His spirit separated from his body, like what normally happens when you slay a youkai, but neither one disappeared. Apparently, I accidentally purified his spirit of its evil. And…when I read his mind, and saw how much he had suffered in his lifetime, I just couldn’t let him go to hell. He was just an orphan, a lonely kid searching for somebody to care for him, and when he found friends, he came after the jewel to gain power to protect them. I know he was evil; he killed humans without hesitation, but his purified spirit was just a child. I couldn’t do it, Inuyasha. I couldn’t let him merge with his body, because then he would end up in hell. The only way to save his soul was to allow his pure spirit to go to heaven. I told him to leave his body behind." Kagome waited with baited breath for a long moment, not daring to elevate her gaze from the grass underneath her feet. "You probably think I’m a huge idiot." Uncomfortable silence settled as Kagome stood still, dreading the inevitable explosion.

"BAKA!!" Kagome winced, but made no move to argue. "I already told you, I’m not that much of a bastard!" Now her eyes snapped up, to see an irritated—but not angry—Inuyasha gazing seriously at her.

"Wha-?"

"How can I be mad at you when you just wanted to save the soul of some little kid?" She heard the words he didn’t say: who was once just like me… And for the second time that day, Kagome berated herself for underestimating the strength of Inuyasha’s heart.

"Sorry," she said, sniffling as tears came to her eyes.

"C-cut that out! It ain’t a big deal! I didn’t used to care about…things like that…until you came along." His voice trailed off and the last word was spoken barely above a whisper, but he met her eyes and stood by his confession. Kagome managed a watery smile in response. Sure, the brash, surly hanyou before her would sometimes hurt her feelings, but he always knew how to make her feel better, even if it was just by being there.

"Thanks, Inuyasha."

"Keh!" he replied, a light dusting of pink gracing his cheeks. Kagome chuckled, amused by his typical oh-so-eloquent reply. "Come on, let’s go fetch the others. We’re starting toward Totosai’s this afternoon, even if I have to drag them out of the babaa’s hut." The idea of setting out on a journey caused Kagome to remember something, something she probably would have been better off forgetting.

"Inuyasha," she asked nervously, "how many days ago did that youkai attack?"

"Three days. Why?" he inquired suspiciously, suddenly aware of Kagome’s apprehension. Let’s see, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday…Oh, crap!

"What’s the matter, wench?" Kagome flinched, recognizing that tone. The one that said he knew she was hiding something; the one that also told her she was about to have one hell of an argument on her hands.

"Well, you see…"

"Spit it out already, wench!" Kagome narrowed her eyes, managing a very feline snarl in response.

"I failed one of my tests last week, so the professor offered to let me take a makeup…tomorrow."

"WHAT!!! Oh, HELL no! No fuckin’ way!"

"Inuyasha, please, be reasonable! I have to take this tes—"

"No, wench! Your mother is never going to find out about…this!!" he yelled, motioning wildly at her with one hand. Kagome’s retort died on her lips as Inuyasha’s words sunk in.

"Inuyasha, you’re not worried…that my mother will…reject me, are you?"

"Fuck! I ain’t worried about you! Your mom will love you no matter what you look like. I’m worried about ME! Kami, Kagome, do you have any idea what your mother is going to do to me? She’ll probably rip off my ears and nail them to the wall!" Kagome just shook her head. Somewhere in that sea of profanity and bellowing, Inuyasha had said something amazingly sweet. Of course, a diamond in the rough is still a diamond.

"Thanks, Inuyasha. And relax, it was my fault this happened, and I know my mom won’t be too mad at you. And besides, I’ll protect you from my big, scary Okaa-san." Inuyasha glared at her, even as she tried to reign in her giggles and keep a straight face.

"Keh! I’m not afraid of your mother! Just don’t expect me to listen if she says I can’t ever see you again."

Truly touched, Kagome flashed him a positively brilliant smile. "Deal. Now come on, we need talk to the others so I can go home and study."

"Feh," he mumbled as she dragged him off toward Kaede’s hut.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" Kagome asked, more than a little irritated at the hanyou currently blocking her exit from the well house.

"Just hang back awhile. I’ll talk to your mother so she doesn’t freak out. You remember what happened at Kaede’s hut, don’t you?" Kagome lowered her ears, remembering just how painful that experience had been.

As soon as she and Inuyasha entered the hut they had been bombarded with questions and greetings from their friends, who were obviously surprised and glad to see Kagome up and well. Then everything paused for a moment, as they took in her altered appearance, and the questions began again at an even higher decibel level. Kagome’s ears had instantly plastered to her skull, the pounding in her temples returning full force. Her friends weren’t yelling, but they weren’t speaking softly either. Her shouting match with Inuyasha by Goshinboku had bothered her, quite a bit actually, but she felt the conversation was too important to let it show. Besides, back then it had been only one person speaking at a time, and now it was three, even four, at once. And with the noise bouncing off the walls of the enclosed room, the roar was deafening to her not-so-well-adjusted senses. She was just about to turn around and retreat outside when Inuyasha came to her rescue.

"Shut up! All of you!" When the room was quiet, Inuyasha continued, "Kagome hasn’t mastered her senses yet, so if you’re gonna talk to her, you gotta be quiet." After flashing Inuyasha a grateful smile, Kagome proceeded to relate all of her adventures since the youkai attack. She left out certain parts, of course, much to the relief of her hanyou companion. The others expressed amazement at the kindness of her heart, and Kagome found herself blushing from all the attention. She blushed even harder when she felt the somewhat familiar sensation of a hand on her backside. The lecherous monk backed away quickly as he found himself confronted by two snarling hanyous, as well as an irate demon slayer.

"Now, now, everyone. I was just checking for a tail." Kagome blanched at that. She wasn’t an animal, and she certainly didn’t have a tail!

"Bouzu! Touch her again and you won’t have anything to ‘check for a tail’ with!" After that remark, Kaede steered the conversation back to the original topic, expressing amazement that Kagome could still use her miko powers and sense the jewel shards.

"By all rights, such a thing should not be possible. Then again, many things I would not have thought possible have come to pass since ye first arrived through the well, Kagome," she said, eyeing Inuyasha, leaving both hanyous to wonder what she meant. Then little Shippo just had to go and make that joke—"you guys fight like cats and dogs anyway"—and everyone laughed, except Inuyasha. If it wasn’t funny the first time, it definitely wasn’t funny the second time. There had been some discussion as to what their next course of action should be, but after Kagome assented to Inuyasha’s "suggestion" that they go see Totosai, the group agreed. They would leave tomorrow afternoon, after her test. Secretly, Kagome was hoping to persuade Inuyasha to let her have an extra night in her nice, comfy bed, but that was a worry for another day. Currently, her primary concern was how to break the news of her "predicament" to her mother.

"Alright, just try not to scare her too badly," she reluctantly replied.

"Keh!" Then Inuyasha was gone, strolling across the shrine grounds to the front door. He knocked, and exchanged pleasantries with her mother before being invited inside. As soon as the door was closed Kagome darted out of her hiding spot, running up to the door and placing her ear against it. Just because she didn’t want to be seen yet didn’t mean she had to stay in the well house. Souta was at school and she could hear jii-chan puttering around in the shed somewhere, so if she was careful there was very little chance of getting caught. Her increased hearing easily picked up the muffled conversation inside the house.

"Uh, Mrs. Higurashi…I have to tell you something…about Kagome."

"Oh, Kami, what happened? Is my baby hurt?! Is she…"

"No! She’s fine! Just, uh…something happened…"

"Inuyasha…" Kagome gulped; she knew that tone of voice. Her mother didn’t get angry very often, but when she did, everyone in the Higurashi household knew to keep their distance, jii-chan included. And if he didn’t spill the beans very soon, Inuyasha would be learning that lesson first hand. But that was the problem; he was trying to break it to her easy, not come right out and say "your daughter is a hanyou." Deciding it couldn’t be helped, Kagome sighed, opened the door, and stepped in to the kitchen.

"Kagome! Wha…" Mother and daughter stared at each other as Mrs. Higurashi trailed off, her cup of tea falling from her grasp. Neither noticed as Inuyasha snatched the cup out of the air, nor his hiss of pain as some of the scalding liquid splashed on his hand. Swearing softly, he padded to the sink and put his hand under the cold water as the two women continued their staring contest. Kagome broke her gaze first, unable to take the oppressive silence any longer.

"Hi, Okaa-san, it’s a long story…" As if hearing her daughter’s voice was the only thing needed to snap Mrs. Higurashi out of her trance, she rushed forward, running her hands along Kagome’s cheeks.

"Kagome," she whispered, still apparently in complete shock. "You have ears…"

"And claws," Kagome replied, raising her hand and deploying her new weapons. Mrs. Higurashi jumped slightly, but seemed to come back to herself after that.

"So…you’re a cat?"

"Cat hanyou, actually." What happened next was the last thing Kagome expected. Her mother grabbed her ears and began massaging them. And it felt good. Her whole body was relaxing, and Kagome couldn’t help it. She purred. A choked sound, a mixture of a laugh and a cough, from Inuyasha jolted her back to the present, and she blushed like a tomato. Inuyasha was standing at the sink trying not to laugh, and her mother was looking confusedly back and forth between the two of them. Kagome glared daggers at her red-clad friend; he would pay for that later. Mrs. Higurashi intervened at that point, sitting them down at the table and calmly demanding an explanation. Inuyasha was content to let Kagome do all the talking. Her mother listened attentively, her expression rising and falling with each twist and turn of the tale. When it was done, she nodded thoughtfully, then inquired as to what they were going to do now. Inuyasha spoke up then, informing her of their imminent quest to return Kagome to her original form. She actually chuckled at that, flashing the "I know something you don’t know" look, and effectively breaking whatever tension had still remained in the room.

"Well, you two fight like cats and dogs, anyway," she said, laughing at her own joke as Inuyasha and Kagome rolled their eyes. "Would you like to take a bath, Kagome?"

"Oooh, that would be—Ah! It’s almost four o’clock! No time for a bath, Okaa-san, gotta to study!" With that, Kagome flew up the stairs into her room, leaving Inuyasha alone with her mother. The hanyou excused himself, preparing to follow her, but Mrs. Higurashi stopped him.

"Inuyasha," she said in a tone that left no room for argument. "Kagome wasn’t telling me something. What was it?" The sudden uneasy feeling in his gut prompted Inuyasha to wonder if perhaps he really was afraid of Kagome’s mother.

"H-how would you know?"

"I’m her mother. It’s my job to know these things. Now what wasn’t she telling me." Inuyasha sighed, admitting defeat.

"It was a close thing," he muttered, eyes closed. "I—we almost lost her."

"And you saved her?"

"Yeah."

"How?"

"…"

"Inuyasha…"

"I may have, uh…kissed her." When Mrs. Higurashi drew near, Inuyasha was expecting a slap, a knee to the groin, anything but the warm embrace he found himself in.

"Thank you, for taking such good care of my daughter."

"Uh, sure," Inuyasha replied awkwardly. The second she released him he was on Kagome’s bed, and was relieved to note that she’d apparently been too engrossed in her studying to hear their conversation. This was the scene that greeted Souta a few minutes later, as he accosted Inuyasha for his monthly dose of hero worship.

"Whoa, what happened to you, nii-chan?" Sighing, Kagome launched into the very brief explanation, anxious to get her brother, and Inuyasha for that matter, out of her room so she could concentrate.

"Well, you guys fight like ca—"

"DON’T SAY IT!!!!"

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

"Rolling around won’t help," Inuyasha said exasperatedly. "You can’t fall asleep because you don’t need to sleep." Kagome growled in annoyance, opening her eyes to glare at him in his spot under her window. Her feline eyes glowed forebodingly in the darkness, easily taking in every detail hidden by the night from human eyes. Her night vision was truly amazing, she reflected, but to this point her new senses had proven more of a handicap than a help. She had been able to manage her nose and ears while studying, mostly because she had secluded herself in her room, which was quiet and smelled predominantly like her. Aside from Inuyasha’s scent, her own was the only scent she was able to easily handle thus far. She had stopped studying sometime around ten o’clock, and had gone to bed soon after. Inuyasha had resumed his customary resting pose, sitting cross-legged with Tetsusaiga resting on his shoulder, watching over her. She appreciated the gesture, but now the conceited jerk was starting to get on her nerves. For the past hour, he had been periodically informing her that her attempts at falling asleep were useless. And she still hadn’t forgotten about the purring incident… Finally giving up, Kagome sat up straight and flung back the covers in frustration.

"Well what am I supposed to do? Stay awake all night?!"

"That’s what I do, sometimes," he answered calmly.

"Well I’m not! I have a test after school tomorrow, and I need my beauty sleep!" Inuyasha bit back his snide comment, deciding not to stoke the already powerful flames of Kagome’s ire. Besides, what was the point to telling her she wasn’t beautiful, when nothing could be further from the truth? Even in the beginning, he had always thought so. Even when he used to call her ugly… Inuyasha’s ears lowered slightly. No, he wasn’t proud of how he had acted back then, but he was almost glad he had been such an ass. That Kagome stayed with him, even with how he used to treat her, showed him more about friendship than he had ever known. They had become closer as a result of those early days, and maybe that was why he could now admit that she was beautiful. He was attracted to her, and he had eventually realized that was ok. He wasn’t some lowly, disgusting half-breed to Kagome. She saw him as a man, and men had certain urges, whether they chose to act on them or not. He wasn’t a pervert like that lecherous monk, but at least now he wasn’t above admitting—to himself—that he liked how Kagome looked. He liked her hair, her eyes, her figure…

And it wasn’t as if she didn’t like the way he looked, either; his nose told him as much. Every once in a while he would catch her staring at him, her scent spiking slightly. It wasn’t much, just a small change in her fragrance, but it was enough to let him know she liked what she saw. Then she would blush and look away, and he would pretend not to notice. It was a little game they played, but only he knew about it. That was the way he wanted it. He had decided long ago to focus on the mission at hand, and shift the determination of his feelings to the proverbial back burner. Still, that didn’t mean he wasn’t happy that Kagome was also attracted to him. He attributed it to male pride, an ego that had gotten much larger since he met the young miko from the future. In the beginning, he really had been all talk. He claimed he didn’t care when others put him down for being a hanyou, but it wasn’t until Kagome came into his life that he found he truly didn’t care. As far as he knew, he was the only male Kagome developed that faint, spicy aroma around. Perhaps that was the reason he was able to tolerate that damn wolf now, at least more than he used to. He actually believed Kagome wasn’t interested in the fleabag now, though he could still only take so much of that "my woman" bullshit…

"Hey! Don’t ignore me!" Inuyasha cringed at the vehemence in Kagome’s tone. Apparently she had taken his silence the wrong way. But as he finally glanced at her, observing her pouting lips, narrowed eyes, and drooping ears, he lost his momentary apprehension. She looked so damned adorable! How was he supposed to resist teasing her a little?

"Quiet wench, I’m trying to sleep."

Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Kagome opened her mouth to spit out "the word," then snapped it closed. She settled for an icy glare instead. "You are so lucky my family is asleep on the same floor…"

"Keh!" I bet…

"Uh! And why is it so hot in here?" Kagome growled, running her finger inside the collar of her flannel pajama top.

"Hanyou don’t get co—"

"Yeah, yeah," she interrupted, "I forgot. The ‘Mighty Inuyasha’ never gets cold." Sarcasm was dripping from her voice, but Inuyasha chose to ignore it.

"Hmmm…I like the sound of that. You should call me ‘The Mighty Inuyasha’ from now on," he replied with a smirk.

"The ‘mighty pain in the butt’ is more like it," Kagome mumbled, drawing an even larger smirk from the male hanyou. Rising to her feet, she shuffled over to her bureau and ruffled through the contents of the top droor before finding whatever she was looking for. Glancing over her shoulder expectantly, Inuyasha got the distinct impression she was waiting for him to do something.

"What?" he grumped, not liking how dumb he felt at the moment. Kagome held her hand out to the side, revealing the mysterious object to be a shirt.

"Close your eyes," she said in a warning tone. Inuyasha wisely did so, and kept them closed until the rustling of her clothing ceased. If she caught him peaking there was no way he would escape being "Osuwari’d," even if it meant waking up the entire city. Even so, it was still tempting… He felt his cheeks heat as he turned his mind away from those thoughts.

And yet, when he opened his eyes, his mind swung right back to its previous direction. He stood corrected; that thing wasn’t a shirt. It was a half-shirt, the most revealing thing he’d ever seen her wear, not counting that swimsuit thing she’d worn way back when. And he was only a little attracted to her back then. The garment covered her torso, but left her shoulders and upper chest bare, and was held in place by two thin strings of fabric that went over her shoulders. The things looked like they were ready to snap any moment, which would result in the garment pooling around her hips. The fact that he’d seen her naked before, and knew what lay under the cloth, didn’t help his situation any. After what was probably only a second of staring, but seemed like a lot longer to Inuyasha, he tore his gaze away.

Kagome was trudging back to bed when Inuyasha’s scent drifted to her nose, and she paused mid-step. She sniffed again, using the focusing technique Inuyasha had shown her, and was able to confirm the alteration. It was very slight, and if she hadn’t been so familiar with his scent from their contact that morning, she probably wouldn’t have noticed it. A smile rose unbidden to her lips as she her "demon instincts" told her what it meant, though Inuyasha also reeked of embarrassment. Kagome moved toward the bed, deciding the best course of action was to let it go, lest she make her hanyou feel uncomfortable. He never reacted well when he was embarrassed… Still, her grin just refused to leave, even as she laid back down facing away from him. He was attracted to her. He thought she looked good. Kagome was suddenly very giddy, and barely managed to restrain a girlish giggle. It was nice to know, especially since he used to call her skinny and ugly. But it had been such a long time since he had insulted her like that, though he never did call her beautiful or pretty either. Regardless, Kagome liked to think she knew him better now. He wasn’t the kind of guy to dole out compliments. He wasn’t a sweet talker, and in her book that just made him even more special. When he did say something nice, she knew he really, truly meant it.

They said in school that body language is an essential part of communication, and Inuyasha’s body, his scent, had just told her more than his mouth ever had. He wasn’t aroused, the spike in his scent seemed too minor for that, but he was appreciative. Sure, he was embarrassed about it, but then she had also been embarrassed when she first began appreciating how good Inuyasha looked… That thought caused her smile to wane, as a flush appeared on her own cheeks. As a dog hanyou, he probably had an even better sense of smell than she did, which led her to the obvious conclusion. He’s known…this entire time! Kagome took a deep breath, trying to calm her nervousness. So they were both attracted to each other. There was nothing wrong with that. Considering Inuyasha had never berated her about it, he didn’t seem to mind, and she definitely didn’t. Then again, she knew how she felt about Inuyasha. What she didn’t know was how he felt about her.

But that was a worry for another day. Inuyasha had just made her very happy, whether he realized it or not, and she wasn’t about to ruin the feeling by making herself depressed. Grinning again, Kagome rolled herself over to face him before breaking the silence.

"Hey, Inuyasha?" The hanyou started, having expected her to resume her efforts to fall asleep. He had detected the slight falter in her step, and was absurdly relieved when she hadn’t mentioned his reaction to her "shirt." Either she hadn’t figured out what the change in his scent meant, or she…didn’t mind? At this point, he wasn’t quite sure which thought appealed to him more.

"Yeah?"

"What do you do at night, when you can’t fall asleep?"

He shrugged. "Sometimes I think about things, but most of the time I just doze off. I’m not awake, but I’m not asleep either. The time passes quickly, and I can keep my ears open for danger. Feh! I already told ya, you don’t need to slee—"

"Yes, I do!" Inuyasha just gaped at her incredulously. I’ve been a hanyou my whole life, and now *she’s* trying to tell *me* she knows more about being a hanyou than I do?!

"Look, Inuyasha," Kagome continued before he could retort. "I’m really tired. I feel tired. Heck, I just spent five hours studying, and my brain is fried! It’s just that every time I’m almost asleep, I hear a new sound, or catch a new scent, and then I’m wide awake again. If I don’t get some rest, I’m gonna fail my test tomorrow for sure!"

Inuyasha’s eyes softened in sympathy. Kagome looked positively miserable, the prospect of failing her test weighing heavily on her. Trying to think of a way to help her, his mind supplied an answer, a long-forgotten memory. Ages ago, in the happy days of his youth, days which had only been happy because she was there, he never went a night without sleep. When the echoes of the night were too foreboding, when the taunts and insults of the villagers were too fresh in his mind, she had always been there for him. He would slink into her chamber in the dead of night, and was always welcomed with open arms. She would hold him, tell him he was cherished, that she loved him, and touch him in a manner that compelled him to believe every word. She had been his entire world, and when she passed… He shuddered, burying thoughts of his mother’s death within the depths of his memories. He had long ago given up grieving, but he would never, ever forget the sound of her voice, the way her eyes shined so brightly whenever he smiled, and the way her love made the cruelties of the world bearable. Most of all, he would always cherish her unquestioned acceptance, her total devotion, and the love he held in his own heart in return.

"Inuyasha?" He jumped at the sound of Kagome’s voice, drawing him back to the present. She wore a worried expression, obviously wondering where he had been just now. Automatically, his mouth opened to deliver his normal dismissive remark, but he stopped himself. Tonight, alone with Kagome, revealing some of his past, something he’d never been fond of doing, just seemed…right.

"My Okaa-san," he said, a small, sincere smile forming on his lips. Kagome was stunned speechless, not quite knowing what to make of Inuyasha’s odd behavior. It was even stranger that he was referring to his mother as "Okaa-san," when in the past he used the slang term "Ofukuro." She waited patiently, hoping he wouldn’t lose his nerve and slam the gate on his past once again.

"Whenever I couldn’t sleep, she always knew how to comfort me…"

"You loved her, didn’t you?" Kagome asked into the ensuing silence. Inuyasha studied the rug for a moment before answering.

"Feh. ‘Course I did," he replied, his gruff voice at odds with the peace reflected in his features. At that moment, the hanyou and the miko locked eyes, and they both saw complete understanding reflected in the other’s gaze. The two souls, hopelessly mismatched yet so perfectly aligned, shared something in that moment that nearly brought tears to Inuyasha’s eyes. She knew. Kagome understood what it was like to lose a parent, the loss, the guilt, the overpowering emptiness. But she’d always had her mother, her brother, her grandfather. She had never known the hell he’d gone through after his mother’s death, and as long as he could find a way to reverse her transformation, she never would. Having had enough of conversation, Inuyasha rose to his feet.

"Lay back down, wench." Confused, Kagome just quirked her head at him, a movement Inuyasha couldn’t help but find adorable. She looks like a curious cat… Folding his arms across his chest, he said, "What now? Do you wanna go to sleep or not?"

Kagome didn’t have to think about his question twice, and she quickly lied down on her side facing him. Still, as Inuyasha stalked forward, and plopped himself down on the bed next to her, she couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. Now, it was the good kind of nervousness, but still…

Sensing her discomfort, Inuyasha smirked, revealing a pearly white fang. "Relax, wench. I ain’t gonna bite." Kagome frowned. Sometimes I’m not so sure… Nevertheless, she did unclench her tense muscles, easing her body into the mattress and closing her eyes. She trusted him completely, though there wasn’t much he could do at this point that she would seriously object to. She loved him, after all.

The feel of his fingers gently rubbing her ear sent a jolt of adrenaline running through her, but it didn’t last long. Soon she was purring, and this time she couldn’t bring herself to care. His tender ministrations sapped all the energy from her body, as she felt all her worries desert her. How could something so innocent feel so good? Well, now I know why he doesn’t let anyone rub his ears…

In minutes she was sound asleep, her purrs replaced by gentle breathing. And Inuyasha was truly glad, happy that he had been able to help her. He would do anything for her; holding her in his arms as she slipped away had reminded him just how badly he needed her. He stroked her hair gently, and Kagome snuggled further into her pillow, mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like his name. Face flushing, Inuyasha rose to his feet and dragged the sheets up to cover her. Then he returned to his post under the window, feeling more content than he had in a long time.

*Beep! Beep! Beep!*

Kagome smacked the button on her alarm clock with practiced ease, stopping the incessant beeping. Memories of the previous night came back to her, and she flashed a brilliant smile as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Thanks to Inuyasha, she had slept through the night, and was feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day. Now if she could just get her ears to stop ringing…

Kagome flung back the covers and sat up, only to bring her hands to her mouth in a futile attempt to stifle a giggle. There stood Inuyasha, in the center of her bedroom, the transformed Tetsusaiga held in front of him. His ears were swiveling left and right, scanning his surroundings, at least until her amusement made itself known. At that point, Inuyasha focused his attention on her, and understanding dawned in his eyes as he blushed furiously. He glared murderously down at her alarm clock as he resheathed Tetsusaiga, mumbling curses under his breath. Laughing even harder, Kagome pushed him out the door before he could take out his frustration on her hapless alarm clock.

Inuyasha was still pouting when she came downstairs after getting ready, but a quick breakfast of bacon and eggs cured that. Watching him wolf down the succulent strips, Kagome was reminded of a very old commercial she had seen once… (1) He devoured almost the whole package, and Kagome was suddenly glad they didn’t have refrigerators in the Feudal era. Otherwise, she’d be lugging back additional pounds of processed meat in her already overstuffed yellow bag. Surprisingly, however, the thought of ingesting all that grease didn’t make her sick. Instead, she found the bacon even more appealing than ever before, but managed to hold herself to two pieces. She chalked it up to the carnivorous nature of their demon halves. After finishing her breakfast, Kagome stood and turned to address her satiated friend.

"Inuyasha, I’m leaving. Stay here and be goo—"

"Feh! Fuck that! I’m going with you."

"Wha…No way! You’re staying here!" Kagome yelled, her anger rising.

"I said I’m going, wench! You think I’m gonna let you pass out in the street? You’ll get trampled by one of those aw-toe-mo-beel things!" Kagome’s irritation withered as quickly as it had grown. He’s worried… Grinning now, she watched as he crossed his arms over his chest, glaring as if he was daring her to point that out. She knew better.

"Ok, you can come. But you have to promise to stay outside the school, and I don’t mean right outside, either. Don’t let me catch you peaking in through the window again. You got me in trouble that time!"

"Keh!" he replied, but Kagome knew grudging agreement when she heard it. So, after grabbing her backpack, she linked arms with the now flushing hanyou and escorted him toward the door.

"Uh, Kagome…" her mother called from behind her.

"Yes, Okaa-san?" Instead of replying, Mrs. Higurashi just smirked, pointing delicately to the top of Kagome’s head. It took the miko a second to catch on.

"Ah! My ears! How could I have forgotten? How am I gonna hide them…" Kagome’s voice faded as she bolted up the stairs to her room, leaving Inuyasha and Mrs. Higurashi to chuckle in amusement. The hanyou’s mirth didn’t last long, however, as he soon found himself wearing the dreaded hat with orders not to remove it under any circumstances. He did a bit of grumbling about that.

One level up, Kagome was frantically fussing with her hair, trying to find a bearable way to hide her ears. She quickly discovered bobby pins just wouldn’t cut it (Ouch!). Her teachers would make her remove a hat, and if she wore a bandana the same way Inuyasha wore them, she would just look goofy. The real problem wasn’t hiding the ears, it was concealing the bare patches of skin that resided where her ears should have been. I can hear it now… What happened to my ears? Uh…I had earlobe cancer and they had to be amputated. Why aren’t there any scars? Um…

Finally, she settled on wearing a wide black headband, which pushed down on her ears, but didn’t bring her to the point of tears like the bobby pins had. Additionally, since her normal hair style would reveal her lack of human ears, she used the headband to position a couple forelocks to drape over the front of her shoulders. That did the trick, and it didn’t look half bad either! In fact, her hair style now resembled Inuyasha’s to some degree, which definitely wasn’t something to complain about. She had always loved his hair. Unfortunately, the alterations had taken time she didn’t have.

"Oh, no! I’m gonna be late!" she lamented as she vaulted down the stairs. She had taken two hurried steps out the door when she found herself lifted and placed against a strong back. "Inuyasha! What are you doing?!"

"What does it look like, wench?! You definitely won’t be able to handle running through that smelly city in your condition." With that, Inuyasha took to the air, leaping from building to building toward the familiar white structure in the distance. Kagome held on for the ride, loving every moment of it, especially since the foul odors of the city streets were many stories down. They arrived just as the final bell sounded, and Kagome sprinted toward the doors, yelling parting words as she went.

"Thank you! Now stay outside and be a good puppy!" Inuyasha growled at that remark, but the wench was already gone. Feh! She’s gonna get it later for that one. Treating me like a dog… While plotting his revenge, Inuyasha leapt to the nearest roof and moved to the one that was adjacent to the room he knew to be her classroom. She had told him not to let her catch him peaking through the window. So, she wouldn’t, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t keep an eye on her. He still wasn’t convinced her going to school was a good idea, but Kagome was as stubborn as she was beautiful. He nearly tripped over his own feet at that thought, and was glad there was no one around to see him blush. When he reached his post, Kagome was indeed sitting in the room, her attention on the uppity prick at the front of the room. Hmmm, I wonder…if I strangled that guy, would Kagome have to go to school anymore? He snorted. Probably. Would it be worth the thousand "Osuwari’s?" Probably not. Not that he had any intention of letting the stupid rosary interfere with his job of protecting Kagome. She looked fine now, but if he thought she was in the slightest trouble, he’d bust through that flimsy glass and grab her before she could even think about "Osurari-ing" him.

Kagome remained blissfully unaware of Inuyasha’s presence on the rooftop, though she checked periodically. Her friends barely had a chance to greet her before the teacher strolled in, and for that Kagome was grateful. It gave her a chance to adjust to the new smells and sounds of the school before being interrogated. The whole place reeked of…rampant hormones, for lack of a better term. By lunchtime, by matching scents with eye direction, Kagome acquired a fairly good idea who everyone liked, didn’t like, thought was cute, etc. To her surprise, she caught several boys eyeing her as their scents spiked in appreciation. A couple even bordered on full-blown lust, the definition "helpfully" supplied by her demon side. She made a mental note to avoid those boys, not that she had ever flirted with anyone, though a certain hanyou would have you think differently. He thinks I flirt with Koga? He has no idea how some girls flirt in this era…

Still, despite the continuing and acute sense of discomfort that came with her enhanced senses, the whole experience had an inflating influence on her ego. She walked with just a little extra wiggle in her hips toward the stairwell, intent on sharing her lunch with Inuyasha as a reward for carrying her and behaving himself so far. At least, she assumed he had been behaving himself. Unfortunately, the dreaded call of her name assailed her ears before she got there. Turning, she groaned inwardly. There was Hojo, followed closely by Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi. So much for a nice, peaceful afternoon meal…

"Hello, Hojo. What’s up?" she asked, plastering on a fake smile.

"Not much, Higurashi. How are you?"

"I’m fine," she replied while discreetly sniffing in Hojo’s direction. With as many times as he’d asked her out, she expected him to smell like those boys from her class. But Hojo didn’t really smell like much of anything. He clearly found her attractive, but the corresponding scent was very faint. Mostly, he smelled of happiness and contentment. Talk about boring…

"Really? What about your—"

"Nope. I’m fine!" Kagome interrupted, not wanting to hear what insane illness her grandfather had concocted for her this time.

"Well, if you’re feeling better, would you like to go to a movie on Saturday?" Kagome had to struggle to hold back her grimace. She really should have expected this, right? And yet, here she was, stuttering as she tried to come up with a halfway decent excuse, other than "I’m going to be 500 years in the past on Saturday." Fortunately, it turned out the effort was unnecessary.

"Oh, Kagome," Eri spoke up for the first time, "don’t you have to go to Osaka for some medical tests this weekend?" Kagome was stunned speechless for a moment, but quickly recovered.

"Uh, yeah! Sorry, Hojo, but I’m not going to be around this weekend."

"Oh. Ok, maybe next time!" Hojo said, only slightly less cheerily, as he departed. And the best part is, Kagome thought, *I* didn’t lie to him. Turning to meet the three grinning faces of her friends, Kagome found herself stuttering once again.

"I…you…we…"

"Come on, Kagome!" Yuka chided playfully, "we’re not gonna set you up with Hojo when you’re clearly more interested in that Inuyasha guy." Beaming now, Kagome embraced her friends in a warm hug.

"I love you guys!" she exclaimed, to which the girls giggled.

"Speaking of Inuyasha," Ayumi chimed in, "it’s been two months since we last saw him. Is he around?"

"Yeah, when can we see him again?"

"We’ve gotta make sure he’s treating you right, Kagome!" The miko laughed merrily at their antics.

"Don’t worry, guys. Inuyasha treats me just fine, trust me. Although…"

"What?!" all three girls demanded, suddenly concerned. Kagome waved her hands to placate them.

"No, no, no, nothing like that. It’s just that I think he’s planning to meet me here after my makeup test. So if you guys want to see him, I guess you can wait…" The three girls looked at each other, nodding in determination.

"We’ll stay, Kagome. Girls always need their friends to help keep their boyfriends in line." Kagome blushed as the three sirens dragged her off to eat lunch, but she didn’t bother to tell them that Inuyasha wasn’t her boyfriend. They spent so much time together that they might as well be. Though perhaps that was just wishful thinking on her part. Scratch that; she knew it was wishful thinking…

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Inuyasha was bored. Very bored. After the school had largely emptied, he had decided to go wait by the entrance to Kagome’s classroom. He had a rough idea of where it would be, and his nose would guide him the rest of the way. He almost left that cursed hat up on the rooftop, having removed it once he arrived. "Don’t take it off under any circumstances," my ass! Now he found there wasn’t much else to do but sit. He couldn’t even watch Kagome from his spot outside the door, but her scent told him she was concentrating pretty hard on something. That older guy was in there with her, too. Inuyasha growled low. As much as he hated leaving Kagome alone with any guy, this one didn’t seem to mean any harm. Good thing for him…

"Oh, Kami, look at his hair! I want to touch it!"

"It has to be dyed, but it looks so natural!"

"I wonder if only the hair on his head is white?" Inuyasha nearly choked at that comment, as the gaggle of girls down the hall began giggling hysterically. Damn humans! They have no idea I can hear everything they’re saying! He was quite certain his ears were burning under the hat, his teeth grinding together in an effort to reign in his desire to go ballistic. Those stupid girls kept saying how exotic he looked, among other things. Inuyasha smirked. Oh, if only they knew how exotic I really am. Without this stupid hat, I’d have them running for their lives with one growl. And yet, he couldn’t do that. One reason was obvious; Kagome would blow a stack. The second reason took him by surprise, but there was no denying it. He…liked it. He liked having people talk about him without using any number of the less-than-flattering adjectives he’d been hearing since his youth. He liked having strange girls call him "cute" or "hot"—whatever the hell that meant—even though they thought he was human. It was refreshing to say the least. Of course, if any of them came up to him, he would promptly tell them all to go to hell.

Fortunately, it was only a few minutes longer before the group of girls dispersed and wandered away, apparently deciding that the white-haired, barefoot boy dressed in ancient clothing and a baseball cap was a little too exotic for their tastes. That suited Inuyasha just fine too. But with the hallway now deserted, boredom again reared its ugly head, and Inuyasha sat there tapping his fingers for a few minutes before heaving a cavernous yawn. Drawing the brim of the hat down over his eyes, he dozed off, keeping his senses alert.

"Hey, Inuyasha!" The somehow familiar voice had him shooting to his feet, spinning around to see three more girls skipping down the hallway toward him. Great… But then he recognized them, and relaxed slightly.

"Hey," he replied, folding his arms in his sleeves. "You’re Kagome’s friends, right?"

"Yeah, do you remember us?" asked the one with the yellow thing in her hair.

"Uh, yeah. From that one time at the shrine." Deciding to be friendly, not wanting to alienate Kagome’s friends, Inuyasha scrambled to try to remember their names. "Um, Emi?"

"Eri." Close enough. Turning to the one with short hair, he thought for a moment, then said, "Yuki?"

"Yuka." Also close enough. Finally, the one with the long, wavy hair.

"Ayumi?"

"Ayu—hey! You got mine right!"

"Well, I guess one out of three isn’t too bad," Yuka stated amicably. Inuyasha could hear Kagome snickering from inside the classroom, her hanyou ears making her privy to this conversation. Feh! Get back to work, wench. I wanna get the hell outta here!

"So, Inuyasha, what are you and Kagome doing after she’s done her test?" Eri asked. The hanyou shrugged.

"Going back to the shrine, I guess."

"Wanna come to WacDonald’s with us?" Now, Inuyasha had no idea what this "WacDonald’s" was, but he knew the safest answer to a question like that.

"If Kagome wants to." They chatted pleasantly for a few more minutes, just passing the time, until a silent signal seemed to pass between the three girls. All conversation stopped, and Inuyasha felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Oh, they hid it well, but these three chicks were definitely up to something.

"So…" Yuka drawled, "how long have you known Kagome?"

"Uh, about a year and a half. Why?"

"How long have you two been going out?" she continued, completely ignoring his question. What kind of stupid…Wait! Isn’t there some modern meaning to the phrase "going out?" Did Souta tell me about that? But his memory wasn’t cooperating, so Inuyasha just went with the literal meaning of the words.

"The whole time, I guess." Three sets of eyebrows raised at that, and Kagome choked slightly in the background. Why do I get the feeling that I just fucked up big time?

"Reeeeally?" Eri interjected, an evil twinkle in her eye. "Have you kissed her yet?" Inuyasha’s eyes widened as he gasped, and Kagome launched into a full-blown coughing fit, prompting her teacher to ask if she needed to get a drink. To Inuyasha’s dismay, Kagome declined, saying she was fine. If she had come outside, her friends would have realized that their little private interrogation wasn’t so private. And it would have stopped! But as it was, Kagome had abandoned him to face her three harpy friends on his own.

"I knew it!" Ayumi chirped happily, folding her hands in front of her chest and staring wistfully off into space. "Your face says it all. I bet it was in the middle of a beautiful field, with sakura blossoms floating all around you." She signed melodramatically as the other two girls shook their heads.

"Well," Yuka asked, smirking, "was it like our hyper-romantic friend here says it was?" Feh! Not exactly… Both times we’ve kissed, one of us did it to keep the other from losing their mind. Inuyasha wisely kept these thoughts to himself.

"Have you guys done anything else?" Eri posed suggestively, causing a furious blush to erupt on Inuyasha’s face and yet more coughing inside the classroom. Despite the acute embarrassment, Inuyasha felt his irritation rising rapidly. He had tried to be civil to Kagome’s friends, but if they were going to keep asking these invasive questions…

"That’s none of your damn business," he replied gruffly. The three seemed slightly taken aback at his sudden mood swing, but otherwise remained unperturbed.

"It is," Yuka growled out, softly but firmly, still apparently believing that Kagome couldn’t hear everything they were saying. These deaf humans probably can’t even hear her choking in there. "We don’t want Kagome to get hurt. And speaking of that, what about that other girl you’ve been two-timing her with?" This time, no coughing sounds reached Inuyasha’s ears. In fact, it seemed as if the entire world had gone deathly silent, anxiously awaiting his response. Never had he wanted to crawl into a hole so badly. But this time, he knew a dismissive comment wasn’t going to cut it, especially with Kagome eavesdropping. So, with no better option, he spoke from the heart, laid the truth on the line.

"Look. Things are…complicated, between me and Kikyou. But I’m with Kagome now, and I don’t regret it. So get off my fuckin’ back already!" (1) The three girls studied him seriously for several moments, before coming to the same conclusion.

"Good," Yuka replied, as the three of them broke into smiles and resumed their carefree bantering as if the last five minutes had never happened. How do they do that? Bitches…I’ll never understand ‘em… (2)

When Kagome emerged from the classroom about twenty minutes later, her excitement spared them what Inuyasha was sure was going to be quite an awkward moment.

"Eighty-six!!" she yelled, raising her arms above her head in triumph as her friends cheered. Well, I guess that means she passed her test.

"Alright! This calls for a celebration! Come on, Kagome, we’re going to WacDonald’s. Our treat!" Her three friends were dragging her toward the exit, but Kagome broke away just long enough to grab Inuyasha’s hand and pull him along as well.

The walk to the restaurant was mercifully short, and Kagome stuck close to Inuyasha. Whenever the scents and sounds of the city became too much, she would close her eyes and press her nose into his haori, trusting him not to let her walk into a streetlight or a fire hydrant. Inuyasha put his arm around her shoulder, his face nearly matching the color of his haori, especially with Kagome’s three friends continually glancing back at them and shooting conspiratorial winks his way. But truthfully, he didn’t mind the closeness or the attention, as he took the chance to relish in Kagome’s scent as well. She did smell much better than anything else in the area. Anything else, period.

And then there was WacDonald’s. The twin odors of processed meat and grease assailed his senses, and Kagome had to turn her head away as he led her to the booth.

"Kagome, are you ok? You don’t look so good," Ayumi said, her voice full of concern. Kagome nodded, flashing a reassuring smile.

"You’re sure?"

"Positive. I’m just a little dizzy. Nothing a cheeseburger wouldn’t fix." Satisfied, the three girls went up to order their food, leaving Inuyasha and Kagome alone in the booth.

"Ugh! How do you stand it, Inuyasha! This city smells like so many things!" Inuyasha just chuckled at her complaints, earning a heated glare.

"Deal with it, wench. It’ll get better as you get used to your senses, but you’ll always hate it."

"Hmmph," she grouched, folding her arms and turning away. Inuyasha just smirked. Apparently that wasn’t what she wanted to hear…too fuckin’ bad! Kagome’s sour mood vanished as soon as the girls returned with burgers, fries, and sodas. Inuyasha marveled at the thing they called a "Big Wac." It didn’t look good, it didn’t smell good, but man, did it taste amazing! One bite and he was hooked. He added the "Big Wac" to his short list of benefits of allowing Kagome to go home. Now, he just had convince her to get him one every day on her way home from school…

Ideas that would get him "Osuwari’d!" aside, Inuyasha found himself mildly enjoying his time in the restaurant, even after he had devoured his Big Wac. Kagome’s friends were gossiping about stuff he didn’t understand, so he placed a hand over his sated stomach and let his gaze wander. There were a few parents with small children in the place, and several larger groups of young people like his. What really intrigued him was how openly the young men and women showed affection. He blanched at the things some of them were doing—in public no less!—but other guys were just sitting with their arms around their girls. That he could do without suffering death by mortification, and he found himself wondering what it would be like. He had never dared touch Kikyou in such a manner. Their moments of physical affection had been few and far between, to say the least. But he put his arms around Kagome all the time when he carried her, and she didn’t seem to mind. And if she loved him like she said she did, wouldn’t it be ok? That, however, wasn’t the reason he was hesitating. He wasn’t stupid, and he knew putting his arm around Kagome in this situation would send a message to her and everyone who saw them. People only did that when they were together, after all.

But the more he thought about it, the more Inuyasha realized that they already were together, in a sense. They spent more time with each other than any other person, and he chased away any other males that came sniffing around her. They were both attracted to each other, and after more than a year in her presence he had finally grown up enough to admit that something romantic could develop between them. At the very least, she was his best friend, and he cared about her above all others. And Kikyou…he still loved her, but he no longer hoped for a future with her. The only future he could have with Kikyou involved joining her in hell, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to do that anymore, either.

So, before he could change his mind, Inuyasha raised his arm and wrapped it gently but firmly around Kagome’s shoulders. The sudden contact startled Kagome, who glanced up in time to see Inuyasha look away, red staining his cheeks. She couldn’t help but blush as well, even as a brilliant smile blossomed on her face. She leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder, listening as his frantic heartbeat slowed and his tense muscles relaxed.

*FLASH* Click.

Startled by the sudden light, two sets of hanyou eyes turned toward the source, only to find all three of Kagome’s friends grinning at them. Ayumi was in hopeless romantic heaven, Eri was simply smirking, and Yuka…well, she was holding a camera. Flushing so her face nearly vanished into Inuyasha’s haori, Kagome held out her hand, her eyes promising pain if the camera was not immediately placed into it. Unfortunately, Yuka had seen those eyes before, and knew Kagome was all bark and no bite.

"No way, Kagome!" she exclaimed, putting the cursed piece of electronics back in her bag. "You two looked so cute! I just had to get a picture." Shoulders slumping in defeat, Kagome leaned forward and rested her forehead on the table. Inuyasha just sat there looking confused. Somehow, he knew better than to ask Kagome what a camera was in front of her friends. The group dispersed shortly after that, and the two hanyous began making their way back to the shrine. There was a couple walking in front of them, and Inuyasha couldn’t help but notice the way the guy’s hand was placed down at the girl’s waist. And since Kagome was already nestled against him, still struggling with the odors of the city…

The miko stiffened at the contact, and Inuyasha started to remove his hand, but Kagome reached around herself to stop him. Smiling shyly up at him, she replaced his hand on her lower back. And for the umpteenth time that day, both of them blushed hotly. But they found the situation anything but awkward; it was far too comfortable for that.

"Oh, look! What a cute couple. They even have matching hair styles! Hey! Can we get matching hair styles, too?"

"Sure, if you wanna cut your hair short like mine."

"Awww, you’re no fun."

Well, if they didn’t think their faces could get any redder, that passing couple had done it. And for the umpteenth time that day, Inuyasha wished these, stupid, dumb, loud humans would realize he, and Kagome, could hear everything they were saying. For Kagome, in addition to stirring up the butterflies in her stomach, the conversation reminded her of another conversation she had inadvertently overheard today.

"Hey, Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?"

"Why…um, why did you tell my friends we were going out?" If Kagome was looking at Inuyasha, instead of staring at the sidewalk, she would have seen a flicker of understanding, a forgotten recollection flash across his visage.

"Nosy bitches… Feh! You spend most of your time with me, so…we’re going out." He said it as if it was the simplest thing in the world. And to him, it probably was. Calm down, Kagome, he can’t possibly understand what that means in this time. He doesn’t like you that way! Still, as much as she tried to convince herself of this, Kagome couldn’t help the hope that welled up inside her. With the way he had put his arm around her, she could pretend, just for today, that he really was her boyfriend.

Kagome wasn’t the only one who became lost in thought. Inuyasha had, in fact, remembered exactly what Souta told him about "going out" the instant Kagome popped her question. How guys and girls "went out" if they liked each other, and how they would spend time together to see if they were "right" for one another, and whether a long-term relationship could develop between them. And yet, even after recalling all of that, he still told Kagome they were going out. Am I insane?! It finally happened, didn’t it? I got hit on the head one too many times, and my brains turned to shit! His reasoning at the time had been simple: wasn’t that what he was doing with Kagome already? Plus, Souta told him most people went out with one person at a time, and neither of them were "going out" with anybody else. He griped when Koga cam sniffing around, but Kagome had never shown any real interest in the wolf. And she definitely wasn’t "seeing someone" from her time; no sensible guy would let his girl vanish into thin air for weeks at a time without an explanation. Ultimately, the deciding factor had been his sense of smell. It was subtle, but each of them had left their scent on the other through months of close proximity and physical contact. He had marked her, and she had marked him, and in this one, small way they belonged to each other.

So, without giving himself time to consider Kagome’s reaction, he told her they were going out. He regretted it at first, but then she seemed happy, and he knew he wouldn’t take it back if he had the chance.

"Kagome!" Both hanyous looked up to see Kagome’s grandfather hobbling toward them. Looking around, they were shocked to find themselves on the shrine grounds, having been spacing out too much to realize where they were. The old man stopped in front of Kagome, staring at her with an unreadable expression, before reaching up and removing her headband. He gasped as her ears sprang into view.

"So it is true…" he said quietly, before his eyes hardened in determination. "Demon be gone!" he yelled while flinging a whole pile of sutras upon his hapless granddaughter. As usual, the things had no effect, but they stuck to her clothes, her hair, and her face. Inuyasha took a step back, not wanting to get scorched by the flames that were sure to come spouting from Kagome’s ears. So he was astonished when instead she merely turned and walked into the house. But he didn’t miss the way her head lowered, or the scent of her tears.

"Kagome! Wait! I have more ofud—"

"Let her go, jijii. You’ve done enough already."

"What are you talking about? We must ch—"

"We’re gonna change her back! In the meantime, try not to make her feel like shit!"

"What?! Kagome’s mother said you and I have the same goal, so how—"

"Yeah, except I didn’t try to purify her as soon as I found out! I didn’t reject her. Stupid old codger," he muttered under his breath, though he was quite sure the jijii heard him. And apparently his words sunk in, because suddenly the old man looked crestfallen. Silently, he turned and followed his granddaughter into the house. Inuyasha was content to let him go, and leapt into Goshinboku to give them some privacy. I’m giving you one chance to not fuck this up, jijii. If you make her cry again, I’m tossing her over my shoulder and taking her through the well, and I guarantee you won’t see her again for a long while.

Later, figuring he’d given the old man enough time, Inuyasha vaulted down from his perch and jumped up to Kagome’s window. He found her lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She wasn’t crying anymore, but the scent of her tears still permeated the room.

"You alright, wench?" he asked gently, though he still managed to startle her. Sitting up, she nodded, even managing a small smile which he saw right through. Her grandfather had come up and apologized, told her she would always be his granddaughter, no matter how much demon blood she had in her. But the truth was his actions had shaken her, and she didn’t object when Inuyasha told her they were going back to the Feudal Era. In the past, she knew her friends accepted her unconditionally. She didn’t have to hide what she was from them; they judged a person by how much good was in their heart, not how much demon blood flowed through their veins. That wasn’t exactly being fair to her modern friends and family, since none of them had ever met a modern demon before, but she couldn’t help how she felt. And right now, she just wanted to return to the past for a while.

After packing and saying goodbye to her family, the demonic pair leapt into the well together, Inuyasha holding Kagome in one arm out of habit. He was about to spring them out of the well on the other side, but she stopped him. Handing him her overstuffed backpack, which he shouldered, she crouched down, then leapt with all her might. Part of her expected to only go up a few feet, but her momentum carried her sky-high, a good twenty feet above the grassy ground. She squinted her eyes shut, knowing the landing was going to hurt, but when her feet hit the ground, her knees bent and she hardly felt anything.

"Woooowwwww!!! Did you see that?! That was amazing!" Flush with adrenaline, she continued to test her new hanyou strength, jumping around the clearing like a hyperactive kangaroo. Eventually, she realized Inuyasha had yet to emerge from the well.

"Hey, Inuyasha! Are you coming out or what?!"

"In a minute, wench!" she heard him respond. Shrugging, she skipped off toward the village without waiting, too exhilarated to care why he was suddenly so grumpy. When Inuyasha finally did climb out, his face was still slightly pinked. Kagome had unwittingly given him quite a show when she exited the well. That damn skirt is going to be the death of me…and of anyone else who looks under it!

A short while later, the intrepid group of travelers was on the road again, heading for Totosai’s. The humans, and one former human, had wanted to stay in the village for the night, and had only assented to leave when Inuyasha agreed to find them a hot spring when they made camp. Miroku said he wanted a nice, relaxing soak as well, but Inuyasha knew he just wanted to spy on the girls. And the girls knew it too, which is why the hanyou found himself on babysitting duty while they were bathing. Look at him, sitting there looking all innocent. Feh! If I take my eyes off him for one second, he’ll be gone!

"Kagome-chan, what are you doing?" Sango asked, genuinely confused. Kagome was just standing there at the edge of the spring, buck naked except for a towel she clutched to her front for modesty’s sake. And she looked absolutely petrified. The instant her toe had touched the water, she had sprung back involuntarily, as if the hot liquid burned.

"Oh, come on Kagome-chan! It’s not that hot." To Sango’s continued surprise, the miko just shook her head, her ears moving wildly back and forth as if twitching in fear. Her ears…cat ears… And as understanding dawned, Sango couldn’t hold back the giggle which quickly escalated to full-on guffaws. The idea that Kagome, who enjoyed baths more than anyone else she knew, was now afraid of water…well, it was just too much for the poor taijiya. Kagome, on the other hand, was not amused one bit, as Sango realized when she finally calmed down enough to reopen her eyes. By then, Kagome had wrapped the towel around herself, and was leaning sulkily on one leg with her arms crossed over her chest. Her fierce pout almost made Sango burst into laughter again, but her sympathy allowed her to restrain herself.

"Oh, I’m sorry, Kagome-chan," she said, hiding her smirk behind her hand.

"It’s not FAIR, Sango-chan! Why couldn’t I have been a tiger hanyou? They love the water! Now I’ve got these stupid demon instincts that won’t let me do one of my favorite things!" She looked longingly at the shimmering waters of the hot spring, and stuck her toe out once more.

"Dammit!" she cried as she pulled the appendage back. Now Sango felt really bad for laughing. If Kagome’s swearing, this is starting to get serious! That didn’t stop a deliciously evil plan from forming in her mind, one that would help Kagome, of course.

"Kagome-chan, just close your eyes, take a deep breath, and take your time getting in." The miko’s glare told Sango exactly what she though of her idea, but she complied nonetheless. The deep breath actually did much to calm her frayed nerves. And closing her eyes meant that she couldn’t see the water; she could only smell it. Slowly, Kagome relaxed, and began to think that she might actually get a bath after all. Then all hell broke loose.

Just as Kagome was getting ready to try to put her foot in again, she felt strong arms wrap around her knees and pull her forward. She toppled off balance, and her scream was literally drowned out by the warm waters of the hot spring she suddenly found herself immersed in. Her demon half took control at that point, as she let out a positively feline screech and launched herself straight up a good fifteen feet out of the spring. An overhanging branch passed in front of her nose, and she grabbed it with both hands, hanging on for dear life.

This was the scene that greeted Sango when she came to the surface. Kagome hanging from a tree, her eyes shining with a disturbing blend of fear and malice. If looks could kill… Sango tried not to give in to the urge to chuckle, she really did. But when the soaked towel, which had somehow stayed wrapped around Kagome’s body during her acrobatics, slipped open and fell into the spring, she lost that battle.

"Come on, Kagome-chan, let go!" she said between ragged breaths. Kagome shook her head vigorously, and Sango opened her mouth to ask something like "what if Inuyasha sees," when lo and behold…

The sound of something crashing through the underbrush had Sango swiveling her head around, only to see Inuyasha emerge from the foliage, ready and looking for a fight. That is, until he spied Kagome hanging from the tree. His jaw dropped so low it must have come unhinged, and his eyes widened impossibly, as if he had permanently lost his ability to blink. He had at least temporarily lost his ability to think; all he could do at the moment was stare. At her eyes, glimmering with shock, her cheeks, colored with embarrassment. Down past her shoulders, to pert breasts, nipples fully erect due to the effects of cool air on wet skin. His gaze followed the droplets moving down her body, to her thin waist and over wide, elegant hips to the nest of curls that hid her most secret spot. And further still, down long, succulent legs and finally, back up again. Oh, yes, he could see everything. And apparently Kagome realized this as well, because she "eeped!" and released her grip on the branch, dropping back into the spring with a small splash. Ultimately it was the monk who broke Inuyasha out of his daze, as he came crashing into the hanyou’s back, nearly knocking them both into the water. He didn’t even get a chance to look at the lovely ladies before a clawed hand began dragging him back to camp by the collar of his robes.

Silence descended on the hot spring once more, broken only by the grinding of teeth. Turning nervous eyes back to her friend, Sango saw Kagome, standing in the waist-deep water, stalking her way. Her eyes carried murderous intent, and her whole body was flushed beat red. Usually not one to back down, Sango retreated anyway, holding her hands up in an effort to mollify her irate companion.

"K-Kagome-chan, wait! I, uh…it worked didn’t it? I got you in the water!" Kagome was not impressed.

"Sango-CHAAAAAAN!!!!!!"

"Inuyasha…" Miroku sighed, prying uselessly against the hanyou’s iron grip. "Why must you spoil my fun? You got to look, did you not?"

"I didn’t see nothin’!!!" Startled, the monk took his first good look at the flustered, flushing hanyou.

"Ahhh, I see…you saw Kagome naked, didn’t you?" Inuyasha faltered in his step, just enough to let Miroku know he’d hit the nail on the head. Yeah, he saw Kagome naked. He bolted out of camp as soon as he heard her scream, thinking there was danger. She had screamed, after all, and now the girls were screaming and splashing around again, but there was no way he was going back there. Because there hadn’t been any danger; Kagome was just…hanging there. Completely nude. Shame washed over him. He had been so entranced by her beauty, he hadn’t even thought to look away. Ugh…she’s gonna "Osuwari!" me straight to hell when she gets back to camp. Miroku frowned, noticing his companion’s sudden change in demeanor.

"Relax, Inuyasha. I’m sure Kagome doesn’t mind as much as you seem to think she does."

"I already told you! There’s nothing to mind, because I didn’t see anything!"

"Really? Your attitude suggests otherwise. Tell me, did you like what you saw? What does Kagome look like covered in only beads of water, glistening on her smooth skin…"

"Bouzu…" Inuyasha growled menacingly, raising a clenched fist while simultaneously trying to tamp down on the delightful images the monk’s words were conjuring up.

"Why, Inuyasha! I don’t think I’ve ever seen your face match the color of your robes before."

Grrrrrrrrrrrr. "Bouzu! When I’m through with you, your whole body is gonna match the color of your robes!!" And so the chase began, culminating in a single, anticlimactic punch to the head. That was all the punishment Inuyasha dished out, claiming that if he hurt the bouzu any more he would be no good in a fight. Of course, he knew the real reason he went so easy on the lecher. Dammit! I’m going soft…it’s all Kagome’s fault! So peace settled on the two men, kitsune child, and fire cat who sat by the small campfire, as they waited for the female members of their company to return. But with as insane as the day had been so far, Inuyasha should have known the peace wouldn’t last. He shot to his feet the instant the shinidamachu appeared overhead. Kikyou…what is she doing here? We just spoke a few days ago…

"Are you going to go to her?" Miroku asked, his tone suggesting he already knew the answer. Inuyasha sniffed the air, coming to a worrisome conclusion.

"There’s no need." He paused a moment, giving the monk a chance to stare at him in shock before continuing. "She’s coming here." Miroku took a moment to digest that information, wondering the same thing as Inuyasha. Why is Kikyou coming here? She couldn’t possibly know about Kagome, could she?

Kagome and Sango were still giggling when they returned to camp a minute later, but that quickly ceased as they noticed the somber atmosphere and the snake-like demons whose presence explained everything. And Kagome knew…her day of pretending Inuyasha was her boyfriend, that he was interested in her, that he could love her, was over, kaput, and totally finished. Old pain rose up inside her, the familiar darkness worming its way further into her heart, even as she tried to put up a brave front. But then, the sight of Inuyasha staring off into the forest nullified her best efforts in that regard. Why is he still here?! Why can’t he just leave instead of drawing this out?!

"Inuyasha," she growled, a small amount of irritation leaking into her voice. "It’s okay; don’t hold yourself back on my—our account." Inuyasha didn’t respond, the flicker of an ear giving the only indication he’d heard her at all.

"Apparently," Miroku interjected, "Kikyou is coming here." Kagome gaped at that, but her hanyou senses told her the same thing. The foul odor that could only be bones and graveyard soil, ever increasing, and the soft sounds of a body moving through the undergrowth confirmed Miroku’s suspicions. And now that she took the time to really look at them, Kagome noticed that the shinidamachu were merely circling around the campsite, instead of beckoning Inuyasha to follow them. But why? Why is Kikyou coming here? Does she know about what happened to me? Either way, Kagome realized with a grimace, this was sure to be a very unpleasant meeting.

The seconds ticked by at an agonizingly slow pace, and if felt like hours before the dead priestess finally emerged from the vegetation. She didn’t even glance at anyone else; her cold eyes instantly bored into Kagome, causing an involuntary shiver as her ears shrank back. Nevertheless, Kagome steeled her nerves and forced herself to maintain eye contact, refusing to show weakness in front of Kikyou of all people. Eventually, the dead miko broke the silence, though she did not break her gaze.

"I had to see it for myself to believe it."

"What? How did you find out about Kagome, Kikyou?" Inuyasha asked, causing his former love to finally tear her eyes from her reincarnation.

"Well, Kagome, how did I find out?" she asked, her voice full of barely disguised contempt. When it became clear that Kagome had no answer for her, she didn’t even bother to hide it anymore. "I’m not surprised an untrained miko would fail to sense it, but because we share the same soul, there is a connection between us. So I can sense when something truly horrible happens to my reincarnation." Kagome bristled at the quasi-insult, and didn’t miss how Kikyou’s words made Inuyasha’s ears lower slightly. At this point, she didn’t know which one pissed her off more.

"So, you foolish girl," Kikyou continued viciously, "tell me the story that demon spun for you to get you to let him live. Let’s see if it pulls on my heartstrings as it clearly did yours." Kagome sputtered for a moment in shock, wondering if Kikyou could read her mind through this supposed connection.

"How…?"

Kikyou scoffed. "Please. I sensed when the youkai’s spirit entered your body using the rebirth power. Normally when that happens, only one of two things can result. The demon can take over the human’s body completely and transform it to his original form, or the human can defeat the demon and drive the spirit to the netherworld. Two spirits cannot peacefully coexist in a mortal body. The only way you could have wound up as a hanyou was if you failed to send the demon’s soul to hell. And in that case, you truly are a fool."

Kagome felt her anger building, but she tried to keep her temper in check. She had never forced Inuyasha to choose between her and Kikyou, and she wasn’t about to make him pick sides in a fight if she could help it. "So, you’re going to judge me because I showed a child mercy?" she ground out, glaring daggers at the dead miko. Kikyou actually laughed at that, a disturbing sound that held no humor.

"Mercy?! Youkai are undeserving of such an emotion."

"Oi! Why I oughta—eep!" Shippo’s indignant outburst was quickly silenced by a chilling glare, one that sent him scurrying to hide behind Sango. The small interruption did nothing to break the tension between the two mikos.

"Inuyasha," Kikyou spoke angrily, "you should send this useless girl back home where she belongs. Though she was of little help to you in your quest before, she could at least sense the Shikon jewel shards. Now, she can’t even do that anymore."

"That’s not true!" Kagome yelled before Inuyasha could reply. "I can so sense the jewel shards!"

"You lie," Kikyou said dismissively. At that moment, Kagome could think of nothing she would like more than to wipe that smug, conceited look off Kikyou’s face. Shaking with fury now, she ripped the bottle of Shikon shards from around her neck.

"Don’t believe me? Here!" she yelled, tossing the bottle to Kikyou, who caught it in one hand. "I guarantee you I’ll be able to see it no matter where you put it." The other miko studied her for a moment, then turned her back on them briefly before spinning to face them once more.

"Very well," she said, holding each hand out to the side. "Which hand is it in?" Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Kagome summoned her powers. She looked at the right hand…nothing. She looked at the left hand…nothing. What the…I know I could sense it before! Pushing back her rising panic, she expanded her focus, and sensed a glimmer from somewhere farther south. Honing in on that faint signal, she found what she was looking for.

"It’s not in your hand. It’s in your robes, near your left hip." Immediately Kikyou’s hands flew downward to cover the spot as if it had been scorched. Slowly she drew the bottle from her robes, and tossed it back to Kagome.

"Lucky guess," she managed, though her voice lacked the confidence it had exuded before. For Kagome, that last, flippant remark was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Marching over to where her stuff was, she snatched her bow and notched an arrow. Taking careful aim, she let fly, putting as much spiritual energy into the projectile as she could. The arrow lit up the clearing as it flew, casting a powerful pink glow that could be seen and felt from many miles away. It penetrated the rough bark of the unlucky tree, scorching the surface before the light faded. Kagome’s smirk widened as she turned to gauge Kikyou’s reaction. The older priestess was aghast; never before had Kagome seen so much shock on her normally stoic countenance. But before she could further revel in her victory, Kikyou lashed out again in anger, the kind that arises from denial and deep confusion.

"What trick is this?! This is impossible! Youkai and miko are fundamental enemies. It is impossible for one being to contain the energies of both! (3) You should have lost your miko powers the instant your body was no longer free of youkai taint. A miko’s strength is linked to her purity, so how can y—"

"Kagome’s heart is pure. Maybe that’s enough." The substance of those words did not surprise Kagome; not two days ago her friends had determined that her pure heart was the reason she still had use of her powers. What did stun her, leaving her standing there absolutely flabbergasted, was who had uttered them. All eyes turned to Inuyasha, who was staring at an imaginary spot in the forest canopy, not looking at any of them. As the haunting glow of the shinidamachu faded, the group once again turned their focus to Kikyou, just in time to see her disappear into the foliage. She had left without a word, and for a brief moment Kagome was afraid Inuyasha would go after her. Instead, the hanyou settled down against a nearby tree, closing his eyes so the others couldn’t tell whether he was deep in thought or just dozing. Either way, it was getting late, and the various members of the Inu-gang settled down for the night.

Sleep eluded Kagome, however, and it wasn’t because the smells and sounds of the night were keeping her awake. "Kagome’s heart is pure. Maybe that’s enough." Did he really mean that? Her heart fluttered in her chest at the thought that Inuyasha had complimented her, actually defended her in front of Kikyou. Now she had to know what he really thought; she would be able to think of nothing else until she did. Climbing out of her sleeping bag slowly so as not to disturb Shippo, she crept over to where Inuyasha sat and plopped down next to him. She studied his peaceful face in silence until he cracked one eye open.

"Whaddya want, wench?" he mumbled drowsily.

"What you said before…did you really mean it?" Inuyasha met her gaze, reading the need for reassurance in those breathtaking chocolate orbs, and sighed in resignation.

"Yeah, I meant it. Hell, Kagome, you’ve got the purest heart of anybody I’ve ever met." Pausing, and having apparently just reached his quota for kind words in one day, he continued, "Now quit fishing for compliments and go to sleep!" Kagome, who was still trying to wrap her head around the first part of what he said, didn’t seem to mind his gruffness. She pulled him into a hug, then pulled away enough to plant a warm kiss on his cheek before releasing him.

"Thanks, Inuyasha," she said before rising and returning to her sleeping bag. This time, she had no trouble slipping into slumber.

Inuyasha was glad it was dark and no one was awake, because his cheeks were suddenly very red. Even so, he couldn’t help the small grin that quirked his lips. He had seen Kikyou, and Kagome wasn’t mad! In fact, she appeared to be quite the opposite of mad, if that kiss had been any indication. And she hadn’t "Osuwari’d!" him either. Heh…I’m gonna have to try this "saying the right thing" deal more often… Yes, it had been one hell of a day, one that had him feeling closer to Kagome than ever before. 

And you got to see her naked… He groaned, bashing his head against the bark to clear his mind of that image, to no avail. He wouldn’t be getting much sleep tonight…

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Inuyasha was happy to note he had been wrong in predicting a night of little sleep. The image of Kagome in the hot spring had been persistent, but eventually he pushed it away with thoughts of his favorite foods from her time—ramen, those crunchy fried potato crisps, and the Big Wac. He dozed off, only waking during the night when his ever-alert senses picked up a disturbance. He roused at dawn as he normally did, but was surprised to see Kagome stirring a few minutes later. Usually she was the last to wake, but today she sat up in her sleeping bag, moving her eyes over the humans still slumbering around the burned-out embers of the fire.

"You’re up early, wench," Inuyasha said from his perch in the tree, causing Kagome to jump. Glancing up at him, then at the position of the sun, still hidden by the trees, she shrugged.

"Yeah, but I feel well-rested. I guess you were right about me not needing as much sleep." She climbed out of the bag, careful not to disturb Shippo, and stretched languidly. It started with her hands over her head, then morphed into a full-body stretch. Her movements were completely feline, as she pushed her hands out in front of her as far as they would go, her back arching from her kneeling position. All this was accompanied by a cavernous, fang-bearing yawn. Inuyasha’s mouth was open just as wide, but he wasn’t yawning. He was gaping, unable to tear his gaze away from the vixen below him, who had no idea just how enticing she was making herself look. He found himself unconsciously shifting to get a closer look, then closer…closer… A weightless feeling enveloped him, but at the moment he lacked the mental capacity to figure out what it meant. THUD!!

Kagome jolted upright at the sudden noise, only to find Inuyasha lying face down on the ground a few feet away. And as he peeled his face from the dirt, Kagome couldn’t help her giggles, though she did try to hide them. His glare, made less intimidating by his reddened cheeks, only made her laugh all the harder. "Inuyasha," she breathed, trying to control her mirth, "how’d you fall out of the tree?"

"I…I…" the hanyou stuttered, "I didn’t! You said ‘Osuwari’ by accident!"

"I did?" Kagome replied, silently going over the previous few minutes in her head. She’d woken up and spoken to Inuyasha, then stretched before finding him sprawled out next to her. I know I didn’t "Osuwari" him when we spoke, so how…Wait! He fell out of the tree as I was stretching…like a cat! Kagome felt her own cheeks flushing as she recalled just how she had gone about working the sleep out of her body. I can’t believe I did that! I never would have stretched like that before, not with people watching! But it had seemed perfectly natural, so natural, in fact, that she hadn’t even thought about it. Stupid demon instincts! Then the implications of her deduction set in, and Kagome suddenly felt lightheaded. I made…I made Inuyasha fall out of the tree? Just by arching my body and making my shirt ride up a little?! Glancing back at the hanyou, who was now sitting up and staring pensively at the remains of the fire, caused her to grin. She learned a few days ago that he was attracted to her, but she had never known she held such a power over him. It made her heart swell with joy and renewed hope. Still, looking at Inuyasha and taking in his nervous scent, she knew she had to let it go. Eventually she would reveal what she knew, but now clearly wasn’t the time.

"Well, if I did ‘Osu—’ do that to you," she corrected, earning herself a heated glare, "then I’m sorry." Then, to complete the unnecessary apology, she reached up and gently massaged his ear with one hand. He leaned into her for a few seconds, his eyes almost drifting shut before he came back to himself.

"C-Cut that out, wench!" he ordered, swatting her hand away. "Feh!" With that, he leapt up into the tree once more, alighting to the higher branches so he was no longer visible from the ground. Kagome lied back down on the sleeping bag, smirking and chuckling merrily.

The rest of the morning was peaceful, and a bowl of ramen for breakfast cured Inuyasha’s embarrassment-induced grumpiness. They reached the edge of Totosai’s domain around noon, and the rest of the group agreed to set up camp while Inuyasha and Kagome went to see the old swordsmith. Inuyasha offered the miko his back, but Kagome wanted to try out her new hanyou legs.

"It ain’t as easy as I make it look, wench," he said with just a hint of arrogance. Kagome scoffed. It’s just running. How hard can it be? Now she was wishing she’d just hopped on his back like usual. Maybe it would have been easy if the land was completely flat, but it was rugged, covered in rocks and small hills and valleys. Every five or ten steps brought a stumble, and Inuyasha, running dutifully at her side, was forced to snatch her out of the air more than once. How he managed to weave so effortlessly through the obstacles, even while much of his attention was focused on her, was a mystery. Out of courtesy he avoided the thickest undergrowth, but even so Kagome’s legs looked like a chess board by the time they arrived at their destination. She was eternally grateful for the quick demonic healing ability. And yet, even though their journey had been several kilometers, Kagome found she wasn’t very tired. Her demonic half had rejoiced in the exercise, the chance to stretch its muscles, and she knew today would not be the last time she ran. I’ll have to bring some more appropriate clothes from my time. This skirt isn’t exactly build for hanyou-speed running. I’m just glad nobody was running behind me today…

"Not bad for your first time, wench," Inuyasha said as they walked toward the cave entrance. Kagome gaped at him. Did he just compliment me? "Maybe next time we can take it up a notch."

"Y-You mean you go faster than that?!"

"Keh! Are you kiddin’? Today’s pace was like walking for me." Kagome suddenly felt a little deflated, but she comforted herself with the knowledge that it had taken years of practice for Inuyasha to become as graceful as he was now. And he did compliment me…

"Oi, Totosai! You in there?!" Inuyasha yelled into the cave.

"Inuyasha?" came the reply. "What did you do to my beautiful Tetsusaiga now?"

"I didn’t do anything to it, you stupid old codger! Get your wrinkly ass out here!"

"Ah, sometimes I think I prefer Sesshoumaru’s company," Totosai mumbled, his voice nevertheless carrying to their ears. Inuyasha’s response was cut off when Kagome cried "Ouch!" and slapped her neck.

"Myouga!" he growled when Kagome held out her hand, "I thought I told you never to suck on Kagome!" The flea, however, completely ignored him, focusing his attention on said miko.

"Why, Kagome-sama, your blood tastes diff—Kami! What happened to your ears?! I knew I tasted youkai blood!"

"Can it, flea," Inuyasha interrupted. "That’s what we came here to talk to you about." Totosai had by this time emerged from the cave, but wisely kept his questions to himself. He invited everyone inside the cave, and when they were settled Kagome launched into the slightly edited version of events she had related to her mother.

"The rebirth spell, you say?" Myouga said when she was finished. "A very rare power indeed, one that Inuyasha’s father never had to face. And you are able to use your miko powers without purifying yourself or Inuyasha, for that matter? The size of your heart is truly amazing, Kagome-sama." Kagome blushed under the praise.

"Why does everybody keep saying that?" she wondered aloud. "All I did was spare the soul of a child the torment of hell, something any decent person would do."

"Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong, Kagome-sama. In this world, there are many perfectly decent humans who would care not for the fate of a youkai’s soul. The ones who do are truly rare, and to be cherished, as Inuyasha’s father cherished his mother. Because those souls who judge others by the strength of their hearts, and not by the substance of their blood; I believe they will someday help bring about a world where humans and demons can coexist peacefully." Myouga directed his piercing gaze at Inuyasha as he said this, but the dense hanyou either didn’t get the message or chose to ignore it.

"Alright, jiji, enough of your philosophical crap. Is there a way to reverse it?" The flea sighed.

"I know not, Inuyasha-sama. I have never heard of anything like this happening before. Nor have I heard of a demon wishing to purge herself of her demon blood and become human. Most youkai consider demon blood a privilege—"

"Feh! Trust me, being a hanyou ain’t a privilege most days." Totosai, who had up until this point been sitting quietly, reached out and pulled Tetsusaiga out of its sheath. Inuyasha let him, figuring it was the swordsmith’s right to inspect the sword he forged. The old youkai looked the rusty katana up and down, then turned his ear toward it.

"Tetsusaiga says you are a fool, Inuyasha. It says you should let Kagome decide whether she wants to transform back or not. It also says you should draw Totosai a hot bath…"

Grrrrrrrr. "Dammit, jiji! Quit fuckin’ around! Did Tetsusaiga really say those things?"

"Say what?" Totosai answered, scratching his head in confusion.

"That’s it! Come here so I can pound some memory back into that empty head of yours!" As Inuyasha chased Totosai around the cave, Myouga hopped onto Kagome’s shoulder and spoke softly.

"Kagome-sama, is this what you truly want? Do you wish to return to being human?"

Kagome frowned. "Yeah, I guess so. I hadn’t really thought about it."

"Fair enough. I will visit some old friends of mine to see if they can help you. It will take several days, perhaps more, and then I shall meet you back in your village. Promise me you will at least think about what I said."

"Deal," Kagome replied. Then, deciding that Totosai had enough lumps on his head, she called Inuyasha’s name in the tone of voice she only used right before Osuwari-ing him. Inuyasha growled in annoyance, but lowered his fist nonetheless, and turned to storm out of the cave.

"Come on, wench! I don’t wanna spend all freakin’ day with a couple of useless old men!"

"Goodbye!" she said hastily, before hurrying to join her companion. "Inuyasha! You shouldn’t call Myouga and Totosai useless. They’ve both helped us a lot, and—"

"Feh! Totosai forgets what he said a few seconds ago, and Myouga runs away whenever there’s even a hint of danger. They sound pretty useless to me!" The sounds of arguing slowly faded out, leaving the two "useless old men" in silence.

"So, Totosai, what do you think of this turn of events?"

"That young whipper-snapper will find a way to screw it up, as always. He’s too headstrong, too much like his father in his younger days."

"I’m not so sure, Totosai. I trust Kagome-sama will make the right choice in the end. As for whether or not Inuyasha-sama will accept her decision…"

"We’ll have to wait and see," they both said at the same time.

The next few days passed peacefully, as the Inu-gang wandered aimlessly, searching for rumors of Naraku, since the dark hanyou probably had all the jewel shards that weren’t in Kagome’s or Koga’s possession. They had no luck in that regard, but they did stumble across a village in dire need of a youkai extermination. Driven by hunger, a swarm of giant cricket youkai had emerged from the forest and begun devouring crops. They were otherwise harmless, but the blunt tools of the villagers were no match for the insect’s tough exoskeleton. The same could not be said of Inuyasha’s claws, however, as he and Sango made short work of the bugs and Miroku sucked up the remains with his kazaana. The village headman offered the whole group free room and board for the night, though he did cast several wary glares in the direction of the two hanyou. Thus, Kagome was treated to a phenomenon that she realized Inuyasha must have gone through at nearly every village he had ever been to.

The whispers. They started out positively enough, as each villager whispered to his neighbor how grateful they were to the strangers, and how they could have starved to death during the winter if not for the extermination. Then, one by one, they would notice that at least two members of the group were not human, prompting a round of observations and arguments over what exactly the two animal-eared strangers were. The words "dark miko" were tossed around, but nobody could prove that allegation because Kagome had not used her powers. Not for the first time, Kagome’s clothing helped lump her in with the demonic crowd. In the end, the general consensus was that both were demons of some kind, and that they could only be trusted because they traveled with a houshi and a taijiya, who could surely be relied upon to "keep them in line." The whole experience left Kagome harboring an odd mixture of irritation and sympathy. Irritation because Inuyasha had slain as many youkai as Sango, if not more, and hadn’t so much as raised a finger to threaten anyone, but the villagers still judged him by his appearance, his demon blood. And sympathy because this wasn’t the first time he had been treated that way, if his placid indifference to the whispers was any indication. She waited until everyone was asleep that night, before rising from her bag and moving to sit by his side. He looked at her quizzically, but otherwise made no move to accept or reject her presence.

"I’m sorry," Kagome said, voice cracking slightly with pent-up emotion.

"For what?" he asked, his eyes reflecting genuine confusion.

"Them!" she cried, waving her arms toward the village proper. "What they said about you. What all the villages must say about you."

"Feh!" he replied gruffly. "Don’t worry about that shit. I haven’t cared what humans say about me since I was a kid. I just ignore it now."

"You don’t care…what any humans say about you?" Kagome asked shyly. Inuyasha paused for a long time, considering his response, and whether it was ok to finally take down this barrier. If he admitted he cared what others thought about him, then he also admitted they could hurt him, something that should terrify him. And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to fear Kagome’s rejection; in fact, the only thing he was afraid of at the moment was pushing her away.

"I care…what some humans—and maybe one hanyou—think about me," he ground out softly, looking away from her with a light flush on his cheeks. Grinning, Kagome leaned her head on his shoulder. Instinctively, Inuyasha’s arm came up to wrap around her own shoulder, pulling her closer.

"Well, if you care what this hanyou thinks, then I think you’re brave, honorable, strong and kind, and I l—really care about you." Kagome blushed, hoping Inuyasha missed her near-Freudian slip.

"Alright, wench, that’s enough of your female mushy shit," he replied, though his tone suggested amusement rather than annoyance. Inside, however, he was deeply touched. Oh sure, he knew Kagome and the others thought pretty highly of him; otherwise, they would surely find someone else to travel with. He also knew they thought he was arrogant, selfish, and inconsiderate, among other less-than-flattering adjectives. But to hear his good qualities stated so openly like that, by Kagome no less! He would be repeating those words inside his head for a long while. Perhaps that was why he didn’t pull away when he felt a small hand begin to tentatively massage his left ear. He closed his eyes, giving into the sensation as the hand grew bolder, and another gave his right ear the same delicious treatment.

His breathing evened out, and Kagome concluded that he’d fallen asleep. Still irritated at the villagers, but otherwise deliriously happy, she returned to her sleeping back and had no trouble finding slumber herself. Inuyasha cracked one eye open when he sensed her slip into unconsciousness. He knew he could not afford to fall asleep tonight, in the middle of a potentially hostile village. Sighing, he tried to push back poignant memories their discussion had dredged up. What would Kagome do with the knowledge that it gets a hundred times worse than just whispers?

The following morning, after they departed the village, Kagome brought up the always sensitive topic of returning to Kaede’s village. For once, Inuyasha did not object, though he did threaten to pound Myouga into a flea-pancake if the older youkai wasn’t waiting for them when they arrived. Secretly, Kagome hoped to go home for another night in her own bed, but she would keep that to herself for now. There was, however, one thing she couldn’t keep to herself. It had been bothering her all morning, this strange scent coming off of Sango. Her demon instincts told her that distinctive odor could only be one thing, and it filled her with concern. Any wound, no matter how small, carried with it a risk of infection, after all.

"Sango-chan, are you bleeding?" she asked, sidling up to her friend, who was currently walking next to Miroku. The taijiya gasped, halting mid-step as her faced turned beat red.

"Uh…yep! I cut my hand while polishing my katana this morning! I’m so clumsy! It must have reopened!" she yelled, flashing her hand in front of Kagome’s face so quickly that the miko wasn’t sure she saw a wound. Kagome frowned; this loud, motormouth behavior wasn’t like Sango, though she chalked it up to the embarrassment she could feel flowing off the older girl in waves. Cheesh…if I blushed like that every time I cut my finger, they’d have to call me tomato-girl.

"Oh, well will you at least let me clean and bandage it when we stop for lunch?"

"Sure, Kagome-chan." By this point, Miroku was chuckling quietly to himself, which was really pissing Sango off for some reason. It wasn’t until twenty minutes later, when Sango pulled her aside, that Kagome understood why.

"Kagome-chan," the taijiya whispered, face heating again. "I didn’t cut my finger. The scent you smelled was my…feminine blood." Kagome’s eyes widened comically, her hands flying up to cover her own reddening cheeks. Oh, no! What have I done?! I blurted that out…in front of Miroku, of all people! Gah!

"Oh, Sango-chan, I’m so sorry! I—"

"It’s ok, Kagome-chan. You didn’t know," Sango interrupted, chuckling at her friend’s panic.

"Still! This stupid nose! There are things I just don’t want to know about people!"

"Relax, Kagome-chan. It’s just a natural part of having demon blood." Kagome’s reply died on her lips as a new, horrifying thought occurred to her. Natural part… If I can smell Sango’s "time of the month" now, then that means…

"INUYAASHAAAAAAAA!!!!!"

Inuyasha cringed. He didn’t need to turn around to know Kagome was storming his way with fire in her eyes, lightning in her hair, and thunder in her steps. He had been waiting all morning for this explosion, from the moment he caught the scent of Sango’s blood on the wind. Not quite resigned to his fate, he turned to face his angel of death, hoping she would let him plead his case before making him "one with the Earth."

"Wench!" he yelled, stilling her tongue just as it was about to form the dreaded word. Satisfied, he lowered his voice so only she would be able to hear it. "Wouldn’t you rather tear my head off about this in private?" Turning, Kagome glanced at the other members of their group, who were watching the two of them with varying degrees of amusement.

"Fine," she growled out, stomping into the forest without waiting for Inuyasha. The male hanyou knew better than to not follow. Once they were a suitable distance from their companions, Kagome spun around and folded her arms in front of her chest, favoring Inuyasha with a look that told him he had about five seconds—and counting—to explain himself.

"Feh! So I can smell when you bleed. What’s the big deal?" If the searing glare she sent him was anything to judge by, perhaps that hadn’t been the wisest thing to say.

"It’s private, Inuyasha! Why didn’t you tell me you could smell…that?!"

"Two words, wench! Self. Preservation."

"That’s garbage! I wouldn’t have been so angry if you’d told me in the first place! Instead, you’ve been hiding this behind my back for a whole year and a half!"

"Bullshit! You would have sat me straight to hell back then, too! You probably would’ve accused me of being a pervert or something, even though I can’t help what I smell."

"That’s not—"

"Really? You fuckin’ Osuwari me for everything, Ka-Go-Me! You’ve gotten better recently, but back then you were really bad! Whenever you got embarrassed, whenever you got mad at me, whenever I saw Kikyou! How can you say you wouldn’t have Osuwari’d me back then, when you used to use that damn word all the fuckin’ time?!" All through this tirade, which was obviously long in coming, Kagome felt her anger turn to shame. It was true; she really did abuse the rosary. How many times had she slammed his face into the dirt out of anger, or because he was rude, or on some other flimsy pretext? And I claim to be his friend? She lowered her head, her ears drooping pitifully.

"I’m sorry." The apology caught Inuyasha by surprise, but his anger evaporated as he took in Kagome’s slumped posture and the scent of her sadness and guilt. Hesitating only a moment, he embraced her lightly, even as her tears began to soak into his haori.

"It’s ok, Kagome. Just…quit cryin’, alright?" This only caused the miko to cry harder. Panicking a little now, Inuyasha hastened to reassure her. "Stop that! Getting Osuwari’d doesn’t hurt…much, if that’s what you’re balling about!"

"It’s not that!" Kagome replied, refusing to meet his eyes. "All those times…I never realized…friends don’t do that to each other!" (1)

"It’s fine, I said! I was a jackass back then, and sometimes I deserved it. Besides, this rosary is the only protection you’ve got if I transform. If I really lose myself, you have to use it to stop me." Kagome’s sobs wound down to hiccups, and then ceased altogether, but Inuyasha could tell that she still felt rather disgusted with herself. "And you’re right," he continued, "I should’ve told you back then. But it’s not like it’s something you just come right out and say!" Kagome actually laughed at that, and Inuyasha felt the tension in the air begin to dissipate.

"I can imagine you coming right out and admitting something like that," she said, finally lifting her head from his chest. And whatever crazy hypothetical her mind was concocting amused her greatly, as she continued to giggle, chasing away the last traces of melancholy from her beautiful face. It was then that Inuyasha noticed how close they were, noses only inches apart. Kagome noticed it as well, her laughter abruptly dying away as she felt Inuyasha’s hot breath mingle with her own. Golden amber met chocolate brown, and neither could look away. Time seemed to stretch infinitely, as they leaned closer…closer…

"HOOT!!" The sudden noise caused them to launch apart just before their lips could meet. They turned and glared at the offending owl who, upon being awoken by the sounds their argument, had climbed outside its hole and decided to voice its displeasure. In doing so, the damn bird had ruined the moment, broken the spell they had cast over each other, and left the missed opportunity hanging tauntingly in the air for both of them. (2)

"Come on, let’s head back," Inuyasha said gruffly, masking his disappointment behind his customary grumpiness. Kagome heaved an exasperated sigh, but followed him back to the road nonetheless.

The rest of the day was uneventful, though the rest of the group did notice an odd sort of tension hanging between the two hanyou. Perhaps an hour before dusk, they stumbled upon an abandoned hut, and were able to persuade Inuyasha to stop for the night. The hanyou grumbled doubly because he knew they were going to make him stop at the hot spring near the village the next night. The same hot spring where he had seen Kagome naked…

Inuyasha stepped outside, needing some fresh air, especially considering their near-kiss. It baffled him, how easy it had been to hold Kagome close, to try to kiss her, and how furious he’d been when that stupid owl interrupted them. I should’ve caught that thing and eaten it for dinner! As for why he wanted to kiss her so badly, well, that just led to a bunch of questions he didn’t have answers for.

Inuyasha bolted to his feet as a strange scent reached his nose. Youkai…two of them. Sure enough, two figures appeared on the darkening horizon, speeding towards him. Inuyasha rested his hand on Tetsusaiga’s hilt as the two demons came to a stop. The male was an inu-youkai, perhaps resembling what Sesshoumaru would look like as a peasant. He wore no decorative robes, nor was his clothing immaculate white, but his forehead did bear a single crest in the shape of a diamond. The other youkai was a bird of some kind, probably a hawk. Her wings were folded behind her, and her hands and feet bore oversized talons. She was also dressed plainly, in the same shade of black as her companion.

"Well," the inu-youkai spoke, "since I have never heard of another inu-hanyou, you must be Inuyasha."

"Who’s asking?"

"Watch your tone with me, cretin. My name is Takehiko, and this is my sister Sora. Some weeks ago, our brother Minoru left us to seek you out and claim possession of your jewel shards. We have come to ascertain his whereabouts."

Inuyasha smirked. "Sorry to disappoint you, but your bastard of a brother is dead. I ran him through with my sword. If you don’t want to meet the same fate, I suggest you leave while you can still stand."

Both demons became understandably enraged at this. "Damn you!" Sora cried. "How could a half-breed like you defeat our brother?!"

"Come at me and find out, bitch!"

"Very well. Come, Takehiko, let’s tear this hanyou limb from limb. Takehiko?" But the inu-youkai wasn’t listening; his focus was entirely on something behind Inuyasha, something that caused his eyes to widen in absolute shock. Turning back to Inuyasha, his rage returned full force.

"What have you and that woman done to our brother?!"

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

"What have you and that woman done to our brother?!"

Kagome, who had rushed outside as the sounds of an argument passed through the doorway of the hut, groaned inwardly, recognizing the two youkai before her from the vision she had seen of Minoru’s past life. As she had separated his body from his spirit, and purified that spirit of evil, all within the confines of her mind, she had seen these two. The orphan neko youkai’s memories became her own, and she had witnessed the moment when he met Sora, his future sister, for the first time. The young demon, only a little bigger than Shippo, had been desperately hungry. He watched as the graceful hawk-girl snared a rabbit in her powerful talons, and he brazenly tried to steal it. Though she was not quite his size, Sora easily overpowered the starving neko, pinning him to the ground. She could have killed him then, but something stopped her. Something in his eyes, something that showed her that this boy understood loneliness, the unrequited and despairing desire for some type of companionship. She let him live, and ended up surrendering most of her meager meal to his ravenous appetite. She taught him how to hunt, and they became inseparable. Later, they came across a miserable inu-youkai in a sorry state indeed, and nursed him back to health. Thus, the trio was created, and indissoluble, unbreakable bonds formed as they became the family that all three had once had, and lost.

But something had gone wrong as the three youkai got older. Centered in his desire to protect his family, to never again know the icy grip of bone-chilling loneliness, a lust for power grew in Minoru. And for the first time, he found himself taking human life. And slowly, the poison, the malice that had matured in their brother spread to Takehiko and Sora as well. As she looked at them now, Kagome was reminded so much of the Thunder Brothers. Two siblings, completely devoted to each other, but regarding the rest of the world with utter heartlessness, an absolute lack of caring. Still, Kagome couldn’t help the remorse that welled within her. She had broken their family, destroyed a part of their pack, and eliminated a full half of each of the survivor’s worlds. Logic told her it wasn’t her fault, that Minoru had attacked her, tried to kill her, but how was logic supposed to compete with the raw emotion that threatened to spill guilty tears from her eyes?

"Please," she pleaded, locking cheerless eyes with each youkai in turn. "Let me explain." Brother and sister regarded her solemnly, but both nodded, remaining in silence as Kagome told her story. She told them about the rebirth spell, how she had defeated Minoru, how the neko’s spirit was finally at peace, and how his youki had come to reside in her body. By the time she was finished, she could no longer look at them, and lowered her gaze to the grass. The spiking scents told her all she needed to know about their reaction, as did Inuyasha stepping directly in front of her, shielding her from the unbridled hatred pulsing in the air.

"You little bitch! You killed our brother! I don’t care if he is at peace! He’s still dead, and I shall have my vengeance this day!"

"Wait, brother!" Sora cried out, latching onto Takehiko’s arm before the inu-youkai could attack. He bared his fangs, turning his rage on his sister, but the hawk didn’t even flinch. Instead, she leaned up to whisper in his ear so quietly that not even Inuyasha could pick it up. All eyes focused on Takehiko’s face as it shifted from fury to shock, and finally to a wicked smirk that sent a shiver coursing down Kagome’s spine.

"We’ll leave for now, bitch," he snarled menacingly. "But we’ll be back!" With that, the two youkai turned and departed the way they came, an action which soured Inuyasha’s mood.

"Oi! Get back here and fight me! Cowards!" The belligerent hanyou had good reason to be upset; he had been expecting a fight, dammit! He’d gotten all worked up, his blood heated in anticipation, for nothing! Swearing colorfully under his breath, Inuyasha thought of another reason why he’d prefer to fight them now. If they were anything like Naraku, they would be much stronger and more dangerous when they returned. Feh! I can still take ‘em with one hand chopped off and one eye put out! Assholes…just what I need, another arrogant inu-youkai looking down on me. Maybe I’ll hack *both* this one’s arms off before I waste him…

"You didn’t happen to catch what that falcon youkai whispered, did you Inuyasha?" Miroku asked into the silence. Inuyasha merely shook his head. "I was afraid of that," the monk continued. "Whatever those two are planning, I don’t like it. If they were simply after revenge, they wouldn’t have left. You’d best stay close to us, Kagome-sama, since they seem to be after you."

"Alright, Miroku-sama. Let’s go inside and eat. All this commotion has made me hungry!"

"And maybe we can figure out what those two demons want with Kagome-chan," Sango interjected as they made their way towards the hut. The resulting discussion yielded few concrete ideas, though several theories were floated around. In the end, they decided to take the same approach they used with Naraku—wait and see, because you never knew what evil scheme the dark hanyou would come up with next. The inu-gang settled down for the night, and the emerging stars found Inuyasha lounging on the rooftop, the hanyou much preferring the open air to the stuffy atmosphere of the one-room hut. As he gazed up at the moon, his eyes widened fractionally and he cursed softly. Shit…the moon is barely a sliver. Tomorrow night must be the new moon. And with that in mind, he resolved to try and get some sleep, since he wouldn’t be getting any while he was human.

"Inuyasha, may I ask what the hurry is? You’ve been driving us mercilessly all morning!" Inuyasha grimaced. What Sango said was true; he had been keeping a brisk pace ever since they started walking a few hours ago. Usually, Kagome would be the first to complain about something like that, but her hanyou legs allowed her to keep up with him effortlessly. The same could not be said of the group’s two humans, who knew they would be bone tired and very sore by the end of the day if they didn’t slow down.

At their normal walking speed, the Inu-gang was probably about a day and a half from the village. With his dreaded night of mortality imminent, Inuyasha fully intended to be in Kaede’s village by dusk, and through the well by nightfall. He had always hated his human nights, partly because they were one of the rare times he felt fear. When he was alone, he feared for himself, that some youkai would slaughter him in his weakness, and all his years of struggling to strengthen himself would be for naught. Now, however, a different kind of fear loomed on the horizon. He didn’t fear for himself anymore; he feared for Kagome, that he wouldn’t be able to protect her. Kagome was the only one of their group who truly needed protecting. She was a miko, an archer, but she didn’t have the battle experience of Miroku or Sango, nor the escapability of Shippo or Kirara. At least, she didn’t used to. But the last thing Inuyasha wanted to rely on for Kagome’s safety was her new, untested hanyou powers. Hell, she hadn’t even been able to jog without tripping over herself!

No, it was far better to spend the evening in Kagome’s time, where in all likelihood he wouldn’t have to protect her from anything. Besides, all manner of shit had happened on his human nights in recent memory, and they were heading toward the village anyway. Not to mention the new enemies they had met last night… Of course, Inuyasha had no intention of telling anyone any of this. Just the thought of doing that was enough to send his delicate pride into a frenzy. So, he did the next best thing; he told a half-truth.

"Feh! Just wanna hear what Myouga has to say, that’s all. Now come on, you lazy humans, let’s go! And no more bitching!"

"Bitching?" Sango repeated incredulously, brandishing hiraikotsu. "I’ll give him bitching…right upside the head!"

"Now, Sango, you know how our confrontational friend here reacts to violence," Miroku said. "Inuyasha! Sango and I are slowing down. If you are in that much of a hurry, please feel free to go on ahead." Inuyasha swore under his breath, but slowed his pace nonetheless. Kagome was gazing contemplatively at him, obviously wondering what had him so antsy, but he’d be damned if he was going to tell her. The sad thing is that if he came out with the truth, she would probably agree with him. They could run the rest of the way and be back in Kagome’s world for dinner. Too bad his pride squashed that idea. Admitting the truth would be admitting his fear, and he just couldn’t do that.

As predicted, Kagome wanted to stop at the hot springs on the way back, and Inuyasha had no reason to refuse her since they were definitely not making it back to the village before nightfall. That didn’t stop him from putting up a fight, or grumbling after the argument turned against him. Whether this was out of spite, or for show, he didn’t know. What he did know was that he was damn hungry, and he let everyone in the camp know it.

"Why don’t you go catch some fish, Inuyasha?" Shippo inquired timidly, hiding behind Kagome’s leg in case the volatile hanyou decided to take exception to his suggestion.

"Feh! I’m pretty sure I won’t be catching anything tonight, runt," Inuyasha replied bitterly as he stared at the last hint of sunlight barely visible over the horizon. Noticing the direction of Inuyasha’s gaze, Miroku was the first to put the pieces together.

"Is tonight the night of the new moon, Inuyasha?" The hanyou merely grunted, choosing not to favor that question with an articulate reply.

"Oh, is that why you’ve been grouchy all day?" Shippo teased, emboldened by his victim’s pending transformation. Inuyasha growled, but the effect was ruined by the glow that enveloped his body as his ears, hair, eyes, and claws shifted. And as the debilitating numbness of his senses fully set in, he repressed the urge to pound the kit for making fun of him. He didn’t think Kagome would Osuwari him while he was human, but he knew from past experience that he would just make an ass of himself chasing Shippo around without his demonic speed and agility.

Kagome, as always, was mesmerized by his metamorphosis. She preferred his hanyou form, but he looked no less dashing as a human. Still, his doggie ears were her favorite feature, and she would miss them terribly if they were gone for any serious length of time, especially since he had allowed her to touch them. Her heart skipped a beat at the memory, as she wondered when he would indulge her again, and for that matter, when he would rub her ears like he did that one time in her room…

Shaking her head to clear it, Kagome tried to focus on what Shippo had just said. That’s right; he has been grumpy all day. She had noticed the change in his scent, signaling the beginning of the recession of his youkai blood, perhaps an hour ago, but had not mentioned it for fear of further souring his already bad mood. The time of the month perfectly explained his negative attitude, but there was something else that had been bothering her. She still couldn’t figure out why he had wanted to move so quickly today. It was almost as if… Kagome gasped as the realization struck her, followed by a wave of anger. Baka! Why can’t he be more open? Not being honest with me about his human night almost got him killed before!

"Inuyasha," she said sweetly, immediately putting the hanyou turned human on edge. He knew that tone of voice, the one that told him he was about to have his head bitten off. It was the same tone she had used after he not so subtly asked her if she fooled around with Koga in the wolf’s cave.

"Yeah, wench?" he asked as she stalked up to him, grabbing both forelocks and tilting his head up to look at her. He gulped.

"Do you realize…how much of a BAKA you are?! If you wanted to spend the night in my time, you should have said so!" Inuyasha stuttered, taken aback by just how well this girl could read him. Getting no response, Kagome continued more calmly, "you would have been safer in my time, so why didn’t you tell us tonight was the new moon?"

"F-Feh! I don’t care about me! You’re the one with jewel shards hanging around her neck! You’re the one I constantly have to watch over, and you’re the one I can’t fuckin’ protect when I’m like this!" By the time he was finished, Inuyasha was standing, looming over her as her own anger receded. The unguarded concern in his eyes belied the harshness of his words, and Kagome was once again reminded of the old adage, ‘a diamond in the rough is still a diamond.’ (1)

"Well you still should have said something," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Ah, quit bitchin’ about it, already," Inuyasha replied, causing Kagome’s brow to twitch in irritation. He’s soooo lucky he’s human right now… "Besides, unless you’re gonna carry me, we ain’t makin’ it to your time tonight." He said the last part as a joke, something that shouldn’t even be seriously considered, but Kagome found herself doing just that. Hmmm, let’s see… Benefits? Warm bed, home-cooked meal, alone-time with Inuyasha. Negatives? One furious hanyou. Meh, he’s crabby anyway. So, before she could question her sanity, Kagome leapt into action. In a flash she flung Inuyasha over her shoulder, surprised at how effortlessly she could lift him, and took off into the trees.

The two humans and two demons left in camp were stunned speechless for all of a three seconds, then burst into laughter that went on long into the night. Inuyasha’s face as it vanished from view had been utterly priceless, and as long as they lived they were never going to let him live it down. Said hanyou, however, was far from amused.

"Ah! Wench! What the fuck are you doing?! Put me down!" Kagome didn’t reply, suddenly very glad she couldn’t see his face. The wind was whipping past them, but she could still smell his outrage and embarrassment. She felt a small twinge of guilt, but what was done was done. Steeling her concentration, she focused on the ground in front of her, seeking to avoid stumbling and throwing her precious cargo into a tree. If anything could piss him off more than he already was…

When he realized Kagome was no longer listening to him, Inuyasha too became aware of the precarious position he was in. In all likelihood, he was going to end up sprawled in the dirt, covered in cuts and bruises. So, despite how incredibly humiliating this was, he clammed up and let Kagome concentrate. They arrived at the well a little less than an hour later, and Kagome would never be able to explain how she managed to get them there without falling. Well, they said a mother could lift a car off her child, so maybe it was strength of will that kept her from dumping Inuyasha. That inner resolve vanished as soon as she set him down and looked at him. He was not blushing, but his entire face was flushed red in anger. His lips were a thin line, and his eyes burned with the force of a thousand suns, though they lacked their normal amber luminosity. His whole body was tense, drawn tight as a bowstring, and the creatures of the night went silent at the ominous sensation invading the atmosphere. Kagome gulped; she had never seen him quite so livid before.

"Wench," he said quietly, "if you ever do that again, I’ll…I’ll…I don’t know what I’ll do, but you won’t like it!" By the time he finished, he was screaming at the top of his lungs, and Kagome’s ears were plastered to her skull.

"Relax, Inuyasha! A little role reversal never hurt anybody."

"Roll reversal?" he asked incredulously. "Fuck, Kagome! That wasn’t ‘role reversal!’ It was YOU tossing ME over your shoulder and taking off!"

"So? You carry me all the time. How is that any different? And don’t even think about telling me you’ve never carried me over your shoulder," she ordered, pointing a finger at him. Inuyasha hesitated; that had been exactly what he was going to say.

"It…it just is, ok?" he replied, folding his arms and looking away.

"No! It’s not ok! I knew you’d be embarrassed, but I didn’t expect you to be this pissed at me! What’s your prob—"

"You’re the helpless human, not me!" he blurted out, surprising both of them. But Kagome recovered quickly, her ire rising to do battle with his in a familiar clash.

"Oh, so I’m still helpless, am I? And I’m probably such a burden, too. In that case, I won’t be requiring your services any longer. Maybe I’ll go collect the jewel shards myself! See how strong these hanyou powers really are! Maybe I’ll—" Kagome was cut off suddenly, her face mashed into a hard chest.

"Don’t even fuckin’ think about it, Kagome," Inuyasha voiced softly, his tone deadly serious. "Stay with me and let me protect you." Kagome’s eyes widened; she hadn’t meant what she said, but apparently Inuyasha had taken her seriously. Pulling back and peering at his face, the pleading look in his eyes confirmed it. Lowering her head once more, Kagome tried not to give into tears of self-reproach.

"I’m sorry, Inuyasha. I didn’t mean it; I was just angry. I’ll stay by your side as long as you’ll let me."

"I’m sorry too," Inuyasha answered, finding it much easier to apologize because of the relief and gratitude flooding his human body. For a split second there, when he though Kagome was going to leave…desperation wouldn’t begin to describe what he felt. "You’re not helpless. You were once…" He hurriedly continued as Kagome pulled back to glare at him. "…but even when you were human you got stronger. You’re a miko, Kagome; that’s your job. You’re the only one who can fire purifying arrows, the only one who can purify the sacred jewel, and the only one who can sense the shards. That’s what you do. Me? I’m a big fuckin’ ass-kicker. (2) That’s what I do. I don’t want you trying to fight like me, or charging into battle. Stay back and help us like you always have, ‘cause it’s worked just fine so far."

Kagome almost laughed at his description of his "job," but was deeply touched by his assessment of her skills and role in battle. Stepping out of his embrace, she wiped her eyes, and managed a watery smile. "Deal. And I’m sorry I picked you up like that. I probably should have warned you first…"

"Feh! Just don’t ever do it again. And I’m definitely paying you back for that." Chuckling, Kagome brushed off his threat and grabbed him by the hand, proceeding to drag him towards the well. "Wait, wench! What about Myouga?"

"Myouga will still be there in the morning."

"But—"

"No buts! I want a bath now, and I’m not leaving you here!" Sighing, Inuyasha gave in. Kagome seemed hell-bent on going through the well, and he much preferred traveling there on his own two feet, thank you very much.

Mrs. Higurashi was surprised to see them again so soon, and shocked to find Inuyasha human. Dinner included a nice, long discussion on why Inuyasha lost his powers, when they would be back, and some of the adventures he had been on while human. Somehow Togenkyo came up, and though Kagome conveniently left out the part about Inuyasha finding her naked in the tub, neither one could keep from blushing. Mrs. Higurashi gave them a knowing look, Souta demanded more stories, and jii-chan kept muttering about how ‘young people belong in school, not gallivanting around with demons,’ yada yada yada. Eventually, Kagome was able to excuse herself and take a bath, and to her astonishment she was actually able to get in the tub. Apparently, the small body of water didn’t alarm her youkai side as much as a hot spring would. The long, steamy soak left her feeling completely relaxed, and very sleepy. She emerged from the bathroom dressed her in pajamas and ready for a good night’s sleep. She groaned as soon as she entered her room and found Inuyasha lying on her bed. He was lying on his back near the edge of the bed, hands resting behind his head, one knee raised up and the other ankle resting atop it. It was a posture that suggested that he hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but the gentle rise and fall of his chest as well as the peaceful expression on his face said he had. This had happened before, and now, like then, Kagome didn’t have the heart to wake him. Last time, she had surrendered the bed, and slept in the chair while trying to study. But this time, she had no studying to do, and really desired the feel of her cushy mattress underneath her. And besides, she liked to think they had both matured a little since then, and grown closer to each other. And it was a big bed…

So, before she could convince herself it was a mistake, Kagome closed her door, turned off the light, and tentatively climbed onto the mattress. She lay on her side, facing toward him with her back against the wall. There was about a foot of space between them, so it wasn’t like they were lying on top of one another. (3) Though that would certainly not be unpleasant…

"You know, you could have woken me up, wench." Inuyasha’s soft voice startled her, and she glanced up into amused eyes.

"I know," she said, grinning sheepishly. "But you looked so peaceful…"

"Keh. I’m never peaceful," he replied jokingly before moving to stand. Kagome’s hand shot out and grabbed his wrist, halting his progress.

"Stay," she whispered, cheeks heating to a rosy hue. Inuyasha blushed as well.

"I shouldn’t."

"There’s plenty of room! I’m not letting you sleep on the floor while you’re human. You may not get a backache when you’re hanyou, but you will tonight." Inuyasha briefly considered arguing with her, but decided against it. What was the point? There was nobody else around and he definitely didn’t mind the idea of sharing a bed with Kagome. That thought darkened his face to a deeper shade of red. Not like *that*, you hentai! Fuck, I’m turning into Miroku!

Kagome watched him as nervously eyed her, considering her proposition. She was just about to tell him to forget it when he gingerly settled down next to her, lying on his side facing her. His eyes met hers for a moment before closing, expressing a flash of gratitude. Kagome grinned stupidly. You’re welcome. Still, sleep alluded her, and she spent the next half hour fidgeting, trying to get comfortable. Finally, she gave up.

"Hey, Inuyasha?" she whispered, just to see if he was still awake.

"What?" he replied a little snippily, tired of being constantly torn back from the brink of slumber by her moving around.

"Oh, didn’t realize you were awake." Hurriedly she tried to think of something to say, voicing the first thought that came to mind. "Do you still hate your human nights as much as you used to?"

Inuyasha thought about that for a moment. "Well, being around a campfire with you lot sure beats sitting in a tree alone."

"I’m glad." A few more minutes of silence passed, and Inuyasha once again nearly dozed off.

"Hey, Inuyasha?"

"What, wench?" he replied, a little more irritably than before. Her comment washed all his exasperation away.

"You smell nice."

"K-Keh!" Kagome giggled at his embarrassment, and she decided to tease him a bit more.

"I like your hanyou scent better, though." At this point, Inuyasha’s face vanished into his haori, and Kagome had to forcibly stifle her amusement.

"Damn wench," he mumbled, "thinks she’s so damn funny." Inside, however, he was floored. Nobody had ever told him he smelled nice before. Most demons hated his smell because it marked him as a hanyou. He mentally added it to the list of things Kagome had done first for him. After the girl’s subsequent laughter subsided, several more minutes of silence passed, before…

"Hey, Inuyasha?"

Grrrrrrrrr. "Dammit, wench! Go to sleep, already!"

"One more question." When Inuyasha didn’t reply, she continued, "Do you still like my smell?" Again Inuyasha hesitated, not because he didn’t know the answer, but because he wasn’t sure how much to reveal. Even after her transformation, Kagome’s scent was the single most tantalizing fragrance in the world. It put him at ease and electrified him at the same time. But he certainly couldn’t tell her that, so he toned down the truth a little.

"Your scent didn’t change a whole lot when you got youkai blood. You still smell like you, just with something extra added on. I can smell your youkai, but it’s like it’s yours now. You don’t smell like that bastard, if that’s what your wondering."

"You didn’t answer my question." Inuyasha grimaced. Damn…

"Yes, I still like your scent. Now. Go. To. Sleep!"

"Ok, ok! Goodnight, Inuyasha."

"Feh." And so the couple returned to trying to fall asleep, with Kagome having no more luck than before. She was getting frustrated; she knew she was tired, but something didn’t feel right. What the heck is wrong with me?!

Inuyasha was wondering the same thing. What the hell?! She never has problems falling asleep in the past! Wrapped up in that dumb ‘sleeping bag’ thing… Inuyasha started; he suddenly knew what the problem was. Reaching over, he yanked the covers out from under Kagome’s body and placed them over her, all while keeping himself above them. Kagome snuggled into the familiar weight of the sheets and mumbled her gratitude, drowsiness already calling her. In moments she was sound asleep. Shaking his head, Inuyasha settled down and followed her into slumber soon after. (4)

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Inuyasha awoke at dawn, the return of his demonic powers rousing him. It was just about the happiest time of the month for our hanyou; he didn’t have to worry about turning human again for a whole lunar cycle. Still, the sensation was strange, considering he usually didn’t fall asleep on his human nights. Brain still fogged with the remnants of slumber, he didn’t know why he had fallen asleep, but he did know that he was far too comfortable to get up. Yawning tiredly, he pressed closer to the warm body lying next to him. Wait…warm body?

As memory returned, Inuyasha shot off the bed, so quickly that he lost his footing and toppled over backwards. Raising his head, he climbed to his feet and tiptoed back toward the mattress. He released the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding when he saw that Kagome was still asleep. The miko chose that moment to stir, rolling over to face him, his name a whisper in her soft exhale. Inuyasha blushed crimson as he recalled the position he’d woken up in. They had been laying spooned together, her back to his chest, his arm draped possessively around her waist. And though she had been below the blankets and he above them, it had still been the most intimate embrace he had ever shared with anyone. Hugging someone was one thing, but cuddling them while they slept; that was quite another. And though he was both mortified and eternally grateful Kagome had not woken up first, he couldn’t say he was angry at either her or himself. Secretly, he wondered if she would have minded waking up with him like that…

Shaking his head and deciding he wasn’t going to ask her, Inuyasha settled down on the floor, back resting against the mattress. The morning was bright and peaceful, the merry chirping of birds drifting through the open window. Grinning as the cheerfulness of the morning proved infectious, the hanyou prepared to relax for a couple hours until Kagome woke. Of course, it seemed fate didn’t want him to relax—ever.

*Beep! Beep! Beep!*

As always, Kagome’s cursed alarm clock had him leaping to attention, though he did manage to restrain himself from pulling out Tetsusaiga this time. Instead, he settled for crossing his arms over his chest, and glowering down at the woman whose delicate hand shot out to silence the infernal contraption. When she stubbornly refused to meet his gaze, he knew something was amiss.

"Kagome," he ground out, "why is your alarm clock on?" Said miko finally looked at him, wearing a smile that could only be described as sheepish.

"Because…I thought that since I was home…Idecidedtogotoschool!" It took Inuyasha a moment to decipher her gibberish, but he became pissed as all hell when he did.

"Fuck no, wench! You’re not going to school!"

"And why not?" Kagome replied indignantly, her anger rising to match her companion’s. "You don’t even know if Myouga is in the village yet. And besides, we can’t go anywhere until the others get back. So why, Inuyasha? Give me one good reason I can’t go to school!" Inuyasha’s retort died on his lips as the full weight of Kagome’s impenetrable logic fell upon his shoulders. She wanted a good reason, and he didn’t have one. And he knew from past experience what would happen if he just ordered her to stay… Ah, crap.

"Fine," he mumbled, looking away haughtily.

"Inuyasha! I’m going and that’s fin—what did you say?"

"Keh! Don’t look so shocked! You were right; there’s no reason why you can’t go. Unless you think I’m staying home, that is."

"But—"

"No buts, Kagome!" he imitated, mimicking her tone from the night before. "The odors from that smelly city could still overwhelm that sensitive nose of yours." Kagome smiled at the concern he was trying to hide. Yes, her hanyou senses had been bothering her less and less every day, but they still occasionally gave her headaches and made her feel faint. A really strong odor could probably still knock her out. Hell, the ink from that hell-painter had put Inuyasha completely out of it! And it wasn’t as if she didn’t enjoy having Inuyasha accompany her to school. She would always worry that his brazenness and lack of familiarity with the modern world would get him into trouble. But he had been fine the last time, and she would just have to trust him. Better than fine, she thought, recalling everything that had gone on that day. I wonder if I could get him to put his arm around me again… Snapping back to reality, Kagome swooped in for a quick hug before spinning him around and pushing him out the door with a soft "thank you."

"Oi! What the hell was that for, wench?!" Inuyasha yelled, pounding on the wood.

"I can’t change with you in here, can I?! Hentai…"

"I am not a hentai!" Kagome’s giggling behind the door told him she had merely been joking, but that didn’t help his suddenly sour mood. He stormed downstairs, scowling and grumbling about ‘sneaky wenches’ the whole way. And once again, Kagome was forced to serve bacon to get him out of his funk.

"You’re up early, Kagome," Mrs. Higurashi observed as she breezed into the kitchen. "Going to school?"

"Mmm-hmmm," Kagome replied, not wanting to stop eating for even a second lest she be late.

"Is Inuyasha going with you again?" This time, Inuyasha, who had long since finished his breakfast, answered.

"Yep. I still don’t trust her not to hurt herself." Pointedly ignoring Kagome’s glare, he stood from the table and turned to see if he could find that fat cat, Buyo. The butterball was fun to play with, if nothing else.

"Inuyasha!" Mrs. Higurashi called, stopping him in his tracks. "I have something I may need your help with this morning, so could you please come right back after dropping Kagome off?" Inuyasha was about to protest, but this time he couldn’t ignore the look Kagome shot him, one that promised a meeting with the dirt in his future if he didn’t help her mother. He sighed; yeah, it was boring watching Kagome sit at a desk all day, but it was better than not watching her at all. Trouble seemed to follow her around constantly. At least, that was the reason he told himself he wanted to stay with her.

"Alright," he agreed reluctantly.

"Oh, thank you!" the older woman replied with a smile. There was also a slight twinkle in her eye, one that had a sinking feeling settling in the pit of Inuyasha’s stomach. What have I gotten myself into?

The walk to school was peaceful, and Kagome arrived with a few minutes to spare. The miko was disappointed when Inuyasha didn’t put his arm around her, but he didn’t pull away when she took his hand. She departed with orders to "be a good boy" for her mother, or else! Damn wench…still treats me like a dog! It’s not like I’ve ever been an ass around her mother. I’ve been a good bo—Ah, dammit! Now she’s got me saying it! And so the intrepid hanyou returned from his journey, to the place where he began.

"You needed me for something?" he asked upon entering the living room, where Mrs. Higurashi was watching that strange ‘telavision’ box. She didn’t reply, but stood and turned to face him with a huge grin plastered to her face. The sinking feeling deepened as she took the hat from his hand and replaced it upon his head. Then, she turned and dragged him out the front door and toward the shrine steps.

"Where are we going?" he inquired nervously as they descended to the street.

"We, Inuyasha, are going shopping!" The hanyou shrunk back from the excitement flowing off her, even as he continued to be hauled off to who knows where.

"For what?" he demanded, not liking the strange looks they were getting from the rest of the mortal population. Finally, Mrs. Higurashi stopped, turning the pouty, ‘you dare spoil my fun?’ look on him.

"Inuyasha," she asked seriously, "do you intend to continue walking my daughter to and from school?"

"Uh…only until I know she won’t be overwhelmed by her senses!"

"I’m sure," Mrs. Higurashi responded, not quite believing his defensive assertion. "Well, in that case, I think we should get you some modern clothing to help you blend in better." Inuyasha grimaced; the clothes he saw men wearing in this time looked so tight and uncomfortable. And he knew they weren’t free, either.

"That’s not necessary. I fit in fine here. Don’t waste your money on me."

"Oh, that’s too bad," Mrs. Higurashi replied with exaggerated disappointment. "I know Kagome would love to see you in modern clothes…" Inuyasha’s ears perked up at that, and Mrs. Higurashi smirked in victory. "Come on. We’ll just try some on, and if you don’t like them we don’t have to buy anything. Ok?" Inuyasha thought about that a moment, then grudgingly nodded and was dragged off again. Mrs. Higurashi was incredibly giddy, and it was all she could do to keep from giggling like a schoolgirl. It wasn’t often she got to surprise her only daughter, after all. And this really was all about giving Kagome the shock of her life, and a very pleasant one at that. Inuyasha already stood out like a sore thumb due to his long, silken white hair and amber eyes, so the modern clothing probably wouldn’t help much. That had just been a little white lie to get the hanyou to cooperate. And in the end, all I had to do was tell him Kagome would like to see him in modern clothing…how can love be so blind?

Over the last year and a half, she had watched them. She watched as her daughter fell in love with a half demon from 500 years in the past. She watched as he broke her heart, then built it up again. She watched as they drifted ever closer, yet still too distant to see what was obvious to everyone else who saw them. She caught the way they looked at each other when they thought no one was watching, twin gazes filled with longing, love, and devotion. She knew Kagome loved him, and she knew Inuyasha loved her in return, even though neither of them realized it yet. To have such love, such adoration go unrealized…it was a crime, one which Mrs. Higurashi would love to see rectified. But that was not her privilege; all she could do was nudge them in the right direction. Her daughter could do much worse in a man, on either side of the well. From the moment Inuyasha had stormed into her house demanding Kagome’s return, she had known he was a good man. He was too honorable to take advantage of her fifteen-year-old daughter, to serenade her with sweet words just to earn some physical pleasure. And he was strong, strong enough to protect her, shelter Kagome from dangers that she herself could never comprehend. So she let Kagome go through the well, skip school, basically throw away her future in the modern era. She did it because it made her daughter happy, but she was not an irresponsible parent. If Inuyasha was anything less than the man she knew him to be, she would yank Kagome back by her hair, lock her in her room, and detonate so much C-4 in the well that the people on the other side would feel it.

But that would never be necessary. Ever since the accident that left Kagome a hanyou, it seemed like Inuyasha had been extra nice to her. Whether this was brought on out of the necessity of helping her cope with hyperactive senses, or out of guilt, Mrs. Higurashi didn’t know. But it was a change for the better, and it gave her hope that someday soon they would realize just how much they truly meant to each other. And maybe I’ll get some puppy-eared grandchildren… Yes, soon her two little birds will have flown the nest, and jii-chan wasn’t getting any younger, so having adorable grandchildren to dote on would help her ease the loneliness she could see on the horizon. If her late husband was still alive, she would have asked for another baby long ago…

But this day was about new love, and she refused to feel any of the melancholy that normally came with thoughts of her deceased spouse. He had been her one and only love, and there would be no other. And she didn’t regret a moment with him, even though their time together had been cut almost unbearably short. To find true love, even for such a brief time, was worth all the heartache. And that was why she was taking Inuyasha shopping, to help her daughter find out what true love was like. She could only hope that they had many more happy years together than she and her husband did.

A soft gasp behind her jolted Mrs. Higurashi back to the present, and she was startled to find that not only had her absent-minded autopilot taken her to the mall, but it had also directed her to the clothing store she normally took Souta to. Inuyasha was blushing, staring at something over her shoulder. Turning around, she almost laughed outright. A simple display of bras had been what had embarrassed her companion so. He was so innocent, this hanyou, yet another reason she adored him and knew he was perfect for her daughter. Gently she led him to the left, towards the men’s section, smirking the whole time. I suppose they could have put those in a better place rather than right in front of the door…

Inuyasha relaxed as he was no longer confronted by hundreds of articles of women’s underwear. Mrs. Higurashi was just going about her business, taking things off the shelves and hangars and handing them to him. Some of them he recognized, like pants and shirts, but others were unfamiliar.

"What are these?" he asked, holding up a rectangular package wrapped in clear ‘plaz-tik.’

"Boxers. You put them on under your pants."

"Oh," he mumbled, blushing and feeling foolish once again. But Mrs. Higurashi didn’t even pause; she treated it as if it was a perfectly normal question for a young man to be asking. Maybe that was why he liked her—because she treated him like a normal human even though she knew otherwise.

"Alright, I think we’ve got enough for the first batch. Go in the changing room and put on an outfit. Then come out and let me see when you’re finished." Following her instructions, Inuyasha found an empty stall easily enough, and set about removing his fire-rat clothing. That done, he stepped into one of the pairs of ‘jeenz’ Mrs. Higurashi had picked out, and pulled them up to his waist. And they fell right back down again. He pulled them up, and they fell right back down again. Growling in annoyance, he yanked them up and looked more closely. Oh, that’s right. You have to fasten these stupid things… Quizzically he examined the fastening, unsure how to proceed. Keh! Come on, you’re smart. Figure it out. And I am *so* not asking Kagome’s mother for help!

It took some struggling, but eventually he managed to get the pants buttoned and zipped, though he did very nearly catch ‘little Inuyasha’ in the sharp metal teeth. He made a mental note to be much more careful in the future. That must be why men wear those ‘boxer’ things—to keep their wangs safe. Next he chose a shirt, a plain crimson muscle shirt because the color most resembled that of his haori. Glancing at himself in the full-length mirror, he had to admit he didn’t look half bad, though the shirt especially was uncomfortably tight. Just before he left the stall he remembered one other thing Mrs. Higurashi had told him, and tied his hair in a ponytail with the white string she had produced from her purse.

Mrs. Higurashi was busy looking through sandals for a pair the perennially barefooted hanyou would tolerate. She chuckled to herself; picking out clothes and eyeballing sizes for Inuyasha had been just like doing the same for Souta. Well, maybe not exactly the same… She certainly had never shopped for clothing that would show off her preadolescent son’s figure, for one thing. Speaking of which…

"How do I look?" came the nervous voice behind her. Spinning, Mrs. Higurashi felt her mouth go dry. There stood a gorgeous silver-haired man she could only assume was Inuyasha. The red shirt fit him perfectly, framing his well-built torso and revealing broad shoulders and muscular arms. His waist was slim and compact, and the jeans hung low on his hips. There didn’t seem to be an ounce of fat on his well-toned frame. In short, he was absolutely immaculate, and she suddenly lacked up the cognitive capacity to muster a response. Taking her silence the wrong way, Inuyasha turned to storm back into the changing room.

"W-Wait, Inuyasha! You look good…really good," she gushed, somehow managing not to blush.

"Really? I feel pretty stupid."

"Stupid?" He must be joking! "How about this? Look around the room and tell me how many young women are looking at you." Inuyasha did so, his eyes widening as he scanned the interior of the store.

"Six," he replied, then somewhat embarrassedly, "and one dude."

"Uh-huh, and I can assure you their interest isn’t because you look stupid. Now go back inside and try on some other clothes. I’d say those are keepers." When the hanyou was safely back in the dressing room, Mrs. Higurashi started fanning herself vigorously. Whoa…did it just get hot in here? Oh yes, Kagome was definitely going to enjoy her surprise. Her and the rest of the female population of Tokyo…

Kagome counted down the seconds until the final bell, preparing for the mad dash to the school’s main exit. She had somehow managed to avoid Hojo all day, even though she wound up having lunch with her friends, and wasn’t about to give the boy a chance to proposition her now if she could help it. With any luck, she could escape before running into him and having to turn him down.

*Briiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!!!!!!!*

Kagome jolted out of her thoughts and bolted out of the classroom. But as she moved hurriedly down the hall, she spotted Hojo emerging from another room, and turning her way. Frantically she looked for an escape route, and dove through the door of the girl’s bathroom on her right. She shuffled to the sink and examined herself forlornly in the mirror. What is wrong with me? Why am I running from Hojo? It wasn’t that she was afraid of him, or that she was afraid she’d be tempted to accept his invitation; she just hated the thought of hurting his feelings, seeing the disappointment written on his face. Her hope was that if she showed no interest he would eventually get the hint and move on. But after more than a year of excuses, dodging, and flaking on dates, it was becoming apparent that this wasn’t going to happen. It was inevitable really, hurting his feelings. How much longer could this charade go on, anyway? Kagome sighed. Maybe I should have a talk with Hojo…

When she emerged from the restroom, the hallways were mostly deserted, and Hojo was nowhere to be seen. Slowly she ambled toward the exit, quickening her pace when she remembered that Inuyasha was supposed to be there to meet her. When she emerged from the building, however, she didn’t spy her hanyou anywhere. All she saw were fellow students, many of which were gathered in one place. Curious, she proceeded towards the gathering, which she realized consisted almost exclusively of girls. She couldn’t yet see what they were so engrossed with, but the whispers her sensitive ears picked up caused her stomach to begin churning in alarm.

"Who’s that guy?"

"What’s he doing here?"

"Did you see his hair?!"

"I know! It’s so exotic! Do you think he dyed it silver?"

Kagome had her suspicions, and the ‘exotic hair’ comment had confirmed them. Oh, no! Inuyasha, what did you do to draw so much attention to yourself?! He forgot his hat! Or maybe he punched a guy. Or folded a bicycle in half… The possibilities really were endless, and she could stand the suspense no longer. Shouldering her way through the crowd, she picked up some more whispers that inspired a completely different emotion in her.

"Do you think he’s a transfer student?"

"That would be sweet! I hope he’s in my class…"

"Don’t get too excited, girl. Some tenth graders are already snatching him up."

Kagome felt her eyebrows twitching in jealously at that comment. Now she really hoped the mystery man wasn’t Inuyasha, just some other silver-haired, exotic-looking man-child. Not likely… Sure enough, as Kagome reached the inner circle, there was Inuyasha, with several tenth grade girls hanging on his arms and trying to engage him in conversation. His eyes met hers, and his frantic expression said it all: ‘Help Me!’ At this point, Kagome was seeing red, as the schoolgirls continued to fawn all over her hanyou. He was hers, dammit! Ok, well maybe not, but he was still more hers than theirs! And it was high time to make that abundantly clear.

"Inuyasha, darling," she called as loudly as she could. "There you are!" The girls stepped back as she drew closer, embracing him tightly and leaving a lingering kiss on his cheek. "Come on, let’s go back to my house." With the competition suitably chastised, Kagome proceeded to drag him off toward the street. Halfway across the shrine grounds, she suddenly halted, and spun around to regard him angrily.

"Inuyasha! What did you do to draw so much at…ten…tion…?" Kagome trailed off, gaping hopelessly as she noticed his new attire for the first time. Inuyasha looked…amazing, breathtaking, hot, and any number of other adjectives her muddled mind was tossing around. His chiseled chest, one she had seen many times while bandaging it, was covered only in a thin, scarlet muscle shirt. And somehow, all those previous times didn’t seem to count, now that she was practically drooling over him. He was just so perfectly proportioned, his lean body well-toned but not overly beefy. His powerful arms tensed and corded as he folded them against his chest. Lowering her gaze, Kagome found his jean-clad lower body no less appealing, the denim outlining his strong hips and thighs in ways his hakama never did. His normal wardrobe didn’t reveal nearly enough of his figure, she reflected. Moving her eyes upward, she noticed his long hair was tied back in a luxurious ponytail before reading the smirking, amused expression on his face. It was then that she realized she’d been ogling him for the better portion of a minute, and flushed beat red.

Inuyasha smirked wider as she looked away, hands coming together to fidget nervously in front of her. He could care less what anyone else thought, but getting that reaction from Kagome made all the fuss and unwanted attention worthwhile. She reeked of attraction and arousal, a scent that he was embarrassed to note was starting to affect him as he looked at her adorable face, long legs… Shaking his head, he grabbed her hand and began walking toward the shrine, allowing her to trail behind until she composed herself.

"Kagome!" three shrill voices called. Groaning, she turned to greet her friends, who nevertheless flew right past her.

"Wow, Inuyasha! You look good," Yuka spouted, eyeing him up and down.

"Yeah, you should wear modern clothes more often!" supplied Eri.

"Thanks," the hanyou replied, his whole demeanor practically oozing confidence.

"For a minute there we thought you were two-timing Kagome again," Ayumi interjected, earning blanches from both hanyou. "But then we saw your face—"

"Yeah, you looked totally petrified!"

"Like you were about to scream bloody murder!"

"And then it was so sweet when Kagome rescued you!"

"Is that why you don’t wear modern clothes often, because the girls don’t leave you alone?" Finally, the ‘gang of three’s’ incessant chattering stopped as they waited for Inuyasha to answer the question.

"Uh…that’s part of it," he replied haughtily, smirking at Kagome and causing her to blush again. Her friends all laughed at his joke, causing said miko’s jaw to drop. Or maybe it had never closed in the first place… Inuyasha told a joke? What’s next, reciting poetry and singing karaoke? Still, it was a nice change to see in him. For a boy who had hardly ever been told he was beautiful, or even pleasant to look at, today must have been one hell of a pick-me-up. She growled at the thought of other girls paying that kind of attention to him, however. It irked her to no end that being fawned over by some strangers had seemingly inflated his ego so much, when she had always thought he was gorgeous. Jealously reared its ugly head all over again, but she tried to console herself with the knowledge that he hadn’t seemed particularly interested in any of the other girls.

"So, red is your favorite color?" Ayumi said as she took Inuyasha’s arm and led him away, giving her two co-conspirators the chance to have a "private" conversation with Kagome as they trailed behind.

"Kagome! Why didn’t you tell us your boyfriend was so…hot!"

"Yeah, I mean, Hojo’s handsome, but he’s got nothing on Inuyasha. Just look at that butt!"

The barely noticeable hitch in said hanyou’s step confirmed Kagome’s worst fears. Oh, no. This is great, just great. My two baka friends don’t realize he can hear everything they’re saying! She could practically see his ego ballooning, so much so that his head might start floating away any second. Desperately she tried to think of something to steer the conversation away from her hot-butted ‘boyfriend.’ Fortunately, fate decided to help her out.

"Higurashi!" Upon hearing her name, Kagome hung her head in exasperation. Apparently her friends hadn’t been the only ones who saw her little display with Inuyasha. What am I thinking…the whole school saw it! Sighing, and wondering when, if ever, she was going to catch a break, Kagome turned and plastered on a fake smile for the new arrival.

"Hi, Hojo, how are y—"

"Kagome, can I talk to you for a minute?" Kagome froze, eyes widening as she gazed at the serious expression marring the normally cheery boy’s face. She had never seen him look that way before, nor had he ever addressed her so familiarly.

"Sure, Hojo," she replied, shooting a glare Inuyasha’s way, a silent warning not to follow. The hanyou growled, but vowed to give her the space she wanted—as long as she and that wimpy human stayed in sight, that is. Her friends tried to involve him in another conversation, but eventually gave up and settled for watching the two unrequited-lovebirds. Hojo turned to face her after a few steps, but Kagome kept walking until she was sure they were out of Inuyasha’s hearing range.

"Kagome…is that your boyfriend?" he finally asked after several seconds of gathering his courage.

"Um…" Kagome hesitated, finally realizing where this conversation was headed. This was Hojo realizing for the first time that there was another male intimately involved in her life. This was her chance to tell him she would never be his, and she knew she couldn’t miss it. "Yes, he is," she said evenly.

"I see," Hojo replied, failing to keep the disappointment from his tone.

"Oh, Hojo! I’m so sorry! I should have told you sooner, but…I didn’t want to hurt you. I guess I ended up doing that anyway…" she lamented shamefully.

"It’s alright, Higurashi," Hojo reassured her, cracking a wry smile. "I suppose I should have known all along. You never did seem that interested in me." He paused a moment, regarding her seriously once more. "Does he make you happy?"

"Yes, he does," Kagome answered, beaming.

"Then that’s enough for me."

"Oh, Hojo. Thank you." With that, she enfolded him in a warm embrace before leaning up to place a peck on his cheek. Said cheek reddened, and Hojo stammered for a moment before recovering himself. Turning and waving, he shouted a goodbye before jogging toward the bicycle rack. Kagome felt immense relief, an enormous weight lifted off her shoulders since Hojo had taken it well. Apparently they could still remain friends, though she didn’t expect to see too much of him, not with her adventures in the Feudal Era taking up much of her time. Her good vibes vanished as she turned back toward her friends, only to see Inuyasha storming off down the street. Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi seemed just as confused as she was, and she hurriedly waved farewell to them before scampering to catch up with him.

Kagome frowned as she walked behind him, craning her neck to try to catch a glimpse of his face. But he was marching too quickly for that, his whole body tense, fists clenched at his side. What’s his problem?

Inuyasha was fuming, absolutely livid. That wench…I can’t believe her! First she had embraced him, and then she had kissed him on the cheek. Then she had gone and done the same to that puny human runt! What was he, chopped liver? Just what had she said to that boy? Was he her boyfriend? The thought filled him with a maddening combination of rage and envy. He left their usual path, taking a detour through the ‘park,’ the quiet, wooded area the perfect place for the fireworks that were ready to shoot out his ears. At the sound of her voice, he snapped.

"Inuyasha, wha—"

"Shut up, wench!" he snarled, the sheer vehemence in his gaze causing Kagome to take a step back. "Why don’t you save it for that human boy you seem to like so much!" Kagome bristled at that comment, her eyes flaring to bore holes in his skull.

"If you must know," she growled, "I just told Hojo I wasn’t interested in him!" Inuyasha scoffed, though a small amount of doubt did manage to creep into his subconscious.

"Oh, stupid me! How could I have missed that?! So tell me, do all girls in this time kiss a guy when they tell him they aren’t interested? Who’s two-timing now?"

Kagome gasped. She had tried to be patient, tried to explain her actions, but that last comment had landed like a punch in the gut. Inuyasha looked primed for detonation, his amber eyes ablaze with enough fire to scorch the whole Earth many times over. And suddenly Kagome realized what the problem was. I…I kissed Inuyasha, and then I kissed Hojo! Inuyasha’s not from this time, so he doesn’t know that a kiss on the cheek is almost like a hug! No wonder he thought I liked Hojo! She knew she needed to fix this, to make Inuyasha realize that he was the only man in her life, but words just weren’t going to cut it. Well, a kiss had gotten her into this mess…

So, not giving herself time to second-guess, she firmly grasped Inuyasha’s forelocks in both hands and planted her lips on his. She meant it to be brief and chaste, but when she moved to pull away Inuyasha followed her, maintaining contact. He deepened the kiss, moving one hand to cup her neck while the other found purchase on her lower back. Kagome opened her mouth to receive him, her arms winding around his neck to pull him closer. His tongue tangled with her own as she melted against him. Conscious thought completely deserted them; they were two souls, intimately connected, operating on a whole new level. Only lack of air could break through the utter bliss they had created between them.

When they finally did pull away, both were panting heavily, inhaling the scent of mutual arousal hanging in the air. They were powerless to look away, as four orbs shone with an unnamed emotion, a singular desire heating their blood and making them ache for more. But it was not to be. The sounds of the world gradually filtered back into their private universe, shattering the moment and allowing sudden awkwardness to his them full force. Both looked away at the same time, blushing hotly, and neither knew what to say, or even if they should say anything.

"Inu—" "Kag—"

Both chuckled nervously at their simultaneous attempts to break the tension, but after several more seconds of just staring at each other, Kagome could take it no longer.

"Come on, let’s head back to the shrine," she said, resuming their journey without checking to see if he was following. Oh, Kami, I’m such a fool! What must he think of me now? He probably hates me! But…he did kiss me back… Unbeknownst to Kagome, Inuyasha’s thoughts were running along very similar lines. What the hell just happened? Is she mad at me? How could she be, when she kissed me?! Is she regretting? Inuyasha took a good look at her, noticing that she seemed sad more than anything else. So at least she wasn’t pissed at him for taking the kiss much farther than she obviously intended. He grimaced; he didn’t even know why he did it. His mind had barely wrapped itself around the fact that Kagome was kissing him when she pulled away, and he knew he just couldn’t, wouldn’t allow it to end so soon. No, he didn’t know what was bothering Kagome, but he could comfort her, be there for her just as he had always been. Quickening his pace until he was right beside her, he looped his arm around her waist, praying she didn’t push him away.

Kagome was startled, but that one simple gesture had assuaged her fears, and she relaxed bonelessly into him. This wasn’t going to ruin their friendship, or hang over their heads for all eternity. They weren’t mad at each other, and would move on, hopefully to similar moments in the future. And as they walked back to her home, the tension in the atmosphere finally dissipated completely. And they remembered why they had been arguing in the first place.

"So you’re really not interested in that guy?"

"No. Are you interested in any of those girls?"

"Hell no." Twin smiles graced their faces, and one widened as the owner recalled something else that had been said that day.

"So, wench…" Inuyasha said neutrally, causing Kagome’s anxiety to spike anew. "Do you like my butt as much as your friends do?"

Kagome tripped and would have fallen if not for Inuyasha’s strong hand. Her face vanished into his crimson shirt, and his chest rumbled with his amusement. It was a strange sound, coming from him. Not a chuckle or a snicker, but a genuine, full-bodied laugh. Kagome’s heart swelled at seeing him so happy, squashing her embarrassment and emboldening her to respond to his teasing in kind.

"Yeah, but…" he replied, craning her neck to look at his behind. "I’ve seen better."

"WHAT?!!!" Inuyasha yelled, his mirth a distant memory. "You’d better not be looking at other guy’s asses!" Kagome took off through the trees, her giggling making her very easy to follow.

"Wench! GET BACK HERE!!!!"

With her head start and the short distance to the shrine, Kagome was able to dart into the safety of the kitchen just as Inuyasha was about to catch her.

"Relax, Inuyasha! I was only kidding!" she cried, still laughing. The hanyou scowled, but she could tell he believed her. He stomped up to her room, no doubt grumbling about her the whole way. Turning, Kagome greeted her mother, who had been watching the proceedings with some amusement.

"Hi, Okaa-san!!"

"My, Kagome, you seem cheery today!"

"Well, let’s just say it has been a very interesting day."

"So…" Mrs. Higurashi inquired, sitting down at the table and pouring Kagome a cup of freshly-made hot tea. Kagome took a seat and gratefully accepted the brew. "Did you enjoy your surprise?" Before replying, Kagome looked around and stretched out her senses, trying to determine if Inuyasha was in a position to eavesdrop. That had gotten her in enough trouble today, already…

Satisfied, she answered, "Yeah, he looked amazing, Okaa-san. Thank you so much!"

"Sure, Kagome. I don’t get to spoil you enough since you’re always away. Besides," she joked, winking, "I’m sure you weren’t the only one who enjoyed his new look."

"No, about half the girls at school were staring at him when I came out."

"Only half? I thought it would have been more." Mother and daughter shared a chuckle at that.

"Oi, wench!" Inuyasha called, vaulting down the stairs, once again clad in his fire-rat garb. "I almost forgot! We have to go see if Myouga figured out a way to change you back!" Kagome smiled ruefully at her mother, but the older woman simply waved her away.

"Have fun, you two!"

"Bye, Okaa-san! We’ll probably be back for dinner!"

"The hell we will! We’re leaving tonig—"

"You think Sango and Miroku are going to want to leave after walking all day to get back…"

The sounds of their arguing faded out and vanished altogether, leaving Mrs. Higurashi alone with her thoughts. She frowned; Kagome had left something out, something important. There had been just an extra little twinkle in her eye… Ah, well, those two are acting normally, so it couldn’t have been anything bad. Who knows? Maybe I’ll get those grandchildren sooner than I thought…

"Jijii! You’d better fucking be here!"

"Ah, Inuyasha, making a loud and uncouth entrance as always," quipped Kaede from her spot by the fire pit.

"Can it, babaa. Any of you lot seen Myouga around?" he asked the rest of the Inu-gang, who were all sitting inside Kaede’s hut.

"No, but Kirara’s been scratching a lot since we got back," Shippo replied. Just then, a tiny dot leapt out of the fire cat’s fur and bounded up to Inuyasha’s nose. The flea’s attempt to suck blood was quickly smashed, literally.

"Ah, Inuyasha-sama!" the flea complained. "I thought you’d be happy to see me."

"Feh! The only reason I’m happy to see you is because it means there’s no danger around and I can relax. Now spill! Can we change Kagome back or not?"

"But it was such a long journey, even by crow, and I had nothing to eat the whole time…" Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha gave in and held out his wrist. Myouga jumped at the opportunity, gorging himself until his belly was full and distended. "Ahhhhhhh," he sighed contentedly, "tasty as always, Inuyasha-sama." Seeing that the temperamental hanyou was rapidly losing his already tenuous patience, the flea hurriedly got to the point.

"As to your question, no one I spoke had the ability to reverse this kind of transformation. However," he stated, heading off Inuyasha’s objection before he could voice it, "an old friend of your father’s said he might know of a way."

"So? How do we do it?"

"He wouldn’t say. He wished for you to travel to his home."

"What?! Why didn’t he just tell you?"

"Calm down, Inuyasha-sama. I know not why Daichi-sama insisted on meeting you in person, but I suggest you do not hold it against him. He is, after all, the only lead you have."

"Daichi…" Inuyasha said contemplatively, "why does that name ring a bell?" Myouga chuckled.

"Perhaps you will recognize him when you see him, Inuyasha-sama." Inuyasha shrugged.

"Whatever, flea. Just make sure you stick around so you can give us directions. We leave in the morning." He uttered the last part somewhat grumpily, having once again lost an argument to Kagome on the matter. Kagome was just about to tell everyone she was heading back to her time for the night when Shippo’s voice stopped her.

"Oi, Inuyasha, what’s that on your hand." Curiously, the hanyou raised said appendage, noticing for the first time the small design written on the back in blue ink. Miroku leaned in closer, inspecting the mark.

"It appears to be some kind of number…and a girl’s name." Smirking, the monk opened his mouth to deliver a hentai comment, but the suddenly stormy atmosphere of the hut stopped him. Kagome had risen to her feet, and was glaring at the offending mark so intently that her eyes appeared ready to pop out of her skull. A dark, frightening aura swirled around her, causing even Inuyasha to shrink back in alarm. Then she proceeded to stomp forward and drag the confused hanyou out of the hut.

"What did Inuyasha do now?" Shippo inquired.

"I haven’t the faintest idea, Shippo, but I hope for his sake Kagome’s anger is directed elsewhere."

Kagome was incensed, fuming, raging, and downright pissed!!! Some hussy had written her name and phone number on Inuyasha’s hand. If that skank was here right now, I’d show her something she’d never forget, and she’d never mess with me or *my hanyou* ever again! Inuyasha was content to allow himself to be pulled along. He could tell Kagome was seething at someone, but he was fairly certain it wasn’t him. Keh! She better not be pissed at me! I don’t even know when my hand got written on. Probably while I was getting mobbed at her school…

So he didn’t protest when Kagome yanked him through the well, into her house, and into the bathroom. Nor did he complain when she grabbed a washcloth, squeezed a boatload of hand soap onto it, and proceeded to practically scrub the skin off his hand. He looked at her, cleaning furiously, her eyes hardened and every muscle tensed with anger. Finally, he dared to speak.

"Kagome, wha—"

"I’m not jealous!" she shrieked, her expression challenging him to say otherwise. Inuyasha quickly shook his head vigorously, and Kagome returned to her scrubbing. I never said she was… Holy shit! She really is jealous! The realization filled him with warmth, but he also felt sorry for her. He knew jealousy well, and he knew exactly why she was feeling that way. It wasn’t because she feared he would ditch her and chase after schoolgirls. It was because another girl had marked him, placed a claim on him, unofficial as it might have been. He went through the same thing every time that wolf came around and held her hands, leaving his scent lingering on her, faint as it might be. It bothered the hell out of him, even though he was sure Kagome had no idea what was going on.

"Dammit!" Kagome swore, gritting her teeth as she put even more effort into removing the stubborn smudge. That was the last straw for Inuyasha, as he wrenched his hand from her grip and deftly sliced into his skin with his claws. When he was through, none of the blue-dyed skin remained.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried as he moved his hand so the blood would drip into the sink. "Why’d you do that?!"

"It was bothering you, so I got rid of it," he said simply.

"Well, you didn’t have to maim yourself!" she scolded, though her wavering tone revealed just how strongly his action had touched her.

"Keh! Well, I did. So are you gonna bandage me or what?" Shaking her head at his antics, Kagome nevertheless patched up his wound, a brilliant smile gracing her features the whole time.

As she lay in bed that night, Inuyasha having resumed his customary position under her window, Kagome reflected on the events of the day, and what they might mean for her—their future. It could mean so many things, the possible fulfillment of all her dreams and fantasies, or it could mean nothing. But even if things did not work out the way she hoped, she would always carry the memory of their first real kiss, and how truly amazing it had been. And with everything that had happened today, it somehow seemed less daunting to ask for something she’d desired for the better part of two weeks.

"Inuyasha, will you rub my ears again?" Amber eyes opened, studying her for a moment before he rose to his feet and wordlessly moved to sit beside her. He used both hands this time, and the dual sensations nearly had Kagome moaning in blissful pleasure. Ohhhhhhh, that feels sooooooo good… Within seconds she was fast asleep, her dreams taking her to a place where Inuyasha truly was her hanyou, and he wasn’t satisfied with one kiss.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Kagome roused from very pleasant dreams a little after dawn, feeling completely refreshed. After a hearty breakfast, she changed into jean-shorts and a plain yellow blouse. The shorts, which went down almost to mid-thigh, probably covered more than her normal skirt did, and with them she wouldn’t have to worry about flashing her panties every time she used her hanyou abilities. The tight-fitting material did show off her butt more, but she considered it a fair tradeoff. The downside was that her clothing would seem even more bizarre to people from the Feudal Era, but she expected strangers would judge her by her demon blood, not by how she dressed. That unpleasant evening in the village they rescued not too long ago came to mind. After packing several changes of clothing in her monstrous yellow backpack, she carried it downstairs to stuff the remaining space with food.

Inuyasha’s breath caught when he saw her, but he wasn’t sure he liked her new attire. The hentai in him was glad the strange garment still showed off her long, luscious legs, but the material also hugged her hips and molded to the gentle contours of her ass. The shirt was tighter as well, outlining her slender frame and making the soft swell of her breasts much more noticeable. Inuyasha gulped, then turned away, blushing furiously. Fortunately, Kagome was too distracted with getting ready to leave to notice his attention. And while she wasn’t looking, her mother slipped some of the clothing she had bought for him yesterday into the bag, sending a conspiratorial wink his way in the process. Inuyasha blushed even harder, remembering the "adventures" those clothes had caused the day before.

"Alright, Inuyasha, I’m ready," Kagome said, hoisting the bag up to her shoulder. Inuyasha snatched it out of her hand, slipping his arms through the straps as he shouldered it. "You know, I can carry that now, Inuyasha. It isn’t really heavy to me anymo—"

"Feh! I’m still stronger than you are, wench. Let’s get a move on." Kagome rolled her eyes. So much for being a gentleman…

The others met them on the other side of the well, all prepped and ready for the journey. Miroku grabbed Inuyasha’s hand and examined it, his face showing disappointment that the mysterious girl’s name had turned into a healing wound.

"Inuyasha, what did you do to your hand?"

"Keh. Only a hentai like you would want some strange girl’s name on his hand."

"So you gouged it out?" Miroku sighed dramatically. "And here I was, under the impression that you were flirting with the women in Kagome-sama’s time. You’re hopeless, you know that, Inuyasha?" To the monk’s surprise, the hanyou simply smirked. With as many times as Miroku had teased him over the years, Inuyasha decided a little revenge was in order.

"I wasn’t flirting with them, bouzu, but they sure as hell were flirting with me. Hanging all over me, maybe about fifty, a hundred of ‘em. I tried to get them to leave me the fuck alone, but I couldn’t get them to stop throwing themselves at me…" Miroku gaped at his hanyou companion, who was currently wearing a huge shit-eating grin. He appeared to be telling the truth; besides, Inuyasha lacked the creativity to make up a story like that. The normally composed monk could feel himself turning green with envy. What a lucky bastard…

"W-well," he choked, finally regaining his composure. Then, in his normal, cheery voice, he replied, "we shall just have to figure out a way to…expand the abilities of the bone-eaters well."

"What was that, Houshi-sama?!" Sango yelled, brandishing hiraikotsu menacingly. Up until this point, the taijiya had been watching Kagome, ready to bash Inuyasha over the head if his words appeared to be upsetting her. But the younger girl seemed genuinely amused over the boy’s antics, and not in the least bit angry or sad. Good, at least he’s not three-timing her.

"Why, Sango, I was merely expressing my desire to verify Inuyasha’s story."

"Verify his story, huh? You just want to flirt with all the girls from Kagome-chan’s time!"

"Think about it, Sango! If Inuyasha could attract fifty or a hundred, I might be able to draw a thousa—"

*Bonk!*

Sango stormed off, the old flea riding on her shoulder pointing her in the right direction. And though he was hungry, Myouga knew better than to attempt to sneak a mid-morning snack from the enraged woman. Miroku rubbed his head, feeling the beginnings of a sizeable lump forming as Inuyasha snickered at him. (1) Kagome promptly elbowed him in the side, effectively silencing him.

"It’s all true, Miroku-sama. Don’t be too jealous though. You should have seen his face! His eyes were practically screaming at me to save him! So I had to go in and rescue him from the horde of vicious schoolgirls." Now Miroku was chuckling and Inuyasha was sputtering.

"Wench! You weren’t supposed to tell him that!" Kagome merely favored him with an innocent look before scurrying off to join Sango and the others.

"So, Inuyasha," Miroku observed, "you can face down a swarm of Naraku’s demons but Kagome has to save you from a flock of innocent girls?"

"Shut up, bouzu!"

The next hour or so was uneventful as the group traveled slowly across the feudal countryside, but as the sun rose higher in the sky, Kagome’s sense of well being sunk lower and lower. It started with a headache, which she passed off as something upsetting her hanyou senses. But the sensation only intensified as time went on. She had never had a migraine before, but she now believed she knew what they felt like. And it wasn’t just her head that was throbbing in agony. The soreness enveloped her entire body as her limbs filled with lead. Then her stomach began churning, as nausea and dizziness struck her. It was all Kagome could do to stay on her feet, and keep her panic at bay. Hanyou weren’t supposed to get sick, right? And yet, here she was experiencing the worst set of symptoms she had ever known.

"Wench, what’s wrong with you?" Inuyasha asked gruffly from up ahead, having sensed her discomfort. Lifting her eyes, Kagome saw the entire group staring worriedly at her, and she shook her head in an effort to reassure them. But that simple act caused the world to spin as her body collapsed underneath her. Only Inuyasha’s lightning-fast reflexes saved her from a sharp impact from the ground, and he gingerly laid her on her back.

"Kagome! Kagome!" Shippo’s high-pitched voice was like a knife piercing straight into her skull, and her ears hid themselves in her hair. Inuyasha quickly got everyone to shut up, but it didn’t help. The pounding in her cranium was like a drum beat, gradually increasing in tempo and ferocity. She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to bear it any longer. What’s wrong with me?! Why won’t it STOP!!!! Then she felt something snap inside her, and everything was silent once more. Too silent, in fact. She could hear her own breathing, but not much else. It was as if someone had stuffed cotton in her ears, and she could no longer smell everything about the world around her. Hesitantly opening her eyes, she stared into the shocked faces of her friends, thinking how much less vivid the world looked.

Sango was the first to break the stunned silence. "Kagome-chan! You’re human!" Kagome sat straight up at that, nearly knocking foreheads with Inuyasha in the process. Sure enough, her questing fingers told her that her ears were back on the sides of her head, and her nails were nails once again.

"H-how…?" she asked, totally stumped.

"Kagome-sama," Miroku spoke up, "why don’t you tell us what happened. Then maybe we’ll have a better chance of figuring out what’s going on."

"Well, I got a headache, then body aches, and then I started to feel really queasy. Then I got dizzy and collapsed and now I’m human again." The group sat, silently digesting this information, for several long moments.

"Inuyasha," Miroku asked, "as a hanyou yourself, do you have any idea what happened?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Every hanyou has a time of weakness. Maybe this is hers."

"But that’s so weird!" Kagome exclaimed. "In the middle of the morning on some random day?"

"At least it explains why you were feeling sick, Kagome-sama," Miroku observed. When the rest of the group regarded him quizzically, the monk continued. "We all know hanyou have a time of weakness, but have you ever wondered why?" A collection of shrugs and blank stares greeted his question, so he carried on with his explanation. "I believe it is because the bodies of hanyou are unable to constantly cope with the strain of the youkai blood flowing through them. So periodically, hanyou lose their demonic attributes in order to allow their bodies to rest and recuperate."

"So…when I felt sick, that was my body telling me it needed a break?"

"That is what I believe, Kagome-sama."

Kagome frowned. "I just hope I don’t have to go through that every time it happens. And how often is this gonna happen, anyway? And how long is it going to last?"

"Keh! Who knows? You can still walk, can’t ya? So let’s get a move on!"

Miroku sighed. "Even though he is a baka, Inuyasha is right. Only time will tell how long it will take for your demonic powers to return, and how often you will need to lose them."

"Maybe you can change from hanyou to human and back whenever you want, Kagome!"

"I don’t think so, Shippo," she replied. But upon seeing the kitsune’s disappointed expression, she hurriedly added, "but as soon as my youkai blood returns I’ll test it out, ok?"

"That would certainly be an interesting ability to have," Sango interjected.

"Oi!" Inuyasha yelled from fifty feet ahead. "You lazy humans can walk and talk at the same time, so get your asses moving!"

Miroku smiled ruefully while standing and offering Kagome a hand up, which she gratefully accepted. "Just like old times, isn’t it?"

"Yep. I’m back with the ‘lazy humans’ again," Kagome lamented in mock despair. The group shared a laugh at that comment, tuning out the continuing sounds of Inuyasha’s blustering. Then they resumed their journey, though the hanyou did set a slightly slower pace than before. No one dared point that out, however, especially not Kagome, who was probably the most appreciative. Perhaps Sango and Miroku would have been insulted that he slowed down for Kagome but not for them, if they didn’t already know the reason why he gave her that small special treatment. It seemed like those two were the only people who remained in the dark about the truth of their relationship. But for better or for worse, they needed to figure it out for themselves.

Kagome’s youkai powers returned in a rush about an hour before dusk, and the world was suddenly there again. She hadn’t realized how much she’d gotten used to her youkai senses until they were suddenly taken away. All things considered, she was glad they were back, a conviction which confused her greatly. Weren’t they trying to return her to being human full-time? That thought prompted her to recall her promise to Shippo, but focusing her concentration yielded nothing, not even a glimmer. It seemed her youkai blood had a mind of its own when it came to coming and going.

"Oh, Kagome-chan, you’re hanyou again."

"Yeah, Sango-chan. It was a lot easier changing this way than it was the oth—" Kagome abruptly cut herself off as a positively delightful scent drifted past her nostrils. Water. Hot, steamy water. Following her nose, she swerved left off the path and into the nearby forest.

"Where are you going, Kagome-chan?"

"Oi, wench! Get back here! We are not stopping at a hot spring! There’s too much day…light…left?" Inuyasha trailed off as Kagome loomed over him, storm clouds rising around her as she glared down at him.

"You mean you knew there was a hot spring nearby, and you were just going to lead us right past it? Is that what you’re telling me, Inuyasha?"

"…"

"Osuwari!" *Thud*

Kagome stormed off, followed by Sango, Shippo, and Kirara. The monk was the only one remaining when Inuyasha peeled himself out of his self-made indentation.

"Damn bitch! What the hell was that for?!" His rhetorical question was really just for show, however, as he knew exactly how he had brought on Kagome’s wrath. Keh…maybe I did deserve that one…but haven’t they had enough fuckin’ baths lately?!

"You should consider yourself lucky, Inuyasha. In the past, I’m sure your little indiscretion would have earned you more than one meeting with the earth."

"Shut up, bouzu," he grouched, stomping after the rest of their companions.

"And once again I’m disappointed in you! I know we men don’t enjoy a soak as much as the women seem to, but there are other benefits. Take the lovely view, for example…"

"Feh! You won’t be getting any ‘lovely view’ tonight, bouzu. Not on my watch."

"Ah, Inuyasha, be reasonable! You could join me. I’d promise not to look at Kagome, and you’d promise not to look at San—"

"And what makes you think I want to look at Kagome naked?!" Inuyasha growled, keeping his voice down as he spun to face him.

"Well…that red face of yours for one thing." Said visage darkened further before the owner turned and resumed stalking through the foliage.

"You’re imagining things," he barked. Miroku chuckled amusedly at his evasiveness, but wisely decided to end his teasing, lest he wind up with another lump on the head.

After a year and a half of traveling with Kagome, Inuyasha was sure he’d been to every hot spring in Japan, but not this one. It really was a perfect campsite; a large clearing, with a hot spring in one direction and a small river in the other. Hopefully they would be eating fish tonight. And as he looked at the shimmering surface of the sluggishly-moving waterway, a devious smile worked its way to his lips. He had promised the wench some payback, after all. And she really does want a bath…

Kagome was minding her own business, helping Sango set up camp, when she suddenly found herself flung over a shoulder and whisked off to some unknown destination.

"Inuyasha! What are you doing? Where are you taking m—AH!" *Splash* Kagome came up sputtering, and started shivering immediately. "Kami, that’s cold!" Anger bubbled within her as she glowered at Inuyasha, who was looking quite pleased with himself. "I-NU-YA-SHAAAA!!!" He cringed, well familiar with that tone, and what it meant.

"D-Don’t even think about it, wench! That’s payback!" Kagome lips had already formed the ‘o’ shape to utter the first syllable of ‘the word,’ but she stopped herself. And as much as she really wanted to say it, Inuyasha did have a point. Fine, Bakayasha, you get one freebie. Pouting, she folded her arms in front of her chest and looked away. So she was understandably surprised when Inuyasha’s low snickering turned into a surprised yelp and a loud splash.

"Whoops! Sorry, Inuyasha! Didn’t see you there!" Sango exclaimed, smirking and winking at Kagome. The miko covered her amusement as Inuyasha emerged coughing and spitting.

"Sango! What the fuck was that for?!"

"I told you, Inuyasha, it was an accident," the taijiya replied innocently.

"Bullshit!" But though he knew Sango had pushed him in on purpose, he also knew that doing the same to her would not be worth the subsequent hiraikotsu-inflicted pain. At the same time, he couldn’t just sit there and do nothing in retaliation; that just wasn’t his style. So he leapt out of the spring, flying over the taijiya in an impressive display of agility, and landed in a crouch behind her. Then he shook like a dog, spraying water everywhere and dousing Sango, who was none too pleased with this new development, if the downward slash of her hiraikotsu was any indication.

*Bonk*

"Baka! Kagome and I are going to the hot spring now. And if anyone peaks at us, I’m holding you responsible, Inuyasha!" With that, the slayer stormed of toward the campsite, followed by Kagome, who was tickled by the whole situation. Inuyasha looked distinctly nervous, but then again, Sango was pretty scary when provoked. They could probably trust him to keep Miroku in line tonight. The hanyou trailed her back into camp, and she took pity on him. He looked, and even smelled a little like wet dog, so she tossed him a spare towel before joining Sango in the hot spring.

Inuyasha muttered his thanks as she departed, and glared at the monk, daring him to move from his spot by the fire. Sighing, he started drying his hair, wishing he could get out of his wet clothes. Oh! Duh, baka! Struck by sudden inspiration, he dug through Kagome’s bag until he found what he was looking for. Moving behind a tree to preserve his modesty, he quickly changed, and emerged wearing a pair of dark gray sweatpants. Man, these things are great! Screw those jeans; these are a hundred times more comfortable! But as he hung his clothes over a low tree limb to dry, he couldn’t help but feel that something was missing from the campsite, something that really should have been there…

"Dammit!"

"Ahhhhh…" Kagome moaned as she sank into the warm waters of the spring.

"Mmmm…you said it, Kagome-chan."

"And that Bakayasha was going to deny us this? He’s lucky I only said 'the word' once." Both girls chuckled at that before comfortable silence settled in.

"So, Kagome-chan," Sango asked, "anything interesting happen in your time?" She wasn’t really expecting an affirmative answer, but Kagome’s blush sparked her concern. "Oh, something did happen! Spill! Spill!"

"Nothing happened, Sango-chan! Really!" Kagome protested, waving her off.

"Kagome-chan," the taijiya said seriously, "you can’t hide the truth from me. I’m your friend, so you can tell me anything. Ok?" At Kagome’s reluctant nod, she continued worriedly, "It wasn’t anything bad, was it?"

"No," Kagome replied sheepishly, her flush deepening, "it definitely wasn’t bad." At Sango’s confused look, Kagome put her head in her hands. "I kissed Inuyasha." Her words were muffled, but Sango’s gasp indicated she’d heard them. But she waited for Kagome to explain herself, knowing the younger girl wouldn’t appreciate a bombardment of questions. "We were arguing, and I got jealous, and then he got jealous, and…I wanted—needed to show him that I wasn’t interested in anyone else."

"So did he get the message? You know how dense he is…" Kagome giggled at that, thankful that Sango always seemed to know what to say to make her feel better. She was as close to a sister as Kagome was ever going to get.

"Yeah, I think he got it, Sango-chan."

"Is that all that happened? He didn’t yell at you, did he?" Sango asked dangerously, raising her fist.

"No, no, he definitely wasn’t angry. He…he kissed me back."

"What?! He did?"

"Yep. He deepened it too; we even tangled tongues."

"T-tongues?" Sango had heard of such a thing, but had never even thought about doing it with anyone. She wondered what it would be like, a certain lecherous monk worming his way into her thoughts. She blushed crimson.

"It was amazing, Sango-chan," Kagome continued, completely lost in the memory. "I’ve never felt so alive, so connected to Inuyasha."

"That’s probably because you’ve never been more connected with him."

"Sango-chan!" Now both girls were flushing a pretty shade of red, but both were smiling and content.

"Good for you, Kagome-chan. I’m happy for you." And though she was truly happy for her friend, Sango couldn’t keep just a hint of jealousy from her voice.

"Don’t worry, Sango-chan. He’ll come arou—" Kagome paused mid-sentence, a familiar scent causing her eyes to widen in alarm. He’ll come around, alright. Discreetly she motioned for Sango to stay in the water. Catching on, the taijiya sunk down until only the top half of her head protruded. Kagome reached for a towel, wrapping it around herself as she stepped out of the spring.

"Alright, Sango-chan! I’m heading back to camp!" she called, louder than she needed to. Then, picking up hiraikotsu from where it lay on the bank, she circled in a wide arc, heading for the area the scent originated from. Sure enough, there was the lecherous monk, lying on his belly and staring through a bush. He was engrossed by whatever he was looking at, as if there was any doubt what that was, and completely oblivious to the world around him. Good, Kagome thought, slinking closer. The monk was about to get a painful lesson in not spying on bathing women. And then Inuyasha’s getting osuwari’d again for letting him out of his sight. But just as she raised hiraikotsu to thump Miroku on the head, rustling to her left stilled her forward motion. Inuyasha dashed out of the foliage, pushing the monk’s face into the ground and grabbing the back of his robes.

"Dammit, bouzu!" he whispered, still hoping to avoid discovery. "I can’t let you out of my sight fo—" He broke off, noticing for the first time the presence hovering not six feet away, his eyes widening in shock as he tuned to stare at her. She was just standing there, an equally bewildered expression on her face, her arms raising hiraikotsu over her head. And she was wearing a fluffy white towel; that’s it. Beads of water glistened on her bare shoulders, flowing down to the lip of the towel covering her chest. They disappeared into her prominent bust, and he traced their imaginary path down her body, his eyes moving lustfully over her hips. Droplets emerged from underneath the bottom of the cloth, which revealed most of her thighs to his hungry gaze. Then they wove their way down her beautiful legs, completing both the journey and his delightful visual torture.

Kagome found herself just as enthralled by the object of her attention. He was crouched down on one knee, clad in only a pair of gray sweatpants. His pale skin glowed in the dappled moonlight filtering through the canopy. His entire chest and abdomen was bared to her gaze, and his muscles seemed to ripple with a mind of their own. The sweatpants rested scandalously low on his hips, but she wanted nothing more than for them to slide lower still. The air was perfumed with mutual arousal, the clearing pervaded with the scents of overpowering desire. Ultimately, it was this that brought Inuyasha back to reality, enabled him to tear his gaze from the temptress standing before him. Abruptly he leapt to his feet, marching back into the trees and dragging Miroku, who was just now wiping the mud from his eyes, behind him.

"Ah, Inuyasha," he lamented, "must you spoil all my fun?" Inuyasha didn’t respond; he kept his focus straight ahead, trying with all his might to keep his mind off what he had just seen. But it was futile. The image of Kagome standing there in nothing but a towel had been permanently burned into his consciousness, taking its place alongside all the other images he kept of her in various states of dress and undress. But this one was different. This was the first time that he had been equally unclothed as she, and the tantalizing scent of her arousal almost drove him to do something he would regret. How badly had he wanted to rip the towel from her, take her in his arms, kiss her senseless?

It scared the shit out of him, his desire. That was why he’d left, because to crave something—someone so intensely inspired an immeasurable fear in him. It was many-faceted, this fear; part of it stemmed from the unknown, the fact that he had never before been gripped by such longing. The need itself was frightening, past hurts and betrayals weighing heavily on his heart. But just the thought of his happiness riding so much on one person, this light amongst the darkness, filled him with dread. Most of all, however, he feared rejection, that Kagome would finally realize that he was a dirty hanyou unworthy of her love, her desire. And yet, he couldn’t regret his vulnerability, his unbreakable attachment to this girl. She who returned everything he felt for her, and perhaps more. But how much did he feel for her? The answer seemed to dangle just out of reach, teasing him with promises of bliss, but remained elusive. Tossing Miroku back into camp, he leapt into a tree, praying to every Kami imaginable that Kagome did not realize what the scents in the air meant.

Kagome quickly retreated to the hot spring, her breathing ragged, her body flushed with a combination of lust and embarrassment. She had wanted to leap on top of him, trapping his hard, powerful body beneath her as she plundered his mouth with her own. She was throbbing, aching with need of an intensity that blew her away. And…he had felt the same way, the delicious scents in the air telling her as much. She beamed at the thought, but it only served to remind her how much she yearned for him now. The warmth of the water could never compare to the heat of his back as she rode him, the feel of his hands as he carried her, the sensation of his lips brushing against her own…

She shook her head, trying to cool down, vowing to sit in the uncomfortably warm water until she composed herself. Unfortunately, a certain taijiya decided not to cooperate.

"Well, that certainly was interesting…" Sango stated slyly. "Inuyasha must have gotten those pants from your time, huh?" Kagome blushed furiously and glared at her friend, who was currently foiling her attempt to forget what Inuyasha looked like in those pants. Just those pants… "He looked pretty good, didn’t he, Kagome-chan?"

"Sango-chan!" At this, the taijiya cackled, her amusement at the expense of her flushing friend finally bubbling over. And surprisingly, it helped Kagome relax, though that was mostly because annoyance proved to be a welcome distraction from her embarrassment. And the ensuing splashing fight helped too, especially since she had the mortal woman begging for mercy through her giggles by the end of it.

By the time dinner was served and most of the group had gone to sleep, however, Kagome was no longer content. Inuyasha had been skittish the entire time, barely looking at her and fidgeting nervously whenever she looked at him. That he donned his soaked hakama and haori was indicative of his discomfort. But what truly bothered her was his scent: embarrassment mingled with fear and shame. Maybe she would have let his behavior go before the acquisition of hanyou senses allowed her to read his emotions, but not now. She couldn’t let him feel this way about their encounter, their physical feelings for one another. They definitely needed to have a talk, one which was probably long in coming.

"Inuyasha?" she called up to him, but received no response. "Inuyasha, please, come down. We need to talk." She used her most beseeching tone this time, and heard a sigh before he dropped down right in front of her. His face was hard, his emotions masked, but his eyes revealed great inner turmoil. Kagome walked a little ways beyond the reach of the campfire, knowing he would follow. She sat down in the grass, motioning for him to do the same. He did, but kept a noticeable distance between them, looking away with a small frown marring his features. Kagome sighed inwardly. He’s not going to make this easy, is he?

"Inuyasha…" she breathed helplessly, searching for something to break the ice. "Are you…mad at me?" That got a reaction out of him; it was shock, but at least it was something.

"Wh-What?! Mad at you! Why would I be mad at you?"

Kagome shrugged forlornly. "I don’t know. You’ve been ignoring me since we…since the hot spring."

"Well, I’m not mad at you. If anything, you should be mad at me." His voice sank low as he finished, and Kagome heard the remorse, the self-degradation in it. She studied him, the way his eyes were downcast, his ears drooped in resignation like a whipped puppy, the scent of his fear, and everything clicked into place. He…he’s not ashamed of wanting me…he thinks I’m mad at him for it! Baka! Can he truly not see how much I love him?

"Why should I be mad at you?" Inuyasha remained silent as the countless reasons why Kagome should leave him and never return flashed through his mind. But he couldn’t voice them aloud, these insecurities, lest he give up all hope and forever damn himself to a life of crushing loneliness.

"Look, Inuyasha," Kagome continued at his silence. "I know you feel…attraction towards me, even *gulp* lust. And I’m not mad. I know probably never been told this before, but…it’s ok to feel that way about someone."

"Why?" was all the stunned hanyou could muster, but Kagome heard the questions he didn’t ask. Why is it ok that a filthy hanyou is lusting after you? Why don’t you run away? Why don’t you find me disgusting?

"Because I feel the same things for you." Inuyasha was floored, frozen in place as what Kagome just said sunk in. Sure, he knew she was attracted to him, but nothing could have prepared him for the feelings that would bombard him upon hearing her admit it. Relief was probably the foremost. She wasn’t ashamed to feel that way about him; even now, she was smiling at him. And slowly, his lips quirked in a smile as well, as he raised his head to meet her gaze. And looking into her eyes, he felt all his tension, his fear melt away. Perhaps it truly was ok, after all.

"So, wench," he said, clearing his throat as he attempted to change the subject. "How was it being human again?"

Kagome made a face. "Actually…it was weird. I actually missed my hanyou senses a little."

"Keh! I know what that’s like. I feel naked without my senses." Inuyasha smirked as Kagome’s face reddened; she was no doubt remembering what he looked like sans clothing from any number of times she had seen him naked or near so. Yes, it was…freeing, to be able to tease her like that, and to know that she didn’t mind. She could do the same to him, and probably elicit the same reaction.

"Come on, baka," she said, grinning despite her blush. "Let’s get back to camp." She held out her hand, and Inuyasha took it, not releasing it until he returned to his position in the tree. As he surrendered to contented slumber, he reflected that things were changing rapidly now. His relationship with Kagome had opened, moved to the next level, and he had never felt so close to her—to anyone—before. It truly was freeing. There was no other word to describe it.

"Oi, Myouga! How much further, already?!"

"Patience, Inuyasha-sama. Daichi-sama’s cave is another two or three days journey by foot."

Grrrrr. "I’m gonna give that jiji a piece of my mind when we get there! Makin’ us walk all this way…"

"Relax, Inuyasha," Miroku interjected. "There really is no need to rush. Kagome’s hanyou powers aren’t hurting her, are they, Kagome-sama?"

"Nope. I’m finally starting to get used to them."

Inuyasha scowled. It had been three days since they left Kaede’s village, and they didn’t seem to be getting any closer to achieving their goal. And as far as he was concerned, there was substantial reason to rush. He could already see it happening; Kagome was starting to appreciate her hanyou powers. And how could he blame her? He loved his senses, his strength, his agility, and hated losing them, even for one night a lunar cycle. But there was a darker, more sinister side to being a hanyou, one that he didn’t like to talk about. Perhaps if he was more open with his past, it would have been easier to get the humans in the group to move their asses quicker. They would have understood his urgency, the reason why he so adamantly wished for Kagome to return to her human form permanently. His memories were like poison, the passage of time barely dulling the sounds of his cries, the yelling, the agony, and the blood. Eventually, he had hardened, years of loneliness and torment layering themselves over his heart in a near impenetrable wall. Kikyou had cracked that wall, and Kagome had penetrated deeper, brought it to the brink of shattering on several occasions. Kagome…

She was a delicate flower fluttering in the breeze, her mind free from taint. If he ever lived to see the day when she wilted, spirit broken, and began constructing her own wall… He shuddered, knowing that witnessing the destruction of such a beautiful being would kill him. His heart clenched upon imagining what she would look like. Her dazzling brown eyes would darken as the light inside her faded. She would become a ghost, a shell of her former self. She would become…Kikyou. He gritted his teeth at the realization. No! I won’t let that happen! Kagome was so full of life, and he would do anything in his power to make sure she stayed that way. He would shield her from anything, all the prejudice, all the hate of the world if he could. Kagome would not become Kikyou.

So lost in thought was Inuyasha, that he almost missed the familiar scent on the breeze. Perhaps he would have if the smell wasn’t so pungent, and didn’t inspire feelings of jealousy and irritation within him. Kagome’s declaration that she sensed approaching jewel shards only confirmed what he already knew. This was about to get ugly.

"Hey, Kagome," Koga asked, leaping out of his tornado to land right in front of her. As always, he grasped her hands and stared into her eyes as he spoke. "How’s my wom—" Kagome might have laughed at the wolf’s expression if she wasn’t suddenly so unbearably nervous. Koga’s eyes widened to an impossible degree, his jaw dropping as his nose worked overtime to verify again and again what his eyes were telling him. His gaze drifted to her ears, and he stared at them as they twitched anxiously under the scrutiny, his arms falling to hang limply at his sides. His mouth worked silently for several long moments, trying and failing to form words. Finally, he seemed to gather himself as another emotion swiftly replaced shock.

"Inu-kurro!" he yelled, darting over to confront Inuyasha eye to eye, less than a foot between them. "What. Did. You. Do. To. MY. WOMAN?!!!!"

"Feh! I didn’t do anything, you mangy wolf!" At this, the rage burning in Koga’s eyes only deepened.

"Then what did you let happen to her?!" Inuyasha didn’t have an answer, and Koga’s anger boiled over as he swung his fist, which the hanyou easily dodged. "I’m going to kill you for this, Inu-kurro!"

"Oh, yeah? Bring it on! I’ve wanted to tear your lungs out through your ass ever since I met you!"

"Inuyasha! Koga-kun! Please!" Kagome screamed, placing herself between the two glaring youkai, one hand on each rival’s chest. Both males growled low, but backed off, for the moment at least. Kagome turned to face the new arrival, her hands clasped pleadingly in front of her.

"Koga-kun, it’s my fault this happened, not Inuyasha’s."

"Don’t defend him, Kagome. He’s not worth it. If he was a halfway decent protector…this," he barked, waving his hand at her, "would never have happened."

"No, Koga-kun," Kagome replied hastily before Inuyasha could. "It really was my fault. Inuyasha told me to stay out of the way, but I didn’t listen."

"Th-That doesn’t matter! Dammit, Kagome! I knew I shouldn’t have left you with that incompetent moron! I should have been there to—"

"Well you weren’t there, were you, wolf? You were off sniffing around the countryside with your flea-ridden buddies!"

"You want I should take Kagome with me? I’d be more than happy to take her as my mate right now! And then she’d never need to be near you and your rancid stench ever aga—"

"THAT’S ENOUGH!!!!!" Kagome’s incredible outburst silenced not only the two bickering males, but the entirety of the surrounding forest as well. Not even the smallest creature dared to move or make a sound, lest it draw the formidable ire of the enraged woman glaring death at her two companions. She was blushing head to toe, but the hotness of her cheeks only served to make her seem even more incensed.

"Inuyasha, Osuwari!!" *Thud* "And you!" she yelled, turning to face Koga, whose snickering abruptly ceased. "I am NOT your woman and I’m DEFINITELY not going to be your mate!" Once again, Koga’s jaw dropped to his knees, but he quickly slammed it shut. Turning his head away, he changed the subject.

"So…what are you planning to do about this?"

"We’re going to meet someone who might know how to change me back," Kagome answered, softer this time as a twinge of guilt struck her.

"I think that’s for the best." Then, in a flash, Koga was in front of her once more, holding her hands. "Kagome, you are my woman, and you will be my mate. You just don’t know it yet." With that, he leaned down, placed a peck on her cheek, and dashed off.

"Oi! I saw that!" Inuyasha called from his prone position on the ground. "Get back here and let me rip your lips off!" Unbeknownst to the hanyou, the rumbling volcano that was Kagome had not yet erupted. If he had known, he would have covered his ears.

"GAH! I’M SURROUNDED BY THICKHEADED BAKAS!!!!!" After she finished her deafening cry to the heavens, Kagome stood stock still, breathing heavily and trying to regain her composure.

"Well..." Sango said after a while, being the only one brave enough to break the silence. "That was interesting." At her words, Kagome felt all her anger melt away, to be replaced with remorse and guilt. Oh, no! What did I do?! I never meant to say those things to Koga!

"Oh, Sango-chan! I don’t know what came over me! When he said he was going to *gulp* mate with me, I just felt this incredible urge to punch him in the head. It was all I could do to just yell at him instead!"

"Hmmm…sounds like your demon instincts acting up, Kagome-chan. I don’t know a lot about youkai mating, but claims have a lot of weight in the youkai world. If a male claims a female who doesn’t appreciate his claim, then that male had better look out."

"Yes, Kagome-sama," Miroku added. "You probably felt the need to invalidate Koga’s claim, since it’s pretty clear you don’t like him that way. What do you think, Inuyasha?" he asked, anxious to see what stuttering, awkward comment the hanyou would come up with on such a sensitive subject. But Inuyasha wasn’t paying attention; he was staring off into space, a small, contented grin tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome tried, drawing him from his daze. He blushed crimson at being caught daydreaming, especially since he had been repeating Kagome’s words to that self-righteous prick Koga over and over in his head. "I am NOT your woman and I’m DEFINITELY not going to be your mate!" Keh, about time she put that fleabag in his place! Too bad he’s too stupid to get the message…

"Alright, enough time wasted! Let’s go!" he ordered, effectively covering his embarrassment. To his surprise, Kagome sped past him and proceeded to walk ahead for the next several minutes. It baffled him, and he as he tried to figure out the reason behind her actions, he took a deep breath and noticed that they had just about left the foul stench of wolf behind them. At that moment, Kagome began drifting back until she resumed her customary position among the humans. Now he was truly mystified, and he knew he would find no peace until he got to the bottom of it. Then, as he reconsidered what had transpired in the past few minutes, a thought struck him. A positively delightful thought, one that caused his visage to twist in a smile so evil it would have put the Grinch himself to shame. But he had to be sure, and to that end he stopped directly in front of Kagome, staring at her when she came to a halt before him. He searched her eyes, delving into the farthest reaches of her mind, tirelessly searching for anything to confirm his theory. Finally, she cracked, lowering her head and flushing furiously, and Inuyasha nearly whooped in victory.

"That’s it! You hate that mongrel’s scent too!"

"I do not!" Kagome yelled, though her voice lacked its usual conviction.

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Come on, Kagome! I can tell you’re lying. It’s as clear as day!"

Frowning, Kagome finally gave up the charade. "I don’t…hate his scent…I just don’t like it." At this, Inuyasha could contain his glee and amusement no longer, as he chuckled merrily while adopting a big, shit-eating grin. The other members of the Inu-gang backed off a step, finding the hanyou’s behavior decidedly creepy.

"Oh, I can’t wait to rub his nose in it!"

"Inuyasha! If you ever tell Koga-kun, I swear…I don’t know how many times I’ll say ‘the word,’ but I promise it will be a new record!" And even that threat could not dampen Inuyasha’s good mood, though it did cause him to reconsider his plan of exposing Kagome’s secret to the wolf. Keh! It might be worth the osuwaris just to see the look on his face!

"Dammit!" Koga swore as he sped away from his woman. A riot of emotion flowed through him, his feelings almost hopelessly jumbled. Ever since he had first fallen for Kagome, there had been a plan, one that was supposed to go off without a hitch. He had been completely honest when he had declared his love for her the day of the battle with the Birds of Paradise. Never had he met a woman more worthy of his hand. And because she was human, he vowed then and there to be patient with her. She wouldn’t understand youkai customs, that his claim on her was binding, and that he was seriously defying convention by allowing her to remain in the company of that half-breed mutt. But for whatever reason, she wanted to stay with her friends, and he respected that.

He scoffed. Any youkai bitch would be glad to have me, so why is the one woman I want not interested?! (1) Kagome’s harsh words came back to him, ricocheting around in his mind and shooting straight through his heart. All at once his plans came crashing down around him. He would make Kagome his mate, his wife, and she would bear his children…hanyou children. He shuddered at the thought of what Kagome had become. Having hanyou children was one thing, but mating one…well, that was another entirely. Hanyou were tainted, impure, proof that two beings had blatantly broken the laws of nature. They were to be hated, ostracized, even killed, and the world would be better off without them. Most were weak to begin with; how Inuyasha had managed to survive as long as he had was a mystery. Probably because of that sword of his…

It was not lost on Koga that he was planning to shatter those very laws of nature by mating with Kagome. He would love her, cherish her until the end of her days. He would remain faithful to her even as she became old and weary, but when her mortal lifespan was finally used up, he would move on. He would give her children to make her happy, and they would know no harm while he was alive, but he would never truly consider them his heirs. For that, a proper youkai mate was necessary. But he had hundreds, perhaps even thousands of years to find one of those, and he wanted to enjoy a mortal lifespan with the first woman he had ever fallen for.

Unfortunately, fate had continually interfered with his plans. It started with Inuyasha, and Kagome’s incomprehensive attachment, even affection for the ingrate. He had no idea why she even bothered to care for the bastard, especially considering how he treated her. He offered her protection, but the price for it was insults, sadness, and tears. He didn’t shower her with words of affection as she deserved, though perhaps that was because Inu-kurro was still hung up on another woman! And yet, Kagome had made it perfectly clear that she cared deeply for the jackass, perhaps even loved him. She certainly seemed to prefer his company over his own.

But Koga wouldn’t—couldn’t give up. He loved her far too much for that. Kagome would change back into the human form he adored so much, and then he would slay Naraku, proving once and for all that he was the only man deserving of her hand. And she would come to him willingly. This he had to believe, despite the way she and Inu-kurro seemed to be drifting closer every time he saw them, or how his logical mind told him she was already lost. To believe otherwise, to throw away his faith in himself, would be to admit defeat. And that was something he would never do, especially to a worthless half-breed.

Inuyasha’s pleasant mood slowly dissipated as the day wore on. It wasn’t that he began feeling bad for the wolf; that certainly wasn’t the case. But how was he supposed to be happy when Kagome obviously wasn’t? He had a fairly good idea what was bothering her, and it pissed him off to no end. I always knew he was an asshole, but this is bad even for a bastard like him! He didn’t know what stirred his ire more: Koga’s harsh reaction or the fact that it affected Kagome so much.

Dinner was a quiet affair, as everyone in the group sensed that their miko companion wasn’t in a mood for conversation. Finally, just as the tired members of the Inu-gang were settling down for the night, Inuyasha snapped. The scent of her melancholy had been bad enough, but ultimately, what pushed him over the edge was the salty smell of the tears she finally allowed to fall as she slipped into her sleeping bag. Grabbing Shippo by the tail, he tossed the runt across the campsite, ignoring his high-pitched protests. Then he snatched up Kagome, still encased in the sleeping roll, and darted into the forest. She didn’t protest his actions, and her silence only fueled his anger. Reaching a suitable distance away from camp, he set her down against a tree, the gentleness of his movements belying the turmoil raging inside him. He began pacing back and forth, trying to come up with something to say. Kagome merely sat watching him, her eyes dulled by dejection.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, wench!" was what he finally settled on, though her cringe and the way her ears lowered suggested that perhaps that hadn’t been the wisest choice of words. Taking a deep breath, he plopped himself on the ground, sitting cross-legged a few feet in front of her.

"Look, Kagome," he continued, his tone much softer this time, "I have no fucking idea why, but you seem to value that fleabag wolf’s opinion of you. But I can’t believe you let him get to you this much! If he can’t accept you for who—what you are, then he’s not worth your fucking time or your friendship!" That got a reaction out of her, though he still saw the hurt in her eyes. Today, this innocent young woman had experienced her first taste of rejection, and it had inflicted deep wounds. And it got worse; Koga hadn’t insulted her, called her filthy names, tried to kill her… But those things could happen in the future, and Inuyasha once again reaffirmed his promise to return Kagome to her human form. This goal was really the only thing he and Koga agreed on, but he wasn’t like that bastard. Whereas Koga probably wanted Kagome to transform back for his own selfish reasons, for Inuyasha it truly was about what was best for her.

"Did you see how he looked at me, Inuyasha? Like he couldn’t stand to look at me?!"

"You think I haven’t seen that look a thousand times?! You know what I say about the people who look at me that way? Fuck ‘em. Just fuck ‘em. You find people who accept you for who you are…and you care about what they think. The rest of the world can go to hell." By the time he was finished, Inuyasha was no longer looking at her. Instead, he was staring at the ground, lost in memory, and Kagome finally understood why he dragged her out here tonight. Oh, Kami, the way I’ve been acting…Inuyasha must think that Koga’s opinion is the only one that matters to me! It hurt so bad…but Inuyasha’s right. I can’t let Koga get me down, not when my friends and family still accept me! Chocking back a sob, Kagome launched herself out of the sleeping bag, enfolding the surprised hanyou in a warm embrace.

"I’m sorry, Inuyasha. You’re right; I shouldn’t have let Koga-kun get to me. I didn’t mean to belittle you, or make you think—"

"Alright already, wench! Quit your blubbering!" he ordered, gently pushing her away. "Just promise me you won’t keep moping around all day. You’ll slow us down," he added reflexively, but Kagome just smiled at the lame attempt to cover his concern.

"Ok, Inuyasha. I’ll be fine, as long as you accept me…" she trailed off, her unspoken question hanging in the air.

"Feh! You don’t even need to ask." Then she flashed him that smile, that dazzling look, the one she only showed when he’d done something to make her deliriously happy. The one that turned his legs to jelly and his insides to mush. Blushing, he leapt to his feet, turning his back on her.

"N-Now get back to bed! You’ll be no good to us in the morning if you don’t sleep!" Kagome merely chuckled at his retreating form as she bent to retrieve her sleeping bag, reading his embarrassed escape for what it was. Inuyasha still wasn’t comfortable with revealing his softer side, but that side of him seemed to be coming out more and more regardless. There was an extra bounce in Kagome’s step as she returned to camp. Though Inuyasha and her friends wanted her to return to human form, she knew they accepted her as she was. Their attitude toward her hadn’t changed. These were the people she would place her faith and trust in, and no one else’s opinion mattered.

A lone figure moved leisurely through the trees, silhouetted by the glow of her eerie servants slithering overhead. Her face was stoic, a finely-tuned mask of indifference, but confusion and unrest wracked the inner workings of her mind. How long had it been, since everything she thought she knew had been thrown to the fire?

Her childhood, her years of training, her time as a practicing miko…all these had impressed upon her one central truth about the world: that youkai were impure, and miko were pure. The powers of the miko were inexorably opposed to youki, so that one must inevitably triumph over the other. To that end, youkai should be purified at every opportunity, a mission Kikyou fulfilled faithfully until that day. The day she met Inuyasha. His humanity had saved him, stilled her arrow, even allowed them to become companions. But his youkai side haunted her as her professional convictions would not allow her to look past his taint. As they became closer, her miko powers became increasingly dormant, and she began to feel the weight of helplessness upon her shoulders. If this demon should seek to betray her now, would she be able to defend herself and the Shikon no Tama? Eventually, the jewel itself provided her with a solution, one which would benefit all parties. But it was not to be; betrayal did indeed strike, whether it was from Inuyasha or a thief named Onigumo, whose wickedness she had greatly underestimated.

Kikyou had known all these things as surely as she knew that Inuyasha owed her his life. But when Kagome spied the jewel shards, fired an incredibly powerful arrow in spite of the demon blood running through her body, everything came crashing down upon her head. For days afterward she had wandered, trying to convince herself that it was a trick, but no plausible explanation presented itself. Finally, she had realized the truth, that Kagome truly was a hanyou miko, the first in the history of the world. And with that realization came the superfluity of questions which had been plaguing her thoughts ever since. The first was, quite simply, how was this possible? To this day she had no answer, though Inuyasha’s explanation seemed reasonable. But if that was the case, and the purity of a person’s heart determined her overall purity, then what did that say about her own heart? Was it not pure to devote one’s life to slaying youkai? Was it not pure to look past the demon half of another, and hope for a future with him should he rid himself of it?

At one time in her life—both her lives—she considered herself at the highest pinnacle of purity. But now, evidence to the contrary had begun to stack convincingly against her. And most of it stemmed from a comparison between herself and her reincarnation. She started to lose her powers by merely associating with Inuyasha, while Kagome, who had probably gotten closer to the hanyou than she ever had, showed no sign of weakening. Even while harboring demon blood within her body, the younger miko had managed an impressive display of miko abilities. So why had she, Kikyou, lost her powers? Was it Inuyasha’s fault, as she had always assumed, or was it something else, something wrong with her?

It had taken many days for the answer to truly sink in, and it nearly brought her to her knees when it had. In her brief time with Inuyasha, she had never fully accepted him. She had always regarded his youkai side as a danger, a defect that needed to be removed. She had never trusted him, accepted him for what he was, as Kagome did. That was why she lost her powers; because she judged him by his blood, not by his actions and the content of his heart. That was true purity, to look past all physical manifestations and only see a person’s soul. She had always criticized Kagome for her lack of training, but in this, that very amateurism helped her reach a level of purity that Kikyou herself could never hope to achieve. For she knew she could never completely banish her rigid training, her inflexible beliefs about right and wrong, miko and youkai. But she was at least coming to terms with her fallacies, the tragic mistakes of the past, as her wounded soul slowly healed. Day by day, a warm sensation of peace wrapped itself more snugly around her. And so she continued her aimless wandering, longing for the day when her soul would perhaps finally find the complete peace it desired.

"Ouch!" *Slap*

"Dammit, Myouga! How many times do I have to tell you not to bite Kagome?!"

"But, Inuyasha-sama," the flea whined pitifully from his place between the hanyou’s fingertips. "It’s been such a long journey, and Kirara won’t let me take any of her blood. I’ve had nothing to eat for days!"

"Go suck on Shippo."

"Oi!" the kit protested.

"But Inuyaaashaaaaaa-samaaaaa," Myouga drolled, putting on his most sympathetic air. "The blood of beautiful young women always tastes the best. Add in the distinctive flavor of youkai…oh, Kagome-sama’s blood must taste heavenly!"

"Too bad. You’ll have to find another one."

"Oh...becoming…dizzy. Can’t…remember…directions. Must…have…nourishment." Myouga swooned, drawing an exasperated growl from Inuyasha. Nevertheless, the hanyou bared his arm, and Myouga attacked it with vigor. When the flea had taken what Inuyasha deemed to be a sufficient amount, he was unceremoniously flicked off.

"There, ya fuckin’ pest! Now get us to Daichi’s quickly or I’ll turn you into a Myouga-pancake!"

"Pan-cake?" Miroku questioned curiously, causing Inuyasha to stare off into space as a memory came to mind. The flat, circular disks, covered in butter and syrupy goodness…it had been almost as good as ramen, or bacon!

"Kagome’s okaa-san made them for us once. They’re really good." Miroku’s eyebrows raised in surprise. Okaa-san? Since when does Inuyasha address *anyone* so respectfully? Kagome’s mother must have made quite an impression on him. Inuyasha snapped out of his daydream when he felt eyes boring into the back of his head, and turned to see Kagome gazing at him contemplatively.

"What are you looking at, wench?" he grumped, though there was no real hostility in his words. Kagome shook her head and smiled wider. When Myouga called her beautiful, she had cringed, mentally preparing herself for a snide remark, somewhere along the lines of "Beautiful? I don’t see any beautiful girls around here." When this customary, caustic reply never came, but was instead replaced by "You’ll have to find another one," she turned to stare at Inuyasha in amazement. For he had just directly implied that she was in fact beautiful, and apparently didn’t even realize it. Over the past few weeks, her nose had informed her that this is what he thought, but actually hearing him state it aloud, though in not so many words, was entirely unexpected. She chuckled lightly. Yes, Inuyasha had changed. No longer was he the brash, insulting, infuriating hanyou he had been when they first met. He still charged recklessly into battle, swore like a sailor, and could stoke her ire like no other, but he had certainly mellowed. He no longer insulted her at every reasonable opportunity, and his overall mood had greatly improved. Having friends he could trust had probably been the biggest factor in these changes, but Kagome liked to think that she had helped him in other ways as well. She was the only one of the group who loved him, after all, and the first one to grant him unconditional acceptance. Overall, he had become much happier since that first night by the Goshinboku. His eyes were brighter, and he no longer carried the burden of Kikyou’s death on his shoulders constantly.

"Kagome…" he said darkly, causing the miko to sigh. He’s not going to let it go, is he? She really didn’t want to tell him why she was smiling at him. If he knew, he would probably just get all flustered and make a scene. Fortunately, a scent in the air had Inuyasha snapping to attention, their conversation forgotten. As she recognized the scents, however, she decided that she would rather have taken her chances with answering her temperamental hanyou’s question.

"Heh," Inuyasha smirked, cracking his knuckles in anticipation, "I was hoping to see you bastards again! Will you stay and fight this time, I wonder, or will you run off with your tails between your legs like last time?!"

"Believe me, cretin, fear had nothing to do with our hasty departure following our previous encounter," Takehiko replied easily, not in the least bit bothered by Inuyasha’s blustering. In fact, both he and his sister seemed extremely confident, which immediately put Kagome on edge. "Stick to the plan, Sora," he said before both attacked.

Takehiko shot straight toward Inuyasha, slashing in a downward arc with a long, curved blade that widened slightly at the end. The weapon crackled with youkai energy, but Tetsusaiga had no problem meeting the attack head-on and repulsing it. After several moments of heated exchanges, it appeared that Inuyasha had the advantage in both physical brute strength and the power of his sword. But what Takehiko lacked in power, he made up for in grace, agility, and swordsmanship. Inuyasha found himself on the defensive, barely able to keep up with the swift strikes, and several tore gashes in his haori. Finally, the hanyou regained his proverbial footing, lashing out with the Kaze no Kizu. His opponent dodged effortlessly, but Inuyasha followed up, attacking with measures swipes of Tetsusaiga, careful to avoid overswinging and leaving his enemy an opening. The mass and force of his sword strikes compelled Takehiko to dodge or parry, as he seemed reluctant to block the attacks directly. He continued dancing, counterattacking where he could, but mostly staying just out of killing range. The two drifted farther and farther away from the rest of the combatants as Inuyasha doggedly pursued, his irritation increasing exponentially with each missed stroke.

Meanwhile, Sora had immediately taken to the air, unfurling her large, powerful wings and hovering in place. Each flap sent hundreds of small shards of youkai energy toward the Inu-gang, like white-hot bullets cutting through the breeze. It almost appeared as if the was flinging her feathers at them, but that was not the case; she was using her feathers to manifest her youkai power into an energy attack. Her targets scattered, and Sora ceased her harassment, biding her time. Sango was the first to respond; she leapt on Kirara, flinging hiraikotsu straight at the Sora’s neck. A flap of the hawk’s wings sent the weapon off course, the boomerang skidding to the ground off to the side. As the taijiya flew to recover her weapon, Miroku stepped forward and opened his kazaana. Sora’s expression revealed her shock, but another mighty beat of her wings gave her just enough time to launch an energy attack in the monk’s direction. This time, Sora condensed her energy, firing several larger orbs instead of a hundred. Miroku closed his kazaana just before lunging to the side to avoid being burned to a crisp where he stood. This was the opportunity Sora had been waiting for, and she took it without hesitation, diving toward her true target: the now-unprotected miko-hanyou bitch.

Kagome, startled by the sudden change, fumbled with the arrow she had been notching. The weapon clattered uselessly to the ground, and Kagome watched with wide eyes as the hawk youkai bore down on her. She leapt away at the last second, launching herself backward in an attempt to avoid impalement by the sharp talons she could see glistening in the sunlight. But it was futile; the bird’s momentum was too much to overcome, and her expertise on the wing was extraordinary. Sora grabbed Kagome’s shoulder, the claws piercing her flesh and holding it like an inescapable vice. Then, before the miko had even registered the pain, she drove a dagger into her gut. Oddly, Kagome felt no pain. She could see the silver hilt of the weapon protruding from her stomach, but there was no accompanying sensation that would tell her the rest of the weapon was even there.

Then, it happened. Blinding, burning agony exploded throughout her body, and an anguished scream escaped her throat. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think; it felt as if her body was being torn asunder, ripped apart from the inside. The darkness closed in swiftly, beckoning her to surrender to the strange power invading her. But at some level, in some stubborn corner of her mind, she refused. Her miko powers surged unbidden within her, the last, automatic defense of their mistress, who found herself on the very precipice of death. And suddenly the blackness was gone, as was the tortuous agony, and she collapsed forward, another’s scream replacing her own.

Inuyasha spun around upon hearing Kagome’s cry, nearly having his head lopped off as a result. But he ignored Takehiko now, and charged back toward his comrades with the inu youkai hot on his heels. For a brief moment, Kagome and Sora were locked together, then there was only pink. Out of the blinding flash shot Sora, screeching at the top of her lungs, her cry sending all the creatures of the woodland and the plain running for cover. She trailed acrid black smoke, her wings ablaze with unquenched flame as she plummeted to the ground. Over and over she rolled, her battered body absorbing the impact, the unforgiving earth nevertheless putting out the fire that tormented her. Thin bolts of purity still crackled around her, even as she lay motionless in a heap.

"Sora!" shouted Takehiko as he sped by Inuyasha to reach his sister. He checked on her quickly, snatched up the dagger lying nearby, then gathered her into his arms and sped off at a speed none of the Inu-gang could match. Not that any of them intended to give chase.

"Kagome!" sounded four voices, more or less in time with each other. To their surprise and relief, her eyes fluttered at the noise, and she slowly sat up. She wobbled slightly, and appeared confused at first, but as her short-term memory returned her eyes darted all around in alarm.

"Relax, Kagome-sama," Miroku said, "they’re gone. You made sure of that."

"Yeah, Kagome!" Shippo enthused. "I’ve never seen such a strong miko attack! It made the hairs on my tail stand on end." Kirara, in her small form once again, mewed in agreement. Kagome frowned, brows furrowing in consternation.

"But what happened to me? Why did my miko energy explode like tha—" Kagome cut herself off as Miroku kneeled before her and lifted her shirt enough to expose her stomach. Her first instinct was to push the garment back down, and maybe smack the monk, but she tamped it down upon seeing his astonished expression and remembering the knife wound she surely must have down there. There was a brief scuffle as Miroku was quite literally tossed aside by the back of his robes, his hand replaced by a clawed one.

"Fuckin’ hentai! Stay away from Kagome!"

"Inuyasha, I assure you, my intentions were honorable. I merely wished to check Kagome-sama’s wound." The hanyou spared a glance at Kagome’s stomach before returning his glare to the monk.

"What wound? I don’t see anything."

"Which is very odd, considering the fact that I swear I saw Sora shove a dagger into Kagome’s gut."

"WHAT?!! You better not be fuckin’ with me, bouzu!"

"Do you think I would joke about something so serious?"

"Wait, Inuyasha," Kagome interrupted before the hanyou could respond. "It’s true. She really did stab me…about here," she said, using one finger to point out the approximate point of entry. Inuyasha studied the small patch of skin; it looked just as smooth and flawless as the rest of her flesh! And with that in mind, he couldn’t help but zoom his eyes out a bit, the flat, toned expanse of her stomach mesmerizing him completely. "It was really weird," Kagome continued, oblivious to his distraction. "It didn’t hurt at all where she stabbed me, but the rest of my body was on fire! Like I was being torn apart from the inside…" she trailed off, noticing the all too pleasant sensation of gentle fingers caressing her belly. She flushed lightly as she noticed whose hand it was, and the glazed-over look swimming in his amber eyes. "Uh…Inuyasha? You can put my shirt down now."

Inuyasha blushed crimson, and withdrew his hand instantaneously, making Kagome wish she hadn’t said anything. His embarrassed eyes met hers for a moment before he looked away. The movement caused him to notice the flow of blood still trickling from her shoulder, and he leapt to his feet and walked away. Kagome was immensely relieved when he returned with her first aid kit, having at first believed that he was too mortified to remain in her presence for the time being. Then she remembered the wound herself, and glanced at her shoulder, the corresponding pain finally working its way into her consciousness. She grimaced as she took in the damage: Sora’s talons had torn several holes in her blouse and sheered right through the strap of her bra.

"Damn! That was my favorite bra! And I liked the blouse, too…" The wounds themselves were not too severe; they would only have been serious if she was human. As it was, they were already healing on their own. Nevertheless, Inuyasha delicately cleaned and bandaged the punctures, as she had done for him countless times. He wore a look of intense concentration, his inexperience with the art of healing evident in his expression. But surprisingly, the bandaging turned out fine; Kagome felt that she couldn’t have done a better job herself. "Thank you," she said shyly when he was finished. He merely grunted a "Feh" before standing and looking around, swearing under his breath about the cowardly flea who had obviously run off at the first sign of danger.

"Are you sure there’s nothing wrong with your stomach, Kagome-chan?" Sango inquired, prompting Kagome to lift up her shirt and examine the area one more time.

"Yep. There’s nothing there, and I don’t think there ever was."

"That’s so strange, though! A dagger that doesn’t cut? I don’t like whatever those two are plotting."

"It must have something to do with their desire to get their brother back," Miroku stated. "We must be extra cautious the next time they come around. You are their true target. It would be best if some of us kept that in mind." His inflection rose, making it perfectly clear just who he was referring to. Inuyasha pointedly ignored the jibe, but Kagome noticed that his ears did droop slightly. Maybe that was why he bandaged her wounds instead of letting someone else do it; because he felt guilty for leaving her unprotected? But he didn’t leave me unprotected! He took Takehiko out of the fight, and it was three—four counting Kirara—against one! He can’t possibly blame himself, can he? She knew the answer to that question. Inuyasha never had problems placing blame for something upon his shoulders. He blamed himself for Kikyou’s death, and her second death, and for any number of times she herself had been injured or nearly so. Most of the time, it wasn’t his fault at all; such was the case here. But he didn’t appear to be too bummed, and Kagome didn’t think it would be a major issue.

"Where is that damn flea?!" he griped aloud. "We’ve wasted enough time today!" Hmph, Kagome thought, some of that "wasted time" was you staring at me. But she wisely kept such thoughts to herself, knowing that being reminded of his momentary indiscretion would put her hanyou in a sour mood, indeed. And it wasn’t like she really minded the contact… Raising her shirt again, she examined the part of her that had kept Inuyasha so enthralled. She was pleasantly surprised at what she saw. Since when do I have abs? Now, she had never been pudgy, and the last of her baby fat had vanished sometime around her sixteenth birthday, but she had never been blessed with perceptible muscles either. Yet, there they were, not overly pronounced, but clearly visible to anyone who gave her more than a passing glance. She had to admit she liked the view. Another benefit of being a hanyou, I guess…

"Oi, wench! You gonna sit there staring at yourself all day? Let’s go!" Kagome scowled at him, barely holding back the reflexive osuwari that came to her lips. She settled for sticking her tongue out at him.

"Where are we going, Inuyasha," she asked dubiously. "Have you found Myouga yet?" The hanyou sputtered for a moment, then huffed haughtily.

"Feh! He’ll find us if he knows what’s good for him." As if on cue…

"Ouch!" *Slap*

"Kagome, wha—oh, I’m gonna fuckin’ kill that flea!" Said flea popped back into form, rubbing his tummy happily, the picture of contentment.

"I was right! Kagome-sama’s blood is absolutely divine!"

"I don’t care, pest. You’re dead!"

"W-wait, Inuyasha-sama!" Myouga exclaimed from his place on Kagome’s palm, waving his arms in an attempt to placate the irate hanyou bearing down on him. "I have something very important to ask y—"

*Clap*

"oooooh, such is the life of a flea." Myouga once again popped into his normal, rounded shape, and Inuyasha grasped him firmly between two fingers.

"Now tell us what’s so important, and then get us to Daichi’s, or I’ll squish you about a hundred more times!"

"No need to resort to threats, Inuyasha-sama! I am your faithful servant!"

Inuyasha scoffed. "Faithful? Where were you when the fighting started, huh? Hiding in a bush?"

"Where I was watching the battle from doesn’t matter! But who you were fighting…that’s what’s so important! Who was that Inu youkai, Inuyasha-sama? Do you know his name?"

The hanyous shrugged. "Takemiko…Takehiro…"

"Takehiko?" the flea supplied.

"Yeah, that. Why, do you know him?"

"I suppose you could say that," Myouga sighed, his eyes glazing over as if gazing upon a distant memory. "Come, everyone. Sit around Kagome-sama and I will tell you everything I know about this Takehiko." When everyone was settled, Myouga began. "It must have been over a hundred years ago, soon after Inuyasha’s father met his mother (1). Word got out that the Inu no Taisho was infatuated with a human, and many sought to challenge him for the Western Lands, believing him to be weak. Most found otherwise very quickly. There were others, however, who were actually strong enough to be a threat to your father…" Here, Myouga paused, his face wilting as if the next part of the story caused him great pain. "One of those few was an Inu youkai named Yuudai. He was one of your father’s most trusted advisors…I was there when word of his betrayal reached your father. The only other time I saw the Inu no Taisho look so incensed was right after the battle with Ryukotsusei, and that was because your mother was in danger. Of course, Yuudai’s wicked actions also placed your mother in grave peril. He waited like a snake in the night, biding his time while hiding his hatred of your mother and her relationship with your father. While the Inu no Taisho was away, he tracked down your mother and sought to ruin her, then kill her. Only Sesshoumaru’s intervention spared your mother that fate, an—"

"Hold up, flea! Did you just say that Sesshoumaru saved my mother?"

"Yes, I di—"

"That’s the most insane thing I’ve ever heard!"

"It isn’t, Inuyasha-sama! Yes, Sesshoumaru resented your mother, perhaps even hated her, but your father asked him to watch over her while he was away. It was his duty as a son to protect her, and Sesshoumaru always took his duties very seriously."

"Keh. He’s still a bastard."

"Quiet, Inuyasha! I wanna hear the rest of the story!" Shippo spoke up, feeling secure in his place on Kagome’s lap.

"Why you little—"

"As I was saying," Myouga interrupted loudly, effectively reducing Inuyasha’s outburst to quiet grumbles. "Sesshoumaru was not strong enough to take on a youkai of Yuudai’s caliber, but even back then he was one of the fastest youkai alive. He whisked your mother away, and brought her to your father, with Yuudai in hot pursuit. The ensuing battle was one for the ages, I assure you. It took almost a full day, but the Inu no Taisho finally emerged victorious, and Yuudai was slain. However, the entire turn of events shook him to the core. Fearing for your mother’s life, he was prepared to cut all ties with her and never see her again. That night, he took her into his chambers to inform her of his decision. I know not how she persuaded him otherwise, but when they emerged the next morning, they were full-fledged mates and your mother was carrying you, Inuyasha-sama."

"Wow…" was all Kagome could say, but in doing so she merely expressed what everyone else was thinking. "That’s an amazing story, Myouga-jiji, but what does it have to do with Takehiko?"

"Oh, I forgot! I must be hanging around Totosai too much. I swear, that old man is so forgetful! But he’s still the best swordsmith arou—"

"Get on with it already!"

"Patience, Inuyasha-sama." But seeing as the hanyou lacked that essential quality at the moment, Myouga hurriedly continued. "Yuudai had a son. In those days, it was customary to kill the family of traitors. But Yuudai’s mate had already passed on several years before, and the Inu no Taisho could not bring himself to slay the orphan whelp—your mother’s influence, no doubt. So, over Sesshoumaru’s objections, he banished the boy from the Western Lands, to let nature do with him as it saw fit. That boy’s name was Takehiko."

"Feh. So he’s got a grudge against me for something my old man did to his old man? How stupid."

"I’m not so sure, Inuyasha," Miroku spoke up. "He’s never given any indication that he holds the past against you, has he?" Inuyasha shook his head.

"It is possible that he simply does not know that you are the son of the Inu no Taisho," Myouga said. "He was long gone by the time you were born, and your father was very careful to keep your arrival in this world a secret. To this day, few demons know you are his son."

"If that is indeed the case, then it would be best to keep it that way," Miroku supplied, his tone making it clear that he expected an argument. He was not disappointed.

"Why? Either way, we’ve got a score to settle. I’ll beat his conceited ass no matter what!"

"I do not believe our opponents need any more motivation, Inuyasha," Miroku replied. After a couple more minutes of persuasion, and some gentle coaxing on Kagome’s part, they got Inuyasha to agree not to exacerbate the situation by throwing the past in Takehiko’s face. Then, true to form, he rudely ordered them to get off their "lazy human asses" and resume their journey. Sango rose and pulled Kagome to her feet. The miko staggered, a wave of dizziness washing over her as she leaned into the slayer.

"Kagome-chan? Are you alright?" she asked, her voice revealing genuine concern.

"Yeah, I just feel woozy…"

"Hmmm…well you were wounded, and we don’t even know what that dagger did to you."

"Anyone would feel drained after emitting a purification blast of that magnitude," Miroku said. "Inuyasha! Why don’t we wait here for a while."

"Feh! Fuck that! Kagome, get on." Kagome raised her eyes to find Inuyasha kneeling down in front of her in his classic "get on my back" pose. So she did. She sighed deeply as she settled her body against him, his hands securely holding her thighs as he walked. How long had it been since he carried her? A month? She had missed this, the simple pleasure of feeling him so close to her, their bodies pressed intimately together. The only place she felt safer was in his arms. Resting her cheek against his haori, she let the gentle motion of his gait soothe her into slumber.

She woke to the delectable scent of roast rabbit. Opening her eyes, she was startled to find that it was dusk already. Sango and Miroku were sitting by the fire eating, while Inuyasha and Shippo lounged against a nearby tree, probably having already scarfed down their portions of the meal. Shippo was eyeing the remaining meat hungrily, the stick that spitted it placed just close enough to the fire to keep the meat warm. Inuyasha just looked indifferent; his eyes were closed and his expression peaceful. But one of his ears was quirked in Shippo’s direction, and Kagome knew he would be on the kit if he took even one step towards her share of the meat. He wasn’t wearing his fire-rat haori, and she briefly wondered where it was before realizing it was on her. That he had thought to remove it and lay it across her like a blanket warmed her heart and brought a brilliant smile to her face. It was such a little thing, but all of his small gestures of friendship meant the world to her. She stood, and her glee waned as he turned to gaze at her. She gasped, instantly knowing something was wrong. His eyes lacked their normal fire; there was something ominous lurking behind those normally bright amber orbs, haunting them.

"Thanks," she said, handing him back his haori, to which he nodded.

"You better eat that before the runt gets his paws on it," he grumbled, pointing to the meat by the fire. Then he stood, shrugged on his haori, and padded softly into the forest. Kagome watched him go, desperately wanting to follow but needing some answers first.

"What’s wrong with Inuyasha?" she asked, her anxiety apparent in her voice.

"We’re not sure, Kagome-sama," Miroku answered. "He’s been like that ever since this afternoon." It took a few seconds for the light to go on in Kagome’s head, but when it did she nearly bopped herself on the head. Of course! Hearing Myouga talk about his mother today must have been hard for him. Inuyasha’s mother had always been a sensitive subject, one rarely discussed. He loved her—he had said as much before—but thinking about a deceased parent always brought up painful memories. Kagome could verify that with absolute certainty. Now that the detective work was over, Kagome wolfed down some of the rabbit meat and gave the rest to Shippo. It took her only a few minutes to find Inuyasha, her nose having little trouble following his trail. He was sitting hunched-over on a gentle rise near the edge of the forest. His long, luxurious hair trailed in the breeze, glinting in the young moonlight and giving him an ethereal quality. She could sense the sadness in his aura as she approached, and he did not acknowledge her when she sat down next to him. After several minutes of oppressive silence, Kagome gave up trying to come up with something to say. If Inuyasha wanted to talk about what was bothering him, then he would. If not, then he wouldn’t. All she could do was be there by his side, and hope her presence soothed the turmoil in his soul.

"I wonder…" he mumbled after what seemed an interminable amount of time, startling Kagome. "Would my mother have been better off if she’d never met my father, or had me? They were together for such a short time…did she regret? She was always so sad…"

"I once asked my mother the same thing," Kagome replied softly, recalling unpleasant memories long-buried. Inuyasha looked at her for the first time, watching as her eyes brightened slightly, and her lips quirked in a tentative smile. "She told me she didn’t regret meeting my father, and even if she knew how short their time together would be, she still would have married him. I bet your mother felt the same way about your father…and about you." Inuyasha was silent for a long time, and Kagome eventually stood up and turned to head back to camp.

"Kagome." She stopped, the hint of desperation in his voice making her heart clench. "Thank you."

Kagome nodded, flashing him a small grin, before resuming her trek. He joined her, and they walked back to camp together, hand in hand.

"Well, Kagura? See anything interesting?"

The monotony of life was suffocating. Confined to yet another one of Naraku’s castles, waiting for the cold bastard to give her something to do or decide she was no longer useful. Some days she preferred the latter. Finally, when she thought another day cooped up in the dreary complex would drive her insane, she swallowed her pride and asked—begged—to be allowed to leave, promising to behave and not go far. She had apparently caught her master on a good day, because Naraku sent her out to check up on the Inu-gang. With most of the Shikon jewel in his possession, he grew more arrogant and self-assured every day, and had neglected to keep an eye on his enemies. He confidently predicted their demise when he deemed the right time to go out and meet them. For Kagura, the job was just what she needed to break the tedium of her existence.

So she trailed Inuyasha and his companions all morning, staying downwind and out of sight. The exercise in stealth was also immensely enjoyable, at least compared to how she usually spent her days. A couple of times she got too close, and Inuyasha would stop and spin around, sniffing the air. But he could never catch more than a passing whiff of her, and probably thought he was imagining things. What confused her was the first time Kagome also looked back and scented the air. She gasped loudly when she saw the black, triangular ears atop the ex-miko’s head, nearly giving away her hiding place. She didn’t know how such a thing came to pass, but Kagome was a hanyou. She sat contemplating this in a tree as the group ate lunch, and was still deeply confused when two strange youkai, an inu and a hawk, assailed them. She found herself rooting for the Inu-gang, since they were some of the few individuals who stood any chance of defeating Naraku. She despaired when the hawk youkai zeroed in on Kagome, closing for the kill, and was dumbfounded into a slack-jawed stupor when Kagome repulsed the attack with an incredibly powerful blast of miko energy. How could Kagome, a hanyou, still have the use of her miko powers? It should have been impossible, but she had seen it with her own two eyes…

That thought caused a sinister smile to form on her lips, and she hurried back to Naraku’s castle. So here she was, telling Naraku almost everything she had seen, but leaving out one very crucial detail.

"So Kagome is a hanyou, huh?" he reflected aloud, grinning maliciously from ear to ear. "Excellent! Her miko powers have always been a thorn in my side, quite literally in at least one instance." With that, he waved Kagura away, and the wind sorceress gratefully took her leave. She didn’t know how much longer she could keep a straight face. Yes, Naraku knew Kagome was a hanyou; he would have found out eventually and she had no choice but to tell him. But he didn’t know she still possessed miko powers. Hopefully, the day he found that out would be his last.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.  The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise.  No copyright infringement is intended.

"OW!!! Dammit, Takebaka! Be more careful!"

"If you would just sit still and grit your teeth we would be done already," Takehiko replied, resisting the urge to fling the bandages at his sister and tell her to dress her own wounds. The seriousness of her burns forced him to put up with her whining, as she wouldn’t be doing much of anything for a few days. Bitching was really all she was capable of, and boy had she been doing a lot of that lately… There was something, however, which he would not tolerate. "How many times must I tell you not to call me that?!"

"Call you what?" Sora asked innocently.

"Takeb—I won’t say it."

"Well how am I supposed to know what you don’t want me to call you if you don’t tell me, Takebaka?"

Grrrrrrr. "There, you’re done!" he growled irritably tying the last bandage into place. Rising, he stomped off to calm down, and hopefully to keep himself from strangling his sister, whom he had just spent the whole of the afternoon and evening patching up. Her genuine, if not somewhat strained, laughter rang out behind him.

"Come on, Onii-chan! (1) Lighten up! I’m burned to a crisp here and in excruciating pain and I still have a sense of humor! Where the hell did you leave yours?"

"Oh, let’s see…I probably lost it when you almost got yourself killed today!" he yelled, rounding on her. "What the fuck were you thinking?!"

"It’s not my fault! How was I supposed to know she had miko powers?!"

"She told us, that’s how! You stupidly assumed that she lost them after assimilating Minoru’s youki."

"Don’t give me that bullshit! Tell me you didn’t make the exact same assumption."

"…"

"That’s what I thought."

"Yeah, well at least I didn’t nearly get myself purified."

"That bitch is gonna pay for that, believe me," Sora sneered. "Just look at my beautiful wings! I look like somebody roasted me over a fire!"

"I noticed."

"You’re a real asshole, you know that, right?"

"Would an asshole have bandaged you up so nicely? And while listening to your non-stop bitching?"

"Bitching, huh?" she asked, a playful glint in her eye. "Well at least I’m not a stinky ass-sniffing little puppy." Takehiko shook his head, a low chuckle rumbling in his chest. He could never hope to win a verbal insult contest against Sora. She was the youngest of the three of them, and though they had all grown up quickly, she was the only one who allowed her youthful side to show often. Plus, she was certainly the most talkative of their trio. Duo, he mentally corrected, at least for now.

"Sora," he said, the light bantering replaced by deadly seriousness. The hawk looked at him quizzically, but did not interrupt. "When we go back into battle, just…be careful."

Nodding, she cracked a solemn smile. "You too, Onii-chan. Neither one of us wants to end up alone again." A somber, oppressive atmosphere descended on the siblings, and neither dared break the silence. Lost in thought, they didn’t notice as night fell and the rest of the world went to sleep. They could only hope the sun would rise on their trio once more, someday.

"There it is. Daichi-sama’s cave."

"About fuckin’ time," Inuyasha grumped. It was mid-morning, the day after Takehiko and Sora’s latest attack, and the hanyou’s already short supply of patience was wearing thin. He was really the only one of the group with any sense of urgency, for good reason. He didn’t want Kagome’s return to being human to be a decision, but a foregone conclusion. And yet, that was exactly what he could see happening, as Kagome became more comfortable with her hanyou senses and abilities every day. Now that they were finally here, he hoped he could nip that problem in the bud and end her metamorphosis today.

The cave entrance was large, at least fifty feet in diameter, and carved into the side of a small mountain. The area around the base was clear of trees for at least a hundred yards in every direction, and covered in lush grass and wildflowers. Larger beds of flowers were dispersed throughout the clearing, expertly maintained by careful hands. Kagome was overwhelmed by the beauty of it all, stopping to sniff at the brilliantly colored blossoms as they wove their way through the maze. In hindsight, that probably wasn’t the best idea.

"ACHOO!" she sneezed, a full body motion that nearly knocked her off balance. It happened again. And again. Inuyasha was laughing at her, staying well away from the aromatic blooms. She might have osuwarid him had she been able to draw in the necessary breath. Finally he took pity on her, walking back and tossing her over his shoulder, backpack and all, before resuming the trek. It was a good two minutes before Kagome was able to calm down, and she grimaced in disgust at the slimy mucus on her hands. She wiped them off on the only thing handy.

"Oi, wench! What did you just put on me?"

"Nothing." Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. Her voice was just too innocent… Setting her down at the edge of the field, he quickly removed his haori, glaring daggers at her the whole time.

"Ah, gross! I don’t want your fuckin’ sticky nose shit on my back!"

"Here, Inuyasha," Kagome offered, handing him a baby wipe she had produced from her bag. "And that’s what you get for throwing me over your shoulder."

"Ungrateful bitch. So much for ‘thank you Inuyasha for saving me from the smelly flowers,’" he declared in a high-pitched voice, which she belatedly realized was supposed to be mimicking her own. It was an extremely bad imitation, and it had the added effect of making him seem about twelve years old. Sometimes I think Souta’s more mature than he is.

"I do not sound like that, baka. And I am grateful! You didn’t have to carry me like that, though. We all know how much you like it," she added sarcastically.

"Feh!" Kagome was satisfied with that answer, knowing that it constituted an admittance that she was right. Her enjoyment over the small victory was shattered by the sounds of giggling behind them. Shippo was laughing openly now, while Sango was trying to hide it and Miroku just shaking his head with an amused look on his face. Kagome’s cheeks heated slightly in embarrassment over their immature behavior. Inuyasha seemed to have no such problem, being himself a virtual connoisseur of juvenile conduct.

"Now, if the wench is done sticking her nose in shit, we can go." Kagome had to literally bite her tongue to keep from uttering ‘the word.’ No, bad Kagome! Remember what you promised yourself. I will only use it when he really deserves it. I will only use it when he really deserves it. I will only…

A low growling from up ahead stopped them in their tracks. Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga and motioned for everyone to stay back. He carefully picked his way along the path, the snarling increasing as he neared the entrance to the cave. Kagome was gripped by trepidation, but it subsided when Inuyasha relaxed his posture and sheathed Tetsusaiga. The rest of the Inu-gang hurried to join him, only to find an angry youkai guarding the entrance to the cave. It was small, probably about three feet tall at the shoulder, and fox-like, resembling a miniature version of the large youkai Tsubaki had produced from her eye. Inuyasha shuddered at the unpleasant memory; he would never be able to forget the way Kagome had looked as she aimed her arrow at him. The youkai paced the entrance to the cave, as if daring any of them to come closer. In fact, the most intimidating thing about it was its demeanor.

"Shut the fuck up, you sorry excuse for a youkai!" Kagome sighed as the youkai’s growls intensified. Leave it to Inuyasha to get into a shouting match with an animal.

"What the hell is going on out here?!" came a deep, booming voice, the effect amplified by the echo of the cave.

All eyes raised as a large figure stepped into view. He was a youkai, humanoid in shape but not in size. He stood at least twenty feet tall, wearing a plain ensemble consisting of mostly furs. His skin was a tawny brown, his eyes a darker shade with pitch black pupils. Jagged markings adorned his cheeks, revealing him to be a youkai of great status. He stood for a moment examining them, until his gaze fell upon Inuyasha. Recognition flared in his eyes and his lips quirked in a smile.

"You must be Inuyasha! I’d recognize that fire-rat haori anywhere! How is it after all these years? Still holding up well? That’s what I designed it for, you know. When your father commissioned me to make it…" Inuyasha looked to Kagome for help, but she was just as confused as he was. Where had the deep, booming baritone gone? Why was this guy babbling on and on about Inuyasha’s haori in rich tenor? What the hell was going on?

"Oi! We’re here to see Daichi. Are you him?" Inuyasha spoke up irritably, finally silencing the loquacious man.

"Oh, forgive me! Where are my manners? Please come inside and make yourselves comfortable. We have much to discuss." With that, he picked up the small fox youkai, comforting it with soothing strokes of his large hand, and went inside. The Inu-gang stared at each other in bewilderment for a moment, then shrugged and followed the mysterious youkai into the cave. They settled down on what seemed to be a designated sitting area, where the floor had been smoothed out and covered in lush furs. Their backsides certainly appreciated the amenity. They sat in a half-circle, with the large youkai at the open end. He held the fox in his lap, petting it. The animal seemed content, though it still glared daggers at all of the visitors in turn.

"Now," said the tall youkai, "let’s get down to business. I am Daichi, a bear youkai in case you’ve been wondering. I believe you’ve already met Sakura." Kagome blanched. That thing was named Sakura?! That name was perfect for adorable little girls, or beautiful women, not vicious demons who looked like they wanted to eat you! Talk about a misnomer…I was expecting something like ‘Bastard’ or ‘Shredder.’ (2)

Daichi chuckled warmly at their incredulity. "Yes, I always get that reaction the first time people meet Sakura. She’s very protective. But once you earn her trust, she’s actually very sweet." The "sweet little youkai" continued to send death glares their way regardless.

"I am Miroku," the monk stated, taking his usual role as group spokesman. "And this is Sango, Shippo, Kirara, Inuyasha, and Kagome." Daichi nodded and smiled at each person in turn, but his gaze lingered on Kagome, who surprisingly did not feel uncomfortable under the scrutiny. Her instincts told her this Daichi could be trusted, and she considered herself a good judge of character.

"It’s nice to meet you all," Daichi replied, shifting his gaze back to Inuyasha. "I hope you don’t take offense, but your little group is the single strangest collection of individuals I have ever seen. Humans, youkai, a—two hanyou…it’s nice to see humans and youkai who don’t have an inherent disdain for each other, or for hanyou. There are too few of us out there. And then you’ve got the crazy old codger, Myouga. Where is that flea, anyway? Ah, well, I’m sure he’ll turn up when he’s hungry."

"Oi, jiji. Are you gonna give us what we came here for or are we just wasting our time?" Far from being offended by Inuyasha’s rudeness, Daichi chuckled lightly.

"As coarse as ever, eh Inuyasha?"

"Quit talking like you know me, bastard. I’ve never met you in my life!" Daichi’s smile faded at that remark.

"You don’t remember, do you?" At Inuyasha’s blank look, he continued. "I’m shouldn’t be surprised. It was a long time ago, and you were still young. As a matter of fact, you’re still young. Kids these days…they think they’re all grown up, ready to take on the world when they’re barely off their mother’s teat. Running around, swinging huge swords without the maturity to wield them properly. My son was the same way. Oh, you should have seen some of the stupid, infantile things he di—"

Grrrrrrr. Inuyasha’s fragile temper finally snapped, and his irritation boiled over. He leapt to his feet, drawing Tetsusaiga and brandishing it menacingly before him. "Dammit, would you SHUT UP! You’re like a gabby wench! Now tell us whether you can help us change Kagome back or I’m gonna fuckin’—"

"Osuwari." *Thud*

"What the fuck was that for, bitch?!"

"You were being rude. You shouldn’t threaten our host!" Chuckling again, Daichi hurried to reassure her.

"That’s quite alright, my dear. I have a bad habit of getting off track and rambling about something totally unrelated to what I’m supposed to be talking about. Like this one time, I—"

"AHEM!" Kagome interrupted, sensing that Inuyasha was about to blow a gasket.

"Oh, there I go again! Ok, back to business. Um…what were we talking about?"

"Why you—"

"I believe," Kagome interjected, curtailing any further outburst from her hanyou, "that Inuyasha was wondering how you knew him."

"Oh, that’s right. Let me start at the beginning," he said, the unvarying amusement that seemed to constantly grace his features vanishing abruptly. "I was a close friend of the late Inu no Taisho, and one of the few that he trusted with the knowledge of your existence, Inuyasha. He told me your mother was carrying you when he asked me to make the fire-rat armour that you still wear to this day. Your father feared, rightly so, it would seem, that harm would come to you should he pass away before you were grown. He desired for you to live with your mother in her human village. In the event that something were to happen to him, he asked me to keep tabs on you and your mother, and to take custody of you myself should something happen to her. And then, he died. Things were fine for several years, as you grew up in the human village. When I heard your mother was ill…I hurried over to the village, but by the time I arrived it was too late. She had passed on and you had run off. I searched for you, but even back then you were an expert in concealment. It was two years before I finally found you, and by then you didn’t want my help. When I told you who I was, I believe your exact words were, ‘Go to hell. And if you see my father there, tell him thanks for nothing.’"

Silence pervaded the cave after Daichi finishes speaking. The wind wisping past the mountain, the slow trickle of water dripping at the back of the cave…all of these sounds could be heard, but not even the cheerful chirping of the birds outside could break the somber, oppressive atmosphere that had descended upon them. Kagome watched Inuyasha’s eyes, as they filled with old pain, just a hint of moisture making them glisten. She watched as the emotion was buried, blinked away, and he searched for a memory. She could tell when he found it, as his eyes hardened in anger, then softened in understanding. He lowered his head, his hair forming a shimmering silver curtain around his face.

"Is that why you made us come out here? To tell me that?" he rasped, his voice blank, holding no discernable emotion.

"Yes," Daichi replied solemnly, "and no. I also wanted…to apologize. I failed my duty, the promise I made to your father. I’m sorry for the life you’ve liv—"

"Don’t."

Daichi gulped, looking absolutely crestfallen at this demand. "I truly am sorry, Inuy—"

"I said don’t!" Inuyasha yelled, raising his head. His eyes glowed with fiery passion, anger, regret…in that moment, they were a reflection of everything he ever was and ever would be. "You’ve got nothing to be sorry for!"

Daichi could only stare in shock as his mouth worked uselessly. "But…but…"

"Kami, do you ever shut up?! I said there’s nothing to forgive! For the longest time, I cursed my lot in life, but now… All that shit I went through…it made me stronger, strong enough to protect this gang of helpless humans and youkai that like to follow me around." None of the "helpless" appreciated Inuyasha’s disparaging assessment of them, but no one dared interrupt his monologue. They all knew from experience that he didn’t really mean it; it was a defense mechanism, a way for him to hide what he was truly trying to say. "So if you’re looking for me to cry, wail, or lament my fate, you can forget it. I wouldn’t change a single fucking thing!"

Silence reigned once again, but this time it was of the shocked variety, touched with a flavor of awe. Kagome beamed, for she heard what he didn’t say, what had been going through his mind as he spoke. If the past had been different, I wouldn’t have met the friends I have now. She felt the irrepressible need to touch him, to offer him comfort, to let him know that she loved him just as he was, past and all. She only hesitated briefly before placing her hand gently on his shoulder, unsure if he would allow such a display of affection in public. She was relieved when he merely turned toward her and smiled, placing his own hand upon hers. It wasn’t much, just a small upturn of the corner of his mouth, but it was enough. And I wouldn’t have met you, Kagome.

A low chuckle broke the moment, as Daichi’s laughter bled away the tension that had built up in the cave. "You are young of body, Inuyasha, but perhaps you are not so young of heart."

"And just what the fuck is that supposed to mean, huh? If you’ve got something to say, just say it!" Kagome sweatdropped. He was saying that you’re more mature than you look, baka. So much for that idea…

"Never mind, Inuyasha," Daichi replied good naturedly. "Now, on to the real reason why you’re here."

"Hey, yeah!" Inuyasha exclaimed, irritation forgotten—for the moment. "Can you change Kagome back of not?"

"No, I cannot." A third deafening silence descended upon the gathering. Indeed, the only sound that could be heard was the clenching of a certain hanyou’s fists. "But," Daichi continued, "I know someone who can." Far from being mollified by this news, Inuyasha’s angst continued to rise.

"You’d better not fuckin’ tell me that we have to go see this someone now."

"Well, I suppose you don’t have to…" Daichi amended thoughtfully.

"Damn fuckin’ son of a BITCH!!!! You’ve gotta be shitting me! First we have to wait for Myouga, then we have to come here, and now we have to go there! Are we getting anywhere at all?! Why does it feel like we’re just chasing our tails?!"

"Yes, yes, you’re in a hurry. I know the drill; my son was the same way. Everything always had to be done quickly, with no time wasted. I swear, some days I thought he was trying to rush past me into the grave! Like this one time…" (3)

"Where are you going, Inuyasha?" Kagome called after the swiftly departing hanyou, who was stomping toward the entrance to the cave.

"Getting the hell out of here before I end up throttling that bastard!"

Sighing, Kagome favored Daichi with an apologetic look. "I’m sorry for him, Daichi-sama. He’s just…a little…"

"Don’t worry about it, my dear. I understand. He wants what he thinks is best for you." He studied her for a moment, and Kagome wasn’t sure she liked the mischievous smirk that worked its way onto his expression. "You know, Kagome, you are very beautiful, and I’ve seen plenty of your good character this day. I wonder…perhaps I could introduce you to my son? He could accompany you on your quest." Kagome, who had been blushing at Daichi’s compliments, didn’t have a chance to reply before her vision was blocked out by red cloth.

"She ain’t fuckin’ interested, bastard!" Daichi had the decency to look surprised, but Kagome could still see the smirk lurking just below the surface.

"No need to be jealous, Inuyasha."

"I’m not!"

"Pardon me, then. I must have been mistaken," he said slyly, his loaded tone revealing what he truly thought. And that smugness, along with what he had been proposing, was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

"That’s it!" Inuyasha yelled, spinning and marching stiffly toward the outside world. "We’re leaving. NOW!"

"Calm down, Inuyasha," Miroku called back, "we still have to get directions to…who did you say we had to see next, Daichi-sama?"

"I didn’t. Her name is Aoi, and she lives several mountains over. Her mountain is the one with the purple ring around it; you should be able to see it from here. I put in a good word for you, so you should have no problems." The monk nodded his thanks and stood to leave, as did most of his companions. The only one who remained was Kagome, who felt compelled to try to explain why she didn’t want his son to accompany them, and why nothing romantic could ever develop between them.

"Daichi-sama…I’m sure your son is great an all, but…um…"

The tall youkai just laughed, a genuine sound, not in the least bit forced. "Don’t worry about it, my dear!" Then, lowering his voice to a level that only she would hear, he continued. "Besides, my son is happily mated. But it is fun to tease Inuyasha, is it not?" At his conspiratorial wink, Kagome found herself smiling as well, glad that he hadn’t been serious. She had recently dropped Hojo as a potential suitor, and she didn’t need any more popping up.

"Well, I’d better be going before Inuyasha tosses me over his shoulder aga—" Kagome’s reply was cut short by an annoyed growl. Sakura, who had been contentedly dozing on her master’s lap, despite Inuyasha’s blustering, suddenly bolted upright and began scratching furiously at her flank with her hind leg. Daichi watched closely, hand poised expectantly, and then it shot out and closed it in mid-air. Kagome thought she heard a small cry of pain. Sure enough, when he opened his hand, there was Myouga lying flattened on his palm.

"Hey, Inuyasha!" he called. "Do you mind if I feed your vassal to Sakura?"

"Feh. Go for it."

"WHAAAA!!! Inuyasha-sama, how could you?!" Myouga cried as he leapt away from the jaws of death. "Your ever faithful servant! What ingratitude! All my years of service…" The flea’s lamentations faded out as he bounced along the floor of the cave, Sakura following close behind. She returned several minutes later, still looking around for the small morsel that had escaped her clutches.

They determined, over Inuyasha’s objections, to have lunch before departing. Miffed, the hanyou went off by himself because he "wasn’t hungry," though everyone knew he was just pouting. With the amount of time he had already spent pissed off today, few would dare to approach him, but Daichi did just that. He sat down right next to the brooding youngster, who pointedly ignored him. He apparently hadn’t yet been forgiven for trying to set his son up with Kagome. Inuyasha clearly didn’t know it had been a joke, and Daichi wasn’t about to tell him either. He had known Kagome for less than a quarter of a day, and already he could see that she only had eyes for Inuyasha. He figured a little jealousy on the hanyou’s part was a good thing, especially since he suspected that deep down he felt the same way.

"Well, now that I come out here, I think it’s going to rain tonight," he said thoughtfully. Inuyasha looked at the sky, sniffed the air, but could pick up nothing that would tell him as much. He sent a dubious glance Daichi’s way. "Yep. Definitely going to rain. When you’ve lived out here as long as I have, you can just tell these things. Are you sure you don’t want to stay here for the night?"

"We’ll manage."

"But you have humans in your group! If they get wet, they’ll get sick, and—"

"I said we’ll manage."

Daichi sighed heavily. "You know, Inuyasha," he said, catching the hanyou off guard with his sincerity, "I still made a promise to your father that I can never fulfill. If you ever need anything—and I mean anything—I want you to come to me first." Inuyasha didn’t reply for the longest time, but sat and stared at the ground, weighing Daichi’s words in his mind. Finally, he raised his head, met the other’s eyes, and nodded. "Are you sure you won’t reconsider? The cave is very warm and cozy once you get a fire going. And I’ll even cook you dinner!"

"Think you can stop being a jackass?" Daichi took that as the grudging acceptance that it was, and brightened immediately. He waltzed over to the rest of the Inu-gang, quite gracefully for a big man, to inform them of the news. Inuyasha sighed, flopping down on the grass and putting his hands behind his head. I’d better enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasts. He scowled, not believing for a seconds that Daichi would stop getting on his nerves. It’s gonna be a long fuckin’ day…

"Onii-chan! Get me some water!"

"You’re not dying, Sora. Get it yourself."

"But Oniiii-chaaaan, I’m wounded!" Takehiko groaned, banging his head against a nearby tree. His sister was in fact almost fully recovered, but you wouldn’t know it by the way she whined constantly. He knew most of it was just to get under his skin, but that didn’t make him feel any better.

"Oniiii-chaaaan…" One, two, three, fo—

"Oniiii-chaaaan…" One, two, thr—

"Oniiii-chaaaan…" One—oh, I’m gonna fuckin’ kill her!

"Onii—"

"Shut up, Sora," he said quietly but commandingly, and Sora instinctively knew that there was trouble. Indeed, Takehiko’s sharp inu nose had picked up something, a strange, foreign scent. Dark, malicious, it made him sick just to breathe it. And it was getting stronger. Sora rose effortlessly to her feet and stood beside him. He glared at her, and perhaps would have made a remark about her supposed infirmity if a figure had not emerged from the trees just ahead. It was a man, wearing the most elaborate kimono and armour they had ever seen. An enormous eye sat in the center of his chest, peeking out through a crack in his armour. But that wasn’t even his most striking feature; no, that distinction belonged to the eyes on his head. They glowed red, as if the fires of hell burned in this man’s soul, a walking embodiment of hatred, malice, and suffering.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Takehiko asked, hand drifting up toward the sword strapped over his shoulder.

"Kukuku," the figure chuckled, "there is no need to draw your swords. I did not come here to fight; I came to offer my assistance."

"What makes you think we need your help?" Sora asked, a challenge in her voice.

"The still charred tips of your feathers, for one thing." Sora fumed, but the stranger continued before she could respond. "It matters not whether you admit you need my help, for I would still offer it. We have a common enemy, you see. You seem to hate Inuyasha and his friends as much as I."

"How would you know such a thing?" Takehiko growled.

"I have my ways."

"If you hate Inuyasha so much, then why haven’t you gotten rid of him yourself?"

"I have tried, many times, in fact. But the filthy hanyou has proven most resilient."

"Then why should we accept help from a weakling who cannot even do his own dirty work?" The stranger’s face twisted in a snarl, but it was gone in the blink of an eye, as if it had never been there in the first place.

"Because I can offer you these," he said, holding out his hand.

"Shards of the Shikon Jewel!" Sora exclaimed. "Where did you get them?!"

"It matters not. I shall allow you to borrow these shards to help you kill Inuyasha and his friends. If you succeed, they are yours to keep. Do we have an accord?"

The siblings looked at each other, suspicion present in each gaze, but they could think of no legitimate reason not to accept other than it seemed to good to be true.

"Very well…you still have not given us your name."

"Oh, forgive me. You may call me Naraku."

"Alright, Naraku, you have a deal."

"Excellent!" Naraku said as he tossed Takehiko the shards. "I also have one other thing that may be of use to you. If you have not already seen it, the monk has a very powerful weapon in his right han—"

"Trust me," Sora interrupted, "I’ve already dealt with that."

"Fair enough. The next time he goes to unleash it, use this," Naraku told her, tossing her some kind of rounded object that almost looked like a hive. Shrugging, she attached it to her obi. "One more thing. I have more enemies besides Inuyasha. If you eliminate a wolf demon called Koga and an inu-youkai by the name of Sesshoumaru, there are more jewel shards in store for you."

"Did you say…Sesshoumaru?" Takehiko ground out between gritted teeth, his anger flaring at just the mention of that name. Naraku seemed not to notice.

"Yes. Why, do you know him?"

"How is he involved in this?" Takehiko asked hurriedly, completely ignoring Naraku’s question.

"Why, he is Inuyasha’s older half-brother, and a vindictive pest. Kill him and your rewards will be great, indeed." Then he was gone, vanishing into the wind. Takehiko’s eyes were still riveted to the spot, his clenched fists shaking with rage. The scent of his blood, from where his claws punctured the skin of his palms, wafted to his nose, but he was too lost in wrath to care. Yes, he knew who Sesshoumaru was. He was the son of the bastard who murdered his father and kicked him out of the Western Lands to die, starving and alone in the wilderness. He had desired revenge on Sesshoumaru from the beginning, but his father had taught him many things in their short time together, and one of them was never to fight a battle you couldn’t win. This was the reason he had not approached Sesshoumaru yet, even though every fiber of his being screamed at him to do so. But now…with jewel shards in his possession…perhaps now he would finally be strong enough to take on his nemesis.

And Inuyasha… A wicked smile formed on his lips. So, the Inu no Taisho had a whelp with his human bitch, did he? All the better! Yes, now he would have the pleasure of exacting his vengeance twice.

"Takehiko," Sora said, breaking his train of thought, "do you trust this Naraku person?"

"Not for an instant. No one surrenders Shikon Jewel shards that freely. I have no doubt that Naraku plans to reclaim these shards the instant we are no longer useful to him."

Sora smirked. "Then we’ll just have to waste him, too."

"Exactly. And Sora," he said seriously, "Inuyasha is mine."

"You don’t have to tell me that, Takehiko. You told me about your history, remember? He’s yours as long as you agree that Kagome is mine."

"Deal."

Yes, they would worry about Naraku later. For now, they would focus on the task at hand: getting their brother back. And then, with jewel shards in their possession, he would seek his own personal revenge. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru would pay, dearly.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.  The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise.  No copyright infringement is intended.

Sometimes Inuyasha hated it when he was right. Daichi had stopped annoying him for all of twenty minutes, and then had started up again. Teasing, making clever remarks at his expense, and insinuating things about his relationship with Kagome that he wasn’t ready to admit. The worst part was that he kept trying to push his son on the wench, who just sat there looking amused by it all. It pissed him off to no end that she was doing the same thing she did with Koga, that she never said no. Finally fed up, he had called her on it. He grimaced at the memory; he had earned himself a good osuwari for that one. Kagome yelled at him for not having more faith in her, and for thinking she would just run off with some total stranger. And then the coup de grace: she told him Daichi’s son was already mated, and the asshole was just fucking with him. Only another osuwari prevented him from slicing the bastard in half with Tetsusaiga.

He went out and sulked in the rain after that. His ears were burning as a result of all the criticisms of his "childlike behavior," but he shrugged them off. How would they know anyway? Daichi hadn’t turned their evening into a living hell. A little after that, Kagome came out and draped a blanket over his shoulders. He wanted to stay outside, but the wench turned her doe eyes on him and he allowed her to drag him back inside. Things got better after that. Daichi apologized for taking his teasing too far, said he didn’t have many visitors these days and wanted to have some fun, blah blah blah.

The really interesting part of the evening came after he changed out of his wet fire-rat clothes into some modern sweatpants and a tank top. It was funny watching Kagome try to study that science book of hers when she obviously just wanted to study him. Every time he caught her staring, he would smirk, she would blush, and his ego would inflate a little more. Her attraction was a palpable thing, and he stoked it without mercy, stretching, subtly flexing his muscles… Of course, in watching her squirm in her own deliciously form-fitting jean-shorts and blouse, he couldn’t help but experience much the same reaction himself. In the end, Kagome went to bed early, and he got a nice confidence boost.

It rained intermittedly during the night and well into the following morning. The storm let up in early afternoon, and they were finally able to set out on the next leg of their journey. They didn’t reach the mountain with the purple ring around it by nightfall, but it certainly appeared larger than it had the day before. They made camp near a stream and settled down for the night amidst the lush forest greenery. Now it was late afternoon of the next day, and it looked like it would take them another day to reach their destination. Inuyasha was impatient as ever, silently cursing the weather and the wasted time spent in Daichi’s cave, as well as the weakness of the mortals slowing them down. So when two now-familiar scents came to him on the breeze, he welcomed the upcoming battle as a way to release some of his pent-up irritation. Little did he know that far more than his frustrations were about to be taken away from him.

"Back for more already?" he taunted as the two figures emerged from the edge of the forest, drawing Tetsusaiga and leaning the large blade against his shoulder. "I thought you’d be down for at least a week, bitch. All your feathers grow back yet? Any bald spots?"

"Silence, half-breed," Takehiko ground out. Inuyasha took an involuntary step back. Before, the inu youkai had always been willing to engage in banter before battle, but now there was only pure, unfiltered hatred in his eyes and his voice was void of any hint of amusement. Idly, Inuyasha wondered about the reason behind the change, but dismissed those useless thoughts. His opponent was a good fighter, and beating him would require all his focus.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed behind him. "They have jewel shards! One in each forehead, and one in the dagger at Takehiko’s waist! I think it’s the same one I was stabbed with before!"

"What?! Where did you get those?! Are you working for Naraku?!"

"Ha! We would never lower ourselves to doing some filthy hanyou’s bidding," Sora replied. "But that does not mean we are above accepting aid from others, especially since these jewel shards are much better off in our hands than that beastly Naraku’s."

"So you are Naraku’s allies! In that case, don’t expect any mercy from us!"

"The only thing we require from you, cretin, is your death," Takehiko said darkly. "And I am going to enjoy it immensely. The soft, yielding resistance as I shove my sword through your heart, the heat of your blood flowing along the blade, the life bleeding out of your wide, frightened eyes…do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for this? When I slay you and your brother, my father’s unjust demise will finally be avenged, and I will have my revenge for your bastard father’s banishment of me!"

"Heh," Inuyasha smirked. "So you heard about that, huh?"

"Yes, I did. When the time comes, I will at least give Naraku a quick, painless death for revealing your lineage to me. If I had killed you without truly savoring the moment…I never would have forgiven myself."

"Feh. Still think you can take me?"

"There isn’t a doubt in my mind. Though you wield your father’s fang, you are nowhere near as strong as he was."

"Wrong, asshole. This is my fang! And I’ve surpassed my father!" Inuyasha yelled as he launched himself forward, swinging Tetsusaiga downward in a heavy arch. To his surprise, Takehiko didn’t leap out of the way. Instead, he raised his own blade and held it horizontally. The two swords came together in a violent crash, but Inuyasha didn’t hear any sounds of cracking metal coming from his opponent’s weapon. With a mighty heave, Takehiko shoved Tetsusaiga back, and Inuyasha leapt away to avoid the inu youkai’s counterswing. He stared aghast at his enemy, who was now sporting a rather arrogant grin. What the fuck?! How did he suddenly get so strong? The jewel shard in his forehead! Sure enough, his opponent’s youki was surging, flowing into his weapon and strengthening it as well.

"What’s the matter, half-breed? Shaking with fear?"

"Fuck no! Just glad you finally decided to stand and fight!" Inuyasha charged again, Tetsusaiga speeding toward his opponent’s side in a cleaving blow. Takehiko swung fiercely, the clash of the blades deafening, as he once again forced Tetsusaiga back. Reversing his motion, he slashed back straight at Inuyasha’s exposed neck. The hanyou ducked, losing a few hairs as he barely dodged blow. Leaping back a step, he smashed Tetsusaiga into the dirt, the Kaze no Kizu tearing gaping rivulets in the earth as its deadly energy sped toward its target. At that close range, there was no hope of avoidance. A blinding flash signaled the impact, and when the dust cleared Takehiko was crouched some fifty feet away, his head down and sword held protectively in front of him. Inuyasha smirked at the scent of the youkai’s blood in the air, but the expression didn’t last long. Takehiko stood slowly, wearing an arrogant sneer, looking with disdain at the small trickle of blood running down his arm.

"Is that the best you’ve got, half-breed?" Then, before Inuyasha could respond, he said, "My turn." He dashed forward, letting loose a thunderous battle cry as he swung his sword with all his might. The blade crackled with blue-black energy as Inuyasha blocked, the force and power of the attack sending him tumbling backwards, Tetsusaiga falling from his grasp. Instantly he was up again, but Tetsusaiga was out of reach, too close to the youkai now leering at him. Cracking his knuckles, he prepared to finish the fight with his claws. Takehiko began to move in for the kill, but suddenly leapt skyward as a mass of pink light passed through the spot he had just occupied, the arrow decimating an unfortunate tree. Turning, Inuyasha saw Kagome already notching another.

"Dammit, wench! Stay out of it!" But she wasn’t listening to him. Behind her, Miroku, Sango, and Kirara were working together to battle Sora, and appeared to be holding their own despite the presence of Naraku’s insects.

"Would you dare to fire another one at me, miko bitch?" Takehiko challenged from across the open grassland. Kagome narrowed her eyes, clearly not seeing what Inuyasha did. Takehiko’s right hand had dropped to his side, and he now held the blade of the dagger in thumb and forefinger. Before he could tell her not to, Kagome had fired, and Inuyasha raced toward her, knowing what was coming. Takehiko spun to his left, avoiding the arrow and flinging the dagger in one smooth motion. The projectile’s aim was true, and the light of her purifying arrow kept Kagome from noticing it until it was far too late. Just before the dagger struck her in the stomach, Inuyasha dove.

*Thunk*

The weapon penetrated straight through the palm of his outstretched right hand, but amazingly the tip did not protrude from the other side. It was as if the blade had simply disappeared into his flesh, though the hilt remained attached to his body as if that was not the case. But that was the least of his worries. He gritted his teeth against the pain he knew was coming, but nothing could have prepared him for the searing, indescribable agony that lanced through his body, ripping a tortured scream from his throat as he collapsed forward. His body…oh, had his body ever been under such duress? He could feel it tearing, coming apart at the seams, and yet…not. The pain was physical, but the damage was not. His blood pounded in his ears, so loudly that he almost missed the agonized howling of his youkai side in his mind. He wanted an end, and that was all he wanted. That darkness in the distance seemed so appealing, a land where everything was nothing, and nothing was everything. Simple emptiness was his deepest desire.

Dimly he felt the dagger being drawn from his hand, but he ignored the sensation, knowing that to ascend from the depths toward the light would only bring more anguish. He disregarded the cries of those around him, the mysterious voices of those he felt that he should have known. And yet, there was one voice he could not ignore, calling his name, pleading with him to return. A great urge, and compulsion more powerful than the forces pulling him downward, arose in him as he struggled back toward the voice. Kagome…

Then he was there, breaking the surface, the world plunging back down on him again. He treaded water, knowing that he was fighting a losing battle to stay afloat, to draw breath and fill his body with life. She was hovering above him now, her watery eyes overflowing with equal parts worry and relief. The latter vanished as his body seized again, his youkai howling all the louder. It was the same sensation he experienced at sunset on moonless nights, only more violent, more brutal. His youkai was being torn from him, and instinctively he knew that if he let it go this time it would be the end of him. Frantically his mind searched for a way out, even as the waves crested higher, threatening to pull him under again. The voice…Kagome’s voice…it sang out again, giving him the inspiration he needed.

"Kagome," he rasped. Or at least he thought he did; his ears were unable to decide if he had actually spoken or not. Still he continued, praying for the strength to make his thoughts known. "Purify me." Evidently, she had heard him.

"What?! No!" She might have said more, but her voice had drifted so far away, and he lacked the strength to find it again.

"Just do it," he mumbled as he slipped beneath the waters, the blackness pulling him inexorably downward. This time, there would be no ascension. Then, it happened. A jolt. It stunned him, left him hanging as everything around him was driven away, the darkness replaced by brilliant white light. A different kind of pain engulfed him, causing him to cry out once more. Then it ceased, as did the desperate articulations of his youkai. He was finally alone, half of himself, but still whole.

Kagome removed her hands from her hanyou’s shoulders. Her Inuyasha, her only love, the man she had just purified. She placed her hands in her lap and stared at them, not quite believing what had occurred in the last few minutes. When he had first ordered her to do it, she had refused, utterly repulsed by the idea. Then she remembered her own feelings when she had been stabbed by the same dagger. She recalled thinking that she was being torn asunder, and instantly realized what was happening. There was no other way to save him, and even if there had been they had no time to think of it. He was being split in twain, his soul and mind torn to pieces…he was dying. That thought alone was enough to spark her resolve, and she set to her task. Her miko powers had previously refused to harm him accidently, but surely that didn’t mean he was completely immune should she intend to use them on him. Doubt in her abilities flooded her, but she pushed it away as something she could not afford. Inuyasha believed in her; he would not have asked her to purify him if he didn’t.

So she did it. She thrust her miko powers into the man she loved, as her eyes flooded with tears, several of which wove their way down her cheeks. Her vision blurred until all she could see were smudges of red and white, and she didn’t let up until the white had completely faded to black. She dried her eyes, checking for signs of life. He was breathing, the gentle rise and fall of his chest the only thing that kept her from giving in to the self-loathing that threatened to overwhelm her at any moment. She moved several strands of black hair away from his face, and wanted nothing more than to look into his dark eyes, even though they would surely reflect the hatred she was currently feeling toward herself.

"Well, bitch," Takehiko observed, "you sure did a number on him! Are you sure he isn’t dead?"

Kagome kept her head down, the caustic remarks and amused laughter of the two siblings inflaming a fury within her that she had never felt before. It was their fault! She had hurt Inuyasha because of them. They would pay! They deserved to DIE! Something arose within her, something vicious, something dangerous. Perhaps under different circumstances she would have pushed it back, but now…the desire for blood—their blood—was too strong. Her lips curved in a sneer, baring razor sharp fangs, as her enemies continued to prattle on and on.

"Yeah, Sora. He’s a mess, but at least I’ll still get to kill him."

"You will stay away from him!" Kagome growled, silencing the siblings’ laughter. Slowly, she rose to her feet, taking a position in front of the fallen body of her love. Her head was the last thing to come up, and a string of gasps were heard when it did. Her eyes glowed crimson, the irises swollen so they covered almost the entire eye. Her black pupils were drawn into vertical slits; in short, she looked every bit the cat demon from hell. Her mouth was pulled into a snarl, enlarged fangs glistening with saliva. Long, curved markings resembling claws adorned her cheeks, their blazing pink color at odds with the utterly demonic aspects of her appearance. Takehiko stared in shock for a moment, then smirked.

"Well, this just got a lot more interesting, didn’t it? You may be all youkai at the moment, bitch, but you’re still a half-breed, and you still have no chance of defeating me."

"Have you forgotten about our deal, brother? She is mine!" Takehiko smiled and nodded, and Sora stepped forward. But Kagome kept her eyes trained on the inu youkai, her eyes boring holes into his head. He was the one who had thrown the dagger, injured her mate…

She leapt forward, shooting straight toward her prey, but the hawk moved to block her, swooping in with talons bared. Sora anticipated a duck, and came in low. Kagome leapt straight upwards at the last minute dragging her claws along her enemy’s back before somersaulting and placing both feet on the hawk and bearing her to the ground. Kagome didn’t waste time on a killing blow, but instead leapt toward Takehiko, who barely managed to dodge the first swipe of her claws. The second strike caught him on the arm, and he leapt back to give himself a brief reprieve. The wound on his arm burned terribly, and he could smell his own flesh charring. Kagome cracked her knuckles menacingly, showing off her claws, the tips of which glowed a pure pink. How is this possible? Takehiko wondered heatedly. She is full youkai and still wields her miko powers!

But Kagome didn’t give him much time to ponder. She attacked relentlessly, her movements too quick for even the inu youkai to keep up with, each hit leaving behind bloodied wounds and scorched flesh. Finally his sword was knocked from his grasp, and Kagome rammed her hand straight through his chest, reveling in the look of shock and agony that graced his features.

"The soft, yielding resistance as I shove my hand through your heart, the heat of your blood flowing along my arm, the life bleeding out of your wide, frightened eyes…" she said, grinning maliciously as she threw his own words back at him. "You’re right. This is fun."

"Too bad you missed," Takehiko replied as he pulled his arm back, preparing to sever her neck. He never got the chance; a surge of Kagome’s miko powers had him screeching in agony as he was purified from the inside out. Only Sora’s interference saved him; she came from the side, forcing Kagome to pull out and leap back. Takehiko crumpled to the ground, the gaping hole in his chest bleeding freely. Kagome went to attack again, but Sora pulled a large gourd from her obi and threw it to the ground, smashing it as putrid black smoke filled the air. Heedlessly Kagome charged into the cloud, but upon taking one breath, everything went black.

Inuyasha awoke slowly, groaning as he did. His body ached, as if he’d just spent the afternoon as a punching bag for his brother. It certainly didn’t help that he was human, and felt the pain even more acutely as a result. He pushed himself to his hands and knees, fighting back the wave of dizziness that accompanied the action.

"Inuyasha, are you ok?" It was Shippo’s voice; the runt was looking up at his face, eyes shining with unabashed concern. It was then short-term memory returned, and he remembered why he was in this predicament. Kagome…she did it. She purified me. She…saved me. That dagger surely would have killed him had Kagome not intervened. He would have to thank her for that later, when he could get her alone. Raising his head, he glanced around for his companions. Miroku and Sango were staring at something with rapt attention, and his jaw dropped when he turned to see what it was. Kagome was fighting Takehiko, moving with such fluidity, such grace that it looked like she’d been a hanyou all her life. Her back was to him, so he couldn’t see her face, but he could see Takehiko’s, his jaw clenched from the exertion of his defense. The sight filled him with apprehension, but also awe and more than a little pride. He had no idea how Kagome learned to fight so well, but he desperately hoped she continued to do so. He was in no position to save her this time.

It appeared his worries were for naught when Kagome shoved her hand through Takehiko’s chest. She said something to him, unintelligible at this distance, at least to his human ears. Judging from Shippo’s reaction, the kit heard it loud and clear. His eyes widened to saucers, and his face turned a ghostly pale. A moment later, as Kagome leapt away from Sora’s attack and he saw her face for the first time, Inuyasha wore much the same expression himself. One of his greatest fears had come to pass: Kagome had become full youkai. By the time he had wrapped his head around this new development, it was over. Smoke had erupted around the trio, and he saw Kagome collapse just before the thickening haze blocked her from view. Takehiko and Sora could be seen escaping overhead, borne away by the hawk’s powerful wings.

"Kagome!" the entire Inu-gang cried at once, Shippo racing into the fog before anyone could stop him, Kirara close behind. Inuyasha tried to rise to go to her, but his body was not up to the strain, and he stumbled. Miroku dashed past, into the cloud, and then he was gone as well. He wasn’t even sure it was smoke anymore; it was more like a miasma. It stayed low to the ground, maintaining a maximum height of about ten feet, and spread outward quickly. The grass withered and died as it came into contact with the leading edge.

"Come on, Inuyasha! We gotta go!" Sango yelled, placing his arm around her shoulder to support him.

"But Kagome—"

"Houshi-sama will get her out! He has the training to survive in there, but you don’t! Grab Tetsusaiga and let’s go!" He looked longingly at the spot he had last seen Kagome, but he knew Sango was right. If a mortal could save her, he knew Miroku would have done it already. Swiftly he located Tetsusaiga, and snatched it up along with Kagome’s backpack, bow, and quiver, all of which had been lying nearby. Then Sango was underneath him again, urging him to hurry. As they hobbled away, some of his strength came back to him, and he was able to run on his own. And none too soon; the first wisps of the smoke caught up to them, causing both of them to cough violently. A desperate burst took them out of the danger zone, but they dared not stop running.

He didn’t know how long they ran, but it was probably close to a half hour. They were pursued by the menacing cloud the whole way, biting at their heels and invading their lungs when they slowed. Finally, blessedly, the fog seemed to dissipate slightly, and then it stopped spreading outward altogether. They looked back on a wasteland; not a single green thing was alive behind them. The smog, or miasma, or whatever it was just hung there, unmoving. It had diluted as it spread over the large area, but visibility was still only fifty feet or so. They leaned down, hands on bent knees, and breathed heavily for several minutes. Inuyasha was the first to catch his breath.

"What the fuck was that?!" Sango shook her head.

"I don’t know, Inuyasha. Such an amount of…whatever this is, packed into such a small gourd. Only a youkai could have done this, someone with hundreds of years experience in the black arts."

"Could…could it have killed us?" he asked. Sango saw the fear in his eyes, but knew it wasn’t for himself.

"Don’t worry, Inuyasha. If it was strong enough to kill a youkai, we wouldn’t be standing here now."

"Yeah, but we only breathed in a little. Kagome…"

"Is fine. It probably just overwhelmed her senses. Houshi-sama is a trained monk, and has a high tolerance for this kind of thing. I’m certain he got her out, and Shippo and Kirara too." Inuyasha looked skeptical, but decided to put his faith in Miroku as Sango had done. The monk had never truly let them down in the past.

"So what now?" he inquired.

"Well, I guess we could start working our way around this giant cloud. There isn’t much we can do except find a good place to make camp."

"Feh. Good thing I grabbed Kagome’s bag. I don’t think I’ll be catching any fish tonight."

"It is weird seeing you human during the daytime. Will your youki come back?"

"I think so. It came back when I was purified at Mount Hakurei, so it should come back soon." He paused, narrowing his eyes in deep thought. "I can’t really explain it, but it doesn’t feel like it’s gone for good."

"I’ll take your word for it. Now, shall we?" With that, they set off at an easy pace, both still tired from the exertion of their escape. They covered some distance before stopping at dusk and making camp, helping themselves to a hardy ninja food dinner. There wasn’t much conversation, but then neither one of them were big talkers. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable; it was just two fighters, sitting around a campfire, sharing a meal. Suddenly, Sango stiffened, then sprang up and stomped out the fire.

"Sango, wha—"

"Shh!" she ordered, staring pensively at the sky overhead. There, illuminated by the pale moonlight, a writhing mass of flesh slithered across the sky. Youkai… Sango realized. Shit! They must have been stirred up by the smoke and started swarming. And judging by the way they were headed, her attempt at hiding their location had been too late. The horde of youkai would be upon them in moments. Frantically she looked around, scanning her surroundings. Spotting a hollow underneath a nearby tree, she dragged Inuyasha over and threw him inside.

"Sango! What the fu—"

"Stay here."

"What?! No way!"

"Inuyasha!" she whispered, the pure command in her voice silencing his protests. Her eyes were hard, the eyes of a warrior, and they compelled obedience. "I can take them if you stay hidden, but if I have to worry about protecting you too, then we’re both gonna die!" He couldn’t argue with her logic, nor her authoritative manner, so he simply nodded his assent. Sango nodded back, then turned and strode toward the center of the clearing. The demons surrounded her, their serpent-like bodies undulating elegantly as they circled at a distance of about thirty feet, sizing up their prey. Then, they attacked. Sango flung hiraikotsu with a mighty cry, the weapon tearing through countless youkai. She sprinted to catch it in the air, using her katana to decimate any youkai that got in her way. She was constantly in motion, and watching her fight was like listening to the finest poetry. Inuyasha found himself in awe.

Suddenly, a youkai appeared in the entrance to his hollow, its grotesque face little more than a snout and teeth…very large teeth. It lunged inside, and Inuyasha dodged the snapping jaws, drawing Tetsusaiga. The youkai recoiled to strike again, and Inuyasha knew he couldn’t stay in the hollow any longer; it had become a deathtrap. The youkai attacked again, and he batted it away with a powerful swing of Tetsusaiga. But in its rustic form, the blade was little more than a club, and Inuyasha took the chance to scramble aboveground, the youkai snapping at his heels.

But this created all new problems, like the hundreds of youkai now eyeing him hungrily. He ran, juking left and right, knowing that he could only evade his predators for so long before they sunk their teeth in him. He dashed into Sango’s line of vision, and the slayer almost let a youkai past her defenses in her surprise. Anger flashed through her mind, but there was no time to wonder why he had disobeyed her. Inuyasha was about to be devoured, the youkai behind him moving in for the kill. Several were closing in on her as well, and in that instant, she made her decision, knowing full well the consequences. She flung hiraikotsu with all her might, not surprised in the least by the feel of jaws around her midsection as the youkai bore her to the ground.

Inuyasha felt more than heard the whoosh of hiraikotsu passing over his head, slaying all his tormentors in a single stroke. He turned back to Sango to thank her and his blood ran cold. Yelling like a banshee, he charged to her and beat the youkai off her. It only took one look to know that she wasn’t getting up any time soon.

Holding his blunt sword before him, he raised his eyes to the youkai, who were circling once more. So many of their number had been slain, but there were at least a hundred still remaining, more than enough to finish a helpless mortal and his wounded companion. Shit…how the hell do we get ourselves out of this one?

Miroku collapsed to his knees, barely managing to keep from dropping the precious cargo in his arms. He set Kagome, with Shippo and Kirara resting on her stomach, down gently before leaning to the side and surrendering to the coughing fit that he had somehow managed to hold back as he ran. Whatever that smoke was, it was some nasty shit. It instantly incapacitated anything with a strong nose, and had nearly knocked him out before he could gather up his fallen comrades and escape. He was ever so glad that Sango had kept Inuyasha from charging in after him. Rolling over on his back, he breathed the fresh air deeply, letting his aching arms and legs rest. He figured he deserved a breather after carrying his friends a good distance to safety; in their state, he knew they wouldn’t mind. They were all sleeping peacefully now, their breathing deep and regular, but he couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if they had stayed in the fog for more than a few seconds. It wouldn’t have been good, that much was for sure.

Sighing, he rose to his feet. He didn’t want to stay next to this dead wasteland any longer, and thanked the Kamis that Kagome was light. He also thanked them that she had returned to normal, or at least what was now considered normal. The pink markings on her cheeks had disappeared, and her fangs were hidden by her lips again. It should have baffled him, how completely Kagome had assimilated her youkai side. It seemed her miko powers and youki worked in complete harmony, which should have been impossible. But Kagome was doing "impossible" things left and right nowadays. She certainly was one hell of a woman, one any man would be unbelievably lucky to have. Now if he could just get Inuyasha to realize that…

Gathering his friends in his arms once again, he set out. His original goal was simply to find a suitable place to make camp for the night, and maybe some wild fruit to eat, but that mission was derailed quickly. The scent of roasting meat, fish, bread…the smells of a nearby village wafted to his nose. He heard Kagome’s stomach growl hungrily, and she stirred slightly but did not wake. Miroku grinned; it seemed Kagome thought staying in the village was a good idea as well.

It was a rather large village by the standards of the day, the many huts kept in good repair. People were out and about, taking care of their late afternoon business. He stopped a young woman carrying a basket of clothing, flashing his most charming smile.

"Young miss, could you direct me to where I might seek lodging for the night?"

"A-at the inn, o-over on the h-hill," she stammered, blushing, before scurrying away. Miroku smirked. I still haven’t lost my touch… Finding the inn, he went inside and inquired for the innkeeper. He was a round, balding man in his forties, a natural-looking scowl on his face.

"Whaddya want?" he grumped, eyeing Miroku condescendingly.

"Good sir, I seek lodging for the night. I would be more than happy to bless your inn, and drive out the evil spirit I sense emanating—"

"You got money, houshi? I ain’t interested in no phony exorcisms." Miroku sweatdropped, suddenly glad his companions were asleep. If anyone found out that his "evil spirit" trick hadn’t worked, they would never let him live it down. Supporting Shippo, Kirara, and Kagome’s upper body with his right hand, he reached into his robes with his left, pulling out a small pouch.

"This is all I have," he said, handing it to the innkeeper. The man dumped the contents out onto his palm and rolled his eyes, mumbling something about never getting any rich customers.

"Alright, houshi. This amount gets you a small room with one futon. You and your lady friend got a problem with that?" he asked, eyeing Kagome appreciatively.

"No, my wife and I will manage," he lied, not liking the look in the innkeeper’s eye. The ass even had the gall to look disappointed at Miroku’s declaration.

"Fine. Go down the hallway, and it’s the last door on your right. You’ll have to leave those youkai outside though."

"Excuse me?" Miroku asked incredulously.

"You heard me. Youkai stay outside."

"These youkai are quite harmless, I assure you. If you insist, then I would like my money returned to me." Miroku subtly raised his sleeve to cover Kagome’s ears, which the innkeeper apparently hadn’t noticed yet, partially hidden by her hair as they were. The innkeeper’s tune changed after that. Evidently, he was willing to bend his rules a little if it meant making money.

"Fine, but if they cause any trouble, I’m holding you responsible."

"Yes, yes, they will be on their best behavior. Thank you." The innkeeper waved him off, and Miroku turned to find their room before the man’s voice stopped him.

"Your wife, huh? Why do you let her go around dressed like that? She looks more like a whore than a married woman." Miroku didn’t miss the salacious inflection in his voice, nor did he fail to see the irony in that this man had just insinuated that the purest person he knew was a whore. He forcibly reigned in his anger, wondering if the innkeeper was trying to infuriate him on purpose. Fortunately for all parties involved, he possessed a monk’s restraint, in some areas more than others. If he did punch the corpulent ass like he truly wanted to, the villagers would probably tie him up for attacking one of their own, and who knows what they would do with two small youkai and a hanyou. Turning slowly, he favored the innkeeper with a fearsome glare, and spoke with bone-chilling seriousness.

"My wife has quite a temper, so I would not let her hear you say that. I won’t come to your rescue if she decides to teach you a lesson. In fact, I might just help her. Do we understand each other?" Gulping, the innkeeper nodded, having been effectively put in his place. Miroku held his eyes for a moment longer before turning and walking down the hallway. (1)

Sliding the door to their room open with his foot, he sighed heavily. The enclosure, since it could only very generously be called a room, looked like it had gone twenty years without maintenance. There were several holes and stains in the floor, and the lone futon took up almost half the surface area. Its saving grace was that it wasn’t dusty; it had apparently received some use recently. Setting Kagome down on the futon, he closed the door and sat down cross-legged by her side. He stared at her peaceful face, recalling how she looked a few hours earlier as she tore into Takehiko. Vicious, bloodthirsty, rejoicing in the wounds and agony of her enemy, she had been something out of a nightmare, but still undeniably beautiful. Thinking of the way she looked, so different from her usual bright, cheerful visage, would forever send a chill up his spine. And yet, she hadn’t completely lost herself. She had maintained her coherency, and her protectiveness over Inuyasha. He couldn’t know for sure, but if any of their group had confronted her, he believed she would have recognized them too. A low groan interrupted his thoughts and drew his attention toward Kagome’s stomach.

"Ah, Shippo, I was wondering who would wake up first." The kit looked decidedly disoriented, glancing slowly around the room, then up to his eyes.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"In a village. I carried you three here after pulling you out of that smoke." At the mention of "you three," Shippo looked down, his gaze traveling up to Kagome’s face. He jumped, letting out a small cry of fright, and landed squarely on Miroku’s shoulder. He continued to stare at Kagome’s countenance with wide eyes, his tail vibrating in apprehension.

"Relax, Shippo," Miroku soothed, patting the fox on the head. "Kagome-sama is back to normal now." Shippo just shook his head, his fearful gaze never wavering. Miroku could see the nightmare being replayed before his eyes, and perhaps his ears as well. Whatever Kagome said to Takehiko had spooked the kit badly. He placed Shippo in his lap, continuing to rub his head. It was all he could do; Kagome was the only one who could restore the lad’s confidence in her. Kirara stirred a short while later, and immediately hopped onto his thigh, demanding the same treatment. The sun was low in the sky by the time Kagome woke, moaning and placing her hand to her head.

"Ugh…my head. What happened?"

"Think, Kagome-sama. What do you remember?" Kagome frowned in concentration, pausing for a moment before answering.

"I remember fighting Takehiko and Sora…they hit Inuyasha with that dagger, and I had to purify him! Where is he? Is he ok?" she asked, frantically looking around the room.

"I’m sure he is fine. He was able to stand afterwards. We got separated, but Sango is with him. Now what else do you remember?"

"After…after I purified Inuyasha…Takehiko and Sora were laughing. I remember getting so mad…" Here, she broke off, her eyes bulging as the realization struck her. "I…I turned full youkai!"

"Yes, you did," Miroku echoed grimly. "You went after Takehiko to protect Inuyasha, and—"

"I tried to shove my hand through his heart," she interrupted.

"So you do remember?"

"Yeah, it was really weird. Like I was in control of my body still, but there was an urge, a drive, something compelling me to fight." She paused again, additional parts of the memory filtering back to her. "I can’t believe I said that," she lamented, hiding her face in her hands.

"Said what?"

"She said that it was fun spilling Takehiko’s blood," Shippo answered quietly. All eyes lowered to him, and Kagome gasped at his vacant eyes and tear-stained cheeks. He looked completely traumatized, haunted by fragments of the distant past. That’s right…Shippo has had plenty of experience with demons who kill for the sake of enjoyment. One of them murdered his father before his eyes. And now, I…oh, Kami! What have I done?!

"Oh, Shippo…" she tried, reaching for him, only to pull back when he flinched away. Hands dropping to her sides in defeat and despair, Kagome hung her head and gave in to the sobs that soon wracked her small frame. Miroku, feeling powerless to comfort either of them, spoke up.

"Did you recognize us, Kagome-sama? I know you recognized Inuyasha."

"I did! I was mostly thinking about blood, but deep down, I knew that I had to protect everyone—not just Inuyasha, but you guys too. I could never hurt you, not my little Shippo…" At this, the kit raised his eyes and looked at her, seeing her remorse, her shame, and hearing the honesty of her words.

"Kagome!" he cried as he leapt into her arms. They clung to each other tightly, crying together, healing the open wounds that had festered since her transformation that afternoon. "I thought you were gone, Kagome! I thought you were gone forever."

"I’m not going anywhere, Shippo," was her watery reply. It took several long minutes for the pair to calm down, but eventually they pulled away from each other, each smiling hesitantly.

"So your miko powers kept you from losing yourself, Kagome-sama," Miroku observed. "I’m glad."

"Yeah, I guess you’re right. I was still able to use them, wasn’t I?"

"That you were. To great effect I might add."

"So what happened after that? I remember that awful-smelling smoke…"

"You blacked out, as did Shippo and Kirara when they went to rescue you. I ended up picking up all three of you and running from the smoke. I heard Sango dragging Inuyasha off in the other direction. Eventually, I found this village and rented a room for the night. Unfortunately, it cost me all the money I had, so we’ll have to go hungry tonight."

"Thank you, Miroku-sama," she replied, grateful for the rescue.

"Think nothing of it, my dear. You’ve saved all of us on more than one occasion."

"Hmm. But why didn’t you just tell him there was an evil aura hanging over this building and get a free room that way?" Miroku had the acting skills to look aghast.

"Why, Kagome-sama! I’ll have you know that I only perform exorcisms with the purest—"

"He wasn’t buying it, was he?"

"…" Sighing, Miroku gave up the charade. "No, he was not." Kagome chuckled.

"I think you might be losing your touch, Miroku-sama."

"I’m not! I’m still as unbelievably charming as ever!"

"If you say so, Miroku," Shippo interjected. "I’m going outside to play while it’s still light out."

"Wait, Shippo!" Miroku ordered, halting the kitsune in his tracks.

"Why, Miroku-sama? He just wants to go flirt with some village girls. You’d be a major hypocrite to refuse him."

"It’s not that, Kagome-sama," he replied. "The innkeeper was decidedly hostile to the idea of youkai staying here. I’m fairly certain he would have kicked us out had he realized you were a hanyou, and there’s a good chance he isn’t the only one in this village who feels that way about youkai. I think it would be best if we just laid low tonight."

"Awwww…but I’m bored!"

"Sorry, Shippo, but Miroku-sama is right. We don’t want to stir up trouble."

"That brings me to another point, Kagome-sama," Miroku said, a familiar, lecherous gleam in his eye. "Until we leave this village, we are married."

"What?! Why would you say something like that?" she asked, not so much upset as she was suspicious.

"Let’s just say I wanted to curtail any unwanted attention on your part from a certain fat innkeeper."

"Oh," Kagome uttered, shivering slightly. "Thanks for that."

"My pleasure," he teased seductively.

"Hmph," she grumped, crossing her arms over her chest. "Just don’t think you get any special privileges because we’re fake married."

"Ah, I’m so misunderstood," he lamented, the picture of innocence. Kagome snorted, not in the least bit fooled. She would have to watch her backside extra carefully tonight.

"Kagome, I’m bored."

"I know, Shippo. I’m sorry, but I don’t have my backpack with me. Uh, let’s see…something to do…I could teach you how to play Chopsticks."

"Ok," Shippo said. Anything was better than sitting around gabbing. He caught on rather quickly, and they played until after the sun had gone down. They even taught Miroku, who Shippo greatly enjoyed beating over and over again. Eventually they settled down for the night, Kagome, Shippo, and Kirara on the futon and Miroku against the wall. But sleep alluded Kagome, as she tossed and turned. At first, she thought it was just because Inuyasha wasn’t there, and her worrying was keeping her awake. But it was deeper than that; somehow, she knew something was wrong, with the certainty that she knew her own name.

"Something the matter, Kagome-sama?" Miroku asked, opening his eyes. Kagome sat up, her frustration clearly apparent.

"I just have this feeling…like Inuyasha’s in trouble."

"Well, don’t hold yourself back on my account. It won’t do any good for me to go stumbling around in the dark, but you should be able to see just fine. Go look for them; I’ll stay here and keep an eye on Shippo. We would just slow you down anyway." Kagome nodded her gratitude, then was gone. Miroku sighed worriedly, his own anxiety spiking. Inuyasha, Sango…be safe.

Inuyasha had no fucking idea. Sango still struggled to rise, but even if she did manage to stand she wouldn’t be able to fight with her wounds. Barring a miracle, both of them were going to die. I always knew I’d get killed in my human form someday… He gritted his teeth, downright pissed at his fate. Over fifty years ago, there were times in his life when he wouldn’t have cared one way or the other whether he lived or died. But now that he had friends, people to live for; now that he had Kagome…the Kamis were taking it all away from him? Fuck that! It can’t end like this! And yet, despite his objections, his time was running short. The youkai were circling, slowly drawing inexorably closer with every revolution, watching Sango to see if she was really down for the count. It was only a matter of time before their courage returned and they attacked again. And that truly would be the end…

A pulse.

It sent a shockwave through his body, tiny sparks of electricity dancing along his nerves. Another pulse. And another. Coming closer together now, growing in strength. They emanated from his sword and he held it up, even as the blade continued to throb. Tetsusaiga…what’s going on? A final pulse, greater than any of the others, reaching deep inside him. Grasping, pulling, bringing something to the surface. And then Tetsusaiga shifted, transforming into its large, majestic form, and he understood (2). Tetsusaiga is calling my youki! Sure enough, his own metamorphosis came on seconds later, as his demon blood roared to life in his veins. Smirking, he brought Tetsusaiga to his lips and planted a kiss on the blade. I fucking love this sword! The rest of the battle was a cakewalk; a couple Kaze no Kizus decimated the remaining youkai, leaving just a handful to dispose of by claw. Sheathing his sword, he knelt by Sango’s side.

"You ok, Sango?"

"Yeah," she rasped, clearly in a great deal of pain. "They’re just flesh wounds." Inuyasha examined the injuries, immediately concluding that she was understating things. She had two rows of tooth-shaped puncture wounds in her back, and a matching set on her stomach. The wounds were bleeding, but not quickly enough to be life-threatening. She was lucky whatever had bitten her had relatively small teeth. That didn’t mean she could go without medical treatment, however. Inuyasha grimaced; this was going to be unpleasant.

"Alright, Sango, take your armor off so I can bandage you up."

"It’s fine, Inuyasha. They’re just fl—"

"They are NOT flesh wounds, taijiya! Now quit being so stubborn and let me bandage you, or I’ll knock you out and do it anyway!" Sighing, Sango gave up, knowing deep down that she did need to be patched up.

"Got anything in that bag I can wear?" she asked. As Inuyasha went to retrieve some clothes and the first aid kit from Kagome’s backpack, Sango stripped her black bodysuit to the waist, hissing as the cloth pulled at her open wounds. Inuyasha turned and froze, gulping at the sight. On the one hand, he wasn’t attracted to Sango that way, but on the other, there was a gorgeous woman lying half-naked before him. Shaking his head, he got down to business. It actually wasn’t as uncomfortable as he feared. Sango was a good patient, not even complaining when he cleaned her wounds using that perock-side stuff. He bound her midsection tightly, satisfied that the bandages would stop the bleeding and facilitate healing. That done, he helped Sango into the hooded sweatshirt Kagome’s mother had purchased for him, and she also replaced the rest of her suit with a pair of draw-string sweatpants. She was actually pretty funny to look at, the clothes being several sizes too big for her. But Sango didn’t look like she would be amused by such an observation, so he kept it to himself. He hoisted hiraikotsu and Kagome’s backpack over one shoulder, and Sango climbed onto his back. They needed to find shelter, somewhere warm and away from the stinking carcasses of several hundred demons.

"Thanks, Inuyasha," Sango mumbled as they walked.

"Feh. I should be thanking you. Why did you do it anyway? Saving me when you needed hiraikotsu to save yourself?" He felt her shrug against his back.

"That’s my duty as a taijiya, to protect the innocent from youkai, even at the cost of my own life. Besides, you’re my friend, and I could never look Kagome in the eye again if I let something happen to you."

"Yeah, well, the same thing goes for you and the bouzu," he replied thoughtfully. Sango didn’t point out that he had just compared her pending engagement with Miroku to his own relationship with Kagome. She shook her head; the dope didn’t even realize how in hopelessly love with her he was. A comfortable silence settled in, not broken until Sango’s teeth started chattering. The adrenaline of battle had faded, and the cool night air seeped through the fabric covering her, chilling her weakened body. Fortunately, Inuyasha soon located a cave, and built a fire. Sango wrapped herself in Kagome’s sleeping roll and slipped into an exhausted slumber, watched over by ever-alert amber eyes.

Kagome dashed through the forest, a blur in the darkness. Never had she been more grateful for feline night vision. It wasn’t hard to find the site of that afternoon’s battle; she just followed the malodorous scent of dead and decaying vegetation. The problem was detecting Inuyasha’s scent over that smell. Progress was slow as a result, as she worked her way around the edge of the desolated area, searching for any trace of her lost friends. She traveled at a snail’s pace to keep from missing anything, and the night was mostly gone before she made it even halfway around the huge circle. The overpowering sense of certainty that Inuyasha was in danger had subsided long ago, but she plugged on doggedly, refusing to give up. Then, at long last, she found the scent she was looking for. She almost couldn’t believe it, but a second sniff confirmed that she had discovered Inuyasha and Sango’s trail.

She quickened her pace, the possibility of actually finding Inuyasha sending her adrenaline surging. Twice she lost the trail due to her hastiness, and had to backtrack. Eventually she made her way to a clearing, and her heart lodged in her chest. The burned-out remains of a campfire were surrounded by the dismantled bodies of countless demons. It was nearly impossible to pick out the scents of her friends through the overwhelming stench, but she managed nonetheless. If her stomach contained any food, she probably would have thrown it up upon setting one foot inside the ring of death and destruction. But she pushed through; Sango’s scent in particular was emanating from a certain spot, a dark patch on the earth. Kneeling down, she realized with a sinking feeling what it was. Blood…Sango’s blood!

She forcefully reigned in her panic. It didn’t appear to be too much blood, and Sango herself was nowhere to be found. If the demons had eaten her, they would surely have eaten Inuyasha as well, and she could detect no traces of his blood at all. No, they had somehow managed to escape the swarm of demons. Reassured, she continued her search, and came upon another trail moments later, this one leading out of the battlefield. It was perhaps an hour after dawn when she came upon the cave where they must have spent the night. Their scents were fresh now, easy to follow, and she launched herself into a sprint, eager to verify with her eyes what her nose had already told her. This last part of the journey seemed the longest, though it did in fact take the least amount of time. She was so close, so close to seeing him alive, to confirming that she hadn’t killed him with her own stupidity and carelessness. Guilt and hope fused to fuel her tired body, driving her until the trees became a greenish blur and her feet flew over the ground. Then, he was there, walking ahead of her, heavily burdened by both human and inanimate cargo.

"INUYASHA!!!"

He had barely turned before she was upon him, twining her arms tightly upon his neck, her momentum causing him to stumble and nearly drop Sango on her ass. As it was, the slayer had another problem.

"Aack! Kagome-chan," she wheezed. "I can’t breathe!"

"Oh, sorry Sango-chan!" Kagome exclaimed, releasing her hold on both their necks. Stepping back, she peered into Inuyasha’s eyes, deeply afraid of what she might see. But instead of anger or hatred, there was only confusion, and perhaps a hint of happiness that pulled up the corner of his lips to a barely noticeable degree. Still, Kagome knew she needed to apologize quickly; she couldn’t wait any longer to find out if they were still on speaking terms, or even still friends at all.

"Inuyasha…I’m so, so sorry…" Now he just appeared even more perplexed.

"For what?" Kagome stared at him, her contrite expression morphing into bewilderment and then irritation.

"For what?! For purifying you, baka!" Inuyasha just stared at her for a moment, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. What the—first she hugs me, and now she’s yelling at me? What gives?!

"Uh, in case you’ve forgotten, wench, I fuckin’ told you to do that!"

"So what?! You wouldn’t have had to tell me to do it if I hadn’t been so careless!" Inuyasha’s heated reply died in his throat as he realized what this was truly about. Idly, he wondered why he hadn’t noticed her obvious remorse sooner.

"Yeah, well if I had just taken care of that bastard in the first place, he wouldn’t have been able to throw that dagger at all."

"Still…"

"No, wench! There’s nothing to forgive, so don’t apologize!"

"But I still hurt you! How can you forgive me!"

"Y-you saved me, Kagome. Get that through your thick head of hers." He grimaced inwardly, thinking of all the times he had hurt Kagome, even if none of them had been physical. Even if he wanted to hold her actions against her, he couldn’t do so in good conscience. She had always forgiven him, stayed by his side no matter how much of an ass he made of himself, no matter how many times he abandoned her to see Kikyou…

"D-did it hurt badly?" she asked, interrupting his thoughts. It was clear that she had taken his words to heart, but the remorse hadn’t totally left her eyes. He searched for something to make her feel better, and blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Feh. You purifying me felt like an ear rub compared to what that dagger was doing to me." The moment the words "ear rub" left his mouth, he regretted them. Kagome’s eyes shot up to the fuzzy appendages, and he was helpless to deny her when she was wearing that pleading look… Sighing, he lowered his head. Her hands immediately latch on, her questing fingers massaging his ears in just the right way. A pleasured growl escaped him even as he fought to remain standing. All he wanted to do was lay his head in her lap and have her rub his ears all day.

Sango watched the entire scene curiously, biting her lip as she gazed at Kagome’s fingers working her hanyou’s furry triangles. She had always wondered if they were as soft as they looked… Kagome caught her eye, and nodded her head, removing one of her hands as she passed her a knowing smirk. For once, Inuyasha was grateful to have someone else touching his ears. Sango’s inexperienced hand broke him out of his Kagome-induced daze and returned him to reality. It wasn’t that the new sensation was unpleasant, it just wasn’t Kagome’s hand working her magic. After indulging them for a few more seconds, he raised his head abruptly, breaking the contact.

"Alright, that’s enough of that! What is it with you women and my ears, anyway?!" Kagome saw right through his feigned anger, knowing that he was just covering up his embarrassment at enjoying it so much.

"They’re cute, Inuyasha."

"Feh! My ears are not fucking cute!" Said appendages twitched in annoyance, completely ruining the effect of his words, as Sango and Kagome giggled at his expense. He scowled, but otherwise remained silent. Evidently, Sango laughed a bit too hard, because she suddenly clutched at her stomach.

"Ouch," she moaned, hissing through clenched teeth.

"Sango-chan! Are you ok?"

"Yeah. Just don’t make me laugh for a while."

"Oh, your wound! Well, let’s bandage you up," Kagome said, moving around to get a better look. Sango’s voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Inuyasha already did it."

"H-he did?" she wondered, utterly astounded. Lifting the back of Sango’s top, she examined the binding, the bandages woven cleanly around her midsection. It didn’t at all resemble the messy, hackneyed job she expected to find. "Wow…great job, Inuyasha! Where did you learn to do that?"

"Feh. Probably from all the times I watched you patch me up." Smiling, Kagome pulled Sango’s top back down, only then realizing what the fabric actually was.

"Sango? What on earth are you wearing?"

"Well, my armour had teeth-holes in it, so—"

"So I gave her those to wear. With the amount of blood she lost, I knew she would freeze if I gave her any of your skimpy clothes." Kagome’s eyebrow twitched as she completely forgot her previous line of questioning.

"And what’s wrong with what I wear?!"

"Nothing. Nothing at all…" Inuyasha said softly, and Kagome swore she saw just a hint of something lecherous in his eye. But it was gone too quickly to be sure. She gaped at him. Was he…was he just flirting with me? The thought stirred up the butterflies in her stomach, and brought a silly grin to her face. It seemed their relationship was changing every day. Yeah, if I asked him a question like that before, the conversation would usually end with him getting osuwarid. Unfortunately, her empty stomach chose that moment to let out an obscenely loud growl, causing her to blush crimson.

"You hungry, Kagome-chan?" Sango teased.

"Uh, yeah. Haven’t eaten anything since yesterday at lunch." As the trio settled down for their modern-era meal, they took turns filling each other in on all that had transpired since they were separated. Inuyasha went to fill the water bottles, and Kagome took the chance to lean over to Sango and whisper in her ear.

"Thanks for taking such good care of him, Sango-chan."

"Don’t sweat it, Kagome-chan." When Inuyasha returned, he did so with a question in his eyes, as if a thought had just occurred to him.

"So you tracked us all night and this morning? And you actually found us? Heh. Not bad, wench." It wouldn’t seem like much of a compliment to someone who didn’t know him, but Kagome did, and she knew it meant a lot more than the words would normally in and of themselves comport (3).

"Thanks, Inuyasha," she replied, genuinely touched. And with everything that had gone on the past twenty-four hours, she couldn’t help but feel that today was going to be a good day.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

"Sora, could you get me some water?" Takehiko gasped out. His sister nodded; she was willing to do almost anything for him now that he was finally awake. He had been unconscious for almost two full days since their most recent battle with the Inu-gang. She had treated his wounds, but it had been touch and go as to whether he would survive Kagome’s attempt to purify him from the inside out. She was convinced he would have succumbed to the purifying poison in his body had it not been for the jewel shard in his forehead. Now, he was recovering, albeit slowly. He still bore a gaping hole in his chest, the lingering effects of Kagome’s powers hindering his natural demonic healing ability. She growled angrily; this was just another thing the miko bitch would have to pay for.

"How did we get out of that mess, anyway?" her brother asked, apparently feeling up for conversation. "The last thing I remember was collapsing in a pool of my own blood." Sora shuddered at the mental image her brother’s words conjured up. As long as she lived, she would never forget the sight.

"You remember that gourd, the one you told me not to take? I used it to make an escape from that crazed youkai…miko…whatever the fuck she is!"

Takehiko chuckled, clutching at his chest when the movement caused him pain. "I guess it’s a good thing you didn’t listen to me then." Sora’s eyes watered, the anxiety and unbridled emotion of the past forty-eight hours finally catching up to her. As her brother lay there, barely breathing, she had staved off madness by telling herself over and over again that he would recover. It had become a rallying cry, the only thing keeping her soul from shattering into a million pieces. But now, now that it appeared she had been right, the reality of the situation set in. Just how close she had come to losing him…to finding herself alone again…

With a gut-wrenching sob, she threw herself against her brother’s chest, her tears soaking the bandages there. A muffled "oomph!" was all that escaped him, as he wrapped his arms around her. The façade of strength they exhibited to the outside world didn’t matter when it was just the two—or three—of them. All they had was each other; trust and love did not stray outside their small family to anyone else. When they were children, they had banded together against the world that shunned them and carved out a niche for themselves. Losing one of their trio had nearly broken them, and perhaps it would have if there was no hope of getting Minoru back. To lose two siblings…to be the only one left…that was something they dreaded above all else, even death. So Takehiko did not judge his sister, or lament her female sensitivity. He himself had nearly cried the last time Sora was wounded. Eventually her sobs turned to hiccups, and she pulled away, drying her eyes with the back of her hand. Takehiko laughed at the image, earning himself a glare.

"You look just like you did when you were a brat," he observed, grinning in amusement.

"Shut up, Takebaka!" she replied, but there was no real bite to her words. Returning her glare now, Takehiko nevertheless chose to let her favorite nickname for him slide. They had more pressing matters to discuss.

"Sora, what are we going to do about this? Twice now we’ve escaped by a hair’s width, and I believe we’ve just about used up our good luck."

"What the hell are you talking about? We’re going to kill them, that’s what! The only reason they’re still alive is because that miko bitch keeps surprising us, wielding miko powers when she shouldn’t be able to. Now that we know what we’re up against, we’ll definitely be able to beat her!"

"I still believe we need a better plan. As much as you want to kill Kagome—"

"Killing doesn’t begin to describe what I want to do to her."

"Regardless, we need to focus on Inuyasha. He is the strongest of their group, and that sword of his would be truly formidable if it wasn’t wielded by someone with the fighting skill of a wet kimono."

"But if he goes down, won’t Kagome transform again?"

Takehiko sighed. "Probably, but that could work to our advantage. She is more powerful and aggressive in that form, but also reckless. As you said, now that we know what she is capable of, we can defeat her."

"I wish we didn’t have to use that fuckin’ dagger," Sora pouted. "It would be so much more enjoyable to rip out her entrails by hand, don’t you think?"

"Be that as it may, the dagger is the only way to bring Minoru back to us. You were very smart to pick it up off the battlefield."

"Tch. Just lucky; I nearly fell on the stupid thing when that bitch shoved me to the ground."

Takehiko’s reply was forestalled by the ominous scent that reached his nose. The stench was so pungent that even Sora’s weaker sense of smell could pick it up. Narrowing her eyes in recognition, she stood and turned to face the intruder. Naraku descended from the sky moments later, his protective barrier shimmering in the sunlight. He wore the same benevolent expression he had at their first meeting, but this time there was something darker, more sinister in his eyes.

"You two are quite difficult to find," he growled out.

"Forgive us for not wishing to share your company," Sora answered tersely. "Now, what do you want?"

"I want my Shikon jewel shards returned to me."

"Not a chance."

Naraku smirked, several bony tentacles writhing their way outside his barrier. "I’m more than happy to take them by force, if necessary."

"Try it!" Sora yelled, lowing herself into a combat stance, wings flared behind her.

"Now, now," Takehiko’s annoyingly placating voice called out. "Let us try to be civil about this." Sora scoffed. Sure…it’s easy to say that when you’re physically incapable of fighting.

"There is nothing to discuss. You two failed in your task, and that means our deal is off. And not only that, you somehow slew the insects I sent to observe the battle and report back to me."

"Fuck you, Naraku! We don’t like going into battle with some jackass looking over our shoulder. And we didn’t fail; we just suffered a setback. Besides, if Inuyasha and his friends are so easy to get rid of, why haven’t you done it yourself?!" Anger flashed across Naraku’s visage, and Sora knew she had hit a sore spot. Her brother interrupted before she could exploit it and anger the dark hanyou any further.

"Though she speaks in the manner of a common ogre, my sister is right," he said, pointedly ignoring the glare Sora shot his way. "In a few days, I will be completely recovered, and we will be as strong as ever. Kagome can’t possibly have any more surprises in store f—"

"What kind of surprises has she given you so far?" Naraku interjected suddenly, his interest obviously peaked. Takehiko grinned. Got him.

"You’ll never find out unless you allow us another opportunity to complete our side of the deal. Or perhaps you will, but only when you experience them first-hand. I can tell you that it is not a pleasant experience. As for your insects, many of them were slain by Inuyasha’s cohorts. We used a powerful smoke potion to make our escape, and the rest must have succumbed to it." Naraku was clearly unhappy with this development, but was somewhat mollified by the prospect of learning new, exploitable things about his enemies.

"Very well. Tell me what you know about Kagome."

"We succeeded in incapacitating Inuyasha, and were about to finish him off when Kagome stepped in. She was a full youkai, and a most worthy adversary, as you can see," he added motioning to the bandages on his chest. Naraku’s eyes widened slightly, and Takehiko could see the wheels turning in that screwed-up head of his.

"How did she act when she was transformed?"

"She came after us with savage abandon and singular focus, though she retained her ability to speak. She seemed incredibly protective of Inuyasha." Silence reigned for several moments as Naraku digested the new information.

"Interesting. Is there anything else I should know?"

"No, I don’t believe there is." Nodding, Naraku turned to depart.

"Do not fail a second time. There will be no more opportunities." With that, he was gone.

"What an arrogant prick!" Sora shouted, causing her brother to sigh.

"Yes, but a necessary one, nonetheless." At this, Sora turned her ire on her brother.

"Oh, is that why you were treating him like your fuckin’ master? ‘You’ll never find out unless you allow us another opportunity to complete our side of the deal.’ What the fuck is that?! Why didn’t you just get on your knees and beg him to lower his hakama?!"

"Please. We’ve dealt with his type before. If you don’t appeal to their arrogance, you won’t get anywhere. I did what I had to do to undo the damage caused by your thoughtless blustering!"

"Oh, yeah? Well I always thought you were the one with the balls in the family, but I guess it was me!"

"At least my oversized ego doesn’t prevent me from using my brain once and awhile! Do you think you can take Naraku yourself? We have no idea what he is capable of. And besides, we cannot afford to fight him until Inuyasha and his friends have been taken care of." Sora snarled angrily, but conceded to her brother’s point. "And if you were paying attention, you would have noticed the thing I didn’t tell Naraku."

"What was that?" she asked sulkily, though her eyes revealed her interest.

"That Kagome still retains her miko powers, even when she is full youkai."

"Huh? Why didn’t you tell him that?"

Takehiko shrugged. "He came to take our jewel shards away and basically threatened to kill us. If he wanted that information, he should have been less of a…what was it? Oh, yes, an ‘arrogant prick.’"

"Heh. Maybe you’re not such a pussy after all."

"Apparently, using your head before your sword makes you a pussy around here," he muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, Sora. Now I believe I asked you for some water?" Grinning, Takehiko watched as his sister stomped irritably to a nearby stream. These next few days were going to be fun.

Kagome grinned sardonically. So much for this being a good day…

Things had immediately gone south when she led Inuyasha, still carrying Sango, back to the village she and Miroku had found shelter in. The whispers had started before they even set foot in the village proper, and her ears were burning so hotly that it was a wonder they didn’t suddenly burst into flame. Her thoughts drifted back to the village they had rescued after their last meeting with Totosai, but the reaction they were getting from these people was completely different. Instead of suspicion, there was downright hostility. The word "youkai" wasn’t spoken so much as it was spit out, as if it pierced the tongue to form the two filthy syllables. She kept her eyes on the path, trying to avoid meeting the hateful glares she could feel burning holes in her skin. Loathing saturated the air, leaving it to hang oppressively down upon her shoulders. She had never in her life felt so abhorred, so detested.

A slight nudge on her arm brought her attention to the side, where Inuyasha was gazing at her with a mixture of anger and concern. She pressed closer to him, linking her elbow with his as she accepted his comfort. Inuyasha growled in frustration. He wanted so badly to reach out and touch her, clasp her hand, shelter her from the hate. But Sango was asleep on his back, and if he released one of her legs it would end up dragging on the ground. More whispers drifted to his ears, drawing his attention back to the villagers who passed by on either side. He met their glares with one of his own, the thought of backing down never crossing his mind. It gave him grim satisfaction that not a single human managed to look away after he did.

But that was a small victory, barely a ripple in the great sea of his fury. He had been in villages like this before, where the humans wished him a horrible death the moment they laid eyes upon him. Fortunately, these were very rare. They usually occurred because of bloody problems with youkai in the recent past. There were also villages that openly accepted youkai, or at least tolerated their presence without prejudice. Kaede’s village was becoming one of these, but they were also few and far between. The vast majority of human settlements were somewhere in between these two extremes. Most humans in Japan regarded youkai with suspicion, even contempt, but were content to let them alone. They took a "you don’t hurt me, and I won’t hurt you" approach to youkai, one which suited Inuyasha just fine. They feared him, openly wondered if he would turn on them and start a slaughter, but didn’t voice hatred or wish him dead.

The last time he had been in a village of the first variety was almost a hundred years ago. He shuddered at the memory. He had been just a boy back then, barely on his own, looking for a place to stay. How naïve he’d been, seeking shelter in a place where youkai were lower than dirt. And if those villagers had their way, underground was exactly where he would have ended up. He could still hear his own cries, his pleas for them to stop, all in vain. Their eyes, glowing crimson with malice, as they punished him for being born, for being alive. His panic, his desperation to escape rising out of control as he could no longer stomach the scent of his own blood… He never again put himself in such a situation. The next time he had been at the mercy of anyone, it had been Kikyou’s arrows pinning him to a tree by his clothes as the miko contemplated whether or not to finish him off. And when she lowered her bow, it had been the first time in his life that anyone had shown him mercy. And so it had begun, his journey of companionship, heartbreak, and…love? Did he still love Kikyou? He used to be so sure of that one simple fact, but now…he felt doubt, and it made him uneasy. Perhaps he would have continued to contemplate these questions, but there was one word in the cacophony of verbal abuse he was tuning out that he could not ignore.

"Whore!"

Kagome’s outraged gasp was like a knife through his heart, and if he ever saw that look on her face again, he would personally rip out the throat of whoever put it there, even if it was himself. Spinning toward the offender, he let loose a feral snarl. Every human in the area backed up a step, and the speaker, a short, wrinkly woman who did a little more than fill out her kimono, quickly lost her courage and scurried into a nearby hut.

"Fucking nasty old skank!" he cursed quietly. "If she wasn’t so fat and ugly there wouldn’t be a problem. She’s just jealous that she doesn’t look like you anymore. Fuck, she probably never did!"

So enraged, so engrossed was Inuyasha with his seething, that he didn’t realize what he had just said until Kagome leaned closer to him, raising herself up to place a kiss on his cheek. More accusations deriding her chastity reached her ears, but somehow they didn’t seem to matter as much anymore. She giggled as she replayed Inuyasha’s words in her head.

"Can you imagine what that woman would look like in these clothes?" she whispered. Inuyasha stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening impossibly as an utterly horrified look crossed his features. His skin developed a slightly greenish tint, and he looked like he was going to be physically ill.

"Fuck, wench!" he griped. "Are you trying to kill me?! I won’t be able to sleep for a month!" Kagome laughed merrily at this, and Inuyasha couldn’t help but smile in return. He was glad he had managed to drive away the somber mood that had gripped her, even though his stomach felt queasy and that revolting image still poked at the edge of his consciousness. If he let his guard down for even a moment… Damn that wench for putting that idea in my head!

"Where are we?" came the drowsy voice behind him.

"Sorry, Sango-chan," Kagome said sheepishly. "We didn’t mean to wake you."

"That’s ok," she answered weakly. "Is this the village Houshi-sama is staying at?" she asked, perking up suddenly.

"Yep," Kagome replied with a knowing smile.

Sango looked around, frowning. "Why is everyone glaring at us?"

"Oh, trust me, Sango. They’re not glaring at you," Inuyasha spoke up bitterly. Sango glanced at Kagome, confirming Inuyasha’s words, then leaned her head back down against him.

"Bastards," she said tiredly.

"You got that right, taijiya."

"Kagome-chan," Sango tried, "why don’t we just grab the others and leave?"

"Not a chance, Sango-chan. You need the bed rest."

"I’m fine!"

"You’re not. You’re too weak to walk because of all the blood you lost, and you need to stay warm and indoors or you might get sick. Besides, Inuyasha and Kirara don’t need to be lugging you all over Feudal Japan."

"Houshi-sama could car—" Sango cut herself off, realizing the absurdity of her statement before she had completely uttered it. Just how long would the monk’s hands stay under her knees where Inuyasha’s were? Ten, maybe fifteen seconds? No thank you. Her butt was not a handhold, at least not yet. Sighing, Sango relented.

"Inuyasha," she said seriously, "if things get too bad, I want you to just stick me on Kirara and drag Kagome out of here by the hair if you have to."

"No problem," he replied, enjoying the scandalized look Kagome sent his way.

"Good. Now get me to that bed so I can sleep some more." Inuyasha smirked; Sango had just given him permission to do something he was planning on doing anyway. Kagome might be ignoring the insults and threatening glowers now, but there was no way they were staying here if things didn’t die down. In two days he had failed to prevent Kagome from experiencing two of the curses of being a hanyou, and he was none too pleased with himself. Hopefully now she would realize to a fuller extent what life was like for hanyou and change back into a human as she belonged.

Kagome sighed in relief as they finally entered the inn; she didn’t plan on going outside again until the next morning. The innkeeper’s eyes widened as he spied Inuyasha standing beside her, and even further when he noticed her ears.

"You crooked monk!" he yelled. "You didn’t say anything about more youkai…" His voice faded out as he stormed off down the hall. A short, muffled conversation later, and he was back, pushing past them without making eye contact. Kagome felt sorry for the next person to cross his path; he smelled absolutely livid.

"What the fuck is his problem?" Inuyasha asked.

"Just another bigot in a town full of them," came Miroku’s voice just before the monk emerged from the doorway to their room. "I am sorry about your reception, but…I…" He trailed off as Sango’s head came up and they locked eyes. Miroku was at her side in an instant. "Sango, are you alright?"

"F-fine, Houshi-sama," she replied, stiffening as the monk’s hand came to rest upon her lower back. In her current position, her butt was especially vulnerable, and Kagome was watching the wandering appendage like a hawk. But Miroku appeared to have other things on his mind at the moment, like the bandages visible on the exposed portion of Sango’s back, as he began to lift the sweatshirt she wore to check her injuries.

"Don’t worry, Miroku-sama," Kagome said, swiftly pulling his hand away. "The wounds aren’t that serious. Sango-chan will be fine in a few days." Frowning, the monk relented reluctantly.

"Well, then come inside and lay her down. I managed to…persuade the innkeeper to grant us another night." Following him inside the tiny room, Inuyasha placed Sango down on the futon, and Miroku drew the blankets up over her. Sango pulled them up to her nose, blushing prettily at the action. But the pleasant mood their reunion had created was short lived. Miroku rose to his feet, brushing off his robes.

"I’m going to see I can’t find us some more suitable lodging for the night. This room would be very cramped for all of us." Kagome couldn’t argue with that logic, but she almost protested anyway. There was something…mischievous in his tone and demeanor. If Sango’s rising irritation was any indication, she hadn’t been the only one who noticed it. Sure enough, moments after the lecherous monk had departed, a young woman’s voice rang out into the silence.

"Oh, Houshi-sama! You’re such a tease!" Kagome was glad she couldn’t make out Miroku’s suave reply, and even more grateful that Sango couldn’t hear it. But both she and the slayer knew what her fiancé was doing, and Kagome fully expected Sango to start fuming any second. Instead, to her everlasting shock, the taijiya merely heaved a heavy sigh and stared at the ceiling, the scent of her grief perfuming the air inside the room. Kagome groped blindly for something to make her friend feel better.

"Um…Shippo? Has Miroku-sama been behaving himself?" she asked, silently praying for an affirmative answer.

"Actually, yeah, he has. Some girls tried to talk to him this morning, but he ignored them. Mostly he just sat around meditating."

"There, you see Sango-chan?! He was too worried about you to flirt with anybody!" Kagome declared, beaming. Her face immediately fell when the older girl simply scoffed at her.

"Oh, so now that I’m fine, he goes off to womanize instead of spending time with me? Gee, Kagome-chan, why doesn’t that make me feel any better?" she bit out sarcastically.

"Um…" Shippo interrupted, "I’m going outside."

"Yeah…me too," Inuyasha reiterated awkwardly. Both of the boys were obviously becoming uncomfortable with the "girl talk," and Kagome certainly wouldn’t mind the privacy.

"Alright, but don’t go far, especially you, Shippo. This village is dangerous."

"Ok, Kagome," the kit agreed, grabbing his crayons and coloring books from her bag before following Inuyasha out the door. Now the miko found herself in a familiar quandary: trying to think of something to buck up Sango’s spirits. Finding nothing, she sighed in defeat.

"I know it looks bad, Sango-chan, but he really does care about you."

"I know."

"Yes, he does. He—wait, you do?"

"I know he cares, Kagome-chan, and that used to be enough for me. But he proposed, Kagome-chan!" Here, Sango paused, her lips quirking in a wistful, if not sad smile at the memory. "You know, he asked me to live with him and bear his children, but he never asked me to be his wife. At the time, I thought that question was implied, but now I’m not so sure."

Kagome gasped as the implication of Sango’s words set in. "You can’t think that he would have you as a…mistress, can you?"

"Why not?" Sango growled, her frustration returning full force. "Do you think he would marry any of the other girls he asks to bear his children? I won’t be some man’s toy, Kagome-chan, to be used and then thrown out and replaced by younger flesh. It’s marriage or nothing!" Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Sango resumed her staring contest with the boards of wood overhead. "And I’m just not sure Houshi-sama is, or ever will be, capable of being a faithful husband. Nothing has changed since the day he proposed to me, and I’m beginning to suspect it never will. I’ve thought…I’ve considered taking back the answer I gave him that day."

Kagome could only gape at her friend; she had no idea Sango’s insecurities concerning Miroku ran so deeply. Then again, it appeared no one knew, especially not the monk himself. Sango was a warrior, and like many warriors she concealed her emotions and true feelings behind a well-crafted mask of indifference. Sympathy and anger gripped Kagome, the latter slowly blocking out the former. Rising stiffly to her feet, fists clenched, she turned to give a certain baka houshi a piece of her mind.

"Where are you going, Kagome-chan?" Sango didn’t need a response to draw the correct conclusion. "You can’t tell him anything! Promise me you won’t speak a word of this to him!"

"But—"

"No buts, Kagome-chan. Promise me!" Shoulders slumping in dejection, Kagome plopped back down on the floor.

"Alright, Sango-chan, I promise. But you need to talk to him! You two belong together!"

"That’s a nice thought, Kagome-chan. But what do you think happens every time I get him alone and actually have the courage to bring it up? Grope! Slap! End of conversation!" Now Kagome was even more furious with the monk, if that was even possible.

"I have an idea. I’ll tie him up and stick a sock in his mouth. Then he’ll have to listen to you!"

"No, then I’d be too tempted to leave him like that," Sango replied, cracking a tentative smirk.

"Oh, well then I’ll just have to remove his right hand."

"It would probably still find its way to my butt. ‘It has a mind of its own,’ you know," Sango mimicked, a fair imitation of the wayward monk. Both girls let loose genuine, if not strained, laughter at the joke. That is, until Sango hissed and clutched her stomach.

"Ow…"

"Alright, Sango-chan, let’s change your bandages." The slayer grimaced.

"Do we have to?"

"Yep. Now’s the perfect time."

"Yeah, ‘cause we know Houshi-sama will be gone for a while," Sango said bitterly, her brief good mood dissipating.

"Oh, Sango-chan…don’t worry. Things will get better soon."

"If you say so," Sango replied, though she didn’t really believe it. Kagome helped her lift the sweatshirt and began removing the old bandages. Some blood had leaked through the inner layers, but overall her wounds were closing up nicely. As the miko rewrapped them, Sango spoke up again. "Thanks for trying to make me feel better, Kagome-chan."

"No problem. What are friends for?"

"Hmm. So…how are things going between you and Inuyasha?" Kagome’s hands paused noticeably, the question catching her off guard, as she contemplated her answer.

"Uh…nothing new to report, really. We haven’t kissed again or anything like that."

"You sound disappointed." At this point, Kagome lost her inner battle to keep her cheeks from reddening.

"S-so what if I am? Is it wrong of me to want him to kiss me, to love me?"

"Of course not, Kagome-chan," Sango hurriedly stated, deciding to take the conversation in a different direction. "How about in general then? You two seem to be getting along great."

Kagome grinned contentedly. "Yeah, I feel closer to him every day. Ever since I became a hanyou, I’ve learned things about him, come to understand him better. And he’s been more open with me, too. I guess I just feel like I know him better now."

"Oh, yeah?" Sango asked with genuine interest. "What things do you know about him now that you didn’t before?"

"Well, there’s the reason he doesn’t like his ears rubbed…and he’s…" Kagome trailed off, blushing even harder at what she’d almost blurted out, and hoping Sango would let it go. No such luck.

"What are you blushing about? Spill! Spill!"

"Alright, Sango-chan! I…well, he…feels attracted towards me."

Sango rolled her eyes. "That’s it? Tell me something half of Musashi didn’t already know."

"Well, I didn’t know!" Having had just about enough of this particular conversation, Kagome finished rebandaging the slayer’s wounds and turned to leave.

"Wait, Kagome-chan! I’m sorry for teasing you. I really am happy for you," Sango said, even as a few tears escaped her. She couldn’t say whether they were products of her jealousy or her self-reproach for being jealous in the first place. Either way, Kagome seemed to understand, as she dropped down to the floor and enfolded the older girl in warm embrace. Maybe it was the physical weakness, but Sango could no longer hold back the dam on her emotions. It had been so long since she cried, since she vented her pent-up frustrations concerning her relationship with the monk. She didn’t know how long she wept on Kagome’s shoulder, only that when she pulled away she felt totally drained, yet somehow in better spirits than before.

"Sorry," she sniffled, motioning to the wet spot on Kagome’s blouse.

"That’s ok. What are friends for?" she joked, finally earning a smile from the taijiya. "You know," she continued, "when Inuyasha always ran off to see Kikyou, I would find myself jealous of your relationship with Miroku-sama. So don’t give up hope yet, ok?" Sango nodded, and this time Kagome could see the hope in her eyes, that she truly believed that things might work out in the end. "Now, go to sleep. You need your rest."

"Ok." Sango was asleep the instant her back hit the futon. Kagome tiptoed out of the room as quietly as possible, closing the shoji door behind her. She had a determined glint in her eye, and a mission in mind. Sango made me promise not to talk to *Miroku*, but she didn’t say anything about *Inuyasha*. Upon emerging from the inn, she scented the air, and she could tell that her hanyou was close by.

"Inuyasha?" she called. A low groan sounded from above her, and moments later a dog-eared head popped into view off the side of the roof. His eyes were drowsy, as if she had just woken him from a nap. Poor guy…he probably didn’t get a wink of sleep last night, she thought, stifling a yawn herself. We both need some sleep.

"Whaddya want, wench?" he inquired tiredly. Kagome thought about asking him to come down, but reconsidered. Instead, she leapt up to the roof and sat down next to him.

"Did you hear any of that?" she asked.

"Keh. I wasn’t eavesdropping, wench. I was trying to sleep." If that behavior seemed odd, he had a perfectly good reason for it. There was no way he was allowing himself any sleep tonight. This village was openly hostile to them as it was, and in his experience nighttime seemed to bring out the darkness in people. He was fully expecting trouble sometime after sunset. He listened idly as Kagome recapped her conversation with Sango, leaving out the parts about him. Inuyasha could tell she’d left something out, but didn’t press her on it. He was only half-listening anyway.

"So I need you to go talk to Miroku-sama, ok?" That got his attention.

"What?! Why would I want to talk to that hentai?"

Grrrrr. "Have you been listening to a word I’ve said? You need to tell him that Sango-chan is at her wit’s end. If he doesn’t stop womanizing, he could lose her forever!"

"And I care because…?" Snarling, Kagome grabbed him by both forelocks and dragged his face down until it was an inch in front of hers. He gulped at the fierceness of her gaze.

"Don’t even think about trying to tell me you don’t care, Inuyasha! I know you. Drop the act!" Inuyasha sighed, lowering his eyes as Kagome released him.

"Alright, wench. I’ll talk to the bouzu. But that doesn’t mean I’ll do it today!" Kagome smirked, content to let him have that small victory. She had won the war, after all.

"Thank you, Inuyasha," she said sweetly.

"Feh. Now either beat it or be quiet. I’m tryin’ to sleep here." With that, he flopped back down on the roof, resting his hands behind his head. Kagome glared at him for a moment, but then a rogue thought entered her mind, something crazy that she never would have considered doing until very recently. Then again, they had already shared a bed in her time…

Steeling her rebellious nerves, she gingerly laid down against Inuyasha’s side, resting her head on his shoulder. He stiffened underneath her, but made no move to push her away. He relaxed soon enough, bringing his arm down around her shoulders, pulling her closer. Matching flushes graced their cheeks, but matching smiles as well. They stayed like that for several hours, dozing the afternoon away in peace.

They awoke a little before dusk to the sound of Miroku calling their names. It was then that they realized that Shippo had disappeared. Kagome wanted to go look for him, but Inuyasha persuaded her to let him be, and that he was just off playing. Evidently, the monk had managed to perform an "exorcism," and procured for them lodging at one of the largest residences in the village. The owner was so grateful that he even welcomed Inuyasha, Kagome, and Kirara indoors, though he did so through uncomfortably clenched teeth. Upon entering, the two hanyou realized that someone in the household really had been possessed by a youkai; the lingering scent was unmistakable.

At dinner, they learned from Miroku that the victim had been the owner’s daughter, and that she was recovering nicely. Very nicely, it seemed. Just as they were settling down for the night, a gorgeous, breathtakingly beautiful young woman dressed in ornate robes opened the shoji door to their room. She wore a sultry smirk, one that could only mean one thing, and directed her heated stare straight at Miroku. The monk stood and followed the little vixen without a word or a look back.

Inuyasha had to physically restrain Kagome from going after him, she was so incensed. Any hope she had managed to restore in Sango that afternoon perished instantly, and she could tell the slayer was completely heartbroken. Fortunately, or unfortunately, they didn’t have much time to dwell on the infidelities of the lecherous houshi. Inuyasha bolted upright, listening intently as the sounds of an angry mob slowly grew in volume. He and Kagome rushed outside, followed by Kirara with Sango on her back. Torches dotted the clearing before them, and the air was thick with threats of death, but the most frightening sight of all was wielded by one man at the head of the group. It was a long pole perhaps the length of a man, and tied to the end of this pole was a thing rope. And tied to the end of this rope by the tail, hanging limply in unconsciousness, was Shippo.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.  The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise.  No copyright infringement is intended.

Shippo was bored, just plain bored. After he and Inuyasha made their escape from the "hypersensitive bitch zone," as the hanyou had so eloquently put it, he settled down on the rooftop with his art supplies. Coloring was fun for all of ten minutes, but then he set his crayons aside with a heavy sigh. He just wasn’t in an artistic mood today. Glancing at Inuyasha, he saw that the hanyou was dozing, and would be even less fun than he normally was. Kagome hadn’t come outside yet, so she and Sango were probably still talking. With nothing else to do, he crawled over to the edge of the rooftop to see what he could see.

He groaned; the sights that greeted him only increased his boredom. Just a bunch of normal humans going about their daily business. The only thing that was mildly interesting was Miroku giving palm readings to all the single women on the far side of the village. But that was nothing unusual either, and Shippo rolled lazily over to the other side of the roof to get a different view. Instantly he perked up, his eyes widening as he spotted a girl kneeling in a field about a hundred yards away. A very pretty girl at that. She was picking flowers, her long mahogany hair swaying gently behind her. She reminded him of Rin; she looked to be about the same age, and the style of her kimono was the same, though hers was an off-white with pink highlights here and there. He caught himself staring and tore his gaze away, glad that no one was around—or awake—to see him blushing.

Yet, his eyes seemed to have a mind of their own, as they soon settled on the girl again despite his mind’s feeble protests. What was it about girls, anyway? Why did he feel compelled to look at them, talk to them, become friends with them? It had started with Satsuki and her stone flower, and since then he found himself compelled to seek out the company of pretty girls at many of the villages they stopped at. He usually did so in secret to avoid the teasing Inuyasha and the others would lay on him, whether they meant well or not. He still didn’t understand why they made such a fuss about the first time he "fell in love." Did he fall in love with Satsuki? Probably not, but he had certainly liked her. And from his understanding, his attraction to girls was nothing unusual, just a sign of him growing up. Maybe the more you liked girls the more grown up you were? If so, then Miroku was the most mature man he ever met. That didn’t explain why the monk couldn’t get a woman to bear his child, though…

Trying to figure out adults made Shippo’s head hurt. On paper, things appeared so simple. When they were old enough, men and women fell in love, got married or mated, and…did something together that nobody had told him about yet (1). Whatever it was, it must be something really good or really bad for the adults to keep secret. And somehow, he knew that mysterious something was a large part of the reason why the relationships of his friends were so strained at times. He thanked his lucky stars that he wasn’t grown up yet, and that he didn’t have to worry about any of that stuff yet. After all, he hadn’t liked girls for very long. When he was younger, living with his kitsune family, most of his playmates were boys his own age. Girls were sissies, too wimpy to play with the boys, and to be avoided at all costs lest they rope you into playing some girly game with them. But now…

Now he had to go talk to this girl or he was going to go crazy! Kagome’s warning rang in his head, but he ignored it, telling himself that he would stay in sight of the inn. He leapt down from the roof, scurrying across the open ground excitedly. He slowed as he approached her; he didn’t want to seem too excited, after all. She was so engrossed in selecting the choicest flowers that she didn’t notice him. He took the chance to study her face; she was even prettier up close.

"Whatcha doin’?" he asked, causing the girl to jump slightly.

"Picking flowers," she answered kindly, though Shippo could have banged his head against a wall for the foolishness of his question. Smooth Shippo, real smooth…

"Um…what for?"

"Oh, they’re for my Okaa-san. She’s sick, and I thought they might make her feel better. I don’t recognize your voice. Are you from…around…here?" The girl trailed off, having finally raised her head to look at whoever she was speaking to, only to see nothing but blue sky with the village in the background.

"Down here," Shippo said, a little peeved by his short stature. The reaction he received was the last thing he expected. When the girl looked down, her eyes widened in horror and she screeched before scrambling to her feet and backing hastily away from him. The flowers were flung up into the air in her fright, brightly colored petals scattered by the wind. Shippo could only stare dumbfounded at the child before him, quivering in fear. She looked like she wanted to run away, but her legs were frozen in terror.

"Please," she begged, "d-don’t hurt me." By this point, Shippo’s chin was nigh touching the ground, and he almost had to close his mouth by hand so he could speak.

"I’m not gonna hurt you," he soothed, taking a step toward her. But she only whimpered, falling back another step to maintain the distance between them. She shook her head violently, clearly not believing him.

"J-just leave me alone! Please don’t eat me!" That comment was the last straw for Shippo, as his temper at what this girl was accusing him of finally boiled over.

"I’m not gonna eat you, stupid wench!" Apparently yelling had been the wrong strategy, for the girl simply collapsed into a ball and started crying for all she was worth. Shippo took a deep breath, mentally berating himself. Great, baka, now she’s even more afraid of you! And did I just call her a wench? Inuyasha would be proud…

"Look…I’m sorry I yelled at you, but I’m really not gonna hurt you. I don’t eat humans," he said in disgust, the idea sickening him to the core. Slowly, the girl removed her hands from her face, and dared a peak at him.

"B-but you’re a y-youkai! My Otou-san said all youkai are bad!"

"Well, you’re Otou-san is wrong. Do I look like a bad youkai?" The girl raked her eyes over his small frame, perhaps truly seeing him for the first time.

"You look like a kid," she said, frowning.

"I am a kid!" Just as it appeared he had finally gotten through to her, another thought struck her and she shrank back.

"B-but youkai are tricksters! You could be a big hulking ogre in disguise!"

"Oh, for the love of—all youkai aren’t tricksters either! I am…" Seeing her cringe at this revelation, he hastily added, "but this is my true form, I promise! I’m a kitsune, and I can do magic, but it’s all illusion." The girl seemed to digest this information, seeing the truth and genuine concern in his eyes. Finally, she sat up and faced him, drying her tears with a delicate finger.

"So…you’re really not gonna hurt me?"

"I don’t hurt girls," he replied smugly, crossing his arms over his chest, still a bit annoyed with the whole situation.

"What kind of tricks can you do?" she asked suddenly, utilizing the quintessential children’s power to change focus in the blink of an eye. Finally, we’re getting somewhere! And as he gazed at her, her eyes puffy from crying but filled with youthful brightness, he couldn’t help but remember why he came over here in the first place. She was very pretty. He looked away, his cheeks heating as he stammered out a reply, trying to sound more confident than he actually was.

"L-lots of them! You know…I can multiply, or use a giant spinning top, and I can even change into a big, scary youkai!" He regretted that last part, fearing he had taken his boasting too far, but her reply dropped his chin to the dirt again.

"Can I see?" With her hands folded in front of her, and that pleading look on her face, Shippo found he couldn’t deny her even if he wanted to. Crap, this isn’t good. I don’t even know her name yet and I already like her!

"Promise you won’t get scared?" She shook her head in the negative, but the ghost of a smile on her lips let him know that she trusted him not to hurt her. Without further ado, he popped into his large, pink balloon form. It was the same form he used to scare off the kids beating up Satsuki, but this time he tried to appear as unintimidating as possible. Apparently it worked, because the girl before him definitely didn’t appear frightened. Shippo transformed back into his kitsune form, shoulders slumping in disappointment as he gaped at her. This was not the reaction he had hoped for. She was supposed to be looking at him with awe, not giggling behind her hand!

"What’s so funny?" he grumped petulantly. It took her a moment to get her mirth under control.

"That wasn’t scary! That was…cute!" Shippo’s eyebrow twitched. If there was one thing he hated, it was someone making fun of his kitsune abilities. A good storm-off was in order, and he turned to do just that.

"Wait!" the girl cried before running around and placing herself in front of him again. "I’m sorry I laughed! I’m really glad you’re not a scary youkai." Shippo tried to stay angry, he really did, but found it impossible. Ah, crap…I must really like her. And I still don’t know her name! He opened his mouth to ask her but she spoke up first.

"Aww…I lost all my flowers. Wanna help me pick some more?"

"Sure," he replied automatically, not caring in the least that picking flowers was "girly."

"My Okaa-san’s favorites are these little yellow ones that look like this," she said, picking one up and showing it to him. It quickly became clear that the yellow flowers were difficult to find, but Shippo wasn’t so much looking for them as he was gathering the pieces of his scattered courage.

"Uh…what’s your name?" he finally asked.

"Tamiko. What’s yours?"

"S-Shippo."

"Well, S-Shippo, it’s nice to meet you. I’ve never met a good youkai before. Do you have a family?"

"Well no, but—"

"You must be pretty strong to live out there by yourself."

"Well, I used to live alone in the woods," he said, puffing up his chest. "You know, finding my own food, chasing off youkai, just typical kitsune stuff. Now I travel with some humans and hanyou, plus another youkai. I look out for them so they don’t get themselves killed."

"Wow…that’s really brave." Shippo blushed under the praise, but decided a little exaggeration couldn’t hurt, unless of course Inuyasha found out about it. The last thing he wanted was to end up getting thumped in front of Tamiko. Tamiko…what a pretty name…

"I think we picked all my Okaa-san’s flowers in this field. Come on, I know of another one!" Tamiko beckoned him to follow, but Shippo hesitated, remembering that Kagome had told him not to wander. He debated with himself, but was strongly leaning toward going with Tamiko.

"Come on, Shippo!" That did it, as he turned to scamper to catch up with her. Eh, what’s the worst that could happen?

They picked flowers and played games for the rest of the afternoon, and Shippo even got to show off some more of his illusions. Tamiko enjoyed riding on his wooden horse, but her favorite trick was his "big pink blob" form. He didn’t even mind when she laughed and called him cute; making her happy was enough of a reward. And just as he was thinking that he was completely smitten with this girl, her fear returned full-force as she stared at something behind him. Before he could turn around, he felt a blow to the back of his head, and then nothing.

"Hmm…this is a good palm. I see years of happiness and many children in your future. Tell me, would you like to start by bearing mine?"

"Oh, Houshi-sama! Surely you jest!" Miroku sighed. Why do they all think I’m joking? Evidently, these women had never met a monk like him before. They probably only had contact with "true men of the cloth." He snorted. As if there was such a thing. As far as he was concerned, all men had urges; it was just a matter of how good you were at repressing those carnal desires. And how good or bad you were, or whether you even tried to repress your urges in the first place, had nothing to do with how powerful of a monk you were.

That hadn’t stopped him from staying up all last night praying. Even in the morning, when the damsels were out and about, he had no trouble suppressing his mild inclination to go womanize. If Sango was…if she was no longer in this world, what was the point? He had settled on the woman he wanted to spend his life with, and she was the only one he wanted to bear his children.

That, of course, begged the question of why he was out here asking pretty girls to lie with him. He reflected that it probably boiled down to having fun. After being gripped by heart-wrenching anxiety for almost a full day, he figured he deserved it. He liked flirting, and was very good at it. He liked eliciting gasps of shock and excitement from blushing beauties. He liked pushing society’s boundaries and playing the role of the charming rogue, the charismatic scoundrel. Hell, he even enjoyed the jealous glares he often received from the significant others. It was fun. And it was harmless. In his time with Inuyasha and the others, he had been stuck on one hell of a dry streak. With a handful of exceptions, no woman was actually willing to bear his child. Except Sango, of course, and that had to wait until after Naraku was defeated. He sometimes wondered what he would do if another woman actually accepted his proposal, but had no answer as of yet. It probably would never happen, so there wasn’t much point in dwelling on it.

He read palms for a little while longer before the crowd started to disperse. Truth be told, he didn’t know a thing about palm reading. But he liked to think that what he was doing gave people hope. Maybe if they thought they would live happy lives, they would try a little harder to make it so. Either way, he certainly wasn’t hurting anybody.

"Excuse me, houshi-sama." Looking up, Miroku spied the speaker standing in front of him, a tall, well-built man in his thirties. His voice and demeanor exuded authority, and Miroku reasoned that this must be a man of high standing in the village.

"Yes?"

"I am in need of your services. My daughter has been possessed by a youkai. If you drive it out, you shall have free room and board for the night, a hearty meal, and as much sake as you can drink." Miroku smiled; that was a very nice offer, indeed. The sake especially sounded heavenly. But his face fell as he realized that he might not be able to enjoy it after all.

"You are aware that I travel with two hanyou and two youkai? If you cannot provide for them as well, then I shall be unable to accept your offer." Miroku hoped any prejudice the man had toward youkai could be overcome in light of his daughter’s health. If he refused, Miroku would go help the girl anyway; it was his duty as a monk. But this villager didn’t need to know that. His uneasy expression revealed his discomfort with the extra guests, but he reluctantly assented.

"Well, I suppose they haven’t caused any trouble so far…"

"Excellent! You daughter is as good as cured! Lead the way, good sir." He followed the man toward the center of the village, and into a very large, ritzy house. Servants could be seen doing various jobs on the grounds, and it appeared his initial impression about the man had been correct.

"Here is my daughter, Chiyoko," he said, leading Miroku into a secluded room. Immediately the hairs on the back of the monk’s neck stood on end; there was a discernable youkai aura coming from somewhere in the room.

"I will need privacy," he told the father, who shot him a harsh look. He had seen the wayward monk flirting with all the village girls while giving "palm readings," and wasn’t stupid. He didn’t need to voice his warning for Miroku to receive it loud and clear. Miroku breathed a sigh of relief as the overbearing man departed. Honestly, as if I would do anything inappropriate while she is unconscious…maybe when she wakes up.

The youkai was fairly easy to dispatch once he got down to business. A loud hiss sounded as he approached the girl, so he instantly knew what he was dealing with. A snake youkai, invisible to the untrained eye, had snuck inside the house and coiled itself around the girl’s body, slowly feeding off her blood. It was a relationship that could have gone on forever; the youkai was only taking what the girl could afford to give. If her caretakers kept feeding her, the girl would continue to produce blood, and it would have been many years before the youkai released its hold. But such parasitic youkai were never very strong, and this one was no exception. A sutra and a swipe of his staff was all it took.

"Ugh…" Chiyoko groaned as she stirred. And for the first time, he noticed how beautiful this girl—woman—was. She looked to be about Kagome’s age, and her sleeping kimono revealed a well-proportioned figure that would make any man salivate. She opened her eyes, a deep sapphire hue, and blinked up at him in obvious confusion.

"Who are you?" she asked with a dangerous glint in her eye. "Did my father try to marry me off to some loser again?" Miroku sweatdropped; apparently, this wasn’t your typical Japanese girl. She wasn’t the typical wealthy man’s daughter either, content with an arranged matrimony to strengthen a relationship with another well-to-do family. She had some spunk in her, and he already knew he liked that in a woman.

"No, no, I am but a humble monk. You were possessed by a demon, and I exorcised it."

"Oh," Chiyoko said sheepishly, "I’m sorry."

"Think nothing of it, my dear."

"Do you have a name, Houshi-sama?"

"Forgive me, Chiyoko-sama, it is Miroku."

"Well, Miroku-kun, thank you very much for saving me." Miroku’s eyes widened slightly. She’s calling me "-kun" already? The Kamis are trying to tempt me… (2) He became further convinced of that fact when the temptress before him raised her arms over her head and stretched languidly. Her chest pushed forward, the folds of her kimono separating just enough to reveal a tantalizing view of her cleavage. She rolled on her side, rubbing one fist against her eye in one of the most adorable gestures Miroku had ever seen. If he didn’t know any better, he would swear that she was flirting with him on purpose.

"Thank you again, Miroku-kun. I wish there was some way I could…express my gratitude properly…" Well, the monk thought, so much for knowing any better. That scintillating smirk she wore could only mean one thing, and the man in him was, quite literally, standing at full attention. And whatever objections the moral, loyal side of him could conjure up were outweighed by habit and a long-deprived libido. Reaching down, he grasped both her hands in his own while peering deep into her gorgeous eyes.

"Would you consider bearing my child?"

"Yes. Yes, I will." Miroku knew what her body language was telling him, but still found himself utterly flabbergasted by her response. What surprised him the most was that her answer didn’t make him feel elated. Far from it actually; he felt positively rotten. What was this feeling, this dirty sensation? Was it…guilt? Chiyoko’s father chose that moment to reenter the room, forestalling any further thought on the matter.

"Chiyoko, my darling daughter! You’re awake!" The two shared an embrace, and Miroku began to back away, hoping for a silent exit. Perhaps Chiyoko would forget about this whole bearing his child thing…

Or perhaps not. Just before he made his escape, she glared at him over her father’s shoulder, that lustful look in her eye piercing straight through his heart. Her delicate tongue snaking out and sensually wetting her lips went straight to another part of him. Never had he been more grateful for baggy robes. Yet, his body’s reaction to her just made him feel even more like a colossal jackass. He swiftly retreated from the house, finding a peaceful spot outside to meditate, hopefully to shed some light on his strange emotions.

Did he want to sleep with this girl? That seemed to be the most elementary question, but it shocked him deeply to discover that the answer was just as obvious. No. No, he did not. His body wanted to pound into her all night long, and his ears desired to hear her throaty moans and pleasured cries, but his mind and heart were sickened by the idea. Even if they could be together with one hundred percent certainty that she would not get pregnant, that it would just be a one-night stand with no strings attached, he still didn’t want to spend the night with her. But why? Why was he going against his urges as a man and relinquishing a goal that had been central to his life for years? Why was he wasting such an opportunity? He only needed one word to answer all these questions: Sango. He had chosen Sango the day he proposed to her, perhaps before. Unwilling to abandon his lecherous ways, he had continued to behave toward women as he always had. But there was no doubt in his mind now that asking any other woman to bear his children was a futile gesture. He cared too much about her to go through with it, to betray his lovely Sango. The revelation filled him with warmth, and his guilt finally vanished. All was right with the universe again. He was not going to lose Sango due to his own foolishness.

Standing and dusting himself off, he went to retrieve the others. No doubt they would be glad to get out of that stuffy inn, especially with the promise of a good meal and warm beds waiting for them. And at least Inuyasha would partake in the sake with him. Miroku smirked. The dope would probably end up drinking too much, because "hanyou don’t get drunk." And in the morning, he would deny his hangover and all the stupid things he had done while intoxicated. Yes, it was going to be fun night.

And it was, up to a point. The food was delicious, and the drinking was about to commence when the door to their room slid open, revealing a sight that put a sinking feeling in Miroku’s stomach. It was Chiyoko, leaning sensuously against the doorframe, her face sporting an alluring "come hither" look. He sighed inwardly, knowing what he had to do and hoping she would take it well. He rose to his feet and strode out the door, not needing to look back to know that Sango was incensed. Hopefully she would understand when he returned in a few minutes, and not hours. Perhaps if he had looked back, he would have seen that instead of anger, the taijiya’s face showed only grave sorrow.

He followed Chiyoko down the hallway and into another room, this one smaller with a single, large futon located in the middle. There was no doubt what she was planning to do on said futon, as she spun around and moved to kiss him. He placed his hands gently but firmly on her shoulders, causing her to look at him in confusion and irritation.

"Chiyoko-sama…we need to talk."

"Don’t wanna talk," she breathed, leaning forward, but again he held her back. Huffing, she withdrew a couple steps and crossed her arms over her chest. "What is it?!"

"I-I can’t do this."

"Why not? You know you want to," she drolled, tracing a delicate finger along his cheekbone down to his lower lip, playfully flicking it. He shook her off, though his horny body forcefully berated him for it. If my penis could talk…

"Chiyoko-sama…I just can’t. I am already promised to someone." The girl’s face fell, and Miroku’s heart went out to her. Is there a bigger bastard in this entire world than me?

"One of the women you travel with?" she asked despondently.

"Yes. I’m sorry, Chiyoko-sama. I didn’t mean to hurt yo—"

"Oh, yeah? Then why the hell did you ask me to bear your child in the first place?!" Her sudden fury took him by surprise, and it took him several moments to think of an answer that had a chance of satisfying her. In the end, there was only one true answer.

"Because I’m an insufferable baka."

She scoffed. "Tell me something I don’t know." Turning away, she strode purposefully to the futon and plopped down facing away from him. "Fine! Just go!" Perhaps he would have, but her slumped posture made him reconsider. Her shoulders were shaking with sobs, and he knew something else was going on here. Gingerly he sat down beside her, and she curled further into herself, hiding her face from his searching gaze.

"Come on, now. Why don’t you tell me what this is really about?" Her head snapped up, surprise evident in her tearful visage.

"H-how did you…"

Miroku chuckled. "My dear, I know I am attractive, but I don’t think a woman would cry just because she didn’t get to spend the night with me. I don’t have that high an opinion of myself." Chiyoko cracked a smile at this, drying her tears before sighing heavily.

"It’s not you…it’s my father. He keeps trying to marry me off to these rich snobs who’ve never had to work for anything in their lives. I don’t want to marry someone who’s used to having everything handed to him on a silver platter! I want someone strong, someone who’s had to work to make his way in the world, someone who might actually care about me as more than someone to bear his children!" Finally, understanding dawned on the monk.

"So you thought that if you became pregnant, your father wouldn’t be able to marry you into any respectable rich family?"

"Exactly."

"Why did you choose me?"

Chiyoko laughed outright. "Come on, Miroku-sama! Why do you think?"

He smirked. "Because I’m extraordinarily good-looking, unbearably charming, and the greatest lover Musashi has ever seen?"

"I don’t think so. An attractive young man had just rescued me from a youkai, and I guess I was a little smitten. Besides, I could tell you were a good man. I thought that maybe if we spent the night together, I could convince you to stay with me…permanently." Miroku’s pity for this girl grew; she was so desperate to escape a loveless marriage that she was willing to bed a total stranger in the hopes of at least finding some passion in her life. Her heart was in the right place, but she was going about things the wrong way.

"Have you spoken with your father about this?"

"He knows I don’t want to wed any of the losers he drags in here. So far, I’ve been able to scare all of them off. They want a nice, quiet, obedient wife, not an outspoken and willful woman like me. But sooner or later, I know one of them is going to accept my father’s proposal, and that will be the end of it."

"If he knows your wishes, why will he not let you at least try to seek a husband on your own?"

"Because I’m his ‘only heir, and I have to inherit the family name a fortune,’ yada yada yada," she mocked.

"You have no siblings?"

"No. My mother had…complications when she gave birth to me. She survived, but has been unable to carry a child since then. My father loves her too much to seek another wife or a mistress."

"Your father is an honorable man. There are too few in this world who would remain loyal to a barren woman."

Chiyoko shrugged. "Their marriage wasn’t arranged; they chose each other. That is what I want, the opportunity to seek a husband that will treat me the same way my father treats my mother. Even after all these years, they are still madly in love."

"Well have you tried telling him that? Perhaps he thinks that you are only objecting to his matches out of spite, or immaturity. If you explain yourself to him, he may reconsider. From what you have told me, I gather that your father cares very much about your happiness." Chiyoko stared off into space, carefully weighing his words.

"Maybe…" she said simply, but it was enough for Miroku to know that he had gotten through to her.

"So…" he began, the lecherous glint in his eye returning, "do you have anyone in mind?"

Chiyoko blushed. "Maybe…but he’s the son of a poor farmer! My father would never let me marry him."

"Have you asked?"

"…"

"Look, Chiyoko-sama, you will never know what your father might say unless you sit down and have a serious talk with him. You are grown up now, and if you wish to be treated like an adult, you must act like one."

She sighed, grinning sheepishly. "Well, I guess my behavior has been pretty juvenile."

"There, you see? Everything will work out, just as long as you don’t go luring any more strange men into your bed, that is. Speaking of which, just what would this farm boy you fancy think of you if you got pregnant?"

"I guess I hadn’t thought of that… I haven’t even had the courage to tell him I like him yet." At this point, Miroku smacked himself in the forehead, shaking his head at her antics.

"Hey, you’re one to talk! A lecherous houshi who asks pretty girls to bear his children even though he’s already promised to someone!"

"Yes, but we’ve already established that I’m a baka." He held up his hand to cut off her reply, listening intently to the ominous sounds coming from outside. "Do you hear that?"

"What is it?"

"It sounds like a bunch of angry people. Stay here; I’m going to check it out." As he made his way through the house, a feeling of dread settled in the pit of his stomach. Given this village’s obvious disdain for youkai, he could imagine only one reason why they would gather in force like this. This does not bode well…

Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, and Kirara were already outside, their backs to the wall of the house and the crowd of club, sword, and torch-wielding humans surrounding them in a wide half-circle. He followed Kagome’s horrified stare to the man holding Shippo tied to the end of a pole. He was swinging the kit around in a slow arch, and the threat implied by that gesture only incensed Miroku more.

"Youkai filth!" the man called out. "Be gone from this village at once, and never return!" Inuyasha was the first to break out of the shocked stupor that had settled over them when they saw their friend in such a predicament.

"We’ll be glad to leave this fucking shit-hole of a village, bastard! Just give us the runt back!"

"Ha!" the man barked out. He swung the pole downward, smashing Shippo’s tiny body against the ground with a sickening thud before flinging him into the air again. A choked cry was wrung from Kagome’s throat, and the sound of Inuyasha’s teeth grinding together was audible.

"What are you doing?!" Kagome cried. "How can you be so cruel?!"

"I caught this youkai with my daughter! Who knows what unspeakable things he was planning to do to her?!"

"He’s just a child! I’m sure they were just playing!"

"Do you expect us to believe you, half-breed?! This youkai will die! And so will you unless you remove yourselves from our sight at once!"

"I’m warning you, human," Inuyasha growled with deadly seriousness, flexing his claws menacingly. "If you harm another hair on his head, there will be no mercy." The man smirked in response, and the rest of the villagers readied their weapons. He pulled back his arm, preparing to plunge it forward and crush Shippo into the dirt again…

It happened so fast. A dark-haired blur flashed past, giving no one any time to react. Into the silence of the night echoed the sickening sounds of tearing flesh, a single, agonized shriek followed by the screams of women and the outraged cries of men. The man fell back in horror, his bloody stump waving frantically, spurting crimson vitality everywhere. The severed limb was snatched out of the air and tossed aside, as was the pole their kitsune comrade had previously been tethered to. The crowd backed away, leaving the wounded man to suffer alone, the scents of their fear and fury increasing astronomically in strength. But even this could not drown out the scent of blood. It was that scent more than anything else that convinced Inuyasha that the scene before him was actually real, and not some perverse nightmare pulled from the darkest, most deranged corner of his mind. For in the middle of the carnage, standing with her back to him, was a youkai, one that inspired a fear in him greater than any he had ever before experienced.

"Kagome!"

She turned to him then, slowly, grinning maliciously from ear to ear. Her fangs glistened in the moonlight, her red eyes sending a chill up his spine. She appeared exactly as she had the day before, with one notable exception. The pink markings on her cheeks, which had previously glowed so brightly, were now dull and lifeless. That, and the entire front of her blouse was stained scarlet with the blood of her victim. The only thing that indicated that she hadn’t completely lost herself was the way she delicately cradled Shippo’s limp form in one arm. Kneeling, she placed the kit gently on the ground, running her clean hand along his cheek, mindful of her deadly claws. Then she turned back to Shippo’s tormentor, raising her arm to deliver the killing blow.

That was enough for Inuyasha. Leaping forward, he sprinted the short distance between them and tackled her before she could lop off the man’s head. Over and over they rolled, each trying to establish dominance, but she didn’t turn her claws on him, even though she had ample opportunity to do so. Finally, his combat experience won out, and he pinned her on her back, holding her hands over her head as he straddled her waist. She snarled up at him, her black pupils boring into his own.

"Release me, Inuyasha!" she commanded, her voice low and menacing.

"Calm down, Kago—"

"No! That bastard will die! I’ll fucking kill them all!" She struggled mightily, nearly dislodging him. He threw his whole body into the effort to restrain her, but knew it was only a matter of time.

"Get him out of here!" he called to the stunned villagers. When they hesitated, he yelled more forcefully. "Now!" They complied, grabbing the wounded man, whose thrashing and moans had greatly diminished, and carrying him away. Seeing her prey escaping, Kagome redoubled her efforts, tossing Inuyasha aside and scrambling to her feet. But she wasn’t fast enough. Again Inuyasha tackled her, bearing her to the ground, this time wrapping his arms around her and trapping hers at her sides. He curled his legs around hers to stop her kicking, and met her glare with one of his own, their faces only inches apart. She rebelled at her helplessness, but no matter what she tried Inuyasha held her fast. Her breasts heaved against his chest, but she refused to calm down. She snarled at him again, everything in her demeanor an overt challenge.

"Dammit, Inuyasha, you fucking bastard! Let go of me!"

"Not until you calm down, bitch," he replied easily.

"Fuck you!" That was the last straw for Inuyasha. Her behavior was sending his own youkai instincts into overdrive, and he couldn’t help the fearsome growl that welled in his throat. It was a sound that any youkai in their right mind would heed, a demand for submission voiced in the strongest possible terms. But Kagome was not in her right mind. She shrank back a bit, her eyes widening, but continued to fight his hold.

"Kagome!" he tried again. "You need to stop this! You have to change back!" She ceased all movement abruptly, and Inuyasha felt relief until her body started shaking with mirth. Her laughter was dark and chilling, quite possibly the most disturbing thing he had ever heard. That is, until her next words passed her lips.

"You want me to return to being a filthy hanyou? I’d rather die!"

Inuyasha seized as if physically struck. Of all the times he had been insulted or derided for his hanyou heritage over his long lifetime, none had hurt as much as this one did. Never before had his heart been torn from his chest and impaled, still beating, on a pike. And yet, the gaping hole in his chest cavity still screamed, wept, wailed in unfathomable sorrow. His mind tried to reassure him that this wasn’t really Kagome talking, but nothing could take away the sting of her words or undo the carnage they had wreaked on his psyche. Desperate to return Kagome to normal, he did the first thing that came to mind. It had proven to work in this situation, and was just about the only thing he was physically capable of doing at the moment.

This wasn’t like the previous times, however. This time, fueled by the pain of his freshly opened emotional sores, he slammed his lips into hers in a bruising kiss, swallowing her outraged growls. His mouth moved harshly over hers, forcing it open so he could shove his tongue inside. He plundered her, ravaged her, not letting up until her rumbles quieted and then ceased, and she became pliant in his arms. He continued to tenderly explore her warm cavern until her tongue shyly rose to tangle with his own. After a few more seconds, he pulled away, relief flooding him as he was reunited with her beautiful chocolate orbs. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips swollen, and she gazed up at him with something akin to wonder. But then other emotions began flickering across her visage: recognition, horror, remorse, expressions that made him willing to do anything if he could only take the past five minutes away. Unfortunately, he could not. Kagome had at the very least maimed someone, and she would have to come to terms with it. But first, they needed to get the hell out of this village.

"Come on," he said to the others, gathering Kagome in his arms. "We’re leaving." Miroku and Sango followed blindly, the monk carrying the still unconscious Shippo and the taijiya riding on Kirara’s back, still stunned into silence by what they had seen. It had all happened so fast…

As they made their way into the forest, guided only by the pale moonlight, Inuyasha dared a peek at the woman in his arms, afraid of what he might see. She was staring off into space; he had never seen her eyes look so blank. And yet, tears were still flowing freely down her cheeks. Inuyasha steeled himself for the upcoming battle, knowing it was going to be difficult to convince Kagome that this wasn’t her fault. He prayed she wasn’t permanently traumatized by the experience.

Reaching a suitable distance from the village, so he could no longer hear the lamentations of its inhabitants, he set Kagome down against a tree, since it didn’t look like she was about to support herself. She continued to stare unblinkingly straight ahead, seeing the nightmare she had lived over and over again on a continuous loop. Her friends stood around looking at each other; no one knew what to say. Surprisingly, it was Kagome who broke the oppressive silence.

"Is he dead?" she asked in a vacant monotone. And as much as he wanted to, Inuyasha couldn’t bring himself to lie to her. She would probably see right through it anyway.

"Probably," he answered grimly. Finally, Kagome raised her teary eyes to his, and the deep remorse and self-loathing he saw in them nearly brought him to his knees.

"But there’s a chance he survived, right?"

He grimaced. She was pleading with him, begging him to rebut what her logical mind was telling her. Kagome wasn’t stupid; she knew that a human would have to get extremely lucky to survive a wound like that. He was losing blood so quickly, and the only chance would be to tie a rope around the stump within minutes. Otherwise, he would bleed to death. And even if his cohorts managed to stop the bleeding and he clung to life, his weakened body would be open to infection and disease. No, the chances of that man surviving his wound were slim to none, but Inuyasha couldn’t bring himself to tell Kagome this. He couldn’t be the one to crush her hope in his hands, and tell her that she was a murderer. So, after much consideration, he settled on the simplest answer he could give.

"Maybe…" But Kagome knew him too well, and she immediately picked up on what he didn’t say. Sobbing, she drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, burying her face in shame as a new wave of tears assaulted her.

"Kami, Kagome-chan," Sango said softly. "What happened?" She shook her head visibly, her voice muffled by her arms.

"I don’t know! I don’t know! Shippo…seeing him get slammed into the ground like that…and then that bastard was gonna do it again…I-I couldn’t control myself." Her head shot up suddenly, worry replacing guilt for the moment. "Where is Shippo?! Is he ok?!"

"Relax, Kagome-sama," Miroku soothed, holding the kit out so Kagome could see him. "He is just sleeping. He has some bumps and bruises, maybe a cracked rib or two, and some head trauma, but nothing his youkai blood can’t fix." Kagome sighed in relief, slumping bonelessly into the tree. But her self-reproach soon settled down upon her again, as did the uncomfortable silence on the clearing. Once again, Kagome spoke up first.

"You should all leave me here. It’s not safe being near me right now."

"Kagome-chan!" Sango gasped. "That’s crazy! Where would you go?"

"I don’t know. Not back to my family, or I might go insane and kill them too."

"Stop being ridiculous, Kagome-sama," Miroku ordered gently. "In case you’ve forgotten, you saved Shippo. You were as protective and tender with him as ever."

"It doesn’t matter! Dammit, can’t you see?! Look at my hand! It’s covered in blood! I’m a monster! I shouldn’t be around anyo—"

"Shut the FUCK up, bitch!!" Inuyasha’s outburst had its desired effect, as Kagome and everyone else were now staring at him with rapt attention. His anger had been rising steadily throughout this entire conversation, and that "monster" remark sent him over the edge. It was clear that Kagome wasn’t going to get talked out of her shame spiral by kind words and reassurances that her friends still loved her. She needed some tough love. And who better to give it to her than the toughest son of a bitch this side of Goshinboku?

"So you’re a monster now, huh?" he sneered. "Tell me, Ka-go-me, what does that make me?" Kagome’s eyes widened even further as the implications of her words set in. Patiently, Inuyasha waited for an answer as she stuttered repeatedly.

"T-that’s different."

"Oh, really? How is me slaughtering bandits any different from what you just did?"

"Uh…I…you…"

"There is no fucking difference, wench! It’s the same fuckin’ thing!"

"B-but—"

"No, wench! What we did was the same! I wasn’t myself, and neither were you! We both have blood on our hands, but it wasn’t really us killing anybody!" Kagome glared at the ground, seething with fists clenched at her sides. She wanted to curse herself as a monster. She didn’t want to believe his words, that she was mostly innocent in this. He could see the wheels turning inside her head as she tried to come up with a way she could condemn herself. Sighing, Inuyasha decided to try a new approach, though perhaps it wasn’t so new after all. Sitting down next to her, he drew her into his lap and enfolded her in his arms. She remained stiff, refusing to relax, but to his relief she didn’t fight him.

"Look, Kagome. Do you remember what you did for me that day? When I was washing the blood off my hands in the river? I said you didn’t have to force yourself to say beside me, and you hugged me. You hugged me and told me that you understood. You…you didn’t think I was a monster, a mindless killer. And you didn’t put those people’s deaths on my head. Do you—do you have any idea what that meant to me? You forgave me…and because of that I was able to forgive myself. Now, you need to forgive yourself."

Slowly, Kagome raised herself up, turning her head to meet his ardent gaze. He smiled at her; the light was back, the light that had vanished completely from her beautiful face. It was back, shining tentatively, but still there. But Kagome still had one more condemnation left in her.

"But…I could have rescued Shippo without tearing someone’s arm off! I could have just snatched the pole from his hands!"

"And I could have protected you and the villagers by letting those bandits go. It doesn’t matter."

Fresh tears welled in Kagome’s eyes, and as his words sunk in, she flung herself against his chest, clinging to him for all she was worth. He reciprocated the gesture, swathing her within the generous folds of his haori. She wept bitterly, wailing her despair and relief into the night as most of her guilt left her. She would always carry some around with her; he knew he did. It was part of the reason he worked so hard to strengthen Tetsusaiga: to ensure that never again would he spill human blood unnecessarily. Slowly his focus drifted off the distraught girl in his lap, and he noticed Sango and Miroku standing there looking down at him with relieved smiles. He blushed, having forgotten all about them as he was comforting Kagome. Never before had one of his glares more clearly meant "get the fuck out of here!"

"Come, Sango, let us set up camp." But as they worked, neither could resist peeking back at him periodically when they thought he wasn’t looking. Feh…nosy humans. Gradually, Kagome’s sobs became sniffles and hiccups, and finally just random shivers. Even then, she remained nestled against him, and Inuyasha almost decided she had fallen asleep. But when the scent of freshly cooking fish drifted to their noses, both of their stomachs grumbled at once, and Kagome let out a choked laugh. She pulled back, wiping her eyes, still red and puffy from an evening’s worth of waterworks. But even so, when she smiled hesitantly at him, she took his breath away.

"Sorry," she muttered, running her fingers along the wet spot on his haori.

"Feh." He helped Kagome out of his lap and stood, offering her a hand up, which she gratefully took.

"Inuyasha," she said, holding his hand in both her own. "Thank you." Maybe it was the nearby firelight flickering in her mahogany eyes, or maybe it was the intimate embrace they had just shared, but they were drawn inexorably to each other. Neither could look away as they came closer, nearly touching but still miles apart. His gaze lowered to her lips, then back up to her stunning orbs, which were glowing with emotions he didn’t dare name. But he would be a fool not to recognize the open invitation he swore he saw, and fully intended to take advantage.

"Fish is done!" Sango’s voice was like a bucket of ice water, dousing the flames of their passion, leaving only the ashes of longing in their wake. If looks could kill, the slayer would have been slain…twice! But the moment was gone, and they reluctantly released each other.

Inuyasha led her to the stream, supporting her with a hand on her shoulder as she rinsed the blood off her claws, reminding him once again of that afternoon not so long ago when their positions had been reversed. He retrieved a new blouse for her, and the blood-stained one was tossed in the fire. Dinner was quiet, but not uncomfortably so, and everyone turned in as soon as it was finished. Shippo still had not awoken, but he was breathing easily and Inuyasha was confident it was only a matter of time before the kit would be annoying him once again. He wasn’t so sure about Kagome. She had seemed fine, but something was still bothering her. So it didn’t surprise him when she got out of her sleeping bag and left camp, heading in the direction of the village. She probably wanted to know the fate of the man she had wounded for sure, and he couldn’t blame her for that. He only hoped the answer didn’t undo all the progress he had made with her earlier that evening.

Leaping down from his perch, he scratched Kirara under the chin until she roused, then told her to watch over the humans while he was gone. The fire cat understood, and sat herself up dutifully. Inuyasha threw a couple more logs on the dying fire to make it more comfortable for her, then strode purposefully into the forest.

It was with a sense of growing trepidation that Kagome quickly made her way through the trees. It had seemed like such a good idea, to find out for sure whether she had killed Shippo’s tormentor. But now…did she really want to know?

Steeling her resolve, she pressed forward. As much as an affirmative answer would hurt, in the long run not knowing would probably do her more harm. Slowing as she approached the edge of the forest, Kagome looked out on the village. It was mostly quiet, the people having retired to their huts, but small parties of men still milled about with torches, keeping vigilant watch in case of another youkai attack. She grimaced. That’s how these people would see it. A youkai attacked them for no reason, and they did nothing wrong. And as much as she wanted to curse them for their prejudice, she couldn’t. Racism, whether it was against humans or youkai, was an integral part of human history. The Americans and thousands of other civilizations before them could tell you that. Sixty years earlier, her own countrymen had invaded China and treated the Chinese as less than animals. In this case, however, she couldn’t really blame the villagers for their bigotry. She really had become the stereotypical, mindless youkai that haunted their nightmares. Her memories of those few fateful seconds would surely revisit her during slumber for many years to come.

Two problems quickly became apparent to Kagome. The first was how to move around without being spotted. The last thing she wanted was another confrontation; her goal was to find out what she needed to know and scram. This difficulty could probably be overcome with caution and stealth. Her youki was restless, anxious to test its skill, just as it had been when she ran with Inuyasha to see Totosai. The second problem was that she had no idea which hut the wounded man lived in. The only way to track him would be by scent. Another option would be to just eavesdrop and hope one of the sentries spoke about what happened, but Kagome rejected that idea. She wasn’t going to be satisfied with hearsay; she had to know for sure.

So as much as it sickened her, she raised her right hand and sniffed deeply. At the stream, she had discovered the same problem Inuyasha had after he killed the bandits: blood washed off easily, but its scent did not. So now she knew what to look—er, smell for, and she wasted no more time before starting the search. Immediately she encountered another impediment: there were so many scents around, human and otherwise, that she would easily miss the one she was looking for if she moved too quickly. It was both tiring and tedious, but Kagome searched hut by hut, crouching low on the rooftops to avoid detection. It was probably at least an hour or two before she finally found the one she was looking for.

Unbeknownst to Kagome, a pair of golden eyes was attentively observing her progress. Inuyasha was impressed with her choice of search tactics, and even more amazed that she was able to sneak around so surreptitiously without being noticed. Then again, cats were naturally stealthy, and apparently so were cat hanyou. Hell, it looked like she could probably out-slink him! Not that he liked to creep around… No, to say he liked to make an entrance was to put it lightly. His favorite strategy was to charge in, sword-swinging, yelling like a banshee. Sneaking around was for pussies. It didn’t occur to him that he’d just called himself a pussy for all the times he snuck off to see Kikyou. What did occur to him, however, was how good Kagome was making it look. She moved with feline grace, the sight hopelessly entrancing him. Her shorts did very little to hide her shapely bottom when she arched her back, causing her blouse to ride up as well. The satin skin of her legs, navel, and arms glowed in the moonlight, and he raised his arm as if to caress it, remembering all the times in recent months he had seen her nude or nearly so, held her, kissed her…

Then, as his fingers touched only air, he remembered that he was sitting on a tree branch at least a hundred feet away from her. Blushing hotly at his foolishness, he swiftly lowered his hand. If anyone had seen that, he would have to either kill them or render them mute to make sure it was never spoken of. But could he help it that Kagome was so enticing when she allowed a little of her youkai side to show? Looking down, he frowned at what he already knew was there: a noticeable tent in his hakama. What the fuck is wrong with me?! Kagome’s having the worst experience of her life and all I can do is stare at her and get a boner! But there was no cure for it, at least not one he was willing to perform here. Besides, it would go away as soon something interesting happened. Satisfied, he returned his rapt attention to the vixen still making her way through the village.

Kagome froze on the rooftop. This particular hut carried the heavy scent of the man whose blood she had spilled. It was fairly fresh, but it didn’t smell like he was inside now. Kagome assumed the worst when she detected the salty aroma of tears and heard a woman crying. Rightfully so, it seemed. Making sure the coast was clear, Kagome leapt down to the street and cautiously peered into the hut. A woman, suffering from some kind of illness from the smell of it, was lying on a futon, weeping into a cloth. With a cold, numbing sensation in her gut, Kagome realized she recognized that cloth. It was the same plain haori her victim had worn just a few hours earlier. The bloodstains were still clearly visible.

Kagome fell back a few steps, nearly collapsing as her knees shook violently. She thought she had prepared herself for this, but now she couldn’t help the bile that rose in her throat. Getting down on all fours, she heaved it onto the dirt as quietly as she could. It wasn’t quiet enough. A soft gasp alerted her that she had company, and she looked up to see a young girl, probably not more than ten or eleven years old, staring at her with wide eyes. Said eyes narrowed, and the girl favored her with a hateful glower.

"What are you doing here? You already murdered my father. Are you planning to kill the rest of us, too?" At this final, damning confirmation of her deed, Kagome wretched again, her tears dripping into the puddle of vomit rapidly forming below her. She didn’t feel worthy to raise her eyes as she attempted to make amends.

"I’m sorry," was all she said. After a long silence, she finally raised her head and looked at the girl again. She was frowning, her eyebrows drawn closely together, deep in thought. Finally, she spoke.

"I’ll never forgive you."

Kagome shook her head. "I don’t expect you to. I just…I never meant to hurt him. I just wanted Shippo back, and I…I lost control of myself. I’m sorry," she repeated, sitting back on her heels with shoulders slumped pitifully.

"How is Shippo?" the girl asked suddenly. At Kagome’s dumbfounded expression, she sighed. "I’ll never forgive you for killing my father, but…it was wrong of him to hurt Shippo just because he’s a youkai. Is he ok?"

"He’s fine, and I know he’ll be glad to hear that you were worried about him, uh…"

"Tamiko."

"Thank you." Then, sensing there was nothing else to say, Kagome stood to leave. "I really am very sorry," she said, bowing deeply at the waist. Tamiko’s eyes softened slightly, but still maintained their hard edge.

"I know you are. Now get the hell out of here before my mother sees you." With that, she vanished inside the hut once more, leaving Kagome standing outside by herself. Or at least, that’s what she thought.

"You alright, wench?" Kagome jumped at Inuyasha’s voice, having been so distracted by Tamiko and her grief that she hadn’t noticed his scent on the breeze. Not trusting her voice, she shook her head in the negative. Sighing, Inuyasha placed his arm around her shoulder and started leading her away. He had to scoop her up in his arms as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop toward the tree line, not particularly caring if anyone saw them now. When he set her down again, she resumed walking, her distracted wandering taking her to no place in particular. She was staring off into space, lost in her own depressing world. Inuyasha was helpless, at a complete loss for words, but after a good amount of time had passed he tried again.

"What’s wrong, wench? I thought we talked about this."

She sniffled. "I know. I know it’s not really my fault, but…to know that I actually killed someone…it’s hard to deal with."

Inuyasha nodded in sympathy. "I know it is. Believe me, I know. But that bastard had it coming to him, hurting the runt like that… If you hadn’t done it, I might have." Inuyasha blinked repeatedly as another thought occurred to him. "Let me ask you something, Kagome. Whose life to you value more, Shippo’s or that bastard’s?"

Kagome frowned in consternation. "I don’t…I value all lives the same."

"Bullshit." At this, Kagome’s ire rose, and she glared at him in irritation. Well, at least I got a reaction out of her.

"Excuse me?" she asked incredulously, an osuwari on the tip of her tongue.

"I said bullshit, wench. It’s impossible to value all life the same. You care about your kid more than other people’s brats, you care about your husband more than other men, and you value your friends more than strangers. You think I give a flying fuck about those villagers compared to you lot? Feh!"

Seeing that she wasn’t going to respond, Inuyasha growled, but was determined to get his point across. "If you can honestly tell me that you value that bastard’s life the same as you do Shippo’s, then you don’t deserve to call yourself his friend." Kagome returned to staring into space, but Inuyasha could see that she was weighing his words carefully. She was still waging an inner battle; self-condemnation warred with logic and reason. But eventually the assurances of her friends won out. Perhaps if even one person close to her had blamed her, or expressed reproach at her actions, she could have crucified herself for this. But if no one she cared about condemned her, then how could she condemn herself?

"That still didn’t give me a right to kill him," she answered softly.

"No, it didn’t. But it gave you a damn good reason for it!" Kagome didn’t reply, but she did relax noticeably. She reeked of sadness, but there was life in her eyes. She was going to get over this. She was going to be ok. And if she slipped into depression, he would be there to pull her out. "You wanna go back to camp, wench?"

She shook her head. "No, just…just walk with me." She delicately removed his hand from her shoulder and clasped it between them as they meandered through the forest. Neither could say how long they wanted before they came across a large clearing. They sat down together against a tree, watching as the moon slowly made its way across the night sky. No words were spoken, and none were needed. They were lost in their own thoughts, but both silently rejoiced in the presence of the other. That night, they were each other’s lifelines, and nothing could separate them. The night passed quickly for the contemplative duo, and the sunrise seemed to dawn on a whole new world, where the tragedies of the past were distant memories. And as she watched the propitious sun claw its way into the sky, still nestled against the man she loved, Kagome smiled.

Miroku coughed, clutching his bruised stomach. The morning had begun normally enough, with him groping Sango as she bent over to fix breakfast. This time, however, instead of a slap he received a fist to the gut. To an innocent uneducated in the ways of the hentai, such a small difference might mean nothing. But to Miroku, it meant everything. A slap usually meant "How dare you?!" Many times it indicated that the woman was at least partially receptive to his advances, as what used to be the case with Sango. A blow to the abdomen, however, said "Do that again and I’ll fucking kill you!" It was to be understood as a sign that the woman held no interest in you. A slap was given in embarrassment, but a punch was delivered in disgust.

So why wasn’t Sango slapping him like she should be? Surely it didn’t mean she wasn’t interested in him anymore? No, she must just be extremely pissed at him. He could guess why. He had hoped to only spend a few minutes letting Chiyoko down easy, but had become engrossed in talking about her problems, and then the angry mob had shown up. So how was Sango to know that he hadn’t gone with Chiyoko to sleep with her?

"You know, Sango, it wasn’t my intention to bed Chiyoko-sama last night. I went with her to explain that I was already promised to someone." Sango eyed him critically, then looked away.

"It’s none of my business, Houshi-sama."

"Yes, it is," he replied seriously, grabbing her hands. "You promised to live with me and bear my children, so it is your business, Sango." The slayer finally met his eyes, and Miroku was shocked by the warring emotions he glimpsed within them. But then the moment was over, and Sango was staring into the fire, having offered only a brief nod in response to his words. He was baffled over her behavior, but quickly came up with a plausible explanation. Perhaps she is just worried about Kagome-sama…

Shippo groaned suddenly, startling both humans as they rushed over to where the kit lay. The fox’s eyes fluttered open, and he rolled over to shield them from the light, covering his head in the process. "Ugh…why does it feel like Inuyasha stomped on my head a few hundred times?" It was then that Miroku realized what he was going to have to tell little Shippo, and how unpleasant the task would be. He and Sango shared a look, but neither could muster up a response.

"Guys? What’s wrong?" Shippo asked, picking up on their discomfort.

"What do you remember from yesterday, Shippo?" Miroku asked grimly. The Kit frowned, examining his surroundings and realizing for the first time that he wasn’t where he had fallen asleep—or unconscious. Something had happened in the meantime, and judging by his friend’s expressions, it couldn’t have been good.

"I remember…I was playing with Tamiko—she’s this girl I met—and then…I don’t know. Something knocked me on the head, and I woke up here. What happened?"

Miroku sighed, rubbing his temples. "The person who knocked you out was Tamiko’s father. Last night, he and a bunch of villagers confronted us, threatening to kill you. When he went to smash you against the ground, Kagome-sama…Kagome-sama lost herself. She…she transformed into a full youkai and lopped his arm off."

Shippo gasped, raising shaking hands to cover his gaping mouth. No… What had he done? In protecting him, Kagome had… What have I done?! He dimly felt himself being pulled into Sango’s lap, Kirara nuzzling his chin, but no comfort could make him feel better now. But why were they comforting him? Why didn’t they blame him for this? They should, damn it!

"It’s my fault," he whispered, barely loud enough for the humans to hear. "Kagome told me not to wander off, and I didn’t listen. Just leave me here! Just leave me and go!"

"You know, Shippo," Sango spoke up, "Kagome-chan said the same thing last night. I’m going to tell you the same thing I told her. That’s crazy! You’re staying with us; you don’t have a choice!"

"B-but—"

"No buts! I’m not gonna lie to you, Shippo; this is party your fault." The kit’s lowered his head at this, tears flowing freely from his eyes. "It is partly Kagome-chan’s fault as well. But most of the blame rests with those bigoted pigs! When I lived in the exterminator’s village, even we distinguished between malevolent and benevolent youkai. But these people, they don’t see a difference at all! All they see is a dirty youkai to kill, no matter if it’s a child! I wish I could—"

"Now, now, Sango, let us remain calm," Miroku interrupted, placing his hand on her shoulder. Sango heaved a deep breath, reigning in her desire to beat some sense into these people. "Shippo, I assume you weren’t doing anything with Tamiko that would anger a reasonable father?"

"No! I swear! We picked some flowers for her sick mother, and then just played for awhile! I promise!"

"Alright, Shippo, we believe you. You can rest assured that you are mostly innocent in this, and we will not hold it against you." Shippo couldn’t believe his ears. His friends forgave him. They forgave him, even after all the trouble he had caused. But…would Kagome forgive him?

"Did he die?" he asked solemnly.

"We’re not sure, Shippo," Miroku answered. "I assume Inuyasha and Kagome left last night to find out." Now Shippo nodded, and joined Sango in staring into the dancing flames. Everyone seemed to be doing a lot of that lately, worried for Kagome and her mental health. Sometime later, the approach of a pair of familiar demonic auras signaled the return of their departed friends. Kagome didn’t make eye contact with anyone; instead, she rummaged through her bag for a change of clothes and went into the woods to change. All eyes turned to Inuyasha, asking him a single silent question. The hanyou’s grimace and sharp nod provided the answer. The man was dead.

Shippo wailed in despair, and Miroku would be lying if he said he didn’t feel slightly ill. How would Kagome react now that she knew? Inuyasha had gotten her to return to camp; that was something. But would she be able to deal with it? That question was answered when she emerged from the trees, and Shippo flung himself into her arms, apologizing profusely through his tears. Kagome cried as well, clutching him tightly and telling him it wasn’t his fault. Miroku found her tears oddly comforting; if she was crying, then she was still the Kagome they all knew and loved. She wasn’t going to turn into a shell of her former self, as so many victims of traumatic events did. She wasn’t going to become…like Kikyou.

Kneeling, Kagome dried her eyes and smiled down at the kit, which just made Shippo cry harder. She knew exactly what he was going through; guilt would not give way so easily to the solace of one’s friends. But eventually he stopped and sat up on Kagome’s lap, looking miserably happy, if that made any sense. Miroku cleared his throat. As much as they all wanted to just forget about this unfortunate incident, there were things that needed to be said.

"So…do we have any idea why Kagome-sama reacted the way she did?" When the only thing that greeted his question was a bunch of confused faces, Miroku continued. "I have a theory. Both times Kagome-sama transformed, she did so to protect someone she cared about. And both times, that person was helpless, unable to protect himself. That’s when I believe Kagome-sama’s youkai side emerges: when her friends are hurt, and incapable of defending themselves."

"Feh! I could have defended myself…" Inuyasha grumped petulantly, eliciting several rolled eyes from his companions. There were times when the hanyou really was the biggest baka alive. But evidently he had done something right, because Kagome was actually able to talk about this topic of conversation.

"I think you’re right, Miroku-sama," she said. "When it happens, I just get so…angry that someone is hurting my friends…"

"Yes, you are not motivated by bloodlust. Instead, you are guided by your heart, which is why I know that you will never turn on us in your full youkai state."

"But even so, don’t you think we need to do something?! Maybe I could get something to seal my youkai blood, like Tetsusaiga?"

"Feh," Inuyasha interjected. "What’s the point? If we just keep going and see this Aoi person, we can change you back in a few days. Going all the way to Totosai’s will take a lot longer, and the old fart will make us wait for days while he makes the stupid thing."

"Hmmm, Inuyasha makes a good point," Miroku declared. "We can’t be much more than a day’s journey from the mountain with the purple ring around it. Why don’t we just go see what Aoi-sama has to say?" A lecherous smirk wormed its way to his lips as a new thought occurred to him. "Besides, Inuyasha already discovered a perfect way to reverse Kagome’s youkai transformation." Both hanyou’s cheeks flamed at this comment, and Kagome raised her hand to her lips at the memory. Inuyasha just raised his fist.

"Bouzu…" he growled threateningly.

"Don’t be mad, Inuyasha! I was merely stating a fac—"

*BONK!!!*

After Miroku picked himself off the ground, rubbing the rather large lump on his head, things almost returned to normal for the Inu-gang. Inuyasha marched at the head of the column, hands folded in his fire-rat sleeves, with Kagome and Sango bringing up the rear. Somewhere in the middle of the group had become Miroku’s customary place ever since Sango had caught him foolishly staring at her ass months ago. But could he really be expected to help himself? Could any man, for that matter? If he asked the girls that question, they would probably point to Inuyasha, but that was only because they didn’t know how often he caught the hanyou looking at Kagome. Oh, it didn’t occur that frequently, but when it did, there was no doubt what Inuyasha was thinking about. And every time he would catch himself and look away blushing, and Miroku would shake his head. Just go for it, man! She totally digs you! But alas, the dense hanyou seemed, and probably was, totally oblivious.

Then again, Miroku didn’t feel especially enlightened at the moment either; he still couldn’t figure out what was wrong with Sango. He had explained himself to her, hadn’t he? So why was she moping along at the back of the group, a pensive look on her face? Why was she walking with Kagome instead of by his side? Maybe it’s to keep Kagome from beating me into a pulp… The miko looked like she wanted nothing more than to do just that, and Miroku had first gathered that impression several hours ago. Yet, Kagome appeared as mad as ever, still glaring daggers at him. If her eyes had any destructive power, he would have two circular bald spots on the back of his head. He had hoped Sango would tell her what happened, and thereby mollify her anger, but the taijiya had yet to speak a word. Finally, Miroku decided he had to take the matter into his own hands. Turning, he prepared to face down his demon.

"You know, Kagome-sama, it was not my intention to spend last night with Chiyoko-sama. There was a…misunderstanding, and she got the wrong idea. So I’d appreciate it if you would stop trying to incinerate me with your eyes." Kagome studied him for several moments, but she could detect no deceit in his eyes or scent.

"Alright, houshi. I guess you’re off the hook." Miroku cringed, knowing that Kagome must still be pissed at him if she was calling him "houshi." But she didn’t seem that upset anymore, so he turned and resumed walking. When his back was turned, Kagome grinned and elbowed Sango in the side.

"See, Sango-chan!" she whispered excitedly. "He really wasn’t cheating on you!" To Kagome’s surprise and dismay, Sango merely scoffed.

"So what, Kagome-chan? ‘She got the wrong idea’ is monk-speak for ‘I asked her to bear my child and then changed my mind.’ It still doesn’t change the fact that he’s an unfaithful lecher." Now aghast, Kagome tried again.

"B-but, he didn’t—"

"Yeah, this time. What about next time, huh? Face it, Kagome-chan; he’s never going to change."

"I refuse to believe that," Kagome replied sternly.

"Maybe that’s the only reason I haven’t broken it off with him, because you see something in him that I don’t. I want to see what you see, but…"

"It’s ok, Sango-chan," Kagome comforted, wrapping her arm around the older girl’s shoulder. "Don’t give up hope." Sango nodded miserably, but Kagome was confident she wouldn’t go do anything crazy, like tell Miroku she didn’t want to bear his children anymore. Such a thing would never be true; if they did break up, it would be 100% Miroku’s fault. If it wasn’t for her promise to Sango, Kagome would already have talked some sense into the monk. Glancing at Inuyasha, she caught him gazing back at them with half an eye. She and Sango had spoken softly enough so Miroku wouldn’t hear, but Inuyasha had been eavesdropping with his canine ears. She smirked as he wrenched his head back around to look forward again. He can say he doesn’t care, but I know him. He cares about Sango’s happiness as much as I do. I’ll have to remind him that he agreed to talk to Miroku… But she couldn’t do it now; it would be too obvious. No, her whole plan rested on not letting Sango find out that she had confided the situation in Inuyasha. Sure, Sango had only made her promise not to tell Miroku himself, but that was a sneaky loophole, and Kagome knew the slayer would not be amused by it. So she would have to wait for a good opportunity to remind the hanyou of his obligations.

The day seemed to fly by, but that’s what happens when you’re practically sleepwalking. An afternoon nap was all the sleep she and Inuyasha had gotten in over 72 hours. Even the normally resilient hanyou was showing signs of fatigue. The humans were better off, but they needed rest every day, and didn’t object when Inuyasha called an early halt to their trek. Kagome prepared some ramen for everyone, and retired to her sleeping bag immediately after dusk. Inuyasha propped himself up against the soft fabric of her backpack, not even bothering to leap into a tree before dozing off. They got a late start the following morning. They would easily reach Aoi’s mountain today, and for once Inuyasha didn’t feel like rushing.

The mountain with the purple ring around it was not that large at the base, but it was extremely steep, which explained its height. Sheer cliffs greeted them, but eventually they found a path winding its way up the mountain. At its narrowest, it was barely two feet wide, and they had to travel single-file. They made sure to tread carefully as well; one slip and you could be in for a very long fall. They passed through the ring about halfway up, discovering that it was actually a thin band of flowers, a special kind that seemed to thrive in the thin upland soil. The edges were perfectly linear, so it definitely wasn’t a natural formation. The path ended in a small valley about three quarters of the way to the summit. Sitting in the middle of the clearing was a large, well kept mansion, a far cry from the cave they had been expecting. There were three small children playing in a green field, two girls and one boy. All were youkai, and as soon as they noticed the newcomers, they dashed inside the house. The inu-gang slowly made their way toward the building, getting closer and closer to a strong demonic aura. Moments later, a beautiful woman emerged from the house, waving at them in a friendly manner before striding to meet them. Her robes were long and elegant, but her luxurious light blue hair was unbound. Her eyes were a bright cobalt hue, and her lips were quirked in a genuine smile, revealing small fangs. She was a youkai, and a powerful one at that, but she seemed kind enough. The three children trailed along behind her, peeking out from behind her legs.

"You must be Inuyasha," she said in a rich, harmonious tone. Inuyasha could only nod. "I am Aoi. Daichi told me to expect you sooner, but no matter. My mate is out at the moment, but it is I you wish to speak with anyway, correct?"

"Yes, Aoi-sama," Miroku said. Introductions on both sides followed, and the Inu-gang learned that Aoi was in fact the mother of the three children, who had become less shy in their mother’s presence.

"Why don’t you take Shippo and go play?" she said to them. Nodding, one of her daughters grabbed Shippo by the hand and dragged him off. "Come inside and make yourselves at home," she told the remaining members. She seated them around a large table, with plush cushions supporting their backs. Then she served them tea that smelled so divine, even Inuyasha couldn’t resist having some. There were several seconds of silence until she spoke. "Alright, now that we’re all settled, the first thing I want to know is why you’re all looking at me funny."

"Forgive us, Aoi-sama," Miroku said sheepishly. "You…just aren’t what we were expecting."

Aoi chuckled. "What were you expecting?"

"An old hag," Inuyasha replied tersely.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome whispered, furious.

"What?! Tell me you weren’t expecting an old geezer, too!"

"…"

"What my ill-mannered friend means is that we were expecting someone who resembled Daichi in age, since he spoke so highly of your expertise," Miroku said.

"Oi!"

Aoi laughed again, silencing Inuyasha’s protests. "That old bear is like a father to me," she said fondly. "And I may not look it, but I am well over two hundred years old. We turtle youkai tend to age very slowly."

"T-turtle?" Inuyasha choked. "Wouldn’t have guessed that…"

"Well, some youkai are better at concealing their true form than others. Would you guess from looking at him that your brother is an inu youkai?"

"Good point. How do you know that bastard, anyway?"

"Inuyasha!"

"That’s quite alright, Kagome-sama," Aoi interrupted. "Besides, Sesshoumaru is a bastard." Three mouths gaped at this comment, and Inuyasha smirked.

"Lady, you and me are gonna get along just fine."

"Of that I have no doubt. Now, on to business. Why don’t you tell me of your travels?" It was Kagome who took up the challenge of recapping their adventures, leaving out all but the most relevant details. Aoi listened intently, only interrupting to ask questions. When the story was complete, she nodded thoughtfully. "So now you wish to change back into a human, Kagome-sama?" Kagome opened her mouth to respond, but something stopped her from just coming out and saying "yes." Maybe…

"Can you help us?" Inuyasha spoke into the silence, effectively breaking Kagome’s train of thought.

Aoi sighed. "Normally, it would be a relatively simple thing, but unfortunately the tool I would use has been stolen. So I’m sorry, but cannot help you until I get it back." Inuyasha was infuriated for half a second before a light came on.

"Tell me, Aoi-sama," he said, surprising everyone with his politeness. "Is this tool a dagger that doesn’t cut flesh?" The youkai’s eyes widened in shock.

"Yes! You have seen it?"

Inuyasha scoffed. "Seen it? Try gotten stabbed with it!"

"And you’re still alive? You must be very strong or very lucky."

"Feh. Kagome’s miko powers saved my ass." At this, Aoi turned her attention to Kagome, grabbing her hand.

"Please, Kagome-sama, summon your miko powers. I wish to see them for myself." Reluctantly, Kagome did so, exuding just enough power to scorch Aoi’s palm. The youkai pulled her hand away, staring at the burns with an amazed smile on her face. "Fascinating. But how did these powers save you from the effects of the dagger?"

"She purified me," Inuyasha replied. "I told her to do it," he stressed, sensing slight melancholy from Kagome at the reminder of what she had done.

"Ah, I see…a very wise strategy indeed. That dagger was ripping your youki out of you, and by purifying you Kagome placed it beyond the dagger’s reach. That’s what it does; it separates youki from living or dead beings. It’s very useful in my line of work, for extracting the youki I need for various potions. But when it is used by an untrained hand, it can go out of control and destroy both the wielder and the victim!"

"You use youkai?" Kagome asked, inwardly appalled.

"Don’t worry!" Aoi hastily assured, "I only use low-level youkai, the kind that don’t do the world any good and are missed by no one."

Inuyasha relaxed visibly. "So…if you had this dagger, you would be able to help us?"

She nodded. "It would be a relatively simple matter. Tell you what; retrieve my dagger for me, and I will gladly use it to restore Kagome to her human form, if that is what she truly desires," she said, eyeing Kagome intently.

Kagome frowned as a new thought occurred to her. "Aoi-sama, if you did this, then what would happen to the youki? It originally had another’s soul attached to it."

"I see…it is not within my power to bring that youkai’s soul back from the afterlife. I could harness the youki for one of my potions, or we could simply allow it to disperse and disappear."

"Is that what you’re worried about, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, flabbergasted. "Bringing that bastard back to life?"

She shook her head. "I just wanted to know if it was possible, because that’s what his brother and sister are trying to do."

"Well they’ll just have to fuckin’ deal with it," Inuyasha said gruffly. Turning to Aoi, he stood to leave. "You got a deal, lady," he declared.

"Where do you think you’re going? It’s late afternoon, and what kind of hostess would I be if I didn’t make you stay the night?" Inuyasha made to protest, but Kagome silenced him by mouthing the dreaded "osuwari" command. Grumbling, the hanyou plopped down and crossed his arms in full-on pout mode. Kagome rolled her eyes. He can be such a baby sometimes…

"We do not wish to impose…" Miroku stated.

"Nonsense! My mate will want to meet you, and I still want to hear all about the youkai who robbed me! Speaking of which, there was something else that was stolen: a gourd containing—"

"Fucking putrid black smoke?" Inuyasha finished for her.

"Well, that’s one way of putting it. I would very much like that returned to me as well."

"Too bad. The assholes already used it."

"Dammit! It took me weeks to get that potion right! And I was going to get some nice fabrics for it, too…" The conversation continued until just before dusk, when Shippo and Aoi’s children entered the house escorted by a tall male youkai. He was Aoi’s mate, and seemed to be the same type of youkai, thought they couldn’t really tell. He was kind and relatively soft spoken, and seemed content to defer to his mate’s judgment most of the time, a refreshing sight to see in any day and age. The entire family appeared to have found true happiness, and none of the Inu-gang were without jealousy. All four adults could imagine raising a family someday, together with the one they loved…

The only one who was surprised by his imagination was Inuyasha; the others had already come to terms with who they wanted to spend their lives with, at least internally. But it wasn’t so simple for Inuyasha, and this was the first time he had imagined living with Kagome, having children with her, being her…mate… He was surprised that the thought filled him with warmth, and very confused. Did he love Kagome? Was it possible to love two women at the same time? He still loved Kikyou, didn’t he? These questions had been coming up more and more often lately as his relationship with Kagome intensified, but still he had no concrete answers. But he knew how strongly her sadness or happiness made him feel, and he knew how his blood heated with desire when he gazed at her, kissed her… That would have to be enough for now.

The evening was pleasant, made all the better when their hosts produced sake. Miroku and Inuyasha were far too "polite" not to accept the drink when offered. Neither overindulged, but both went to bed on a very satisfying buzz. They set out in the morning, though no one could say for certain where exactly they were going. All they knew was that the odds of Takehiko and Sora returning to the scene of their crime were slim. Kagome, after mulling over the possibilities for awhile, broached the subject first.

"Hey, Inuyasha?"

"Yeah, wench?"

"I-I think I’d like an item to seal my youkai blood. Why don’t we go see Totosai?" Inuyasha looked at her, taking in her downcast expression.

"If you want to," he replied evenly.

"Really? You don’t mind going out of our way?"

"What way? This is just like Naraku; we can’t do shit until those fucking cowards decide to come out of hiding."

"Oh, in that case…isn’t Totosai’s mountain on the other side of Kaede’s village?"

"Yes," Inuyasha growled, already knowing what Kagome’s next question would be.

"Do you think we could go to my time for a few days?" Inuyasha chocked back a harsh reply as Kagome’s words—one word in particular—set in. Did she just ask if *we* could go to her time?

"We, wench?"

"Well, there’s really no reason for you to stay here," Kagome said, feigning nonchalance. "I certainly don’t have to hide you from my friends anymore; they seem to like you. So yes, you can come with me. Unless you don’t want to…"

"Feh! I’ll go. Someone’s gotta keep you out of trouble." His reply was delivered with his usual gruffness, but inside he was deeply touched. And Kagome knew it too, if that secretive smile on her face was anything to judge by.

"How long do you think it will take to get to the well from here?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Dunno…two, three days maybe? Why, you in a hurry?"

"Nope. Just wondering."

"Good, ‘cause you’re only getting one day in your time."

"Three!"

"One!"

"Three!"

"One, wench!"

"Osu—alright, baka! We’ll compromise: two days."

"Damn—fine…" Inuyasha relented, recovering from his cringe upon hearing the first syllable of ‘the word.’ "But not a second longer!"

"Ok, Inuyasha, you’re the boss!"

"Keh. Sometimes I wonder…" Kagome snickered; her plan had worked to perfection. A year and a half of dealing with Inuyasha’s "separation anxiety" meant she was quite good at getting what she wanted while letting Inuyasha think he’d won at least a partial victory. In reality, she had only wanted two days at home. But it was fun to let Inuyasha think he was the boss, even when that rosary around his neck and her own fiery personality clearly said he wasn’t.

They took their time traveling, as there was really no reason to rush. There was a general feeling that Takehiko and Sora would confront them again long before they reached Totosai’s domain. Sure enough, just as they were nearing the edge of Inuyasha’s forest on the afternoon of the second day, it happened.

The attack came from out of nowhere, and without warning. One moment Kagome was walking amidst her friends, and the next she was flying, held aloft by several razor sharp talons driven clean through her shoulder. Sora had approached from behind, like a hawk stalking an unsuspecting rabbit, then dove on her prey with dizzying speed and absolute stealth. Dimly Kagome heard the cries of her friends over the wind whipping past her ears, but their voices were rapidly fading into the distance. And then she was free, released to plummet toward the unrelenting earth. She landed on her feet with feline grace but couldn’t halt her momentum, rolling over and over to lessen the impact until she crashed into a tree with a muffled thud. For a moment, she just laid there, trying to gather her bearings and ignore the pain that wracked not only her shoulder, but the rest of her body now as well.

Movement to her left had her scampering out of the way just in time, as Takehiko drove Aoi’s dagger into the earth where she had been. Now she comprehended their plan completely; Sora would snatch her and drop her near Takehiko, who would stab her with the dagger. Perhaps in her best fighting condition she might be able to defeat the inu youkai alone, but not now, when her concentration was shaky at best and she was still dizzy from the fall and subsequent tumble. No, her goal had to be simply to stay alive until her friends arrived.

Even that task appeared as if it was going to be extremely difficult. Takehiko attacked again and again, not giving her a moment’s respite. It took all the agility she had to avoid impalement, and probably some she didn’t have. She dodged as best she could, but as time wore on the blows came closer and closer to landing. Thin red lines appeared on her legs and arms, and small rips in her clothing, testaments to tired, weary muscles. Finally, an unseen tree root caught her foot, sending her tumbling backward even as her attacker raised the dagger for the final plunge into her flesh. Unable to do anything else, Kagome raised her hands, closed her eyes, and prepared for a horrifying end.

Instead, there was a flash of blinding light, and an agonized scream. The scent of burning flesh filled the air, prompting her to open her eyes. Takehiko was kneeling ten feet away, holding his right arm and glaring at her with abhorrence in his gaze. Between them, shimmering in what could only be called deadly beauty, was a barrier. It took her several seconds to realize that it was of her own creation. A barrier? H-how? How did I do that? Then again, her miko powers always seemed to emerge when she needed them the most. But it didn’t really matter how this barrier came into being. It was now the only thing shielding her from her enemy, and she would do her damndest to maintain it.

Standing, Takehiko drew his sword, wielding it in his uninjured left hand. His scorched right arm hung limply at his side, the dagger still clutched tightly by thumb and fingers. The first blow nearly shattered the barrier, and Kagome hurriedly poured all her energy into it. It strengthened momentarily, but after a dozen more sword strikes it was once again close to collapse. Never before had the use of her miko powers drained her so, and when combined with her injuries, the effect was that her body itself was almost at its limit. If help didn’t arrive soon…

"KAGOME!!!"

Inuyasha swore under his breath before taking off after her. He had sensed Sora’s approach, but barely had any time to duck his head let alone warn any of the others. And now she and Kagome were little more than a rapidly vanishing speck in the distance.

"Inuyasha!" Sango called from behind him. Taking the offered hand, Inuyasha vaulted himself up onto Kirara. With three full-grown adults on her back, the fire-cat was still losing ground to the swift-winged hawk. Suddenly, the speck on the horizon stopped shrinking, and began growing larger. It was Sora, alone, heading straight for them. As she closed, Inuyasha leapt forward off Kirara and launched the Kaze no Kizu in midair. The streaks of energy were easily dodged, but the attack served its purpose in forcing Sora to veer off course. Inuyasha landed in a crouch, and Kirara dropped down beside him.

"Go, Inuyasha! We’ll take care of her!" Sango ordered, brandishing hiraikotsu. Miroku and Shippo leapt down to avoid hindering the taijiya in any way. Nodding, Inuyasha took off at top speed. He had gone perhaps a hundred feet when a warning shout from Miroku gave him just enough time to dive to the right and avoid having his head lopped off. Sora dropped out of the sky, landing in front of them.

"Sorry, half-breed," she spoke amusedly, "but none of you are getting past me." Inuyasha grimaced. Shit… Under normal circumstances, they would just split up; Sango and the others would hold the enemy off while he went after Kagome, or vice versa. But that wasn’t going to work here. The humans had obviously tried to keep Sora busy, but she had used her blazing speed to just fly around them. One thing was becoming clear: if they turned their backs for even a moment, they would end up with holes in them.

"Bitch! Where’s Kagome?!"

Sora chuckled. "Don’t worry; Takehiko will take good care of her! In fact, he’s probably already killed your miko and returned our brother Minoru to life!"

"Listen, you fucking moron! That won’t work! Even if you use the dagger, there’s no way to bring your asshole of a brother back!"

"Ha! You expect me to believe you, half-breed?"

"The rightful owner of that dagger said it!"

"It matters not. Even if we cannot bring Minoru back, we will take great pleasure in slaughtering you lot for all the trouble you caused us. Takehiko has not forgotten about his revenge!" By this time, the humans had come up to flank him, and Sora stared them all down without blinking an eye. Inuyasha swore inwardly. Dammit! I’ll have to kill this bitch or we’ll never get past her. Kagome…be safe…

Kagome’s barrier shattered in a flash of tortured light. Takehiko raised his sword once more, this time blade-down, as he prepared to plunge it through her, anchoring her to the ground for an easy strike with the dagger. It was when the weapon was on its way down that Kagome had an epiphany. No one was coming to rescue her. Tetsusaiga wasn’t going to magically appear out of nowhere and block her attacker’s katana. Hiraikotsu wasn’t going to come whizzing over her head, forcing Takehiko to leap into the air to avoid being chopped in half. This time, she would have to save herself.

The thought filled her with trepidation, but also gave her an extra burst of adrenaline, which she put to good use. She dove to her left, feeling the sharp edge of the blade slice into her bicep. Blood trickled down her arm as she rolled to her feet, but the flesh wound was the least of her worries. Takehiko resumed his relentless assaults, and Kagome doubted she could muster up the concentration to throw up another barrier. Hell, she didn’t even know how she did it the first time. What she did know was that she was tired of retreating. Her youki was screaming at her to fight back, and she didn’t particularly feel like resisting its demands.

Exuding a feral snarl, she ducked a swing and swiped with her claws, causing Takehiko to leap back from sheer surprise. He studied her for all of a second before charging forward again, but Kagome was ready. She hadn’t gone full youkai, but her youkai blood was surging in her veins, her instincts moving her body with feline ferocity. Her claws glowed with purifying energy, proof that her miko powers were willing to fight alongside her youki once more. She had the added advantage that her opponent could only injure her, not kill her outright. If he did the latter, he would throw away any chance of returning his brother to this world. She at least needed to stay alive long enough for the dagger to do its work. According to Aoi, such a thing was impossible anyway, but Kagome wasn’t about to enlighten the man trying to impale her.

Her inexperience with hand-to-hand combat was almost her undoing. She spied an opening and lunged, but Takehiko easily sidestepped her out-of-control attack. Spinning, he brought his sword down in a cleaving blow meant to slice off her arm at the shoulder. Unable to evade, Kagome brought her hands up and summoned her miko powers, hoping they would at least deflect the katana. It worked; pink lightning crackled as the blade was thrown back, the sudden movement throwing Takehiko off balance. Kagome didn’t waste the opportunity, swiping at the retreating Inu youkai with her claws. He managed to dodge the brunt of the attack, but still received a set of scorched slashes running from chest to abdomen. Growling, the two adversaries resumed the battle.

The melee went on for several more minutes, with each party receiving wounds. Blood now trickled from several deep gashes in Kagome’s legs, as well as a thin cut across her cheek. Blackened claw marks crisscrossed Takehiko’s front, and Kagome took satisfaction in his heavy breathing. Every slice pumped just a little more purifying energy into his body, and it was clearly affecting him. The problem was that, when combined with the physical exertion of the battle, it was quickly tiring her as well. But she had no choice but to use her powers; they were the only reason she was still in one piece. They forced her enemy to use caution, and saved her when her raw, unpolished combat abilities put her in jeopardy. They were still standing apart, sizing each other up, when the cavalry arrived.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as he crashed into the clearing. He had feared the worst when he caught the scent of Kagome’s blood, and he and the others were immensely relieved to see that she was still standing. Understandably, Takehiko was not as happy to see them.

"You lot?! Where the fuck is Sora?!"

Inuyasha smirked. "Dunno. Last time I saw her she was running off to go bleed somewhere. Who knows, maybe she’s dead?"

"Why you…" Takehiko growled. Inuyasha was bluffing, convincingly so by the look on the other youkai’s face. He had managed to catch Sora off guard with the Hijin Ketsusou, inflicting some serious, but not life-threatening, wounds. The hawk had retreated, probably figuring she’d bought her brother enough time to finish off Kagome. Shippo and the others were under orders to keep a watchful eye out for her, leaving Inuyasha free to focus on rescuing Kagome. Stepping in front of her, he whipped out Tetsusaiga.

"So you like using a sword on an unarmed woman, huh asshole? Well, how about fighting me with this sword?! Or are you too much of a spineless cowa—"

"Inuyasha." Kagome’s voice was soft and low, but it carried with it unquestioned authority. "Step back, please. This is my fight."

His first instinct was to yell at her, tell her how ridiculous that was, but one glance in her direction stilled his tongue. She was staring at Takehiko, all uncertainty, all hesitation gone from her gaze. She looked absolutely incensed, the overwhelming desire to finish the battle swimming in her fiery eyes. The last time her expression had been so serious, her demeanor so fierce, she had made Naraku pay dearly for forcing Santo to steal the Tetsusaiga, nearly destroying him in the process. This did not bode well for Takehiko. And as much as Inuyasha wanted to tell her to wait on the sidelines, to shelter her and protect her, this time he couldn’t. This really was her fight, and he would be a cruel hypocrite indeed if he denied her the chance to end it. He drifted back a few steps, and Kagome smiled gratefully at him. Nodding grimly, he resolved to stay on his toes; the instant Kagome needed backup, he would be ready.

"Listen well," she addressed her enemy, "I know you think you can bring your brother back, but the true owner of that dagger said it’s impossible. His soul was sent to the netherworld, and I don’t know if there’s anything in this world with the power to bring it back now. Besides, your brother was happy when he passed. I know; I spoke to him just before his soul made the journey. You should cherish your brother’s memory, but he’s gone! There is still time for you to give this up! Walk away now. I don’t want to have to kill you, but I will."

Takehiko stood stock still, considering her words, before his lips curved in a sneer. "Even if what you say is true, do you expect me to forget who it was who killed Minoru? You and the other half-breed must pay for his life, and the life of my father!"

And so the battle resumed, two equally determined opponents locked in mortal combat, each fighting for their loved ones. The spectators could only watch anxiously from the sidelines as more flesh was rent and more blood was spilled. But Kagome was nearing exhaustion, having to constantly use her miko powers to ward off Takehiko’s youkai sword. Her reaction time was slowing, and the close calls were increasing in frequency. She needed to end this fight, and soon. Her bow, miraculously still in one piece, was lying where she had landed after plummeting to the earth. The quiver was broken, but she was willing to bet that at least a few of the arrows had survived the fall. The trouble was getting over there; Takehiko was positioned between her and the weapons.

The inu youkai came on again, but this time instead of stepping back and blocking the sword, Kagome dove forward underneath the blade. Rolling to her feet, she darted over to her bow, snatched it up, and turned back to face her enemy with an arrow notched and ready. Takehiko lowered his sword to his side, and for a moment Kagome though he was giving up. Then he started twirling it around his finger with a wicked smirk on his face.

"Heh. You must be really desperate if you went for those. Look at you! You’re shaking! You can’t even hold your string back…" Kagome gritted her teeth; what he said was true. Her arm really was shuddering in fatigue, but that didn’t mean she lacked the strength to finish this fight.

"This is your last change, Takehiko. Don’t make me kill you," she warned, fully prepared for the answer she already knew was coming.

"Don’t make me laugh!" Takehiko exclaimed, pointing his sword at her. "No dirty hanyou could kill m—"

With a mighty cry, Kagome released her arrow. She was tired of being demeaned for what she was now, and equally sick of hearing Inuyasha insulted for what he had always been. She poured all of her remaining strength into the arrow, which glowed and crackled with blinding purity. Is soared straight and true, and moved with such speed that not even Sesshoumaru would have been able to avoid it. But Takehiko had no intention of dodging.

What happened next seemed to occur in slow motion. Takehiko blocked the arrow cleanly, but was unable to sweep it aside as he anticipated. The tip continued to press forward with irresistible force, pushing toward his body even as every muscle strained to keep it at bay. Cracks appeared all along the katana, and the weapon was a breath away from shattering when a fearful cry sounded from off to the left. Sora flew in, placing herself between the arrow and her brother just as the tortured blade fractured into a million pieces. She probably meant to take the arrow and save her brother, but it was not to be. The projectile passed straight through both of them, burning a gigantic hole in each torso, before impacting an unfortunate tree and destroying it as well. They didn’t even have time enough to hit the ground; their bodies immediately disintegrated to dust in the wind. Completely spent, Kagome collapsed onto the dirt. She remained conscious, however, and rolled over on her back to stare reassuringly into the worried eyes of her friends. It was over.

"Inuyasha," she rasped as Sango helped her sit up, "get the jewel shards." Inuyasha appeared startled for a second, then went to retrieve the shards. In fact, he had forgotten all about the stupid things. Two were just lying on the ground, and one was embedded in Aoi’s dagger. Inuyasha smirked victoriously as he held the weapon aloft.

"We got it."

But Inuyasha’s elation was short-lived; no one felt much like cheering when Kagome was so beat up. If a human had suffered her wounds, they would have been in grave danger of bleeding to death. As it was, Kagome’s hanyou blood had sealed up many of the smaller cuts, but the larger ones still bled freely. Miroku and Inuyasha were ordered to turn their backs and stay that way on pain of death while Sango bandaged her up. Then the taijiya helped her into her pajamas and the sleeping bag, where she was quickly out like a light. The rest of the gang wanted to follow suit, but the scent of blood that saturated the clearing would attract predators and demons. They certainly didn’t need any more excitement today. So Inuyasha picked up Kagome, encased in the sleeping bag, and led the way to a more suitable campsite about a mile away. He stayed awake all night, keeping vigil over her. As the night wore on, and the color slowly returned to her pale skin, his anxiety faded away, but it wouldn’t completely vanish until she opened her eyes and told him she was fine. He was pleasantly surprised when Kagome stirred just after dawn the following morning. She sat up quickly, a little too quickly it seemed, and hissed as the wound in her shoulder reopened.

"What are you doing up, wench?" Inuyasha asked, masking his concern with annoyance. "Lie back down!"

She glared at him. "Unless you want me to wet myself, you’d better shut up and help me stand!" Grumbling, Inuyasha went to her, steadying her as she wobbled on her feet. Fortunately, she gained her balance, sparing Inuyasha the incredibly awkward task of helping her urinate. He blushed just thinking about that… Evidently, taking care of nature had alleviated Kagome’s early morning irritation, because she returned with a contrite look on her face.

"Sorry I snapped at you, Inuyasha."

"Feh. How’re you feelin’, Kagome?" Kagome smiled. He was feigning nonchalance, but she knew better. The way he pointedly glanced away from her when he asked the question, that small frown he made when he was hiding something, how he had used her name instead of ‘wench’… She wasn’t surprised that he had been worried about her, but it delighted her nonetheless.

"Fine, Inuyasha. I feel a lot bett—" She punctuated her statement with a cavernous yawn, causing Inuyasha to frown deeper.

"Go back to sleep, wench. I’ll wake you up when breakfast is ready."

"M’kay."

After a short nap and breakfast, Kagome was able to walk when the Inu-gang set out, though they did travel at a noticeably more sedate pace than before. It was going to take them several days to get back to Aoi’s home at this rate, but Kagome was grateful for their slow progress for several reasons. First, she didn’t have to push herself physically. By midmorning, she was almost feeling like her old self again. But more importantly, it gave her plenty of time to think about where they were going, and what she was going to do when they got there.

Yes, she had promised Myouga she would think about whether she really wanted to change back into a human, hadn’t she? It shamed her to admit that she hadn’t yet fulfilled that promise. Well, better late than never…

In the beginning, her hanyou powers had been such a hindrance. She really had wanted to get rid of them, or at least had gone along with Inuyasha’s strident demand that she do so. It had been so easy to just defer to the judgment of her strong-willed protector. Looking back on it now, it was hard to believe she had ever thought of her hanyou powers as anything but a blessing. After barely a month, they were as much a part of her as her heart or her brain.

Inuyasha had been wrong about that. In her short time as a hanyou, Kagome had experienced some of the things that had driven Inuyasha to make that claim. She had been distrusted, reviled, insulted…but surely those hostile villages were the exception, right? Surely Inuyasha’s life hadn’t been a living hell? How much worse could it get? No, she spent most days in the company of her friends, and genuinely enjoyed having youkai blood. Being a hanyou was a privilege the majority of the time.

She grimaced. Her biggest worry these days was losing control and murdering someone else. She would never completely forgive herself for what happened, but she had moved on. With the support of her friends, she had realized that it wasn’t really her fault; the blame rested on close-minded individuals who would persecute a child just because he was youkai.

Kagome smiled as she thought of that day, when Inuyasha had reassured her after Koga’s cruel reaction to her metamorphosis. Ultimately, Inuyasha was her greatest inspiration. He was so strong, yet blessed with a pure heart, one he tried his best to conceal behind a mask of gruffness. But she knew it was there; she saw it whenever he let his guard down, whenever he dropped his tough façade. And that seemed to happen more often since she became a hanyou. How much had she learned about him since that fateful day? How close had they become? How many times had they kissed, or came tantalizingly close?

She didn’t want to go back to the way things used to be, with an impassable distance between them and Kikyou hanging over both their heads. Somehow, after their last confrontation, the dead priestess didn’t seem like such an obstacle anymore. It didn’t seem like such a fool’s dream that maybe Inuyasha loved her as much as she loved him. There were no guarantees; Inuyasha would still probably end up joining his true love in hell. Life rarely offered certainties, but Kagome was faced with one now. Changing back into a human would be a mistake. How she knew this was a mystery, but she knew it as surely as she knew her own name. She wanted this, to remain a hanyou; she truly, truly wanted this.

Her smile turned brilliant as Inuyasha’s words came back to her. She knew, beyond a doubt, that her friends and family would accept her no matter which form she chose. With her decision made, all that remained was to inform them that their entire quest over the past few weeks had been for nothing. Her face fell slightly; Inuyasha would probably be pretty pissed about that. He seemed dead set on restoring her to full humanity, but she was sure he could be persuaded. In the end, he would accept her decision. So why was she feeling so nervous all of a sudden?

"Inuyasha?" she asked, having finally gathered up her courage around noon.

"Yeah, wench?"

"Um…" she began, before steeling her resolve. "I’ve made my decision. I want to stay a hanyou." Several gasps sounded from behind her, but Inuyasha didn’t turn around at first. He froze, not making a sound as the air around them seemed to take on a foreboding chill.

"No."

That single-syllable answer sparked a disturbing mixture of fear and anger in Kagome. She had expected him to argue, maybe yell at her, but this cold shoulder was too much. He wouldn’t even look at her, as if she was below him. His was acting…like Sesshoumaru.

"No?" she questioned incredulously. "That’s it? Just ‘no!’"

Silence.

"Who do you think you are?!" Kagome yelled. "You have no right t—" Snarling, Inuyasha finally spun to face her, and the rage in his expression caused Kagome to take an involuntary step back. Perhaps if she had been calmer herself, she would have noticed the other emotions hovering just below the surface.

"NO, wench! You are NOT staying a hanyou!"

"Inuyasha! Be reasonable!"

"Reasonable? Fuck, bitch! What happened to preferring death over being a ‘filthy hanyou?!’"

Kagome gasped, having in all honestly forgotten all about that. "I…you know I didn’t mean that! I’ve never judged you for being what you are!"

"Feh! It don’t matter. This ain’t up for debate, bitch!"

"Inuyasha," Kagome said darkly, "it’s my body. You can’t tell me what to do with MY body!" Inuyasha shrunk back slightly, and for a moment Kagome thought she had gotten through to him. That is, until his next words passed his lips.

"You’re right. I can’t make you change back. But there’s only room for one hanyou in this pack, and it ain’t you." Kagome felt tears spring to her eyes. Never in a million years had she expected to receive such an ultimatum from the man she loved. Nearly heartbroken, she tried once more to plead with him.

"What happened to accepting me no matter what, without question?" A long, uncomfortable moment passed, and Inuyasha’s face hardened into a nearly unrecognizable mask before he finally spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.

"I lied."

"I lied."

Upon hearing those two dreadful words, the remnants of Kagome’s fractured heart shattered into countless pieces. It was a gut check, one which tore the breath from her lungs and the life from her soul. And with the demise of her heart went the only thing keeping her from recognizing the reality of the situation. Inuyasha didn’t accept her. He didn’t love her; he didn’t even like her. Who knows; perhaps he even hated her. He had given her an ultimatum, not in as many words but still clear as day: ‘change back into a human or go live in your time, and never return to the past.’ Briefly, she considered acquiescing to his demand, changing herself to be what he wanted her to be. But it wasn’t that simple anymore. Could she ever look at him the same way again? Could she ever forgive him? Was their friendship ruined? Had there even been a friendship to lose? Could she…still love him? The answer was frustratingly clear. Deep down, she knew that even after the pain he had caused her, the feelings she held for him remained constant. Maybe that’s what hurt the most.

Crippling uncertainty descended upon her. She had been wrong about Inuyasha, about his pure heart. What else was she wrong about? Did Sango feel the same way? What about Miroku, or Shippo? She didn’t know, and it was killing her. But she did know one thing, and that knowledge cast a small light into the shadows shrouding her existence. The person she had known longer than any other, the one being she was absolutely certain would never reject her. No matter what she did or who she became, she would always be her mother’s daughter. Mama… Yes, her mother would accept her. That’s what she needed now, someone to grab her hand, prevent her from falling into the bottomless pit she was teetering over. With a choked sob, she was gone, heading for sanctity, the arms of her angel.

"I lied."

Inuyasha knew exactly what he was saying. He expected Kagome to be crushed, but nothing could have prepared him for the look of absolute misery that settled on her features. All of the life seemed to leave her eyes, the dejection and sorrow he saw swimming in their depths cutting him to the core. It nearly shattered his resolve. But he forced himself to remain where he was, to not rush over to her, hold her, comfort her. He was almost relieved when she turned and ran, probably heading for the well. At least there she would be safe from him, his betrayal, and his deceit.

He had lied. He had lied straight to her face. He had told her he would always accept her… In that moment, the term ‘bastard’ wouldn’t begin to describe how he felt about himself. He was the most colossal jackass the world had ever seen or ever would see. He had lied. To Kagome. He had told her he couldn’t accept her.

It was killing him, this one untruth, but it was necessary. How else could he prevent her from making the single biggest mistake of her life? How else could he stop her from living the life of a hanyou, the kind of existence which would break her fragile spirit? He had always known it might come to this. He loved his own hanyou powers, and the thought of giving them up filled him with revulsion. How could he be surprised that Kagome had reached the same opinion?

But there was a major difference between then: he had grown up a hanyou. From birth, he had been baptized by fire in a world that loathed his kind, and often tried to wipe it from existence. Youkai, humans, he was welcome among neither. He was cast adrift on his own private sea, riding the stormy currents alone for the longest time. When he met Kikyou, the rain let up, and the furious roar of thunder subsided. Only recently had the clouds parted, allowing the sun to shine through for the first time since his mother’s death. Now, the storm clouds were again gathering overhead, blotting out the sunlight once more. He was very close to a return to the crippling loneliness, the unfathomable darkness.

It was indescribable, this loneliness, the years upon years of solitude where his only interaction with others involved defending himself from attack. That was how he had lived, and understanding what he’d been through required that one actually experience it firsthand. He could not allow Kagome to subject herself to that.

Inuyasha was no fool, and he knew Kagome well enough to be able to predict how she would react if he just came out and told her that. She would probably brush him off, thinking that she could deal with it, and that being a hanyou couldn’t possibly be as bad as it sounded. But it was! For the longest time, being hanyou was the worst kind of curse. Kagome had no idea what it was really like. The worst she had done was kill one human in defending a dear friend. Big fucking deal! How many humans had perished by his claws over the years? That last night in his home village came to mind…and he had been just a child…

No, Kagome had no idea how fucked up the world was, how much shit got dumped on the head of every hanyou each fucking day. And he didn’t want her to find out! She was a naïve human wench, and he wanted her to stay that way! He had been telling the truth when he told her he would always accept her, but that wasn’t the issue here. The problem was that Kagome couldn’t make an informed decision. She had no idea how hard life could get for a hanyou, and he lacked the power to tell her. His experience defied description, at least to a man of few words such as himself. So his hand had been forced; he had to give her another reason to become human again. He had to lie to her. Now, as he watched her vanish through the trees, he wondered if perhaps he hadn’t hurt her more than all the insults and bigots of the world ever could.

He stared unblinkingly at the dirt for an interminable amount of time, almost wishing the earth would simply swallow him up. When green cloth entered his vision, he finally raised his gaze, meeting the enraged, tear-filled eyes of the taijiya who had become his companion. She reared back and slapped him. Hard. His face snapped to the side, and he silently rejoiced in the sting. Pain was good; it meant he hadn’t gone completely numb.

"Bastard…" Sango snarled, using every ounce of restraint she possessed to keep her temper in check. "I would kill you now if I didn’t think it would hurt Kagome-chan even worse."

Inuyasha could tell she was dead serious, but didn’t reply. He closed his eyes, not needing them to know what his friends thought of him. Shippo said he hated him, and even Kirara hissed at him. Then they left, leaving him standing there alone. It was nothing he didn’t deserve, or already think about himself. And for the first time, he couldn’t help but wonder if he’d made the right decision in forcing Kagome to revert to her human form. At the very least, he’d gone about it the wrong way. But at the time, he hadn’t been able to think of another way to get that stubborn wench to do what he knew was best for her. He did know what was best for her, didn’t he?

Questions bombarded his conscience as he slinked along the path, following his friends toward Kaede’s village. They reached the old miko’s hut by nightfall, but Inuyasha did not enter. Instead, he wandered in the forest, eventually finding his way to Goshinboku. The old tree didn’t seem as welcoming as it usually did; he did not feel worthy to leap into its branches. So he slouched down against the trunk, watching as the sun slowly made its way below the canopy. The creatures of the night stirred, emerging from their nests as the day-dwellers retired for the evening. How could nature be so tranquil when his soul was in such turmoil? To make matters worse, he received a visitor just before dusk. The annoying jingle of Miroku’s staff seemed incredibly loud in Inuyasha’s ears, though perhaps that was because he was alone. Sounds always seemed more piercing when one was by himself.

"You gonna yell at me too, bouzu?" he asked without turning to face him. Miroku sat down cross-legged beside him and heaved a heavy sigh before replying.

"No, Inuyasha. You look like you’ve been berating yourself enough for me."

"Keh."

"I merely wish to understand…why?"

It was a simple question with a simple answer. Why did he tell Kagome he didn’t accept her? And yet, it was one of the most complicated queries he had ever contemplated. ‘Why?’ Why did he constantly hurt Kagome? Why was he such a jackass? Why…ANYTHING! Inuyasha’s head hurt, though once again he welcomed the pain. He did not, however, offer his companion any response. After waiting several moments, Miroku tried again.

"Why, Inuyasha? Can you honestly tell me that you would reject Kagome-sama because she refuses to become human again?" Inuyasha thought about lying. He thought about taking off. He even thought about telling the wiseass monk to go to hell. But in the end, he didn’t do any of these things. Miroku was the only person in the world willing to talk to him at the moment, and he would be an even greater fool if he alienated him too. Besides, maybe his rationale would seem less ridiculous if he said it aloud.

"It ain’t that, bou—Miroku," he admitted, his choice of monikers reflecting the seriousness of the conversation. "I…she…"

"Just spit it out, Inuyasha. I am willing to listen to you, but even my patience is wearing thin." Inuyasha winced at the chastisement, but again, it was nothing he didn’t deserve. Swallowing his pride, and the sizeable lump in his throat, he attempted to explain himself.

"She…she needs to change back, Miroku."

"Why?"

"S-she just does, ok?!"

"Not a chance, Inuyasha. You’re going to have to do better than that."

Grrrrrr. "Dammit! You people have no idea what it’s like being a hanyou! None of you!" By now, Inuyasha had stood and was pacing back and forth in agitation. "Do you have any idea how many close calls I had? How many times where if I had been just a little slower, or weaker, I would have been killed? Sometimes…sometimes I even thought of taking my own life," he mumbled quietly. Snapping out of his daze, he yelled, "I won’t let Kagome live like that!"

"You are right," Miroku answered softly. "None of us really know what your past was like, including Kagome-sama. And it doesn’t matter."

"What did you say?" Inuyasha growled low, with venom in his voice.

"I said your past doesn’t matter."

"Why you—"

"Inuyasha!" Miroku yelled suddenly, finally directing his gaze at the hanyou. His eyes glowed with unbridled fierceness, and his lips were drawn in a tight line. "Right now, I’m your only friend in the world. So you’d better sit down and shut up!" Thoroughly stunned, Inuyasha complied. Miroku took a deep breath to calm himself. "Now…what happened to you, how you grew up; these things are unimportant to Kagome-sama’s decision. Your circumstances are entirely different. How can you be so sure Kagome-sama will experience what you did?"

Inuyasha frowned, his eyebrows drawing together in consternation. He had honestly never considered how different his past situation was from Kagome’s.

"Let me put it another way," Miroku continued. "Do you intend to let anything bad happen to Kagome-sama? Are you going to allow anyone to persecute her, to try to do to her any of the horrible things that were done to you?"

"Fuck no."

"You see? Kagome-sama is already vastly better off than you were. She has you to protect her, and the rest of us as well. She has a loving family to return to should anything happen to us. And she is strong; she alone defeated two youkai today who have been giving us trouble for weeks. She has great inner strength as well, shown by how she dealt with killing that villager. Kagome-sama isn’t going to break because some strangers insult her or try to hurt her because of what she is. Inuyasha, she is strong."

Inuyasha considered the monk’s words carefully; Miroku had just given voice to the thoughts that had been swimming around in the back of his mind for the past several hours. Was it really ok? Was it possible that Kagome could remain a hanyou and still live a happy life? Could he protect her? Did he even need to protect her, or was she strong enough to protect herself? Kagome was as willful and resilient as he, and he had survived…

"And besides," Miroku continued, "it is Kagome-sama’s decision. We can only advise her, but the ultimate choice is hers, even if her decision is the worst she will ever make. Personally…well, let me tell you something my father told me long ago. He said ‘sometimes in the winds of change we find our true direction.’ I don’t think I ever fully understood what he meant, but Kagome’s transformation has opened my eyes. This was meant to happen, Inuyasha, as surely as you two were destined to find each other."

For a long time, Inuyasha said nothing, but Miroku gave him time to ponder. Everything the monk said made perfect sense. And it was easy to accept, because his conscience had been trying to tell him the same things. But there was still a small part of him that rebelled, the part that was submerged in his past. He pushed it down; it was time for the truth. He would always accept Kagome. She was his best friend, perhaps more, and he would never turn his back on her again. He would support her in her decision without objection, and do his best to protect her from the ramifications. He sighed, slumping in relief as a great weight was lifted from his shoulders.

"Alright," was all he said, but it was enough. Smiling, Miroku patted him on the back amiably.

"When will you go talk to her?" the monk asked.

Inuyasha shrugged. "Dunno. I’ll probably give her some time to cool down first."

Miroku nodded. "Just don’t wait too long. Sango has been polishing hiraikotsu, and I don’t think I can keep her from coming after you if you drag this out too long."

"Thanks for the warning."

"Anytime, my friend." The serious part of the discussion long over, Miroku decided to have a little fun. "So…which Kagome to you prefer?"

"I don’t." And it was true; he really didn’t prefer Kagome one way or the other. She was just Kagome.

"Well, I suppose there isn’t too much difference in appearance, at least not below the neck. Though you would be able to judge that better than me…" Inuyasha chocked, and Miroku patted his back again as the hanyou sputtered, glaring at him the whole time. The effect was dampened by the redness of his face, however.

"Damn bouzu! Why am I even listening to you? A fucking hentai who can’t keep his woman from leaving him!" That comment sucked all the amusement right out of the atmosphere, as Miroku’s eyes widened then narrowed.

"What are you talking about, Inuyasha?" he queried sternly. For a moment Inuyasha regretted his remark, but then he remembered his promise to Kagome. This was as good a time as any for a discussion. Though there was no harm in playing hard to get first…

"Hm? What did I say? I can’t seem to remember…"

"Inuyasha, I have been reigning in the desire to whack you over the head with my staff for most of the day, so it isn’t wise to test me." Inuyasha snickered. Ok, so maybe there was harm in being evasive. The topic of conversation turned his mood somber before he spoke.

"Sango is thinking about leaving you, bouzu. She’s considering not bearing your children."

"WHAT?!" Miroku yelled, utterly shocked. "B-but she—"

"Yeah, I know what she said that day! What I’m saying is that she’s just about changed her mind."

"But why…" Miroku didn’t even bother to finish that sentence; the answer was painfully obvious. I had no idea my womanizing was affecting Sango so… This was definitely something that needed to be addressed between them.

"I see," he said firmly, "thank you for bringing this to my attention."

"Feh. Just remember you didn’t hear it from me."

"Well then who did I hear it from?"

"No one! You figured it out on your own with that pea-sized brain of yours."

"And he calls me stupid…" Suddenly, another thought occurred to Miroku. "Hey, how did you know what Sango said that day?"

"Uh…the wench was spying on you."

"Just Kagome-sama?"

"Well…somebody had to keep her out of trouble!"

"Uh-huh. Remind me to tell Sango you two were eavesdropping. I’m sure she’ll be very amused."

"Oh, come on! Tell me you’ve never spied on us!"

"…"

"There! You’re just as guilty as we are!"

"Have you ever asked Kagome-sama to bear your child?"

"Wh—NO!!!"

"Then it’s completely different."

"Whatever, bouzu." Chuckling, Miroku stood to leave.

"Go talk to her, Inuyasha. Don’t procrastinate," he said as he departed. Miroku made his way back to Kaede’s hut. His mood was just as bad as it had been when he left, but for completely different reasons. Could Sango really have so little faith in him? And could he blame her for it?

"Did you talk some sense into that asshole?" the taijiya asked as he came through the doorway.

"No, I just helped him find the wisdom in himself. Please don’t be too hard on him. He has a good heart; he can’t help it that he’s a huge baka."

Sango snorted, and went back to sharpening hiraikotsu. Her movements were tense and jerky, and Miroku could tell she was still immensely worried about Kagome. Now was definitely not the time to confront her insecurities concerning their relationship. Sighing, he settled against the wall, readying himself for a long night.

Kagome slowed to a stop as she neared the old well. The physical exertion had cleared her head, and now she felt quite foolish. Not for overreacting; no, she definitely had every reason to be heartbroken. But she did feel like a fool for running away, and for making those awful assumptions about her other friends. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo hadn’t given her any reason to doubt their acceptance of her hanyou form. But her confidence in Inuyasha, the person she thought she knew better than any other, had been shaken to the core. She figured it was only natural to distrust her other friends in that situation. Natural, but wrong. She would apologize to them, and hopefully they wouldn’t hold it against her.

As for running, she had been afraid, terrified really. And this wasn’t a youkai you could slay, or an enemy you could defeat by standing and fighting. Fleeing had seemed like the only option at the time, and it probably was the best thing she could have done. The thought of remaining in his presence after he spoke those words sickened her. No, she needed some time alone, to reflect if nothing else. Looking at the sky, she saw that it was still midday. She came here to take comfort in her mother’s embrace, but now she didn’t particularly feel like facing anybody. So she wandered into the trees, heading no place in particular and not caring either. Her nose would guide her back to the village, just as it had led her here in the first place. It was some time before she stopped, leaping into a tree near a small stream. The water cascading gently down the rocks resonated with her for some reason, and she found the soft gurgling sounds oddly soothing.

Her thoughts were anything but. Inuyasha’s behavior still baffled her. How many times in the past had he called her a ‘weak human wench,’ or insulted her on that general theme? And now he wanted her to return to being a helpless mortal woman?! That was the height of hypocrisy! Granted, in recent months, even before her transformation, those comments had become less frequent. But still, she couldn’t think of a legitimate reason why he would prefer her a human instead of a hanyou. What right did he have to order her to change? She would never ask him to change for her! It probably hadn’t even occurred to him that the dagger could be used to make both of them human…

But again, she would never want him to change. She loved him just the way he was. My modern friends were right…I should have just kicked him to the curb and gone out with Hojo a long time ago… Yet, the thought of doing that filled her with revulsion. Damn my feelings! Why did I have to fall for an asshole like Inuyasha?!

Time passed quickly for our frustrated miko, and it wasn’t until the owls began hooting that she realized how late it had gotten. The last of the sun’s rays were just barely clinging to the forest, and she thanked the now visible stars for her feline night vision. She had officially exhausted her mental capacity for thought for the day, and a nice hot bath sounded divine. Unfortunately, fate had other plans. As she was slowly making her way back toward the well, a brilliant blue ball of light shot out of nowhere. She dodged at the last moment, and turned into the direction of the attack. For a full minute she saw nothing, then a hulking figure revealed itself. It was humanoid in shape but little else. It stood three to four times taller than she, and had dappled brown skin resembling the bark of the surrounding trees. Even its green eyes blended in with the foliage, but its camouflage was no defense now that Kagome’s keen vision had locked onto it. It moved sluggishly, at speeds even humans would be able to outrun. It was clear the creature would catch nothing to eat if not for the blast of energy it could apparently exude. When it spoke, its voice was gravelly but contained a certain intelligence, one that belied the creature’s ugliness and slowness.

"You dodged that, huh?" it said. "So you’re not a normal human." Taking a closer look at Kagome, he smirked, revealing fangs at least a foot long and covered in drool. "A hanyou, huh? You don’t see many of those around. Good! I was hungering for youkai blood tonight."

"You eat humans?" Kagome posed dangerously.

The youkai shrugged. "Humans, youkai; I eat whatever I want." Kagome’s eyebrow twitched, her anger toward a certain hanyou rapidly transferring toward the youkai before her. With the mood she was in, she had no problem purifying some arrogant, ugly bastard who liked to snack on humans, especially when the nearest settlement was Kaede’s village. "So, hanyou," the youkai continued, "you gonna fight me or run away?"

Kagome’s didn’t answer, at least not verbally. She suddenly dashed forward, easily avoiding the energy ball the youkai hastily threw at her from its mouth. She leapt up to his chest, raking her claws down the surface. To her surprise, the weapons didn’t penetrate, nor did the purifying energy they emitted do anything more than inflict minor burns. Kagome jumped away, narrowly eluding the massive open palm the beast had attempted to smack her with, as a man might swat an annoying fly. Now the advantage of surprise was squandered, and the youkai kept Kagome at bay, continuously firing those balls of shimmering blue light. Kagome didn’t know what would happen if she got hit, but she knew it wouldn’t be good. Eventually, as the misses became nearer, and the close calls became more frequent, Kagome realized she was in over her head. She didn’t have her bow and arrows with her, as they had been discarded at the well before she wandered into the forest. She deeply regretted that decision now. Deciding to make her escape and call in reinforcements, she leapt up to a low-hanging tree branch, intending to use the natural cover of the canopy to conceal her movements and get away.

Unfortunately, she had chosen a branch which, although seemingly sturdy, had been eaten away on the inside by insects of some kind. A foreboding crack was all the warning she got before her platform fell away, leaving her to plummet toward the ground. The youkai didn’t even give her a chance to land on her feet, nailing her with a clean shot in the chest as she fell. The blast flung Kagome backward, and she skidded to a stop on her back. Surprisingly, there was no pain. She got up and dusted herself off, eyeing the youkai warily. He smirked and settled on his haunches, as if waiting for something…

Then she felt it; a numbness that started in her toes and rapidly worked its way up her body. She could no longer move anything the sensation touched, as if the nerves connecting her brain to her body were being systematically shut down. Already her feet felt disconnected from her, as if they were frozen solid. She could see them there, but they might as well have been attached to someone else. Panic set in quickly for Kagome; never before had she felt so helpless. So, without thinking, she did what she always did when she found herself in grave danger. It was an automatic response, one that was just about hired-wired into her consciousness.

"INUYASHA!!!!"

**Warning: there is some pretty graphic stuff in this chapter that might make you squirm. Also, there is a little lime (consensual touching, nothing more)**

Picking up the Pieces

"INUYASHA!!!!"

As soon as the cry left her lips, Kagome regretted it. How could she possibly have called out his name after all the angst he had put her through in the past few hours? What the hell was wrong with her, shouting for the man who had ripped out her heart and stomped it into a puddle of goo? But it had seemed so natural, calling for her savior, the one who had always been there when she really needed him, albeit in some cases more promptly than others. This time, however, she found herself truly doubting whether he would even come at all. Was their relationship already so fractured that he would forsake her in her hour of need? No… Surely, it wasn’t. He had promised to protect her, and Inuyasha was a man of his word. Even if saving her was nothing more than an obligation to him, he would do it. This she had to believe, or else completely give up hope that they would ever be together, and to do that would crush what was left of her already wounded soul.

Regardless of the reason, she could not take back her desperate cry now. Nor could she call for anyone else, not that they would hear her with their non-canine ears anyway. She was lying in the dirt, face down, completely paralyzed. Her heart still pumped—very quickly—her lungs still heaved, and her eyes still blinked, but all voluntary function was cut off. She couldn’t even twitch a finger, nor was she able to summon her miko powers. Evidently the energy attack had shorted those out as well. She heard the youkai lumbering closer, chuckling as he came.

"Tough break, hanyou. If it will make you feel better, I’ll knock that tree down after I’m through eating you." The youkai found this very amusing, and spent a good minute laughing at his own joke. It pissed Kagome off to no end, but you wouldn’t know it by her blank expression. Finally the mirthful rumbling stopped, and Kagome found herself clutched tightly in a large, clawed hand. The youkai brought her up to eye level, turning her over and looking at her from every angle.

"I hope your ‘Inuyasha’ friend gets here soon. I don’t think you’ll be enough to satisfy me this evening." The youkai shrugged nonchalantly. "Ah, well, what can I do?"

"INUYASHA!!!!"

Inuyasha bolted upright. That cry had been faint, but he would recognize it anywhere. Shit! He cursed as he dashed to the well, Kagome’s scent trail confirming what he now knew. She didn’t go home?! Dammit! I should have checked! And now Kagome was in danger—grave danger by the sound of it—and he wasn’t there to protect her. He darted into the forest, following her scent. Hang on, wench!

His progress was slowed by the fact that the trail was several hours old, and fading into the surrounding smells of the forest. He had to be methodical; he couldn’t risk losing the scent. As a result, it was several minutes before he came to the spot where Kagome’s scent abruptly ended and that of a strange youkai began. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he scanned the trees, searching for the owner of that malevolent odor. All of his senses were tuned to the finest movement, and he needed every one of them to dodge the ball of energy that came flying at him from behind. He rolled into a crouch, spinning to face his attacker.

"Another hanyou, huh? You must be Inuyasha," the youkai observed calmly.

"Where’s Kagome, you ugly bastard?!"

The youkai smirked. "Kagome, was that her name? Don’t worry; she’s in my belly." Inuyasha could only stare slack-jawed. No...Kagome can’t be… He couldn’t even think it. She can’t be gone! She has to be alive! All at once the world seemed to close in on him, smothering, suffocating, overwhelming him with despair. His soul cried out in horror, but wretched fate gave no reply. Hot tears sprung to his eyes, but he pushed them back. He would grieve later—for the rest of his life, perhaps—but vengeance would come first. He tore Tetsusaiga from its sheath, only his iron grip on the sword preventing his youkai from completely taking over. As it was, his eyes flashed rapidly between crimson and amber.

"Fucking bastard… I’ll kill you!"

"I’d put that sword away if I were you, hanyou. Who knows? She might still be alive in there. But if she is, then you’re running out of time." The youkai chuckled darkly, grinning widely as Inuyasha sheathed Tetsusaiga. With renewed hope and determination in his heart, his youkai blood receded. He could think clearly again, and realized in frustration that he couldn’t risk hurting Kagome, if there was even the slightest chance she was still alive. That meant no Tetsusaiga, no Hijin-Ketsusou, and being very careful with the Sankon-Tetsusou. That youkai looked like it had a tough hide, so this was going to be difficult. But failure wasn’t an option. A slow victory wasn’t an option either. He had to get Kagome out now, before she was digested alive. With a desperate cry, he hurled himself toward his enemy.

It was dark, but not cold. In fact, the inside of the youkai’s stomach was uncomfortably warm. The youkai had swallowed Kagome head first, but somehow she had gotten turned around on the way down its esophagus and wound up sitting more or less upright in its stomach. Now she could do little more than slump against the inner wall, submerged to the neck in the worst smelling stuff she had ever seen. The stomach acid positively reeked, and the air was stale, barely breathable. There were many ways to die in this living tomb, but she figured asphyxiation was the least of her worries. Already her clothes were sizzling, starting to dissolve, and her skin was beginning to tingle. In a scant few minutes, that tingle had developed into a sting, then an agonizing burn, as if each individual layer of skin was being melted away. Not even her face was spared, as the bubbling cocktail constantly splashed her. A human would probably have already perished. Her hanyou blood was proving both a blessing and a curse; her tougher hide would allow her to stay alive in here longer, but that in turn would subject her to more pain (1). If she could somehow survive the ordeal, however, it would all be worth it.

Her hopes were raised when she heard the youkai speak, followed by a very familiar voice from outside. Inuyasha… Her ears, sharp as ever, could make out the conversation clearly. That bastard! He’s using me to force Inuyasha to—OW!!! The pain was getting worse, in some places more than others. The area between her legs was on fire, and not in the good way (2). She could only hope none of the acid got inside her; she didn’t want to be sterilized for life. But you couldn’t have children if you were dead, and she didn’t know how much longer her body would hold out. Inuyasha, please hurry…

Inuyasha growled in frustration as he continued to dodge the seemingly endless barrage of energy blasts the youkai was putting out. Shit…how the fuck am I supposed to get through?! He had already tried blocking with Tetsusaiga, but the shots were too powerful. They burst into an explosion when they hit the sword, and he found he couldn’t block more than one in rapid succession. Suddenly, inspiration struck, and he stopped maneuvering. He stood still, facing his opponent with sword raised, waiting for the right moment.

"Heh. Giving up already, hanyou? So be it!" the youkai yelled as he let loose an especially large ball. Inuyasha smirked. Perfect… Just before impact, he shoved Tetsusaiga into the ground and leapt backward. The energy ball hit the blade and detonated in a great flash of light, so bright that the youkai had to shield his eyes. This is what Inuyasha had been counting on. The instant after impact, he had dashed to his left, taking cover in the trees. Using every ounce of stealth he possessed, he continued to work his way around the youkai even as his enemy scanned the forest in every direction. The attack came from behind. Before the youkai could even react, his head had been neatly severed at the neck by the Sankon-Tetsusou. As its eyes darkened to lifelessness, the detached head barely had time to repeat the last words of countless youkai before him.

"No…how could I…defeated by a hanyou…"

The body collapsed forward in a great crash. Wasting no time, Inuyasha sliced open the belly and stomach, not caring in the least as acid spilled out onto his feet. Sticking his whole upper body in the organ, he found her. She was an absolute mess. Her skin was badly discolored, and it appeared as if several layers had been melted away. His prime concern at the moment, however, was determining whether she was still breathing. When she inhaled deeply and opened her eyes, his knees nearly buckled in all-consuming relief. But something was wrong; her eyes were still clouded with agony. When the palms of his hands started to tingle, he realized why. Shit! She’s still covered in acid! Gathering her in his arms and urgently sniffing the air, he darted toward the nearest water source.

It was only a small pond, but it would have to do. He charged in without removing his clothes, submerging Kagome in the cool liquid. After a few seconds, he lifted her out and sniffed, grimacing when the scent of acid still clung to her skin. Evidently a simple dip in water would not be enough to remove it. He started with her left arm, rubbing the tortured skin as gently as he could, but still knowing that it must hurt like a son of a bitch. He was almost glad Kagome was unable to move—he had figured out what the purpose of the youkai’s energy attack was—because at least he wouldn’t have to see her face contort in anguish. And as he massaged her skin, he noticed for the first time that she was naked. Oh, sure, her lack of clothing had registered in his consciousness before, but it had been merely a passing observation in the frenzy of activity that had accompanied her liberation from the youkai’s stomach. Now, he gulped audibly as the situation fully set in. He was holding Kagome, totally nude, in his arms. She was completely helpless, and her entire body needed to be cleansed of the last vestiges of acid that stubbornly clung to her skin. Whoa, boy…

For Kagome, from Inuyasha’s hands lanced the worst pain she had ever experienced. But afterwards, after he had cleaned a particular area, the sting lessened noticeably. She found herself relaxing slightly in his embrace as he took some of the pain away. He carefully scrubbed her arms, legs, back, and face. Of course, it was hard not to notice that he was avoiding several particular areas of her body, and she realized with a sinking feeling that they needed his attention too.

"Kagome…" he spoke into the awkward silence, his face flushing hotly. Kagome felt the blood rush to her own cheeks as she nodded her consent, having regained some basic voluntary functions in the time since her rescue. She still couldn’t speak, but her nervous system was starting to come back online as the effects of the youkai’s paralyzing energy wore off. While still in the stomach, she had been able to hold her breath and squeeze her eyes shut when the youkai’s headless body toppled over.

Inuyasha began with her buttocks and the backs of her thighs, probably the "safest" starting point. After all, Miroku had grabbed her ass at least a handful of times, albeit not hand-to-skin… Next he worked on her belly, massaging the soft skin. He couldn’t help but be impressed with the hard muscle he could feel pulsing underneath. Kagome had certainly become physically stronger, even before her hanyou transformation. It was definitely a change for the better. From her abdomen he could go in one of two directions, neither of which were very "safe." He went up first, intent on procrastinating as long as possible on her most intimate area. As he cleaned her breasts, Kagome couldn’t help but reflect that she’d always fantasized about Inuyasha touching her like this. Never in these circumstances of course, and she had always imagined feeling pleasure from the action. There was nothing erotic about his touch now, though. He was soothing an ache, nothing more. The look of embarrassed concentration on his face was adorable, and she might have been amused if she wasn’t so mortified herself. But it had to be done; her demon blood wouldn’t really start to heal her until all traces of the stomach acid were gone.

Finished, Inuyasha trailed his hand down her body, coming to a halt on her lower belly. He locked eyes with her again, nearly stumbling at the look of absolute trust she gave him. He was utterly humbled that even though she was totally powerless, and currently had every reason to doubt him, she still had faith in him to take care of her, to protect her. He would do nothing to betray her trust. Not breaking eye contact, he moved his hand between her legs and started to rub. Again, there was nothing arousing about the action, for either of them. Kagome’s pain soared to a whole new level, but after he was through she felt much better. She was still very aware that her entire body had been doused in acid, but at least now the sting had dulled to a throb. She could feel her youkai blood humming in her veins, and her instincts were telling her she would make a full recovery. A human would probably be scarred for life, unable to have an orgasm or children, but she was confident that even her most sensitive flesh would heal. And it seemed that none of the acid had gotten inside her; the interior of her vagina was just about the only part of her body that didn’t hurt.

"Do you feel any more acid on you?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome shook her head and even managed a small, grateful smile. It was returned, though the other hanyou quickly looked away in embarrassment. Climbing out of the spring, he shrugged off his haori and shook it violently in one hand, getting as much of the water off it as he could before wrapping it around her. Next he set her down and moved a few paces away, squatting and shaking like a dog. Kagome giggled silently, still making do without a functioning larynx. Inuyasha glanced at her, and she gasped at the emotion in his amber orbs. Relief warred with guilt and sympathy, and Kagome was suddenly very glad she didn’t have a mirror handy. Kami…I must look like hell. Well, I guess you look how you feel…

Inuyasha gathered her up without a word, starting the trek toward the well. At least, that’s where she thought he was taking her. She couldn’t really be sure, especially when he kept stopping to sniff certain plants, stuffing some of them in his haori. After maybe a half hour of this, Kagome was starting to get more than a little agitated. And she finally had a working voice box to communicate her impatience.

"Inuyasha," she rasped, startling the hanyou. "What are you doing?"

"Quiet, wench," he replied absently. Kagome huffed, but remained silent. He seemed to be concentrating pretty heavily, and she trusted that he would take care of her. Finally, perhaps ten minutes later, Inuyasha broke into a run, crossing the remaining distance and leaping into the well. The time slip activated, and Inuyasha entered her room through the window as he always did. He crept to the door, inching it open as he scanned the hallway. Deciding that the coast was clear, he dashed into the bathroom and gently shut and locked the door behind them. Seeing her own reflection for the first time, Kagome could understand his desire for secrecy. She didn’t want to face her mother in this condition, either. It was pretty late, so the older woman was probably in bed, but one could never be sure. No, they would see her mother in the morning, after they had given her youkai blood a full night to work on her tattered skin.

Inuyasha set her down against the wall and began filling up the tub. It took him a minute to get the temperature right, but when he did he started adding different plants to the water. He removed his white kosode, vigorously stirring the mixture as the tub filled up. Kagome couldn’t help but admire him as he worked, the taut muscles of his back rippling sensuously. He probably didn’t smell her attraction, however, because the entire bathroom started to stink something awful. Kagome wished fervently for the ability to cover her nose, or chop it off. She had a sinking feeling… Sure enough, when Inuyasha was satisfied he turned off the water and faced her.

"Can you get in yourself, wench?" Kagome tested her legs, but still got no response. She shook her head. Sighing, Inuyasha helped her upright and removed his haori as Kagome got her first glimpse at her "bath."

"W-wait! You can’t possibly expect me to get in that!" she cried. The liquid formerly known as tap water had turned a nasty brown color, like mud on a rainy day.

"Yes you will, wench. It’s good for burns. It will help your skin regrow." Kagome’s retort died on her lips. How could she refuse when he went through all the trouble? Seeing her grudging acceptance, Inuyasha lowered her into the mixture, keeping his eyes respectfully averted the whole time. It didn’t make sense; warm water should feel horrible on scorched skin. And yet, this stuff actually felt good. Kagome wondered how many medicinal remedies Inuyasha knew.

"You gonna be able to hold yourself up if I leave, wench? It’d be pretty shitty to drown in a bathtub after surviving getting fuckin’ eaten alive." Kagome flexed her arms, discovering enough strength in them to keep her head above water. Her muscles were slowly but surely coming back under her control now.

"Yeah, but…wait!" she called as Inuyasha stood to leave. "Stay. Please…"

"I shouldn’t," he replied uncertainly.

"Come on," Kagome said, cracking a wry smile, "it’s not like you haven’t seen everything. Repeatedly." Inuyasha flushed scarlet. He had done a lot more than that… He studied her for a moment, but finally nodded and settled against the wall of the tub with his back to her. And now that the adrenaline of battle and rescue had faded, and she was just sitting and relaxing, Kagome remembered why she had been alone in the woods in the first place. Her mood fell instantly. For just a couple hours, she had forgotten about Inuyasha’s rejection, and things had gone back to normal between them, or as normal as they could be under the circumstances. How she wished she could permanently erase that conversation from her mind, make it so it never happened. But unfortunately, she could not. Well, I got what I wanted. He saved me, fulfilled his obligation. Now… Dammit! Why did I ask him to stay?

"Inuyasha," she said, the sorrow in her voice putting the other hanyou on edge. "You don’t have to stay. I can…I can take care of myself from now on. Just leave me here. Go finish the jewel quest with…someone else." The name wasn’t spoken aloud, but both of them realized who Kagome was referring to.

"Wench, I—"

"Just go!" Kagome yelled as hot tears sprang to her eyes. She had vowed not to cry until she was alone, but as usual her hanyou had to go and make things difficult. Though he wasn’t really hers anymore. Had he ever been?

"No, wench!" Kagome sobbed, and turned away. But she had little choice but to listen; she couldn’t exactly make him leave in her current condition. As for Inuyasha, it was time to suck it up and explain himself. "Look, Kagome, I…what I said before, I didn’t mean it! Y-you’ve always accepted me just as I am, so I can’t do any less for you." Far from reassuring, Inuyasha’s words only hurt Kagome more.

"Dammit, Inuyasha! Another fucking obligation?! Is that all there ever was between us?! You were obligated to find the jewel shards, you were obligated to protect me, and now you’re obligated to accept me as a hanyou?! Fuck you! I don’t need your pity, or your bullshit acceptance! Now leave, and don’t come ba—"

"Shut the fuck up bitch!" Inuyasha cut her off, leaping to his feet. Kagome’s tongue was stilled by the fierceness of his expression. His eyes were wide with panic, a desperation she had never seen in him before. Seeing that she had gone silent, Inuyasha took a deep breath and settled on his haunches. He anxiously ran his hand through his unruly mane as he gathered his thoughts.

"Wench…that’s not what I meant. I…uh…" Kagome huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and looking away. "Dammit! Look at me, Kagome!" When she refused, he growled, grabbing both her hands and holding them up tightly between them. That did the trick, as she turned shocked and slightly fearful eyes his way. He gazed intently into those chocolate orbs, hoping to convey to her everything he couldn’t say. "Kagome…I’m sorry for what I said. You’re my closest friend, and I will always accept you, even if you do to stay hanyou. No matter what form you choose, I…I want you by my side." Kagome just stared. A large part of her—the wounded, bitter part—wanted to brush him off, kick him out of her life forever. But her heart flared back to life at the honesty in his words, and the absolute truth and conviction in his eyes. He was telling the truth, and that was how he truly felt. She believed him. How could she not, when his very soul was bared to her?

"Why?" she asked quietly. It was one simple question, but in it Inuyasha heard all of the questions he had asked himself a few scant hours ago. Why did he lie? Why did he constantly hurt Kagome? Why was he such a jackass? He released her hands, slumping down onto the bathroom floor. He stared forlornly at the tiled surface as he spoke.

"I thought I knew what was best for you, Kagome. I didn’t…I didn’t want you to go through what I did."

"Why didn’t you tell me that?"

"Cause I’m a fuckin’ baka," he growled. "I didn’t think you would understand how bad life can be for a hanyou. So I tried to force you to change…"

"Tell me."

Inuyasha shook his head. "I can’t. You can’t possibly underst—"

"Then help me understand. Tell me…tell me about your past, Inuyasha." He stared at her, grabbling with her demand. Could he really take such a monumentous step? He never spoke about his past to anyone. Yet, opening up to Kagome, at this moment, just seemed right. He sighed, eyes glazing over as he returned to another, darker time.

"I spent the first eight summers of my life in my mother’s human village. We were disliked, and no one would associate with us, but we were happy. Then, she…she fell ill and died. The villagers said I could stay…on the condition that I looked like them. When I refused…" He gulped; the memory was just as poignant as ever. He felt a pressure against his fingers, and looked up to see Kagome’s hand resting on top of his own. She smiled encouragingly at him, and he grabbed her hand tightly, taking from her the courage to continue. "When I refused, the villagers locked me in a hut. I don’t know how many days the beat me, whipped me, but eventually they got tired of waiting and just decided to take my ears by force. They held me down, and when I saw that katana…something inside me told me to lash out. It was the first time I used the Hijin-ketsusou. I ran, and never looked back. I never found out how many villagers I killed that day. After that, I was alone. I wandered for decades, defending myself, getting stronger. Eventually, I met Kikyou, and you know the rest."

By the time he was finished, tears were streaming down Kagome’s cheeks. At least now she understood why he lied to her. He had hurt her deeply, and her wounded heart wasn’t ready to forgive him, but it would heal. They would heal, together. Hesitantly, she reached out her free hand, latching onto the fuzzy appendage that had caused Inuyasha so much trouble, the symbol of his tainted blood to those who would hate him for it. As she massaged the ear, he leaned into her hand, rumbling in contentment. After several blissful minutes, he pulled back, breaking the contact.

"Inuyasha…I know it was hard for you, but it will be different for me. I’m not a child, and I’m not alone. I have my family, my friends in both eras, and I have you. I do have you, don’t I?"

Inuyasha grinned timidly. "You don’t even need to ask, wench." Laughing, Kagome lunched herself out of the tub and wrapped her arms around his neck, not caring that water splashed out onto the floor or that she was naked. Inuyasha returned the embrace just as tightly, not pulling away until they heard a soft knock on the door.

"Kagome, is that you?" her mother called in a tired voice. Groaning, Kagome settled back into the water as Inuyasha grabbed a towel to wipe up the mess.

"Yes, Mama, it’s me. I’m just taking a bath."

"Oh. What’s that awful smell?" Oh, sorry Mama, Inuyasha went #2 in the hallway. I’ll be sure to rub his nose in it. That’s what it smelled like, anyway.

"Just some bath supplies I wanted to try from the Feudal Era," she replied, glaring at Inuyasha, who just smirked at her. That look turned to panic when Mrs. Higurashi posed her next question.

"Is Inuyasha here?" Kagome could have chuckled at how Inuyasha suddenly went stiff as a board. Apparently he didn’t want her mother to know he was in here…

"He stayed on the other side of the well, Mama."

"Well, goodnight then. I’m going to bed," Mrs. Higurashi yawned.

"Goodnight, Mama." Inuyasha slumped bonelessly against the wall, and Kagome shook her head. "Sometimes I think you’re more afraid of my mother than you are of any youkai."

"Keh! At least I can kill youkai. The best I can to against your fucking mother is run and hide."

"Don’t use ‘fucking’ and refer to my Mama in the same sentence, baka."

"Feh… Oi! Where’d you learn to swear like that, anyway?"

"Just ‘cause I don’t usually swear doesn’t mean I don’t know how. I just save it for extreme circumstances." Inuyasha grimaced; there was nothing about this night that wasn’t extreme. Kagome was able to get out of the tub herself, but was still shaky on her feet and had to be supported as she dried herself off. What little modestly she still owned was preserved by Inuyasha averting his eyes again. He carried her to her room, and she changed into a set of loose-fitting flannel pajamas. She was feeling much better, but sleeping sans undergarments was probably the best thing for her skin. That she could even stand to have anything covering her was surprising, but Inuyasha’s medicine and her youkai blood had done wonders to alleviate the worst of the pain. It would take awhile, but she would probably be able to fall asleep. Slumber eluded her for at least a half hour; she had too many things on her mind.

"Hey, Inuyasha," she finally asked.

"Yeah, wench?" the hanyou inquired from his spot under her window.

"Since I’m going to stay a hanyou, could you maybe…teach me how to fight?" There was a long pause as he thought it over, but eventually the answer came.

"Sure, wench. As long as you promise not to go charging into battle when you don’t need to."

"Deal." Kagome was almost asleep when Inuyasha rose to his feet and opened the window. "Where are you going, Inuyasha?" she wondered aloud.

"Don’t worry about it, wench. I just have to take care of something. Stay here for a few days." With that, he was gone, leaving Kagome to ponder why he needed to leave so suddenly in the middle of the night. And did he just tell me to stay here for a few days? What gives?! She tried to stave off the doubt, but it came undeterred. Rational reassurances could not completely blot out emotional pain, and what Inuyasha said in the bathroom could not mollify her uncertainty concerning what he said that afternoon. She had been so sure he was telling the truth when he swore he would always accept her, and yet… But no, if she couldn’t forgive him, the least she could do was not judge him prematurely. She would wait for his explanation. That didn’t mean she wouldn’t worry about it, though. So much for getting any sleep tonight…

"Kami, Kagome! What happened?!"

Kagome sighed; she had known her mother would react like that. Her youkai healing powers had done wonders on her skin, but she still looked like her whole body had been sunburned. Very badly. Her face was almost back to normal, having endured the least contact with the acid. She had been very lucky that none of the noxious stuff had gotten in her eyes. Even so, it appeared as if she’d spent an entire day lying on the beach without any sunscreen. Her clueless friends might buy that cover story, but it wasn’t going to cut it with her mom. And she was planning on going to school today, but she would have to get by her frantic mother first.

"Nothing serious, mama! Just a small…accident."

The older woman frowned skeptically. "A ‘small accident?’ I thought youkai healed faster than humans. If this happened yesterday, it must have been pretty bad for you to still look like that. Now tell me the truth!" Kagome sighed again. Her mother was far too observant sometimes. Seeing no way around it, she started relating the events of last night, starting with the youkai attacking her in the forest. Her mother interrupted her after perhaps fifteen seconds.

"He swallowed you?! As in my little girl was being eaten alive?! Where is that Inuyasha?! We need to have a nice, long talk."

"No, Mama! It wasn’t Inuyasha’s fault! I…I wandered off into the forest by myself. Inuyasha thought I’d come through the well. I called for him, and he saved me. So if you should be mad at anyone, it’s me."

"Well that was stupid! Come on, Kagome! I thought you were smart enough to not go wandering around the Feudal Era by yourself."

"I know, I know! It won’t happen again. I just…needed to be alone at the time," she mumbled solemnly.

"Why? Did you two have a fight?"

Kagome nodded. "The biggest one ever."

"Ah, I see. So that’s what you two were yelling about in the bathroom." Kagome seized violently; her mother just had to say that as she was taking a sip of her tea. And now she was choking on it. "Breath, Kagome," her mother teased, earning her a spiteful glare from the miko.

"You knew he was in there with me?!" Kagome asked, flushing more from indignation than from embarrassment.

"Kagome, you two were so loud that I think the whole neighborhood knew. What I want to know is why he was in the bathroom. You were bathing, weren’t you?" Ok, now Kagome was blushing entirely from embarrassment. But she was reassured by the total lack of censure in her mother’s voice. The older woman appeared to be simply curious.

"Well…the youkai hit me with a kind of temporary paralysis attack, so I couldn’t move. And I was covered in stomach acid, so Inuyasha had to…wash it off in a pond. Then he brought me here and made a medicinal soak in the tub. That’s what that awful smell was."

"Hmmm…" Mrs. Higurashi pondered thoughtfully.

"Don’t worry! He didn’t do anything inappropria—"

"Of course not."

"Mama?" Kagome questioned, surprised by such a confident declaration. Mrs. Higurashi favored her daughter with a serious smile.

"Kagome, if I thought Inuyasha was the type of man who would take advantage of you, do you really think I’d let you go through the well? What kind of mother do you think I am?"

"Uh…the best ever!"

"Flattery will get you nowhere, honey. So, are you two going to be ok?"

"I think so…eventually."

"Good. And I guess you’re right; Inuyasha didn’t do anything wrong. You need to be more careful, young lady! Now go to school, and try to have a good time."

"Yes, Mama," Kagome replied, relieved that this conversation had gone so well. She was still apparently allowed to go back to the past! Not that she was sure a parental prohibition on the action would stop her at this point… Did anything in this world have the power to prevent her from seeing Inuyasha?

"And Kagome?"

"Yes, Mama?"

"Don’t let me hear you swear like a drunken sailor ever again."

Kagome sweatdropped. "Yes, Mama."

Inuyasha cruised through grassy fields and lush forests, practically gliding over the ground. He was running at a fairly good clip, and would probably reach his destination in a few hours. It was around noon when the cave finally came into view. He slowed as he reached the entrance, standing his ground as the guardian at the entrance growled at him briefly. But then she recognized him, and approached to sniff his hand. Apparently once her master admitted a stranger to his cave, that person was no longer on Sakura’s "tear to shreds" list.

"Oi, Daichi! You in there?!"

"Inuyasha?" the bear youkai inquired as he emerged from the cave. "It is you! Come on in. What brings you to these parts? Where is your pack?"

"They stayed behind. I didn’t want you trying to set Kagome up with your fucking son again!" Inuyasha growled.

"Now you know that was just a joke…"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I came alone ‘cause I didn’t want to spend days getting here. I’m calling in that debt you owe me."

"Oh?" Daichi wondered as the two men settled comfortably on the fur-covered floor. "How can I be of service?"

"Kagome decided to stay a hanyou."

"I see," Daichi replied, not appearing the least bit shocked. Apparently, that announcement wasn’t the bombshell Inuyasha thought it was.

"Wh-why aren’t you surprised?!"

"Uh…because I’m not a big dope. Only a complete baka wouldn’t have seen her decision coming."

Inuyasha’s eyebrow twitched dangerously. "A complete baka, huh?" Finally, Daichi seemed to realize the peril he was in.

"Well, I…ah, what the hell. Yes, you are a complete baka for not foreseeing that this would happen."

"Oh, and I suppose you knew all along that Kagome would choose to remain hanyou?"

"Of course we did," came a familiar voice from Inuyasha’s shoulder, just before he felt a pinprick on his neck. *Smack* He pulled his hand away, revealing his old flea youkai vassal.

"Myouga! What the fuck are you doing here?"

"He’s been hanging around ever since you last left," Daichi answered. "I don’t know how he’s avoided Sakura for so long."

"It’s easy when you’re a flea. You must have noticed that I had stayed behind, Inuyasha-sama."

A blank look from the hanyou was his only reply.

"Come now, Inuyasha-sama. Surely you must have realized that your loyal servant was no longer by your side?"

*Blink* *Blink*

"Waaaaaah! I am so unappreciated! All my years of service wasted! What cruel and ungrateful master—" *Smash* "Ugh…such is the life of a flea." Inuyasha flicked the flattened flea off his palm onto Daichi.

"There, now he’s yours to deal with."

"Gee, thanks." After a moment of silence, Inuyasha spoke up again.

"So…you guys really knew Kagome was going to end up wanting to be hanyou?"

Daichi nodded. "Don’t feel too bad, Inuyasha. It’s probably something that becomes harder to see the closer you get to a person. I’m sure you were opposed to the idea at first, what with your past and all…" Inuyasha’s grimace confirmed that suspicion. "And I suppose you had a big fight about it, too." Again, Inuyasha’s forlorn expression verified that notion. "And now you want me to make her some clothes, right? Oh, how romantic! You wanted to get her a present to make up with her!"

"I-it’s not—"

"Oooh, are you two getting closer? Have you asked her to be your mate yet?"

"Wh— NO!!!"

"Why not? You shouldn’t wait too long, you know. Honestly, my son courted his mate for years before finally gathering up the courage to ask her. I thought they’d never—"

"SHUT UP!!!!!!" When his own mortification-induced heavy breathing was the only sound in the cave, Inuyasha took a calming breath and continued. "No, I haven’t asked Kagome…that. And it’s not a present! She asked me to teach her how to fight. And if she’s gonna fight like a youkai, then she’s gonna need some tough clothing. It’s not a fucking present!" Daichi grinned. You know, Inuyasha, the more you say it isn’t a present the less convinced I get…

"But you sprinted all the way out here. Did you even tell her where you were going? Does she know why you’re here?"

"Uh…no."

Daichi smirked. "I see. So it’s a surprise, but not a present. Uh-huh."

"Shut the fuck up," Inuyasha growled. The damn bear’s irritating chuckle almost drove him to screw the whole plan and storm out of the cave. But imagining the look on Kagome’s face as he handed her new clothes to her stopped him. As much as he wanted to deny it, Daichi was right. It really was a gift. Just thinking of her reaction made him break out in a cold sweat as his skin became clammy. Why? Why was he so nervous? Why did he care whether she liked her present or not? Why had he been so damn excited last night when he came up with the idea? In retrospect, it probably hadn’t been the smartest strategy to leave in the middle of the night without giving a reason, but hopefully she wouldn’t hold it against him when he returned and explained himself.

"Very well, Inuyasha. I shall make Kagome the finest clothes she has ever seen! She will have armour rivaling your haori and hakama in strength!" Nodding his thanks, Inuyasha stood to leave the weaver to his work. "One one condition," Daichi’s voice boomed, stopping him in his tracks.

"A condition? No fucking way! You owe me, bastard!" he seethed.

"Geez! I was only going to ask you to keep me company. It gets lonely around here with only me and Sakura," he lamented, ignoring Myouga as much as Inuyasha had. "I just wanted someone to talk to…" Inuyasha scowled, feeling waves of guilt wash over him.

"Fine, dammit!" he yelled, plopping down on the floor, arms and legs crossed and a pout adorning his face.

"And I wanted to ask you a few questions," Daichi added mischievously. With a sinking feeling, Inuyasha got the distinct impression that the interrogation had been the old youkai’s goal the whole time. Had the whining about loneliness been just an act? Shit…what the fuck did I just agree to?

It wasn’t so bad at first. Daichi asked about the Inu-gang’s recent adventures as he looked through his collection of furs and fabrics at the back of the cave. He was happy to learn that Takehiko and Sora had been defeated, and Aoi’s dagger had been recovered. He even offered to take the cursed thing off Inuyasha’s hands and return for it him, an offer the hanyou readily accepted. He figured the weapon had been stuffed inside his kosode for long enough. Of course, the conversation didn’t remain within Inuyasha’s comfort zone for long.

"So…" Daichi drolled, "how is Kagome?"

"Fine," Inuyasha replied grumpily, hoping Daichi would drop this line of questioning. No such luck.

"Are you two…getting along?"

Inuyasha hesitated for a moment. "More or less."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, like you said, we got in a fight. And I…I did something really stupid," Inuyasha said, his ears drooping. "I hurt her, and I don’t think she’s completely forgiven me yet."

"Oh…well, I’m sure she’ll forgive you soon," Daichi replied, smiling reassuringly.

"Keh." By this time, Daichi had selected some fabrics and was beginning to work. He did everything by hand, cutting with his claws and measuring by eye. His large hands, seemingly so ungainly and maladroit, moved with great speed and precision. His movements with thread and needle were almost too quick to discern.

"So, Inuyasha, are you looking for something with long sleeves or some garments similar to what Kagome was wearing the last time you visited?" Inuyasha frowned; there were good arguments for both alternatives. A set of hakama and a long-sleeved kosode would certainly offer more protection, which would be important during her training and any future battles she might get into. On the other hand, he would miss those long, luscious legs if she covered them up… He blushed furiously, and unfortunately Daichi noticed, chuckling in amusement.

"You were thinking something hentai, weren’t you?"

"N-NO!" Somehow, that retort lacked Inuyasha’s usual conviction. Daichi smirked, but decided to let it slide.

"Hmmm…I suppose I could make a couple sets of each…"

"Just how long do you think I’m staying here?" Inuyasha inquired irritably.

"How long do you think it takes me to make a set of clothing?" Daichi challenged.

"Uh…I dunno. I want to be back in two or three more days at the most."

Daichi nodded. "That’s plenty of time to make several sets of garments."

"Really? You’re that fast?"

"Inuyasha," Daichi admonished, "I’ve been doing this for hundreds of years, so of course I’ve become proficient at it. I made the clothes you now wear, and who do you think made Sesshoumaru’s outfit? Basically, if you see a high-ranking youkai today, chances are he or she is wearing something I fashioned. I’m that good."

"A little full of yourself, aren’t you?"

"You’re one to talk. Now, do you have any preference in color?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Not really. Oh, wait! No red hakama or white kosode!" he exclaimed. The ‘darkness in Kagome’s heart’ concerning Kikyou hadn’t reared its ugly head in quite some time, and he wanted to keep it that way. Getting Kagome clothes that would make her look like the dead miko definitely wouldn’t help matters. The last thing he wanted was for Kagome to be like Kikyou. They were so different… Daichi spared him a quizzical glance, but otherwise didn’t comment on this strange request.

"Ok, does Kagome always wear that dark blue and yellow ensemble? ‘Cause those would just be horrible colors for traditional clothes…"

"Nah, she only started wearing those recently. She always used to wear green and white."

"Ah, much better. Green and white it is!" So engrossed had the two men become in discussing fabric that Inuyasha had almost forgotten his previous apprehension regarding Daichi’s line of questioning. He was rudely reminded.

"Hey, Inuyasha, how do you feel about Kagome?" Inuyasha nearly bit his tongue off as his whole body went rigid in shock and dread. He had been afraid Daichi would ask something like that, but he hadn’t expected it to come so suddenly out of the blue. Of course, his answer was going to be the same either way.

"None of our fuckin’ busine—"

"You’re right," Daichi interrupted, "it isn’t any of my business. But I think it would be beneficial to you to think about the answer for a change."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" At this, Daichi set aside his work and sat down to face Inuyasha fully.

"Answer me this, Inuyasha. How long have you known Kagome?"

"About a year and a half. Why?"

"And you two are more than just simple friends?"

"Uh…I guess."

"So how close are you?"

"…"

"See! You can’t even give me a straight answer! Kami, Myouga was right! Your head is so far up your ass that you’re starting to digest your own ears!" Inuyasha winced; Daichi didn’t realize how close to home that comment hit… It just added to his rapidly mounting irritation, a large part of it directed at his blabbermouth of a vassal. That flea is so dead… But for the moment, he had bigger fish—or bear—to fry.

"Why the fuck do you care?! You barely even know me!" It was clear Daichi wanted to continue the shouting match, but he forcibly reigned in his temper.

"Sorry," he murmured, shoulders slumping. "You’re right; I don’t really have a right to be lecturing you. I hope you’ll listen to my advice anyway, though." Not hearing any objection from the hanyou, he sighed. "I already told you about my son. The baka almost let his soul mate slip through his fingers. He was like you, content to let things go on as they were, infatuated with the status quo. And his mate almost settled for another man because she didn’t think he would ever want to take the next step in their relationship. If I hadn’t intervened, and yanked his head out of his ass, then he’d probably still be living here, moping around the cave all day and pining for missed opportunity. So that’s why I’m being hard on you, because I see a lot of my baka son in you." Daichi glanced away, staring at the cave wall with sorrow in his eyes and a miserable expression on his face. "I also know what it’s like to lose a mate," he confessed. Inuyasha could only sit there stunned as the other man choked back his emotion. "She died…about thirty years ago. Sometimes I wonder how I’m going to live for another few hundred years without her…" After a few seconds of spacing out, he started and came back to himself. "The point is," he declared, meeting Inuyasha’s gaze once more, "that you can’t afford to waste any kind of opportunity. If you love someone…you need to act on it. Cherish every moment with them, because once they’re gone, they’re gone forever."

Inuyasha couldn’t help but sympathize. He knew loneliness well, and it appeared Daichi did too. Normally hidden beneath the cheerful, upbeat exterior was a man still mourning for the loss of his soul mate, and a devoted father who didn’t want see anyone else experience his pain. In the end, Inuyasha couldn’t think of anything to say, so he waited for Daichi to break the now stifling silence. And when he finally did, it was a bombshell.

"So…do you love her?"

And there it was, the question he feared the most, the one he had been dancing around for so long. When had he first realized he might love Kagome? He couldn’t say exactly; after awhile it had just become obvious to him, as clear as the necessity to put any determination of his feelings aside and focus on the quest for the Shikon no Tama. But was that really the right thing to do? Was he hurting both Kagome and himself by being, as Daichi put it, ‘infatuated with the status quo?’ He knew ‘I don’t know’ was the easy answer, a way to avoid truly considering his feelings for a change. Yet, his life had been so difficult, so he felt justified in seeking simplicity wherever he could find it. Well, maybe things weren’t so hard anymore. It was easy to be in Kagome’s presence, to comfort her when she was sad, fight with her when she was angry, or smile when she was happy. Hell, even getting osuwarid couldn’t make him stop experiencing the simple joy of being by her side. It was true that thinking about his feelings definitely had the potential to complicate things, but was that really a bad thing? Perhaps it was time to ‘pull his head out of his ass’ and do some serious soul searching… But at that moment, Daichi was waiting for an answer, and Inuyasha had only one to give, even though it shamed him to speak it.

"I…I don’t know." Daichi nodded, no judgment present in his brown eyes.

"Fair enough," he said. Then the bear turned and resumed his project, seeming to understand that Inuyasha needed some time to himself.

So how did he feel about Kagome? It was such a simple question, yet it conjured up a full array of emotions. Happiness. Being with Kagome made him happy, plain and simple. She could turn his insides to jelly with just a smile, or set his heart beating a mile a minute on the smallest pretext. Tranquility. She calmed the stormy seas of his past, tamed his wild nature. With Kagome, he could relax and be himself. Acceptance. Kagome accepted him as no other had since his mother. Because of her, he had friends he would give his life for, and he knew they would do the same for him. She knew more about him than any other, and he could be confident in claiming the same about her. He even knew that she loved him, which added a whole new layer to his conundrum. But there were many different meanings to the word ‘love.’ Love among friends, love among family members, love among lovers, or love among mates; Kagome could have meant any of these when she declared her love for him to Naraku’s baby that day. Fear. This was by far the most unsettling of the emotions that flashed through his mind. It was old, grounded in his past, and multi-layered. He feared his feelings, that he would discover something that would lead to him getting hurt. What if he had misread Kagome, and she didn’t desire him in the way he thought? Attraction didn’t mean she wanted to spend her life with him. The fear of rejection had indeed burrowed deep into his heart.

But he realized now that such a fear was ridiculous. How could Kagome reject him if he never told her he loved her, if that was even true? She certainly wouldn’t reject him for being a hanyou; the fact that she wanted to remain one told him as much. But he had already known that beyond any shadow of a doubt, which only made him feel all the more guilty for throwing her full-youkai comment back in her face during their argument. It had been a split-second decision, and a stupid one at that. He wondered how she could continue to forgive him even after all the stupid shit he’d done. Maybe she really did love him, and wanted to spend her life by his side…

That thought once again returned him to the question of what he wanted. He sighed wistfully. It would be so easy to do what he usually did when his musings became too tough: procrastinate. Put it off for another day, until after the jewel quest was completed. But this time he refused to do that. He needed to clear all the clutter away from his heart and truly look at it, discern what he really wanted. Not for Daichi, not for Kagome, not for anyone else, but for himself, for the simple reason that he had never done it before. Ok, maybe it was a little for Kagome… After all, she wasn’t going to stay in the Feudal Era forever. She would go back to her world and live a normal life, unless someone gave her a reason to stay. He knew he could be the one to give her that reason…

But did he want to be? The thought of Kagome marrying some puny human, lying with another man, having his children…it boiled his blood, made him want to tear something to shreds or bash his head against a tree to knock the horrible images from his mind. He couldn’t believe he used to deny his jealousy. Had he really tried to convince everyone—and himself—that he wasn’t jealous of the attention Kagome gave that stinking wolf? Had he really been such a fool? The answer was glaringly obvious. But was it just jealousy, or was it something deeper? Was it just physical attraction, or something more passionate? Was it friendship, or was it…love?

And what of Kikyou? Was what he felt for Kikyou love? At one point in time he had thought so. She too had accepted him in a way that he had not experienced since his mother’s passing decades earlier. And Kagome had taken that acceptance to a whole new level. He had become close with Kikyou, but never too close. She would not have tolerated any of the casual touching he enjoyed with Kagome; her status as a trained miko would not have allowed it. Except for a few exceptions, he had always maintained a respectable physical distance from Kikyou. And that in turn reinforced the emotional gap between them. It helped lead to an incomplete sense of trust, and left them easy prey for Naraku’s sinister tactics. Yes, Kikyou had accepted him, but only because he was part human. He had no doubt that she would have killed him without blinking an eye if he was full youkai. He shuddered at the thought of Kikyou witnessing one of his full-youkai rampages. If she wasn’t driven to kill him, she probably would no longer associate with him.

Yet, Kagome had not only seen him slaughter humans in bloodlust, but had comforted him afterwards. She hugged him, told him she understood, and even aided him in his quest to grow stronger and keep his youkai blood under control. She stayed by his side, even though she knew he could transform into a mindless beast any time Tetsusaiga was knocked from his grasp. She did all this, not caring for her own safety, but only thinking of him. Even when she was planning their future together, Kikyou had never been so selfless. Asking him to become human for her was, on the surface, a way to discharge her duty to guard the jewel and allow her to be with him as a normal woman. But they both knew the real reason; she would never agree to be his mate. She would be his wife only if he first removed the taint of his youkai blood. Kagome had never been so selfish.

And she had never forced him to choose between her and Kikyou, either. With Kagome, he got to have his cake and eat it too. Even though it was extremely unfair to her, she actually asked him if she could remain with him despite his obligations to Kikyou. Obligations… Had his relationship with Kikyou devolved to mere duties and responsibilities? He embraced his duty to protect her, but what of his other self-imposed responsibility to join her in hell? Would he really abandon everything he had in this world, everything he had gained since Kagome freed him from Kikyou’s seal, to follow his former love into hell? Again, the answer was painfully clear.

No, he would not. He now realized that his obligations to Kikyou did not extend nearly that far. Her death had been her own fault as much as it had been his. Naraku’s trick would not have worked if Kikyou did not already harbor the belief that her hanyou companion could betray her. Their suspicions of each other had cost them dearly. Kikyou had been struck down by Naraku’s hand, and she in turn had pinned him to the tree. And what of that arrow? Even mortally wounded, Kikyou should have had enough strength to completely purify him, and the shaft of an arrow through his then-mortal chest would have ended his life. So why had she instead plunged him into eternal sleep, to hang in limbo for all time, never to pass on to the afterlife? He used to think it was because of their connection that she was unable to kill him, but now another possibility entered his mind. What if Kikyou had chosen to deny him the afterlife on purpose, to condemn him to an eternity of nothingness as punishment for his betrayal?

Either way, it didn’t really matter now. He was definitely not going to hell with her. They barely had a relationship anymore as it was. If he could go back and change something…he wouldn’t. He surprised himself with that realization, but it was the truth. He bemoaned Kikyou’s awful fate, but he could not bring himself to regret the collapse of their dream of living together as man and wife. Not when he had Kagome, with whom he shared a companionship that was closer in every way. Even in his darkest moments, he could never doubt Kagome. She had proven that she would never betray or abandon him, sticking by him in the most frightening of circumstances. She had brought him back from the brink on more than one occasion, at great risk to herself. She was the first person since his mother to learn of his human night, just one of many reasons the young miko held a special place in his heart. And if he and Kikyou could turn on each other so easily, and he could now cast her aside, then was what they shared really love? He needed to stop asking himself these obvious questions…

No, it was not. How could it have been? Long-lasting relationships weren’t founded on mutual loneliness, and they certainly weren’t poisoned by prejudice and lack of trust. If you loved someone, you didn’t ask them to give up half of themselves for you. Still, hadn’t he done just that to Kagome yesterday? But that was different; he thought forcing her to change was for her own good. He now fully supported her decision to remain hanyou, and would never again let her think otherwise. She was the center of his world, and last night his existence had nearly ended. For those brief moments when he thought she was dead…his world had literally been collapsing around him. His anguish at Kikyou’s second passing paled in comparison. He felt guilt for Kikyou, but he felt soul-crushing sorrow for Kagome. Ok, maybe that was taking it too far. Kikyou’s death had saddened him greatly, but that didn’t change the fact that he had felt so much more when he thought Kagome was gone. Similarly, he also felt so much more for her at every other time as well. When had it happened? When had Kagome become such an integral part of his life? When had she become more important than Kikyou?

Inuyasha started, realizing what he had been thinking about. Whoa, whoa, whoa! What the hell am I doing? Why am I comparing Kagome and Kikyou, saying Kagome is "better?" He knew the answer; it went back to his feelings toward both miko. It was almost as if he was trying to convince himself… His eyes widened as his musings finally reached that inexorable conclusion he’d been seeking. Holy fucking shit…I…I love her. He loved her. He loved her, and now that he had admitted it, he knew it with absolute certainty. He loved her, and wondered why it had taken him so long to realize it. Why had he been so damn stubborn! He had clung to the past like an obstinate child, refusing to let go and move on. His attraction, his jealousy, his level of care and concern for her, their closeness…all of that made sense now that he knew. I love her.

He continued to repeat that amazing thought over and over again as he went back through his entire reflection, looking for anything that could have given him the wrong idea. It was a wasted effort; the instant those three wonderful words crossed his mind, his heart flooded his entire being with indescribable warmth. There could be no doubting his feelings now, and it felt incredible to finally be the master of his own emotions. This revelation created another problem, however: what to do about it. His old fear of rejection and Daichi’s words of wisdom hit him at the same time, and for a moment he wrestled with crippling uncertainty. But eventually he conquered his fears. He needed to tell her. She deserved to know, and he wanted to know whether she loved him in return. What if she said no? He would be crushed, but he would somehow try to continue on as things were instead of crawling into a cave to die. He smiled ruefully; it was funny how quickly a person could go from loving the status quo to hating it. He knew now that just friendship would never be enough. And what if she said yes? What if she agreed to be…his mate? His breathing accelerated just thinking about the possibilities. Would it happen right there, or would they wait awhile? Would he disappoint her, or would he make their first time a night she would always cherish?

Inuyasha shook his head vigorously to clear it. There was no sense in thinking about any of that now; he didn’t want to get his hopes up. It was futile, however, as the rebellious thoughts and images kept returning despite his best efforts to keep them at bay. Eventually he rose to his feet, hoping to distract himself with some more conversation with Daichi. It was then that he noticed how dark the cave had gotten. Emerging from the entrance, he glimpsed the sun making its way below the western horizon. Holy crap! How long was I sitting there thinking? He grimaced; if Miroku or Shippo had seen that they would tease him mercilessly about it for weeks. Thinking about things calmly and rationally wasn’t exactly his specialty, but he had just proven that he could do it for something truly important. And that something was Kagome…his Kagome. Well, not yet, but hopefully she soon would be.

"Ah, Inuyasha, you’re back!" Daichi exclaimed as he spied Inuyasha ambling towards him. "For a while there, I thought you were going to become a permanent fixture in my cave. You looked pretty dead to the world," he teased. "I hope you didn’t think too hard and fry your brain."

"Feh! Shut up, bastard."

"So," Daichi continued, ignoring the insult, "did you find the answers you were looking for?"

"I already told you that’s none of your fuckin’ business."

"True, but I’m just going to keep bugging you about it until you tell me. Are you willing to put up with another two days of that?" Inuyasha grimaced, conceding the bear’s point. I’d rather drink tea with Sesshoumaru and Koga than listen to Daichi’s constant pestering…

"Fine…" Still, he hesitated, more out of habit than anything else.

"Yes?"

"…"

"Just spit it out already!"

"Shut up!"

"Inuyasha…"

"I love her, alright!"

"Who?" Daichi asked with a mischievous grin.

"…Kagome."

"Ohhhhh," he drolled dramatically, pretending it wasn’t obvious. "Now put it all together."

"You’re a real bastard, you know that?" When a smirk was all he received in return, Inuyasha gritted his teeth and tried to reign in the desire to wipe that look off his face. "Fine! I love Kagome! Are you fucking happy now!"

"There, now don’t you feel better?"

"Bastard…"

The funny thing was that Inuyasha really did feel better. Admitting his feelings out loud like that made it all the more real. He was actually going to tell Kagome he loved her. Of course, saying that and actually doing it were two very different things, but he had never been one to back down from a fight. He certainly wasn’t going to start now, when the only enemies were his own fears and insecurities. If nothing else, the benefits of confessing would urge him to do so. To finally be able to act on his attraction, even if it was only a simple kiss… He couldn’t say whether that would ameliorate the ever-increasing sexual tension between them or exacerbate it, but he would love to find out. He sighed and rose to his feet, stalking toward the cave entrance.

"Where are you going, Inuyasha?"

"Hunting."

"But we have meat…" the rest of Daichi’s response was drowned out by the sound of the wind whipping past Inuyasha’s ears. He could smell that Daichi had dinner covered, but he needed to clear his head. If he didn’t do something to take his mind of Kagome, he would end up thinking about her all night. It was amazing what a little enlightenment could do to a man. He always missed Kagome when she wasn’t by his side, but the next couple days were going to be pure torture. Never had he felt such a strong compulsion to see her, and such an immense apprehension as well. Right now the yearning was outweighing the fear, but he could only guess how long that would hold true.

The rest of the evening was quiet. He didn’t put much effort into the hunt, and came back empty-handed. He didn’t like to kill when it wasn’t necessary, and Daichi had plenty of fish caught in a nearby stream that morning. Inuyasha promised to catch them a nice juicy boar the following night. Surprisingly, he had little trouble falling asleep, probably because his subconscious already knew what he was going to dream about.

By the time his third day at Daichi’s rolled around, Inuyasha was starting to get very antsy. Part of the reason was those dreams; they had been noticeably more…intense the past two nights. Intimate dreams about Kagome were nothing new, but never had they been so detailed, so passionate. He could almost feel her there, pressed up against him, surrounding him as they moved together… He smacked himself in the head to chase the images away. This was another reason he was on edge; he just couldn’t stop thinking about her. And it was driving him insane, just sitting here twiddling his thumbs while she was on the other side of the well. Daichi’s obstinate refusal to let him see any of Kagome’s gifts didn’t help. The stubborn bastard insisted on an "unveiling," to occur when everything was finished. But the bear provided companionship, and kept Inuyasha busy by asking him to relate tales of adventures in their fight against Naraku. Myouga wasn’t much good for that since he necessarily left out the battle scenes, and the flea always blustered and pouted when one of them made fun of his cowardly nature. Daichi always seemed to know when Inuyasha was trying to peak over his shoulder and catch a glimpse of what he was making, however, and the hanyou never got more than a passing glance. After all this shit, whatever he’s making better be good!

Inuyasha wasn’t disappointed. Far from it, actually; he couldn’t have been more impressed, or grateful. The two sets of long hakama and kosode were beautiful. One was a simple, forest green hakama matched with a plain, white kosode. The other was a swirl of color, the same green and white mixed with deep blue, all three colors criss-crossing the garments in a spectacular pattern. It looked so random, yet seemed to make perfect sense at the same time, and Inuyasha knew he would never grow tired of looking at it. Especially if Kagome was wearing it…

"Wow…" he muttered, stunned close to speechlessness. "Thank you."

"I didn’t say I was done!" Daichi proclaimed giddily, truly enjoying himself. For the master seamstress, nothing brought more joy than the satisfaction of a client, especially if the client was someone he actually liked. Next he produced two sets of clothing of a type Inuyasha had never seen before. "These are a new design. I tried to base them off what I saw Kagome wearing before. I hope she likes them." Now Inuyasha felt even more humbled; Daichi had custom-made a whole new style of dress just for him. They did resemble the blouse and shorts Kagome had been wearing that day. The tops were almost exact replicas; they would go over her head instead of folding in the front, a highly unusual trait for this day and age. The neck was v-shaped but not too low, probably just enough to hint at cleavage. The bottoms would tie around her waist, and were baggier and longer than her modern shorts, extending almost to the knee. They didn’t look like cheap knockoffs of modern apparel, however. They had been made by professional hands and it showed. Inuyasha knew they would look damn good on Kagome. He suspected the modifications to make the garments less skimpy had been primarily for added protection, but perhaps Daichi had been taking a small mercy on him too. He could only imagine trying to train with Kagome while she was wearing her modern clothing. Showing so much skin, beads of sweat dripping down her arms and legs…

"Hey, Inuyasha. You awake in there?" Daichi asked amusedly, snapping his fingers. The hanyou blushed hotly but turned his attention back to the garments in his hands. One set matched the blue and yellow outfit Kagome had been wearing that day. Heh…and he said those colors would look bad. Inuyasha spent several moments running his hand gently over the surface of the other set, staring in awe. It was deep red, the same color as his fire-rat haori, and there was no doubt the effect had been purposeful.

"Now you can be twins!" Daichi exclaimed, causing Inuyasha to flush once more. He couldn’t help but smile as well, imagining what Kagome would look like wearing his color. And still Daichi wasn’t done. The final item was the most remarkable of all. It was a bathing yukata (1), white in color but made with silver highlights so the garment seemed to shimmer with every movement. Hesitantly he took it in his hands, feeling the softest of silk between his fingers. He gasped as he unfurled it. The garment was plain except for the back, and the scene there literally stole Inuyasha’s breath away. The sun was high in the sky, overlooking a green meadow where two sleeping creatures dozed, nestled together. The one in the back was a white dog, its tail wrapped protectively around its companion, a brown cat (2). The symbolism was not lost on Inuyasha, and he turned astonished eyes up to meet Daichi’s pleased gaze.

"You might want to save that one for a special occasion down the road," the bear said. Inuyasha could only nod dumbly in response as Daichi took the yukata from him, folded it, and placed it with the other items in a carrying bag. This was beyond his wildest dreams, simply amazing. He didn’t know how Daichi had been able to get Kagome’s measurements from memory alone, but everything looked like it would fit perfectly.

"T-thank you," he managed finally. "All this? I…I don’t know what to say." Daichi waved him off.

"You can say that Kagome will be your mate the next time I see you. How about that?" Inuyasha’s face vanished into his haori, but Daichi made no mention of it. "Everything but the yukata was made from the fur of the elusive swamp fox. I know, it sounds gross, but they’re actually very clean creatures, with excellent fur. After Kagome wears them a few times, each of the garments will bind to her youki and become self-repairing, much like your haori. The yukata was made of the finest moth youkai silk I could find, but be careful with it! It’s just normal cloth so it won’t repair itself."

"Moth youkai?" Inuyasha asked with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, right. You told me you’ve had some problems with them before. But don’t worry, not all of them feed on humans, and some of them are actually very nice." Satisfied, Inuyasha’s mood returned completely to gratitude.

"Seriously, Daichi, thank you. Now I feel like I owe you a debt—"

"Not a chance, boy! I can never make up for the years of suffering I could have saved you…but that’s in the past!" Daichi exclaimed, snapping out of his momentary depression. "And this," he said, holding up the carrying bag for Inuyasha to take, "is about the future. Now go, and start your future." Taking the proffered bag, Inuyasha nodded once in determination, and took off. He was finally heading home.

The journey seemed to take forever, but in reality it lasted only a few hours. He was charging through the familiar confines of his forest just as the sun sank below the horizon. His three-day separation from the woman he loved was almost over. The woman he loved…it was going to take awhile to get used to that.

A familiar scent stopped him in his tracks, filling him with a sense of dread. He immediately felt guilty for that, but that was just how he felt. And as the Shinidamachu slithered their way across the sky, Inuyasha realized for the first time that he didn’t particularly want to see Kikyou. Again, remorse struck him hard at that insight. What the fuck was wrong with him? It had been months since Kikyou had shown the slightest hostility toward him. He still cared deeply about her, and he knew she still harbored similar feelings for him. So why was he so reluctant to go to her? The answer probably lay in his most recent revelation; he didn’t want to have to tell Kikyou he was in love with her reincarnation. He didn’t want to break what was left of Kikyou’s heart, or tell her she would have to go to hell alone. But it had to be done. If either one of them were to truly move on, these things needed to be said, and now was as good a time as any. Now that he really thought about it, Kikyou deserved to know of his feelings for Kagome before he acted on them. She was his first love, and he would not forsake her before informing her of his decision. He owed her that much at least.

He trudged through the trees, his sluggish pace allowing him time to gather his thoughts. His biggest concern was how Kikyou would react. She had been calmer in recent months, more like her old self, but he couldn’t help but worry that this would cause her to revert back to the way she had been immediately after her resurrection. If she went berserk and tried to purify him or take him to hell…he had no idea what he would do. Suddenly, there she was. Standing in a moonlit clearing, the picture of tranquility. It had been more than fifty years since he’d seen her look so serene. The only other time had been the night he agreed to become human for her, the last night he had ever seen her alive (3). He gasped as she finally turned her dark eyes on him, swirling with emotion. They were soft nonetheless, and she even managed a small smile. It was just a tiny upturn of her lips, but clear as day to Inuyasha. If her scent didn’t tell him otherwise, he would have sworn she had returned to life.

"I’ve been looking for you, Inuyasha. I thought you were spending the days with my reincarnation on the other side of the well." Inuyasha’s jaw dropped; he was completely astounded by the utter lack of bitterness in her tone. Sure, there was some, but it was minute compared to the serenity that dominated her demeanor. And he could tell she wasn’t just hiding it or putting on an act; it just wasn’t there!

"Oh…no, Kikyou. I wasn’t."

"Talkative as ever, I see," Kikyou quipped with a grin as Inuyasha stared slack-jawed. Ok, this is officially weirding me out. Perhaps it was time to get down to business.

"Kikyou, I have something to tell you…"

"What’s in the bag, Inuyasha?" she asked, ignoring him. Again, there was no animosity in her voice, only genuine curiosity. But he had decided this was a good thing, and really wanted to avoid tempting fate by revealing Kagome’s presents. When he didn’t reply, Kikyou strode closer, opened the bag and peered inside herself. As she gazed at the folded fabric, her scent changed, but not in the way Inuyasha expected.

"For Kagome, I assume?" she asked, waves of sadness rolling off her. Inuyasha panicked, completely missing the fact that Kikyou had referred to Kagome by her name, and there was still no jealousy in her tone.

"I—uh…she decided to stay a hanyou and wanted me to train her and I said I would and she needed some tough clothing—"

"Relax, Inuyasha!" Kikyou interrupted. "You make it seem like it’s a horrible deed for you to get Kagome a present." Inuyasha was going to start catching flies in his mouth if he left it open much more tonight. But he couldn’t help it; he was finding it near impossible to fully wrap his head around Kikyou’s strange demeanor. Her scent was solemn now, but not angry or jealous. Just sad.

"Good," she declared softly after a long, uncomfortable silence.

"Kikyou?"

"I’m glad Kagome decided to stay a hanyou." And that might have been the single most surprising thing Inuyasha had ever heard.

"Why?"

Kikyou sighed, the sorrow pouring off her now. "Do you remember out last encounter, where you told me Kagome kept her miko powers because her heart was pure?" At Inuyasha’s nod, she continued. "It took me so long to accept that, and even longer to accept what it implied about me. I…I always thought I lost my powers because you were impure, but in reality…it was me. Between the two of us, I was the impure one. It was my fault Naraku’s trick worked. I’m sorry, Inuyasha." Kikyou sobbed, a single tear working its way down her cheek. Inuyasha hadn’t even been aware her clay body could cry, though perhaps these were not tears of the body, but tears of the heart. He reached a hand up and gently wiped the moisture away, staring deep into her eyes. These eyes…it had been over fifty years since he’d last seen them. But here was the sad, lonely priestess who became his first friend, his cherished companion. The bitterness and hate that had haunted her brown orbs since her resurrection had completely vanished.

"Don’t say that, Kikyou. It was as much my fault as it was yours."

"Do you still plan on accompanying me to hell, Inuyasha?" she queried, looking away. Inuyasha mirrored the action, unable to look Kikyou in the eye as he gave his answer.

"I’m sorry, Kikyou…but I’ve decided to stay here…with Kagome…"

"I see," Kikyou replied with a cheerless smile. Stifling silence hung between the two, until finally Kikyou broke it. "Do you love her?" It took Inuyasha several moments to get over his shock and many more to gather up the courage he needed to give his answer.

"Yes."

"I see," Kikyou said again. Then, after another period of silence, she uttered perhaps the most astounding thing of all. "Then I can let you go." This time Inuyasha almost collapsed in his astonishment.

"Wha—? Kikyou, you—"

"She loves you, Inuyasha, as I never did. She accepts you, as I never did. She deserves you…as I never did." Kikyou lowered her gaze, staring at the ground as fresh tears sprung forth. It took Inuyasha only a moment to envelop her in a warm embrace. She returned it, her tears soaking into his haori as she silently vented weeks of pent-up emotions. For Inuyasha, this turn of events was beyond comprehension. Kikyou was letting him go…and he could do the same. Part of him was happy, but he swiftly kicked that sentiment out the window. Mostly, he felt sorry for Kikyou. Fate had been so cruel to her, in both of her lives. Kikyou turned her head to the side so she could speak, but did not pull away.

"After Naraku is defeated, I will return to the netherworld. You are free to live…and love." Inuyasha released her, only to gently grip her chin and place his lips on hers. It was a chaste kiss, and short, but in it they communicated everything that couldn’t be said in words. It was goodbye.

"I’ll never forget you, Kikyou. I promise."

"Nor I you, Inuyasha." They embraced again, regrets evaporating into the wind as both simply enjoyed the moment. Kikyou pulled back first, beaming as they gazed at each other. Her aura still contained sadness, but she was even more serene than before. Then she turned away, and vanished into the trees without a look back. Inuyasha stared at the spot for the longest time, as the light from the Shinidamachu slowly faded. Gradually, the implications of what had just happened filtered through to his muddled mind, and he grinned stupidly. Kikyou had released him. He was free…to be with Kagome. Without further ado, he sped off toward the well.

Kagome leapt easily out of the well despite the heavy backpack she carried, grateful again for hanyou jumping abilities. Tonight would be the third night since Inuyasha’s curious departure, and she was glad to be back in the Feudal Era. Three days of school had been a drag. Her friends hadn’t been too bad; they accepted her sunburn excuse pretty easily. But classes and homework were nothing to jump for joy about. At least Hojo was no longer asking her out every time she showed up in modern Tokyo. As she entered Kaede’s hut, the first thing she noticed was that Inuyasha wasn’t there, and judging by his faded scent, he hadn’t been for some time. The second thing was that while everyone else was happy to see her, they were acting suspicious for some reason. Curiosity sparked, she vowed to find out why.

"Where’s Inuyasha?" she asked, figuring that was a good place to start.

"That baka!" Shippo yelled. "He’s out with K-mmphph!" Miroku cut the kit off, but Kagome heard what he had been about to say. Her heart clenched as she asked her next question, dreading the answer.

"Did Inuyasha…see Kikyou?"

"We don’t know, Kagome," Sango replied, though it was plain to see that she didn’t really believe that. Miroku and Shippo wore the same look. "Shippo saw him at the well the night he came back through, but none of us have seen him since. And Kikyou…I saw her Shinidamachu three days ago…and every day since."

At this, Kagome lost all the strength in her legs, slumping to the floor. Somehow she managed to hold in her tears, probably because she was used to this by now. But this time was worse than any of the others. He abandoned me…he ditched me in my time to go spend three days with Kikyou! How can he be so heartless?! Why does he have to sneak around behind my back? It was ridiculous, really. It wasn’t like they were together, and this made it more than apparent that they would never be. She recalled the illusion Minoru had shown her after she had been hit with the Rebirth spell. Inuyasha pressing Kikyou against a tree, kissing her passionately as they slowly slid into vice. Perhaps that wasn’t an illusion after all…

The mood was grim inside the hut for the remainder of the evening. So caught up were the four friends in their assumption that they didn’t even realize it was an assumption. Inuyasha had ditched Kagome in her time to see Kikyou. It was irrefutable fact. So when said hanyou raced through the doorway, grinning in high spirits, it was understandable that nobody greeted him. The hostility in that room was nearly suffocating.

"Alright, what the fuck is wrong with you lot?" he grumped.

"You know damn well what’s wrong, Inuyasha," Sango growled, the ice in her tone chilling his blood. He bared his fangs, responding to fury in kind.

"If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking, bit—"

"Inuyasha." Kagome had spoken his name in many ways in the time they had known each other, but never like that. Such hardness, such hostility, such bitterness…the only other person who had ever spoken to him in such a manner was Kikyou. Now he was truly frightened. "If you didn’t want to be with me, you should have just said so. Go back to her. We’ll collect the shards." She said nothing else, and Inuyasha’s eyes widened then slowly narrowed as understanding dawned on him. Kikyou had been looking for him around the village. Kagome said ‘go back to her.’ Everyone was so fucking pissed at him. All of it led to one conclusion. They saw Kikyou’s Shinidamachu, and now they think I left Kagome in her time while I spent the past few days with Kikyou! What the fuck is wrong with them! Anger and hurt blossomed within him. He felt betrayed, deserted by his friends. He felt alone. He glared at each of them in turn, his emotions clearly apparent in his golden orbs, but no one would meet his gaze. That was the last straw.

"So is that what you people think? That I fucking ditched Kagome on the other side of the well so I could see Kikyou? Is that what you’re telling me?!"

Silence was his only answer, but the message was loud and clear. Without another word, he turned and left.

Inuyasha stomped into the night, his movements stiff with rage. What the fuck is wrong with those guys?! After all I’ve done for them, how can they so easily assume I’m such an incredible bastard that I’d ditch Kagome in her time and spend three days with Kikyou? I’m not that much of a prick! And Kagome… Her rejection hurt the most, especially after his recent revelation. He had looked to her last, hoping to see some skepticism in her eyes, some sign that she was about to intercede on his behalf. But her expression contained nothing but hardness, and he hadn’t been able to stand it. He fled out of necessity, feeling as if the oppressive weight of the hostile stares from his so-called friends would crush him if he did not. And he had no intention of going back now…perhaps ever.

What really cut him to the core wasn’t the fact that they were pissed at him, or even that they doubted him. It was their complete lack of faith that gouged the greatest wound; they wouldn’t even entertain the possibility that his whereabouts over the past three days had been completely innocent. Again, the worst sting resulted from Kagome’s scorn. She had earned his trust when he swore he would never again give it to anyone, and she didn’t trust him. The sheer hypocrisy was mind-boggling. But the most disturbing part was not what she was doing, but who she was acting like. Kagome, the very women who had taught him what love was, and how to feel it, was behaving just like Kikyou over fifty years ago. She didn’t trust him, and automatically assumed the worst of him without considering that there might have been another explanation. And the truly strange thing was that Kikyou, in their most recent encounter, had behaved more like Kagome than ever! Her kind heart shone through brightly as they shared their goodbye, and there had been no doubt in that moment that Kagome was her reincarnation. The sudden role reversal had nearly put Inuyasha at his wit’s end. It was fucking weird, and very unsettling. He didn’t quite know what to think. The Kagome he had fallen in love with had vanished into thin air, and he almost didn’t know who was sitting in her body back at Kaede’s hut.

But that was too harsh. Even as he tried to stay angry, guilt began to gnaw at his consciousness. He hadn’t exactly given Kagome and the others a reason to trust him when it came to Kikyou. From almost letting the dead priestess take him to hell, to going to see her when he was gravely injured, to almost losing Kagome to Naraku in pursuit of a rumor of Kikyou’s whereabouts…he grimaced; that last one had probably been the absolute lowest point of his long life. He would never know how she had forgiven his reckless failure, but was eternally grateful for it. But apparently that forgiveness didn’t translate into faith, and he really couldn’t blame her for that. Maybe it was all his fault… Clenching his fists hard enough to draw blood, he realized for the first time that something was clasped in his right hand. Lifting it up, he observed the bag of clothing, almost rolling his eyes at his absentmindedness. He had forgotten all about Kagome’s gift in the storm of chaos and emotions that engulfed him at Kaede’s hut. He dropped the bag on the ground and continued on without looking back. What was the point of keeping it? No material gesture of kindness was going to patch the giant hollow in their relationship, or undo the damage his past foolishness had caused.

He snarled with conviction; there was more to it than that. They had wronged him, and he was the one feeling guilty? What the hell?! Maybe his past indiscretions with Kikyou had caused his friends to doubt him, and with ample justification, but he had given them no reason to suspect that he would abandon Kagome in her time like that! They should have had much more faith in him, dammit! Then again, it probably shouldn’t have surprised him that they did not. Mistrust was nothing new when it came to his rendezvous with Kikyou. It seemed like whenever he went to see her, he would at the very least get the cold shoulder in the morning. Other times it got worse. A prime example occurred soon after Kagome purified the miasma in Kikyou’s body. He had gone to meet her, and when he returned he was questioned about what happened between them. He told the truth, that they just talked, but no one believed him. Kagome even had the gall to order him to "tell us what really happened."

And that hadn’t been the only time, not by a long shot. Feh…what do they think Kikyou and I do? Make sweet love all night long? As if she would ever want to do that with a hanyou! And that wasn’t even considering his own revulsion at the idea, a feeling which had nothing to do with her cold clay body. Ok, maybe a little… But mostly it was because he no longer felt the drive to become close with Kikyou, and hadn’t for some time. He couldn’t even remember the last time they had kissed or shared an embrace before earlier that evening. And that’s all he had ever done with Kikyou, a few rare kisses with occasional hugs mixed in. No, his friends were completely wrong to suspect him of any impropriety when he met with Kikyou.

Fueled by righteous anger and indignation, Inuyasha continued to push through the underbrush until he broke out into a very familiar clearing. The bone-eater’s well sat innocently in the middle, taunting him with a reminder of how much he already missed the person connected to it. Why did his unconscious wandering take him here, of all places? Spending the night in Goshinboku was appealing, but he wanted to get away for awhile. He was not going to be found until he was damn good and ready! For once, the weather decided to cooperate with him, laying down a fine drizzle that would cover his scent. Plus, it suited his dreary mood perfectly. Not wanting to add wet clothing to his ‘why I’m miserable’ list, he broke into a sprint, reaching his destination after about ten minutes of running. It was a small cave, but a comfortable one. It had been a safe haven for him when he was a child; he had used it for a couple months before moving on. He had discovered it one day while patrolling the forest for youkai while Kagome was in her era. Growling to himself, he tried to push thoughts of her out of his mind, but knew it was futile. He would be up all night thinking about her. The rain intensified, relentless and unceasing.

Kagome sat stock still in Kaede’s hut, staring at the door flap, still undulating from Inuyasha’s departure. Her calm exterior belied great inner turmoil; logic and reason, feeling and emotion warred within her, swirling together in a convoluted jumble that she was hard pressed to make any sense of. Not ten minutes ago she had been so sure Inuyasha had betrayed her, but now… If that was true, then his words made no sense. "So is that what you people think? That I fucking ditched Kagome on the other side of the well so I could see Kikyou? Is that what you’re telling me?!" Kagome frowned; that was something only an innocent person would say, right? And he sounded innocent. She suddenly wished she had been able to look into his eyes, because then she would have seen the truth. But she had been too afraid, dreading that peering into those golden orbs would only confirm her worst fears. Perhaps…perhaps she had been too hasty…

She shook her head vigorously. No! That’s wrong. He DID betray me! The only sense she could really trust in this situation was her nose, and the evidence that organ revealed was more than conclusive. It was faint, but the smells of death and graveyard soil lingered near the entrance to the hut. It was Kikyou’s scent, and Inuyasha had brought it in. Was there any room for doubt while taking this into account? Aside from a meeting between the two of them, what other explanation could there possibly be? There was none; Inuyasha had met Kikyou, end of story. And despite his fury at their assumptions, he hadn’t expressly denied this one simple fact.

So why did she still feel unsure of herself, like there was something she was missing, something she hadn’t thought of, something she should have considered? It made her uneasy, and increasingly irritated. How was she supposed to think clearly with such doubts? How could she make the right decision about her future now? She had told Inuyasha to go to Kikyou, but could she really cut ties with him? And if she did, was she doing what she always promised herself never to do: forcing him to choose between her and Kikyou? Sniffling, she lowered her head in sudden depression. He already made his choice. And I…I don’t want to believe it. That’s why I’m doubting myself now, because I still…love him. Dammit! This always happens; my emotions cloud my judgment, and I end up crawling back to him even though he’s the one running off to be with another woman! I can’t do this anymore! Tomorrow…I’ll tell him either he leaves…or I do.

Part of her mind rebelled at the idea, but she tamped it down with conviction. She was determined now, and nothing was going to stop her from ending a year and a half of emotional torment. Her feelings had been stomped on enough over their time together, and it had to cease before she became nothing but a burned-out husk of a human, a woman incapable of love. She already feared that she would never love another in the same way… But that was a worry for another day. Inuyasha had betrayed her in the worst way, and it would not happen again. Still, as she tried to find slumber later that night, that infuriating something from before continued to gnaw at her, and no amount of self-reassurance could make it go away. She lay awake all night, listening to the quiet snores of her friends and the pitter-patter of rain on the roof of the hut.

In the morning, Kagome rose with the sun, tired of fruitless attempts to find unconsciousness. She was mentally exhausted; her brain had found no rest last night, nor had her mind reached a consensus about what Inuyasha had done. It pissed her off to no end that she could still have faith in him, that her heart still believed things were not as they appeared. Kami…I’m such a fool. She inhaled deeply, intending to release the air in a long, relaxing breath. Instead, she choked on it. Her nose flared as she sought out the two scents which had surprised her so. One was Inuyasha’s, and if his had been the only scent she would have simply marched in the other direction. But the other scent intrigued her; she recognized it as someone she had met before. Daichi? What’s he doing here? True to her feline nature, she was unable to resist her curiosity, as she tracked the bear’s scent to a small, brownish lump on the ground.

Reaching her hand out hesitantly, she gripped the fabric of the carrying bag, and peered inside. White fabric met her gaze, and an inquisitive touch revealed that the garment was dry; apparently the carrying bag was waterproof. Kneeling down in the moist grass, she carefully lifted the item out of the bag and unfolded it. It was a white kosode, pretty standard for this day and age. Yet there was something strange about it; it appeared more regal than the kosode a normal human might wear. A small surge of power rippled through her as she studied it, resonating with her youki. She sniffed the fabric deeply, frowning as a pressing question occurred to her. What was this bag of clothing doing in the middle of the forest with only Daichi’s and Inuyasha’s scents on it? Hmmm…well, Daichi did say he made Inuyasha’s haori, so maybe he made these was well? That would at least explain why the bear’s scent was heavier. But then what the hell was Inuyasha doing with this bag of clothing? She had never known him to wear anything but his traditional red outfit, not without a fight, anyway. As a matter of fact, the kosode looked several sizes too small for him. So then, if it wasn’t for him, who was it for? Was it a gift? Her already miserable mood soured even further as she pondered the obvious conclusion. Ugh…she already has his heart, and now he’s showering her with gifts too! Would someone please just put me out of my misery? But that didn’t make any sense. If these were for Kikyou, then why didn’t Inuyasha given them to her days ago? Why were they sitting out here at the edge of the forest, as if they had been carelessly dropped? A horrid, disturbing thought occurred to her, one which immediately caused her heart to clench and her stomach to churn. What if…they were for her?

Like a sacrificial lamb being led to the slaughter, she went through the bag, picking out one piece of clothing at a time. The white hot light of truth began to shine into her mind, scalding wherever it touched. She felt like she was going to throw up. The yellow and blue ensemble in particular was convincing evidence; it very closely resembled a certain blouse and pair of jean-shorts she currently had stored in her bag. And hadn’t she been wearing that outfit that day at Daichi’s cave? Ultimately, however, it was the last item that drove the final nail into the coffin of her conceited self-righteousness. The soft silk of the bathing yukata seemed to burn her fingers, or maybe that was just self-reproach playing tricks on her. The bile rose in her throat as she gazed at the immaculate design on the back, the beautiful meadow, the sleeping cat lying next to the dozing dog… Such symbolism could only mean one thing.

Leaning dizzily to the side, Kagome heaved violently, her empty stomach rendering most of the wretches dry. Hurriedly and haphazardly she stuffed all the garments back in the bag, not feeling worthy to touch them. Oh, Kami…what have I done?! Inuyasha had come bearing wonderful gifts, and she had tossed him out into the rain. The yukata alone said more about his feelings than he had ever spoken aloud, and she had shattered their relationship. Her lack of faith might well have damaged their friendship beyond repair. Why? Why had she been so fucking unfaithful?! Why hadn’t she trusted Inuyasha?

She was pretty sure the recent sting of Inuyasha’s apparent rejection had something to do with it. She hadn’t yet forgiven him for that unbelievable agony, for making her think he wouldn’t accept her as a hanyou. The pain had not yet faded, and easily poisoned her mind and judgment. So why did that just sound like a convenient, lame excuse? Kagome sobbed as tears continued to pour down her cheeks. Great…now I’m trying to make this all Inuyasha’s fault. What the fuck is wrong with me?! No matter how badly he hurt me, I shouldn’t have assumed something so horrible of him! It had to be her, some fault she was missing. Yesterday, when she found out where Inuyasha was, or where they’d assumed he was, she had been furious. She hadn’t been that upset with him since Naraku’s baby had nearly broken her while he was chasing after a rumor of Kikyou. Her eyes widened as a new realization struck hard.

That was it! She thought back to all the other times he had left her to see Kikyou, the times he made her feel like a cheap copy of the dead priestess, like she would always be second best. Oh, Kami…I…I never forgave him for any of those times! I thought I did, but deep down I’ve been holding those experiences against him the whole time! Only in the deepest, darkest corner of her psyche had she harbored such resentment, so it went unnoticed by the conscious part of her mind. But it was always lurking, searching for the perfect opportunity to rear its ugly head. It had certainly picked the worst possible time. Her own inability to forgive Inuyasha would have destroyed their relationship, but for a subtle scent on the wind. No more! This has to change; I have to forgive him, REALLY forgive him. He’s changed. He’s not the same man he once was; I don’t even see him pining for Kikyou anymore. We’ve grown so close…my heart was trying to tell me all along that he would never truly betray me, but I didn’t listen. Baka! I have to forgive him…

And she did. This time, however, she knew it beyond a shadow of a doubt. Logic and reason gave way to pure emotion. Before, she had tried to forgive him with her head, but this time she forgave him with her heart. This only made her feel a little better. There was still the daunting task of earning his forgiveness in return, whether or not she actually deserved it. And to do that, she needed to find him. Before standing, she removed all the clothes from the bag, and gently smoothed and folded each item before replacing it. She somehow felt more worthy to touch the fabric now, but only Inuyasha himself could ease her anxiety. Or he could shatter her heart as she had no doubt smashed his; it was entirely his choice. Upon rising to her feet and sniffing for his trail, however, Kagome ran into an age-old problem: smells don’t cling to nature as they do to fabric. The evening’s rain had washed away all but the faintest traces of Inuyasha’s scent, and what was left just wasn’t strong enough to follow with her feline nose. After three hours of tireless exertion only took her to the bone-eaters well, a distance of perhaps a tenth of a mile from her starting point, Kagome finally collapsed in a ball of frustration-induced tears. Eventually, she cried herself out and moved to slump bonelessly against Goshinboku. That’s where Sango found her some time later.

"Kagome-chan, there you are! Why don’t you come in for lunch? You haven’t eaten anything since yesterday." Kagome didn’t respond; she just drew her legs up to her chest, hiding her face behind her knees. She didn’t particularly feel like being seen right now, by anyone.

"Look, Kagome-chan, I know you’re sad, but you have to take care of yourself. Miroku, Shippo, Kaede, Kirara…we’re all really worried about you. Please come and eat?" Again, no response. Sango’s anger began to rise.

"Dammit, Kagome-chan! You can’t mope around all day just because Inuyasha is a bastard! We—" A vicious snarl cut her off, and the taijiya suddenly found herself pinned to the Goshinboku by a clawed hand around her neck.

"He’s not!" Kagome yelled, hovering over her, a dangerous glint shining in her eyes. But there was something else as well, a powerful sense of remorse that made Sango’s blood run cold. The feeling only intensified on Kagome’s expression as the miko realized what she had done to one of her best friends. Sango would have some bruises on her neck and probably on her back from where she hit the tree. Kagome released her, seeming to withdraw into herself as she curled into a ball once more.

"Kagome-chan…" Sango breathed in relief, placing her hand on the miko’s shoulder. "What do you mean ‘he’s not?’" Without raising her head, Kagome merely pointed to the bag sitting on the other side of her. "Oh, Kami…shit," Sango swore as she looked through the clothes, coming to the same conclusion Kagome had.

"H-he wasn’t with Kikyou for three days, Sango-chan," Kagome choked, laying her head on its side so she could meet the taijiya’s gaze. "He was at Daichi’s, getting me a gift." Both girls were silent for a long moment before Sango spoke up.

"Don’t worry, Kagome-chan. He’ll come back, and he’ll forgive you. It’s the rest of us I’m worried about… I’m sorry, Kagome-chan. It’s our fault you’re in this mess—"

"Shut up, Sango-chan."

"But if we hadn’t told y—"

"I said shut up! It’s as much my fault as it is yours! I should have had more faith in him."

"We all should have," Sango agreed. The two girls sat together for most of the afternoon, sometimes talking and sometimes just reflecting in silence. Sango retired a few hours before dusk, after eliciting a promise from Kagome to join them for dinner unless Inuyasha came by. Alone, fatigue overtook Kagome fairly quickly, as she slipped into a restless slumber, plagued by dark dreams of Inuyasha in pain, being sealed to the Goshinboku by his closest friend. Except this time, she was the one with her hands on the bow.

Inuyasha sat cross-legged in the mid-afternoon sunlight outside the cave, just as he had the entire morning. Birds twittered and flew by overhead, and small mammals scurried through the underbrush. He glared at all of them, hating the fact that these creatures could go on with their lives when his was inescapably stalled. He was at a crossroads, two completely diverse paths stretching out before him, and entirely unsure of which path to take. Should he go back to his friends or leave and strike out on his own, never to return? The conundrum reminded him of something his mother had told him once, something he hadn’t thought of in almost a hundred years.

*Flashback*

His mother coughed again, gasping for air as another fit wracked her thin frame. He had seen her sick before, but never this badly. And there was something different this time, a scent he didn’t recognize clinging to her. Only later would he learn that this scent, which had inspired unexplained dread in him, was death.

"Inuyasha," she rasped, startling him. It was the first time she had been cognizant of her surroundings in almost two days. He hadn’t left her side since she first fell ill, not even to eat.

"Mama?" he replied hopefully, wiping her brow with a cool cloth. She gazed calmly up at him, her eyes relaxed and tranquil. At that moment, she had known what his innocent mind refused to accept, that her end was near. It was her last opportunity to speak to her son, and she could not waste it.

"Inuyasha, my darling son," she said, weakly caressing his cheek with her palm. He leaned into her touch, his eyes drifting closed as some of the anxiety that had gripped him bled away. "I love you." His eyes snapped open at her statement, a bone-chilling fear settling firmly in the pit of his stomach. It wasn’t what she had said; she told him she loved him quite often, in fact. But the manner in which she spoke was unusually serious. It was…final. Still he refused to believe what was happening, what his instincts were telling him. He wrapped himself around his mother, clutching himself to her tightly and burying his face in her shoulder. His mother’s low chuckle turned into another coughing fit, and the tears he had been holding back for two days finally sprang to his eyes. His mother was dying.

"Inuyasha," she soothed, not voicing any complaint about the uncomfortable tightness of his hold. Instead, she leisurely stroked his hair and placed gentle kisses on the top of his head. When he relaxed slightly, she articulated the most difficult words that had ever passed her lips. "Inuyasha, I have to go soon." He shook his head violently, squeezing her even tighter.

"I’m sorry, Inuyasha, but I have to." Again, he shook his head, but this time she at least got a muffled response.

"Don’t go," he pleaded in a voice that nearly broke her heart. She sighed heavily, the action causing more hacking coughs to tear through her.

"Inuyasha, look at me," she ordered softly but sternly. When her son obeyed, what was left of her heart shattered. He looked so lost and alone, his normally bright eyes hollow from sadness. She gently dried his tears, smiling lovingly at him, and was gratified when he managed a small smile in return. "My beautiful son, you have brought me so much joy. Know that no matter where you go, or what you do, I will always love you."

"I love you too, Mama." Again he pressed himself into her, trying to be as close as possible before she was gone forever. Gone forever…that was a truly frightening thought. "But Mama…what will I do? How can I live without you?"

"You will find your way, Inuyasha," she assured confidently. "You are so much like your father sometimes… You are strong enough to make your way in this world and compassionate enough to find love. Life will be difficult for you, but I have faith that you will one day have a family of your own. Just remember something your father told me. He said ‘there will be times in every man’s life when he must do or say the right thing, or lose the ones he loves.’ Follow your heart, my son, and I know you will make us proud." With those final words of wisdom, his mother slipped back into unconsciousness.

*End Flashback*

She passed away in her sleep a few hours later. Inuyasha dried the few rogue tears that had surfaced; it was amazing how thinking of his mother could still make him cry, though he suspected it always would. She had been his whole world… There will be times in every man’s life when he must do or say the right thing, or lose the ones he loves. This small legacy from his father made his decision easier. He had to go back. No one could replace his mother, but Kagome was his world now. Heh…you were right mother…I finally found love again. And he would not abandon it over some accusations and mistrust. He would go back and try to explain things, and forgive Kagome even if she did not apologize. Fleetingly he wondered when he had become so selfless. Kagome’s influence, no doubt, and yet another reason he could not let her go. She had healed him, caused him to better himself in so many ways, and he would be forever grateful.

He stood and headed off toward the village, traveling at a leisurely pace. Just because he had decided to stick with his friends didn’t mean he was particularly anxious to see them again. They had wounded him deeply, and it was going to take awhile for their relationships to fully recover. Hopefully they would realize how stupid they’d been and show some proper humility. Some groveling at his feet couldn’t hurt either… The sun was barely hovering over the horizon by the time he made it back. He picked up Kagome’s scent on the breeze and tracked it back to the Goshinboku. After hesitating for a few minutes, he eventually gathered his courage and strode into the clearing. He was surprised to find her asleep, slumped against the ancient tree. He sat back on his haunches, spellbound by her tranquil beauty. But she appeared to be having nightmares; her eyes worked furiously behind her lids and periodically she would shift and mumble in her sleep. Several times he thought he heard her utter his name, and after a particularly bad start rocked her he decided it was time to rouse her from her slumber. Hi

"Kagome." Her eyes fluttered open in response, and she gasped as she saw him, bolting upright.

"Inu-Inuyasha…" she gaped. Kagome was ecstatic to see him, but his guarded expression stopped her from enfolding him in a huge hug like she wanted. She could normally read him so well, but now she couldn’t tell if he was angry, sad, remorseful, or anything else. Perhaps he was feeling a combination of all those things. But she knew what her dominant emotions were at the moment: shame and remorse. Inuyasha had returned to her, and it was time to swallow her pride and act on those feelings.

"Inuyasha," she repeated, lowering her eyes and fidgeting with her hands folded nervously in her lap. "I’m so sorry. It was wrong of me make those assumptions. I should have had more faith in you. I’m sorry."

"Yeah, you should have," he replied harshly. Kagome’s eyes closed, tears springing forth as she bit her lower lip to keep from sobbing. Could she really blame him for not forgiving her? After all, holding grudges was part of the reason she was in this predicament in the first place. She had just about lost the physical battle with her despair when Inuyasha spoke again.

"But I’ll forgive you anyway." Her head snapped up, and he smirked slightly at her astonished expression.

"Wh-why?" she choked out.

He shrugged. "I realized that it’s partly my fault you guys thought I ran off to see Kikyou. Besides, you’ve always forgiven me for all the stupid shit I’ve done in the past, and I’d be some kind of heartless bastard to hold this against you." To Inuyasha’s surprise, instead of brightening Kagome’s attitude and bringing a hesitant smile to her face, his words seemed to make her feel worse.

"I haven’t," she confessed bitterly.

"Huh?" he asked, genuinely confused. "You haven’t what?"

"Forgiven you. This afternoon I realized that I never forgave you for some of the things you did, like leaving me to see Kikyou. Deep down I think I always resented you a little for those times. And with what happened the other day…I guess it all caught up with me at once, you know? But now, I really have forgiven you, for everything. I promise not to hold anything in our past against you, either." Inuyasha nodded as he digested her declaration. He settled down next to her, looping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her gently against him. She relaxed immediately, and much of the tension in the air vanished.

"I did see her, you know." Kagome grimaced at his admission, but said nothing. "It was last night, on the way back. We talked for a little while, then went our separate ways."

"That’s fine. I can’t stop you from seeing Kikyou, and even if I could, it wouldn’t be right. You two have a history together, and I can’t change that… So I don’t mind if you see her. Just don’t hide it from me, ok?" Now it was Inuyasha’s turn to grimace as the recalled all the times he had tried to do just that. Somehow it never seemed to work.

"Sounds like we need a fresh start, wench." Finally, Kagome smiled, turning to grin hopefully up at him.

"That sounds great," she said simply, but it was enough. A silent agreement passed between them in that moment. There would be no more assumptions or misunderstandings; they would talk to each other, communicate about their problems. Unknowingly, they both shared basically the same thought. If we hadn’t been such bakas, be might have made this promise long ago. It would have saved us a lot of trouble…and heartache. But they couldn’t change what happened in the past, and it would do no good to dwell on it. That’s what this fresh start was all about. They lounged together under the Goshinboku for a long time, and neither spoke until well after darkness had fallen over the land. They took pleasure in the feel of the other pressed so close and the intermingling of their scents as they watched the beauty of nature’s sunset together.

"So, Inuyasha," Kagome said at long last, "where did you spend these past three days?" Something in her tone made Inuyasha suspicious; it was as if she already knew the answer. Frowning, he took in his surroundings for the first time since returning, and immediately spotted the carrying bag on the ground on Kagome’s other side. His heart lodged in his throat in sudden nervousness, and he spared a glance at Kagome only to see her beaming brilliantly at him.

"Feh!" he spat out, looking away with a fierce blush on his cheeks. She was giving him that look, the one that could turn his insides to jelly in under a second, the one that made him feel like the luckiest hanyou on Earth just for being in her presence. And if she wasn’t sure the garments were intended for her before, Kagome was now. That was the only thing his reaction could have meant.

"Thank you, but why did you get them for me?"

"You asked me to train you, so I figured you needed some tough clothing. They’re like my haori; they’ll bind to your youkai and fix themselves. Do…do you want them?" he asked worriedly.

"Of course! They’re beautiful, and I love them! Especially the yukata…"

He grunted a response. "You weren’t supposed to see that one yet, wench."

"Well, when were you going to give it to me?"

"I dunno! Maybe when you stopped being an annoying bitch!" Kagome elbowed him in the side, but didn’t follow her first inclination and osuwari him. She read his outburst for what it was: a nervous man lashing out in embarrassment-induced mock-anger.

"Baka! You don’t have to be such a jerk about it."

"Sorry…" Slightly startled, Kagome turned to study him. He looked genuinely remorseful for his insults.

"You know, you’re apologizing a lot quicker now. Getting you to say you were sorry used to be like pulling teeth."

"Maybe I’ve just gotten better at faking it," he defended.

"Nope. I can tell you’re sincere."

"Feh." The worst part about what Kagome said was that it was completely true. Damn…I’m going soft…it’s all the wench’s fault! Evidently, Kagome guessed what he was thinking, because she decided to tease him a little.

"Aw, the big tough Inuyasha is becoming a nice guy! You’re a regular gentleman!" she joked, smirking.

"I am NOT nice, wench, and I sure as hell ain’t no fucking gentleman!"

"Yeah, I guess you’re right. You still swear ‘like a drunken sailor,’ as my mom would put it."

"Keh. No measly human can out-cuss me, wench." Kagome chuckled, and the laughter proved infectious, as Inuyasha joined in with a small snicker. And that’s when they both knew for sure that they would be ok. They really had embarked on a new beginning, inaugurated by a few minutes of playful bantering. When the mirth subsided, Kagome remembered something she had wanted to ask since that morning.

"So…can I try them on?"

"Go for it," was his nonchalant reply, but his eyes betrayed him. He was very interested in seeing how she looked in the clothes he had brought her, and that was an entirely too pleasant observation. The butterflies in her stomach were working overdrive as she went into the woods to change. She modeled each in outfit in turn, sensing the now familiar scent of Inuyasha’s attraction in the air. And as she held the yukata in her hands, debating with herself whether to try it on as well, it was that scent which ultimately led to her decision. Inuyasha’s jaw dropped into his lap as she emerged from the trees. The last thing he’d been expecting was for her to come out wearing nothing but the bathing yukata. The exceedingly short bathing yukata…

The scent of his attraction increased exponentially, inflating Kagome’s ego just a little bit. Encouraged, she spun around halfway, moving her hair to expose the intricate design on her back. She glanced over her shoulder, flashing a somewhat sultry smirk. Inuyasha gulped, shifting uncomfortably as certain parts of his anatomy came to life. Thank Kami for baggy hakama… Fortunately, Kagome was not especially fond of flirting, and quickly lost her nerve. Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief as she scurried back into the underbrush, hopefully to put on something a little less revealing. Not that little Inuyasha minded seeing her in just the yukata… When she did reemerge, she was wearing the all-red set of short clothing Daichi had designed for her.

"Why are you wearing that, wench?" Inuyasha asked curiously.

She shrugged. "I just felt like it," she replied, settling into her previous place against his side. "How did everything look on me?" she inquired, grinning as Inuyasha flushed again. Because of her hanyou nose, that question was little more than a formality, but she still wanted to hear his answer.

"Uh…g-good," he stuttered, his speech impeded by the sheer dryness of his mouth.

"Just good?"

"…Really good," he reluctantly admitted.

"Thanks," Kagome replied, leaning up to place a kiss on his cheek. "For everything." In that moment, Inuyasha was reminded of his revelation, and seriously considered telling Kagome how he felt right then and there. But the pain was still too fresh, open sores not quite healed, so he put it off for another day. There would be other opportunities.

"F-feh!" Fortunately, Inuyasha was saved from saying anything further on the matter by Kagome’s cavernous yawn. "Go back to the hut, wench. You need to be well rested if we’re gonna start training tomorrow."

She shook her head. "I’d rather…sleep in Goshinboku with you. Do you mind?" she asked shyly. Inuyasha’s heart thundered rapidly as the possible implications of her statement set in. He was sure she meant nothing hentai by it, but even just cuddling up together for the night…it was a monumentous step he wasn’t sure he was ready for.

"Do what you want," he replied before leaping up into one of the higher branches, leaving Kagome to stare longingly up at him. She sighed; his actions had made perfectly clear what he thought of her idea. Still, it would be nice to be close to him. It had been far too many nights since she had slumbered in his soothing presence. But sleep eluded her; she was unable to find a comfortable position on her chosen branch. The hard bark poked into her back and buttocks, and she wondered not for the first time how the hell Inuyasha did it.

Currently, said hanyou was sitting above her, mentally berating himself. You moron! You love her, so what’s the problem with letting her sleep in your arms? All you did by rejecting her was hurt her feelings! Baka! Growling to himself, he listened to Kagome toss and turn for a few more minutes before making up his mind. Silently he dropped down onto Kagome’s branch, startling the miko with the sudden weight on her platform. Wordlessly he drew her away from the trunk and placed himself behind her, then pulled her back to lie against his chest. She quickly got the idea, and turned on her side to snuggle more fully into his embrace. Neither could help the twin smiles and blushes as their heartbeats slowed and they drifted off to neverland.

Inuyasha growled to himself, his frustrations just about ready to boil over on the slightest provocation. Five days. It had been five days since that night he slept with Kagome in the Goshinboku, and he had yet to make any progress with her, literally or figuratively. Well, that wasn’t entirely true, but at the very least he hadn’t confessed his feelings yet. Coming oh so close on a couple occasions hadn’t helped his mood, and the others were giving him a wide berth this morning. As well they should; they had all contributed in some way or another to his ever mounting sense of frustration. He scoffed inwardly. That first morning had started off so well, too…

*Day 1*

Inuyasha languished lazily in that delightful realm between sleep and reality for the longest time. It was a relatively new experience for him; usually he would go from dozing to fully awake in a few seconds. But this morning something was different. His slumber had been so deep, and he felt way too warm and comfortable to get up. It was as if some blanket of the Kami had dropped over him, wrapping him in divine coziness. Deciding another few minutes couldn’t hurt, he drew the blanket closer to him. Only, it wasn’t a blanket. Shaking off the cobwebs as his eyes blinked open, his quickly rousing mind finally recognized the object—person in his arms as Kagome.

He nearly threw her out of the tree in shock before his memory came back to him. He breathed a sigh of relief, adjusting her more comfortably in his hold. A fall from this height wouldn’t have even hurt her very much, but he had no doubt that awakening in such a manner would royally piss her off. And he would probably end up following her to the ground, being yanked toward the cold, unforgiving Earth by the rosary around his neck. No, he was very glad to avoid that whole scenario. Besides, now he could spend more time holding her in his arms, an activity he could now admit he desired greatly. He enjoyed the simple pleasure of watching her sleep for a seemingly interminable amount of time. But sadly, all good things must come to an end.

"Kagome? Are you out here?" Sango called from relatively close by, startling Inuyasha, who had been too engrossed in his pastime to notice her approach. The combination of her name being called and the slight jostle finally woke Kagome. Not yet realizing where she was, or who she was lying on, she stretched languidly. She roused fully and pulled back her hand upon Inuyasha’s pained yelp.

"Watch it, wench!" he yelled, rubbing his abused eye.

"Sorry!" Kagome hastily replied, feeling unbelievably stupid. Jeez…how awkward are we? We’re like clumsy teenage virgins getting close to the opposite sex for the first time. She grimaced; that was exactly what they were.

"Feh." Just then, Sango’s voice rang out again, closer this time. "We’ve got company, wench."

"Yeah, I promised Sango I’d come back to the hut last night unless you showed up."

"I’m surprised she let you stay out at all…" he trailed off, realizing his mistake as Kagome’s hackles rose, but it was too late.

"And why is that?" she inquired incredulously, a dangerous glint in her eye.

"Uh…you have the jewel shards!" It was a decent cover, but Kagome saw right through it.

"Inuyasha, I’m not completely helpless, you know!" Fortunately, Inuyasha was saved from shoving his foot further into his mouth by three sharp gasps from down below. Leaning over the side of the branch, he spied Miroku, Sango, and Shippo staring up at them.

"Inuyasha, you’re back…" Sango observed aloud, shame and remorse in her tone. Being the most mature of her party of three, the taijiya was the first to actually attempt to voice those emotions. "Inuyasha, I wanted to tell you…uh…" Kagome’s stomach chose that moment to growl, and Inuyasha couldn’t say he disagreed with her body’s craving for food.

"I ain’t listening to any apologies until I eat some breakfast," he stated loudly, cutting Sango off mid-sentence. The three on the ground looked puzzled at first, but quickly saw Inuyasha’s ultimatum for what it was: an olive branch, an opportunity to start making amends.

"You guys can make the ninja food in my bag if you want," Kagome said. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo had heard Inuyasha and Kagome bickering, but it was still a shock to actually see them cuddled in the tree together. Inuyasha glared, daring any of them to say anything about it. But though they wanted to ask many questions, they knew that it was not their place right now. Encouraged and hopeful, they went off to prepare the meal. After they had gone, silence returned to the Goshinboku, save for the chirping of the awakening songbirds.

"You are going to forgive them, right?" Kagome wondered. Inuyasha turned to face her, flashing the classic ‘are you an idiot?’ look.

"Wench, think about what I’ve already forgiven them for. I forgave Shippo for trying to steal the jewel shards and getting you captured and almost killed by the Thunder Brothers. I forgave Miroku for stealing the jewel shards, trying to suck me into his wind tunnel, and being an insufferable pervert every fuckin’ day. I forgave Sango for trying to kill me, and then for stealing Tetsusaiga and fuckin’ handing it to Naraku! I think I can forgive them for this, too."

Kagome grinned. "That’s my Inuyasha. Always trying to hide just how good his heart is." Uncomfortable silence fell between them, as the ramifications of Kagome’s words set in. How would he react to being called her Inuyasha? In the old days, he probably would have made a snide remark and hurt her feelings. Would he still do that? The answer was obvious, at least to Inuyasha. It was true, after all; he did belong to her, even if she didn’t know he knew it.

"Feh. Just don’t tell anybody. I have a reputation to keep."

Kagome chuckled as the tension disappeared. "Baka."

"Takes one to know one, bitch."

"Hey! You’re a much bigger baka than me! Where’d you learn that expression, anyhow?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Souta."

"Hmmph. I’m gonna have to have a chat with that little imp. Living with you is difficult enough without you knowing a ton of sassy modern expressions."

"Well if I’m so ‘difficult,’ maybe you should go find someone else to use as a pillow!"

"Nope. Too comfortable."

"Mm," he grunted, in complete agreement. They remained there, nestled against each other, until Shippo came to retrieve them for breakfast. It was very difficult forcing herself away from Inuyasha’s embrace, but once she did Kagome realized how badly she needed to reliever herself. Both hanyou took care of nature’s calling before rejoining Shippo by the Goshinboku. The kit somewhat nervously hopped up on Inuyasha’s shoulder, half expecting a quick bop to the head and an unceremonious dismount. But the hanyou made no effort to remove him, so he relaxed slightly. He eyed Kagome’s choice of dress curiously, and the strange bag she carried, but made no comment on either. As they neared the hut, he stood up and leaned into Inuyasha’s ear, whispering words so quietly that not even Kagome’s hanyou hearing could pick them up. After a few seconds he settled back down on Inuyasha’s shoulder, blushing madly and staring at the ground. Inuyasha just smirked and shook his head.

"Yeah, yeah, runt. Don’t get all blubbery on me," he said in amusement, no hostility invading his tone. Kagome grinned widely; it was incredibly mature of Shippo to take it upon himself to apologize alone. And how long had it been since the spoiled—admittedly, by her own hand—kit had made a heartfelt apology? Extraordinarily proud, she took Shippo from Inuyasha’s shoulder and hugged him. He shed a few tears, probably in relief, but held himself together very well. Does Inuyasha have any idea how much Shippo looks up to him? Does Shippo, for that matter?

The three of them entered the hut and were instantly greeted by the smells of both traditional and modern cooking. Miroku and Sango apparently hadn’t been comfortable with serving all her ninja food, so the meal was mostly standard Feudal Era cuisine. The lone exception was the two cups of steaming ramen sitting in Inuyasha’s customary spot around the fire. The hanyou was starving, having not eaten in almost twenty-four hours, and eagerly dove into the noodles, not caring if they burned his tongue. Kagome was just as hungry, but managed to restrain herself from wolfing down her food like a savage. The humans wisely waited until Inuyasha was finished before daring to speak.

"Uh…Inuyasha…" Miroku tried.

"Aw, just spit it out already, bouzu! Let’s get this shit over with!"

"We’re sorry!" Miroku and Sango exclaimed in unison, pinning each other with surprised looks.

"There," Inuyasha said patronizingly, "was that so hard?" Sango narrowed her eyes, appearing as if she wanted to strangle him, but Miroku spoke up first.

"Seriously, Inuyasha, you really do have our humblest apologies. We shouldn’t have assumed that you would abandon Kagome-sama like that."

"Forget it. Just remember that I’m not a total bastard next time."

Miroku sighed and shook his head, massaging his temple with two fingers. "I don’t understand how you can forgive us so easily."

"Keh. It’s not like it was easy for me. I spent a lot of time thinking about it yesterday… It don’t matter how! But if you don’t stop bugging me about it, you’re gonna end up with a lump on your head."

"I’d almost think I’d feel better that way."

"Suit yourself." *BONK!!!*

"Owww…"

"Feel better, bouzu? Any time you want me to punch you, just ask!"

"That’s quite alright, my friend."

"What about you, Sango? You want some lumps, too?" Inuyasha asked half-jokingly.

"Ha! Not unless you want some even bigger lumps on your head, courtesy of hiraikotsu."

"Feh! I ain’t afraid of you, taijiya!" Sango smiled; at that moment, she knew everything was back to normal. They truly had been forgiven, and they would try to avoid making the same mistakes in the future. She chose to ignore Inuyasha, turning instead to a question that had been nagging her for some time now. "Kagome, what are you wearing?"

"Yes, child," Kaede spoke up, finally joining the conversation. "I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that, not from this side of the bone-eater’s well, anyway." They were the first words she had spoken since the previous afternoon, having kept her mouth shut while the Inu-gang was making its cruel assumptions. She had always known that they were false and unwarranted, but the wisdom of the aged told her it would be best for them to figure it out on their own. Now, she was glad for an old woman’s intuition; leaving things alone had been the right choice. Kagome shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny.

"Uh…Inuyasha got it for me. Why? You don’t like it?"

"No one’s saying that, Kagome-sama," Miroku replied hastily. "I think it looks very good on you. It’s just…different." Inuyasha, who had started growling softly at Miroku’s compliment, decided to step in.

"It ain’t that different, bouzu. Daichi based it off her modern clothes. She has another set that’s blue and yellow."

"So why did he go with all red? I’ve never seen Kagome-sama wear something like that before, unless…aw, how cute! He wanted you to be twins…"

"Shut up!" Inuyasha yelled, folding his arms over his chest as matching blushes appeared on both his and Kagome’s cheeks.

"Thank Kami she doesn’t look like Inuyasha, even though she’s dressed like him," Shippo interjected, back to his playful self. As usual, it got him in trouble with a certain hanyou.

"And what’s that supposed to mean, runt?" Inuyasha inquired, his voice dangerously calm. Shippo knew he’d be joining Miroku in the lumpy-headed club if he said the wrong thing.

"Face it, Inuyasha. If a woman looked like you, she’d be pretty ugly." Inuyasha couldn’t argue with that, and was actually glad he didn’t resemble a woman, unlike a certain effeminate-looking relative of his. Now, Sesshoumaru would probably make a very pretty woman. He shuddered at the images that thought conjured up. Visions of his brother sitting in a field picking flowers, or doing laundry… Sesshoumaru…with breasts…GAH!

"What’s wrong, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked anxiously. "You look like you’re going to be sick."

"N-nothin’, wench." Kagome seemed skeptical, but her nose told her that whatever was bothering him wasn’t too serious.

"I must ask, Inuyasha," Miroku interrupted. "Why did you have Daichi make Kagome-sama clothes? If you wanted to get her a gift, why not something simpler? Or maybe something to seal her youkai blood?"

"She asked me to teach her how to fight, and if she’s gonna stay a hanyou forever then she’s gonna need some tough clothing. They’ll bind to her youkai and fix themselves. Daichi said they’re made from the fur of some swamp animal…"

Kagome nodded her agreement. "He’s right. Modern cotton just doesn’t cut it in hand-to-hand battle…wait! Did you say these are made from some swamp creature?!"

"Uh…" Inuyasha stalled, shying away. Kagome looked fit to be tied, though not even a gag would keep her from flattening him to the floor. Daichi had said something important about the fabric in question, but for the life of him he couldn’t recall what.

"Wait!" Sango interjected. "Inuyasha, are you talking about the swamp fox?"

"Uh…yeah, that’s it! That’s what Daichi said."

"Oh, then don’t worry, Kagome-chan. The swamp fox doesn’t actually live in the swamp. From what I hear, they’re actually very clean, and many high-ranking demonesses covet their fur. You’ve got some really nice material here."

"Oh," Kagome replied sheepishly, suddenly feeling a little ashamed over her outburst. Hadn’t she promised herself no more assumptions when it came to Inuyasha? It was only a minor indiscretion this time, but it proved that they still needed some work to fully embark upon their fresh start.

"Feh! As if I’d really get you anything that came from some gross swamp beast!" Inuyasha declared, his courage bolstered by Sango’s timely intervention.

Kagome favored him with a dubious expression. "Yeah, ‘cause you seemed real confident about that two minutes ago when you were cowering…" The others chuckled, and Inuyasha sent them a nasty glare.

"Shut the fuck up, all of you!" he ordered, not in the least bit amused. "I do not cower…" he mumbled, but whether he was trying to convince them or himself no one could say.

"So," Sango cut in, attempting to change the subject, "what’s the plan now?"

"Inuyasha said he would start training me today," Kagome replied.

"Ok. Well, if you need an extra hand, just let me know."

"We’re fine for now, Sango," Inuyasha responded. "We’ll stay here and train for a couple days, then go see Totosai about getting Kagome a seal."

"Sounds like a plan. I’ll come get you guys when dinner’s ready." With that, the group dispersed; Shippo to play, Miroku to meditate, Sango to help Kaede with her duties, and Inuyasha and Kagome to find a secluded spot to train. They chose a large field at the edge of the village, both because if was close by and because a sloping hill provided some privacy.

"You sure you wanna do this, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked seriously. "You don’t have to. I don’t mind protecting you. And you did pretty well against Takehiko. You—"

"It’s ok, Inuyasha," Kagome interrupted, grinning at his reluctance and concern. "I want to do this. I know I promised you I wouldn’t go charging into battle, and I intend to keep that promise, but I want to be able to defend myself better, just in case. When I was inside that youkai’s stomach…I never want to feel that helpless again. So teach me how to fight. Please?"

Inuyasha nodded. "Ok, but I ain’t gonna go easy on you."

"I don’t expect you to," Kagome answered, determination alighting in her gaze.

"Good. We’ll start out with some sparring. Fists closed; no claws."

"Ok, do we just go back and for—WAH!" Only Kagome’s feline reflexes saved her from receiving a fist to the gut, as she lunged to the side to avoid Inuyasha’s first strike. Her training had begun.

Ten minutes later, Kagome was drenched in sweat and breathing hard while Inuyasha barely showed any sign of physical exertion. She had learned Hanyou Lesson #1: all that stamina doesn’t happen by itself; you have to work for it. Oh, sure, she could outrun and outwork any normal human, but she wasn’t even close to Inuyasha’s level yet. Already her body was smarting from several nasty bruises. They would be gone by nightfall, but that was only because Inuyasha was pulling or stopping most of his punches at the last moment. She shuddered to think how badly it would hurt if he really laid into her. And over the past ten minutes, he’d certainly had plenty of opportunities to do so. But that was one of the reasons she asked him to train her, because she knew he would never really hurt her.

"You’re retreating too much, bitch. You gotta always be looking for an opening to hit back." Kagome scowled at him. If he was trying to get under her skin by calling her ‘bitch,’ it was working. All she had done so far was dodge, but that was about to stop. He came at her again, swinging high with his right hand. She dodged to her left, sending her own right arm lashing out toward his exposed side. He easily blocked the attack and followed up in one smooth motion. Kagome grunted as his left fist slammed into her side, tumbling back to land on gracelessly on her ass.

"You alright, bitch?" he asked tauntingly, but his eyes belied that sentiment. He truly was concerned. In fact, he was quickly finding that hitting Kagome was one of the hardest things he’d ever done. But she had to learn, and he knew from experience that actual combat was the best way to acquire fighting skills. He couldn’t give her mortal combat, but he could at least simulate it to the fullest possible extent.

Kagome nodded in response to his question, mostly because he had, once again, struck her with only a fraction of the force of which he was capable. They spent the next half hour in the same way: Inuyasha attacking, Kagome trying to find openings that weren’t there, and continually getting her ass handed to her. But she was improving. She had yet to actually land a punch, but less of Inuyasha’s were landing on her. If nothing else, she was getting a lot of practice on her dodging today. And Inuyasha was finally sweating! His lungs weren’t heaving like hers, but his forehead glistened in the late morning sunlight. Feeling confident, she abandoned the caution that had been keeping her on her feet. The next time she spied an opening she launched herself forward, throwing all her strength into the strike. Inuyasha was stunned into inaction for all of a split second, but responded swiftly. He deftly dodged the blow, spinning and smacking Kagome in the back, increasing her momentum while at the same time sticking his foot out in front of hers. The end result was Kagome lying face down, sprawled out on the grass. She rolled onto her back with a groan, gazing up at the sky and the grinning hanyou shaking his head at her.

"Nice try, bitch, but that was too out of control. If you do that against a real enemy you’ll end up with your head rolling on the ground."

Kagome sent him a disbelieving glower. "Oh, and you always fight disciplined and under control," she said sarcastically.

"Feh! Have you ever seen me get face-planted using only my own momentum? I don’t think so, bitch."

Grrrrrrrrr. "I do have a name, you know. Stop calling me ‘bitch!’"

Inuyasha smirked. "Ok, I’ll stop calling you ‘bitch’ when you hit me. That sound good, bitch?"

Kagome saw red at that comment. She couldn’t remember the last time she had wanted to osuwari him so badly, but that would only prove that she was a loser. She wanted, needed to wipe that condescending look off his face, and she was going to do it fair and square. The truly infuriating part was that she couldn’t even come close. Kagome was on the offensive for most of the next hour; Inuyasha only counterattacked when he thought she was too ‘out of control.’ She started getting sloppy as time wore on, and Inuyasha called a halt for lunch. Only when she tried to get up after their ninja food meal did Kagome realize how sore her body was. But the day was still young, and if she wanted to get better she knew she needed to push her limits. It helped that they didn’t start combat practice up again right away. Inuyasha spent two or three hours teaching her some of his moves, and showing her how to use her claws. Then it was back to sparring, and at first Kagome had as little luck as she had earlier.

But then, things began to change. The act of dodging became second nature and didn’t require much thought, freeing up her mind to concentrate on offense. Gradually, her once erratic attacks became more coordinated, and more difficult for Inuyasha to defend against. Several came so close, but he would always avoid her fists at the last instant. And as her frustration rose, so did her determination to land a hit. Finally, just as the sun was beginning to dip below the tree line, it happened. She aimed high, fully expecting to punch only air for the ten thousandth time that day, but instead her fist impacted on flesh. She was utterly shocked, and it took her a few seconds to realize that her knuckles were still embedded in Inuyasha’s cheek. His head was turned to the side, so she couldn’t see his face, but something about his aura made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. It had taken on a feral edge, and when he turned his face toward her, his eyes flared crimson while maintaining their dominant amber hue. He flashed her a fanged smirk.

"Well, Ka-Go-Me, it looks like we get to take this up a notch." Before she could ask him what he meant, it became glaringly apparent. He attacked, his movements a blur. Before Kagome knew it, she was lying flat on her back, a clawed hand wrapped around her neck. Inuyasha growled down at her, their faces inches apart, and she could see the red battling with the gold in his eyes. But she wasn’t afraid. His hand wasn’t squeezing; it was just there, applying just enough pressure to remind her of its presence. In addition, his hanyou side still dominated his scent and aura. Even if he did go full youkai, which didn’t seem likely in any event, especially with Tetsusaiga on his hip, she still would not fear him. She trusted him without exception in any form.

"Inuyasha," she stated, calmly pleading with him to relax. Her voice got through to him, as he stopped growling and the traces of scarlet faded from his now completely golden orbs. He blinked a few times, and his eyes widened as he realized how close they were. Kagome gasped as the realization struck her simultaneously. He was straddling her hips, pinning her to the ground with his weight, his upper body draped possessively over hers. Shocked brown met stunned amber as breath mingled in the small, ever shrinking space between them. Eyelids drifted closed as they leaned toward each other, hearts thundering wildly in anticipation…

"Inuyasha! Kagome-chan! Dinner’s ready!"

Sango’s voice nearly stopped both their hearts. Inuyasha leapt up, landing a good twenty feet away. Two sets of eyes turned just in time to see the taijiya crest the hill, waving amiably at them, blissfully unaware of what she had just ruined. And she had ruined the mood. No, scratch that; Sango had taken the mood, stomped on it, chopped it into little pieces and threw them into the fire. Now Inuyasha could barely bring himself to look at Kagome, let alone kiss her. His one consolation was that she appeared to be as disappointed as he was. Sighing heavily, he massaged the back of his neck with his hand.

"Come on, wench, let’s go eat."

"I c-can’t feel my legs," Kagome replied shakily, inflating Inuyasha’s ego quite a bit. If pressed, she would probably say it was just the fatigue, but he knew better. His own legs were still wobbling as well. He knelt down in front of her, and she eagerly accepted the invitation, climbing onto his back. As he stood, his hands came to rest just a little higher on her thighs than usual, but she didn’t seem to mind.

"Thanks, Inuyasha." An unintelligible grunt was her only reply. "Hey! I thought you said you weren’t going to go easy on me."

"Feh. You wouldn’t have lasted very long if I hadn’t, would you?"

"No, I guess not," she muttered despondently.

"Don’t worry about it, wench. You did fine. I didn’t expect you to actually hit me."

She smiled. "Yeah, I was as surprised as you were."

"Well, don’t get used to it. It will never happen again."

"Oh, yes it will, dog-boy."

"Not a chance, wench."

"Yes it will! And next time you’d better not go all crazy pseudo-youkai on me!" Kagome made that last comment without thinking, and immediately wished she could take it back. Unfortunately, Sango, who had been waiting for them, was now within earshot, so no more was said on the matter. Both of them were thinking about it, however, and Inuyasha was just as confused as Kagome. How many times in his life had he been hit, and a hell of a lot harder than Kagome’s punch? Yet, unless his life was truly in danger, his youkai side always remained dormant. So why had it emerged when Kagome struck him? And for that matter, why hadn’t Tetsusaiga kept it under control?

Perhaps the answer to that question was that it had never been out of control. His youkai blood didn’t even come close to overwhelming him. It had been an urge, a compulsion, and he hadn’t felt like resisting. But he remembered what the surge felt like; he could have resisted. But he was a man, and having a woman call your bet and punch you in the face was a little humbling. His ego demanded he put her in her place. It wasn’t that simple, however. Underlying the wounded pride had been another urge, this one much more primal. His youkai desired domination in every sense of the word, to possess Kagome, to make her his, and Inuyasha could not deny that the thought was very appealing. For the first time in his life, his youkai and human sides agreed on what they wanted. His youkai apparently didn’t feel like waiting for the rest of him to make a move. But he would make it wait. If, no when he confessed his feelings, he wanted the moment to be special, something Kagome would cherish for the rest of her life. His brash, impulsive youkai side would have to be content with observing from the sidelines.

Of course, watching Kagome run and jump around all day had done nothing to temper his libido. It was a good thing her clothes weren’t skin-tight, because his concentration wouldn’t have been able to handle it. Dinner was a quiet affair, mostly because Kagome was so exhausted. The sheer fatigue almost forced her to go to bed all sweaty, but the desire to be clean was too strong. She and Sango went off to take a bath after eating. And Inuyasha would never admit it, but he was pretty tired himself. The wench had given him quite a workout today, and he was rather sticky too. Perhaps he would have to take a dip in the river once the girls got back. He went outside to get some fresh air, lounging out on a nearby grassy knoll. Unfortunately, a certain houshi didn’t see fit to let him relax in peace. As soon as Miroku took a seat next to him, Inuyasha knew it was trouble. He wished he had stayed in the hut with Shippo; the runt’s presence would at least ward off some of the more intrusive questions.

"So…getting pretty cozy with Kagome-sama last night…" Inuyasha pointedly ignored that comment, hoping Miroku would just go away. It didn’t work. "Anything interesting happen last night?" Again, silence. "Come on, Inuyasha. You can’t ignore me forever. Why don’t you just tell me all the juicy detai—"

"Dammit, bouzu! Just drop it, you fuckin’ pervert!" To Inuyasha’s surprise, Miroku’s attitude instantly shifted, becoming decidedly stern.

"Look, Inuyasha. You may think I’m just being a pervert right now, but Kagome-sama is like a sister to me. She cares for you more than you know, and I don’t want to see her hurt…again."

"I won’t," Inuyasha replied simply.

"What?"

"I said I won’t hurt Kagome anymore." Miroku studied him for several long moments, his posture, the way his face was drawn into a remorseful frown, the absolute certainty in his gaze… It was a look the monk had never seen on the hanyou before. He grinned as he came to the correct conclusion.

"I see. So you finally figured it out, did you?"

"Feh. Don’t know what you’re talkin’ about," Inuyasha answered, but the light dusting of pink on his cheeks said otherwise.

"Uh-huh. Whatever you say, lover-boy."

"Call me that again and I’ll shove your ‘cursed hand’ so far up your ass you’ll be picking your teeth with it!"

"You know what this means, don’t you?" Miroku asked, unperturbed by Inuyasha’s idle threat. "You might get an heir before I will!" Flushing in anger and mortification, Inuyasha leapt to his feet.

"That’s it! You DIE!!!"

*Whack*

"Ah, what the fuck was that for?!" the hanyou yelled, rubbing the lump on his head, courtesy of Miroku’s staff.

"That was for not realizing your feelings for Kagome-sama sooner."

"Bastard…"

"Seriously, Inuyasha, don’t delay in telling her. She’s been waiting a long time."

He sighed, flopping back down on the ground. "Yeah, I know."

Meanwhile, down at the river, Kagome was greatly enjoying the feel of the cool water against her heated skin.

"How was training, Kagome-chan?" Sango asked after they were both settled.

"Ugh…I’m so tired. But I learned a lot, and I actually managed to hit him once during sparring."

"I bet he didn’t like that one bit, with his ego."

Kagome frowned. "No, he didn’t…but he was kind of weird about it afterwards."

"Weird how?" Sango inquired, concern seeping into her tone.

"Well…he tackled me to the ground, for one thing."

"What?! Did he hurt you?!"

"No, no, nothing like that. It’s just—it was like…he let just a little of his youkai side out. He wasn’t even close to transforming, but he seemed a bit more…feral than usual." Yes, ‘feral’ was a good word for it. And if she was being truly honest with herself, she could admit that on some level, she liked it. Whether it was the position they found themselves in, the fire in his eyes, or the masculine huskiness in his growl, her body had responded, warming in that special way that could only mean the beginnings of arousal. If they hadn’t been so preoccupied afterwards, Inuyasha might have been able to smell it.

"Do you have any idea why he acted that way?" Sango wondered, interrupting Kagome’s musings.

"No. At first I thought it was just his youkai reacting to wounded pride, but he’s never acted like that before, not even when Sesshoumaru or Koga punched him!"

"Well, I’m fairly certain he doesn’t like either of those two, and we both know he likes you."

"Sango-chan?" Kagome uttered in confusion.

"It’s just a hunch, Kagome-chan, but I think this might have something to do with the relationship between the two of you."

"What relationship?!"

"Don’t play dumb, girl. You must have noticed that he’s been nicer to you lately."

"Yeah, not counting a few exceptions."

"Well, he’s Inuyasha. He’s never going to be perfect. And you two have grown closer as well, haven’t you?" Kagome nodded. "See! He cares about you, Kagome-chan, even if he doesn’t realize how much. Maybe his youkai side knows. Maybe his youkai side already wants you as a mate." Kagome silently digested that information. Her first inclination was to dismiss it as too good to be true, but it made sense. Their relationship had come so far over the past couple months, blossoming into something more than ordinary friendship. How much more remained a mystery, but her hopes for them seemed closer than ever. Maybe what Sango said really was true. They had slept together in a tree last night, for crying out loud! Speaking of which…

"So how’d you sleep last night, Kagome-chan?" Sango asked with a playful grin.

The miko sighed wistfully. "It was the best sleep I’ve ever had, Sango-chan."

"You think he’d be willing to do it again?"

"I don’t know. It was a spur of the moment type thing, so he might be too embarrassed."

"Hmm… Anything else happen?"

Kagome shrugged. "Not really. Though we did almost kiss this afternoon…"

"Well why didn’t you?! Nothing but good came from that one in your time you told me about!"

"Don’t yell at me, Sango-chan! You’re the one who interrupted us!"

"Oh, no," Sango lamented as her face twisted in guilt. Kagome felt guilty herself for throwing it in her friend’s face like that, but she had been provoked. "I’m sorry, Kagome-chan! I didn’t know! I should have looked over the hill before I called you! I—"

"It’s ok, Sango-chan! If it’s meant to happen, it will happen. Besides, it isn’t the first time we almost-kissed. Did I ever tell you about the time an owl stopped us?"

"An owl?" Sango asked dubiously. By the end of the story, both girls were giggling profusely at the sheer ridiculousness of what had occurred. Funny how Kagome hadn’t found it at all amusing at the time. But that’s what hindsight could do: paint events in a whole new light. Well, hindsight and finally getting to kiss Inuyasha in non-life threatening circumstances. And then he had kissed her to reverse her full-youkai transformation. Kagome’s spirits dampened considerably as she recalled that whole fiasco. She had largely forgiven herself for the villager’s death, but it would forever sadden her to think about it. Sango, of course, was far too alert not to pick up on the sudden change in her friend’s mood.

"What’s wrong, Kagome-chan?"

"Oh…nothing!" Kagome replied, plastering on a smile that was only partly forced. "What were we talking about?" Sango sent her a questioning glance, but decided to let the miko’s temporary melancholy go without further comment.

"You kissing Inuyasha."

"Oh, yeah."

"Kagome-chan, I want you to kiss him tomorrow. Right before dinner, Houshi-sama and I got called out to exterminate some rat youkai in a neighboring village, so we won’t be here to interrupt you!"

"Ahhhhh…" Kagome observed slyly. "And you get to spend some time alone with Miroku. You’ve been telling me to kiss Inuyasha, so maybe you should kiss Miroku, too. I guarantee you he won’t look at another woman after that!"

Sango scoffed. "Not happening, Kagome-chan. Houshi-sama’s not getting anything from me until he proves he can be a faithful husband."

"He will, I just know it! Give him a chance, Sango-chan."

"I am giving him a chance! ONE chance. One chance to show that he isn’t just another womanizing lecher. If he goes off to bed another woman again…" Sango heaved a shuddering sigh, unable to continue. Kagome swam over to the taijiya and looped her arm around her shoulder.

"Don’t worry, Sango-chan. I’m sure it won’t come to that."

"I hope you’re right, Kagome-chan. I really do."

"So, what do you think they’re talking about, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked, breaking the half hour of comfortable silence that had fallen over the two men. There was just a hint of lechery invading his tone to go a long with genuine curiosity.

"Don’t care."

"You say that, but I know better. Who wouldn’t want to listen to the delightful conversation of two radiant beauties, especially when both of us are, shall we say, interested in one of them?"

"Feh. Why should you give a rat’s ass? They sure as hell ain’t talkin’ about you, hentai."

"Inuyasha!" Miroku griped, placing his hand to his chest in mock offense. "I’ll have you know that I plan on reigning in some of my more misconstrued habits."

"Misconstrued?" Inuyasha repeated incredulously. "There’s only one way to take a hand on the ass!"

Miroku sighed dramatically. "If you knew anything about women, you would know that there are multiple ways to interpret everything. Women don’t play by a uniform set of rules like us men. That’s what makes them so fun to interact with. Sometimes, though, I think every female on the planet is borderline insane (1)."

"Why, because they all slap you when you grope them?"

"Well, that’s part of it. What woman in her right mind wouldn’t feel complimented by a caress from an otherworldly handsome, devilishly charming bachelor such as myself?"

"Ugh…gag me."

"Believe me, if we could have, we would have done that long ago."

"Ha ha, bastard. You’re just lucky I don’t feel like getting up and pounding some humility into that head of yours."

"Ah, yes, our little Kagome-sama got you all plumb tuckered out," Miroku teased. "Maybe you should go to bed early so you don’t wear yourself ou—"

Grrrrrrrrr. "Shut up, bouzu! Get the fuck out of here already!" Chuckling, Miroku rose to his feet. The very fact that Inuyasha was still lying on his back and not chasing him around the village proved just how tired he was.

"Alright, Inuyasha, I’ll leave you alone. I think the girls are back anyway. Maybe I can convince Sango to follow you and Kagome-sama’s example and sleep next to me tonight…"

Inuyasha scoffed, listening carefully as Miroku made his way back to Kaede’s hut. Three…two…one… Two more seconds passed.

*Slap!!!*

He smirked. Oh, well. Almost called it…

Kagome shook her head at her friends, the steaming taijiya and the monk nursing the red mark on his cheek while wearing some sort of ridiculously satisfied grin. They’re such bakas… Indeed they were, but she knew in her heart that they belonged together. As long as Miroku restrained his groping to Sango’s behind, they would be fine. Still she worried, because Miroku was on trial, and he didn’t even know it. Or does he? Did Inuyasha ever have that talk with him? No time like the present to find out.

Or so she thought. She wasn’t counting on finding Inuyasha fast asleep in the grass. Hmmph…I guess I have more stamina than I thought. He’s totally pooped! He looked so peaceful, his breathing deep and steady and his hair shining ethereally in the moonlight. He possessed an unearthly beauty in these scattered moments where he let his guard down. She didn’t have the heart to wake him, but another thought occurred to her. Would he mind? How could he? He’s asleep! Nodding as if to reassure herself, she went back and retrieved her sleeping bag from the hut. Sango flashed her a conspiratorial wink on the way out, eliciting a darkening of her cheeks. She didn’t even glance in Miroku’s direction.

Kagome was sorely tempted to snuggle up against him, but in the interest of not waking him up she settled for stretching out in the sleeping bag, about a foot of space between them. For a minute or two she just lay on her side, watching him sleep. She breathed deeply, taking in his scent, which was touched with more than a hint of sweat. I’m definitely making him take a bath tomorrow…

"Yeah, I know I stink." His voice made Kagome jump, and when she looked to his face he was glaring at her with half-lidded eyes.

"H-how long have you been awake?"

"Since you first walked over here. Come on, wench, you didn’t actually think you could sneak up on me, did you? Feh! Not likely."

"I wasn’t trying to! You looked so peaceful; I didn’t want to wake you."

"I told you before, wench. I’m never peaceful."

"Well, you seemed pretty exhausted to me," Kagome replied, pouting slightly.

"Keh. A little…it’s been awhile since the last time I worked out all day, wench. But you’re more tired than I am."

"You sure about that?"

"Yep." And with that, their silent game was on. Whoever surrendered to the inexorable pull of sleep last would be the winner. Inuyasha watched as Kagome stubbornly resisted, only to have her eyes droop until they could no longer be driven back up again. "You asleep, wench?" he whispered after a few moments. No response. He grinned at his victory, but it was short-lived. He was out like a light not five minutes later.

*End Day 1*

In retrospect, that first day hadn’t been so bad. He hadn’t gotten to kiss Kagome, but the others had apologized and things had returned to normal. The second day was when things started getting a little weird…

In retrospect, that first day hadn’t been so bad. He hadn’t gotten to kiss Kagome, but the others had apologized and everything had returned to normal. The second day was when things started getting a little weird…

*Day 2*

He had no idea how it happened, but sometime during the night he and Kagome had gravitated toward each other, ending up nestled together. He woke at sunrise to find her resting on his shoulder, one arm supporting her back and the other draped possessively over her waist. She was still in the sleeping bag, reminding him of that night they shared her bed in the modern era. Grinning contentedly, he settle back to enjoy the morning, breathing deeply to take in Kagome’s sweet scent. He grimaced as another less pleasant odor invaded his nostrils. Shit…I really do stink! He quickly buried his nose in Kagome’s hair. At least one of us doesn’t smell like a fuckin’ armpit.

"Do I stink, too?" she asked out of the blue, startling him. Apparently either his movements or the daylight had woken her. They turned toward each other at the same time, and Inuyasha was struck by the sheer happiness rolling off her. Her eyes sparkled with amusement, and he temporarily lost the ability to speak. A short shake of his head was all the response he could manage. Giggling at his stupor, Kagome laid her head back down on his shoulder, resuming her previous position. Neither hanyou was looking forward to getting up; both were too comfortable. They unknowingly shared the same thought: I could stay like this forever. Inuyasha blanched; he felt like such a sissy thinking something like that. It made him want to go do something manly for the rest of the morning, like chop wood or beat up some other men for no good reason. He wondered if Sesshoumaru was in the area, or better yet, Koga… But if one of them did happen to be nearby, he would still have the problem of not wanting to get up.

Kagome’s ear flicked at a fly in his line of vision, giving him an idea for something he hadn’t done in awhile. With only slight hesitation he reached up and gently grasped the fuzzy appendage between his fingers, massaging in slow circles. Kagome started purring almost immediately as nearly every muscle in her body wholly relaxed. She felt like a boneless blob of goo, her only contact with the real world that highly skilled hand on her ear. She wasn’t tired, so it didn’t put her to sleep, but a small nuclear device could have gone off nearby and she wouldn’t have noticed. Then, abruptly it was over, the delightful sensation replaced by insistent prodding on the backs of her shoulders.

"Get up, wench. The others are waking up." Now that she was listening, Kagome could hear the sounds of their friends rousing inside the hut, but how the hell was that any reason to stop rubbing her ear? She could feel the tender appendage tingling, as if reminding her body of that wonderful feeling it yearned for.

"Why’d you stop?" she demanded, her irritation clearly conveyed.

"Feh. Can’t laze around all day, wench. We’ve got another full day of training ahead of us."

Kagome grumbled about that, knowing the real reason Inuyasha was so insistent that they get up now. But she didn’t particularly feel like dealing with her friends’ teasing either, however good-natured it might be. Besides, she was damn hungry; all that physical exertion yesterday had built up quite an appetite. At breakfast, no one spoke of Kagome’s absence from the hut the previous night, but any mildly observant person could tell it was on everyone’s minds. Kagome worried about Shippo’s appearance; the kit had dark shadows under his eyes and appeared weary and listless. Even more alarming was the fact that he curled up on her sleeping bag to take a nap after finishing his meal.

"Is something wrong with Shippo?" she asked when she was sure the young fox was asleep.

"No," Sango responded grimly, "he just didn’t sleep well last night. As a matter of fact, he didn’t sleep all that well two nights ago, either." Kagome felt a pang of guilt. Shippo usually slept with her in her sleeping bag, and from what she heard didn’t have too much of a problem when she was in her time. But apparently he was having difficulty dealing sleeping by himself while she was on his side of the well. Sighing, she shot an apologetic look Inuyasha’s way. They both knew what this meant: no more sleeping together, just the two of them. Arrangements would have to return to the way they were before. Shippo was still so young, and an orphan to boot, so Kagome wasn’t willing to kick him out of her bed yet. Inuyasha shrugged and tried to look like he didn’t care, but even he knew he couldn’t pull off that kind of callous nonchalance anymore.

"Why does he need so much fuckin’ sleep, anyway," he grumped. "He’s a demon!"

"He’s also a child, Inuyasha," Kagome argued, albeit reluctantly. "Kids need a lot of sleep. Just look at how much of a wreck he is now." Inuyasha snorted his displeasure, but grudgingly accepted Kagome’s decision. I swear, that twerp is the luckiest fucking orphan who ever lived…

"So what’s the plan for the next few days?" Sango interjected, changing the subject. "Houshi-sama and I have to go perform a youkai extermination in a nearby village, but I don’t know how long it will take. Are you two going to stay here until we get back?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "Nah, we’re leaving first thing tomorrow morning for Totosai’s to get Kagome something to seal her youkai blood. Just meet us somewhere at the edge of his territory," he advised, knowing the human’s would be unable to handle the noxious fumes of the old demon’s domain.

"Sounds like a plan," Miroku replied easily. "Shall we go, my lovely Sango?" The taijiya took the offered hand and was helped to her feet, but did not comply with the monk’s gesture to precede him out the doorway.

"After you, Houshi-sama," she said sternly. Miroku merely smiled mischievously in response.

"Ah, my dear Sango. You are not my wife yet, and even if you were I would not have you walking behind me." (1) Sango flushed crimson, but did not move from her spot.

"Believe me, Houshi-sama," she ground out through clenched teeth. "This has nothing to do with…that! I simply want your hands where I can see them." Miroku grinned wryly, heaving a dramatic sigh as he trudged out of the hut.

"I am so misunderstood…"

This time Inuyasha began the countdown aloud. "Three…two…one…"

*Slap!!!*

Kagome burst out laughing at his perfect timing, and Inuyasha joined in whole-heartedly. "How does he always seem to catch Sango by surprise?" Kagome asked in between her giggles.

"Dunno. Alright, wench, let’s go. You’ll never get any good if we don’t practice."

"Ok—Hey! I’m already pretty good! I did hit you yesterday, didn’t I?"

"That was a fluke."

"Was not!"

"Prove it."

"Fine!" Kagome growled, grabbing Inuyasha and dragging him all the way to their field by his haori. She didn’t even wait for him to set his feet before pouncing. Unfortunately, he was far too quick and agile to be taken so easily. Still, she did manage to land a few hits in the next two hours. The problem was that for every successful strike, she received at least a hundred back from Inuyasha, who was still showing remarkable restraint in pulling his punches. But even that horrible ration was an improvement, filling her with a sense of accomplishment. At this rate, she would be able to defend herself proficiently in no time!

Of course, she still struggled with many things, including not going out of control on attacks. Inuyasha continually chastised her on that point, but every time she would revert to the bad habit after a few minutes of relative restraint. After viewing this self-defeating cycle one too many times, Inuyasha decided a more substantial lesson was needed. He waited until Kagome launched a particularly sloppy assault, then swooped in and bore her to the ground. She wound up lying on her front, both arms twisted and held behind her by Inuyasha, who was draped over her back.

"Bitch!" he growled in her ear. "How many fucking times do I have to te—ack!" Kagome surprised him then, using a leg to roll them over until she was on top of him. Next she managed to wrench her arms free and scramble away before facing him and resuming a fighting stance. Inuyasha climbed to his feet slowly, all thoughts of admonishing her further long gone. He was very impressed.

"Heh…not bad, Kagome." She didn’t even grin at the compliment, but a small twinkle in her eye let him know that she was extremely happy to receive it. Still, she was sweating and breathing hard, and it was time to call a break. Being pressed up against her heaving, quivering body had done nothing to calm his own nerves, either. They both needed to cool down, for completely different reasons.

"Alright, wench, let’s work on your tracking. Hang on; I’m gonna go get us some prey." He took off, dashing back toward the village. Kagome collapsed onto her back, sighing in relief as her heart rate slowed and her tired muscles finally relaxed. There had been something far too pleasant about being held down like that by Inuyasha, which was probably part of the reason she had been so motivated to break his hold. He had felt it too, if the faint scent of his arousal was any indication.

Inuyasha returned a few minutes later, a drowsy-looking Shippo riding on his shoulder. The kit quickly came fully awake as he realized the importance of his task. He puffed out his little chest, promising to do his best. Kagome thought the entire scene was too adorable for words, and Inuyasha just rolled his eyes. They sent Shippo into the forest and gave him about a ten minute head start. It might have been easier to just have Kagome track Inuyasha, but he couldn’t very well teach her anything about following scents if he couldn’t see what she was doing. It took only a couple minutes to disabuse Kagome of her incorrect notion that tracking was as simple as sniff-and-go. There were techniques involved, like what to do if you lost a trail or it became jumbled with other scents. She was really hoping to avoid prostrating herself on the ground and sticking her nose in the dirt like she had seen Inuyasha do many times before, but he insisted it was necessary. She could only pray she would never have to use that humiliating technique in the company of her other friends. At least Inuyasha had the decency to go down with her, teaching through example. Little did she know that the male hanyou’s actual motives were decidedly less noble; he just didn’t want to get caught staring at her ass.

After lunch, Inuyasha decided to give Kagome a real test, and the best way to do that was to have her track the stealthiest, nimblest guy in the area. No, he didn’t have an ego. He pulled out all the stops too, employing every trick he knew to throw her off. He zigzagged, leapt across streams, went up and down trees, backtracked, and tried any number of other tactics too. Eventually he stopped all that and simply worked his way back to the starting point. From there he followed Kagome’s trail to keep an eye her progress. He caught up with her easily enough, and kept to the forest canopy as he watched her work. He was not disappointed. Several times she almost lost the trail completely, but always managed to pick it up again. His tricks would confuse her for a few minutes, but then she would figure them out and continue her pursuit. She just kept plugging along; he wouldn’t use ‘fast’ or any of its synonyms to describe her technique, but it was effective nonetheless. It was clear she had taken his lessons to heart.

Periodically she would look around as if she could tell she was being watched, forcing Inuyasha to quickly duck behind a convenient tree trunk. But nothing ever came of it; she would shrug and return to her task and he would resume his observing. On second thought, perhaps staring would be a better word. He was utterly transfixed by her lithe form and the subtle grace in every movement. Her clothes revealed just enough skin to tantalize and make him imagine what lay underneath. And since he had seen her naked on several previous occasions, he had a very good imagination. Was it a little hentai to be shamelessly ogling her like this? Yeah, but he didn’t particularly give a damn, not when she was making herself look so incredibly enticing. It was mid-afternoon by the time Kagome reached the area where he had stopped trying to throw her off. At that point, he dropped down from a tree directly in front of her, causing her to yelp and fall flat on her backside. She shot him a dirty look as he snickered at her.

"Inuyasha! Did you have to scare me like that?!"

"Just seeing if you were on your toes, wench."

"I was trying to concentrate on following your scent. Hey! I found you!"

"Yeah, too bad it took for-fucking-ever." Kagome felt the veins in her forehead pop at that comment. That arrogant jackass! Where does he get the gall—easy girl, osuwari-ing him will only make you feel a little better. And then he’ll just go pout for the rest of the day…

"Well I’m sorry for being a beginner and not having decades of experience. I guess I’ll never measure up to the mighty Inuyasha." Her words dripped with sarcasm, but Inuyasha simply smirked and pretended not to notice.

"Probably not."

"Jerk."

"Bitch."

Snarling, Kagome took a swing at him, forcing Inuyasha to leap back to avoid the blow. And as good as another sparring session sounded, he knew there were other areas in which she needed to train first. With this in mind, he turned and dashed off into the trees, Kagome in hot pursuit.

"Where are you going, baka!" she called after him. "Get back here!"

"Nope. You need to work on your running, wench."

"Running?! How hard can it be?!"

Ten minutes later, Kagome was singing an entirely different tune. "Running?! How hard can it be?!" If that’s not the stupidest thing I’ve ever said… It wasn’t an issue of stamina; she was having no problem physically matching the speed Inuyasha was setting. That made her problem all the more daunting. Even at that relatively sedate pace, she could barely keep herself upright. Maintaining foot-eye coordination demanded all of her concentration, and still she would trip over tree roots that seemed to come out of nowhere and nearly clothesline herself on low-hanging branches. Her untrained mind just couldn’t process the incoming information fast enough to avoid every obstacle.

And then there was Inuyasha, just cruising along as if their current pace was no challenge at all. For him, it probably wasn’t. Hell, he didn’t even have to look where he was going, spending half the time looking back at her. He kept giving her pointers; for example, look farther ahead instead of focusing on the ground a few feet in front of you (2). At first, that sounded like such a brainless idea. If I don’t look at where I’m putting my feet, I’ll fall for sure! But then, after nearly doing just that one too many times, she decided to try it his way. And wouldn’t you know, it worked. Looking ahead, she could spy the approaching obstacles and move to avoid them before they were underfoot. Idly she wondered why she hadn’t just listened to him in the first place. Probably because you’re as stubborn as he is, baka. It was gradual improvement, but she and Inuyasha were able to steadily increase their pace over the next couple hours. Fatigue was starting to set in by the time they decided to call it a night, but Kagome felt fairly confident about her running ability. Confident enough to throw caution to the wind and make an all-in bet when she probably should have folded.

"Well, you ain’t a total klutz anymore, wench. Congrats," Inuyasha teased, carefully stoking the flames of Kagome’s simmering ire.

"Oh, yeah?" she challenged. "I bet I could outrun you!" She couldn’t tell if Inuyasha was more shocked or amused by that declaration.

"How ‘bout a race, then? First one to Goshinboku wins. Do you know how to get there from here, wench?" he asked patronizingly.

"Yes I know how to get there from here! Fine, let’s do this thing…Go!" Then she was off, darting through the underbrush and leaving Inuyasha behind. Hey, if he was so smart he should have anticipated her quick start. At least, that’s how she justified it to herself.

It took Kagome under a minute to realize she was in way over her head. Not only did Inuyasha pass her, but he actually slowed down after he did so, cruising along about twenty feet in front of her. His eyes laughed at her as he effortlessly matched any speed she set. In doing so he dashed her hopes for a tortoise and hare scenario, where Inuyasha would get so far ahead he would relax and fall asleep. Or get knocked out by a falling tree limb; either would work just fine. But of course the hanyou just had to be difficult, forcing her mind to scramble for another way to finish first. She couldn’t let him win, not if she didn’t want to be reminded of her defeat every day for the foreseeable future. The most obvious course of action was to just osuwari him, but that would be downright cheating. She needed something more subtle…

The idea came to her just after she stumbled and nearly fell flat on her face. Inuyasha faltered in his step as if he was going to come back to check on her. Kagome grinned deviously. Was it sneaky? Yes. Was it a little underhanded? Yes. Did she care? Hell no! She waited until the Goshinboku was in sight before making her move. She purposefully lost her footing and crashed to the dirt, letting out a yelp that was in no way fake; that landing had hurt! Predictably, Inuyasha stopped and walked back to her, muttering to himself about clumsy wenches. Hmmph…we’ll see who’s clumsy…

"You alright, wen—" Suddenly she was gone, and it took Inuyasha a full second to realize what had happened. By then, it was far too late; Kagome was already halfway to the Goshinboku and there would be no catching her in the short distance remaining. All he could do was sprint after her, watching as she reached the finish line and turned toward him wearing a sheepish, but victorious grin.

"Y-you cheated, bitch!!!" he bellowed, pointing an accusing finger at her.

"Hey! I didn’t make you stop, you know. You could have kept going…"

"That was a dirty fucking trick, bitch, and you know it!"

Kagome shrugged. "So sue me."

"Huh?"

"Oops! Modern expression…it means too bad." At this, Inuyasha turned away from her, folding his arms over his chest, signaling the beginning of one of his classic full-blown pouts. He muttered quietly to himself, and Kagome was glad she couldn’t pick up all of the words. The ones she could make out were none too flattering.

"Oh, lighten up, Inuyasha! So you lost a race to me. Big deal!" Apparently, the other hanyou didn’t see it that way, because Kagome didn’t even get a ‘feh’ in response. Fine, if he wants to be that way about it… Sticking her chin in the air with a harrumph, she strode purposefully toward the village.

"Where the fuck are you going, bitch?"

"To get my bathing supplies! Speaking of which, you stink like a dirty gym sock. You need a bath too."

"Maybe I don’t feel like taking one," he stated petulantly.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said softly, her glower almost as formidable as the danger in her tone. "You are taking a bath, no matter how many times I have to say ‘the word.’" Inuyasha grumbled, sorely tempted to refuse on principle alone, but the sad truth was that he wasn’t going to win this argument. He wanted a bath, too; he just didn’t want to take one under orders. Nodding, Kagome proceeded to gather her supplies from her bag and head down to a part of the river secluded in the forest, Inuyasha following along like some whipped puppy. It was the same place she had bathed with Sango the previous evening.

"You know, you don’t have to stay here if you don’t want to," Kagome said as she set her soaps and shampoos down at the water’s edge.

"Believe me, wench, leaving you alone in the middle of the woods would be asking for trouble."

"Hmmph! Well, no peeking then."

"Keh." Satisfied that he had his back turned, Kagome stepped out of her clothing and into the water, the cool liquid feeling positively wonderful on her heated skin. She checked on Inuyasha once more before closing her eyes and surrendering to the soothing lull of the river, submerging herself up to her nostrils. It wasn’t that she didn’t want Inuyasha to see her naked; if he jumped in this river right now and told her he loved her, she would be more than happy to do anything he wanted, and that included going all the way. But until then, until he admitted he wanted her, he wasn’t getting any free peeks. She wasn’t a slut, and she wasn’t going to give her virginity away on a whim. If she ever did have to leave him forever, maybe she would ask him to spend their last night with her even if he didn’t love her… She shuddered; hopefully it wouldn’t come to that.

Now that the tranquil water was calming her agitated temper, she felt a little guilty for being so harsh with Inuyasha. Her stunt really had been a dirty trick, and she couldn’t blame him for his reaction. Then I threatened to osuwari him if he didn’t agree to take a bath. And all he did was help me train all day… Yep, she definitely felt the need to make it up to him. But how? She folded her arms on the bank and rested her chin on them, gazing contemplatively at his rigid back. She frowned; he couldn’t be very comfortable over there, all sweaty in those fire-rat robes of his. Plus the flies were out, buzzing around his ears and forcing him to plaster them to his head. He smelled of irritation and anxiety. His appearance gave her an idea, one which she hurried to put into effect before she could question her sanity.

"Inuyasha…do you want to join me?"

He whirled around, staring slack-jawed at Kagome. He was actually glad he couldn’t see anything because of her position, because he was having enough trouble wrapping his head around her question and didn’t need anything else distracting him. He couldn’t have heard her correctly, could he? Did she really just ask him to join her in the river? No clothes. Bare ass naked. No barriers keeping them from… Hold on, Spiffy. She probably didn’t mean it like *that.* Still, he had to be sure.

"W-what?" Given his astonishment, Kagome hastened to explain herself, waving her hands in front of her.

"I didn’t mean…I just meant you could take a bath…at the same time as me. You looked so hot and miserable over there… I swear I won’t peek!" Inuyasha mulled it over…for about half a second. It was a very easy decision considering how he felt about her. And when else might he get the chance to bathe with her, both of them naked as the day they were born? He would be a fool to waste such an opportunity, even if nothing came of it. He strolled slowly to the edge of the river, undoing the ties of his haori as he went. Kagome turned her back, both to avert her eyes and to preserve her own modesty. Inuyasha shed the rest of his clothes and waded into the water, allowing it to sap all the tension from his overheated body. He and Kagome hovered about fifteen feet apart, facing away from each other as the minutes ticked by.

"Thanks, wench," he said at last, breaking the awkward silence that had settled between them.

"You’re welcome," Kagome replied with a smile. Deciding to get down to business, she grabbed her soaps and started to wash. Inuyasha remained so still and quiet that she might have thought him asleep if not for the scent of attraction in the air. It was oddly comforting; at least she wasn’t the only one affected by their close nude proximity.

"Do you want some soap, Inuyasha?"

"Got any that won’t make me smell like a flowery panzee?"

Kagome chuckled and shook her head. "Yeah, I have some unscented body wash. Here," she called as she tossed the bottle, intending to have it fly over his head and land in front of him. Unfortunately, her aim was a little off.

*Bonk!!!*

"Ah! Dammit, wench! What the fuck was that for?!" Inuyasha yelled, rubbing his sore cranium. He turned to berate her further and stopped dead.

"Sorry! I didn’t mean it!" Upon impact, Kagome had risen out of the water in concern, and had never sunk back down. By the time she realized this, Inuyasha’s eyes were locked firmly on her chest and the air was becoming perfumed with his arousal. "Eep!" she squeaked before covering herself and submerging. Inuyasha looked away quickly as both sets of cheeks pinked.

"Sorry," he muttered. Kagome could only nod in reply, not quite trusting her voice at the moment. The scent of Inuyasha’s excitement was doing funny things to her own body, causing her to squirm slightly in unfulfilled need. Perhaps this hadn’t been such a good idea after all…

Kagome took to lathering up her hair full of that berry-scented shampoo stuff, and Inuyasha waded downstream to catch the bottle of body wash before it floated too far away. Popping open the top, he took an experimental sniff. It wasn’t "unscented" as Kagome had promised, but the odor was benign enough to be compatible with his sensitive nose. He stood up, the water only covering him up to his waist, and started to scrub his upper body. It was weird, cleaning himself with something other than just water and his hands, but he decided that he could get used to it. He kept his back to Kagome, but when he heard only silence coming from behind him he dared a peek over his shoulder. She was staring at him, her hands poised in her hair as if her scrubbing had suddenly been put on pause, little rivulets of shampoo leisurely sliding down her arms to drip off her elbows. She caught herself with a start, meeting his eyes for a split second before doing a quick one-eighty, but he still glimpsed the mad blush staining her cheeks. Inuyasha smirked; at least he hadn’t been the only one caught staring. Granted, he saw a lot more than she did, but that was nitpicking.

Kagome was now even more mortified—and aroused—than before. His hair had blocked most of her view, and it had only been his back, but the way he held himself simply enchanted her. His muscular arms moved to and fro, reminding her of how it felt to be cosseted by them. She longed for that feeling every day, it seemed. It was the warmest, safest place she knew.

Inuyasha was still wearing a dopey grin as he rinsed himself off and started working on his lower body. He was happy to find that the body wash worked almost as well underwater, because there was no way he was sticking his ass out of the river. That would be asking for trouble. He nearly groaned as he cleaned the sweatiest, stickiest sections of his skin. Fuck…ball sweat: the bane of every man’s existence… Ass sweat was no cup of ramen, either. Satisfied that he no longer smelled or felt like a giant armpit, he resumed floating on his back, supporting himself with his feet on the bottom of the river.

"H-hey, Inuyasha?" Kagome called hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

"Do you…do you want me to wash your hair? I have some unscented shampoo…" Inuyasha thought her proposal over carefully. With their mutual state of undress, having her close enough to touch him was probably a bad idea. He frowned at the stupidity of that way of thinking. Why was it bad, because he didn’t want to grab her, kiss her senseless, and make love to her right here in the river? He wanted nothing more that those things! And really, what was stopping him besides his own procrastination and insecurities? Nothing! Well, that wasn’t entirely true, but the meddling humans were gone for a change, meaning he and Kagome were finally alone. He shivered in anticipation at the thought. But before he did anything too forward, he resolved to see what Kagome had in mind.

"Sure, wench." Kagome was surprised at his affirmative, almost enthusiastic answer, but extremely pleased nonetheless. Wading over, she settled behind him and pressed gently down on his shoulders until he got the message and sank under the surface. She started to work the shampoo into his luxurious silver hair, rubbing it tenderly into his scalp. They both tensed immediately as she accidentally brushed her hardened nipples against his back. The action sent a jolt straight to her core, and Kagome was amazed that such a simple touch could feel so damn good. The scent of her arousal in the air doubled, and Inuyasha’s seemed to rise to meet it. Kagome realized with a sinking feeling that they were on dangerous ground. They were both so worked up already that one wrong move, any slight contact could send them over the edge into something that Inuyasha might not really want. Kagome had to reiterate to herself that attraction and even lust don’t necessarily translate to love. That thought was quite sobering, allowing her to regain some of her composure and continue washing his hair. Inuyasha didn’t relax so easily, but Kagome knew of a way to fix that. And since her hands were already right there…

This time Inuyasha did moan aloud as Kagome’s delicate fingers latched onto his ears. With her hands covered in the slick, silky shampoo, it felt as if the Kami themselves were worshipping the fuzzy appendages. Daaaaaamn…how is she so fucking good at this… Somehow he managed to keep himself from purring…just barely, and only because Kagome went back to washing his hair after a couple short minutes. The feel of her running her fingers through his silken strands was almost as soothing as having his ears rubbed. And his stubborn manhood, which had been fully erect a few minutes ago, settled down to half-mast. Kagome pushed on his shoulders again and he went under, holding his breath as she rinsed the shampoo out of his hair. He expected her to wade back to the bank when he came up, but she surprised him by doing something completely different.

For Kagome, touching Inuyasha had proven completely addicting, and she wanted more. His back was directly in front of her, and she worked up the courage to do something she had heard her girlfriends gabbing about on a couple occasions. She hoped their advice would make up for her lack of experience with this. She placed both hands on his shoulders, feeling the strain of anxiety seize his muscles once more. She responded swiftly, digging her palms into his skin as she massaged his shoulders. It astonished her how quickly Inuyasha became putty in her hands. He had probably never received a massage before, but judging by his reaction this wouldn’t be the last time she gave him one. That was fine with her; any physical contact was more than welcome.

Inuyasha was anything but fine. Most of his body had been lulled into a blob of spongy goo by Kagome’s ever-talented hands, but a certain part of him was far from relaxed. He was hard as stone, for fuck’s sake! As far as he knew, he had never been aroused to the point of pain before, but he was now. It was incredibly bizarre, as if the blood was rushing out of the rest of his body straight to his engorged cock! (3) It wasn’t long, however, before his body began to heat up once again. He started breathing heavily, his arousal spiraling upwards until it filled the air around them. Kagome paused in her ministrations, unsure of herself, and Inuyasha reached a decision. I can’t fucking take it anymore!

Kagome gasped at the speed at which he turned to face her, nearly sending her stumbling into the river. He caught her around the shoulders, setting her skin aflame wherever they touched. A matching fire danced in his eyes, and Kagome was nearly scorched by its intensity. Need, want, lust; these things dominated his gaze, demanding a type of submission she was unable or unwilling to refuse. But there was something else, a softness that she didn’t dare try to rationalize. Whatever that emotion was, it rose rapidly as some of the blazing desire receded. It was still there, powerful as ever, but this new softness became dominant, making her heart flutter in a way that had nothing to do with physical arousal.

"Kagome…" he whispered as his right hand reached up and cupped her cheek. Inuyasha would never know how much that one word meant to her. It cast light were there had been shadow, and brought hope where there had been despair. Looking into his eyes in that moment, she couldn’t help but feel absolutely cherished, unquestioningly loved. Her heart swelled, and she took the initiative, placing her small hand over his and leaning toward him.

Inuyasha pulled away so suddenly that she lost her balance, tumbling head first into the water. She came up sputtering, more disappointed than she had ever been in her life. She sensed some of the same emotion from Inuyasha, but something else gripped him as well. His face was beat red, but not from embarrassment, and his entire body had gone rigid. He was furious, absolutely livid. His teeth were clenched so hard that it appeared they were about to shatter, and it looked like speaking would be impossible. Sniffing in the direction he was glaring, Kagome picked up a scent that made her want to bash her head against a rock. Inuyasha, who had been facing the bank, must have sensed the intruder somehow.

"Come on out, Shippo," she ordered in exasperation. The kit stepped out from behind a bush, and had the good graces to look contrite.

"I’m sorry, Kagome!" he pleaded. "I was just leaving, and then I stepped on a fallen branch…" Oh, Kagome thought, so that’s how Inuyasha heard him. I guess I was too out of it to notice… But then, Inuyasha had grown up having to listen to every tiny noise to survive, so she couldn’t blame him for being so attentive.

"What were you doing here in the first place?" she asked, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice.

"Kaede said you were taking a bath, so I thought I’d join you. I didn’t know Inuyasha was here, too." Then, Shippo smirked, and Kagome knew what that meant.

Mischief.

"So, you finally took my advice, eh Inuyasha?" the kit drolled, earning an even harsher glare from the hanyou, if that was possible. "I told you way back when we first met that it’s more fun to bathe together." The snapping of Inuyasha’s temper was almost audible.

"THAT’S IT!!!!" he roared as he leapt out of the river in a single bound. Shippo literally escaped capture by the fur on his tail, scurrying off into the underbrush as fast as his four paws would carry him.

"Come back here, you little shit!!! I’m gonna skin you alive!!!" Inuyasha bellowed, vanishing after him. Kagome sank back into the water, covering her flaming cheeks with both hands. She had just seen enough of Inuyasha’s naked ass to last her a lifetime. Well, maybe not a lifetime…more like a day. It was a very nice ass, after all. Kagome craned her neck further and leaned her forehead in her hands. Was she really going to have to content herself with just a look tonight? They had been so close! Dammit! She had been about to kiss him, and that look in his eyes… Could it have been love? Her heart had thought so at the time. And then there was the lust… She shuddered, tearing her mind away from such thoughts. Dwelling on that moment would only make it more difficult to cool down. Her body was all wound up, aching for something that only Inuyasha could give her. She shook her head; she should have been ashamed for wanting sex so badly, but couldn’t bring herself to care at the moment. No one could blame her for such desire considering the circumstances.

Sighing miserably, she heaved herself out of the river and dressed quickly for fear of Inuyasha’s return. With her arousal receding at an agonizingly slow pace, she was gradually switching back into ‘virgin mode.’ She considered grabbing Inuyasha’s clothes, but quickly dismissed that idea. If she did that, he would need to seek her out—stark naked—to reclaim them. That was the last thing she needed; she definitely wouldn’t get any sleep if she saw any more of him. She was already expecting a long night as it was.

Unfortunately, Kagome was right. It took her several hours to fall asleep, though not totally for the reason she predicted. It was so cold without Inuyasha’s warmth next to her. Who knew two nights nestled against him would make it so she wouldn’t fall asleep otherwise? Shippo was certainly happy; he passed out as soon as his head touched her sleeping bag. Getting chased around by a nude hanyou would tire anyone out, unless of course you wanted to be caught… And there was that dirty mind of hers again, the other reason she couldn’t fall asleep. Eventually, however, the day’s training caught up with her, pulling her into a restless slumber filled with delightfully decadent dreams that always seemed to end before they go to the good part.

*End Day 2*

The following morning sucked for all parties. Inuyasha hadn’t slept so well himself, perched on the hard, lonely surface of Kaede’s roof. So naturally he was quite pissy, an attitude made all the more potent by lingering resentment at Shippo for his bad timing the day before. For her part, Kagome didn’t bear Shippo any ill will, but lack of sleep did sour even her normally bright mood. Fortunately, they weren’t training today; a journey to Totosai’s was on the docket. They set out after breakfast, and reached the old demon’s cave by mid-afternoon.

"Oi, Totosai! You in there?!" Inuyasha called.

"Who’s that?" came the curious reply.

"Get your wrinkly ass out here, you old geezer!"

"Inuyasha, be nice!" Kagome scolded. "We’re asking him a favor!"

"Feh! He still owes me for saving his sorry ass from Sesshoumaru."

"You don’t think fixing Tetsusaiga was enough of a repayment?"

"Uh…"

"I thought so."

"Kagome?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

"Why you…" Luckily for Inuyasha, Totosai chose that moment to make his appearance, distracting Kagome from her mounting irritation with her hanyou companion.

"So, Inuyasha, what brings you and your foul mouth to my home?" the old man asked.

"Feh. Kagome needs something to seal her hanyou blood."

"Kagome is a hanyou? I always thought she was human…"

"No, you forgetful bastard! Don’t you remember? She was a hanyou the last time we were here!" When all Inuyasha got in reply was a vacant look, he growled in exasperation. Kagome chose that moment to step in.

"Please, Totosai-sama," she cooed, "do you think you could make something for me?" No man could resist that amount of feminine charm, not even one who was several hundred years old. Totosai was just happy to be spoken to respectfully for a change.

"Of course, my dear. Do you want a sword?"

"Uh…couldn’t it be something smaller…and less sharp?"

"Hmmm…sorry, but I’m a swordsmith. I don’t know how to make anything else. I suppose I could craft a short sword, something you won’t actually use for fighting…"

"That would be great! Thank you so much!" Kagome exclaimed, hugging Totosai around the shoulders. Inuyasha couldn’t help but feel a small pang of jealousy.

"Yes, yes," the old youkai brushed off her gratitude, "come inside and we’ll get started." The three of them went into the cave, and Totosai grabbed something from the back before settling down with the two hanyou. Kagome grimaced as she spied the dreaded tongs in his hands.

"How many teeth do you need?" she asked reluctantly.

"One should do it. Don’t worry, dear, I’ll make it quick."

"It’ll still hurt like hell," Inuyasha interjected, earning himself two annoyed glares. This whole situation tickled him greatly. Kagome had rolled her eyes at the fuss he’d made when Totosai pulled his tooth all those months ago, and now it was her turn. We’ll see who’s fussing over nothing now! He chuckled deeply.

"He he he—aaaaaAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Inuyasha screamed. His hands flew to his mouth as he stared wrathfully at Totosai, who was now holding his left canine in the tongs. "Wh-what the fuck was that for!"

"Well, we need your tooth, don’t we?" Totosai replied. Inuyasha’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull. The worst part was that he couldn’t tell if the old man had really forgotten whose tooth he was supposed to yank or if the geezer was just fucking with him.

"NO!!! Kagome’s tooth. KAGOME’S tooth!!!!"

"Oh…oops…"

"Oops! Is that all you can say, you senile son of a bi—"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted, cutting off his tirade. "Shut up," she said with a slight smirk, throwing his words back at him. Inuyasha might have told her to fuck off, or something similar, but the dangerous glint in her eye told him he was on thin ice. An osuwari was in his near future if he didn’t calm himself.

"I’ll shut up when I damn well feel like it," he grumbled under his breath, folding his arms over his chest and pouting. Kagome rolled her eyes; she could let him have that small victory. She wasn’t an immature baka who didn’t have the patience to deal with old people.

"You know, Inuyasha-sama," spoke a familiar voice, "we probably would have needed your tooth anyway."

"Myouga?" Sure enough, the flea leapt up from the floor onto Inuyasha’s knee. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Tell me, Inuyasha-sama, why do you think the Tetsusaiga seals your youkai blood?"

He shrugged. "Because it’s made from Oyaji’s fang?" (4)

"Precisely. If Tetsusaiga was made of just your fang, it wouldn’t restrain your youkai side at all. You need outside help to do that."

"Why is that, Myouga?" Kagome inquired curiously.

"Well, think about it. If you had the power to control your youkai blood, you wouldn’t need a sword to do it, would you?"

"Oh, I see. So Inuyasha needed the strength of his father. Does it have to be a blood relative."

"Normally, yes, but your case is unique. Your family is human, so their teeth won’t help at all. The youkai you are most closely connected to is Inuyasha-sama. Even though you two aren’t actually related, you share a powerful bond. And Inuyasha-sama is strong, so the strength of his youki shouldn’t be an issue."

"Will it work?" Kagome asked, flushing slightly at Myouga’s blunt description of her relationship with Inuyasha.

"There’s no way to tell for sure, but I believe it will."

"That’s good enough for me. Do you still need my tooth?"

"Yes, I think it would be helpful if we blended your two teeth together."

"Wow, Myouga’s actually being useful for a change," Inuyasha interjected sulkily, still annoyed with Totosai.

"Inuyasha-sama! I am always at your service…"

"Yeah, right! I guarantee you won’t be around the next time we need you."

"Hmmph!" Myouga snorted indignantly. "I’m here now, aren’t I?"

"Keh. Why the hell are you here anyway? Weren’t you just at Daichi’s?"

"Uh…I had an unpleasant run-in with Sakura," the flea stated embarrassedly, causing Inuyasha to grin in amusement.

"She almost eat you?"

"I don’t want to talk about it." Inuyasha’s reply was forestalled by a small cry from Kagome. He looked over to see her holding her cheek, one of her fangs noticeably missing. "Wow," Myouga observed, "Kagome didn’t even make a sound." Three sets of amused eyes turned to Inuyasha at this, who could only stutter.

"I-I wasn’t expecting it!" he yelled defensively.

"Of course," Myouga assured, though it was pretty clear he was just humoring the hanyou. Growling, Inuyasha made a grab for the flea, but to no avail; Myouga hopped off and made his escape. Standing swiftly, Inuyasha held out his hand to Kagome, more to drag her out of the cave than to help her up.

"Come on, wench, we’re leaving. Totosai, when will you have it ready?"

"Have what ready?"

Grrrrrrr. *Bonk* "The sword you’re making for Kagome, dumbass!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome admonished. "Punching him in the head isn’t going to help his memory!"

"Feh! Answer the question, you old fart! And you’d better not tell me you forgot again!"

"Hmmm…" the elderly youkai contemplated, scratching his chin. "Well, it’s small, so come back tomorrow. Maybe I’ll have it done by then."

"Good," was the irritated hanyou’s only reply before he stormed out of the cave, Kagome in tow.

"Thank you, Totosai-sama!" she called before vanishing from view. Myouga reappeared once the coast was clear, hopping up onto Totosai’s shoulder and shaking his head.

"Well, at least he made the right decision in the end."

"Still a hothead though," Totosai answered.

"No doubt about that."

Shortly after departing, Inuyasha and Kagome reunited with their friends, who were waiting at the edge of Totosai’s domain as promised. Sango seemed happy enough, so Kagome deduced that Miroku must have done something right. After dinner, they went to bed in normal camp sleeping arrangements, with Inuyasha up a convenient tree. Again, both hanyou had trouble falling asleep, but not as much as the night before.

Sango took Kagome to train the following morning, saying that she wanted to show her a few things. The problem was the taijiya made perfectly clear that his was a "girls only" training session, which left Inuyasha stuck with a certain lecherous monk who wouldn’t leave him alone. The monk gathered that something had happened in his absence, and wasn’t about to stop bugging Inuyasha until the latter spilled the beans. Then that idiot fox kit blurted out the hot spring incident… Needless to say, it was a stressful morning for Inuyasha, and it was no better for Kagome. She got in her question first, asking Sango about Miroku’s behavior. As it turned out, the monk had started flirting with the village girls but ceased immediately upon receiving an icy look from his betrothed. Though he made no further attempts to womanize, Sango still wondered if he would behave himself if she weren’t around. But it was progress; Miroku never used to care who was around when he flirted. Kagome was glad to hear the monk was making some effort to control himself.

Of course, now Kagome was obligated to answer Sango’s questions regarding her experiences in their time apart. Reciprocity was indeed a bitch. So she described the fiasco in the hot spring in embarrassing detail, not even bothering to pretend she regretted anything up to Shippo’s interruption. Sango was just floored that Kagome had the guts to invite Inuyasha to bathe with her in the first place. The funny thing was that both girls were left absolutely certain that the other’s relationship would work out, and less sure about their own.

When afternoon came, Inuyasha and Kagome retrieved the latter’s new seal from Totosai. It was a plain silver short sword, about a foot long, with no guard and no decorative markings of any kind. A casual observer would have no idea the sword was special in any way, but Kagome felt a spark of power the instant she touched the handle. She probably wouldn’t use it in battle, much preferring her arrows, but she guessed that it might help control her youkai blood. She sheathed it and placed it on her hip. Feeling grateful, she coerced Inuyasha into helping her prepare Totosai a hot bath when the old youkai started dropping hints that he needed one. Inuyasha was none too happy about that, and as a result he grumbled the whole time.

So there it was. Between badly-timed interruptions, annoying interrogations, missed opportunities, and two days without any opportunities period, Inuyasha had every reason to be pissed off. It was now the fifth day since his night with Kagome in the Goshinboku, and they were on the road again, heading to Daichi’s because Kagome had expressed a desire to thank him for her new clothes in person. He wasn’t particularly happy with any of his friends; they were all in his dog house for something. Sango and Shippo for trampling on ‘the moment,’ Miroku for being a hentai, and Kagome for being so damn enticing that he couldn’t fucking thing about anything else! Well, that wasn’t entirely true. The foul scent on the breeze certainly took his mind off Kagome, as his thoughts turned to how nice it would be to tear a certain wolf a new asshole. In light of Koga’s attitude during his last visit, maybe Kagome would let him get away with picking a fight this time…

"Hey, Kagome," the wolf prince greeted cockily as he skidded to a halt before her. He did not, however, grab her hands like he usually did. In fact, he seemed almost put off by her appearance. "So…you’re still a hanyou?" he questioned, doing a very poor job of concealing his disappointment. Before Kagome—or Inuyasha—could answer, something else caught the wolf’s attention. "Kagome, what the hell are you wearing?" It was a little chilly today, so Kagome had chosen to wear the kosode and hakama with the green, white, and blue swirling pattern. To her knowledge, it was the first time Koga had seen her in anything besides modern clothes, so she supposed it was only natural to wonder where she had gotten something like this. Still, to be so harsh about it…

"Heh. Looks good on her, don’t it flea-bag," Inuyasha replied. Koga could only stare in shock. Did he…did he just compliment her? And why is she looking at him like he recited love poetry to her?!

"Kagome looks incredibly beautiful in whatever she wears," he answered smoothly. He frowned when Kagome didn’t even glance in his direction. What the fuck?! Hadn’t his flattering been better than that unrefined cretin’s?

"That’s the smartest thing you’ve ever said, wolf," Inuyasha responded. "Now beat it." What the half-breed did next infuriated Koga to the point of seeing red. Having intercepted Kagome’s endeared look, the bastard had the audacity to loop his arm around the girl. Kagome was his woman, dammit! He would not stand for some dog’s claim on her, no matter how informal it was at the moment. What really concerned and incensed him was the Kagome didn’t seem to mind; she actually appeared to enjoy the half-breed’s embrace. Growling viciously, he lunged forward and forcefully separated the two of them, baring his teeth at Inuyasha, who just smirked at him. The hanyou was practically oozing confidence for some reason, and it made him nervous.

"Koga! What—" Kagome started, only to be cut off. It was not lost on the wolf that Kagome had not used "-kun" when addressing him. When had he lost the privilege of being referred to with an honorific? It was all Inuyasha’s fault; of that he was certain.

"Where did you get those clothes, Kagome?" he ground out through gritted teeth, trying not to take out his anger on his woman. Kagome narrowed her eyes at him, not liking his possessive behavior one bit. And given his past and present reactions to her hanyou transformation, she was no longer in any kind of mood to be nice to the wolf. So, for the first time ever, she was rude to Koga.

"It’s none of your business, but if you must know, Inuyasha got them for me." Well, at least Koga now knew why the bastard had complimented her. Inuyasha’s head was stuck too far up his ass to realize just how truly special Kagome was, and how lucky he was to have her. But he doesn’t have her! She’s mine! Somehow he wasn’t as convinced of that fact as he used to be. He took a deep breath to calm himself, laying on the charm thick when he spoke.

"Kagome, if you wanted new clothes, you should have come to me. I’ll get you garments made of the finest furs, and you’ll never want to wear anything from that half—him ever again." Nobody missed Koga’s near slip, though no one commented on it directly. For Kagome, it made it even easier to finally stop placing the wolf on some sort of pedestal and treat him like the prejudiced jerk he was. She was going to stay a half-breed, after all.

"That’s not necessary, Koga; I love Inuyasha’s gifts." And there was that look again, that special smile that Koga so longed to see directed at him. But it was once again aimed at the mutt, and Koga began to wonder if that would ever change. He quickly banished that thought. When I make her my mate, she won’t be wearing any of that shit anymore, that’s for damn sure. I’ll burn all of it if I have to!

"But Kagome," he protested, "you should be dressed in only the finest furs and silks. Once you become human again, you won’t have any need for peasant clothes like that." Kagome was tempted to tell him off for making the pitifully false assertion that Daichi’s products were ‘peasant clothes,’ but his comment contained a more important issue that needed addressing.

"Koga…I’m not changing back. I’ve decided to stay a hanyou…forever." Koga went slack-jawed for a second, but then his brow furrowed in fury. He had tried for so long to avoid putting his foot down with Kagome, but there was no avoiding it now.

"No, you’re not."

"Excuse me?" Kagome inquired incredulously.

"You’re my woman, Kagome, and you’re changing back to a human."

"Why you…you arrogant prick! What gives you the right to boss me around?! I’m not your property!"

"But you are my future mate, and as such, you have to listen to me." At this point, Inuyasha could no longer hold his tongue.

"She ain’t never gonna be your mate, bastard!"

"Shut the fuck up, Inu-kurro! You want her to change back too!"

"Not anymore! That was…a mistake," he finished softly. Kagome placed her delicate hand on his shoulder, rubbing soothingly as she favored him with a compassionate look. Koga was enraged and sickened by the entire display. Inuyasha seemed to regain his confidence from Kagome’s comfort, and he turned fiery eyes back towards the wolf. "I’ll stay with Kagome no matter which form she chooses. And at least I had good reasons for wanting her to become human! I wasn’t just being a selfish bastard!"

"My reasons are selfless too!" Koga retorted with some conviction, though doubt easily worked its way into his voice.

"Bullshit! You claim to care about her, you fucking bigot?! If you really loved her you wouldn’t ask her to change for you!"

"And what would you know about loving Kagome?" Koga smirked at Inuyasha’s hesitation. Heh…that’ll shut him up. For Inuyasha, time slowed to a crawl, as seconds seemed to take hours. His father’s words came back to him: "there will be times in every man’s life when he must do or say the right thing, or lose the ones he loves." This was one of those times. How could he deny his feelings now and then confess them later? If he announced that he didn’t love Kagome now, he could lose her forever. Still, his nerves and insecurities struck him hard, forcing him to reach a compromise within himself.

"Maybe…maybe I know more about that than you think."

A/N – Wow, you guys made a whole bunch of guesses as to the legal term I used: assertion, conviction, interrogate, sue, domain, bigot, disabuse. The one I was actually thinking of was docket, which is the schedule of cases and hearings for a court. I used it right after the end of day 2 when I wrote "a journey to Totosai’s was on the docket." So nobody got it, but I’m feeling generous today, so anyone who made a guess gets a cookie!

"Maybe…maybe I know more about that than you think."

A virtual symphony of shocked gasps rang out behind Inuyasha, completely robbing him of his momentary bravado. Koga’s dumbfounded expression really brought it home to him. This was real; he had actually said that aloud. Nervous would not begin to describe how he felt. All eyes were squarely on him; he could feel them boring holes in his back. He was surrounded, backed into a corner, and natural instincts kicked in. And since there was no enemy to fight, the only thing left was flight. He had never been one to run from adversity, but this was completely different from anything he’d ever faced before. This was the prelude to asking Kagome to be his mate, and he was now realizing that he had absolutely no idea what he was going to do or say. The awkwardness and uncertainty weighed heavily upon him, and he couldn’t handle the pressure. He panicked.

"This is stupid," he declared without turning around. "I’m going hunting. Set up camp somewhere that doesn’t reek of wolf." With that, he was gone, darting across the open ground until he reached the familiar and comforting shelter of the trees. He glanced back over his shoulder once his body was concealed by shadow, waiting until he saw Koga depart before treading deeper into the forest. He had a lot of thinking to do.

For her part, Kagome simply stood stock still, staring straight ahead in total disbelief even as Inuyasha made his hasty withdrawal. The only thing her conscious mind was capable of at the moment was repeating his words over and over again. "Maybe…maybe I know more about that than you think." The that of course was loving her, a fact which ballooned her excitement so much that she was hard pressed not to float away on it. The only thing keeping her grounded was past hurt, the part of her that clung despairingly to the memories of Inuyasha abandoning her to go off to see Kikyou. But she wanted to believe him so badly; if only he hadn’t been so ambiguous about it! If he really did love her, then everything that had occurred in these past few months made sense. Their closeness, the kisses, the almost-kisses, the attraction, the arousal…all of it would be explained if he felt the same way about her as she did about him. That did seem to be the only logical explanation; Inuyasha wasn’t a player, and he wouldn’t have allowed all that to happen if he didn’t have strong feelings for her. Was it love? She could only hope. No, she could also ask him, communicate with him about it. Her resolve solidified; by the end of the night, she would know for sure whether she and Inuyasha had a future together or not.

"Kagome," Koga tried for the fifth time, but again received no response. The miko continued to be stand there as lifeless as a statue. He didn’t know what pissed him off more, her reaction to Inuyasha’s words or the fact that she was ignoring him to think about them. He tried to be angry, but his heart clenched in anguish as it comprehended what his rational mind still refused to accept: Kagome was gone, her heart out of reach.

"Maybe you should go, Koga," the monk advised, genuine sympathy leaking into his tone. Koga could only nod dumbly, sparing one more glance at Kagome, who was still oblivious to the world, before speeding off. As he ran, some of the desolation that had gripped him bled away, to be replaced by determination. He wouldn’t give up on Kagome so easily. How did he even know how strong her feelings were for Inuyasha? Even if she did…love the mutt, there was no guarantee that the baka wouldn’t screw it up. Catching Kagome on the rebound was decidedly less than optimal, but it would be better than not having her at all. He would return, and continue his courtship of his woman. So why did it feel like he’d already lost?

"Kagome-chan," Sango called, waving her arms in front of her friend’s face, to no avail; Kagome remained firmly immersed in her stupor. But Miroku had an idea, a sure-fire way to bring their companion back to reality. He crept up behind her, and ever so slowly his right hand inched toward the gentle rise of her ass. Unfortunately, Kagome’s hanyou senses apparently came with groping proximity sensors, because she snapped out of it before his hand made contact. Moving quicker than the human eye could follow, she spun toward him, lashing out and pushing him in the chest while simultaneously sticking her leg out behind his. The end result was Miroku lying flat on his back, staring up at the blue sky and wondering what the hell had just happened.

"Oof!" he exclaimed as Kagome stepped on his stomach on her way over him. She resumed their previous course, still looking quite distracted, but at least now aware of the world around her. Sango’s lovely countenance came into his view next, as she hovered over him shaking her head. But he could see she was trying to stifle a smile, so that was a good thing.

"You got what you deserved, Houshi-sama," she said, offering him a hand up, which he took gratefully.

"My dear Sango, you misunderstand," he replied as he heaved himself to his feet. "I was merely trying to—"

"Save it, Houshi-sama. You’re just lucky she didn’t use one of the other moves I showed her."

"You taught her that take-down?" he asked incredulously. Sango merely smirked in response, giving him his answer. "Remind me not to grope Kagome ever again."

"Oh, I think Inuyasha will give you enough of a reminder if you ever try it again." (1)

Miroku grimaced. "Good point."

The rest of the gang caught up with Kagome easily enough. The miko was secretly considering tracking Inuyasha down, but decided to give him the time he needed. He would return when he was ready. By late afternoon, however, her patience had begun to wear thin. They were already setting up camp, and darkness was only a couple hours away. She was beginning to get quite edgy; it was becoming harder to sit and wait for him with each passing second.

"Where’s Inuyasha? I’m hungry," Shippo complained.

"Sorry, Shippo," Miroku replied, "but the only thing Inuyasha is hunting for is answers to life’s most important questions."

"Aww, but he said he was going hunting for dinner…" Seeing her opportunity, Kagome shot to her feet.

"If Inuyasha’s not getting food, I will. I’ll go hunting!" Sango and Miroku shared a dubious look, but chose not to comment on where they knew she was really going.

"Ok, Kagome-chan. Be safe!" Sango called dramatically, a poor acting job if Miroku had ever seen one. He dared not voice that thought aloud; his head was enjoying not having any lumps on it. But Kagome didn’t seem to care, as she nodded and darted enthusiastically off into the forest.

"Things will never be the same," Miroku declared wistfully as he rummaged around in the miko’s bag for some ninja food.

"What do you mean, Houshi-sama?"

"Come now, Sango. We both know she’s going looking for Inuyasha, and when she finds him…well, let’s just say they’ll be getting very close tonight." His words were vague, but his tone left no doubt as to what he meant. Sango flushed lightly despite herself.

"I-I don’t think they’ll go that far so soon."

"Really? You don’t think they’ll be, shall we say, ‘connected in body’ by the time they come back to camp?"

"I wouldn’t bet on it." Miroku’s grin widened at this, as if a marvelous new idea had occurred to him. Sango was suddenly very worried, and for good reason.

"Bet on it, you say? What a wonderful idea!"

"W-what?! I didn’t—"

"I accept your challenge, Sango. Now, what are the terms?"

"NO!!! We are not betting on whether our friends are doing to…that tonight!!!" Miroku shrugged nonchalantly, but Sango could tell he was still up to something.

"Well, I can understand if you’re afraid, Sango…" The taijiya clenched her fists. He’s baiting you…don’t fall for it! She knew this, and yet, how could she back down from a challenge like that? The monk was basically calling her a coward! Her warrior pride couldn’t take an insult like that sitting down, not by a long shot. And since she couldn’t in good conscience beat the monk to a bloody pulp for his indiscretion…

"Fine! If I win, um…I’ll think of something."

Miroku chuckled. "Fair enough. Now, what do I get if I win? Hmm…"

"If it’s anything hentai the deal’s off," Sango warned, reaching for hiraikotsu. The monk waved his hands as if to physically dispel that notion.

"Nothing like that! How about… How about a kiss?"

"A k-k-kiss?" Sango repeated, turning deathly pale. Kagome’s words from the hot spring all those weeks ago came back to her. "It was amazing, Sango-chan," Kagome continued, completely lost in the memory. "I’ve never felt so alive, so connected to Inuyasha." "He deepened it too; we even tangled tongues." Thinking of doing that with Miroku made Sango blush crimson, but at the same time she was more than a little curious what it would be like…

"Shall I take your silence as a ‘yes?’" Miroku posed, clearly amused. Hesitating only briefly, Sango nodded, hoping that she hadn’t just made a colossal mistake. I hope Kagome doesn’t get too mad at me for this…

"Kirara," the forgotten kitsune asked, "why are adults so complicated?"

*Mew*

Inuyasha sighed again, not quite believing that after hours of contemplation, he had yet to come up with any real answers. There were a thousand and one ways to reveal his true feelings to Kagome, but none of them seemed right, and he hadn’t been able to settle on one. But was that really a bad thing? Maybe with something like this, he was better off just winging it. He scoffed inwardly. Yeah, ‘cause that’s always been my strong suit… He had tasted his proverbial foot in his mouth too many times to have any illusions about his speaking ability. Not to mention the dirt…

But he couldn’t put this off any longer. If Kagome was half as anxious as he was, she was probably pacing around the camp by now. Leaping down from the tree he was perched in, he set off to rejoin his friends. It was easy enough to locate the trail they had taken, and he simply followed their scents. Suddenly a new scent reached his nostrils, causing him to stop dead in his tracks. It was Kagome’s scent but fresher, as if he was actually smelling her this time and not merely tracking an aroma clinging to nature. His heartbeat doubled and his breathing became rapid. Gulping, he hesitantly swerved into the forest, pushing his way through the underbrush. He tried to calm his nerves as he went, but was largely unsuccessful. This was it. Kagome was alone—he’d yell at her later for that—but this was the opportunity he’d been waiting for. One way or another, his life would never be the same after today. There was no room for the status quo; it was either happiness or heartbreak.

He came upon her rather suddenly, but his natural stealth allowed him to remain undetected. Or maybe that was because Kagome was concentrating really hard on something. Regardless, the sight of her filled him with dread. She looked to be struggling with herself, tears bleeding freely down her cheeks. He hurled himself forward, hollering as he went.

"KAGOME!!!"

Kagome kicked at a stone, mentally berating herself. Did I really just tell them I was going hunting? That has to be the lamest excuse ever! I’ve never gone hunting in my life! She knew they hadn’t bought it, but was grateful that they humored her. At least she was out of camp, and could look for Inuyasha. Now, how would she go about doing that? One option was to backtrack to where they met Koga, find his trail, and follow it until she found him. But that would take hours, and she was reluctant to stray too far from camp in case he returned on his own. So that left just searching the surrounding area and hoping he was sitting in a tree somewhere nearby. Frustration was setting in after about fifteen minutes of not catching a hint of his scent.

Suddenly, a brown blob darted out of a bush directly to her right, startling her and sending her jumping back a good ten feet, hissing like a frightened cat. She stopped as she saw what the creature was. A rabbit. A stupid, furry rabbit. She had accidentally stumbled upon its hiding place, forcing it to scurry away. Now it sat perched on a rock, gazing at her warily with one eye. The insolent little rodent gave her an idea, one that revolted her at first. It took her several minutes to talk herself into it. Well, you did tell them you were going hunting… Still, could she really bring herself to kill, even if it was for food? Meat was an essential part of the diets of human and youkai alike, as far as she knew. And so far, Inuyasha was the only one who provided it. He was the only one who had to take life, or get his hands dirty doing it. Hell, he was the sole reason why any of them ever ate meat. If it weren’t for Inuyasha, she probably would have become a de facto vegetarian by now. Miroku’s travel funds barely covered the occasional stay at an inn, never mind hearty meals for the six of them. That was one reason he usually resorted to phony exorcisms.

Why did Inuyasha have to hunt all the time when she, as a hanyou, was perfectly capable of doing it? In many ways, she reflected, she still behaved like a human. And if she was going to remain a hanyou for the rest of her life, she had to start acting like one. So now her mind was made up, but there still remained the actual catching and killing of the rabbit. Catching the critter was the easy part; a short burst and an even shorter chase later, and she had it pinned to the ground by its neck. But how did she dispatch it? Claws? Suffocation? Why hadn’t she put any thought into this?!

Then she made the mistake of looking into the creature’s eyes, and her fragile resolve collapsed like a tower of cards. Huge and black the orbs were, but filled with absolute panic. The rabbit’s breathing was unbelievably fast, the little legs flailing wildly as it tried to break free. Kagome tried to hold back her tears, but they came unabated as she raised her free hand to deliver the finishing blow. She lost count of the number of times she started to strike only to stop while her hand was still in the air. Eventually, the rabbit ceased struggling; it was still breathing hard, but seemed resigned to its fate now. Either that or it was too exhausted to continue. Kagome trembled in indecision, wavering at the point of no return for what seemed like hours. But she had to do this, if only to prove to herself that she wasn’t the most helpless hanyou to ever roam the planet. If Inuyasha saw her like this, agonizing over some stupid rodent’s life, what would he say?

That thought cinched it for Kagome, as she closed her eyes and plunged her hand downward. She heard her name being called just before a large weight slammed into her from the side, tackling her to the ground. The lucky rabbit slipped from her grasp and scampered in the undergrowth. Kagome struggled for a moment before her mind caught up with her and she recognized the voice. She went completely limp, sobbing into the familiar haori as Inuyasha carefully lifted her to sit in his lap.

"Kagome," he uttered softly, "what the hell were you doing?" It took the miko several minutes to calm down enough to answer.

"I’m sorry," she muttered, eyes downcast.

"For what?"

"For being so weak." Instantly, Inuyasha understood.

"Baka!" he spit out without thinking, only succeeding in making Kagome feel worse. Sobering when she became even more miserable, he sighed. "Kagome…" he tried, but she still refused to raise her head. "Kagome, look at me," he ordered, gently gripping her chin and lifting it. Finally their eyes locked, and he saw so many conflicting emotions in those chocolate orbs: sadness, remorse, relief, self-loathing… Was it any wonder she was crying? He tenderly ran his thumb along her cheek, wiping away the stubborn moisture that clung there. Now a new emotion appeared in her eyes: hope.

"You don’t have to prove yourself to anyone, Kagome," Inuyasha continued. "Just because you can’t kill a rabbit doesn’t make you weak. Killing…it’s not easy."

"B-but you kill animals for food all the time!"

Inuyasha shrugged. "I do it because I have to. I don’t enjoy it."

"I know that," Kagome reassured. "I just didn’t realize it was so hard…"

"Feh. Do you have any idea how long it took me to be able to kill?" Kagome’s eyes widened as she stared at rapt attention, waiting for him to continue. It took a minute or two to gather his thoughts as long forgotten memories came flooding back. "My mother died in spring," he said at last. "All during the summer and fall, I survived on fruits, nuts, whatever edible plant life I could find plus the meat I stole from human villages. Then winter came, and all of that disappeared. Humans can be very protective of food when there isn’t much of it to go around. I was nearly slain a couple times. I knew I would have to go hunting, but I was just a brat, and I couldn’t bring myself to kill an animal that had done me no wrong. I don’t know how many rabbits I caught and let go. Finally it got to the point where it was either kill an animal or starve to death. So I did. I killed a rabbit. Afterwards, I was so guilty that I said a prayer for it. I don’t do that anymore, but I still have respect for all the animals I take. And I’m still grateful." His story told, Inuyasha closed his eyes as poignant emotions bubbled within him. But somehow, just the simple act of sharing some of his past with Kagome seemed to make him feel better. Until he smelled her tears, that is.

"Wh-why are you crying now?" he groaned.

"It’s so sad!" she balled, frantically drying her eyes. "Almost everything you say about your past is just horrible!"

"It gets better."

"Inuyasha?" she wondered. He tried to think of something to say, but it was useless. How could he possibly tell her how much better his life had gotten since she came into it? How could he ever hope to communicate how much she meant to him? For a man not skilled with words, such a task could prove impossible. But he knew a place to start, a non-verbal way to show her everything she was to him. He raised his right hand, caressing her cheek as he slowly leaned closer. Kagome seemed to realize what he was doing almost immediately, as her eyes widened and then drooped closed. She leaned forward as well, and this time there were no friends or annoying animals to interrupt them.

Their lips met in a burst of effervescent heat, and it was like coming home for both of them. It had been far, far too long. They had reached an oasis; weeks of wandering in the desert with parched throats were at an end. And they savored the cool nourishment, indulging in each other to their hearts content. The kiss remained chaste for all of two seconds before both of them opened up at the same time. Perhaps they were sharing some sort of mental telepathy, connected by their lips? Or maybe it was just that they wanted the exact same thing, and were equally determined to get it. Their tongues tangled, plundering, pillaging, fighting a battle that both wanted to win but would be just as content to lose. And they did lose. They lost themselves in the kiss, the devastating passion that seemed to set their bodies and souls afire with want. Those same souls were stripped bare when they finally pulled back to gaze into each other’s eyes. No secrets, nothing remained hidden as they searched and found exactly what they were looking for in the other’s shimmering orbs.

"Inuya—" Kagome started to say, only to be cut off by Inuyasha’s lips. While the first kiss was ardent, tinged with hints of longing and desperation, this one was far more languid. They took their time, leisurely exploring, memorizing the contours of the warm caverns in which they would be happy to spend all eternity. The languorous pace did nothing to cool the heat of their bodies or the rapid beating of their hearts. When they pulled back a second time, Inuyasha was in a state of tranquil euphoria. As if kissing her wasn’t enough, just a glance at her told him everything he needed to know and gave him the courage to say what he needed to say. She wanted this as much as he did. But he would never be satisfied with just a glance. He wanted to look at this woman for the rest of his life. He wanted to watch her smile, laugh, cry out in ecstasy. He wanted to see her bring new life into the world, glow with pride as she observed their children, and finally grow old and weary as life inexorably waned. He wanted to watch her, and be by her side through all of it. Nothing else in the world mattered.

"Kagome," he breathed, testing out his voice to make sure he still had the ability to speak. A bit shaky, but it would have to do. Gripping both her hands firmly in his, he finally gave voice to his strongest desire. "Stay with me," he said simply. "Forever." Kagome lit up with excitement at that last word, but it was restrained.

"Inuyasha?" she questioned, silently pleading for something more substantial, hoping he could finally say the words she longed to hear. He didn’t even hesitate.

"Kagome…I want to spend my life with you. I never want to leave your side. I want to have pups with you, raise a family. I want… Would you…would you be my mate?" As much as she wanted to say yes, and shout that answer to the heavens, there was something holding Kagome back. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what it was, and Inuyasha soon caught on without Kagome having to voice her concern. Far from being upset, he smiled wistfully at the memory.

"The last time I saw Kikyou, I told her I wasn’t going to hell with her, and she released me. She said I was free to live…and love." Kagome’s eyes opened wide as saucers and Inuyasha met her stare unblinking, silently conveying everything left unsaid, confirming the deepest desires of her heart. This time it was Kagome who initiated the lip lock, as she firmly planted her lips on his. Inuyasha responded instantly, rising up and pulling her closer. Unconsciously Kagome moved until she was straddling his hips, wrapped intimately around him.

"Inuyasha…I love you too," she managed to mutter before her lips were hungrily consumed once more. No more words were spoken; the burgeoning heat within them left no room for conversation. The spiritual was combining with the physical in a single all-powerful desire. Hips began to shift and gyrate subconsciously, the air rapidly becoming perfumed with arousal as their kiss took on a new, more carnal edge. Their bodies knew what they were doing on some instinctual level, even if their cognizant minds were those of virgins. An outside party might have found it comical even, when they pulled back to gaze at each other with lust shining in their eyes, but neither knowing exactly what to do about it. Perhaps it was her modern upbringing that allowed Kagome to make the first move. Or maybe it was the fact that she had wanted this for many months, and wasn’t about to waste the opportunity.

Either way, Inuyasha was thoroughly shocked when Kagome wandered down to his neck, kissing, sucking, causing goose bumps to raise on his supple skin. He shuddered when she grazed a fang against him by accident, hardening even further underneath her. Reflexively she pressed herself more firmly against him, her body rebelliously seeking that tantalizing pleasure of its own accord. Not that she had any intention of stopping it. Inuyasha’s breath continued to hitch and heave as Kagome worked on his neck. She smoothed her hands over his cloth-covered chest, feeling the taut muscles jump and pulse under her touch. Deciding she wanted to feel his skin directly, she began untying the strings holding his haori closed. Somehow she managed, though her fingers were shaking almost uncontrollably. Sliding his shirts down his shoulder and baring his upper body was an electrifying experience for her. How many times had she seen this chest, touched it, bandaged it? But never in these circumstances, and never had the sight and feel of it warmed her in such a sexual manner.

Inuyasha gathered a portion of his scattered wits while Kagome was occupied, and not ravaging his neck. He quickly came to the conclusion that he was no longer content to sit back and be done to; it was time to give this little lynx a taste of her own medicine. He lurched forward suddenly, throwing Kagome off balance as he brought up both hands to support her. She leaned back in compliance, perfectly content to let the half-naked hanyou god before her do as he saw fit…for now. Inuyasha didn’t disappoint, moving his hand behind her neck and pulling her in for another kiss, pouring into it all the passion she had inspired in him. Simultaneously, he cupped her ass and drew her closer still, increasing the delicious pressure still mounting in their nether regions. It was the first time his touch had strayed outside the ‘safe zone,’ and he was gratified when her reaction was totally positive. For Kagome, the relentless pressure between her legs intensified the nigh unbearable heat permeating her entire body. For a woman who had never been so hot before, even her own skin was wonderfully uncomfortable. At the very least, her clothes would have to go.

Frustratingly, her hanyou lover seemed to be too nervous to remove them. Or perhaps he was simply taking his time, lavishing her neck with the same type of attention she had given his. Her head rolled back as her eyes slid shut, her body continuing to subtly beg for more. His hand suddenly landed on her breast, causing her to release a choked gasp as her back arched unnaturally, pressing herself into his hand. Fangs on her neck sent her shivering in his grasp, delighting in the multi-pronged assault on her body. Inuyasha continued to knead her breasts through the cloth, and she groaned longingly when he stopped, undoubtedly giving his ego quite a boost. Gaining courage, he finally began to disrobe her, gulping as he opened her kosode and took in the sight of her upper body clad only in a white cotton bra. Kagome regained enough composure while he was staring to realize he would have no idea how to remove it. Bringing her head back up to meet his smoldering gaze, she reached behind herself and unfastened the clasp before sliding the article off her shoulders. Inuyasha’s jaw literally dropped, sending a surge of satisfaction straight through her. It should have embarrassed her, to have her breasts so shamelessly ogled, but somehow it only turned her on further.

Again, they found themselves at a crossroads, and again Kagome was the one to drive them forward. Unfortunately, that meant prying herself off Inuyasha, which was truly difficult considering the lightning sparks still shooting through her core from their intimate contact. Still, the arousal couldn’t completely obliterate her nerves; she had seen his chest before, but she had never taken his pants off. She had seen him naked before, but certainly never while he was sporting an erection. A rather impressive one at that, if the persistent tingling between her legs was any indication. Taking a deep breath didn’t help; the scents in the air only reminded her of just how sexually stimulated they both were. Strangely, that actually helped calm her slightly, reminding her that they both wanted this so badly. Not that the look in his eyes wasn’t sufficient indication of that…

Kagome pulled back, attempting to squat on her heels but finding that her legs were too shaky to balance her weight. She settled for kneeling with her ankles on either side of her hips, rubbing her thighs together as her body continued to simmer despite being taken off the burner. She reached for him, taking his hand and pulling him up until he was kneeling as well. He seemed to get the message at that point, as he hurriedly tried to undo the ties to his hakama. Gently she prodded his hands away, daring a glance up at him as she began to unfasten the ties herself. He could only watch in rapt anticipation as she slowly worked on his hakama, studiously avoiding touching or looking at his prominent erection as she went. He might have laughed at her timidity if that particular part of his body didn’t need her attention so desperately. It had a mind of its own, throbbing and quivering as if to compel the wench to give it some of the affection the rest of his body was getting. It made an exceptionally powerful leap just as Kagome was moving over to work on the ties on his other hip, impacting her hand and causing her to squeak and pull back in shock and embarrassment.

She felt understandably foolish after that display; it would be kind of hard to make love without touching Inuyasha’s penis at some point. She blushed and grinned sheepishly, Inuyasha joining her as the two shared in a private joke for virgins only. The humor made Inuyasha bolder, as he grabbed Kagome’s hand and wrapped it securely around his erection. Her flush intensified, but curiosity and excitement as well. Even through the cloth, she could feel the power and strength in the mighty sword. And right then, she knew it would hurt like hell once they actually got around to coupling. But she hadn’t come all this way to let a little pain stop her. Inuyasha belonged to her, and she him, and she would endure any hardship so they could physically affirm that bond this night. Tentatively at first, she began to stroke him, running her hand along his covered length. He tried and failed to suppress a low, appreciative growl as his hips thrust forward of their own volition. Kagome glanced up at him, surprised to find his eyes closed, teeth gritted. He looked like he was struggling to control himself, and she was amazed she could have such an effect on him through such a simple act. She wondered what it would be like without the barrier of his hakama…

For Inuyasha, heaven and hell combined in Kagome’s gentle caress; heaven because if felt so damn good, and hell because he wanted so much more. Luckily, Kagome didn’t make him wait too much longer before obliging. Brazened by his obvious approval, she lowered his hakama so she could view him directly. For a long minute she just stared, mesmerized by the pulsing mass of flesh before her. Slowly, agonizingly so for the owner of said mass, she reached out and grasped it in one hand. She was astonished by the softness of the skin, and how pliant it was as she resumed her gentle stroking. It looked so hard, and yet it was incredibly soft once you got close to it. Such an astonishing contradiction, but one could say the exact same thing about Inuyasha, a man whose tough demeanor hid a kind heart and a beautiful soul. But he would never again be able to hide those things from her, and it thrilled her to know that he probably wouldn’t want to.

Inuyasha couldn’t take much more of this. His body was already over-sensitized by the sheer newness of all this, and Kagome’s sweet torture was threatening to push him over the edge far sooner than he would have liked. He didn’t want his first orgasm with her to be like this; he wanted it to come when he was buried inside her, making her his mate. Beyond that, his hands were practically itching to touch her in return, but he could barely concentrate on breathing with his loins afire at her skillful manipulation. So it took a heroic exertion of willpower, but he finally managed to push her hand away. And as he grasped her wrist, contemplating what to do next, he realized that his insecurities and inhibitions had utterly vanished. The waves of pleasure and Kagome’s words had purged them from his being. He hesitated no further, moving forward and taking hold of Kagome, laying her gently on her back. He attacked her lips, nearly bruising them with intensity of his passion.

Kagome melted under the assault, her eyes sliding shut as he dominated her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her hold providing an anchor to her rapidly fading grip on reality. His hands again found her breasts—bare this time—scorching her skin and causing her to arch into him. She tore her lips away and moaned loudly when he lightly pinched her nipple, rolling the sensitive bud between his fingers. His caresses took on a rougher, more feral edge as their excitement reached new heights, but nothing he did felt anything less than divine. Her body began to writhe like a dancing serpent as she wordlessly pleaded for the touch of her charmer where she really needed it. Her hands flew to his shoulders, clutching so tightly that her claws pierced his skin, drawing thin rivulets of blood. He didn’t seem to mind, and the scent of blood in the air only added to the animalistic desires of their youkai sides. But this wasn’t about them, and neither had much trouble remaining in control of their youkai halves. Their bodies were already becoming lost to the pleasure, but they weren’t about to do anything to prevent that.

Kagome gasped, holding her breath as one of Inuyasha’s hands worked its way south. Her stomach muscles rioted under the rough skin of his palm, and the feel of his claws sent delightful shivers cascading through her body. Then he paused, earning himself a needy whine from the goddess beneath him. If that didn’t lift his ego, the feel of her as he slipped his hand inside her hakama certainly did. Her pleasured groan pierced the night air as he pressed his fingers against her junction through the fabric of her panties. The garment was soaked through, filling Inuyasha with waves of increasing arousal and masculine pride. She was this aroused at his touch, this wet for him and only him. Broken versions of his name poured from her lips together with orders not to stop as her hips swayed in time with the movement of his fingers. But he had to disobey her, if only for a moment, to pull his hand back and slip it inside her panties.

Kagome trembled violently, her entire body quaking as he touched her directly. The strange and wonderful sensations nearly obliterated her consciousness; she was nothing more than a quivering mass of flesh, sustained only by his tender ministrations at her core. Tremors rocked her as he brushed over her clit, returning to the growing bud once he glimpsed her reaction. Wanton mewls escaped her as she twisted and thrashed, the overwhelming heat building to new heights within her. But just before the waves broke, sending her hurtling into oblivion, she pulled his hand away. She too wished her first climax to come later, when they were locked together in the most intimate of ways. Inuyasha was dismayed and puzzled for a moment, but quickly caught on as Kagome began untying her hakama. Heart thundering wildly with anticipation, he helped her remove them and her panties before standing and ridding himself of the last of his clothing also. For awhile he just stood there, transfixed by the woman before him. She was gazing at him with eyes consumed by lust, not even attempting to conceal herself from his fervent gaze. Surely a mortal being couldn’t possess such supernatural beauty? But even if Kagome wasn’t an immortal deity sent into the world to fill his life with love and happiness, he knew he would spend the rest of his days worshipping her as if she was. And he could start by making her first time as pleasurable for her as he knew it would be for him.

Inuyasha didn’t know a lot about sex; for most of the evening he had been the follower, copying Kagome’s actions and very carefully gauging her reaction to everything he did. What he did know came from a combination of instinct and observation. He had watched humans ‘make love’ before, not because he was a hentai, but because that was the only way he could learn. Growing up, he hadn’t been blessed with a father to instruct him on such matters, or a bunch of male friends to talk about women with. One thing he had discovered was that it was possible for the woman to feel the same pleasure as the man, especially when the man seemed to care or strive for her gratification. He had also seen men just take their own pleasure without regard for their partners, who usually went unsatisfied. There was no way he was going to be one of those bastards. Another, more disconcerting thing he had learned was that her first time was usually painful for the woman. The thought of causing Kagome any pain set his stomach churning, but it had to be done. Clearly, Kagome wasn’t nearly as concerned about it as he was, if at all. But that was the problem, wasn’t it? He didn’t know if he could bring himself to push inside her, to inflict the pain he was sure she would experience. Then, another memory came back to him, and the solution became apparent.

Kagome raised her arms, beckoning him to join her with a brilliant smile. Grinning in return, he settled between her legs as she expected, but then surprised her by rolling them over so she was once again straddling his lap. It seemed so long ago that they had been in this same position, fully clothed, just kissing each other. Now they were about to make love; he almost couldn’t believe it. Kagome favored him with a questioning look, as if to say ‘in this position?’ He nodded, shoving down the urges of his youkai side, which was none too happy with the submissive position. But at least now she was in control. She could set the pace, determine what her body could handle, and hopefully minimize her pain. She still looked doubtful, probably fully understanding of what his youkai wanted, but he forestalled any comment by leaning in for another kiss. This one was short and relatively chaste, more about reassurance than anything else, but it did the trick. Kagome flashed her most dazzling smile of the night, truly touched that he was being so considerate of her and ignoring his baser instincts.

Using his shoulders for support, she lifted herself up on her knees, hovering over his erection. He helpfully lined it up with her entrance, and she began lowering herself. When the head entered her, they locked eyes, neither willing nor able to look away as she slid herself further down his shaft. The intrusion was uncomfortable for Kagome, but not overly painful, at least not at first. But as he penetrated further, and the tightness of her muscles bore down on him, the ache grew and spread, ceasing her progress. And she hesitated, not because she was thinking of backing out, but in the way that anyone might procrastinate before inflicting pain upon themselves. Slight pricks on her hips drew her attention down to where Inuyasha’s claws were digging into her skin. Alarmed, she examined his face closely, seeing the signs of the immense restraint he was exerting. His mouth was drawn into a thin line, and sweat beaded on his forehead. Kagome suddenly felt incredibly selfish. How hard must it be for him to hold back while I’m being stupid? So, without further ado, she slammed herself downward, tearing past her unyielding walls and impaling herself to the hilt.

Even gritted teeth couldn’t completely stop the pained yelp that broke free from her lips. White-hot, searing agony brought tears to her eyes, but she blinked them back. This wasn’t about her; it was about Inuyasha. If she could bring him to completion, she would be happy no matter how much it hurt physically. She attempted to rise back up only to be stopped by those same clawed hands on her hips. Confused, she refocused on Inuyasha’s face, only to see that he was glaring at her in disapproval. She had caught him completely off guard by skewering herself like that, and he was none too pleased. Fuck!!! I should have known she’d do something like that, not caring about herself. Damn selfless wench! It seemed his little plan had backfired big time, but there was no way he was letting her move until he was satisfied that most of the pain had passed, even if the waiting killed him. In the meantime, he tried desperately to concentrate on something other than how amazing it felt to be inside her. But it was futile; he needed something to distract him. To that end, he gripped his selfless wench’s chin and crushed his lips against hers with all the passion he was restraining down below. She responded keenly, welcoming the diversion with open arms. Before they knew it, the ebb and flow of the kiss had taken over their bodies, causing them to gyrate against each other. The arousal which had largely vanished at Kagome’s cry of anguish returned full force. Satisfied that her grunts and whimpers of pleasure were genuine, Inuyasha finally allowed her to rise off his lap. He didn’t even try to suppress his low growl as she pulled halfway out and settled back down, only to repeat the motion in short order.

They settled into a rhythm rather quickly, a leisurely one because of the mechanics of their position and their unfamiliarity with the act of lovemaking. Kagome still felt sharp pangs, but even these faded over time, replaced with a wondrous friction that soon encouraged her to ride him harder and deeper. But whether it was because it was his first time, or because of Kagome’s pain, Inuyasha was far ahead of her, already nearing the finish line. They both knew it, and Kagome continued to push him toward that mind-blowing climax while he tried to hold himself back. He intended to keep his self-made promise to make her achieve orgasm first, even if it seemed stopping really would kill him this time.

It almost did, he reflected as he held Kagome against him and rolled them over, pinning her beneath him and stifling her movement. Suspending his orgasm at the last moment required the last ounce of his self control he possessed, plus some extra restrained he pulled from who knows where. Lunging forward, he sank his teeth into the juncture of her neck and shoulder, not hard enough to draw blood, but enough to help him maintain his composure. More than perplexed, but not afraid, Kagome relaxed, wrapping her legs around his waist and smoothing her hands up and down his quivering back. Retaining his bite hold, Inuyasha started thrusting in a measured, deliberate pace. Snaking one of his hands down, he reached between her legs and found the little button that had brought her so much pleasure before. She stiffened at the sudden contact, her whole body jolting as she cried out. Quickening his movements, he continued to rub her pearl as those gentle caresses on his back turned to desperate scratches and her once docile legs pulled her up firmly to meet each of his thrusts. Her breath came in short bursts, eyes screwing shut as a hot conflagration blazed within her. They drove each other through the deafening thunder, the ferocious storm of sensation that sent shockwaves of lightning surging through their bodies.

Kagome cried out to the heavens as the waves finally crested and everything went white. She tightened and spasmed around him, pulling him almost immediately into his own climax, their cries of each other’s names blending into one. It seemed like ages before they came down from their highs, simply holding each other as the bliss of sexual gratification subsided and a new one arose. Lying on their sides facing each other, they basked in the afterglow of becoming mates in body, heart, and soul. Neither could wipe the radiant smile from their face, even when they launched into another languid kiss. Drowsiness snuck up on them rather quickly, and they slipped into slumber snuggled together under Inuyasha’s haori. A passing observer would have witnessed a truly stunning display. Two glowing auras, fierce crimson and gorgeous blue, rose into the night sky, swirling around each other until they were impossible to distinguish. Then they descended as one back into their hosts, and the darkness of night reclaimed the small clearing.

Settling Her Debt

Kagome roused from slumber slowly, cosseted in unearthly comfort. Had she ever been this warm and cozy? No, she decided, she hadn’t. And as her mind finally came back online, she remembered the reason why she currently felt that way. She beamed, snuggling further into her hanyou mattress, which grunted and pulled her closer in response. Inuyasha had chosen her. He wasn’t going to hell with Kikyou; he wanted to spend his life by her side. He had chosen her. Kagome. He had chosen Kagome. She feared her mind would be forever stuck on that infinite loop, just chanting the message to herself over and over. Plus, her face was going to be permanently frozen in this ridiculous grin she was wearing.

Cracking one eye open, she glanced at her hanyou lover. He was still asleep, his visage peaceful and his breathing deep and regular. It was dark, which meant that unless they had been unconscious for twenty-four solid hours, it was still the same evening in which they had made love. Early in said evening, if the position of the moon was any indication. Idly she wondered when she had become so proficient at reading nature. Probably from spending the better part of a year and a half outdoors. Her hanyou senses hadn’t hurt either. So they had probably only been dozing for a few hours, but why had they fallen asleep in the first place? It certainly hadn’t been the fatigue factor; when you just finish making love for the first time, you don’t fall asleep right away, especially if you’re a hanyou and don’t need as much shut-eye as humans. And yet, she recalled feeling so incredibly tired afterwards that it took bare seconds for her to pass out. And Inuyasha experienced the same thing, which made it all the stranger.

She shrugged it off; it probably wasn’t important. What was important was that she was lying here—naked—with Inuyasha—also naked—and she planned on enjoying every second of it. Shifting away from the pebble digging into her hip, she made the mistake of moving her thighs apart for the first time. Eeeewwww… She was quite sticky down there, her inner thighs coated in blood and various other bodily fluids. She needed to find her way to a bath, and soon. She battled with herself for a few minutes, part of her wanting to just stay where she was and bask in the moment, but eventually the urge to be clean won out. Besides, Inuyasha was hers now, so she could cuddle with him whenever she wanted! And you can make love whenever you want too, her mind supplied, bringing a slight dusting of pink to her cheeks. Still, a silly grin graced her features as gingerly stood up and grabbed her kosode, sliding her arms into the voluptuous sleeves. She decided to just carry her undergarments and hakama; she was only going to find a body of water, after all. The kosode was easily long enough to cover everything important. She would have to hold it closed, but that was easy enough to accomplish.

"Where ya goin’, wench?" came the drowsy male voice behind her, startling Kagome into a gasp and spin. Heavy-lidded amber eyes stared back at her, amusement dancing in their depths. Damn…how does he always manage to do that, even though I’m a hanyou?

"Uh…just going to take a bath," she replied lamely, praying he didn’t ask why. She would really like to avoid having to tell him that his stuff was on her leg, and her stuff was on her leg, and it was a big sticky mess. Fortunately, he seemed to understand without any further explanation.

"Oh," he said, blushing and looking away. Kagome turned her attention to sniffing for a water source as he dressed himself.

"Ok, I think I found something," she declared. "Come on." Inuyasha made no reply, and oppressive silence settled on the pair as they made their way through the underbrush. Holy cow…is this awkward or what? In retrospect, the sudden shyness was to be expected, she supposed. Neither of them were virgins any longer, but they would probably still act like it for awhile yet. Old modes of behavior were hard to break. But she wanted to be open! She wanted to start acting like a happy couple sooner rather than later. Ok, she thought, nodding to herself in determination, I will *try* to not act like such a virgin! With any luck, maybe she could pull Inuyasha out of his timidity as well.

Her nose led them to a small pond, barely seven or eight meters across at its widest. But the water was relatively clear, and it would have to do. She didn’t need a bath, per se, just a quick rinse. And since she wasn’t going to act like a virgin any longer… She hesitated only a moment before shrugging her shoulders and dropping her kosode to the ground. The reaction from Inuyasha was immediate and detectable by multiple senses. His soft gasp reverberated throughout the clearing, and his scent spiked noticeably in excitement. Glancing coyly over her shoulder, Kagome grinned as she glimpsed his dumbfounded expression. He was staring wide-eyed, his mouth slightly agape, and his gaze was directed noticeably lower than eye level. Her hips rolled with just a little extra wiggle as she made her way into the water. She shivered slightly; it was cold, but she didn’t intend to stay in very long. Huh…to think I could get that kind of reaction out of him just by showing my backside…I should have done that months ago! Shaking her head, she decided that months ago Inuyasha wouldn’t have been able to handle it. Plus, I wouldn’t have had the guts… Wading in only up to her waist since she didn’t have a towel, she began to clean herself, and Inuyasha took notice.

"Sorry," he murmured, drawing Kagome’s attention to where he was sitting cross-legged on the bank, glaring pensively off into the forest. She blinked and cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"For what?" she asked. He flushed at this, stammering for a couple seconds before finally meeting her eyes.

"You…uh, I hurt you."

"Oh," Kagome responded, feeling her own cheeks warm. "Don’t apologize for that, Inuyasha. It’s only natural. Actually…I meant to thank you," she confessed shyly.

"Why?" he wondered, completely baffled.

"Well…you put a lot of effort into making it feel good for me, and I really appreciate it."

"Keh," was his eloquent reply, but he did seem somewhat more confident than before, as one corner of his mouth curled just enough to reveal a fang. "Just did what any good mate would have done." Mate… That was another thing they needed to talk about, Kagome realized.

"So…we’re mates now?" A curt nod was her only answer, so she continued voicing her line of thought. "What exactly does that mean?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Dunno. Whenever I hear demons talk about…being together, they always call each other mates. That’s how Aoi and her mate referred to each other, remember? Nobody ever told me if it actually means anything beyond…uh, the physical part."

"Oh…well, what do you want it to mean for us?"

"Feh. I already told you what I want. This shit is permanent, wench. You’re stuck with me for life."

Kagome flashed a positively radiant smile. "I guess that means you’re stuck with me as well, huh?"

"I’ll manage," he joked, earning a chuckle from his miko mate. Her mirth persisted as she climbed out of the water and saw him swiftly turn his back, his posture stiff.

"You are allowed to look, you know," she informed him, shaking her head in amusement.

"Keh." Inuyasha had a very good reason for averting his eyes. He figured Kagome might still be sore, and he didn’t want to engage in any more intimate activities this evening. Observing her in the buff would increase the temptation to do just that, and make it exponentially more difficult to restrain himself. Fortunately, Kagome decided to let it go, assuming he was just being bashful. He listened as she got dressed, but was pleasantly surprised when she sank down on her knees behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her chin against his right shoulder. His hands came up to grasp hers, their fingers entwining as their cheeks nuzzled together. Kagome sighed in complete contentment.

"Things are never going to be the same, are they?" she questioned, without a hint of regret.

"Nope." Inuyasha smirked as a delightful idea popped into his head. "There are definitely going to be some changes."

"Like what?" Kagome inquired curiously.

"No more osuwari-ing me, for one thing." He expected an argument, that Kagome would be less than willing to relinquish the power she had held over him for so long, but quickly discovered that not only was she willing to give it up, she wanted to. He was certain their previous discussion regarding the rosary had something to do with that. (1)

"I’ll just take the rosary off," she replied.

"R-really? That easy?"

"Sure. I mean, how often do I use it nowadays, anyway? Besides," she cooed, her voice dropping into a lower, more sultry octave. "Now I have other ways of getting you to do what I want, mate." Inuyasha stifled a groan and tried to control the rapid beating of his heart, absently wondering when Kagome became such a vixen. What am I talking about? She’s always been a fiery temptress, yelling and fighting with me in that exceedingly short skirt of hers. Now I get to experience that feistiness in a whole new way. He grinned stupidly. Oh, the fun they were going to have…

"Bitch," he growled huskily, getting slightly annoyed that she was making his abstinence mission difficult.

"Watch it, dog-boy," she teased, "or I might decide to leave the rosary on, after all." Nevertheless, she pushed herself upright, grasping the beaded strand and beginning to pull it over his head. Shockingly, his hands stopped her progress, pulling the necklace back down to rest upon his chest. "Inuyasha, what—"

"Leave it on."

Kagome blinked at him a couple times, trying to make sure she’d heard him correctly. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Just don’t say the word."

"Ok," she hedged, still perplexed as to why he would want to keep the rosary. "I’ll try not to say osuwari any—"

*THUD*

"Oh, shit!" she swore as Inuyasha’s face was planted into the ground, his body bending at a painful-looking angle. She rubbed his back as she waited for the spell to wear off, and the inevitable tongue-lashing that was sure to follow. It wasn’t as bad as she feared. He coughed and sputtered, spitting out the dirt stuck between his teeth. He hated getting osuwarid by surprise; if he knew it was coming, he could at least close his mouth. Turning his head, he glared at his sheepish mate over his shoulder.

"You wanna try being a little more careful than that, wench?!"

"You should just let me take it off!"

"No! You need it if I go full-youkai." Finally, Kagome understood, even if she didn’t agree with his thinking.

"Inuyasha, I don’t think you need the rosary to control your youkai blood anymore, even if you lose Tetsusaiga. Remember against Ryukotsusei? You went for Tetsusaiga in your full-youki form and changed yourself back. You’ve gotten so much stronger since the day you killed that Gatenmaru creep. I think—"

"I just…don’t want to take any chances, Kagome." Said miko wanted to argue further, but the look of fear and anxiety in his amber eyes convinced her to let it be…for now. She fully comprehended his worry, the fear that he might lose control of himself and hurt someone, even someone he didn’t know. Oh yes, she knew that feeling very well, indeed.

"Alright, Inuyasha, but someday you’re going to see that I’m right. I believe you have enough control over your youkai blood so you’re not a danger to anyone but your enemies when you transform."

"I hope you’re right, wench," he replied seriously, before standing and offering her his hand. "We should get back to camp. I’m fuckin’ starving!" It was a blatant attempt at changing the subject, but Kagome made no comment on it. And she was very hungry as well… As they made their way back to camp in companionable silence, following the scents of their friends on the breeze, another pressing concern occurred to Kagome.

"So…should we tell them?"

"Feh. Ain’t any of their business."

"Well, I suppose we don’t have to tell them," Kagome babbled, trying futily to cover her disappointment. "We could pretend nothing happened—"

"Kagome."

"or come back separately—"

"Kagome."

"or—"

"Kagome!"

"What?!" she yelled, her frustration breaking through.

"I said it ain’t their business, but I didn’t say we wouldn’t tell them."

"Y-you mean…"

"I’m not ashamed of you, Kagome," he professed sincerely, gazing into her beautiful brown eyes, tinged with just a hint of moisture. Grinning, she leaned up for a quick, but passionate lip lock.

"I know, Inuyasha," she said after they separated. "I just thought you’d be nervous about their reactions. Even I’m a little worried about Miroku-sama’s teasing."

"Feh. If the bouzu says anything, it just means he’s jealous," Inuyasha declared, smirking smugly.

"Yeah," Kagome giggled, "I guess that’s true. Ok, so we tell them."

"You tell ‘em."

"Hey! Why do I have to do it?"

"’Cause it was your idea, wench."

Kagome grumbled under her breath about unsupportive mates, but she supposed she couldn’t really complain. She sidled up next to him, looping an arm around his waist, and was delighted when he reciprocated the gesture. He seemed more sure of himself after their ‘morning after’ talk, and for that Kagome was grateful. Maybe they really could start acting like a real couple… The true test, however, would be how he behaved in front of their friends. Would he pretend nothing had happened and drag the group dynamic back to the status quo? But even if he let his gruff side govern his actions in public, and kept her at arm’s length, she could deal with it as long as their private moments were like this. No barriers, no guarded emotions, just the two of them. She hoped he would treat her at least a little more intimately in the company of others, but if not, then she would live for these moments. Now that she knew the contents of his heart, his tough exterior didn’t seem to matter as much.

But perhaps she was making unwarranted assumptions. She kept waiting for him to release his hold and drift away, but he never did, even as they approached and finally entered the camp. He was somewhat tense, probably taking the ‘if they say anything, I’ll pound them’ approach to their friends. That suited Kagome just fine, and they stood there together as their companions turned to regard them with shock, an emotion that lasted only a moment. And as his trademark lecherous grin curled Miroku’s lips, and Sango blushed, Kagome knew their little argument about who was going to tell their friends was a moot point. Neither of them would have to say anything.

"So, Kagome-sama," the monk drolled, "I see you found Inuyasha." Then, after a short pause, he sobered slightly and spoke in a serious, but still amused tone. "It’s about time." The hidden meaning in his words was lost on no one; he wasn’t just talking about finding Inuyasha tonight.

"Damn straight, bouzu," Inuyasha replied, stunning Kagome yet again. Miroku merely smiled in return, but the two men shared a meaningful look, coming to a silent understanding. Inuyasha smirked inwardly. Oh, the monk was hiding it well, but he was indeed jealous. His thought process at the moment was probably somewhere along the lines of ‘you lucky dog.’ Inuyasha certainly couldn’t argue with that sentiment. He did make a mental note to try to avoid finding himself alone with the monk, not wanting to answer the slew of perverted questions which would surely be posed by the hentai houshi. Meanwhile, Kagome was attempting to gauge Sango’s reaction, and was taken aback upon seeing the slayer appearing decidedly forlorn. Scratch that—she looked downright pissed! Her fists were clenched in her lap, and her teeth were gritted. If she listened carefully, Kagome swore she could hear them grinding together. It hurt to witness this attitude, and from her closest friend no less! She hadn’t expected Sango to be so hostile to her and Inuyasha being together, and it saddened her greatly.

"Sango-chan, what’s wrong? I thought you’d be happy for us…" she muttered despondently. The taijiya started suddenly, seeming to jump out of her mood as she met Kagome’s gaze with a cheerful smile.

"I am happy for you, Kagome-chan, really. I just…did something stupid…" she finished, glancing away in embarrassment.

"There’s nothing stupid about it, my dear Sango!" Miroku declared exultingly. Sango only blushed harder at this, her lips pursing, and Kagome’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. If she didn’t know better, she would swear Miroku was gloating about something…

"What did you do, Sango-chan?" she voiced neutrally, but the slayer refused to answer. Several seconds ticked by, and both she and monk just sat there, Miroku wearing a big shit-eating grin. Kagome was starting to get a bad feeling about this. She was just about to repeat her question when an unlikely informant spoke up.

"They bet on whether you two would make sweet love," Shippo stated into the silence. "They wouldn’t tell me what that means, but it sounds really good. I wonder if it’s sweeter than pocky!"

"WHAT?!!!" the two hanyou demanded at once, before sharing a murderous look. Inuyasha appeared as if he had strangulation on his mind, but Kagome clasped him on the shoulder.

"It’s ok," she ground out in a whisper. "Let me handle this." Nodding grudgingly, Inuyasha settled himself against a nearby tree to watch the show. Kagome made her way to her yellow backpack, using the diversion to try to control her steaming temper. How dare they?! Taking something so beautiful like that and…and *gambling* on it!! *deep breath* Ok, calm down, girl. Nothing bad came of it. They’re just stupid bakas. Bakas! BAKAS!!!

"Here, Shippo," she called out with false glee, holding up a tasty treat. "I’ll give you this whole box of pocky if you promise not to ask or talk about making love ever again."

Inuyasha choked. "Ever, wench?"

"Well, until you’re grown up, at least." Shippo thought if over…for about half a second.

"Deal!" he shouted, charging over and leaping through the air, snatching the pocky from her hand and scurrying off to devour his booty in private, away from other hungry eyes and hands. Kagome giggled briefly at his antics, but quickly turned her attention to the two bakas who forced her to part with the treat in the first place. She glared at each of them in turn, and even Miroku looked a bit sheepish, though not nearly enough for Kagome’s tastes.

"You two should be ashamed of yourselves!" she scolded furiously. "I would expect this kind of thing from the houshi, but I honestly thought you were more mature, Sango." Both humans cringed at the sudden change in the way Kagome referred to them; the new nomenclature was probably a good indication of just how irate she was.

"I’m sorry, Kagome-chan," Sango replied shamefully, closing her eyes and wiping away the few rogue tears that strayed down her cheeks. Seeing this, Kagome felt the greater part of her anger melt away. Sango didn’t cry very often; she only seemed to shed tears when she was really broken up about something. Sighing heavily, the miko resolved to forgive her friends. She was still upset with them, but she had definitely overreacted.

"It’s ok, Sango-chan. There’s no harm done. Besides, I’m sure it was Miroku-sama’s idea." Sango nodded gratefully, and Miroku sputtered in mock indignation.

"Why, Kagome-sama, what makes you so sure this little wager came about at my behest?" When only a collection of disbelieving stares greeted his loaded question, Miroku sighed. "I am so misunderstood."

"So who won the bet?" Inuyasha interjected abruptly. Once again, the expressions on the faces of their two human friends told the whole story. Could Sango’s face get any redder? And could Miroku’s dumb grin get any larger?

"I guess that answers that question," Kagome muttered.

"Indeed," Miroku agreed, reveling in his victory, "my dear Sango should have known better than to bet against a virile male such as Inuyasha!"

"F-feh!" the hanyou stammered, flushing darkly. Kagome’s thoughts turned contemplative. They hadn’t been together long enough for her to see how ‘virile’ he was. She couldn’t help but wonder when she would get the chance to find out… She blushed as well.

"What, uh…what were the stakes?" she choked out, a lame attempt to cover her embarrassment. Her ire returned full force when Sango grimaced, this time directed solely at the perverted monk sitting across the campfire. She advanced on him, her aura sparking and claws flexing dangerously. "I swear, bouzu, if it’s anything hentai, I’ll—"

"No, no, Kagome-sama! You misunderstand! My prize is merely an encounter with Sango’s luscious lips!"

"Just a kiss?" Kagome repeated warily, halting her forward progress. Miroku nodded, as did Sango when Kagome glanced at her for confirmation. If the slayer hadn’t then taken to staring at the ground, she might have noticed how the miko’s face slowly twisted into a mischievous smirk.

"Weeeelllllll," she drolled nonchalantly, "I guess you’d better go pay your debt, Sango-chan." The taijiya’s head snapped up, her shocked and betrayed eyes locking with her friend’s.

"B-but Kagome-chan," Sango protested, shooting her miko companion a scandalized glare. What the hell, Kagome?! You were supposed to help me get out of this!

"Sorry, Sango-chan, but a bet is a bet. You lost fair and square." Strolling over and plopping down next to the slayer on the pretext of giving her a comforting pat on the shoulder, Kagome whispered in her ear. "Besides, you know you want to."

It was true, Sango realized, she really did want to kiss Miroku. But it wasn’t that simple. She had always imagined their first kiss being one of those earth-shattering moments, where she would bask in the glow of his love and devotion. That dream was to take place only when their hearts were totally committed to each other. But right now, Sango was unsure where the monk’s heart laid. So he had behaved himself on their most recent excursion; big deal! She hadn’t forgotten the evening he went off to sleep with that hussy in that bigoted village. Sure, he claimed he didn’t have anything sexual on his mind, but then how did the girl get that idea in the first place? The bottom line was that while Miroku hadn’t outright betrayed her, at least to her knowledge, she couldn’t bring herself to trust him. And that was a problem, because she didn’t want to do anything with him until he had earned her trust. Unfortunately, she had made a wager, and it would stain her precious honor to go back on her word. Her romanticized vision of her first kiss would have to go the way of so many of her other hopes and dreams, like living in the slayer’s village with her family and friends, and finding a husband who would love her and only her, beyond doubt.

"Fine!" she barked out, not even attempting to hide how she truly felt about this. "Let’s get it over with!" With that, she stood stiffly and stormed off into the forest, not sparing a glance to see if the hentai was following her. Miroku climbed to his feet, still grinning, though it somehow seemed more hollow than before. Kagome favored him with a meaningful look; her eyes said it all. Don’t FUCK this up, Miroku-sama!!!!

Miroku nodded confidently, ambling off in the direction his wayward bride-to-be had taken. Only when he had passed beyond the reach of the light from the campfire did he allow his face to fall, revealing just how troubled he was by Sango’s attitude. And it didn’t take a genius to figure out why she was acting that way. Then, he saw her, facing away from him, arms crossed over her chest and foot tapping in impatience. She became aware of his presence and turned to face him, but refused to make eye contact. Instead, she advanced toward him, staring into his chest, eyes steeled in determination. In that instant, Miroku knew how she intended this to go down. She would initiate the ‘payment’—a quick and dry affair, probably not even worthy of being called a kiss—then stomp back to camp, filled with resentment. He wondered briefly if she would ever forgive him, or if he would forgive himself for allowing it to happen. No, he decided, he wouldn’t forgive himself if their first kiss was anything less than mind blowing, and that meant taking action. Right now, before it was too late. Placing his hands firmly on her shoulders, he stopped her momentum just as she was raising herself on her toes. She frowned, but any comment she was about to make died on her lips as she finally met his gaze. He was…like a completely different person. Where had the hentai gone? Where was the lecher who shamelessly lured her into gambling on the sexual adventures of their friends? In its place was a man, his expression humorless, looking at her with eyes darkened by concern and tinged with remorse. The sudden change left her breathless, and she could do no more than wait for him to speak.

"Sango," he spoke into the silence, his tone cracking the very foundations of everything she thought she knew about him. He paused, glancing away as if to gather his thoughts, before facing her once more. "Sango, when I wagered for your kiss, I did so because I thought you would be willing. If…if you truly do not wish to share such a thing with me, then I will not force you. I will think of something else…" Sango gaped, and her heart clenched at the defeat in his tone. But there was something else there, a desperation, almost as if he was pleading with her to correct him, to tell him he was dead wrong. Under such an appeal, how could she deny him the truth?

"I-it’s not that, Houshi-sama," she confessed, lowering her head. "It’s just…"

"That you feel you cannot trust me because of my womanizing habits?" he proposed, less a question than a statement of fact. Gasping, Sango snapped her head up to stare at him.

"Wh— How did you…"

"Please, Sango, any baka could have figured it out." Sighing, Miroku glanced off to the side, one hand coming up to rub the back of his neck. "Unfortunately, I am no ordinary baka. I did not understand until someone spoke with me very frankly about how you feel."

"Kagome…" Sango growled, enraged that her friend had broken her promise of silence.

"Actually it was Inuyasha."

"Inu-Inuyasha?!" That only made Sango a little less irritated, however; she was sure Kagome still had a hand in this. Well, I guess I don’t have to feel guilty for our bet anymore. This makes us dead even, in my book!

"Don’t be angry, Sango. I’m actually glad Inuyasha talked to me. He helped me see just how strongly my behavior was affecting you, how much I was hurting you. If I had known before then, I would have started to correct my bad habits sooner."

"H-houshi-sama…" she replied, mind reeling. Was he actually saying that he had been trying to change his ways…for her?

"Please, Sango, call me by my name. It will make what I’m about to say easier for me."

"Alright…Miroku," Sango choked out, her insides fluttering wildly in anticipation of the words he had alluded to. He smiled then, as if just the sound of his name from her lips gave him unbridled joy, and her mere presence filled him with vitality. Perhaps it did.

"Sango…I can’t promise you that I will never look at another woman. Nor can I assure you that you will always be the only woman to occupy my thoughts and dreams." Sango started to pull away at this, fearing that if she remained near him any longer she would shrivel up and die on the spot. But he stopped her, clasping both her hands tightly in his, holding them to his heart. She could feel the organ pounding in his chest, so fast, so fast. "But," he declared, the inflection in his voice demanding her attention, pleading with her to hear him out. Again, she was powerless to refuse. "There are some things I can promise you. I will never grope another woman. I will never kiss, caress, or lie with any other. You will be the only woman to know my touch, to feel my lips, to bear my children… You are, and always will be, the only woman I will ever want. You are the woman I have chosen to be my beloved wife, the mate of my soul. Please, Sango…if you have any feelings for me left, give me another opportunity to prove this to you. Give me a second cha—"

At this point, speech became impossible, due to the pair of lips firmly pressed against his. Overcoming his disbelief, he eagerly joined the dance. They moved sensuously together, hesitant at first, then growing bolder. Her lips were softer than the most luxurious satin, and he knew that he was already inescapably addicted to them. He parted his own lips, allowing his tongue to emerge and taste, caress, and coax her lush petals until they opened shyly. He delved inside, soothingly stroking her warm, damp appendage until it rose to tangle with his own. They twisted and weaved together, entwined in body and connected in far more, as their very souls seemed to pour out and flow through them unhindered. All the doubts and insecurities vanished from Sango’s mind; there was no room for them in this new world they had created between them.

Finally, lack of air forced them to part, but even afterwards they clung to their own private nirvana as long as they could. Sango was dizzy, flush, heated to the point of scorching, and she dared not open her eyes for fear that the world had not yet stopped whirling around her. Jumbled thoughts crossed her even more jumbled mind, faster than she could or cared to keep track of. But one stuck out above all others. Kagome, you were right. That was…that was… It was literally indescribable. No mortal words could ever hope to fully express everything that was her first kiss. Only a memory could do it any sort of justice, and this was one experience she would never forget.

"Shall I take that to mean you’ve decided to give me another chance?" Miroku’s amused voice rang out. Finally returning to the world around her, she glimpsed him there, gazing down at her and grinning with dazzling light dancing in his eyes. He was still gripping her hands as tightly as ever, and she had no notion of pulling away this time. Nodding, she flashed a brilliant smile, causing a noticeable hitch in the monk’s breathing.

"Kami…you are so beautiful," he declared in absolute awe.

"No, I’m not," she rebutted, blushing prettily.

"Yes, you are, Sango. Kami, you are…" Sango looked away in embarrassment, but she couldn’t keep herself from beaming, nor could she deny the way his words and proximity warmed her body, heated her skin, or set her trembling slightly with barely-restrained desire. "Sango?" she heard him ask.

"Y-yes?" she replied shakily.

"Was that the kiss I won in our wager?" he inquired, his voice a combination of teasing and yearning. Sango instantly knew what he wanted: another searing, passionate lip lock. But his playful tone had given her another idea, one which caused an impish smirk to blossom on her visage. He did deserve some payback for calling her a coward earlier…

"No," she mumbled in the huskiest, most sensual manner she could muster. "This is." She leaned in slowly, giving him ample time to bend down to meet her. She could see the anticipation burning in his rapidly shutting eyes, and it almost made her feel guilty for what she was about to do. Placing a quick peck on his lips, she pulled away, practically skipping around him back in the direction of camp. And Miroku was left standing there, lips pursed, eyes closed, brows twitching.

"You coming, Houshi-sama!!!" Sango called out from some distance away, more than a hint of laughter in her voice. Miroku felt like collapsing onto the ground and curling into the fetal position. To be brought so close to the promised land only to be torn away at the last moment… Sango would pay for her teasing. Oh yes, she would pay. But he would worry about that some other time. Right now, he was just glad the feisty slayer had apparently forgiven his previous indiscretions. He had spoken from the heart, been completely honest with her, and she had taken it well…very well. He would have to figure out some way to get her to kiss him again, a real kiss this time.

"Houshi-sama! I’m leaving you behind!" The sound of her voice snapped Miroku from his thoughts, as he strode toward her. She waited for him and fell in step alongside, neither knowing what to say but both feeling comfortable enough with the silence. Miroku’s thoughts drifted back to why they were out here in the first place, and a contented grin formed on his lips.

"So, they finally got together, did they?"

"It seems so, Houshi-sama. It’s about time," Sango replied.

"Indeed. Sango, I thought you agreed to call me by my name."

The taijiya shrugged, smirking mischievously. "Old habits are hard to break," she said, bringing a wry smile to Miroku’s face. I used to think so…

"No, they’re not," he countered softly, seriously. Sango gasped, staring up at him wide-eyed as she comprehended the true meaning behind his words. Encouraged, Miroku threw his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. When she didn’t protest, but only relaxed against him, the wayward monk couldn’t help but wonder what else he could get away with…

"If you grope me I’m still going to slap you," Sango stated suddenly, glaring suspiciously at him out of the corner of her eye. This time, Miroku didn’t bother with pretenses of innocence; he merely adopted the ‘you caught me red handed’ look. Kami…am I that predictable?

"Someday you won’t be saying that, Sango."

"We’ll see, Hentai-sama. We’ll see."

Damn bouzu. Was that ‘virile male’ comment supposed to be a joke? Heh! I’m a hell of a lot more ‘virile’ than him, I fucking guarantee it! Still, Inuyasha was enjoying watching Kagome deal with their friends. If the task had been left up to him, he was quite sure it would have descended to violence by now. And since he didn’t hit women—at least human ones—the monk would have received double lumps, though that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The hanyou was broken from his thoughts by a small weight landing on his knee. Glancing down, he spied Shippo standing there, pocky clutched in one hand, a concentrated frown marring his features.

"Whaddya want, runt?" he grunted.

"So…you’re mates now?" the kit asked, earning a curt nod from Inuyasha. "Like my parents were?" Instantly, the hanyou realized what the fox was getting at. Was this permanent, a basis for starting a family? Again, he responded with a nod. At this, Shippo puffed up his little chest, shooting Inuyasha the most intimidating look he could muster. "You treat her right, got it?!" He cringed when the hanyou raised his arm, but instead of bopping him on the head, Inuyasha merely ruffled his hair.

"Yeah, yeah, runt. I got it," he replied, clearly amused by the kid’s display of toughness. Satisfied, Shippo turned and joined Inuyasha in watching the show. Then, the kit did something unthinkable: he offered Inuyasha a stick of his pocky. The offer was turned down, but it still comforted the two that they could get along, at least some of the time. And that was important, because they were now vying for Kagome’s attention more than ever, and neither of them was going anywhere. Said miko had apparently been too engrossed in ‘bouzu-taijiya theatre’ to overhear any of their conversation. Currently, she was whispering something in Sango’s ear, and the slayer didn’t look too thrilled about it. Shortly thereafter, the fuming woman stormed out of camp, followed by the monk. Inuyasha could guess where they were going, having kept one ear on the conversation while speaking with Shippo, his thought confirmed by the scent of nervousness coming from his mate. And even he, normally the densest of their group when it came to relationships, knew that the monk couldn’t afford to mess this up.

"Do you want some ramen, Inuyasha? I’m guessing everyone else already ate," Kagome said, grinning at him despite her worry.

"Have I ever said no to that question, wench?" Kagome shook her head as she prepared the meal, two cups for him and one for her. Finished, she ambled over and settled next to him, handing over the steaming supper to her mate’s eager hands.

"You know, someday I’m going to get you to refuse ramen," she declared.

"Not *slurp* a chance, wench."

"Yes, I will! You just watch."

"Feh. Eat your ramen or I’m gonna eat it for you."

"Baka." Kagome gaped as he tossed the empty cup in the fire and started on the second. He’s already done his first cup?! I guess he really was hungry… He was completely finished by the time she was halfway through hers, but fortunately for him, he made no move to filch what was left of her dinner.

"Thanks, Kagome," he suddenly uttered, causing the miko to stare at him in shock. He…he thanked me? And no ‘wench?’ Wow…

"You’re welcome," she replied, leaning into him. He reciprocated, the gentle pressure between their bodies reaffirming bonds, both old and new. They remained like that until Miroku and Sango returned to camp, and were relieved to see that they did so on favorable terms. More than favorable, it appeared by their physical proximity and ease around one another. Kagome’s hackles rose, then twitched in repressed curiosity. She wanted details. Details! She would have to make it a point to find a hot spring tomorrow, because some serious girl talk was in order.

No words were spoken as the small group of friends went to bed, but there was plenty of silent communication, such as secretive smiles from a slayer to a miko, and self-satisfied smirks from a monk to a hanyou, who tried gamely to ignore all of it. Eventually, the humans settled down first, noticeably closer than ever before. If Miroku stretched out his arm, he could almost caress the curve of Sango’s backside, lovely even in the low, flickering light provided by the dying fire. But he dared not ruin the evening with his lechery; old habits were not that difficult to break, after all. Kagome and Inuyasha remained sitting together against the tree until well after their companions had nodded off around the campfire. The former covered a yawn with her hand, prompting the other to stand and gently pull her to her feet.

"Come on, wench. Get to bed."

"Inuyasha…I was wondering…" she mumbled, pausing as if to gather her courage before meeting his eyes. "Do you want to share my sleeping bag?" For a split second, Inuyasha’s mind went down a hentai road, but he quickly buried those thoughts. She wasn’t just asking about tonight; she was proposing a permanent shift in sleeping arrangements, one which would lead him into unfamiliar ground. He had never been comfortable sleeping prone, preferring his back to be resting against a wall or a tree. But would he even be able to sleep now without Kagome nestled against him? Probably not, he realized, and any negative aspect of it would be outweighed by the simple fact that he would be in her sleeping bag with her. Kagome’s offer was indeed extremely tempting, but still he resisted.

"No. I’ll sleep in the tree."

"Oh," Kagome answered, failing to hide her disappointment as she trudged morosely over to her resting place. Inuyasha growled to himself, hating the fact that he had been the one to make her sad. Dammit…I guess a simple ‘no’ isn’t going to work this time.

"Wait, Kagome. Do you know why I usually sleep in a tree?" When she didn’t answer, he continued. "I gotta keep watch for youkai." Kagome brightened at this, finally understanding that he wasn’t refusing her because he wanted to, but because he felt obligated by one of his self-imposed duties. Funny, that situation seemed familiar somehow…

"Inuyasha, when was the last time we were attacked during the night?"

"Uh…"

"Exactly. Besides, we have two hanyou and two youkai in our group, plus two humans who can sense demonic auras. I think we’re covered." Seeing that her hanyou was wavering, Kagome decided to play her trump card. "Please," she begged, "I don’t know if I can sleep without you…" She batted her doe eyes at him, but the gesture was unnecessary; Inuyasha had been convinced at ‘please.’ He nodded, blushing despite himself, only his amber eyes revealing how excited—and nervous—he was at the prospect of sharing Kagome’s bedding. She went into the woods to change into flannel pajama bottoms and a tank top, giving Inuyasha a few moments to ponder what he was going to sleep in. He considered the modern clothing lurking at the bottom of Kagome’s bag, but decided against it, settling for just removing his haori and kosode. If a youkai did show up, he wanted to be wearing his fire-rat hakama already so he could roll out of the bag, throw on his haori, and pull out Tetsusaiga in a matter of seconds. Kagome was right; the group’s many and varied senses would give them advanced warning of any threat, but not enough for him to feel comfortable going completely unprepared. Perhaps in Kagome’s time he could afford to let his guard down, but not here in the Feudal Era.

Kagome hadn’t expected him to be topless; that much was certain from the hitch in her breath and the noticeable scent of attraction in the air. And she looked quite stunning herself, her shoulders almost bare and her pants riding low enough to reveal just a hint of navel. They exchanged a sheepish look, but the whole turn of events seemed to help them relax, oddly enough. Kagome got into the bag first, facing him as he climbed in behind her. They shared a chaste, but lingering kiss before she turned her back to him, his arms wrapped around her small frame. Kagome soon slipped into slumber, but Inuyasha remained awake for awhile, reliving the events of the past months, weeks, and especially today. Perhaps he was afraid to fall asleep, fearing that all of it was a very pleasant dream. Everything else that was good in his life had been taken away from him, so why would this be any different. No, this would be different. This was real, and he wouldn’t let anything take his Kagome away from him. Not that asshole wolf, not Naraku, not even death.

A quiet rustling drew his attention across the clearing, where Shippo was tossing and turning next to Kirara. If the kit was asleep, it wasn’t very deeply, and Inuyasha had a pretty good idea why. He sighed heavily.

"Oi, runt!" he called in a whisper.

"Yeah?" came the immediate response, confirming his earlier suspicion.

"Get over here," he ordered, lifting up the edge of the bag. Shippo was shocked by the invitation, but wasted no time in accepting, scurrying over and settling himself on the opposite side of Kagome, careful not to wake her. Almost instantly, he began to nod off.

"Thanks, Inuyasha," he murmured drowsily.

"Feh. You were here first," the hanyou replied, but even he knew that was just a lame attempt to rationalize his nice behavior. Damn…I really am getting soft. Sparing a glance at the woman in his arms, he shrugged. Eh, I can deal with it…

Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or any of the publicly known characters, plot, etc. I’m just renting them from Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, etc. I do own the plot of this story and any original characters I’ve created. I will make no money from this fic; I write for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of my readers.

When Kagome awoke the next morning, she was not that surprised to find herself alone in the sleeping bag. Inuyasha had always been the earliest riser of their group. Blearily blinking her eyes open, she observed her hanyou setting up a fresh campfire. It was getting to be rather late in spring, but the mornings were quite chilly, especially before the sun rose high enough to warm the land. It didn’t bother her much anymore, but she knew Miroku and Sango would appreciate the extra heat. Still, nothing could beat the comfort of her sleeping bag—except maybe her bed—so she closed her eyes again, intent on pretending to be asleep for a little while longer. Her thoughts drifted back to the very pleasant dreams which had occupied her unconscious mind. She could still see him, dashing around a field, chased by a giggling group of dog-eared children…

She gasped suddenly, bolting upright as her hands flew to her mouth. Ch-children!!! Oh, no, what if I’m… Yes, it was true that she wanted to start a family with Inuyasha, and just the previous day he revealed that he felt the same way, but that was an eventuality. At the very least, they needed to wait until the scourge that was Naraku no longer wandered the earth, wreaking havoc and destruction wherever he went. If she became pregnant now, it would cause major problems and jeopardize their mission. Taking a deep breath, she tried to reign in her rising panic. Calm down, Kagome. You don’t know anything yet. Taking a minute to think rationally, she breathed a sigh of relief. Her period was only a few days away; it was far too late in her cycle for her to conceive. For the first time, she was very grateful she had paid attention in health class a couple years ago. Funny how she hadn’t considered the possible ramifications of their intimate encounter yesterday. But she supposed that was understandable in light of their stormy relationship and the rampant sexual tension that existed between them recently. Of course, Inuyasha hadn’t thought of it either, or had he? Could someone with a strong enough nose smell when a woman could become pregnant? She hadn’t noticed any change in her scent a couple weeks ago, when her fertile time would have come and gone. But that didn’t necessarily mean that Inuyasha’s nose couldn’t pick up on it. Of course, there was still a problem with relying on that to determine whether sex was safe, namely that human sperm could survive inside the woman for up to five days, waiting for an unsuspecting egg to come along. Somehow she doubted hanyou sperm would be any more resilient; where was the fun in having sex if you got a woman pregnant every time you did it? So even if Inuyasha could smell when she was ovulating, they couldn’t rely on that. She would have to watch her cycle very carefully, and maybe get some condoms on her next trip though the well. Hmmm…maybe I should just go on birth control. Thinking of the modern era brought to mind the inevitable awkward conversation she and Inuyasha needed to have with her mother regarding their relationship. She grimaced; that was not going to be fun, even though she was almost positive her mother would approve.

The feeling of being watched broke Kagome from her thoughts and drew her attention to the red-clad hanyou by the campfire, who was examining her with a quizzical look, as if to ask ‘what the hell is the matter with you?’ She shook her head and smiled reassuringly at him. He gazed at her for a few seconds longer before shrugging and returning to his task. Whatever had been bothering her was no longer doing so; her scent told him as much. But something else was telling him that she was happy and content, a strange intuition that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. On second thought, he was probably just imagining things. His curiosity was far from satisfied, but he trusted her to talk to him about it if it was important.

He finished arranging the logs and sticks, and just as Kagome was wondering how he planned on lighting them—and whether she would have to get out of her sleeping roll to grab the matches from her bag—he motioned to some third party out of her line of vision. That person turned out to be Shippo, who used his fox fire to start up a crackling flame in no time. Again, Kagome gasped, though this time the movement was subdued with guilt. Oh, shit! I forgot all about Shippo last night! And I knew he was having trouble sleeping by himself… She took a moment to observe the kit, trying to determine how tired he was. He seemed fine, but there was really only one way to be sure.

"Shippo?" she called softly.

"Yeah, Kagome?"

"Did you sleep well?" To her everlasting surprise, the kit nodded enthusiastically.

"Yep. Inuyasha let me share your sleeping bag with you guys."

"H-he did?" she asked, thoroughly shocked.

"Keh!" Inuyasha bit out, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away. Embarrassed though he was, he still glanced back over his shoulder, gauging her reaction. Kagome might have laughed at his behavior if she wasn’t so touched. She had always appreciated the little things Inuyasha did, the small gestures of friendship and kindness in which his true nature shown through. So was this a big deal, something to make a huge fuss over? No, but it still meant a lot to her.

"Thank you, Inuyasha," she cooed, giggling this time when he grunted and turned away. He still gets so flustered when he gets caught doing something nice. Well, that just means he needs more practice…

"Hentai!" *Smack*

"Ahhh, Sango…you woke me from a wonderful dream about you…" Miroku moaned, sitting up and rubbing his sore cheek. Sango glared at him but decided not to answer, instead taking to muttering under her breath as she wiped the sleep from her eyes.

"Damn Houshi-sama…even in his sleep he can’t keep his hands to himself!" But while Miroku’s groping and his punishment for that action were standard, slight changes were apparent to everyone. The hand print on the monk’s face seemed less pronounced than usual, as if the slayer had gone easy on him, and Sango’s demeanor was decidedly less irritated than it normally would be after having her ass grabbed. Inuyasha could practically see the wheels turning in Kagome’s head as she glanced from one to the other, but he resolved to leave it alone. They had done their meddling for the time being; the two humans could figure out the rest of their relationship on their own. Kagome, on the other hand, really wanted to find a hot spring so she could interrogate her friend.

She got her wish. After actively searching for the scent of water for the whole morning and into the afternoon, she finally struck gold in the form of a small spring about two hundred yards off the road they were traveling on, hidden by the forest. Inuyasha wasn’t happy about stopping so early in the day, calling it ‘giant waste of time,’ and even Kagome’s doe eyes didn’t work to completely sway him. They almost got into a major fight, but Inuyasha backed down, deciding that letting his mate have her way this time was better than having her pissed at him for the foreseeable future. They were both stubborn, willful people, and he didn’t expect to win every battle. If they could just talk—or even yell—things out, and he could avoid making spiteful and hurtful insults, they would get along just fine. Of course, the side benefits of being together would help a lot, such as his new bathing privileges with Kagome. Oh, yes, he had them, though she hadn’t specifically granted them except for that one time. Unfortunately, the wench was too excited about speaking with Sango to care, dragging the slayer off to the spring before Inuyasha could get in a word about bathing arrangements. Pouting, he joined the monk in setting up camp.

"Shippo," Miroku asked after a few minutes, "why don’t you and Kirara go explore the woods for awhile?" Inuyasha’s head shot up at that, and the seriousness of his situation dawned on him as he glimpsed the telltale hentai twinkling in the monk’s eye. At least Shippo was still here, having whipped out his coloring books when it became clear that the girls desired their bath to be women-only. The last thing he wanted was to be left alone with the houshi and his perverted questions! He couldn’t leave Miroku by himself, because then the monk would just make a beeline for the hot spring to spy on the girls. And no man was ever going to see his Kagome naked again except him, dammit! Fortunately, he and Shippo seemed to operating on the same wavelength.

"Nope," the kit replied easily. "You just want one less pair of eyes making sure you don’t go spy on the girls." Miroku sighed, dismayed by having his hentai habits come back to bite him in the ass. For once, his motivation wasn’t to catch a glimpse of naked female flesh, although he knew he wouldn’t pass up such an opportunity should one arise. Oh, well…I’ll just have to be a little more subtle than originally planned.

"So, Inuyasha," he observed after a few seconds of contemplative silence, "you looked pretty disappointed when Kagome went to bathe. Did you want to join her?"

"Shut it, bouzu," Inuyasha retorted, trying to act as intimidating as possible even though he could already feel the blood pooling in his cheeks.

"I completely understand your dissatisfaction with the current arrangements. You know, if you could convince Sango to—"

"Forget it! If you wanna see Sango naked, you ask her!"

"I don’t think that would go over so well," the monk admitted sheepishly. "Come on, Inuyasha! I was hoping we could pair up, and maybe both engage in more of certain activities. Speaking of which," Miroku continued after a short pause, "how was your experience with those activities?"

"Feh."

"Yeah, Inuyasha, how was making love?" Shippo interjected, proving once again that he was too smart for his own good. The hanyou glared at him, holding out his hand.

"Fork over the rest of that pocky Kagome gave you, runt." Shippo shook his head violently, his hands flying to cover his mouth.

"Never mind! I didn’t say anything about making lo—anything!!!"

"Damn right you didn’t," Inuyasha declared. That’s all I need: *two* people asking me about my *one* sexual experience! It was somewhat of a comfort that Kagome was probably getting the same treatment from Sango. Then it dawned on him that Miroku was still waiting for an answer, and sure enough, the monk was gazing at him expectantly. Instead of replying verbally, he let his lips quirk in a smirk that said it all and left Miroku slightly slack-jawed. Wow, the monk wondered, that good, huh? But after the shock of seeing Inuyasha behave so boldly and confidently wore off, he donned a smirk of his own, one which had the hanyou’s faltering.

"So it was amazing, mind-blowing, absolutely perfect?" When Inuyasha frowned, Miroku nodded sympathetically. "I see…would you like some pointers?"

"Wh—NO!!! I don’t want any fucking pointers!" Logically, Inuyasha knew the previous night hadn’t been perfect. Was anything in life truly flawless? Still, thinking back on it now, he couldn’t find anything to regret or wish he could go back and change. In that sense, on some deeper level, maybe it really was perfect. Regardless, he knew exactly where Miroku could shove his insinuation.

"I don’t need your advice, bouzu. I did just fine without it. Hell, I’ve gotten farther than you anyway."

"Point taken, my friend," Miroku conceded. "Still, I’d bet my left arm that I get an heir before you do."

"Keh."

Kagome vibrated with anticipation, sending little ripples along the surface of the water as she waited for Sango to join her.

"Ok, Sango-chan!" she demanded once the slayer had settled. "Spill! Did he kiss you? How was it? What did he say? Wha—"

"Do you want me to answer all those questions at once, Kagome-chan?" Sango asked, her head swimming.

"Uh…maybe you should start with the first one. Did he kiss you?"

"Well, no. I…I kissed him, actually," she confessed, covering one flaming cheek with her palm.

"Y-you did?" Kagome gasped. She definitely hadn’t been expecting that.

"Yeah. We started talking, and he said he knew that his lecherous habits were making me lose my faith in him. Apparently, he and Inuyasha had a chat…"

"Oh…" Kagome gulped, rubbing the back of her neck. "About that, Sango-chan, I—"

"It’s ok, Kagome-chan. I’m glad you broke your promise. I should have just talked with Houshi-sama about it myself, but I was stupid. I didn’t know he…cared so much," she said, grinning blissfully. Kagome smiled in return, happy for her friend and relieved that Sango wasn’t angry with her.

"I tried to tell you…"

"Yeah, yeah, you were right. He’s honorable enough to at least try to be a one-woman man. You were right about the kiss, too," Sango admitted softly.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you said your first real kiss with Inuyasha was amazing…and mine was the same." Kagome sighed wistfully as the memory returned, her lips curling as she gazed reflectively at the darkening sky.

"Yeah, kissing is…yeah," Kagome finished lamely, having been unable to come up with an appropriately descriptive term.

"Yeah," Sango agreed, setting off a round of giggles that bled the tension from their bodies, leaving them totally unwound. They didn’t stay that way for long, as Sango began to fidget, the scent of her nervousness perfuming the air. Several times she opened her mouth as if to say something, then snapped it shut and went back to square one. It didn’t take a genius to figure out the topic she was choking on. Kagome had asked her questions, after all, and now reciprocity was rearing its ugly head.

"We both know what you’re gonna ask, Sango-chan, so you might as well just say it."

"Wh-what’s it like?" she stammered finally. Kagome thought about playing dumb, maybe asking what ‘it’ was, but decided against it. Sango looked like she was close to losing her composure as it was. Not for the first time, she was reminded how similar Inuyasha and Sango were. They were both true warriors, their fierceness in battle tempered by a strong moral sensibility. Though often shy and reserved around members of the opposite sex, they sought love and companionship even if they themselves didn’t realize it. They were fighters before lovers, though Inuyasha had proven he was more than capable of both. And Kagome knew in her heart that Sango could be a loving wife, a doting mother, if only she was given the chance. She also knew that the slayer probably didn’t have much background on sex, by virtue of living in the feudal era and a probably-conservative taijiya village. How could she possibly comprehend just how incredible it could be, when Kagome herself hadn’t appreciated it until very recently? Well, she would to her best to clue her friend in, and maybe relating her experience would help with her ongoing ‘don’t act like a virgin’ mission.

"Well…we started kissing, and then took our clothes off… I was so hot, Sango-chan, like I was burning up inside. I think if something had stopped us at that point I would have gone crazy!" she declared, grinning before becoming serious once more. "And then, when we went to actually do it…well, I won’t lie to you, Sango-chan. It hurt like hell, at first. But then…he was so gentle, so caring, and it felt so good afterwards…" A delightful shiver crawled up Kagome’s spine, the memory affecting her more than she would ever admit. Had that wonderful evening really been just yesterday, a mere twenty-four hours ago? There was a long pause as the two girls sat, Sango simply watching Kagome as the younger girl reminisced.

"Wow," she said at last, awed by what Kagome had told her, as well as how happy she looked. Kagome had always been blessed with a beautiful smile, but now it carried just a little extra glow, a joy that brightened whoever had the good fortune of glimpsing it. Sango remembered hearing the older members of the taijiya village speak of the power of young love, and how just seeing it would warm the heart and make personal troubles seem trivial. Now, she fully understood what they had meant. Oh, how she desired that kind of love, though her logical mind used to tell her it would never happen. But after last night’s rendezvous with Miroku, the seemingly impossible had become possible, even probable. Perhaps they really could have that kind of relationship… She knew she loved him. If she had not, then she would have cut ties with him long ago. Her feelings had once been a burden, a curse, but now they gave her hope, a reason to live, to survive the fall of Naraku and forge a future for herself. All because of a few honest words, and a kiss. It was amazing what one singular moment in time could do.

Inuyasha was frustrated again. The entire week since his and Kagome’s first night together had been an exercise in conflicting emotions. On the one hand, his life had never seen the level of contentment he now enjoyed. Oh, sure, there were many things he still needed to accomplish, like collecting the jewel shards and destroying Naraku. But those objectives were secondary, and they had been all along, though he was too blind and stubborn to realize it. Everything he had truly been looking for since his awakening had been by his side the whole time. The problem was that he hadn’t been able to find more than a few scattered moments alone with the one who fulfilled him so. A handful of stolen kisses were not nearly enough to satisfy his appetite for her, and to make matters worse, Kagome felt the same way. Unfortunately, circumstances had conspired against them, which explained why they were both more than a little irritable this afternoon.

Kagome had felt bad about not bathing with him, so she went out of her way to be nice to him that evening, making him extra ramen and giving him an ear rub as they climbed into bed. When she seductively whispered in his ear that she would ‘make it up to him later,’ all was forgiven, though the promise did little to help him fall asleep. They made it Daichi’s late the following afternoon, only to find that the bear youkai and Sakura were gone, probably to barter his wares or visit friends. Since they didn’t know when he would be back, they decided not to wait for him. Kagome settled for leaving a note expressing her gratitude for her new clothes and promising to visit again soon. That night, they had camped in the forest, but neither of them were desperate enough to elope for a few hours alone together when their friends would know exactly what they had been doing. Little did they know that it would be the last real opportunity they would have for awhile. Now he was seriously considering grabbing Kagome and carrying her into the woods to have his way with her, and he didn’t think she would protest. Funny how a week of enforced abstinence could make you not care about who or what knew you were having sex. Propriety could go rot in a hole somewhere.

They stayed at a human village the night after that. Sango and Miroku had taken care of a small youkai problem, and the headman insisted that they stay for dinner and spend the night. The attitude toward the two hanyou was less enthusiastic, but the invitation was extended, albeit reluctantly. Still, they knew enough to tread carefully with practically every human in sight gazing at them with looks ranging from curiosity to outright hostility. Inuyasha wasn’t about to let a bunch of suspicious humans force him out of Kagome’s sleeping bag, but the less than welcoming atmosphere did put a damper on their sex life. They were only too happy when morning came and they could get the hell out of there. And just when things were looking up, Kagome started bleeding a few hours later. That lasted for several days, and since neither of them wanted to experience intercourse with her in that condition, they had no choice but to wait it out. Today, her scent had finally been clear, and it was a wonder he had been able to control himself thus far. Especially since Kagome was obviously thinking the same things as he, her scent spiking periodically as their tortuous journey continued.

So when the ugly bastard of a youkai appeared before them, demanding the jewel shards, Inuyasha welcomed the upcoming battle as a chance to blow off some steam. The youkai’s type was unknown; it walked upright, with arms longer than its legs, its entire body covered in what almost looked like human skin except for the puke-green hue. But whatever the creature’s exterior was made of, it was much tougher than it looked, as Inuyasha discovered when he attempted to chop the youkai in half through its midsection. Tetsusaiga bounced off its belly, leaving the hanyou open to a strike from the creature’s man-sized fist.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome called as he slammed into a tree, the force of the impact splintering the wood.

"Stay back!" he ordered, heaving himself to his feet. He glared at the creature, rage burning in his amber eyes as he spit a clump of blood off to the side. The youkai smirked, and it didn’t need to say anything to convey exactly what it thought of its half-breed challenger. Inuyasha growled at the gall of this youkai, which clearly had no idea what he was capable of. One Kaze no Kizu could probably wipe the thing off the face of the planet, but that would only prove that he was too weak to defeat it without his sword’s special techniques. He knew that wasn’t true, and he wanted the tactile pleasure of killing this thing with his blade or claws. Perhaps this was a rational way of looking at things, or perhaps his frustration was clouding his judgment. Either way, it was probably not the wisest decision he had ever made.

He did well at first, dodging the numerous blows before finally striking back with one of his own, neatly cleaving one of the youkai’s hands off at the wrist. The swing had taken the full extent of his strength, so he was in no position to block when the youkai screamed in rage and fired an energy burst from its gaping maw. He leapt up out of the way, but the youkai anticipated the move perfectly, and was waiting with its other fist cocked and ready. The youkai threw its entire bulk into the punch, and this time there was a sickening crunch at the moment of impact. Inuyasha was propelled through the air into another tree, the force of the collision obliterating the base of the great hardwood. It shuddered for several moments, as if straining to find some support in the now shattered wood which had held it upright for so long. But there was none to be found, and the dying tree slowly toppled, gathering speed as it plummeted toward the youkai which had felled it. The creature caught it in mid air, raising it above its head like some tremendous club before swinging it downward toward its intended victim.

A flash of light off to the side was the creature’s only warning before its makeshift weapon burst into flame, vaporizing instantly with the sheer power of the miko arrow which had struck it and leaving the creature with nothing but a charred stump in its hands. Kagome was already notching another, this one aimed at the youkai’s head. She couldn’t see Inuyasha from her vantage point, the underbrush concealing his position, but she knew that at the very least he was gravely wounded. And at the worst… But she couldn’t think like that. This youkai needed to be dispatched before she could tend to her fallen mate, or shed tears on his behalf. She only prayed they would be tears of relief rather than grief.

But the youkai was not willing to perish so easily. It had seen the damage the strange miko-hanyou’s arrow could do, and knew it could not withstand a direct hit. In desperation, it flung the stump at Kagome just as she aimed her arrow. The move had the desired effect, forcing the enemy group to scatter and giving the youkai enough time to close the distance between them. By the time Kagome had recovered enough to fire, it was too late. The creature attacked viciously, its swings short and measured, its size allowing it to pursue when she tried to withdraw. All she could do was dodge; she couldn’t even think of firing an arrow, and that was what the youkai wanted. In close quarters combat, the hulking brute with the quick hands—or hand—had the advantage. Still, Kagome didn’t panic; her training with Inuyasha served her well. She looked for an opportunity to land a death blow, and saw one when the youkai swung a little too wide. Leaping onto the outstretched arm, she used it as a springboard to launch herself straight toward the creature’s head, intent on severing it from its body with her claws. The youkai reacted just in time, firing another energy blast from his mouth at point blank range. Summoning her miko powers, Kagome barely managed to deflect some of the attack, but the blow still sent her flying backwards. She landed on her feet in true feline style, but her bow and arrows cluttered to the ground a good distance away, hopelessly out of reach. Fortunately, this was the opening the other members of the inu-gang had been waiting for.

"Kazaana!!!" Miroku yelled, flinging open the sealing beads and unleashing the full fury of his right hand. For a moment, as the creature was inexorably pulled in, it appeared that the monk’s curse would end the battle. But this youkai was old, ancient really, and it had seen enough unique attacks in its day to know how to deal with them. Using its great arms, it shoveled rocks, bushes, any kind of debris it could reach back toward the black hole. Miroku gritted his teeth as he felt the strain of sucking in so much material, and the strength of the void faded only slightly, but it was enough. Heaving its leg muscles, the youkai managed to push its way forward about twenty yards until it could duck down behind a large, sturdy tree. Momentarily safe from the pull of the human vacuum, it searched for a way to escape. Snatching up a large boulder, it stepped out from behind its shelter just enough to fling the rock toward its attacker in a high arc. Miroku’s eyes widened as the boulder sailed closer, and as it grew larger and larger it became clear that the youkai had made a dead-on perfect throw. The monk raised his hand to suck in the rock just before it flattened him into a houshi-pancake, allowing the youkai the opening it needed to lean out and fire another energy blast before the monk could lower his hand again. Miroku leapt back, refastening the beads over his hand before the debris from the attack hit him, knocking him on his back and making his head spin. Another opponent out of the fight.

"Hiraikotsu!!!"

The youkai roared angrily as the bone boomerang tore a long slice into its back. As it turned to face the new threat, Kagome made her move, dashing forward and reclaiming her lost weapons. Swiftly she notched an arrow and called out her powers, firing the instant she felt the projectile charge. But the youkai had felt the surge in power, and possessed lightning quick reflexes for a being its size. It ducked just in time as the arrow whizzed by overhead, the residual energy scorching skin as it passed. Cursing itself for allowing the human taijiya to be a distraction, it charged toward the true threat, staying low to the ground and weaving to throw off her aim. Once this strange female hanyou was dead, and the jewel shards were in its possession, victory over any enemy would be assured! Kagome readied herself and waited, bowstring taut, as the youkai closed rapidly. She would fire at point blank range and obliterate this beast once and for all. Wait for it…wait for it…

But if this youkai was stronger and faster than it looked, it certainly was more intelligent as well. It knew full well that a simple frontal assault was suicidal, and it also knew just how close it could get to the miko-hanyou before dodging a shot would become impossible. It snatched up a large log and flung if just before crossing that imaginary threshold. Kagome dove to the side and immediately brought her weapon back up, but it was too late. The youkai’s closing speed made any delay on her part fatal, and it had created that delay with a well-timed and unexpected attack. Already a giant fist was coming at her from the side, and it was all she could do to twist away to lessen the impact. In this she succeeded; instead of breaking half her ribs the blow glanced off her back, leaving a large welt but doing little structural damage. Still, the energy behind the strike launched her forward, rolling and tumbling until an unlucky tree stopped her progress with a mighty thud. Dazed, she gazed upward with unfocused eyes as her enemy closed in, raising its fist high above its head to deliver the final blow. Somewhere in the distance Sango was calling her name, but the slayer’s assistance would not come soon enough. Had her thoughts not been so muddled, Kagome might have contemplated the unfairness of life. Now that she finally had Inuyasha, she was going to leave him.

A pulse. The world seemed to freeze, as the youkai stopped and stood with its arm raised, turning its head toward the source of the new sensation.

Another pulse.

Another.

Growing in intensity and frequency now. Dark. Evil. Carnal. Familiar…

A menacing figure rose from the ruins of the forest, clad in crimson, its downturned face partially concealed by white hair, swept by a sinister wind. A low growl could be heard, a sound that carried so much hatred that it might have originated from the very depths of hell. One eye peered out from behind unruly bangs, glowing blood red, the color of the thing the demon desired above all else. Blood. It desired blood. And it would have it. In the blink of an eye, it was gone. Seconds later, its claws were tearing green skin, rending flesh amid cries of outrage and anguish from the old youkai whose life was coming to an abrupt end. A gurgle as its throat was ripped out, then silence. Complete, utter silence. One youkai was dead, but another remained. No mortal creature dared to make a move. Except one.

"Inuyasha," Kagome uttered, taking a cautious step toward him. He whirled to face her, and she gasped and flinched back, but not in fright. No, fear was the very furthest thing from her mind at the moment. She truly believed that Inuyasha would never hurt her in this form. But beyond that, the way he was looking at her… It was not blood he lusted after, but something else entirely. His entire being exuded lust, plain and simple. For her. Kagome shivered under the intensity of his stare, powerless to look away and equally incapable of moving her suddenly unresponsive body. Her heart fluttered, her skin flushing as liquid heat pooled in her belly, knees shaking as her breathing became rapid and heavy. How could one look affect her so, she wondered? The pure promise behind it was overwhelming, teasing her with recollections of freshly remembered sensations and leaving her wanting nothing more than to experience those feelings over and over again. Still her crazed mate gazed at her, taking in the sight of her trembling, scenting her excitement in the air. He smirked.

Suddenly he snarled, glaring at something behind her. Turning around, Kagome saw their friends come to a sudden halt, expressions nervous and bodies tensed for combat. Sango already held the Tetsusaiga, the only thing that had ever been able to return their companion back to normal. Again, Inuyasha snarled, but the sound was remarkably different from the one he had directed at the enemy youkai. There was no real hostility; instead it spoke of annoyance and gave the impression of a warning. The widening of Sango’s eyes was Kagome’s only warning before strong male arms wrapped around her, pulling her back against an equally powerful chest. His body rumbled against her, sending small shockwaves rocketing through her quivering form. His tongue seductively lathed the length of her neck, and her head lolled to the side, her breath hitching as his enlarged fangs grazed her soft skin. The evidence of his arousal pressed against her ass, and she felt as if the only thing holding her up were those strong arms of his. Oh, the heat, that nigh irresistible pull that threatened to overwhelm her, drag her down into a realm of fleshly desires and untold delights. But through her faltering grip on her self control, her rational mind supplied a motivation to resist, a reason why she couldn’t slip into that world—at least, not here.

Breaking his hold and pulling away from him was quite possibly the hardest thing she had ever done, and not because he refused to release her. He did at first, but his attitude changed in the blink of an eye, his angry growl turning into one of irritation as he let her go. She glanced curiously over her shoulder, having expected more of a fight. But the hunger was still there, barely tempered by something she couldn’t discern at the moment. His restraint seemed to be hanging by a thread nearing its breaking point, and Kagome hurriedly did what she needed to do. Turning to her friends, she tried to appear as composed and confident as possible when she spoke.

"Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Please don’t follow us." Then she was gone, sprinting through the trees as fast as her legs would carry her. Inuyasha favored them with a look that seemed to echo Kagome’s sentiment before taking off after her.

"Kirara!" Sango called, fully intent on following and rectifying the situation, even if she had to shove the Tetsusaiga down Inuyasha’s throat to do it.

"Wait, Sango," Miroku ordered softly, placing a restraining hand on her shoulder, which was quickly shrugged off.

"No, Houshi-sama! He—"

"Sango, we need to respect Kagome-sama’s wishes! You saw as clearly as I what Inuyasha had on his mind, and you know very well what they are doing…" Sango flushed despite herself, but anger and worry still dominated her emotions.

"But he could hurt her!"

"Yes, he could, but I don’t believe he will. Kagome-sama believes she can handle it, and she knows Inuyasha better than anyone, quite possibly better than he knows himself. We should trust her judgment." Sango grimaced as the truth behind the monk’s words sunk in, and she reluctantly relaxed her stance. He was right, but she didn’t have to like it.

"If he hurts her, I’ll—"

"If he does cause Kagome-sama any injury, then nothing you say or do can possibly make him feel any worse." Again, the wisdom in Miroku’s words was apparent, but they had the effect of making Sango feel even more powerless than before. All she could do was stare anxiously in the direction her friends had left. Please, Kagome-chan, be safe…

The world was a blur to Kagome, flashing past on either side as she took stock of her situation. She was running as hard as she could, a lust-crazed, full-youkai Inuyasha hot on her heels. Oh, Kami!!!! It dawned on her that she could end this right now with a simple osuwari command, but what would that prove? It would prove that she was a liar, and everything she said about trusting his youkai side not to hurt her was total bullshit. And that simply wasn’t true; she was running from him, but she wasn’t afraid of him. How could a frightened person be this physically excited? Her body still throbbed in unrequited need, anticipating the rapture that she knew would soon be wracking it. But more than that, this was her chance to prove that she had been right about him, and she would not waste the opportunity. Speaking of which, how long was he going to let the chase go on? He could outrun her in his hanyou form, so he should be able to catch her no prob—

A heavy weight slammed into her back as she was tackled from behind, pitching her forward. They rolled over and over together, and when they finally stopped, Kagome found herself on her back, staring into those savage red eyes once again. Inuyasha straddled her waist, trapping both her hands above her head with one of his. His face was mere inches away, his demanding growl vibrating loudly in her ears. She whimpered, unsure of what he wanted from her. What could she do? She was already completely at his mercy! Yet, that apparently wasn’t enough, as he continued to wait not-so-patiently for something, rumbling his displeasure the whole time. Perhaps it was the sideways head-butt he gave her, or some long-buried fragment of youkai instinct, but either way she finally got the message. Whimpering again, she turned her head to the right and raised her chin, exposing her neck to him. His growl instantly dropped an octave, communicating his satisfaction with his mate’s submission. Now he set about rewarding her for it.

He attacked her vulnerable skin with vigor, nipping her pulse point, drawing gasps and mewls from the bitch beneath him. Her body began to writhe of its own accord, the swirling heat which had ebbed only slightly returning in full force. Her body was burning up, and his touch scorched her further, but she found herself wanting to leap into the lustful flames and never come out. Suddenly her kosode was flung open, revealing her front to hungry eyes and questing digits. Her abdominal muscles quaked as his hand skimmed over her stomach, his claws leaving trails of smoldering nerves in their wake. Her bra was dispatched by a single flick of his wrist, sliced cleanly down the middle, a fact that her mind was barely able to comprehend before his mouth latched onto one rosy nipple. He sucked hard, his tongue rough in a delicious way, as his hand kneaded and massaged her other breast. He bit down on her puckered flesh, pulling, drawing her up as her back arched and her head flew back, letting loose a silent cry as the pleasure-pain drove her to the brink of insanity. The conflicting sensations added to each other, piled together into a single mass until all she could do was feel. Her own hands clenched into fists as the assault on her body continued, and she whined, pulling against his hold, needing to touch him in return.

Grinning sadistically, he released her, more than willing to let his bitch tend to him as he ravished her chest. She tugged repeatedly on the collar of his haori, until finally he moved up her body, growling in annoyance at the interruption. She silenced him by slamming her lips against his, the force parting his teeth and allowing her to slip her tongue inside. One of his fangs scraped her lip, drawing blood, the coppery taste only adding to the seductive haze that clouded their minds. Snarling he pushed back until his bitch’s head was pinned to the ground, his tongue doing battle with hers in the no man’s land between their lips. Eventually, she surrendered, allowing his moist appendage to batter its way inside her mouth as he dominated her in every way. And yet, moments later he was surprised to find his haori and kosode yanked open, her soft hands running along his chest, her claws scratching his skin and sending sparks of pleasure straight to his groin. He nipped her tongue for her boldness, but somehow couldn’t bring himself to stop her. He settled for assailing her neck again, leaving love bites all along the column of her throat. Kagome was far gone, moving on instinct alone, but his startled yelp brought her partly back to reality. Perhaps pinching his nipple had been a mistake…

He reared back, glaring at her as he grabbed the offending appendage and held it up between them. Her eyes widened in alarm; she knew she had gone too far this time. But he only grinned wickedly, separating her pointer finger and grasping it playfully between his teeth. Kagome winced as he bit down, pricking the digit and drawing a thin bead of blood which he eagerly lapped up with his tongue. The taste of the crimson liquid seemed to reenergize his rampant sexual drive, as any sort of amusement in his eyes vanished to be replaced with unmitigated desire. He practically tore off his haori and kosode, throwing the garments off to the side, and Kagome took the chance to finish disrobing herself before she wound up with any more shredded clothing. Youkai-Inuyasha growled approvingly as he took in the sight of his mate, completely bared to his gaze. Kagome had never felt more like prey than she did in that moment. A vicious hunter was stalking her, and her body throbbed with exhilaration though but she had every intention of being caught.

The predator did not disappoint. His hands moved all over her body, whispering across her skin, causing riots of wild sensation wherever they passed. His claws and teeth left tracks of burning flesh, tingling with the escalating passion that she was constantly convinced could never rise any higher. And yet, somehow it always did. His blissful torment reached her breasts, stomach, thighs, circling teasingly around but never touching the place where the ardent conflagration blazed the brightest. Her moans and cries became desperate, needy, as her legs parted and she wordlessly begged for some relief from unbearable pressure building inside her. And when he finally did slip one hand between her thighs, her entire body convulsed as if the shock of obtaining what it frantically desired was too much. He stroked her firmly, driving her upwards toward the peak with his fingers before pulling them away with an arrogant smirk. His bitch was soaking wet for him; she was well beyond ready.

Before Kagome could comprehend why he had stopped, she found herself on all fours, her mate draped over her back. When he had managed to remove his hakama she would never know, but his now-naked length rubbed tantalizingly against her entrance. Deciding not to keep either of them waiting any longer, he pulled himself upright, grasped her hips, and plunged fully inside her with one brutal thrust. Kagome hissed in discomfort, the forcefulness of the entry causing a stinging pain to erupt in her tender flesh. It wasn’t nearly as pronounced as their first time, however, and she could deal with it. She was fully prepared for a hard fucking, and would forgive Inuyasha for any resulting pain. So she was understandably stunned when instead of thrusting madly, he leaned over, wrapped his arms around her midsection, and pulled her up until they were both kneeling upright, still locked together. He nuzzled her neck, his normally vigorous rumble seeming subdued, almost apologetic. His tongue lavished soothing attention on her pulse, and she relaxed bonelessly into him. She tensed again as he rocked his hips forward, moving gently within her, wringing a groan of pure pleasure from her throat. He filled her with short, measured strokes which couldn’t have been very satisfying for him but soon had her panting and moaning with impending release. Her hands were clenched now, digging into the skin of his forearms. So close…so close… And then she was there, crying out as her body quaked and quivered in soul-searing ecstasy. Inuyasha gyrated his hips, drawing out her climax until finally the tremors subsided and she knelt docile in his embrace. But the feel of her rippling around him had done nothing to alleviate his arousal, and his blood boiled again with only temporarily suppressed ferocity.

Kagome was unceremoniously dropped, barely catching herself before eating dirt. But her arms felt like rubber after that orgasm and were unable to support her weight. She settled for leaning on her elbows, sinking her claws into the earth and biting her tongue to keep from moaning too loudly as Inuyasha began thrusting deeply. But as the speed and energy of his movements increased, she found that any attempts at stifling herself were futile. He was grunting and growling behind her, pounding into her willing body with all the wildness and raw passion of his youkai half. She rested her head on her hands, eyes clenched, gasping and groaning with every thrust. And unbelievably, in only a couple minutes her body was drawn tight as a bowstring, ready to cum again. This time when orgasm rocked her, Inuyasha did not stop; he didn’t even slow his pace, not even when Kagome’s hand came back and dug into his hip. This was the only way she could communicate her desire for a reprieve, as her mouth was fully occupied crying her pleasure into the forest. Of course, with her mind as tattered as it was, she honestly didn’t know what she wanted. She trembled in the throes of an earth-shattering orgasm that her mate kept alive for what seemed like a small eternity. Her mind was overloaded with sensation, drunk on the sweet bliss of sexual gratification. And it was far from over.

Deftly removing her hand from his hip, Inuyasha leaned over and snagged her other wrist as well, pulling until her back arched, her upper body supported only by his grip on her arms. With the added leverage, he really let loose, yanking her back to meet every thrust as he brought them both to the very edge of their endurance. Finally, Kagome reached a third peak with rolling convulsions, white-hot explosions bursting out all over her body. Inuyasha soon followed with a choked, animalistic cry. They strained, every muscle tense, as they rode out their orgasms together before finally going limp in complete exhaustion. Inuyasha released one of her hands only to use his free arm to catch her, flopping both of them onto their sides. They lay there panting for what seemed like hours to Kagome, her body periodically gripped by aftershocks that gradually faded in intensity. Inuyasha’s tongue lapped languidly at her neck, this time the action not intended to arouse. His hand ran lightly over her stomach in slow circles. In return, she reached up and began to lazily rub his ear. A low, contented rumble emanated from his chest, further widening her already broad grin. It was hard not to smile when one was so amazingly satiated. She wasn’t even worried about reversing Inuyasha’s youkai transformation; with as content as they both were right now, she was sure that would work itself out eventually.

She was right. She could easily tell when it started to happen; that soothing purr dropped in volume and finally stopped altogether, and his gentle ministrations on her body ceased completely. His scent shifted from relaxed to guilty, and he nudged her hand away from his ear. Kagome shook her head inwardly; her hanyou entertained some of the stupidest thoughts sometimes. Now she just had to convince him they were stupid…

"Kagome…" he croaked, his voice still a little off. "Are you…ok?" Sighing, Kagome rolled over to face him, meeting those amber eyes she knew so well. They were clouded with remorse and worry, the latter probably concerning her reaction to his recent behavior. She beamed at him and kissed him on the nose, part one of her attempt to put those fears to rest for good.

"I’m fine, Inuyasha. What about you? You were wounded!" she declared, just remembering the fight which had gotten them out here in the first place.

"Feh," he scoffed, "don’t worry about me. I’m all healed up," he proclaimed, tapping his chest with a fist for good measure. He winced, but fortunately Kagome didn’t see it. Well, *almost* healed up, anyway… Still, his own health was the least of his concerns at the moment. Kagome clearly wasn’t upset with him, but he still felt horrible for the way he had treated her. Even if they had both enjoyed it…

"Sorry," he mumbled, embracing her loosely and pulling her close so she couldn’t see his face.

"Don’t be. You didn’t hurt me."

"You were in pain at first."

"Oh, don’t worry about— Hey! You remember?" Kagome asked in surprise and amazement, pulling back to look at him. Inuyasha nodded, his eyes glazing over as he relived the memory.

*Flashback*

Inuyasha grimaced as the agony in his chest receded just enough to allow him to think straight. Fuck…that was one hell of a punch. He had at least a few broken ribs, and his left lung felt like it had been punctured by one of them. Certainly not life-threatening injuries for a hanyou, but he was still surprised to be alive. That youkai should have had plenty of time to finish him off while he was lying on the ground dazed and confused. Then again, considering the lingering tingle of miko powers in the air, he had no doubt who had come to his rescue. Kagome… Tuning his ears to the outside world, he found that he could make out the sounds of ongoing battle.

Inuyasha shook his head, the motion causing new jolts of pain to lance through his body. He was in no shape to protect anybody, which was probably why his youkai side was clamoring to be let out.

Inuyasha listened carefully to the battle, the animal inside him growing more and more agitated when the humans failed to bring the creature down. He panted with the effort of maintaining his control, his resolve wavering as Kagome took up the fight again. But it was when he heard the impact on her flesh, her soft cry, and the muffled thud as she crashed into the tree that his restraint dissolved completely. His blood boiled, lust for the enemy’s death giving him new energy, the rush of his father’s youkai strength healing a large portion of his wounds immediately. Within seconds, he had slaughtered the youkai as easily as he had dispatched Goshinki all those months ago. But something was different about this time. During his battle with Ryukotsusei, he had been somewhat aware of the world around him throughout his transformation, at least cognizant enough to reclaim Tetsusaiga when given the chance. But now he was experiencing the world as if he wasn’t transformed at all. The only difference was that he was no longer in control of his body, as he found when Kagome called out to him. His body spun to face her without his orders, and a sinking feeling settled in the feeling of his—now proverbial—stomach as his youkai’s licentious thoughts floated through his mind. Oh, no, you bastard! Don’t even fucking think about it! To his surprise, his youkai heard him and even dignified his demand with a response.

Inuyasha growled. Shit!!! He knew that later really meant ‘afterwards.’ After his youkai side had ravaged Kagome. But would it really be that bad? Yes!!! This side of me is a murderer, for fuck’s sake!!!

Probably because of the obvious connection he and his youkai shared, Inuyasha could tell the latter was being sincere. He breathed a sigh of relief, his concerns at least partly mollified. Suddenly, he heard his youkai let loose a threatening snarl.

Ok, so perhaps ‘control’ was too strong a word. Still, his intuition was telling him that he at least had some influence on his youkai side. Had he been more technology-savvy, Inuyasha might have compared the feeling to being a backseat driver. You can tell the person behind the wheel what to do and how to do it, but it’s entirely up to them whether or not they listen to you. If you feel really passionate about something, you can lean forward and grab the wheel, but you can never reach the gas or brake pedals no matter how hard you try. In the same way, Inuyasha had no chance of dissuading his youkai’s sexual urges, but he could at least provide some direction to that course of action. And as he heard Kagome’s words, and saw her dash off into the forest, he knew that’s what he would have to do.

For the most part, he was wrong; he didn’t have to do much of anything, only interfering a couple of times. His youkai wasn’t a mindless animal, and it took great pleasure in arousing its mate to the point of insanity before finally joining with her. Inuyasha was extremely pissed when the moron went too fast and caused Kagome pain, but his youkai quickly made up for it. Inuyasha found himself actually learning things about making love from…well, himself. He was amazed at how responsive Kagome was, how she wasn’t repulsed by the rough treatment, but rather seemed to be turned on by it. It was definitely something to consider for the future. He didn’t think he could ever bring himself to fuck her like this in his hanyou form, but every time they made love didn’t have to be exclusively warm and tender, either.

After they had both reached their final, devastating climaxes, his youkai relinquished control of his body as promised. And as Inuyasha’s mind reclaimed control of his physical being, waves of fear and guilt washed over him, despite everything he had just witnessed. In many ways, he was still the same scared hanyou he had always been.

*End Flashback*

"Yeah, I remember all of it," he confessed in an awed tone. "I could see, hear, smell, and feel everything around me, but it was like someone else was in control of my body. Not total control, though."

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged. "I had some say over what my youkai side did. A couple times I gave him orders and he followed them."

"Like what?"

"Uh…like letting you go so we could get away from the others."

"That was a good idea," Kagome replied, blushing at the memory of them practically making out in front of their friends.

"And telling him not to tear off your clothes," Inuyasha admitted, his face heating to match hers.

"Another good idea," she joked.

"Keh! I got you those clothes, so I’m not going to shred them if I can help it!"

"Pity my bra wasn’t a gift from you then," Kagome lamented dryly, though her voice carried more amusement than annoyance.

"Oh…uh, my bad?"

"Hmmph. Somehow I don’t think you’re really sorry about that."

"Yeah, well if you didn’t wear the stupid things there wouldn’t be a problem, now would there?"

"Inuyasha," she sighed exasperatedly, "women need some sort of support for their breasts, otherwise they sag quicker over time. Do you want mine to look like Kaede-babaa’s by the time I’m middle-aged?"

Inuyasha shuddered at that image. "The day I see her wrinkly old tits is the day I gouge my own eyes out."

"Inuyasha!" she scolded, an osuwari at the tip of her tongue. But she held it back; that was part of the reason they were out here right now, to prove that he didn’t need the rosary anymore. She reached over, her fingers absently playing with one of the beads as she searched for the right words to bring it up. Inuyasha spoke first, breaking the solemn silence which had settled over them after their light-hearted bantering came to a close.

"So you’re really not angry at me?" he asked hopefully, and Kagome could tell he wasn’t just talking about ripping her underwear. Her hand drifted up to his face, running tenderly over his cheek, massaging away the tenseness and worry.

"Why would I be mad? I…it was incredible, Inuyasha." Those words, coupled with her radiant smile, nearly erased his fears, but not quite.

"B-but I was so rough, and—"

"Shh," Kagome cooed, silencing him with a delicate finger pressed against his lips. She gazed at him, baring her soul to his golden pools as she spoke the words he needed to hear. "I fell in love with your youkai side too, you know."

Inuyasha’s eyes widened, his heart nearly stopping as an overpowering wave of humility passed through him. Honestly, what could he say to that? How could he ever hope to properly express his gratitude to this woman for accepting—no, for loving all of him, even after she had experienced the nature of his youkai side firsthand? Were there even words in existence which could do such a thing without sounding hollow? If so, he lacked the time and the inclination to find them. No, he had always been a man of action, and this would be no different. He could at least attempt to show her how much her love meant to him, and that every last vestige of the feeling was returned. Without warning he sat up, startling Kagome into rising as well, but he smoothly pushed her back down. She stared at him in confusion as he hovered over her, watching her with an unreadable expression.

"Inuyasha, wha—"

"Quiet, Kagome," he cut her off, leaning forward to growl seductively in her ear. "Just enjoy this."

He gave her no time to respond before placing his lips on hers, the kiss filled with loving adoration. Moaning mellifluously, she surrendered to the gentle gyrations of his lips, the graceful dancing of their tongues. When he pulled back after a few seconds, she simply laid there trying to gather her wits. What was happening to her? One kiss and already her body was warming, the familiar craving settling in her lower belly and pulsing all the way to her extremities. Perhaps Inuyasha wasn’t the only one with ‘hanyou stamina.’

He moved from her mouth, kissing and licking along her jawbone and down her neck. His hands ghosted over her flesh, never lingering long enough in one place to do more than tease. His tongue caressed her breast, circling enticingly and causing the nipple to harden from sheer anticipation. He drew her off the ground with a choked cry when he finally latched onto the bud, not with his teeth as before, but with light suction. In fact, the whole spirit of this bout of lovemaking was entirely different from the last. Kagome felt revered, like some celestial creature being worshipped by her most devout devotee. Her body was no less aroused than before, but her mind was clearer, allowing her to appreciate his every touch, to bask in the rays of love and veneration shining forth from the depths of his soul. And when her eyes weren’t forced shut by the ecstasy of it all, she watched him as he worked his way down her body, leaving her skin flushed with yearning. She fisted her hands at her sides, not trusting herself to touch his ears for fear of unintentionally injuring them when one of those uncontrollable spasms wracked her frame.

He spent an inordinate amount of time toying with her navel, running his hands up and down her hips, as if hesitating just before reaching his true destination. Finally, he picked his head up and met her eyes, the brown orbs smoldering with unrepressed desire and absolute trust. He also saw trepidation, but was sure that stemmed from the newness of the act they were about to engage in. He was currently suffering from much the same feeling, after all. But this was about her, bringing her pleasure, the kind of completion most could only dream of, and he wasn’t about to back out now. As he lowered his face between her splayed legs, it dawned on him that he had never actually seen this part of her up close before. With child-like wonder he studied her, marveling at the moisture that glistened tantalizingly along her entrance. Mindful of his claws, he parted her outer folds, gazing at the pink flesh from which the scent of her excitement was the strongest. Kagome began to squirm, though whether from nervousness or impatience he couldn’t say, and he knew the time for mere observation had passed. Leaning in, he made his tongue as wide as possible and gave her entire slit a long, slow lick.

Her response was immediate and profound; she threw her head back and swallowed a gasp as her body shook with the unexpected intensity of the thrill. She hadn’t known it would be like that…his tongue felt very different from his fingers. For Inuyasha, her reaction was all the reason he needed to continue. He was astounded by her flavor. It wasn’t a good taste, but at the same time… Whether it was because of the intimacy of the act or because this essence he was sampling was completely Kagome, he found that he couldn’t get enough of it. Still, he kept his strokes slow and measured, not wanting to start lapping at her like a dog. Again, this was about her, and he was damn well going to be sure to take his time and figure out what she liked! After a few minutes, however, it became clear while she was enjoying his leisurely strokes, they were not going to be enough to bring her to climax. He would have to try something else.

It was a lot of trial and error at first, but she was patient with him and for once he carried patience to match. He was hitting all the right places, her labia, her clit, but everything was too tentative, and eventually she subtly thrust her hips into his mouth to encourage him to be more firm. He took the hint, and soon Kagome could no longer hold back the groans that escaped her lips with every breath. His tongue swirled against her hood, applying just the right amount of pressure. Her whole body jolted when his lips locked onto her clit, sucking gently as his tongue pressed rhythmically against the bud. Within minutes she was trembling uncontrollably, her head thrashing wildly from side to side. Needing something to latch onto, her hands found her own breasts, squeezing desperately as the inconceivable rapture continued to build down below. Growing bolder, Inuyasha folded his index finger and inserted it into her opening. He moved in and out, penetrating her in a pace that quickened as Kagome’s breathing became ragged. Her thighs clenched around his head and her body arched, her ass rising off the ground leaving only her shoulders and feet in contact with the earth. Inuyasha went along for the ride, never ceasing his ministrations as he propelled her towards an orgasm powerful enough to bring the very heavens crashing down upon them. And when it finally hit, Kagome was launched into another plane of existence, a world of blinding white. From far off she could hear herself screaming out his name, but the devastating pleasure was there with her, consuming her senses and battering her conscious mind into submission. She was completely, totally, utterly overwhelmed.

Inuyasha did not cease his manipulations until Kagome’s legs gave out and she collapsed back onto the grass, still convulsing as her body gradually cooled down. It was several long minutes before she was able to breathe regularly or force her eyes open. When she finally managed to do so and glance over at her lover she groaned, and not in pleasure this time. Inuyasha was lying on his back, hands folded behind his head, wearing what could only be described as a positively cocky smirk. After that display, was it any wonder that his male ego had grown exponentially?

"Wipe that dumb grin off your face," she ordered playfully, not truly minding his sudden boost in confidence. But his smirk only widened.

"Feh. I don’t know if you’ll ever be able to get this look off me, wench."

Ok, scratch that. It wasn’t confidence; it was arrogance! Kagome frowned in annoyance. What, does he think he’s some kind of sex Kami now? Maybe not, but she wasn’t about to put up with an overly haughty mate. Inuyasha had always possessed a hefty ego, and she was perfectly fine with that, but this was too much! Of course, she knew one way to take him down a peg: by proving that she could bring him the same pleasure he had bestowed upon her. And since any lingering inhibitions regarding sex had been shot to shit over the course of the day, she had no problem rolling over and straddling him.

"Kagome, wha—"

"Quiet, Inuyasha," she told him, parroting his words from before. "Just enjoy this."

His eyes widened comically as he realized what she was going to do, but with that knowledge came no desire to stop her. His cock was already mostly hard from devouring her, and it became fully engorged almost instantaneously, poking Kagome in the back as she sat on his stomach. Smiling ruefully, she reached behind herself with one hand and grasped him. He gritted his teeth as she stroked him easily, pausing only to roll off to the side so she could better shower his body with attention. Her free hand found her old obsession, latching onto an ear and massaging gently while attacking his neck with her mouth. His muscles tensed and corded as she worked her way down his body, his hips rising and falling with her hand. He hissed as she lavished on his nipples the same treatment hers had received scant minutes ago, even daring a nibble or two. He growled and dug his claws into the earth, forcing himself to submit to her will. Fair was fair, after all…

Kagome marveled at the power pulsing just beneath his skin, how she could make his muscles spasm with the simplest of touches. The fact that he was restraining that strength, allowing her to command his body as he had dominated hers, made the moment all the more special. But she didn’t want to tease him for too long, so after only a couple minutes she pulled her hands away from his body. Shyly at first, she examined his cock, this thing which felt so incredible inside her but she had never stopped to really look at before. It stood proudly upright, swaying with the motion of his lungs. It seemed to throb, almost as if it was calling out to her, beckoning her to proceed with haste. Leaning forward, she gave it a languid lick from base to tip. His reaction was a convoluted half-gasp, half-growl as his hips thrust upward of their own volition. Encouraged, she did it again, eliciting a less emphatic response now that he knew what to expect. Her tongue… Kami, her tongue… For what seemed like ages she tortured him with her sweet appendage, and he felt like nothing more than putty under her careful molding. And then she took him in her mouth.

He nearly bit off his tongue trying to swallow his pitiful moan as her lips wrapped around his shaft, her tongue teasing the head. She sucked steadily, moving up and down his length, her hand coming up to grasp and massage the part she couldn’t take in her mouth. Her other hand rested upon his thigh before a sudden inspiration struck her, and she lightly gripped his balls, fondling the grape-like objects. For Inuyasha, the multiple sensations were too much, and he could barely retain enough of his sanity to keep from mindlessly thrusting up into her mouth. Somehow he managed to hold his hands at his sides. His head felt like a heavy weight, and he lacked the strength to lift it to watch her, but the sounds of her attentions were delightful music to his ears. And when the pressure had built too much, and his over-sensitized body could take no more, he exploded like a volcano blowing its top. The accompanying earthquakes shook his entire body violently as he emptied his load. Kagome swallowed everything he gave her, not minding the taste as much as overheard conversations from school had led her to believe. Grinning widely, she settled down against his still shuddering form, extremely proud of herself. Maybe Inuyasha isn’t the only sex Kami around here after all…

Neither of them knew what to say, but both knew that nothing needed to be said. The silence was more than comfortable as they basked in their newfound sexual intimacy. Kagome’s thoughts absently wandered back over the events of the day before coming to an abrupt halt on something she had forgotten about. The rosary. But how to bring it up? She knew Inuyasha was stubborn, and it would be best to make him see that he was wrong instead of actually coming out and saying it. That would just lead to an argument, which would get them absolutely nowhere.

"So," she hedged, "that was really interesting about your youkai transformation." When an affirmative grunt was her only reply, she rolled her eyes but nevertheless continued. "Why do you think this time was different?"

A shrug.

"Come on, Inuyasha, talk to me! Why—"

"I don’t know, alright!" It was true; he really had no idea why his transformation had been so different from all the previous times. It was certainly a positive change, but it still irked him to not know the reason behind it.

"Well, do you think you could stop yourself from going berserk and hurting someone?"

Now there was an interesting question. On the one hand, his youkai had definitely been in the proverbial driver’s seat. On the other, the demon in him had recognized his friends as pack even without his interference. Of course, that didn’t mean it wouldn’t go after strangers as ferociously and mercilessly as it had before, regardless of his protests. But somehow, he knew that wouldn’t happen. Call it a gut feeling, an intuition that came from a novel understanding between the disparate parts of himself. The next time he transformed, he would be able to stop his youkai side if the latter was gripped by bloodlust. He couldn’t explain how he knew, but his conviction on the matter was unwavering. He nodded, earning a pleased smile from Kagome.

"Then you don’t need these anymore," she said, grasping the rosary and lifting it over his head. This time he made no move to stop her, and she tossed the discarded beads into the bushes. His heart warmed at the sight, her trust, her faith in him. She believed in him more than he believed in himself, and always had. It was just one of the many reasons he had fallen hopelessly for her. Overcome with gratitude, he rolled over on top of her and brought their lips together again. They made love once more that evening, a prolonged, languid affair filled with emotion and tenderness, the complete opposite of their first joining that afternoon. Afterwards, they simply held each other, watching as the sun set below the tree line and the stars emerged to shed their light upon the world. It was only with great reluctance that they finally separated, dressed, and began the trek back to their friends. They headed back toward the site of the battle, assuming that camp had been set up nearby. But they had run farther than either of them thought, and Kagome’s eyes began to droop, her steps becoming increasingly sluggish. Inuyasha noticed, and deftly placed her onto his back. Mumbling a thank you, she snuggled into him and was asleep within minutes.

Inuyasha shook his head. Some hanyou she makes… But he couldn’t blame her for being tired, not when he was feeling the strong pull of fatigue himself. The difference was that his upbringing had trained him to deal with tiredness, and to only sleep when absolutely necessary. Kagome was not the typical hanyou because her life had been easy compared to what most half-breeds went through. And if he had anything to say about it, she would stay that way. As expected, the humans had a campfire going a short distance from what was left of the troublesome youkai’s carcass. He entered the clearing, spying Miroku rising to greet him, but Sango’s location escaped his notice.

*Bonk*

"Ah!" he cried, ducking his bruised skull away from the slayer’s boomerang and backing away a few steps. "What the fuck, Sango!" The slayer stalked after him, her face creased with anger and worry.

"Is she ok?! What did you do to her?! Wha—"

"Relax, Sango-chan, I’m fine," Kagome declared drowsily. "Just tired." Seeing the genuineness of Kagome’s smile, Sango finally relaxed as hours of tension drained from her body.

"Damn taijiya…" Inuyasha mumbled, shooting her a nasty glare.

"Well that’s what you get for making us all worry! Next time, do us all a favor by putting aside your ego and just killing the stupid youkai with the Kaze no Kizu!!!"

"Yeah, yeah," was his dismissive reply to her reproach, but he really did take her advice to heart. In the end, it was probably a good thing this had happened, but he fully appreciated how close he came to being bludgeoned to death, and what he could have lost. He held Kagome a little tighter than normal as they slept that night.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or any of the publicly known characters, plot, etc. I’m just renting them from Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, etc. I do own the plot of this story and any original characters I’ve created. I will make no money from this fic; I write for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of my readers.

"Kitsune-bi!!!"

"Shh! Go play somewhere else, Shippo," Sango whispered. "Let them sleep."

Kagome’s eyes fluttered open, squinting shut as the brightness of the day burned away the last traces of unconsciousness from her mind. Covering a yawn with a hand, she sat up and glanced around the camp to gather her bearings.

"Ah, Kagome-sama," Miroku drolled, "you are finally awake." Kagome blinked in confusion for a moment, then finally raised her eyes skyward, noting that the sun was already well above the tree line. Wow…I guess we really did sleep late. And Inuyasha was still snoozing behind her, their legs not yet untangled. The previous day’s battle had really wiped them out. The battle, yeah… She scoffed inwardly. Maybe Inuyasha could use that as an excuse, but what had really drained her were the activities they partook in after combat had ceased. The memories of those actions brought a silly grin to her lips, something the hentai monk did not fail to pick up on.

"That battle yesterday must have really tired you out, Kagome-sama. Or could it have been something else?" To her credit, Kagome managed to limit her blush to only a slight dusting of her cheeks. She could tell the monk’s comments were in jest, and he wouldn’t push them too far. Miroku and Sango were grinning genuinely, though she detected just a hint of envy in each of them. If she didn’t know them so well she wouldn’t have noticed. The male body shifted behind her as Inuyasha sat up and leaned himself drowsily against her back.

"Savin’ your sorry ass all the time is hard work, bouzu," he replied groggily.

"Touché, my friend," Miroku answered, knowing that there was a strong possibility that Inuyasha had in fact saved all their lives by slaying that youkai yesterday. He hoped they could avoid any more confrontations with opponents of that caliber in the future, unless of course that opponent was Naraku. If it was, then bring it on! He was more than ready to defeat his nemesis and move on with his life. A healthy kind of jealousy bubbled in his veins as he watched Inuyasha and Kagome. It wasn’t malicious, and he truly was happy for them, but he longed to experience that closeness with the woman he had chosen. Judging by the look on her face, said woman felt the same way. But that would have to wait. He had gone over the reasons he and Sango could never be more than betrothed while Naraku was still alive many times, and wasn’t about to question them now, no matter how badly he wanted to. All the more reason to eagerly anticipate the next battle with the dark hanyou, and be prepared when it finally came.

"Are you planning to let me up, Inuyasha?" Kagome queried amusedly to the hanyou still draped lazily over her back. He grunted and showed no sign of moving, but Kagome knew a sure-fire way to encourage him to do so. "Are you hungry?" Another grunt, but this time he slid off her back and flopped onto the sleeping bag, resting his hands behind his head. Kagome chuckled as she walked into the trees to answer nature’s call. When in doubt, appeal to his stomach… Her mood soured as she contemplated his lethargy this morning. His wounds must still be affecting him. They were mostly internal, but the surge of his youkai blood apparently hadn’t healed them all. He would probably need another day before he was back to full strength.

Fortunately, the rest of the day was quiet, with only a couple lower-level youkai attacking, and Sango was more than happy to take care of those. They traveled as a sedate pace since they had nowhere to go urgently. Kagome recalled something important as she was eating dinner, and frantically dove through her backpack until she found her calendar. Damn! I could kick myself! It was already Thursday, and she had two tests on Monday and one on Tuesday! She could make it back in time, but she still hated springing these things on her friends at the last minute. Studying would probably consume two nights, so that meant she needed to be back by Saturday afternoon. They would travel all day tomorrow and if she and Inuyasha needed to take off for the well Saturday morning, then so be it.

Now that her plans were made, she just needed to get Inuyasha to agree to them. He was understandably upset at first; she had just been home, for crying out loud! But he quickly changed his tune once Kagome explained the other reason why she needed to go home. She had plotted out a ten day period when unprotected sex would be unsafe, since a girl could never predict exactly when she would ovulate. Having felt uncomfortable with birth control pills (1), she decided to go with condoms instead. And once she informed Inuyasha that no condoms meant no sex for that entire ten-day period, he was more than willing to let her go home to pick up some. The entire conversation wasn’t nearly as awkward as it would have been had it taken place only two days earlier. He was even so gracious as to allow her to stay long enough to take her tests. It was truly laughable that he still thought he could tell her when she could and couldn’t go home. When was the last time she hadn’t gotten her way? Had he ever successfully prevented her from leaving? If so, she certainly couldn’t recall. And that wasn’t about to change simply because he no longer wore the rosary; she was too strong-willed for that. Still, there was no point in relieving him of his delusion so long as it kept the peace and avoided a massive blow to his pride. And speaking of injured pride…

"There’s something different about you, Inuyasha," Miroku observed as the duo returned to camp following their discussion. "It’s been bothering me all day."

"I noticed it too," Sango added. "Something about your appearance is just...off."

"Keh. What the fuck are you two talking about? I look the same—" He cut himself off, realizing what the humans were unknowingly referring to. Grinning wickedly, he fingered the collar of his haori, drawing their attention to that area.

"The rosary!" they both exclaimed at once. Smirking, Inuyasha glanced over at Shippo, expecting to see the fox trembling in fear. To his surprise, the kit barely looked up from his coloring and didn’t appear the least bit alarmed. Slightly deflated, Inuyasha marched over and stomped his foot right next to Shippo’s head.

"Ya hear that, runt? You better stay on my good side, or else!"

"Kagome won’t let you be mean to me," the kit replied unconcernedly. Inuyasha felt his brows twitch in irritation. It was true; Kagome wouldn’t allow him to abuse the runt, nor did he intend to, but he wasn’t supposed to know it! He was supposed to be groveling, dammit! Now completely discouraged, Inuyasha flopped against a tree and crossed his arms over his chest in the universal sign for ‘don’t talk to me, I’m pissed!’

"Well, I see Kagome-sama didn’t remove the beads because you’ve grown up, Inuyasha."

"Shut up, bouzu."

They made good progress on Friday, stopping at one of the hot springs within walking distance of Kaede’s village that they had visited before. None of them had bathed in awhile, so the chance was welcomed. Kagome sighed in relief as she sank into the warm water. She heard Sango washing herself across the small pool, but couldn’t bring herself to do anything except float on her back with her eyes closed at the moment. After careful deliberation, she had concluded that she couldn’t make the taijiya bathe by herself, and she certainly couldn’t force her to bathe with Miroku. Sango wasn’t ready for that yet. Inuyasha was probably pouting back at camp right now, but he would just have to deal with it. They would have plenty of alone time in the modern era. She was looking forward to it, but it was going to be tricky getting studying done as well. Then again, losing study time because of hot sex was a wonderful problem to have. Kagome heard Sango exit the spring and assumed she was grabbing the shampoo or something until she heard the rustle of fabric. Lifting her head, she saw that her friend was almost completely clothed.

"Getting out already, Sango-chan?" she asked, perplexed.

"Yeah, I guess I don’t feel like a long soak tonight. I’ll tell the boys to wait until you get back."

"Oh…ok." If Kagome hadn’t been so lulled by the pleasant warmth of the water, she might have noticed Sango’s smirk as she walked off or the mischievous twinkle in her eye, both telltale signs that she was up to something.

"Time for the men to bathe, Sango?" Miroku inquired hopefully as she returned to camp.

"Nope, Kagome’s still in there." At that, Inuyasha, who had indeed been pouting, perked up immediately. "She’ll probably be there for a few more minutes…" Sango hinted suggestively, glancing at the hanyou out of the corner of her eye. Inuyasha wasn’t as dense as everyone seemed to think, and instantly took off through the trees.

"Ah, my dear Sango," Miroku exclaimed as he wrapped a conspiratorial arm around her shoulders. "As clever as she is beautiful!" He took a deep sniff of her hair, cleansed by the spring and perfumed by fragrant shampoo. "And you smell so goo—oof!" he started before Sango’s elbow in his gut cut him off.

"Yeah, and you’re still dirty, so hands off!" she ordered with an almost playful grin. Sighing, the monk sat back against a nearby tree to meditate. A small weight hopped up onto his leg a few minutes later, breaking his concentration.

"We’re not going to get a bath tonight, are we Miroku?" Shippo asked. The monk heaved another sigh.

"No, Shippo, probably not."

Kagome was leaning back, rinsing shampoo out of her hair when she got the distinct feeling that she was being watched. She quickly pulled herself upright and sunk into the water, covering her chest as her eyes darted along the bank. They widened and a gasp escaped her lips as she saw who it was. Inuyasha… His amber gaze was hungry, ravenous, and she felt her own appetite rise to match his. The sensation intensified as he stood to his full height and began to undress. He shrugged off his haori and kosode, her heartbeat increasing with every inch of newly revealed skin. The sinful striptease concluded with the removal his hakama, leaving him bare—and fully erect—to her gaze. Now she was standing in the waist-deep pool, modesty banished to the farthest reaches of her mind as he waded toward her. They paused for a moment when they were a mere foot apart, regarding each other with a sense of wonder, of mutual appreciation that both included and transcended the physical.

They came together with fervor, linked by a searing kiss that left them both breathless with desire. Hands whispered over hips, arms, sides, staying away from the major erogenous zones for the time being. Things were heating up to the next level when the moment was abruptly shattered by a few scent particles drifting in the breeze. They broke apart immediately, sniffing deeply to confirm what they had detected.

"Shit," they cursed as one. It was already far too late to scramble out of the spring and put clothes on; their visitor was approaching too quickly. With the way their last encounter had gone, it was really no surprise the wolf prince would come looking for them. While Kagome had been dreading this encounter, Inuyasha had been looking forward to it, but did it have to happen now?! Was it possible for the bastard to show up at a worse time? Considering where their intimate embrace would have led, yes, it most certainly could have been worse. That didn’t make Inuyasha any less aggravated, however. Mere seconds later, Koga zoomed out of the trees and skidded to a halt at the edge of the spring, his expression morphing from shock to anger as his nostrils flared, picking up the strong scent of arousal in the air.

"Inu-kurro!!! What the fuck are you doing with MY WOMAN?!!!" For his part, Inuyasha calmly placed himself between the wolf and Kagome, standing his ground against his adversary’s intimidating glare.

"Can I put my hakama on, fleabag, or are you gonna make me kick your ass naked?" Koga responded with a menacing snarl, but jerked his head to the side in silent assent. Kagome remained crouched in the spring as Inuyasha climbed out, staring dumbfounded at the man she had come to love as a friend. His jaw was clenched, his teeth grinding together audibly; he was truly irate. But his gaze as he first saw them both naked together in the spring…she shuddered thinking about it. His eyes had been filled with so much raw hatred that she almost didn’t recognize them. The loathing he favored Naraku and Kagura with just couldn’t compare. He was like a totally different person, consumed by the darkest of emotions, and it scared the shit out of her. Fear. It paralyzed her then, leaving her unable to find her voice even as Koga turned toward her mate, who had just finished donning his hakama. He attacked without warning, sprinting the short distance between them and throwing a right-handed punch meant to pulverize muscle and shatter bone. Unable to dodge in time, Inuyasha bent and took the blow off his bare shoulder, rolling with the force of the impact. He hopped to his feet easily, rolling his arm to pop the abused joint back into place.

"That was a cheap shot, wolf," he declared.

"Cheap shot?!" Koga yelled incredulously. "Don’t you fucking talk to me about cheap shots, you bastard! I had a claim on her!"

"Don’t know what you’re talking about."

"Bullshit! You know exactly how this works! My claim is good until someone else challenges it and defeats me. Instead, you went behind my back and took her like a fucking COWARD!!!"

"Kagome was a human, asshole! That shit doesn’t apply to her!"

"Well, you got a little youkai blood in you, don’tcha half-breed? That means it does apply to you."

"Oh, that’s fucking rich," Inuyasha sneered. "You full-blood youkai ignore me or worse my entire life, and then you expect me to play by your asinine rules?! Fuck you!!!"

"Those ‘asinine rules’ are one way we true youkai distinguish ourselves from abominations such as yourself. The other way is like this!" Koga cried, launching himself forward and throwing another punch, this one blasting a large crater in the earth where Inuyasha had previously stood.

"Please stop, Koga!" Kagome called, having finally gathered enough of her wits to break her stupor. "This is crazy! I—"

"Don’t worry, Kagome," the wolf demon cut her off. "I’ll make sure that mongrel never assaults you with his dirty hands ever again!" Inuyasha narrowed his eyes.

"Just what the fuck are you saying, bastard?" he snarled angrily.

"Stop it, both of you!" Kagome tried again. "I became Inuyasha’s mate by choice, Ko—"

"Shut up, Kagome!" the wolf roared. "You don’t have to lie anymore!"

"I’m no—"

"Don’t bother, Kagome," Inuyasha interrupted. "He ain’t thinking straight right now." He had seen this before, most notably with his brother during the fight with that giant panther youkai. Seething with rage, Sesshoumaru had nearly transformed into his true form before Tenseiga intervened. It seemed hanyou weren’t the only creatures that could be overcome by their youkai blood in times of extreme emotional trauma. He doubted Koga would go berserk and start slaughtering innocents left and right, but he also wasn’t himself. He was more beast than man at the moment, the savage nature of his youkai in total control. And he was out for blood.

"Wrong again, half-breed! I’m seeing things more clearly than ever. I should have done this a long time ago!" With that, he attacked again, and Inuyasha could tell there would be no pausing for conversation this time. This battle would last until one of them was unable to continue. The wolf was as fast on his feet as ever, but the wild nature of his strikes made them clumsier and less accurate. Lefts and rights fired in rapid succession, but Inuyasha dodged every one. Finally Koga aimed a kick at head level, clearly expecting a duck from his opponent. Instead, Inuyasha took the blow on the arm, throwing his weight into the outstretched leg and putting Koga off balance. And right there was the golden opportunity to end the fight; he could easily separate the wolf’s head from his body if he so desired. The problem was that he couldn’t do that. Kagome still valued him as a friend, and beyond that, the wolf had become an unlikely ally in their quest to destroy Naraku. As much as he was loathe to admit it, he didn’t want Koga’s blood on his hands. That put him at a huge disadvantage; he didn’t want to kill his enemy, but his enemy wanted to kill him.

Inuyasha settled for punching the wolf in the head as hard as he could, and was satisfied when the attack sent him sprawling. But Koga proved as hard-headed physically as he was figuratively, and quickly shook off the blow. Shit…how the fuck do I end this without maiming him? Koga gave him no time to contemplate as he charged once again.

In the meantime, Kagome had scrambled out of the spring and dressed. Now she observed the battle with her heart in her throat, hanging on every movement. It was with great guilt that she found herself praying for Koga’s safety. Even after all the horrible things he’d said, even as he continued to attempt to murder her mate, she still considered him a friend. And apparently Inuyasha realized it. He’s holding himself back…for me. He could have killed the wolf several times over by now, but Koga refused to be knocked unconscious. He just kept coming. With dread, she watched as Inuyasha’s movements slowed just slightly with fatigue, Koga’s blows coming closer and closer to hitting their mark. Finally, the inevitable happened. Breaking through Inuyasha’s defenses, he raked the hanyou across the chest, leaving four deep slashes in the pale flesh. Inuyasha’s cry of pain brought the reality of the situation home to Kagome; she was in grave danger of losing her mate. But it was the scent of his blood that made her snap.

A blinding surge of pink light flashed between the two males, incinerating a hapless tree and stopping the attacking wolf in his tracks. Two sets of shocked eyes turned toward the source of the power. Kagome had already notched another arrow, this one aimed squarely at the wolf’s chest.

"Koga," she spoke lowly, "I’ve always thought of you as a friend, ever since the day you first kidnapped me. But if you take one more step toward my mate, I’ll…I’ll…I’ll purify you where you stand!!!"

Inuyasha stared at Kagome in wonder; he could see how difficult this was for her. She was shaking, her bow wobbling with uncertainty, tears welling in her eyes and streaming down her cheeks. But he knew beyond a doubt that she would follow through with her threat if necessary, and that filled him with a combination of gratitude and fury. The former because she was willing to kill a friend to save him, and the latter directed at the piece of shit who had caused her so much anguish. Apparently, Koga too perceived how serious she was, or perhaps her declaration allowed him to think clearly, to see things as they truly were. Either way, he seemed to come back to himself. His eyes softened, remorse replacing rage as his shoulders slumped in total defeat. Slowly, cautiously, Kagome lowered her bow.

"Kagome," he mumbled, eyes downcast in shame, "can I talk to you…alone?" His tone indicated that he truly wasn’t sure if she would grant him even that small request.

"What?!! Fuck no!! Get the hell outta he—"

"It’s fine, Inuyasha," Kagome cut into his tirade. He made as if to mount further protest, but Kagome silenced him with a determined look. "Have a little faith in me, ok?" Inuyasha argued with himself for several seconds before finally nodding his head. He did have faith in Kagome; he just didn’t trust the fleabag at the moment. But he couldn’t tell her ‘no’ without also implying that she wasn’t capable of looking out for herself. Still…

"Stay in sight," he grumped, shooting Koga a glare that dripped with poison more potent than that which flowed from his brother’s claws. Too bad the wolf didn’t see it; he still wasn’t looking at either of them. Kagome motioned for Koga to lead the way and he did so, and it comforted Inuyasha somewhat to know that Kagome was just as wary of the youkai as he was. As well she should be… Damn! That fucking hurts! His chest continued to bleed, though now the flow was a mere trickle. It was a good thing Kagome had stepped in when she did, otherwise he would probably be dead by now. That’s what I get for being soft. The old me would have just slaughtered him because he attacked me. Then again, the old him was, in one word, a jackass. Plain and simple. He could admit that he liked himself—and those around him—a lot better now that he had matured a little. Pensively he watched his mate and her former suitor as they walked to a distance at which quiet conversation would probably go undetected by even his ears.

"Sorry," Koga began after a long pause, finally meeting Kagome’s steady gaze. In his azure orbs she glimpsed the full extent of his conflicting emotions. Bitterness and resentment simmered below the surface, outweighed by guilt and humiliation over his behavior. But there was also kindness there, the friendship she had missed before. "I guess I lost control of myself," he muttered sheepishly.

"Don’t apologize to me. Inuyasha is the one you hurt." Her tone belied the harshness of her words, allowing just a hint of Koga’s old playfulness to shine through.

"I’d rather die," he swore with a small smile. "He wouldn’t accept an apology from me anyway."

"You’re wrong. Inuyasha has changed. He isn’t the same hanyou he was when you first met him."

"I see," Koga replied solemnly. "Is that why you chose him over me?" Kagome sighed; she knew this needed to be done, but still hated to break his heart. In retrospect, it probably would have been better to tell Koga she wasn’t interested in the first place and hopefully keep him from developing strong feelings for her. Essentially, she had wound up leading him on a futile chase for something he could never have. But maybe she had needed his devotion, just as she had needed Hojo’s. With all the drama and heartache of her convoluted love triangle with Inuyasha and Kikyou, Koga and Hojo had reminded her that she was desirable, that it wasn’t her fault Inuyasha didn’t want her. She had held onto them without her knowledge, the subconscious needs of a fifteen year old girl getting her first taste of both the light and dark sides of love. But she no longer required that lifeline, and it was finally time to cut Koga loose.

"No, it isn’t. My choice was made before I even met you, Koga-kun. It was…always Inuyasha. Both of us have grown up in the time since I became a hanyou, and that’s the reason we’re together now. You…never really had a chance. I’m sorry if I lead you to believe otherwise."

"Don’t apologize," he replied after a long moment. Sighing, he turned his head toward the sky, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "I think the rationale part of me knew this was how things were going to turn out, but I refused to believe it. It’s not your fault." Awkward silence fell over the pair as both tried to come up with something to say.

"So…what will you do now?" Kagome asked lamely.

Koga shrugged. "Probably what I’ve been doing. Hunt down Naraku, keep an eye on my pack, the usual. What about you? Still planning on staying a hanyou?" For the first time, he spoke the word ‘hanyou’ without an ounce of contempt, earning himself a nod and a grin from Kagome. "Uh…that stuff I said before…I didn’t really mean it. I used to feel that way about hanyou, but…you and Inuyasha changed my mind."

"It’s ok. I forgive you."

"Why?" Koga inquired dumbly.

"We all say hurtful things we don’t mean to the people we care about sometimes," she answered, eyes glazing over in recollection. "You want me to return to being a filthy hanyou? I’d rather die!" The memory of that night was still poignant, and she had to blink back tears at the thought of how much her words must have wounded Inuyasha. Koga noticed her change in mood but made no comment; he didn’t feel like he had any right to pry. In fact, he had probably worn out his welcome. Kagome told him what he needed to hear, and there was no point in sticking around any longer.

"Well, I’m gonna head out, Kagome."

"Ok. Take care of yourself, Koga-kun."

"You too. See ya!" He was gone with a quick wave, but Kagome stared after him for several seconds. He was hurting, but he would be ok. Speaking of hurting… She bounded over to Inuyasha with a few long strides, startling the hanyou by peeling his crossed arms apart and studying his chest.

"Ooooh," she murmured with a grimace, "those look like they hurt."

"Feh. It’s a flesh wound." Kagome rolled her eyes; these lacerations were most certainly not ‘flesh wounds.’ They were deep and jagged, and could easily get infected if not treated properly. It would take him at least a couple days to fully recover. But again, it would do no good to argue about the severity of his injuries, so she let his comment go.

"Well, I still want to bandage them."

"Fuck that! Now, where were we?" he rumbled huskily in her ear, almost making her forget about medicine and bandages altogether.

"Oh, no!" she cried, smacking his questing hands away from her. "None of that until you’re healed!"

"I said I’m fi—"

"You’re not fine! And I say you keep your hands to yourself until you’re better!" To Kagome’s surprise, he gave in, grumbling his displeasure instead of continuing the argument. That’s it? That’s all I have to say? What gives? As she contemplated this strange turn of events, she felt her brows lower, one of them beginning to twitch in annoyance. Her mouth formed a thin line, her fists clenching and unclenching rhythmically. Inuyasha, you cheeky, typical man! (2) He knew damn well he was too beat up for any kind of lovemaking! Could he just come out and say it? Oh, nooooooo, that wouldn’t be manly. Instead, he had to argue with her just so she would tell him no sex. Then he could whine and bitch about it as much as he wanted, and it would be her fault! And what if she did decide to take him up on his offer? Then his damn pride would most likely force him to sex her up even though he’d probably start bleeding out in the middle of it! That was the single most ridiculous thing she had ever conceived! What a bunch of mindless, egotistical drivel! But unfortunately, such is the irrational, bloated monster that is male pride…

"What’s the matter with you, wench?" Inuyasha quipped, just about booting Kagome right over the edge.

"OSUWARI!!!!!" She knew the command wouldn’t work, but seeing him cringe like a scared child proved deliciously satisfying. She supposed she couldn’t really fault him for his male pride; it was a curse on the gender. Women had their own curses as well, but that was another story.

"Wh-what the hell was that for?!"

"Nothing," she replied tersely. Inuyasha made no further inquiry, having evidently decided to quit while he was ahead. Or perhaps not…

"Damn wolf bastard! First he interrupts us, then he puts me out of commission for a few days!" Kagome could feel her ire returning as she grabbed his hand and began yanking him back to camp, hoping the action would distract her from thoughts of beating her baka mate over the head with a log. But Inuyasha just wasn’t cooperating.

"It wasn’t even a fair fight! I would have kicked his ass if I really wanted to. He wouldn’t have stood a cha—"

"INUYASHA! I know it wasn’t a fair fight! You don’t have to prove anything to me! And I…appreciate it that you tried not to kill him," Kagome finished in a much softer voice.

"Keh." The two settled into companionable silence, the regular sound of their feet rustling the underbrush soothing her frayed nerves. It had certainly been a hectic evening. Thinking back on it reminded Kagome of something she had nearly forgotten about amidst the chaos.

"Hey, tell me about those youkai rules you and Koga-kun were arguing about."

"Bunch of bullshit made by stuck-up old geezers who think they’re better than everyone else."

"So you don’t follow them?"

"I already said that, didn’t I?"

"But you know of them?" This time, Inuyasha hesitated a moment before answering.

"Yeah, Myouga told me about them years ago. Koga really did have a claim on you," he admitted, unwittingly answering her next question in the process.

"Oh…what does that mean?"

"Just what he said. Someone would have to fight him to earn the right to court you. It’s all a load of crap, if you ask me. As if you can every really claim someone…"

"Does the woman have a choice?" Kagome asked, slightly perturbed.

"She can kick his ass back to wherever he came from if she wants, but that usually doesn’t happen. Why do you think I used to get so pissed whenever he called you ‘his woman?’"

"I always thought you were just jealous," she replied with a grin.

"Well, that too." The rest of the walk back was a quiet affair, but there was quite a commotion when the others saw he was wounded.

"Koga got you pretty good, didn’t he?" Miroku observed teasingly as Kagome wrapped the torn flesh in gauze.

"Shut up, bouzu! It wasn’t a fair fight!" Kagome hung her head. Here we go again…

Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or any of the publicly known characters, plot, etc. I’m just renting them from Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, etc. I do own the plot of this story and any original characters I’ve created. I will make no money from this fic; I write for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of my readers.

Saturday morning dawned drearily with a light mist rolling along the ground in fluid waves. The intrepid group of travelers roused bright and early, one a little more sluggishly than the rest. But Inuyasha’s wound was not as painful as he feared, and it wouldn’t hinder him unless they came up against a strong opponent. After a quick breakfast, Kagome changed the dressings and the two hanyou set out, seeking to give her as much study time as possible. At least, that was Kagome’s motivation. Inuyasha was hoping more study time also meant more time for other things, whatever those might be… The rest of their party would take their time and await their return at the village.

Kagome ran behind him, keeping a careful eye on her stubborn mate. But his injury didn’t seem to be effecting him very much if one ignored the slightly slower than normal pace at which they traveled. Even so, they were moving much faster than any human, and easily reached the well before noon. Kagome lingered at the edge of the wooden structure, the anxiety which had been building in her for an hour coming to a head. Her logical mind told her she was being ridiculous, that everything would be fine, but she couldn’t completely banish the persistent doubt from her thoughts.

"Somethin’ wrong, wench?"

"It’s stupid," she replied with a shake of her head.

"I’m sure," he quipped, "but spit it out anyway." His smirk faded only slightly as she glared at him.

"You know we have to tell my mother about us, don’t you?" Suddenly, Inuyasha wasn’t smiling anymore.

"You better be using the royal ‘we,’ wench."

"No," Kagome ground out, her glare intensifying. "‘We’ as in you and me."

"Uh…here’s a better idea! You tell your mom, and me will stay here."

Grrrrrrrrr. "You wanna repeat that?" Kagome growled, looking like she was about to blow a gasket.

"Keh!" Inuyasha responded in a miserable attempt at nonchalance. "Relax, wench. Like I’d ever let you face your mother alone! You’re acting like she’s some kind of crazed youkai or something!" Kagome did relax somewhat, but the edge of trepidation remained in her scent.

"You’ve never seen her angry."

"Is it bad?" he gulped.

"Let’s just say I know where I get my temper." Inuyasha shuddered; he still couldn’t imagine Mrs. Higurashi angry, but if she was anything like her daughter, then perhaps this was more serious than he first thought.

"This really is stupid," Kagome declared suddenly. "My mom adores you, and I know she’ll accept us. I guess I’m just nervous. I’ve never told her I’m intimately involved with a guy before."

"Damn right you haven’t."

"Baka," she said, mentally picturing herself beating his male ego senseless with a stick. Honestly, like he was with anyone before me… And for the first time, Kagome thought of Kikyou without feeling an iota of jealousy. It was truly a milestone moment for her, one which her baka mate quickly ruined.

"Are we gonna stand here all day, wench?" Sighing in exasperation, but grinning brightly nonetheless, she grabbed his hand and dragged him into the well. They emerged on the other side to the musty air of the old well house. Inuyasha took Kagome in his arms and leapt out of the manmade hole before setting her down.

"You know, you don’t have to carry me out of the well anymore," she told him with no real censure in her voice. Truth be told, she would never tire of the simple pleasure of being carried by Inuyasha, either in his arms or on his back.

"Habit," he said simply with a shrug. He too missed the regular physical contact that used to come with the need to travel faster or higher than a human could. Of course, now they were connecting in entirely different ways, which helped him cope with no longer getting to carry her very often. They walked up the steps, but unfamiliar voices stopped them just before opening the door.

"Damn," Kagome swore after peeking through a crack in the shoji door. Souta and three other boys were kicking a soccer ball around the shrine grounds. Unfortunately, there was only one way to exit the well house short of creating a hole in the wall, and that was to use the front entrance, which was in full view of the three innocent lads who could not be made privy to its secrets under any circumstances. And since neither she nor Inuyasha had any way to hide their ears, much less explain their traditional clothes or why they were in the well house in the first place, they were stuck. For how long was an intriguing question as boys can be very unpredictable. Sometimes they flit from one activity to another every five minutes, and sometimes they do the same thing for hours upon end. Kagome sincerely hoped this was a case of the former.

"Great, just great," she muttered, "so much for getting an early start on studying. What are we supposed to do now?"

"I can think of something," Inuyasha growled huskily into her ear, his hands wrapping around her midsection and seductively moving over her stomach. Instant lust shot through her veins, thicker than blood, and her rational mind struggled to cope with the cruel temptation.

"Y-your wound…"

"Is fine."

"We…can’t…" she breathed, her head lolling back against his shoulder as he left small love bites along her neck.

"Why not?"

Kagome frowned; she knew there was some reason they couldn’t do this here. But it was becoming harder and harder to think straight as his ministrations continued, that familiar haze settling over her. A well-timed boyish shout supplied her with the answer, and she immediately lurched upright and out of his embrace. Taking a moment to compose herself, she turned on the horny hanyou who had so easily shattered her self control.

"That’s why!" she yelled, pointing an accusing finger at the blessedly still-closed shoji door.

"Feh! Why the hell would they come in here?"

"They’d hear us!"

"Not if we were quie—on second thought, you’re probably right." Kagome raised an eyebrow, but not just because of what he said. She did not like the attitude he was projecting right now; he wore a self-satisfied smirk with more than a hint of arrogance dancing in his eyes.

"No, spit it out. Why couldn’t we be quiet?" she practically snarled, daring him to voice what she knew he was thinking.

"I don’t know if you could be quiet," he stated amusedly. Kagome saw red, feeling like she was about to have an aneurysm right then and there.

"Ooooh, you conceited, egotistical jer—"

"Nee-chan?"

"Kyaaaa!" she shrieked, whirling on her brother. "Souta! Don’t scare me like that!" Realizing with a start that the door to the outside world was now open, she hastily covered her ears with her hands.

"Relax, Nee-chan. I sent them inside to play videogames after I convinced them the noises they heard were just the cat. Now quit being so loud and hop up to your room while the coast is clear! Unless you wanna spend the whole day in here…" Kagome was forced to grit her teeth and listen to Inuyasha’s snickering. Oh, sure, *he* would have no problem with that! She harrumphed and stormed off without looking back. Inuyasha was about to follow when a small voice stopped him.

"Hey, Inu-no-oniichan, what didn’t Kagome want me and my friends to see?"

"Uh…" Inuyasha stalled, trying to figure out how to get out of this without telling Souta he was screwing his big sister.

"Were you kissing?"

"Uh, yeah! Kissing! That’s it!" he affirmed, only afterwards wondering how Souta would react to the news. He needn’t have worried; the kid thought about it for a moment before smiling brightly.

"Cool! Nee-chan is really crazy about you."

"Yeah, I know." Souta paused a moment, gazing up at him with a critical eye.

"How do you feel about her?" he asked softly, the display of sibling protectiveness making him seem more like an adult than ever before.

"The same," Inuyasha replied simply after a couple seconds of silence.

"Good," Souta answered. Then he cracked a smile, and once again became the child Inuyasha was more familiar with. "And yet, you still manage to piss her off like nobody else can."

"That ain’t never gonna change, kid," Inuyasha said before leaping up to join his mate in her room. If she hadn’t locked her window, that is. She had not, but his relief over that fact disappeared as soon as he climbed in the window and witnessed her pulling a modern blouse down over her midsection. As she set to work neatly folding her feudal era clothing, still ignoring him, he realized with a groan that he had missed seeing her change. Dammit, Souta! All that couldn’t have waited until later?! Eh, she probably would have kicked me out anyway. Man…when did I become such a horny bastard? Probably right around the time he and Kagome had shared that first magical evening together as lovers. He had a feeling his libido was another thing that was never going to change. It was like a boulder perched at the top of a hill; it could sit unmoving for many years, but once given a push it kept rolling and rolling and fucking and rolling…

"You ready to stop being so cocky?" Kagome suddenly asked, arms crossed over her chest and a petite frown gracing her features. Inuyasha smirked, remembering what had happened the last time he allowed a little arrogance to show. He certainly wouldn’t mind a repeat performance of that.

"Nope." Kagome sighed, slumping her shoulders and laying her forehead in her palm, muttering indiscernible words that were surely derogatory and directed at the male gender.

"Come on, jerk. Let’s get this over with," she ordered, exiting the room. Inuyasha didn’t miss the way her eyes glowed, even though the rest of her body acted angry. But she was more flustered and annoyed than mad, and he thought he even caught a giggle from her as she descended the stairs. So she obviously wasn’t truly upset with him. Good…she knows what I said is true! He briefly considered loitering in her room, just to make her sweat, but wisely decided not to try her patience any further—at least for a little while. He found the two Higurashi women in the kitchen, the older making tea and the younger nervously wringing her hands at the table.

"Ah, Inuyasha, it’s good to see you again," Mrs. Higurashi welcomed kindly. "Kagome tells me we have something important to discuss?" At his brisk nod, she turned her back and resumed her task. "Well, just hold on another minute. I bought a new flavor at the market to try…" And just like that, Inuyasha tuned her out, directing his focus toward his still fidgeting mate. It was strange that she was more anxious about this than him, but that was probably because it was her mother. Sitting down across from her, and sparing a glance to make sure her mother wasn’t looking, he grasped both her hands in one of his larger ones. She stilled immediately and locked eyes with him, managing a grateful smile as she took a deep breath that ebbed some of the stress from her shoulders.

"Tea’s ready!!" Mrs. Higurashi proclaimed suddenly, startling both hanyou into separating and shoving their hands under the table. She set the brew down without missing a beat, and Inuyasha dutifully accepted a cup. It wasn’t half bad; there was a certain mintiness to it that tickled his taste buds. "Mmmm, I’ll have to buy this again sometime," she declared merrily as if completely oblivious to the tension in the room. But Inuyasha knew she wasn’t enough of a flake not to notice. Kagome hadn’t even tasted her tea yet; instead, she sat there swirling the cup and staring into the liquid as it churned.

"Alright," Mrs. Higurashi spoke into the awkward silence, "what did you need to tell me?" The question was addressed to Kagome, and Inuyasha wasn’t planning on answering. He was here for moral support and solidarity, but this was her mother. He wouldn’t expect Kagome to tell his mother they were together if she was still alive. He took another sip of his tea, and of course Mrs. Higurashi waited until that moment to break the hush which had settled over the three of them.

"Soooo…when can I expect my first grandchild?"

Inuyasha barely managed to keep from spitting his drink, which would not have been good as Kagome was seated right across from him. Her jaw had dropped in shock, and he didn’t imagine she wanted a mouthful of pre-sipped tea. Swapping spit was pleasurable in other situations, but certainly not here and now. So with great effort he choked down the liquid, coughing into a closed fist until he caught his breath. Mrs. Higurashi was patting him on the back, which made him feel better because at least she wasn’t clobbering him over the head with a broom as the chronically insecure part of him had feared she might. Meanwhile, Kagome was just now getting around to closing her mouth. Her mother just smiled at her as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

"H-how did you know?" she croaked.

"A mother can sense these things," the older woman replied simply.

"You saw us holding hands, didn’t you?" Kagome remarked dryly, clearly not impressed with her mother’s professed intuition.

"Please! I knew when you first walked into the kitchen. In fact, I saw the feelings you had for each other long before either of you did."

"And you’re not…mad?"

"Why would I be mad?" Mrs. Higurashi questioned. Kagome shrugged and glanced off to the side.

"I don’t know. I guess I got this crazy idea that you wanted me to end up with a modern—human man."

"Kagome," her mother soothed, raising her hand to caress her daughter’s cheek. Kagome tilted her head to the side, leaning into the contact. "Where or when he’s from, human or demon…I don’t care about any of those things. I just wanted you to find a good man, and you have," she said, gazing warmly at Inuyasha, who could only stare at her in wonder. "So," she stated, turning back to Kagome, "what are you two to each other?"

"Mates," Inuyasha replied quickly, finally deciding to enter the conversation.

"And what does that mean?"

"Dunno. That’s how youkai couples refer to each other. There are rules, but I don’t know them. Both of us want it to be permanent, though." Mrs. Higurashi nodded, her grin widening as she digested the new information. It faded only slightly as she posed her next query.

"Good. Have you two been…intimate?" Matching flushes answered that question, but she waited until she received dual nods just to be sure. "You are being careful, right? I was just kidding about grandchildren before. You two need to wait until you’re ready."

"Yes, Mama, we know. We haven’t even talked about k-kids yet," Kagome confessed, momentarily glancing over at Inuyasha through lowered eyelashes. "Actually, that’s another reason why we needed to come back here today. Tomorrow I want to go pick up some c-c—, con—, um…"

"Condoms, Kagome?" Mrs. Higurashi ‘helpfully’ supplied, snickering at her daughter’s discomfiture. Inuyasha briefly joined in, but was instantly silenced by a positively livid, wild-eyed stare from his mate. He clammed up and tried to look as innocent as possible, a move which seemed to be having only limited effect. Fortunately, Mrs. Higurashi decided to come to his rescue.

"Is there anything else I should know about?" Kagome thought for a moment, then answered seriously.

"I’ve decided to stay a hanyou…forever."

"Y-you didn’t tell them that before, wench?" Inuyasha asked after a quick double-take. Kagome shrugged, but the movement was anything but nonchalant.

"It must have slipped my mind," she replied somberly. Inuyasha grimaced as a wave of guilt hit him; he suddenly knew precisely why relating her decision to her family had ‘slipped her mind.’ The last time she had visited her time, he had carried her through the well fully naked save his haori and almost completely paralyzed from that damn youkai’s attack. And it was his fault she had been alone in the woods in the first place. Even after he had explained his apparent rejection, the pain had still probably been too fresh for her to risk exposing herself to it again.

"Sorry," he muttered. She shook her head vigorously, indicating that she no longer held that moment against him. Perhaps she never had. But he definitely cursed himself for it; it was one of the low points in his life, after all. Not for the first time he promised himself that there would never be another like it.

"I see," Mrs. Higurashi interjected, reminding them that she had yet to pass judgment on Kagome’s decision. "Whatever makes you happy, dear." Kagome’s eyes watered, pent up anxiety pouring forth in a torrent of emotion that had her rushing around the table and enfolding her mother in a tight embrace.

"I was stupid to worry about you for even a second, Mama!" she cried into her shoulder.

"Yes, you were, dear. But I love you anyway." A choked laugh escaped Kagome at this, and when she pulled away a few seconds later it was with a smile.

"Thanks, Mama. Now I just have to figure out how to tell jii-chan," she stated, drying her tears with the back of a hand.

"You let me worry about your grandfather," Mrs. Higurashi ordered. "I’m sure he will accept the path you’ve chosen. He may just need a little…convincing first."

"I’m still gonna end up covered in fucking sutras," Inuyasha mumbled under his breath. Kagome couldn’t stifle a giggle at the mental image of him swathed in sticky pieces of paper, his face twisted in the sourest of pusses.

"What are your plans for the rest of the day?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.

"Studying," Kagome responded. "I have tests in math and English on Monday, and science on Tuesday."

"Oh, but it’s only 1:30. Do you have to start right now?"

"Sorry, Mama, but I’m not prepared at all. Plus I’ll have to stop for dinner, and I have to unpack my bag— Oh! Do you wanna see the presents Inuyasha got me?"

"Hmmm…he brought you gifts, did he?" Mrs. Higurashi repeated mischievously, shooting Inuyasha a meaningful look.

"F-feh!" he grumbled, folding his arms over his chest in a lame attempt to cover his embarrassment. He was glad when Kagome grabbed her mother’s hand and dragged her upstairs; it gave him a chance to slip outside and find refuge in Goshinboku. It warmed his heart to hear the older woman gushing over Kagome’s "stunning" and "wonderful" new clothes, but all the attention still made him uncomfortable. He supposed he still wasn’t used to this whole ‘being nice’ thing, having never really given anyone a gift before. There was the time he gave Kikyou his mother’s lip gloss, and even that had been exceedingly difficult. But somehow he had managed to convince Kagome’s mother that he was a ‘good man,’ so he must have done something right. He would never be worthy of her daughter—no one was—but he would do everything he could to make himself worthy.

"Awww, what a beautiful yukata!" Inuyasha flushed despite himself as he heard Mrs. Higurashi’s voice drift through Kagome’s open window. Come to think of it, he had only seen Kagome wear the garment once, the night they agreed to embark upon a fresh start. And what a fine fresh start it’s been, he thought with a smirk. He would have to make it a point to get her to put it on again…and then take it off (and leave it off).

"Look at him, hiding in Goshinboku," Kagome said with a wry smile and a shake of the head. "I swear, he can face down the worst insults I’ve ever heard without blinking, but give him a genuine compliment and he gets all flustered."

"Well, he should be praised. He didn’t get you fancy jewelry or some folk remedy you’ll never use for some ailment you’ll never have," she uttered, leaving no doubt as to whom she was alluding to. "He gave you things you truly needed, clothes you’ll wear every day. Often, it’s those gifts that show how much a person cares for you. And this yukata, Kagome…it’s amazing."

"Yeah," Kagome agreed wistfully. It sounded so cliché, but it was true; Inuyasha’s gifts really had been the most special she had ever received. The design on the back of the yukata had probably been Daichi’s idea, but that didn’t make it any less meaningful.

"Did he give these to you before or after he told you how he felt?" her mother asked.

"About a week before. That night was…complicated, to say the least."

"Ah, did you have a fight?"

"A misunderstanding, and for once it was me hurting him," Kagome confessed, ears drooping.

"Well, he seems to have forgiven you."

"Yeah," she replied, grinning once more, "he has. It’s all water under the bridge now, Mama, and things have never been better!"

"I’m glad. You two are certainly growing up fast…" Mrs. Higurashi trailed off, and Kagome knew her mother wasn’t finished with that line of thought. "Have you talked about getting mar—"

"SHHH!!!" Kagome cut her off suddenly, startling the poor human woman into a near heart attack.

"Kagome, wha—" Her daughter merely shook her head and pressed her finger to her lips, her eyes pleading. She strode over to the window, shutting it gently and letting out a relieved sigh as she did so. Mrs. Higurashi considered her daughter’s strange behavior for several moments, but could only come up with one plausible explanation.

"Kagome, don’t tell me you don’t want to marry him."

"It’s not that, Mama," she replied, easing the sudden knot in her mother’s stomach. But she still had yet to provide a reason for her apparent discomfort with the idea, and Mrs. Higurashi waited with bated breath for her to do so.

"Inuyasha…was promised to marry once, and you know how that ended," Kagome began grimly. "I don’t know how he feels about human marriage now. Did the disaster with Kikyou scar him into never considering marriage ever again?"

"B-but Kagome! You know he would to anything for you, right?"

"I know that, Mama! But I don’t want him to feel obligated to become my husband. If he truly wants to marry me, then I’ll say ‘yes’ before he even finishes the question. If not…then I’ll be satisfied with being joined with him in the youkai manner. I just…don’t want to force him into anything he doesn’t want." Mrs. Higurashi studied her daughter for a long time, but eventually she heaved an exasperated sigh.

"I think you’re wrong about this, Kagome. But…I do understand where you’re coming from. Inuyasha won’t hear anything about marriage from me."

"Thank you, Mama. Could you please also tell jii-chan and Souta not to mention it?"

"I suppose," her mother relented. The uncomfortable silence stretched on for a few minutes, and both sensed that there was nothing more to say. "Well, I’ll go see if Souta and his friends need anything," she said, standing to leave.

"Ok," Kagome replied, feeling guilty for placing the added burden on her mother. Now alone in her room, she reaffirmed her conviction in her choice of action. She was somewhat alarmed to note that it wasn’t nearly as strong as it had been earlier that morning. An insistent rapping on her window drew her attention away from her concerns and immediately lifted her spirits as she remembered what she was supposed to be doing up here.

"You can only come in if you promise to be quiet," she declared playfully, knowing Inuyasha would hear her even through the glass.

"Fuck that," he growled, sparking a round of giggles in Kagome that fully rejuvenated her good mood. Evidently Inuyasha grew tired of being laughed at, for he suddenly vanished from her view. Kagome hastily locked the door as well; if he wouldn’t promise to be quiet, he wasn’t getting in. It was as simple as that, at least until she was done studying. But she needn’t have worried; Inuyasha had decided to give her a few hours to herself. He quite rationally reasoned that if she got all her studying done now, she would have time to practice something else later, a form of art they both were still relative novices at. That would change if he had anything to say about it.

So he was fully intent on sitting downstairs in front of that weird moving picture box until dinner, but fate had other plans. Mrs. Higurashi slapped a hat on him, and the reason became clear two seconds later when four adolescent boys came gallivanting down the stairs. They had tired of playing video games and wished to resume their soccer match. And since Souta would never miss a chance to show off his hero, Inuyasha found himself the fifth wheel in their little group thanks in part to some gentle cajoling from the kid’s mother. Dammit…how did I get into this shit?

They soon discovered that he wasn’t very good at soccer, and that was putting it lightly. More bluntly, he sucked something awful. He was afraid to lose control of his strength and boot the thing halfway across Tokyo. Add to that the fact that it had been a century since he’d last kicked a ball around, and you had a perfect recipe for mediocrity. At least, that was the justification he gave for his Charlie Brown-esque whiffs. Not wanting to send his idol to the showers, Souta proposed that they put him in goal. That worked out better than he could have imagined; Inuyasha didn’t have the coordination to handle the ball, but he sure as hell had the reflexes to block it. The boys divided up two on two, with Inuyasha playing the role of neutral goalkeeper. Ten full minutes later, the score was still nil-nil, and the boys decided ‘the goal was too small.’ Widening the gap did no good, even after they did it a few more times. Eventually, with the sun setting behind the western skyscrapers, Inuyasha decided the game needed to end and let a kick bounce off his hand and through. Two of Souta’s friends cheered and high-fived, leaving the dumbfounded boy to glower at his hero as if to say ‘what gives? You’re supposed to let me win!’ Inuyasha shrugged innocently, inwardly smirking. Heh…that’ll teach him to involve me in his stupid games!

Mrs. Higurashi called them in for dinner, and the other boys departed, asking if they could come by again and play with "Red Lightning," as they nicknamed him. Thinking quickly, Souta told them he was out of town a lot, but that he would call them the next time he was around. Inuyasha grumbled about that, but as much as he liked to bitch, that had been the most fun he’d had in a long time. His childhood had been noticeably lacking in moments like that; he was lucky if the other kids just ignored him.

"So, Kagome, haven’t seen you in awhile," Mrs. Higurashi observed as the family sat down at the table. "Get a lot of studying done?" Kagome grimaced and shook her head; the past few hours had been decidedly unproductive. Even with her window closed, her ears were good enough to pick up the laughter and shouts from outside, making concentrating on math difficult to say the least. Stupid hanyou hearing! And she couldn’t tell them to shut up without revealing her superhuman senses, since no normal person would be able to detect noises from that distance away through a solid sheet of glass. The boys weren’t being that loud. But beyond that, the real distraction had been the allure of watching her mate at play. It drew her away from her notes and books, compelled her to open the window and lean lazily against the sill. She watched them for what seemed an immeasurable span of time, a crooked grin gracing her features. Inuyasha seemed so innocent, so happy at play with the boys. Yet, he never lost touch with the adult in him. When the boys argued, he stepped in. He let the boys run the show, remaining a stabilizing presence without ever falling into the rampant spirit of competition in the air. He was behaving just like an older brother…or a parent. Inuyasha is going to make an amazing father someday…

That thought and its successors pounded the nails into her math muse’s coffin. Did Inuyasha want children as much as she did? She thought so, but then again she had misread him before. She spent the rest of the afternoon asking herself questions and daydreaming about kids: what would they be like, what would they name them, how many would they have, etc. Things she shouldn’t be thinking about; they hadn’t even been together for two weeks yet! But she couldn’t help herself, and consequently the day passed into night without a single iota of calculus entering her mind.

"You done studying yet, wench?"

Kagome sighed. She was sitting at her desk, hastily pouring over the gibberish that she had to make sense of for her test on Monday. Inuyasha was perched cross-legged on her bed, Tetsusaiga leaning up against his shoulder in his classic ‘resting warrior’ pose. This scenario was familiar, and she had learned to focus while alone with him. The problem was that he was being far too noisy.

"No, Inuyasha."

"When are you gonna be done?"

"I don’t know."

"This is stupid. Just ‘cause you wasted the whole day doesn’t mean—"

"Inuyasha! If you can’t be quiet you can leave," she snapped, immediately feeling guilty when his face fell…into a pout, revealing that he knew he was being annoying, which in turn made her guilt all but evaporate. He grumbled under his breath for a few more seconds before finally shutting up and allowing Kagome to concentrate. Still, this was not how he had imagined the evening going, and he wasn’t about to admit defeat so easily.

Twenty minutes later, Kagome was actually making decent progress. Bits and pieces of the great puzzle that was math had begun to fall into place, allowing her to guess at what the vague, murky picture might be. She could only hope it wasn’t a giant red "F" that lay at the end of all her studying. And if it was, she would blame the amorous hanyou at her back who even in silence continued to prove a distraction. She could tell exactly what he wanted by his scent alone, and she couldn’t deny that it was affecting her…a little. But she had her priorities, and Inuyasha would just have to wait, no matter how tempting it was to throw her book out the window throw herself at him.

And then she heard the rustling of fabric, followed by the muffled thud of clothing landing on the floor. Her brows twitched in interest and consternation. Don’t look, girl! Don’t look! Attempting to resume her studies proved fruitless, however, and she eventually conceded that she needed to satisfy her curiosity so she could get back to work. She was a cat, after all. Just a peek…

That vow died a horrible death as soon as she caught a glimpse of his smooth skin. He had removed both his tops and was lying on her bed with his hands folded under his head. One leg was raised, the ankle crossed over a knee. His eyes were closed, expression neutral, and her eyes moved to linger further south as the danger of being caught staring seemed to lessen. His chiseled chest and abdomen was bared to her hungry gaze, the muscles rising and falling with each breath. Her fingers twitched with memories of what it felt like to run them along his body, feeling it react underneath them. Suddenly he yawned, his arching back startling her from her stupor. She whirled around, feeling like a pervert who had just barely escaped being caught peeking into the changing room of the opposite sex. That was completely ridiculous; he was her mate, she could look whenever she wanted! Studying could wait a few minutes, couldn’t it?

She glanced over her shoulder again, this time starting her perusal at his navel. Had his hakama always ridden so sinfully low on his hips? She clenched her thighs together as the sight of him sent waves of low heat to her core. A tempest was brewing inside her, becoming more violent as her gaze traveled up his body once more, stopping on his amber eyes, smoldering with desire. Wait…WHAT?!!! Gasping, she spun around, nearly falling off the chair with the suddenness of the motion. She was now certain her face closely resembled a ripe tomato, and it didn’t feel like it would ever cool. That’s it, stupid! No more sightseeing! Study! Uh, let’s see…3x2-5x+3=30. What is x? Uh…um…dammit!!!

*Snap*

Kagome stared dumbfounded at her broken pencil, an unintended casualty of the ongoing war between responsibility and lust within her mind. She was ashamed to admit that lust was winning, at least until a soft noise from Inuyasha reached her ears. It wasn’t much, just a small snicker, but it was enough to raise her hackles and bring a whole new party to the conflict: anger. That arrogant jackass! He was toying with me the whole time! The question now became whether she would let him get away with it.

She stood so quickly and with such force that her chair toppled backwards, the racket causing Inuyasha to bolt upright. Briskly she stalked over to him, grabbing his forelocks without preamble and yanking his face up to meet hers. Her lips smashed over his, dominating, and he could do nothing but close his eyes and let it happen. So overwhelmed was he by the kiss that he didn’t even notice the awkward shuffling of his own feet until it was too late. A hard shove sent him careening to land gracelessly on his backside, cloth tossed on his head temporarily cutting off his vision. He heard the sound of a door closing and then an ominous click that sounded suspiciously like a lock. He didn’t even need to look around to know that he was in the hallway. Standing, he shrugged on his haori and kosode as his own anger crested.

"Open this door, bitch!" he growled as quietly as he could, not wanting to alert Kagome’s family to his dilemma.

"Sorry, Inuyasha, but you’re too distracting," she replied, her voice practically oozing amusement.

"Ka-Go-Me…" he snarled through gritted teeth. Realizing her mate was about to blow a stack, Kagome decided on a switch in tactics.

"Please, Inuyasha," she begged miserably, "I really need to study. Go downstairs and watch TV, and I promise I’ll make it up to you later." She finished on a sultry note, and grinned when no immediate response came from the other side of the wood. Got him…

"Ah, shit," Inuyasha mumbled after a few moments.

"Thanks, Inuyasha!"

"Keh! I’m holding you to that promise, wench." Fuck…she owes me big time for this! Sighing, he turned and made his way downstairs, plopping down in front of the ‘TV’ box. Grabbing the remote, he stared at it blankly. How did Souta say to work this stupid thing, again? He pushed a few buttons and nothing happened, but when he tried a red one up in the corner the box came to life. He nearly leapt out of his chair, glancing around sheepishly to make sure no one had witnessed his display. After some trial and error, he figured out how to change the channel and more importantly turn the volume down. Stupid humans and their crappy hearing…

He spent a good twenty minutes flipping through the channels and feeling stupid when he didn’t understand any of the dramas, animes, or game shows he found, not that he could identify them as such. He finally settled on a game involving nine men per side, a little white ball, an oddly shaped stick, and four white lumps in the dirt. Now this he could understand. Man throws ball. Opposing man tries to hit ball. Simple. But as he continued to watch, he realized it was much more complicated than that. The thrower seemed to have a magic touch with the ball; he could make it go straight, dip sharply, or even move left or right. And the guy standing behind the catcher had some power, judging each throw by some semi-ambiguous zone. The funny thing was that everyone else seemed to know this zone better than the game-caller, and a couple of the players got sent to the showers for arguing. Heh, that’s humans for you. They never tire of fighting over stupid things… (1). Watching this strange game proved a therapeutic experience for Inuyasha, and soon he found himself stretched out on the couch, more at ease than he had been in a long time. He knew he couldn’t get used to moments like this, with Naraku still alive and the jewel incomplete, which made him all the more appreciative of opportunities to kick back and chill for awhile. He didn’t used to be like that; the old Inuyasha had no ‘off button’ when it came to the mission. He chose to see this newfound temperament as another sign of personal growth.

The game ended several hours later with one player hitting a ball into the seats across the field and everyone on his team going nuts. The channel switched to another game, so he started watching that one as the night progressed into the very early hours of the morning. He was nearly asleep when clumsy, uncoordinated footsteps on the stairs roused him. Kagome’s pajama-clad legs came into view first, and she trudged into the kitchen without even sparing him a glance. Her body was slumped as if the mere act of staying awake was more than she could handle. Ah, crap...I should have known this would happen. Kagome had exhausted herself studying, and he didn’t have the heart to ask her for sex now. She would just have to owe him double tomorrow. He didn’t think she would mind too much. She emerged from the kitchen sucking on a red popsicle, and Inuyasha had to stifle a needy groan as his imagination played tricks on him. Dammit! She just can’t make this easy, can she? Again Kagome didn’t stop to acknowledge him, continuing on toward the stairs and leaving Inuyasha feeling just a little jilted.

"Done studying, wench?" Kagome jumped at his sudden question, nearly dropping the popsicle as her eyes darted around until she spotted him.

"Oh…yeah, for tonight, anyway," she replied groggily, rubbing her eyes, adorable in that way that only a sleepy young woman can pull off. Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha sat up, pulled the lever on the footrest he had discovered earlier, and raised his arm. Kagome eagerly accepted the invitation, cuddling into his side with a contented sigh. There were things he wanted to talk to her about, especially the subject of children brought up earlier that day, but she was in no condition to discuss anything with her brain deep fried as it was. He reached a hand up to rub her ear, not that she needed any help falling asleep.

"Mmmm…that’s nice," she mumbled. She was out inside a minute later, snoring softly. Her face was so serene in sleep, so trusting, and he couldn’t resist placing a tender kiss on her forehead. Warmth bubbled within him, and he had to blink back unbidden tears caused by some insane emotion he had never felt before. Was this…true happiness? More footsteps sounded on the stairs before he could consider that possibility any further, these ones soft and measured. Inuyasha wasn’t surprised when Mrs. Higurashi appeared at the bottom, noticing them with a wry grin.

"She really wore herself out, didn’t she?" the older woman asked.

"Yep. Dummy didn’t even notice I was here until I said something. How come you’re still up? Humans need more rest than hanyou, you know."

"And the young need more than the old."

"Keh."

"Oh, I remember when I used to hold her like that," she sighed wistfully, though then her expression turned solemn. "I rocked her to sleep for almost a year after her father died…and I think I needed that as much as she did…" After a few seconds of staring gravely off into space, Mrs. Higurashi snapped out of her melancholy and plastered on a grin which was only partially forced. "Well, she seems comfortable enough with you, but I think you should put her in bed. I’ll go turn it down for you." She departed, leaving Inuyasha to reflect on the hardships she had suffered. He knew what Kagome had gone through in losing a parent, but losing a husband… Losing Kagome… He shuddered, unsure how he would handle that, or even if he was emotionally capable. It would be a dark day indeed if he ever found out.

"I put an extra pillow on her bed for you," Mrs. Higurashi said as she returned, and Inuyasha didn’t miss the significance of that statement. She was tacitly giving him permission to share a bed with her daughter, something that was truly significant to him. A person could preach acceptance until they were blue in the face, but none of that mattered unless it was backed up by action. And that was exactly what Kagome’s mother was doing now. Still, there was one thing Inuyasha needed to know, something that had been bothering him all day, even though to ask it would be to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Why?"

"Uh, I thought you might want more roo—"

"No, not that. I mean, why are you letting me sleep with her? Why are you so…accepting of us? Don’t you even care that your only daughter is mated to a han—"

"Stop right there," she ordered firmly. "Don’t ever tell me I don’t care who my daughter is with."

"I-I didn’t mean…" Inuyasha tried, taken aback by the woman’s dramatic shift in attitude.

"I know you didn’t," she said, her gaze softening. "I’m sorry for my outburst." A long pause ensued as she carefully weighed her next words. "Earlier, you asked me why I was still awake. The answer was that I was thinking…about Kagome, and about you. I was second-guessing myself, my decision to not interfere with your relationship. Did I do the right thing letting her keep returning to the past? Is being with you really the best thing for my daughter? Are you a good enough man to take care of her?" She quieted again, looking away and managing a dry laugh. "I came up with the same answer I always have. Yes on all accounts." Inuyasha exhaled the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, relief flowing through his body.

"I won’t lie to you, Inuyasha," she continued, "the past year and a half has been difficult for me. Back when I first met you, I wasn’t afraid because I could tell you wouldn’t hurt my daughter, at least intentionally." Inuyasha grimaced at all the times he had wounded her unintentionally, but Mrs. Higurashi ignored it. "But as you and Kagome became closer, and my daughter began to fall for a boy for the first time, I started to have second thoughts. When she used to come back crying, heartbroken, I almost forbid her from ever going through the well again. But I couldn’t do that…not when she thought about you constantly. Not when you could make her so happy by just showing up. Not when I could see that you had some feelings for her in return. And gradually, I saw you changing before my eyes, and I came to understand that you weren’t just a mythical being from the feudal era come to take my daughter on a fantastic quest. You were a lonely boy, looking for a friend. How could I deny you that, when Kagome so desperately wanted to be there for you?" Here, she inhaled shakily, drying the few rogue tears which had leaked onto her cheeks.

"I’ve never told this to anyone, but my late husband originally came from a wealthy family. I was working as a maid in his house, mostly just to get away from the shrine for a few years, and we fell head over heels for each other. But he was supposed to marry some rich girl, and his parents refused to hear of his ‘fascination’ with me. So he left, took my name, and never spoke to his parents again. I haven’t seen them since the funeral. My greatest fear…was that I would make the same mistake my husband’s parents made. She loved you that much, you know. Even back then, she would have chosen you over her family. So I waited, hoping that one day you would decide that you loved her in return, and now you have. Am I right?" Inuyasha simply nodded, but it was enough. "I wasn’t lying when I said I don’t care about what you are or where you’re from. I’m willing to give you my approval, even if it means that Kagome’s future is no longer in the future. As long as you continue to make my daughter happy, you will always be welcome here…my son."

Inuyasha was struck speechless, completely humbled by those last two words in particular, and incredibly grateful to this pure-hearted woman who had given a vagrant half-breed like him a chance when most other mothers would have thrown him down the well and chucked explosives in after him. She, like her daughter, was truly special, and he could not help but feel that some higher force had brought the three of them together. Fate? Destiny? Blind luck? He couldn’t say how it happened, but he would never stop thanking the Kamis that it had.

"Well, I’m going to bed," he heard Mrs. Higurashi say cheerfully. "I think I can sleep now."

"Thank you," he choked out. For giving me a chance, for accepting me, for everything… Somehow, she understood.

"You’re welcome."

Then she was gone, and Inuyasha was alone once more. No, not alone; Kagome still slept soundly against his side. He smiled, reliving the events of the day, some of which he would never forget. He was once again part of a family, and only today did he realize that he had been for a long time. Kami…how did I get so lucky?

Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or any of the publicly known characters, plot, etc. I’m just renting them from Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, etc. I do own the plot of this story and any original characters I’ve created. I will make no money from this fic; I write for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of my readers.

Mrs. Higurashi seemed back to her old, cheerful self the following morning, and for that Inuyasha was grateful. He was glad she had confided in him the emotional turmoil she had dealt with over the past year and a half. Somehow, knowing how strong her reservations had been made overcoming them all the more rewarding. She served enough bacon for three meals, knowing that he loved the stuff and his hanyou body could handle eating that much of it. Kagome daintily munched on a few pieces while hungrily eyeing the rest, and Inuyasha just rolled his eyes at her civility. Eh, more for me…

Having had enough of the enticing aroma, Kagome declared she was going upstairs to shower and left. Of course, she did this only after Inuyasha had offered to wash the dishes, which led to his current dilemma. He was stuck rubbing soap over dinnerware when he really wanted to be in the shower with Kagome, running his hands along her smooth skin. He was scrubbing as fast as he could, but there were dishes from the night before as well and he knew he wasn’t going to make it. Still, he plugged along on the off chance that the Kami might have mercy on him.

*Slip*

Only lightning reflexes saved the falling plate from a messy demise.

"Oops! Nice catch, Inuyasha," Mrs. Higurashi proclaimed. Inuyasha merely grunted a reply and turned back to his task, so he missed the how she rolled her eyes and shook her head at him with a grin. Kids…always in a hurry! "Go ahead, Inuyasha, I’ll finish up." The hanyou stared at her in shock. Did she know why he was rush—no, screw it. He was better off in the dark. He nodded a quick thanks before bounding up the stairs two at a time.

"Bye, Mama! I’m going out!" Kagome called into the kitchen.

"Oh, going shopping for c-c-condoms, Kagome?" her mother teased, mocking the girl’s inability to say the word the previous day.

"That’s not funny, Mama!" Kagome cried, her face flushing.

"I think it is." Kagome stormed out of the house to the sounds of her mother’s chuckling, her embarrassment growing fairly acute. But even so, it had been a wonderful morning. She was sure her and Inuyasha’s activities in the shower had something to do with that. She had been standing with her eyes closed under the stream, simply enjoying a final rinse before turning the hot water off, when the shower curtain was pulled back and in stepped her very naked and very aroused male hanyou. Thoughts of resisting didn’t even cross her mind as his lips crashed upon hers and she looped her arms tightly around his neck. Pent-up lust throbbed between them, the now uncomfortably warm water cascading over their bodies and adding to the burgeoning heat. After some simple but effective foreplay, he proceeded to spin her around and screw her so hard from behind that her front practically melded into the shower wall. After the lingering tremors wracking their bodies had subsided, they used the shower for its proper purpose, cleaning and washing the fresh sweat off each other. A futile gesture, since neither of them could resist another romp. This time was far more languid as sated lust gave way to love and adoration, replete with all the kissing, touching, and caressing they had come to expect from the act of making love. He held her up, Kagome’s legs wrapped around his waist, their lips and tongues tangling between ragged gasps and moans as he moved slowly against her. And when the rising torrents of passion reached simultaneous climaxes, they stifled each other’s cries of ecstasy with a scorching lip lock that stole all traces of breath away.

They remained that way for the longest time, relishing in the afterglow as their heartbeats returned to normal. When he finally put her down, Kagome turned the temperature down and they stood under the stream together, allowing the water to cool their heated skin. They toweled themselves off, not wanting to provide any further temptation and knowing that they did need to come out of the bathroom sometime. She sent Inuyasha to her room to dress while she blow dried her hair, and he was nowhere to be found when she arrived a few minutes later. So here she was, ambling happily across the shrine grounds to buy the condoms they would soon need, feeling both satisfied and content. She could now say from experience that having multiple orgasms was a fantastic way to wake up in the morning. They would definitely have to try it again sometime. She jumped slightly when a familiar figure landed suddenly beside her.

"Inuyasha! Wha—" she started, trailing off as she gazed appreciatively at his lean frame. He was clad in snug fitting black jeans and the same red shirt in which he had shown up at her school some time ago. Seeing him in modern clothing didn’t have quite the same effect it had back then, but she still liked the view. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"K-keh!" he muttered, her attire sending him for a loop. She wore a yellow sundress and blue blouse, the exact same combination she had worn when she returned to the Feudal Era during his battle with Rouyakan (1). She looked almost the same as she had then, when she came back to him after he banished her to the modern era, though perhaps a little older and a little wiser. What a mistake that had been! I thought I was doing the right thing, but damn…what an idiot I was. And it hadn’t been the last time she defied everything that made sense in the world just to be with him. She…she actually asked me if she could be by my side. I should have been asking—begging her to stay with me! But that was all in the past. Right now, they were living in the present and looking toward the future. The past could stay there where it belonged.

"Are you…coming with me?" Kagome asked hopefully, snapping him out of his musings.

"Uh…I gotta wear these con-dum things, so I thought I should tag along. Unless you don’t want me to…"

"Don’t be silly! Come on!" she ordered, grabbing his hand and dragging him off with just a little extra skip in her step. As they descended toward the street, he couldn’t help but stare at her.

"It’s been awhile since you wore that," he stated solemnly.

"Yes, it has," Kagome replied, her tone indicating that she remembered as well. But her smile said it all; he didn’t need to apologize, and indeed she didn’t want him to. So he didn’t, instead hesitantly returning her smile.

"Do you like it?" she queried playfully. He smirked in response. Yeah, but you look the best when you’re not wearing anything. To his credit, he didn’t voice that thought, even though Kagome knew it had crossed his mind. He settled on something a little more reserved, and that he was more comfortable voicing aloud.

"Yeah. I miss seeing your legs."

"Hmm…well, I have to wear my school uniform tomorrow," she said, rolling her eyes at his silly grin. Ah, the uniform… He hadn’t realized how much he would miss it until she stopped wearing it. How many times had she flashed her panties without realizing it? And how long did he pretend he wasn’t interested in those luscious legs of hers? Early on they had been too slim, still girlish in appearance, but over time they had matured into a woman’s legs, toned and curvy in all the right places. And they were strong too; his waist could attest to that.

"Man, it stinks in this city!" Kagome declared, covering her nose.

"And you always thought I was just whining about nothing, didn’t you, wench?" Inuyasha replied smugly, earning himself a sideways glare.

"Yeah, well you did like to complain a lot."

"No way!"

"Yes way!"

"I did not!"

"Did!"

"Name one thing I used to complain about."

"Ok, let’s see," Kagome said, inhaling a deep breath. "How clumsy I was, how slow I was, how bad my aim was, how I was too nice to Koga, how annoying Shippo was, how I always got into trouble, how often I had to go home, how—"

"Alright, alright! I get it!"

"Really? Because I could keep going if you want."

"I’ll pass." A short pause ensued, during which Inuyasha’s mood sobered noticeably. "You know," he began seriously, "I didn’t really mean any of that stuff." Kagome stared at him with watery eyes, and was well on her way to being truly touched when he stuck his foot in his mouth. "Well, you were pretty clumsy, and your aim was terrible, and you were too nice to wolf-shit, and—" He cut himself off, feeling the full weight of Kagome’s ire directed at the center of his forehead through her twin smoldering eyes. "Uh…but you got better!" he hastily added, desperately trying to dig himself out of his self-made hole. "Even before you became a hanyou…" Kagome let him stew in silence for a few moments before breaking out in an amused smirk.

"You’re just lucky I love you," she said simply. Inuyasha grinned stupidly; he would never tire of hearing her speak those words. Perhaps someday he would find the courage to say them back to her. He had almost said as much on their first night together, but something about articulating those three little words always caused them to catch in his throat. "Come on, we’re here," Kagome observed, effectively ending his contemplation on the subject. It seemed their arguing had taken them all the way to the pharmacy. Though it wasn’t really arguing; bickering was a better term for it. It was a shift from the verbal warfare they were used to, and it was damn fun! He had a feeling Kagome enjoyed the harmless banter as well.

The pharmacy was a clean, orderly place that smelled of any number of medications, the combination of which made the two hanyou dizzy until they got used to it. When their heads cleared, Inuyasha let Kagome navigate, trailing along behind as she found the right aisle. He almost chuckled when she loitered for a few seconds at the end of the aisle before taking a deep breath and striding purposefully forward. Her eyes were steely and her chin set; she looked like she was marching into battle. Inuyasha could only shake his head, not understanding what the big deal was. She said this is what responsible human couples did, so why should she be so embarrassed? Apparently she had her reasons, because her face slowly flushed as she carefully scanned a row of boxes.

"What’s the problem, wench? Just grab some and let’s go." Kagome only blushed darker at this, biting on her lower lip as she sometimes did when nervous.

"I don’t know what…size to get," she confessed lamely. If she had been looking in his direction, Kagome would have seen a positively evil smirk cross Inuyasha’s features.

"What, did you forget to take measurements this morning?" Kagome felt her brow twitch but chose to ignore him, that is until she heard the ominous sound of a zipper being lowered. Dread gripped her as she glanced at him, and sure enough, it was indeed the zipper on his pants that had been undone, with the button soon to follow.

"What are you doing?!!!" she whispered scandalously.

"I thought I could try them on here, though you’d have to help me get in the right mood, if you know what I mean."

"I…you…no… Put that away!!!" This time Inuyasha did snicker quietly to himself as he refastened his trousers. Kagome turned back to the boxes, redder than ever, an irritated frown twisting her lips.

"You and my mother think this is so freakin’ funny!"

"’Cause it is."

"Isn’t!"

Inuyasha let it drop there, but no matter what she said, this whole situation was downright hilarious. Still, he figured he had teased his mate long enough. Nudging her gently aside, he began his own perusal of the strange boxes that vexed her so. What the hell was her problem anyway? There weren’t many sizes to choose from. He studied his options for a few seconds before grabbing a box off the shelf and tossing it to her, grinning to himself when she fumbled the catch. He had chosen the selection he thought would fit, but would still have to try one on before leaving for the Feudal Era. Either that, or take the chance of suffering the truly horrible consequence of ten days without sex. Ah! Kill me now! No, that scenario was to be avoided at all costs.

Kagome studied the box as she marched down the aisle toward the cash register, Inuyasha trailing happily along behind her. She was only partially attentive of her surroundings, which meant she couldn’t avoid the oncoming collision. A hurried young woman barreled into her from the right, sending Kagome’s box and the contents of the girl’s basket clattering to the floor. Inuyasha reached out a hand to steady his mate, though the action was not really necessary due to her feline sense of balance. The other girl was not so lucky, tumbling backward and landing flat on her backside with a yelp. Bending down, Inuyasha snatched his box of condoms off the floor and offered the stranger a hand up.

"You alright?" he asked distractedly, focusing his attention on the box in his hand. The picture was the same, but the weight had changed, and now that he looked closely, the colors were different as well. Hey! This isn’t my box…

"I-Inuyasha?" Amber eyes snapped to the girl on the floor, the one with the vaguely familiar voice who somehow knew his name. He recognized her instantly, and her name was on the tip of his tongue when Kagome supplied it from his side.

"Ayumi?" The wavy-haired girl turned slightly dazed eyes on her friend at hearing her name. "Oh, Kami! I’m so sorry!" Kagome exclaimed, kneeling to help Ayumi replace her things in her basket. "I wasn’t looking where I was going, and…" she trailed off as her eyes landed on a very familiar box. Faster than a person could blink the container was hidden safely behind her back, but her expression left no doubt that it had been there. Red didn’t just stain her nose or cheeks, but her entire face and neck too. Meanwhile, Ayumi had realized that she as missing something, and glanced around frantically for it until Inuyasha bent down and held it in front of her nose.

"I think this is yours," he said lamely. A wide-eyed gasp followed, with Ayumi hastily seizing the box from his hand. Kagome felt better when the other girl’s face blossomed in the same crimson shade as her own; at least she wasn’t the only one caught buying condoms! Even Inuyasha developed a little tint to his cheeks. But the trouble was what to do now, as none of them seemed to know what to say. Ayumi was the first to gather her wits.

"So…uh, you look well, Kagome. Did those weird blue spots on your feet clear up?" Kagome sweatdropped. So jii-chan ran out of actual diseases and started making up random symptoms…wonderful.

"Yep! My feet are fine!" she proclaimed with painfully false cheer.

"Oh…that’s good," Ayumi replied with the same phony enthusiasm. Then uncomfortable silence settled in again, and neither girl had the courage to break it. Fortunately, they had a brash, at-times-insensitive male with them to do the job.

"Are we gonna sit here all day or what?" Inuyasha grumped, impatiently folding his arms over his chest.

"Uh, why don’t we check out?" Kagome said, standing and helping Ayumi follow suit. The three walked to the registers, paid for their things, and left the store. They once again found themselves staring anxiously at each other, only outside on the sidewalk this time. Kagome could see the questions dancing in Ayumi’s eyes, and she had several of her own that needed asking. She just needed to get her alone for some old-fashioned girl talk.

"Inuyasha," she pronounced sweetly, "can you please meet me back at the shrine? Ayumi and I have some catching up to do." Inuyasha’s first instinct was to vehemently refuse, maybe with a ‘hell no!’ or a ‘no way in hell!’ But he choked down his retort when those damn chocolate eyes blinked at him. He was lost as soon as his resolve wavered. Ah, dammit…

"Fine! But don’t stay out all day."

"T-thank you," Kagome stuttered, honestly expecting much more of a fight. Not for the first time, she decided she loved their newfound ability to get along. She leaned in and delivered a quick peck on the lips, then scurried off dragging Ayumi behind her. "Bye!"

Inuyasha delayed until the two girls were some distance off before ducking into the alley on his left. From there, he leapt onto the roof of the pharmacy and began running and leaping his way across the buildings of Tokyo. Soon he slowed to a stroll, matching the pace set by Kagome and Ayumi, below him and about fifty feet ahead. He scoffed inwardly; did Kagome really expect him to wait for her at the shrine while she went gallivanting around the modern world? He’d said it before: the girl was a trouble magnet. He wasn’t even sure he was letting her go to and from school tomorrow without him as an escort. Was it rational that his protectiveness of her had never been stronger now that she was more capable than ever of taking care of herself? Probably not, but he didn’t give a damn. Rationality could jump off a cliff. Besides, since when did rationality have any place in their relationship?

After several blocks, the girls stopped at some kind of outdoor restaurant and got lunch. Just thinking of food had Inuyasha’s stomach growling ravenously, though it had only been a few hours since breakfast. But he had grown used to hunger in his youth, and was fully prepared to simply ignore the urge until a familiar white ‘W’ down the street caught his attention. His stomach rumbled again as his mind conjured up images of processed meat and fried potatoes, all swimming in salt and grease. Kagome and Ayumi had barely started eating, meaning he had some time to burn. To make matters worse, Kagome’s mother had slipped him some money for just this occasion. He had intended to return it to her in full, but she did say she wanted him to use it… He shot to his feet, vaulting over a few more rooftops before dropping into the alley across the street from WacDonald’s. What could possibly happen if he left Kagome alone for a little while?

"So, your relationship with Inuyasha has…progressed since the last time we saw you?" Ayumi observed, the first words either of them had spoken since leaving Inuyasha behind. Kagome put down her chopsticks, a contented grin working its way across her features.

"I guess you could say that."

"So…you’ve had occasion to use those condoms?" Ayumi asked, flushing.

"Well, no, but only because I’ve been…keeping track of myself," Kagome replied, mirroring her friend’s embarrassment. "What about you? Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Of course!" Ayumi answered, slightly insulted that Kagome would even have to ask that, when the alternative was that she went around sleeping with random guys.

"Sorry! It’s just, you never said anything… How long have you been dating?"

"It will be six months on Friday."

"Six months! Why didn’t you tell anyo—never mind, I think I know." Both girls giggled at that. Kagome loved Eri and Yuka, but they were very intrusive when it came to her love life. Ayumi had always been the calm one, the one most inclined to let her work it out on her own, the one slowest to judge Inuyasha as ‘bad for her’ on hearsay alone. Throughout this conversation, she had been asking questions rather than demanding answers. And after seeing how many times Eri and Yuka had told her to dump Inuyasha and pushed her on Hojo, it was understandable that Ayumi simply wanted to avoid any unwanted meddling.

"I was going to tell them eventually, Kagome, but he…he’s my first real boyfriend, and I just wanted to get to know him without being asked about it every day at school."

"Don’t worry, Ayumi, your secret is safe with me."

"Thanks. I just hope they don’t get too mad at me."

"Oh, I’m sure they’ll forgive you," Kagome reassured, and Ayumi nodded gratefully. "How far have you two gotten?" she asked after a few seconds, deciding that it was her turn to play interrogator.

"We’ve kissed…a lot," Ayumi confessed with a dreamy look. "We haven’t gone all the way though. Almost once…but my mom nearly walked in on us. To this day I don’t know how he heard her coming. As for the condoms…I just want to be prepared, I guess." Kagome nodded, knowing what was coming next. This is like Sango all over again…

"What’s it like?" the other girl posed predictably. But whereas Kagome had given Sango a somewhat-detailed answer, she didn’t feel comfortable answering Ayumi that way. Her modern friends were her friends, but her feudal era friends…well, they were more like family.

"It’s hard to describe. It was my first time, doing it with the man I love…it was magical. That sounds cheesy, doesn’t it?"

"A little," Ayumi teased, "but thanks for sharing anyway. I don’t know if I love Kenji. I mean, I like him a lot, but… How did you know you loved Inuyasha?"

"It just happened," Kagome said, shrugging. "One day, I saw him with Kikyou. I considered leaving him for good, thought about it for awhile, and then I just knew."

"So this Kikyou person is the one he was two-timing you with? Is she out of the picture? Do they still see each other?"

"She’s still around, and I’m sure we’ll see her again, but he doesn’t want to be with her anymore." Ayumi didn’t say anything, but her eyes dripped with doubt. "Look, Ayumi, Inuyasha has never lied to me. He snuck off to see Kikyou sometimes, but he never lied about it afterwards. I trust him."

"Ok, Kagome," Ayumi said, her voice still a little skeptical. "As long as you’re sure he isn’t still two-timing you."

"I am. Now all this talking has made me hungry, so let’s eat!" They were halfway through their respective meals when Kagome felt a sharp prick on the side of her neck.

"Ouch!"

"What’s wrong?"

"Ah, damn that hurts," Kagome hissed, swatting the offending entity away. "I think I got stung by a hornet." (2)

"It must have been a pretty bad sting to make you swear."

"Little bastard…"

"Kagome!"

"What?! I can swear if I want to!"

"Hmmph. I bet you learned how to swear from your boyfriend."

"Oh, please. I knew all the words by the time I was thirteen. I just didn’t have a reason to swear until I met Inuyasha." Both girls chuckled at the joke, then returned to their lunches.

"Well, I should get going," Ayumi said after they had finished. "I’m not nearly ready for that math test tomorrow." Kagome grimaced; if Ayumi was worried about the test, then she was doomed!

"Uh, yeah, I should start studying too—whoa," she broke off, steadying herself on shaky legs.

"You ok, Kagome?"

"I think so," she answered after her head stopped spinning. "I just felt a little dizzy when I stood up, but I’m fine now."

"Kagome," Ayumi began, frowning, "are you sure you should be engaging in all this, uh…intimate activity with all your health problems?" Kagome smiled wryly, wishing not for the first time that she could just come clean with her modern friends about her "illnesses." But it simply wasn’t an option, and they were probably better off not knowing.

"Don’t worry, Ayumi. Inuyasha is very considerate of my health."

"Well, ok…" the other girl relented, relieved but not completely mollified. "Oh, I almost forgot," she exclaimed, digging around in her purse until she found what she was looking for. "I pilfered this from Yuka," she said, handing Kagome the article. The miko laughed aloud, covering her mouth with her hand as she gazed at the long-forgotten picture. They were sitting in WacDonald’s, Inuyasha’s arm wrapped around her and she leaning her head on his shoulder. Inuyasha was looking embarrassedly away, and both of them were blushing hotly. Was this really taken only a couple months ago? (3) Their relationship had progressed so much since then, starting with Inuyasha rescuing her from the Rebirth curse. They had been growing steadily closer ever since she first came through the well on her fifteenth birthday, but her metamorphosis had certainly accelerated things.

Kagome thanked her friend and the two parted ways, each heading home to study. Inuyasha, who had long since returned to his rooftop and scarfed down his fast food feast, stalked her for a few minutes before deciding to make his presence known. He vaulted into an alleyway and stepped out onto the street right beside her.

"Hey, wench," he said smugly, fully expecting her to jump in shock. She did nothing of the sort, not even batting an eyebrow at his sudden appearance.

"Hey," was her nonchalant reply.

"Wh—how—" the deflated hanyou stuttered.

"What? You think I didn’t know you would follow us instead of going to the shrine like I asked you to?"

"I wasn’t spying," Inuyasha replied defensively, sensing that he had waded in over his head. He needn’t have worried.

"I know," Kagome answered with a smile, "you were just worried."

"Feh!" he grumped, but he didn’t deny it. "You still could have been surprised…"

"You’re not as stealthy as you think you are." Inuyasha grumbled at that, but it was difficult to pout when Kagome was grinning impishly at him like that. Let no one say he didn’t like to see her happy, even if her amusement was at his own expense. The pair slowly made their way back to the shrine, enjoying the peaceful time together before another marathon night of studying for Kagome. She had two tests tomorrow, and she was only half-prepared for one of them! So it was with understandable reluctance that they ascended the shrine steps, stopping only when a pair of sandaled feet came into view. Both hanyou gulped when they looked up and saw Kagome’s grandfather glowering formidably down at them. I guess Mama told him about me and Inuyasha…

"YOU!!!" he cried, pointing a gnarled finger at Inuyasha. The young man pulled himself to his full height in response, glaring up at the elderly human, ready for whatever insults or degradations he was about to receive. "You…you had better treat my granddaughter like a goddess! And YOU!!!" he yelled again, turning to a very stunned Kagome. "Don’t stay hanyou for him! Only remain this way if it’s what you truly desire. And if he can’t accept that, then—"

"I accept Kagome without question," Inuyasha interrupted sternly. The two men locked eyes, one seeking truth and the other providing it.

"Jii-chan," Kagome said, "please believe me, but this is what I truly want." The old man regarded them seriously for a few moments, eyes flitting back and forth before finally softening.

"Very well then," was his only reply, though he looked as if he desperately wanted to say more, and was nearly biting off his own tongue to keep quiet. He quickly found himself enfolded in a tearful hug by his granddaughter.

"Oof! There, there, Kagome," he soothed, patting her back. "Now off to your studies with you! I will not have my granddaughter failing at something she’s put so much hard work into!" When she had gone, the two men lingered, each entertaining his own thoughts.

"I will," Inuyasha declared.

"In that case…welcome to the family. Do not make me regret saying that."

"I won’t."

"Ah, it’s so nice to be back!" Kagome proclaimed, emerging from the well into the lush greenery of Feudal Japan. "I passed all my tests, and I don’t have to worry about school for three more weeks!"

"Good, maybe we can finally get back to hunting Naraku." As far as Inuyasha was concerned, the only important thing that had occurred in the modern era was the procurement of condoms, which did indeed fit nicely. Well, maybe not the only thing, but he could pretend that it was!

"Oh, please! Don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy the time off, Mr. ‘Red Lightning.’"

"Y-you heard that, huh?" Inuyasha replied, flushing darkly. Oh, fuck…Miroku and Shippo would never let me hear the end of that if they found out. "Keep that shit to yourself, wench."

"Oh? And what if I decide not to keep your secret?" she asked playfully, flashing a sideways smirk his way. Inuyasha growled low, his blood heating to meet his bitch’s challenge. He advanced on her until her back was pressed against a tree, glaring intensely down at her. The now-familiar ache was already throbbing to life between them, as insatiable as it had ever been.

"Then I’ll make you be quiet," he rumbled huskily, earning a coy smile from the woman before him.

"And how will you do that?" she inquired breathlessly. Inuyasha planned to fully show her, raising his right hand to grip her chin, but stopped mid-motion as a familiar—and dreaded—scent reached his nostrils.

"Dammit!" he shouted, using his fist to take out his frustration on the hapless tree. "Don’t tell me this shit is gonna start again!"

"Well," Kagome stated, his antics making her grin despite her equally powerful disappointment. She was happy to see her friends, but they could have waited another twenty minutes—or a couple hours. "We did tell them we’d be back this afternoon."

"So what?! Here’s a novel idea; wait in the babaa’s hut!"

"But Shippo misses us, and you can’t blame him. You miss him too."

"Feh! Do not!" Kagome shook her head at his half-hearted denial, but let it go. She could tell he knew the truth no matter what he said.

"Try not to be cranky at everyone, Inuyasha. You know we’ll have less alone time now that we’re here."

"Not if I knock them all unconscious," Inuyasha mumbled under his breath. Kagome’s reply was forestalled by the nearby pitter-patter of little feet.

"Kagome!" the young fox hollered, hopping up into her arms. "I missed you. Did you bring me something!" he asked quickly, eyes shining in childish glee.

"We missed you too, Shippo," Kagome declared, to which Inuyasha just snorted. "And as a matter of fact, I do have some poc—"

"Nothing," Inuyasha interrupted sulkily. "I ate it all." Shippo’s expression morphed into one of pure horror, as if the loss of his pocky would be the catastrophe of all catastrophes, a disaster of epic proportions.

"Don’t listen to him, Shippo, I have some right here." Immense relief passed over the kit’s features, but he quickly turned and stuck his tongue out at the grumpy hanyou. Bad move.

"Why you little shit!" Inuyasha yelled, making a grab. Shippo shrieked and leapt to the ground, cowering behind Kagome’s legs. He could no longer count on the rosary to keep his head lump-free, but he knew he could still rely on the miko.

"Inuyasha!" Her cry stopped him in his tracks. Not wanting to get on her bad side, he settled for crossing his arms over his chest and cussing the kid out under his breath. "What did Shippo do that was so bad?" Kagome asked him.

"Keh!" was his eloquent reply. He didn’t dare tell her that all Shippo had done was stick his tongue out. No! He interrupted us too! I should shave his tail for that…

"Don’t ‘keh’ me! Honestly, sometimes I don’t know which one of you is less mature."

"He is!" Inuyasha declared adamantly, causing Kagome to sweatdrop. She and Shippo shared a bemused look, both shaking their heads. You know, Inuyasha, the one who says he’s more mature is probably less so. It was like a kid in middle school who tells everyone he’s the best at a sport, versus the kid who just goes out and plays really well. Which one is more mature? It was refreshing to see Inuyasha let the child in him come out, but this was a little much. He’s pouting like a naughty boy who just got his candy taken away…probably not a bad description, actually.

"Kagome, can I have my pocky now?"

"Oh, sure Shippo!" She handed him the sweet treat, and much to Inuyasha’s dismay he planted himself on Kagome’s shoulder instead of scurrying off and leaving them alone. Sighing, the disgruntled hanyou finally came to terms with the fact that he would be getting no action tonight.

"I’m going to see if the babaa is cooking anything," he grumbled, trudging off toward the village. An amused Kagome followed, a pocky-engrossed Shippo coming along for the ride. There were a couple of men hanging around Kaede’s hut when they arrived, probably seeking some sort of healing or herbal remedy. They bowed respectfully at the newcomers, and Kagome was just about to return the gesture when she felt another prick in her neck, this time on the other side. But she recognized this particular sensation, and simply rolled her eyes while applying a firm slap to the area. A flattened pest remained in her palm when she pulled it back.

"Myouga!" Inuyasha bellowed, brandishing a clenched fist, "I told you not to bite Kagome!" But the flea didn’t grovel or make excuses as he normally did. He just sat there, staring back and forth between his master and mistress for a few long seconds.

"Inuyasha-sama…Kagome-sama…you’ve mated!" he exclaimed loudly. Too loudly, if a couple of choked gasps from the village men were any indication. Both hanyou knew what that meant; everyone in the village would know by nightfall. They would be the hottest gossip of the season, which begged the question of whether their new relationship would receive cheers or jeers, or possibly even swords and torches. But they would have to wonder about that later, as Kaede stormed out of her hut and motioned briskly for them to come inside. They obeyed, Kagome biting her lip in worry and Inuyasha hardening his expression, prepared for the worst. He thought he knew Kaede well enough to say that she wouldn’t have a problem with them being together, but one could never be sure about traditional miko…

"Why wasn’t I informed of this?" the old woman queried when all were seated, giving nothing away with her neutral tone. Inuyasha and Kagome shared a glance, waging a purely optical argument over who would have to field that question. Ultimately, the responsibility fell on the latter.

"Well, you see," Kagome hedged, "it happened very recently, and it’s our first trip back to the village since, and we went right through the well a few days ago…" She trailed off, wondering whether all of those reasons were just lame excuses. Was the real reason they hadn’t gone out of their way to tell Kaede because they feared her rejection? Bless her, the elderly miko didn’t say anything along those lines, but merely nodded and smiled.

"Then congratulations, to the both of ye. And especially ye, Inuyasha, for at last coming to terms with your feelings."

"Thanks, babaa," Inuyasha quipped, covering the genuine relief he felt.

"Kaede-babaa," Kagome spoke hesitantly, "I should also tell you that I plan to stay a hanyou…forever." Again the old woman simply nodded.

"I thought ye might."

"Y-you did?"

"Aye, child. I have long known that ye would become too attached to your new powers to change back. To be honest, I can’t blame you. There was a time in my life when the thought of youkai and human joining together would have sickened me, but that time has long passed. Ye two have my blessing." Tears of gratitude appeared in Kagome’s eyes, only to be blinked back as more distressing thoughts crossed her mind.

"B-but Kaede-babaa, some of the villagers heard what Myouga said too. How will they react? Will we…will we be welcome here anymore?"

"Hmmm…an interesting question," Kaede murmured. "On the one hand, mating with a hanyou—and becoming one herself—are incomprehensible things for a miko to do. On the other, neither of ye have done anything to harm this village. Most of the people are far too young to remember the tragedy that befell fifty years ago, much less hold a grudge against Inuyasha for it. Usually, they take a peaceful approach to youkai, preferring to leave and be left alone. I do not believe ye will be banished from the village. There will be those who are narrow-minded and will seek to have ye ostracized for this, but I believe they are in the minority."

"I hope you’re right, babaa," Inuyasha said somberly. If not, then where were he and Kagome going to live after their mission was over? He had survived alone, isolated in the forest for many years, but Kagome couldn’t live like that. She was friendly, outgoing, always wanting to help people, and she needed regular human contact. The modern era was an option, but only because the vast majority of humans didn’t even realize youkai existed. If anyone outside Kagome’s family found out what they were… It would be nice to find a place where he and his mate could live without fear of persecution, a place where they could raise a family and not worry for their children’s lives every day. Only now did he realize that he had been hoping this human village would be that haven. And perhaps it would, if Kaede was right. She was one of the oldest and probably the wisest inhabitant of the village, and her opinion would hold weight. Either way, they would find out soon enough.

"Stupid humans!" called a small voice from Inuyasha’s shoulder. "Don’t they realize how exciting this is?! My master, finally finding a woman with which to carry on the bloodline of the great Inu no Tai—"

"Can it, flea!"

"But Inuyasha-sama, I can’t contain myself! This is the happiest day I’ve seen in years!"

"Yeah, yeah," Inuyasha muttered dismissively. Damn geezer. I hate all this mushy shit!

"Myouga-jiji," Kagome spoke up curiously, "how did you know we had…done that just by tasting my blood?"

"My dear Kagome-sama, do you know nothing of youkai mating?" When she and Inuyasha merely shared a confused look, Myouga sheepishly hung his head.

"Oh, my, I must have neglected to inform Inuyasha-sama about this."

"About what?!"

"Uh, nothing! Just some minor details, really."

"Yeah, then why are you so nervous? You didn’t tell me about something that I needed to know, and I want to know why!"

"Because you would have gotten all embarrassed and squashed me, that’s why!"

*squish*

"There, now you’re squashed anyway. Was it worth it?"

"…"

"Come on, wench. We’re taking a walk," Inuyasha declared, marching out of the hut with his flea vassal clenched firmly between his fingers. "Time to get some answers." Kagome nodded in agreement; her interest had been peaked as well. They reached a suitable spot for a private conversation, and Inuyasha tossed Myouga unceremoniously onto the ground. "Now tell us everything you know, flea."

"Very well, Inuyasha-sama. Uh, before we begin, might I just take a little blood?"

"HELL NO!!!"

"Alright, alright, perhaps later. The first thing I should tell you is that I don’t know everything about youkai mating. No one does. It’s a very…mysterious thing."

"What do you mean ‘mysterious?’"

"Just what I said. When two youkai have sex, a certain bond forms between them. But it’s impossible to foresee what kind of link or how strong it will be. Mating bonds change, evolve over time. They can be unimpressive, just an added commitment to each other, or they can be truly amazing, the single most powerful connection two individuals can share."

"What determines the strength of a bond?" Kagome inquired.

"No one knows. Some speculate that it is based on the needs of each particular pair, others say it has something to do with the potency of the youki, and the romantics say it is determined by how ‘in love’ the couple is. Because of the ambiguity, it is not considered a dishonor to share a weak bond with one’s mate. Youkai are usually not quick to choose mates, but they are remarkably faithful to their chosen partners regardless of the mating connection."

"So what you’re telling us," Inuyasha ground out, "is that you can’t tell us anything?!!!"

"Relax, Inuyasha-sama! I’m not saying that! I just don’t want you to expect me to give you all the answers. I can only shed a little light on your bond; the rest is up to you."

"And we appreciate it, Myouga-jiji," Kagome replied, precluding another Inuyasha outburst. "What can you tell us?"

"Well, the fact that I could taste Inuyasha’s essence in your blood is an indication of a fairly strong bond. Tell me, did anything strange happen immediately after your first time?" Both hanyou blushed lightly at the memory, but wracked their brains for an answer to the question.

"I can’t think of anything," Kagome finally admitted in defeat.

"I remember feeling really sleepy all of a sudden," Inuyasha said, sparking some excitement in his mate’s eyes.

"Oh, I did too! Does that mean anything?"

"Possibly," Myouga responded. "Truly powerful bonds occur at the level of the soul, and that sort of thing usually happens during unconsciousness."

"So our souls bonded?"

"Perhaps. If they did, then other changes will arise as a result. Have you noticed anything else different between you?" Kagome frowned in consternation.

"Well, we haven’t really fought since then, but I just thought that was because we’ve resolved some…issues between us."

"You’re probably right," Myouga agreed. "That most likely doesn’t have anything to do with youkai mating." When both hanyou looked slightly crestfallen at this, Myouga hastened to reassure them. "Don’t fret, you two! The mating bond should be the least of your concerns right now. Whatever is meant to happen will happen, and perhaps you will begin to manifest some signs of a strong bond eventually. But regardless, I can see that you are fully committed to each other. This is a happy day! Your parents would be so proud, Inuyasha-sama!"

"What kind…did they have?" the hanyou asked solemnly.

"Ah, your parents were an extraordinary case. They had such a short time together, but even so their bond was incredibly strong. If he had lived, I believe your father could even have given your mother his life span. Only those with the most potent, deep-seated connections can perform such a feat."

"And now," the flea continued, "all this helping you has made me hungry. Are you willing to grant your humble vassal a small token of appreciation, Inuyasha-sama?" Sighing at the obvious guilt-trip, Inuyasha nevertheless pulled down the collar of his haori and bared his upper chest. Myouga leapt on and started sucking like a starved…well, flea. Inuyasha raised his hand to flatten him after a few seconds, but Kagome snatched it, pulling it down into her lap. She dazzled him with a shy smile, and he couldn’t help but reciprocate. They had been perfectly happy with the relationship they had, and now there might be some other mystical magic linking them together. It was very thrilling, if not a little scary as well. But they could handle it, together.

So for the first time in ages, Myouga was able to drink his fill of his master’s blood. Unfortunately, the evening’s excitement had caused him to forget something important, the peculiar, almost sinister taste he had detected in Kagome’s blood. If he had remembered, it would perhaps have saved Inuyasha and Kagome a lot of trouble down the road.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or any of the publicly known characters, plot, etc. I’m just renting them from Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, etc. I do own the plot of this story and any original characters I’ve created. I will make no money from this fic; I write for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of my readers.

Inuyasha scowled at the crowd of humans milling around and sneaking glances at him when they thought he wasn’t looking. Two days had passed since the Inu-gang left Kaede’s village on another destination-less shard hunt. And despite his protests, they had ended up doing what they always did: helping people. What used to bother him about this was the time wasted, but that was no longer really an issue with most if not all of the jewel in Naraku’s possession. Now, he just hated being among this many nervous and suspicious humans.

"Okaa-san! Look at his cute ears!" a small voice called from behind him. The parent quickly shushed the child, but Inuyasha still had to smirk. In this era, only the truly innocent would call a hanyou’s ears cute. This village wasn’t so bad; they just seemed naturally distrustful of outsiders. He didn’t expect any problems if they stayed overnight. Standing, he went to see how the others were doing with their exorcism. He waggled his ears as he walked away, enjoying the squeal of excitement from the little girl.

"Aw, how adorable!" a familiar feminine voice chirped, causing his face to redden rapidly. "You wouldn’t be showing off these to other girls, now would you?" Kagome teased, reaching a hand up to deftly finger one of the fuzzy appendages. "Should I be jealous?"

"S-shut up, wench!" he barked, swatting her arm away. "Why are you here?" he asked petulantly when her giggling had subsided.

"I was looking for you. We finished the exorcism."

"Good."

"Don’t crab at me! I was thinking we could go on a walk tonight, but if you’re too grumpy…"

"Keh," he replied, brightening immediately. They hadn’t been able to steal more than five minutes alone since returning from the modern era, and a midnight ‘walk’ sounded divine. His mood was about fifty times better already! It didn’t last; it fell again as soon as they came within sight of their friends and spied two men speaking animatedly with Miroku and Sango. The men appeared panicked, pleading, and Inuyasha didn’t need to hear the conversation to know what they were talking about. Oh, crap…

"What’s wrong, Miroku-sama?" Kagome inquired, and Inuyasha was glad to detect some reluctance in her voice. He wasn’t the only one concerned that their evening plans might get sidetracked.

"The villages these gentlemen hail from both have problems with rogue youkai. They came here seeking aid."

"My village is worse off!" one of the men cried. "Help us first!"

"No!" the other noisily rebutted. "We are beset by the most horrible of youkai! Come to our aid first!"

"Gentlemen, please!" Miroku yelled, silencing the two adversaries, at least momentarily. Sighing, he rubbed his temples as the men continued to stare each other down. It looked like a fistfight would break out before long. It’s as they say: fear makes enemies of those who would be friends.

"Unfortunately," he continued, "my friends and I constitute the only group here who are adept at slaying youkai. However!" he shouted, stilling the already agitated tongues of the two angry men. "We are large enough in number that we can split up and help both your villages at the same time."

"I get the taijiya," the first man hastily declared, leaving Miroku quite taken aback by his demanding attitude. I wonder if the saying wasn’t ‘fear makes assholes, period.’

"Fine," the other said, "then the houshi is coming with me."

"Would you two shut the fuck up?!" All eyes turned toward the new voice, and two sets of them widened at the sight of the silver-haired hanyou.

"Ah! Another youkai!"

"Relax," Miroku ordered, "he is my friend. They both are." Now the men noticed Kagome as well, and if one hanyou made them uncomfortable, it was clear that two made it exponentially worse. That was too damn bad, since Miroku wasn’t about to propose a separation along gender lines, especially since Inuyasha and Kagome were obviously looking for some time together. He didn’t want to spend a day or two alone with Inuyasha. Between worrying, being pissed off, and grouching, the hanyou would make the trip absolutely miserable. Not to mention the fact that he would spend the whole time worrying about Sango. No, those pairings were out of the question, and that meant convincing one of these men to accept aid from two hanyou. Oh, this’ll be fun…

"Follow me, gentlemen," he said, seeking to spare the feelings of his friends. "Let’s go discuss this over a bottle of sake."

"Bakas," Sango muttered angrily under her breath as they departed. Inuyasha nodded in agreement, then snuck a sideways glance at Kagome. She was trying not to let the prejudice bother her; that much was obvious. She seemed to be succeeding for the most part, her scent only slightly gloomy. She would never be completely immune to the insults and intolerance. Hell, it still got to him sometimes, and he had been dealing with it for his whole life. By the time the three men returned, it was early afternoon and the remainder of the Inu-gang had taken shelter in the shade provided by some trees at the edge of the village. Miroku appeared sober, but the other two were well on their way to total inebriation. Already they were teetering on their feet, and the monk kept a firm hand on each shoulder to keep them walking straight. He led them across the road to an inn, and after emerging alone a few minutes later strolled to join his companions.

"What’s the deal, bouzu?" Inuyasha grumbled, more than a hint of threat in his tone. Miroku held up his hands as if to ward off his concerns.

"I finally got those two bakas over there to come to terms. We will have to split up, though. Sango, myself, Shippo, and Kirara will take the northern village, and you and Kagome-sama will take the south. Is that satisfactory, my friend?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. Inuyasha ignored his insinuation but did nod sharply, deciding for once not to complain about helping people. Judging by her scent, Kagome was just as excited about the arrangements as he was.

"Try not to take too long to get there, you two. There are people in need…"

"Yeah, yeah, bouzu. How do we get there? And what the hell do we do if they take one look at us and start screaming?"

"They said to just follow the main road in that direction," the monk related, pointing southward. "We’ll be on the same road going the other way. It’s about a day and a half journey either way on foot. And if you get trouble, just tell them Jirou sent you. Or was it Nobu who lived in the south? Um…just remember both names."

"Damn bouzu! Can’t you get anything right?"

"Hey! I think I did pretty well. I got them falling-down drunk so we wouldn’t have to travel with them, without getting intoxicated myself."

"How did you manage that?" Sango interjected. "I didn’t know you had so much stamina." Bad choice of words.

"Care to find out exactly how much stamina I have, my dear Sango?" he leered, pulling her close with a hand around her waist. The taijiya would have slapped him, but it took all her self-restraint to keep from losing her lunch.

"Ugh! Sake breath!" Miroku sighed and released her, allowing her to stumble away. Well, so much for stealing a kiss later…

"I only pretended to drink after the first bottle," he whined.

"I don’t care! You still stink!"

"Surely it’s not that ba—"

"Oh, yeah? Kagome, why don’t you take a whiff? Kagome?" she wondered aloud after noticing that her friend was no longer in the area.

"They left while you were arguing," Shippo stated. "They seemed to be in a big hurry for some reason. They must really want to help those people!" The two adults shared an amused look.

"Yes, I’m sure that’s it, Shippo."

A white feather soared swiftly through the air, its sole occupant leaning forward as if to coax even more speed out of it. Her face was drawn tightly into a silent snarl, the expression of a woman who knows her end is near. It was only a matter of time before her bastard of a master finished her off.

Her greatest fear had come true; Naraku had finally decided that he no longer needed her. Her final task had been manipulating those corpses to split the Inu-gang in two parts. After she returned, he told her to prepare herself, then aimed a sluggish attack at her midsection. She dodged easily and took flight, leaving his maniacal cackling in her wake. She knew fleeing was futile; Naraku could kill her any time he wanted with a squeeze of his hand. Still she ran, unwilling to so easily relinquish the life she had been born—congealed to. The freedom she had desired so badly…now she would perish without ever having known its sweet embrace.

Youkai or not, she was mortal. And all mortals ran, she reflected. Even if doing so just entertained her sick master for a little while longer. She was certain he was enjoying every moment of this, the crippling uncertainty that nearly made her curl up into a ball and weep. At any moment, the pain would come and the heart which had never really been hers would stop beating. At any moment…

So why did she run? What was the point? Maybe she just wanted to avoid seeing him again. Dying in his presence or being run through by a tentacle or spike would make her inevitable end that much less palatable. But perhaps there was another reason, something…someone she wanted to see once more before passing into the afterlife. Would she even have an afterlife? Did she have a soul? Was she even alive in the first place? She had never mulled over these questions before, believing the whole topic of death far too morbid to consider. Not that it would have made any difference…

Agony

Nothingness

Only, it wasn’t. She rose from her disintegrating body, watching as the last of it blew away in the breeze. The breeze… I am the wind. She floated, formless, simply doing nothing as the sun crested and began sinking toward the western horizon. It was bliss. Then she felt a pull, a persistent nudge that pushed her in a certain direction. She went with the flow, moving with and in the air until she reached a grassy plain. And when she saw who was on that plain, she rushed toward him of her own free will.

Sesshoumaru stared regally ahead as the strange—yet familiar—wind whooshed around him. This presence…so like Naraku and yet entirely different. It prodded him, urged him in a certain direction. Then, abruptly, it was gone as quickly as it had come. The peaceful breeze once more fluttered his hair, carrying to his ears the sounds of his ward and vassal emerging from the forest at his back.

"Jaken."

"Y-yes, my lord?"

"Stay here with Rin." Then he too was gone, soaring high overhead in the direction the spirit had shown him. Part of him hoped the specter would return, but he knew it never would. It had gone to a better place.

"Farewell, Wind Sorceress."

Actually, Shippo was quite correct. Inuyasha and Kagome darted down the path, the latter having decided that she would feel too guilty to enjoy their time alone until they rescued the village. Every minute they delayed could mean someone’s life. Inuyasha grudgingly accepted her decision, but he could admit to himself that he would have felt guilty as well. They ran for an hour then stopped at a small stream to quench their thirsts. Kagome hiked into the underbrush to get some privacy in order to relieve herself. There were some things even couples didn’t need to do together. She was just retucking her white kosode into her forest green hakama when she heard a small noise coming from deeper into the woods. It repeated itself, and as she crept forward, curious, she received an inkling of what it was. It sounded like someone crying. Stealthily now she moved toward the sound until finally she peaked around a bush and saw a small form sobbing on a rock.

It was a kitsune, about Shippo’s size, only this one almost assuredly a girl. The tail was less bushy, more demure, and she had a bright pink ribbon in her hair in addition to lightly colored clothes. Kagome’s heart went out to her; she hated to see children cry.

"Hey, what’s wrong?" she asked quietly so as not to startle. The little girl stared at her in alarm for a couple seconds then dashed off through the trees.

"Wait!" Kagome called after her. "I won’t hurt you! Maybe I can help!" But there was no answer, and she quickly lost all trace of the mysterious child. She was just about to give up when she burst out of the forest and into a large valley. She stopped dead in her tracks, the sight before her making her blood run cold. Pink ribbon and fur morphed into dark hair, pale skin, and slate gray armor. And when the imposter’s previously concealed scent hit her, she stumbled back a few steps in horror.

"N-Naraku!"

"Hello, Kagome," the dark hanyou greeted her easily, as if they were old acquaintances. "It’s nice to see you again."

Kagome closed her slack-jaw and gritted her teeth. Oh, shit, this is bad…very bad. Naraku had obviously intended to lure her out here for some sinister purpose, and now here she was. Alone. Hakudoshi lounged lazily off to one side, but that didn’t help her any. She was on her own, facing down the single greatest evil the world had ever seen.

*Gulp*

She was too close; she didn’t dare show him her back to run, lest she find herself impaled on one of those nasty spikes. Her bow and arrows were strung over her shoulder, but would Naraku even give her the chance to fire one? With nothing to lose, she decided to find out.

The reaction was immediate and swift. Too swift. Tentacles came at her from all sides, forcing her to duck away before she could loose the arrow. Again she aimed but the bow was smacked from her grasp by a blow that sent her careening along the ground to land in a heap. She scrambled to her feet, barely avoiding the tentacles as they made a grab for her. But there were far too many of them, and soon she felt one snake around her ankle in midair, yanking her downward and smashing her hard against the earth. When her head stopped spinning, Naraku’s wickedly grinning visage was only inches from her own, his hot breath and the feeling of being wrapped in his slimy flesh making her nauseous.

"Well, my little Kikyou lookalike, I’ve never seen you up this close before. You’re very beautiful."

"You’re disgusting." Naraku only chuckled darkly at her insult.

"Hakudoshi! Go summon Inu— Never mind; he’s already here."

"KAGOME!!!"

A/N – I knew you guys were smart! Everyone guessed the title of this chapter correctly. Cookies for all!

…And Conquer, Part 1

"Ah," Inuyasha groaned as he emptied his bladder. The soft sound of urine splattering on the ground was music to his ears. Finished, he retied his hakama and squatted by the stream to scoop a few handfuls of cool water into his parched mouth. Feeling quite satisfied now, he flopped backward onto the bank and folded his hands behind his head, resolving not to rush Kagome as she did her business. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply, basking in the simple tranquility of nature for a few peaceful moments.

Suddenly, his eyes shot open and a frown twisted his features. Why did it feel chilly all of a sudden? The weather was warm, and there was no wind to speak of. Then he realized that the sensation was not external in origin. What was this feeling of…wrongness? He tried to brush it off, to convince himself it was all in his imagination. But the conviction only intensified as the seconds ticked by, and eventually he could no longer dismiss it as illusory. Something was very wrong, of that he was certain. But what? He took stock of his surroundings and detected nothing out of the ordinary. And if the trouble or danger wasn’t here, then that left… Oh, fuck! Kagome!

Quick as a flash, he bolted upright and dashed through the trees. This is crazy! I’ll burst in on her taking a piss, she’ll yell at me, and then we’ll make up! But those reassurances were hollow, and he was not surprised to find that his mate’s scent led off into the underbrush somewhere. The ominous feeling continued to escalate, becoming an insistent pounding on the inside of his skull. The shade of the canopy seemed to darken into night before his eyes, perfectly matching the uneasy shadows moving over his heart. Then he burst out into sunlight, and his heart dropped to his shaking knees.

"KAGOME!!!"

He was too late; she was already in Naraku’s clutches. His tentacles snaked around her body, writhing as they pinned her arms at her sides and her legs tightly together. Several bony spikes hovered around her head, the tips mere inches from her vulnerable neck. Only that kept him from charging to her rescue.

"Ah, Inuyasha, nice of you to drop by," Naraku drolled with amused warmth.

"Let her go, bastard!"

"I’m afraid I can’t do that," the dark hanyou replied. "I have much grander plans in mind. But first…" Without warning he turned back to his captive, and Kagome gasped as his hands forcibly separated the folds of her kosode, revealing the top edges of her bra to the air. (1) A wave of red surged through Inuyasha’s mind, and only his crushing grip on Tetsusaiga’s hilt kept him from losing himself. Even so, he breathed heavily, his control wavering as his eyes flashed from gold to scarlet and back again.

"Don’t you fucking touch her!" he rasped. Naraku merely favored him with a teasing smirk before reaching his hand down. With a sharp tug he withdrew his prize…the bottle of jewel shards from Kagome’s neck. (2) Inuyasha was somewhat ashamed to realize his relief that it had been only the jewel shards he was after.

"Hey!" Kagome yelled, beginning to struggle against her captor’s hold. "Give those back!" Seeing her pure shards sparkle pink inspired her, and she summoned her miko powers. Her concentration evaporated when she felt a stabbing pain in the side of her neck.

"Don’t even think about it, my dear," Naraku whispered warningly in her ear. "Unless you think you can purify me before I slice your head off." Kagome stilled against the intrusion into her soft flesh. Already the blood was trickling down her collarbone and onto her breast. As much as she wanted to escape now, it simply wasn’t possible. Her miko powers weren’t instantaneous; they took at least a moment to build up, and she didn’t have a moment with Naraku’s attention focused on her. She would have to wait for a better opportunity. Evidently, Inuyasha reached the same conclusion.

"Don’t you fucking do it, wench! I’ll save you!" he cried, whipping Tetsusaiga out of its sheath. The sword seemed to roar with unbridled ferocity, feeding off the desperation of its master. It shimmered with a majestic light, rivulets of power flashing across its surface.

"Drop it," Naraku ordered. When Inuyasha didn’t comply right away, he drove his spike deeper into Kagome’s neck, wringing a pained hiss from the young woman. She gritted her teeth as her life flashed before her tightly closed eyes. Another inch and she would be done for… A metallic clattering rang in her ears, and the pressure immediately eased, although Naraku did not withdraw completely. As she gathered her bearings, she gazed in horror at her mate.

"No, Inuyasha! Pick it up! Don’t worry about m—mpphhh!!!" Yet another tentacle wound its way around her face, sealing her mouth. She was sorely tempted to bite it, but that would probably prove even more disgusting.

"Now, now, Kagome," Naraku admonished paternalistically, as a parent might chastise a naughty child. "Don’t be rude. The men are talking." Inuyasha would have been proud of the string of curses which flowed from her lips, if only he could have understood them from behind her fleshy gag. Naraku cackled maliciously, and when he spoke again his tone was almost gleeful.

"The mighty Tetsusaiga lies rusting on the ground. How delicious is it that the sword you worked so hard to strengthen is beyond your use when you need it the most?" His sadistic chuckling resumed, the infuriating sound grating on Inuyasha’s already frayed nerves. They had yet again walked into one of Naraku’s traps, and he cursed himself for not keeping a closer eye on Kagome. One way or another, he had a feeling this would be the last evil plot the dark hanyou would ever spring upon them.

Then there was silence, and he looked up to see Naraku reach into his robes and pull out a small, black object. The Shikon no Tama! When brought in close proximity to the larger jewel, Kagome’s shards quickly surrendered to its pull. The poison of evil leaked into the shards, corrupting them, much to the delight of their new owner. He dumped the shards out of the bottle onto the hand holding the jewel, and squeezed his fist. The shockwave of a massive sinister aura reverberated from the spot, the aftershocks sending chills down Inuyasha’s spine. And when Naraku opened his fist, the nearly-complete Shikon no Tama sat on his palm, blacker than the darkest night. He examined it carefully, grinning widely at what he saw.

"It is nearly complete now," he declared aloud. "Just the wolf’s and Kohaku’s shards left, and then the entire world will know and fear the name Nara—"

"So what happens now?" Inuyasha interjected, already sick of his enemy’s narcissistic raving. "You gonna actually get your hands dirty for a change and kill me?" He sounded confident, but inside he was petrified. Naraku held all the cards, or at least the only one that mattered to him. He had to ask himself the question: would he give up his life to save Kagome? Of course he would, without a second thought, but it wasn’t that simple. If Naraku ordered him to, would he willingly give up his life to grant Kagome a few more seconds of existence, and perhaps a chance to escape? Again the answer was an affirmative. He couldn’t watch Kagome die, not when any action on his part could have prevented it. At least if he died first he wouldn’t be a total failure as a mate and protector. But apparently even Naraku wasn’t despicable enough to order someone to stand and accept death without resistance. Either that or he simply desired some additional entertainment.

"No, Inuyasha. I decided to grant my young minion another crack at you."

"That’s right, half-breed," Hakudoshi said as he advanced, twirling his long halberd menacingly in front of him. "You’re mine!" Inuyasha was silent for several moments as he weighed his odds. They weren’t good. His opponent was swift, a small target, and quite strong. And he was armed, putting the hanyou at a distinct disadvantage without Tetsusaiga. But Inuyasha had to try; failure meant Kagome’s death, and that thought alone gave him strength and resolve he didn’t know he possessed. His youkai side stirred deep within, clamoring for release. His own life was not in mortal danger yet, but the plight of his mate was enough to rouse his animal instincts. He forced them back, gritting his teeth and holding the side of his head with the effort. He needed to keep his wits about him; Hakudoshi was too crafty a fighter to be defeated by his powerful but reckless youkai form. He wasn’t like Goshinki, who had really just been a big brute with mind powers. No, losing control of himself now would be a death sentence, for both himself and Kagome.

"What’s the matter, half-breed? You look nervous?" the foul child taunted.

"I’m going to tear you to pieces, kid," Inuyasha replied, baring his fangs.

"Heh! We’ll see." With that, Hakudoshi swung his weapon to the side and charged. The first swipe was a blur, and nearly cleaved Inuyasha in half. The next several missed by a greater margin, but were still close enough to tear tiny rips in his fire-rat haori. Oh, shit… Grimacing, Inuyasha continued to dodge, searching for an opportunity to strike back.

"I have a bad feeling about this, Houshi-sama," Sango stated. Miroku nodded grimly, in complete agreement. They had decided to hasten to the northern village, and the journey didn’t take very long on neko-back. They expected that the villagers would welcome them warmly and tell them more about the youkai troubling them, but it turned out there were no youkai at all. And nobody knew anyone by the names Nobu or Jirou. The whole thing reeked of a setup, and the list of individuals who would go out of their way to trick them was exceedingly short, perhaps even singular.

"Naraku," the slayer spat angrily.

"Probably," he admitted, "but we must find out for sure. And we must also discover the purpose of that person in doing this."

"So you wanna take a look around?" Sango asked, and Miroku was just about to give a positive response when a high-pitched voice spoke up from down around his feet.

"But what about Inuyasha and Kagome?!" Shippo exclaimed, no longer pouting over not getting to go with the two hanyou. "What if they’re in danger?!" The two adults locked eyes for a moment, and came to a silent decision.

"Let’s go, Houshi-sama. Kagome has the jewel, and that’s probably what our enemy is after."

"Yes, you’re right. I’d feel much better about this if they were with us." The trio once again climbed on Kirara, preparing to soar off back in the direction they had come. Sango took one more fortuitous glance over her shoulder at the seemingly peaceful village as they departed.

"What the… Stop, Kirara! Houshi-sama, look!" All eyes turned to follow Sango’s outstretched arm, and each person glimpsed a familiar inu-youkai floating gracefully across the sky.

"Sesshoumaru!" all three of them yelled at once. As they watched, the white-haired demon dropped rapidly, landing gently in the center of the village. Even from a good distance, their human ears could detect the screams and shouts of the frightened inhabitants. Then Sesshoumaru emerged with a great leap, landing well outside the settled area and striding quickly into a nearby valley that stretched for miles toward the eastern horizon, the plain broken only by a river that ran down its middle.

"Follow him, Kirara!" They caught up to him easily enough, and Miroku dismounted to walk tentatively beside him. He ignored them all, maintaining the kind of singular focus that alienated friends and gave everyone else the creeps.

"Uh, what are you doing, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Miroku queried hesitantly, deciding to be civil to the cold inu-youkai, who had hopefully decided he wasn’t their enemy this time around. Sesshoumaru stopped dead in his tracks, his only subsequent movement a shift of the eye. Miroku shivered under that icy glare; he felt like a fly which had dared to buzz around the ears of a certain grouchy hanyou. And we all know what happened to that fly…

But Sesshoumaru wasn’t as livid as he appeared to the nervous monk; he was, however, fairly annoyed. It seemed like whenever he got close to Naraku, Inuyasha and his friends would show up and allow the retched worm to escape. At least the damn hanyou wasn’t with them this time, though he did absently wonder where the cretin was. It didn’t matter; he was on Naraku’s trail, and nothing would stop him this time. He had soared for an hour in the same direction, searching for whatever it was that Kagura wished him to find. When he spied the village directly in his path, he swooped down to investigate, recalling Naraku’s peculiar penchant for hiding himself within human settlements. It hadn’t been the dark hanyou’s scent which caught his attention, but that of the blank-eyed boy who had challenged him before. Tracking the boy to the outskirts of the village, he discovered Naraku’s scent leading into the valley, and was now fully intent on chasing him to the ends of the earth if need be.

"You, kitsune and neko," Sesshoumaru said after a long period of heavy silence, raising his head to gaze across the plain. "Do you not detect the foul stench of Naraku in this area?" Shippo and Kirara shared a glance, sniffing furiously, but all they could pick up was grass and flowers.

"O-our noses aren’t as strong as yours," Shippo replied, to which Sesshoumaru almost appeared to roll his eyes.

"I don’t sense any evil presence," Miroku added, "but that could be because of the Fuyouheki."

"Yes," Sango agreed, "we would have just left here without ever realizing—Hey! Where is he going now?!" Sesshoumaru was now just a blur, rapidly shrinking in the distance. Evidently he had seen something which had peaked his interest.

"Let’s go, Houshi-sama!" she cried, offering him a hand in swinging onto Kirara’s back. Together they charged off in pursuit of the inu-youkai.

Sesshoumaru stood silently, studying the scene before him. The flash of black he had seen was the boy, the young taijiya who smelled like he was related to the female from Inuyasha’s group. They stood facing each other as adversaries, reminding Sesshoumaru of their last encounter. Only this time, the boy’s eyes were not darkened by black magic or glazed over by lack of willpower. Instead, they were steely, full of resolve tinged with badly buried hints of remorse. They were aware. Idly, Sesshoumaru wondered if the boy had revealed his position on purpose.

"Where is Naraku?" he posed, peering into the large cave at the boy’s back. The young taijiya didn’t respond in words, but Sesshoumaru’s eyes widened fractionally upon seeing him remove the chain sickle from his obi. I see…so he is aware of himself, but still intends to fight for Naraku. The inu-youkai flexed his claws; there would be no mercy for the human child if that was the case.

"This Sesshoumaru will ask you one more time, human. Where is Naraku?"

"He is not here," came a soft, emotionless voice from the darkness of the cave. A moment later, another child stepped out of the gloom, this one a youkai judging by the sheer whiteness of her appearance. She carried an eerie-looking infant in her arms, and Sesshoumaru was quite certain both of them were incarnations of Naraku.

"Kohaku!" the female slayer called as she and her companions arrived on the scene. The boy flinched slightly at the voice, but otherwise remained motionless, staring lifelessly ahead. Curious…he appears to want Inuyasha’s friends to believe he is still under Naraku’s control. Very well, I shall not reveal his secret. Satisfied that his prey was indeed not nearby, Sesshoumaru turned to depart.

"W-wait, Sesshoumaru-sama! Where are you going?!" the monk shouted after him.

"This Sesshoumaru is not interest in the spawn of Naraku," he replied without breaking stride.

"B-but that infant is Naraku’s heart!" Sesshoumaru paused mid-step, but did not turn around as he spoke.

"His heart?"

"Yes! That’s his mortal heart. If we destroy it, Naraku will die!" Instead of answering, Sesshoumaru resumed his pace, walking away from the cave and away from Naraku’s heart. "Wh-why are you leav—"

"This Sesshoumaru would not sink so low as to destroy his enemy using cowardly or underhanded ways," the youkai remarked dismissively. Miroku gritted his teeth in sudden anger. Why that stupid son of a bitch…

"Don’t you get it, you pompous ass!" he yelled, abandoning all illusions of civility. "As long as his heart is unharmed, Naraku can’t be killed!" Sesshoumaru halted again, his head shooting up. It made sense; how else would one explain the fact that Naraku was not yet dead by his hand? And it was definitely something the half-breed would do: lurk around in the shadows even though his body was indestructible. I see, so this infant is what Kagura wished for me to find… In an instant he launched himself back toward the cave, moving quicker than the male taijiya could react, heading for the infant that apparently held the key to Naraku’s existence. He would slice it in half, and verify the monk’s story that way.

The shifting of shadows on the ground before him was his only warning, but it allowed him to dodge the spear of flesh that came lancing down from above. He leapt away, turning to regard the new threat. It was a youkai, humanoid in form but many times larger, and held aloft by great bat-like wings. Its body was grayish in color, with blue slashes and markings crisscrossing the torso and upper limbs. A similar patch covered the area around its right eye, and a full head of ashen hair topped its head. Its left arm had elongated into a writhing tentacle, its end tipped with a wickedly curved blade the length of the creature’s body. But perhaps the most striking thing about this youkai was its eyes; they were black, like bottomless pits dug into the earth. They were soulless, suggesting that inside the big head was just a void, a dearth of any trace of intelligence or willpower. Not even the taijiya boy had ever appeared so lifeless. (3)

Sesshoumaru glanced down at the rapidly expanding red stain on his leg with disdain. The wound was of no consequence, but it did provide an additional reason to slaughter this artificial youkai hovering between him and the infant. He drew Toukijin, the familiar malevolent youki rippling through the sword, as if eager for a fight. Sesshoumaru’s lips curled ever so slightly; he almost felt sorry for this poor creature.

"Sango," Miroku murmured softly, "while Sesshoumaru is busy with that youkai, we can go after the infant. Sango?" But the slayer wasn’t listening, having spent the entirety of the past several minutes staring at her brother. There was just something different about him that intrigued her. His eyes seemed brighter, though the change was so subtle that only a close friend or relative would notice it. He still wore a blank expression, but it wasn’t quite the same. This one appeared more forced than natural. But that wasn’t all; there was some other disparity which tantalized her. She gasped aloud when she realized what it was. He wasn’t looking at her. Before, he had never had a problem staring her down with those empty, uncomprehending eyes. Now he glared off to the side, refusing to make eye contact with her. The aggregate of these observations could only lead her to one conclusion, despite the small voice in her mind telling her not to get her hopes up. Did he…regain his memories? Is he free from Naraku’s control?

"Sango!" Miroku’s call and his hand on her shoulder startled her out of her musings and turned her attention to the battle going on nearby. "We need to take out that baby!" She nodded in agreement, understanding the necessity to put thoughts of Kohaku aside for now. She could never completely bury them, especially not with her brother so close, but a warrior must fight no matter what is in her head.

Sesshoumaru snarled, his stoic demeanor beginning to crack as a result of the frustration mounting inside him. This youkai was as resilient as its master, pulling itself back together every time he slashed a piece off. It was also fast; several more crimson stains on his white clothing could attest to that. The creature had a strange ability to harden or soften its body at will, which meant that most of Toukijin’s strikes impacted flabby, gelatinous skin and tore right through without doing much damage. Sesshoumaru was cautious not to allow any of the severed flesh to cling to him, lest he wind up enveloped in the stuff. He had experienced enough of that unpleasant sensation just before Naraku vanished and retreated to Mount Hakurei.

Leaping upward, he swung Toukijin, waves of brilliant blue energy emanating from the blade and racing across the short distance to the enemy. Mouryoumaru blocked the attack by transforming his left arm into a shield, but Sesshoumaru was already moving again, sending more waves of Toukijin’s power surging from a new direction. His quarry soared higher with a great beat of its wings, allowing the attack to pass harmlessly underneath him. The fleshy spear descended again, but the move was predictable by now and Sesshoumaru easily dodged. In a flash he closed to within a few feet of the creature, prepared to sever its head from its body. But Mouryoumaru’s reaction proved too quick, and he sent the inu youkai flying with a vicious smack from his right fist. Sesshoumaru landed on his feet, his knees bending to take the impact of the fall. Now his face was a truly frightening sight, the fangs clearly visible as a low growl vibrated in his throat. Mouryoumaru gazed unblinkingly down at the normally stoic youkai, his complete lack of fear spiking Sesshoumaru’s ire. And then Naraku’s minion did the unthinkable; he spun in mid-air and took off in the opposite direction.

"Don’t turn your back on me!" Sesshoumaru snarled angrily, his voice feral. Charging forward, he closed rapidly on the fleeing youkai and let loose a truly thunderous burst from Tokijin. The blast obliterated the creature’s left arm and took a large chunk out of its shoulder and side, but Mouryoumaru’s pace barely slowed as he continued to soar across the field. Now Sesshoumaru could see why; Inuyasha’s humans were racing toward the infant on the back of their neko-youkai. But it became apparent that Mouryoumaru was going to get there first, so the humans veered off and all parties came to a halt. Now Mouryoumaru hovered above the white girl and the infant, enemies on either side and the taijiya boy hanging back near the cave entrance.

"Do not interfere," Sesshoumaru ordered Inuyasha’s friends. "This Sesshoumaru will not tolera—" He was cut off, choking as several dozen shards of flesh pierced straight through his body. He fell to one knee, glaring up at Mouryoumaru even as the creature’s left arm reformed, some of the returning pieces dyed red with his blood. Now his torso bled freely from the front and rear; the devious bastard had quite literally stabbed him in the back. Sesshoumaru tried to rise but failed, gritting his teeth against the additional agony brought on by the effort. Seeing this, the humans across the field leapt into action.

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango cried as she flung her weapon, allowing Miroku to slide off onto the ground before flying to retrieve it. Both of them would be more effective if he wasn’t on Kirara with her. Another powerful flap of Mouryoumaru’s wings destabilized the giant boomerang as it spun along its course, allowing the youkai to bat it out of the air before it severed its neck. The weapon tumbled off to the side, landing in the grass fifty feet away with a muffled clunk. Sango urged Kirara forward, but Mouryoumaru seemed intent on preventing her from rearming herself. He lashed out with his distended left arm, forcing some evasive action from the fire cat. But the jolting and twisting dislodged her passenger, who found herself falling toward the earth. Fortunately, it wasn’t a long drop, and she broke her fall with a roll that ended in a sprint as she retreated out of danger, Kirara withdrawing overhead. Now the situation had changed drastically. Sesshoumaru was wounded, the slayer was temporarily disarmed, and it would take her at least a few precious seconds to mount the neko and reclaim her weapon. For the infant pulling the strings, it was the perfect opportunity to escape.

Or so he thought. Upon seeing Mouryoumaru pick up Kanna and the baby, Miroku realized what they were planning and was having none of it. There was no reason to suspect any of them possessed jewel shards, and therefore no reason to hold back his kazaana. Mouryoumaru was quick to supply such a reason, even as he was sucked inexorably closer to the void. The hive of saimyosho pulled from his body released dozens of the insects, many of which were immediately drawn into the hole in Miroku’s right hand. The monk gritted his teeth, steeling himself against the pain as the poison began to spread throughout his body. Dimly he heard Sango calling his name, but he wasn’t stopping this time. He refused to allow Naraku’s damn heart to escape. Inuyasha and Kagome were probably battling with the dark hanyou at this very moment, and he would gladly sacrifice his own life to save theirs. Intervention came from an unlikely source. Miroku felt a strong, masculine hand grip his shoulder none-too-gently, and was understandably shocked to glance back and see Sesshoumaru glowering at him.

"Close your hand, monk," he ordered calmly. Miroku shrank back slightly from the authoritative demand in his tone, as well as the fierceness burning in his eyes. Quickly he obeyed, resealing his kazaana. All it took was one look at the inu-youkai lord to know that he was not going to let Mouryoumaru get away. Satisfied, Sesshoumaru took a few steps forward before suddenly turning and punching the monk square in the face. Miroku careened backwards, stumbling over his own feet and winding up flat on his back in the grass. Multiple suns spun around his head, and it was several minutes before the dizziness wore off and his vision returned to normal. He mentally cursed the jackass youkai for hitting him so hard. The whole side of his face would be swollen for about a week, and he was lucky his cheekbone was intact! Still, Sesshoumaru could have struck him a lot harder, though he idly wondered why the dog had seen fit to punch him at all. Eh, he must have wanted me out of the way…and probably some payback for my "pompous ass" remark. At this point, it didn’t really matter. The poison in his body ensured that he would remain lying prone until the effects wore off or someone helped him up. How much did I take in, anyway? Enough to kill me? I guess I’ll find out soon… he thought as his head swam. Gray fuzziness clouded his mind, and then everything went black.

"Houshi-sama!" Sango called from above, but it was clear he was unconscious or worse. She had initially been incensed at Sesshoumaru, but quickly realized that he had saved Miroku from his own suicidal attempt to suck Naraku’s heart into his kazaana. She would have a little talk with him later about that. Now her attention remained focused on the ongoing battle. She once more wielded hiraikotsu from Kirara’s back, watching Sesshoumaru and Mouryoumaru duke it out. She was ready to step in if the inu youkai fell, though it was increasingly looking like a ‘when’ rather than an ‘if.’ Even Sesshoumaru could be weakened by simple blood loss, and Mouryoumaru’s sneaky attack had really done some heavy damage. Even with his right hand occupied by Kanna and the infant, Naraku’s incarnation easily fended off his enemy’s attacks with his shape-shifting left arm.

Sure enough, it was only another few moments before Sesshoumaru took a blow from said arm, hurtling toward the Earth and landing with a loud crash. Mouryoumaru followed, poised to deal the finishing blow, but a great hurl of hiraikotsu forced him to divert course. He landed about sixty feet to the left of the dust cloud that marked Sesshoumaru’s location. And before any party could make another move, the silent watcher struck.

Kohaku had spent weeks waiting for this opportunity. Ever since regaining his memory at the village during Abi-hime’s attack, he had sought a chance to slay Naraku’s human heart. But the baby didn’t trust him, and Mouryoumaru was always nearby. He would only get one shot at this; he could not afford to act unless he was sure he could take them by surprise. So he bided his time, until the perfect opportunity arose. But, alas, it was not to be. His chain sickle hit the mark exactly, and would have cleaved the infant’s head clean off had it not erected its barrier at the last possible moment. The blade bounced off the shimmering surface, and Kohaku hurriedly pulled it back even though he knew it was too late. As close as he was to Mouryoumaru, there was no hope of avoiding the open-handed slap that sent him sprawling do the dirt. Stunned, he was utterly defenseless as one of the remaining saimyosho deftly plucked the jewel shard from his back. Strangely, he only felt peace in this moment, despite his failure. Perhaps it was because he was finally receiving punishment for his horrid crimes: an early death. Ane-ue…I tried. (4) His sister’s voice was the last thing he heard before blessed darkness overcame him.

"KOHAKU!"

It had all happened so fast. Before Sango’s brain could fully comprehend the fact that her brother was betraying Naraku, he was dead. Part of her wanted to take him into her arms and weep, but she held herself together. She would mourn as a sister later. She would fight as a warrior now. With a fierce cry she flung hiraikotsu with all her might. The weapon burned a path across the sky, impacting the barrier with the force of a million anguished fists, the sound like the crack of a thousand breaking hearts. The translucent orb flickered dangerously but held firm, and hiraikotsu was driven back. Kirara closed rapidly now, and Sango snatched the boomerang out of the air and hurled it again in one smooth motion. Mouryoumaru shielded his precious charge with his left arm, but hiraikotsu tore through it like a hot knife through butter. The interference barely deflected the weapon enough so it missed the infant by a few feet. Spying an opening, Sango urged Kirara forward, drawing her katana as the pair charged together. The infant was squarely in her sights, and she would take down that barrier and run him through even if it killed her. But even that level of determination wasn’t enough, as Mouryoumaru’s large head came down into her line of vision at the last moment, obscuring her view. She slashed straight through one of the unseeing eyes, slicing the head in two, but her blade missed its true target.

"Dammit!" she swore aloud, cursing the gray creature’s incredible devotion to protecting Naraku’s heart as much as its ability to do so. Sango caught hiraikotsu on its return flight as Kirara turned for another pass. This time Mouryoumaru executed a quick turn, presenting its back to the slayer as she closed in. Another inconsequential wound inflicted, though there was little left of the creature now. Too late Sango realized that the body was not reforming. A surprised yowl from Kirara preceded a mid-air tumble, then a rapid descent as Sango lost her grip on her feline companion. She landed hard on her left side, the jarring impact knocking the breath from her. Sharp pain erupted in her shoulder and torso, signaling more damage than simple bumps and bruises. She had several cracked ribs and quite possibly a dislocated shoulder, but still considered herself lucky it wasn’t worse than that. Opening her eyes, she saw Kirara lying nearby in her kitten form, an oozing red line stretching from neck to flank. Above her, Mouryoumaru had almost completely reformed, and was steadily rising into the air. Dammit…he got us with the same trick he used on Sesshoumaru! Staggering to her feet, Sango stumbled toward where hiraikotsu lay in the grass. It was futile, she knew; the infant would be out of range by the time she reclaimed her weapon, and with Kirara down she had no way to pursue. But giving up was repugnant to her very nature, so she continued to move as quickly as she could, silently praying for a miracle.

Blue light flashed behind her, and she turned to see that her prayers had been answered. Half of Mouryoumaru’s body was in tatters again, thanks to Toukijin, but the other half was more than capable of violence. With its good leg, the creature lashed out in a kick that sent the already weakened Sesshoumaru reeling.

"Now, taijiya!" the inu youkai cried out as he fell, and instantly Sango understood. Sesshoumaru had sacrificed his body to get her an opening, and she couldn’t waste it. Lurching the last few feet to hiraikotsu, she grabbed the handle and fired, crumpling into a heap as fresh agony lanced through her side. Only as she lay on the ground watching her boomerang speed upwards did she realize how difficult a shot this was. Perhaps it was a good thing she hadn’t been cognizant of that fact. The distance was great, at the very edge of her range and possibly beyond. The target was tiny, a speck of hope in a vast sea of failure. Seconds seemed to stretch to hours; she swore she could almost make out hiraikotsu’s individual revolutions. She felt that at any moment the weapon would wobble, stall, and plummet back down to earth. But it never did, and as it closed steadily on the infant, almost as if guided by the hands of a Kami, her eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. Then target and projectile converged and passed, and time returned to normal.

For a long moment, Sango thought she had missed by inches. A tortured, ear-splitting scream put that fear to rest. Wicked red light emanated from the spot, shining like a second sun and bathing the valley in its eerie glow. Then it was gone, the cry fading as the source of the scarlet glow zoomed off to the southwest. In the blink of an eye it had vanished over the horizon. (5)

"Mew," Kirara whined plaintively. Sango smiled, both relieved that her feline companion was ok and thrilled at her accomplishment. Whether she had slain the infant or merely wounded it, its incredible flight could only mean one thing: Naraku had been forced to take it back into his body. And that meant he could be killed. Determined to rise, she rolled her shoulder experimentally and was glad to find that it was not dislocated. It was quite sore, however, and her ribs were at least heavily bruised if not cracked. She was in no shape to pursue the heart or fight Naraku, and that was just as well; there were several people here that needed her urgent attention. Holding her breath against the pain, she rolled onto her hands and knees, and was about to climb to her feet when a clawed hand appeared in front of her nose. Following the arm up to its owner with her eyes, she was understandably shocked to see that it was none other than Sesshoumaru who was offering her a hand up. He had always been regal, carrying himself with an imperial air, but she never would have described him as a gentleman before. Evidently she had done something right. Despite her amazement, she took the offered appendage and was quickly pulled to her feet. Just as quickly, the taiyoukai released her hand and turned his back.

"You fight well for a mortal, taijiya," he observed quietly.

"T-thank you," she stuttered, truly grateful. It wasn’t much of a compliment, but it was the first she had ever heard Sesshoumaru utter. He was much like his brother in this regard; one had to learn to appreciate the small gestures of kindness from both of them. She wisely kept that notion to herself. She also knew better than to ask the inu youkai if he was alright. His clothes were bloodstained and covered in dirt and mud, and there were dried leaves in his hair. But it was not her place to wonder about his wounds. Besides, if he were injured badly enough to endanger his life, she doubted he would be standing right now. That thought caused her to remember something important which had been temporarily been driven from her thoughts by the recent odd turn of events.

"Houshi-sama!" she called as she dashed over to him, collapsing on her knees by his side. He didn’t stir, nor did he show any other sign of life. His skin was pallid and cool to the touch, as she discovered when she tenderly cupped his unblemished cheek in her palm. Hot tears pooled behind her lowered lids and ran down her cheeks. She didn’t even attempt to hold them back. Then, she felt it. That special sensation that had become part of her daily life. Funny how it had never brought a smile to her face before. Never had she been so happy to have Miroku’s hand on her ass. She opened her eyes and was greeted by that endearing, heart-stopping grin of his. Overcome with relief, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, not even caring that his palm was still on her rear. She was glad, however, when he removed it and instead used it to return her embrace.

"How are you feeling?" Sango asked after gathering her composure, pulling back and drying her eyes. Evidently not well enough, because Miroku’s hand came up and gently wiped some extra moisture off her cheek, lingering a little longer than necessary.

"I’m sorry to worry you, my dear Sango. I really was unconscious just now." Blushing despite herself, the slayer lightly pushed his hand away and waved off his concerns.

"It’s ok, but if you really want me to stop worrying you’ll answer my question."

Miroku chuckled. "Well, I don’t feel great, but I’ll live."

"Good," Sango replied cheerfully, before her mood sobered. "At least I still have you…" she said, hanging her head despondently. Sensing her implication, Miroku raised his head and scanned the surrounding area, praying that Sango was wrong about her brother but knowing that such hope was probably futile. His chin dropped to his chest when he finally laid eyes on the boy.

"Kami…Sango, look!" The taijiya turned around just in time to see Sesshoumaru replace his sword in his obi. The long, slightly curved one; not Toukijin, but Tenseiga. Motion from her brother’s body drew her gaze, the gentle rise and fall of his chest too unbelievable for words. He did not stir, but he was breathing, as if he had simply decided to take a mid-afternoon nap. He was alive. Mahogany eyes once again raised to gawk at the taiyoukai, and in that moment Sango nearly confused him with a Kami.

"Why?" was all she could manage.

"Hmph," the inu youkai snorted. "The same reason this Sesshoumaru spared his life the last time we met. It was Naraku’s will that he die." For her part, Sango didn’t particularly care about his reasons; she was forever in his debt regardless.

"Thank you," she said, bowing so low that her nose nearly touched the earth. The taiyoukai barely inclined his head in response, but it was enough. Then, without preamble, he once again drew his sword—Toukijin this time—and hardened his visage. Miroku was the first to question the sudden change in demeanor as his eyes followed Sesshoumaru’s gaze.

"Uh, Sesshoumaru-sama, what are you—whoa! Holy shit!"

"Houshi-sama? What’s wro—Yah!" Sango cried, falling back on her butt in shock. There, sitting on the ground not twenty feet away, was Mouryoumaru. "What the fuck is he doing there?!" she yelled, already reaching for hiraikotsu.

"Did you not notice, taijiya?" Sesshoumaru asked with more than a hint of condescension. "He has been sitting there doing nothing ever since Naraku’s heart fled the area." Sure enough, the bizarre creature just stared blankly ahead, entirely unmoving. The humans were more than a little creeped out. Sesshoumaru had no such qualms, as he proceeded to literally blow the poor incarnation away with a tremendous blast from Toukijin. There would be no recovery from that attack; the pieces had dissolved rather than scattered this time.

"Well, that’s the end of him," Miroku commented.

"But what about Kanna?" wondered Sango.

"The small girl fell into the river and did not surface," Sesshoumaru answered. Then, without further comment, he took to the air, soaring off along the approximate path the red glow had taken.

"I guess he’s going after Naraku," Miroku remarked.

"We’re not going to follow him, are we?" Shippo said, having finally come out of hiding. Both humans turned to see him sitting and stroking Kirara in his lap, and from her purrs they could tell the feline was enjoying the attention.

"No, Shippo," Sango replied, grinning despite how much she wished she could go with Sesshoumaru. But with Kirara injured, she had no way to transport three humans and a youkai. Never mind the fact that the monk was hampered by the poison and Kohaku was still out cold. Kohaku… She crawled over to him and studied his face. She hadn’t seen him look so peaceful in over a year and a half, and the sight brought fresh moisture to her eyes. She wondered if she would ever again see him appear so tranquil. Would the guilt and remorse dominate his existence? Would the nightmares be solely confined to sleep?

"Don’t worry, Sango," Miroku assured, looping his arm around her. "We’ll help him heal. He was brought back for a reason, to live the life he might otherwise have missed. I’m confident our friends will make sure Naraku never troubles him again. I’m simply waiting for my kazaana to disappear." Sango nodded, her anxiety shifting toward their two hanyou companions.

"I hope Inuyasha and Kagome are alright."

Sango nodded, her anxiety shifting toward their two hanyou companions. "I hope Inuyasha and Kagome are alright."

They were not. Inuyasha dove to the right, rolling to his feet and scrambling out of range. Another near miss, just one of the dozens which had occurred over the last few minutes. And the brat’s strikes hadn’t all passed wide of the mark; he imagined his body was crisscrossed by thin red lines, bleeding freely from a hundred tiny wounds and several that weren’t so small. Each time he tried to attack Hakudoshi he came up empty handed, and ended up with deep injuries for his efforts. One on his bicep, one on his stomach, one on his thigh… But if he didn’t attack, he couldn’t win. Constantly dodging wasn’t an option, so he continued to scan his opponent for openings.

Kagome could only look on in horror as her mate was slowly torn to pieces. At least, it seemed that way to her, even though her rational mind told her most of his wounds were inconsequential. Naraku also watched the show with great interest, delight etched into his features. But Kagome dared not attempt an escape with his spike still embedded in her neck. She remained as quiet as possible, not wanting to distract Inuyasha when he was having so much trouble as it was.

A few strands of silver hair drifted to the ground, neatly severed by the sharp blade. Inuyasha grimaced as he retreated once again, glad at least his hair couldn’t bleed. His youkai side continued to rumble in discontent, and he was beginning to reconsider his decision to hold it back. He was already losing the fight in his hanyou form; could he do much worse by going full youkai? Hakudoushi didn’t give him any more time to think about it, charging and swinging his halberd in a wide horizontal slash meant to separate head from neck. This time, Inuyasha ducked instead of leaping back, dropping so his haunches rested on his heels. Then he launched himself upward, his right arm extended in an open-clawed uppercut. A quick reaction from Hakudoshi meant the hanyou’s hand encountered only air, or so he thought. The brat came away with three crimson marks on his cheek, confirmed by an exploratory swipe of his finger. Any thought that perhaps the kid would feel fright at his small defeat vanished when he licked the blood off the digit and smirked.

"Good, maybe this will be more fun than slaughtering a helpless puppy."

Inuyasha snarled at the quip but made no other reply, at least verbally. He darted forward, hoping to catch his enemy off guard. But Hakudoshi was ready, and with a graceful jump somersaulted over the oncoming hanyou, his halberd lashing out and cutting deep into Inuyasha’s back. The hanyou stumbled before righting himself and turning to face his opponent once more. He bared his fangs, the brat’s smug, arrogant expression getting under his skin. Kagome’s choked gasp didn’t make him feel any better. Shit…that was a bad one. Not fatally so, but certainly serious enough to slow him down.

"Come now, half-breed. Surely you don’t intend to make it this easy, do you?" When Inuyasha didn’t respond, Hakudoshi sighed. "Well, I grow bored with toying with you. Let’s end this, shall we?" Both parties shot into motion at the same time, closing the short distance in the blink of an eye. Inuyasha came in with a right, forcing Hakudoshi to block with his halberd. He parried the arm with the weapon’s shaft, avoiding the deadly claws, before deftly drawing the blade back and slashing. Inuyasha staggered back in time to elude dismemberment, but still received a stinging wound across his chest.

"Sankon-Tetsusou!" he cried, glowing blades of youki slicing into the recently vacated earth where his enemy had stood. Just as quickly as he had dodged, Hakudoshi was attacking again, too fast for Inuyasha to duck out of the way this time. He hurriedly threw up his hand, somehow managing to grab the halberd a couple inches south of the blade and stop its progress toward his head. His relief was short lived, however; Hakudoshi yanked the top of his weapon back while simultaneously swinging the butt end toward Inuyasha’s unprotected temple. Thrown off balance by the powerful tug as he was, the hanyou had no chance of evading the blow.

He heard more than felt the impact of wood on bone, but his mind immediately jolted out of sync. Connections with reality were smashed to pieces, and he didn’t even feel when his body hit to the ground. He lacked the mental capacity to comprehend it at the time, but he was lucky to still be conscious. That blow would literally have scrambled a human’s brains. Consciousness was no help as his mind slowly pulled itself back together. He knew there was some pressing reason to get up, but for the life of him he couldn’t recall it. With the world swimming dizzily before his eyes, rising wasn’t possible anyway.

For Kagome, the moment when Hakudoshi raised his halberd was earth shattering. Inuyasha wasn’t going to be able to save himself this time. He was…going to die. Her soul reacted instinctively to the thought. Suddenly, her own safety was of no consequence. It didn’t matter that she would more than likely get herself killed trying to escape from Naraku’s clutches. None of these notions crossed her mind as her miko powers built rapidly and then surged from the center of her being. And suddenly she was free, the tentacles and spikes washed away by great waves of purifying energy.

"Inuyasha!" she called, wasting no time in sprinting toward him. That yell saved his life, as Hakudoshi noticed her and rather quickly deduced that he wouldn’t have time to finish off one hanyou without getting blindsided by the other. Abruptly he turned to confront the more serious threat, taking his already raised halberd and swinging it toward the approaching miko. Kagome’s momentum nearly carried her into the blade’s path, but she managed to stop herself with inches to spare. Hakudoshi took a couple leaps back, wary of the miko energy pulsating from this strange hanyou’s body. Kagome placed herself between the evil child and her still-recovering mate, glaring at her opponent with something akin to malice in her gaze. That was when one of Naraku’s few remaining tentacles caught her from behind.

She felt a pinch in her abdomen, and looked down to see the writhing appendage protruding from her gut. It was a full second before she realized what had happened, and it took about the same amount of time for the pain to set in. She inhaled sharply, her senses nearly overwhelmed by the cruel, excruciating agony emanating from her stomach. Grabbing the tentacle with both hands, she summoned her powers again. The slimy limb dissolved instantly, leaving a gaping hole in her body that oozed blood at an alarming rate. Her once clean kosode now sported an ever-expanding crimson stain. She sunk to one knee, vaguely aware of Hakudoshi’s approach but unable to do anything more than close her eyes and wait for nothingness.

And then she was moving, ensconced in familiar arms. Inuyasha carried her a good distance away to the edge of the forest, gently setting her down against a large tree. The scent of her blood had done more than rouse him to full alertness. Kagome gasped as she took in the jagged purple markings adorning his cheeks, staring into his glowing red eyes, blue irises framing white pupils. But there was a certain awareness in those scarlet orbs, harkening back to the changes seen during his last full youkai transformation. It was that more than anything else that prompted her to ask a simple question and expect him to understand it.

"Inuyasha, are you ok?" He shuddered a little at the sound of her voice, struggling with himself briefly before shaking his head as if to clear it. When he looked at her again, she saw even more of her hanyou in his eyes, though his youkai side still dominated.

"Yeah," he growled, "thanks to you." Without further comment, he deftly unfastened her kosode and hesitantly drew apart the folds, his ears facing vigilantly behind him all the while. She hissed when he pulled the fabric from her torn skin, but otherwise remained silent as he inspected her wound. It throbbed painfully, but she could tell her life was in no danger. Already the flow of blood had slowed to a trickle, though much of it had already drained from her body. Inuyasha apparently came to the same conclusion; he covered her back up, his relief clear in spite of his more feral features.

"Stay here," he ordered. "Watch out for that sneaky bastard’s tentacles." Kagome nodded, but reached up and cupped his cheek as he turned away, bringing him back around to face her.

"Be careful," she said solemnly. Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears, only adding to the silent message being conveyed by her chocolate orbs. If this is the last time I ever gaze upon your face, know once again that you have my heart, my Inuyasha. His larger hand rose to cover hers, squeezing gently as he expressed his own emotions as best he could with his full-youkai countenance. And you have mine, my Kagome. Then, after a long moment, he turned and stonily regarded his foes, those who would dare to threaten what was his. Their bond was one of the few things in life worth fighting for, worth dying for. Tranquility settled over him like a warm blanket. Even if they died, their bond could never be truly broken. The spiritual connection was indestructible, but he would do everything in his power to ensure the survival of the physical, living bond as well.

It was difficult to let him go, but Kagome knew it was necessary. He was a far better hand-to-hand fighter than she was even without the hole in her gut. And he could once again use Tetsusaiga now that she was no longer being held hostage. That didn’t mean she had to like it; her worries were intense, indeed. But the best she could do was to protect herself, and make sure she didn’t fall into Naraku’s clutches again. Or perhaps not, she thought, her eyes darting across the field in search of her bow and arrows. There! They lay in the grass a couple hundred feet away. The bow looked intact from her vantage point, and she’d wager that at least a few of the arrows were unbroken as well. The weapons were far closer to Naraku than her, dangerously close in fact, but her blast of miko energy had fortuitously pushed the dark hanyou back away from them. Standing, Kagome tested her legs, finding that they easily had strength to support her, if not a little shakily. All in all, it seemed entirely possible to retrieve her lost weapons while Naraku was distracted. She would be careful, but it had to be done. She couldn’t leave Inuyasha to face the colossal menace alone.

Speaking of the dark hanyou, he was just now reforming his body, and he seemed none too pleased with the recent turn of events. He scowled, cursing the hanyou bitch who was still the strongest miko he had ever encountered, bar none. He had been somewhat surprised to feel an inkling of pure energy from her before, but had assumed that if acquiring youkai blood had not destroyed her miko powers, it had at least severely diminished them. So much for that idea. Snarling, he thought back to the day when he had first learned of Kagome’s transformation. (1) You knew her powers remained, didn’t you Kagura? Damn her! Even in death she betrays me…

Hakudoshi, on the other hand, was not troubled in the slightest by his master’s plight. It amused him to see the mighty Naraku taken down a peg by a half-breed miko. He should have just killed Kagome when he had the chance and let me fight Tetsusaiga. But now that Inuyasha was separated from his sword, he wasn’t about to just let the hanyou reclaim it without a fight. He placed himself between the rusty katana and its owner, sneering at his red-eyed prey.

"Do you want Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha? Come and take it, if you can."

But Inuyasha had no intention of retrieving his sword. The blood pounding in his ears bred a desire for one thing only—his enemy’s shredded remains at his feet. He sprinted forward with a vicious growl, ducking the swing from the halberd and slashing Hakudoshi across the forearm. The child retreated a few steps but Inuyasha came on unrelenting. The sharp ‘whoosh’ of claw and blade filled the next few seconds in an unremitting cacophony. The air was entirely devoid of any accompanying sounds of blows landing, however. Finally, Hakudoshi managed to slice another gash in Inuyasha’s torso, and the hanyou pulled back. The two adversaries stood facing each other, both breathing hard and grinning widely.

"You should have gone full-youkai sooner, Inuyasha. You might actually be a match for me." Inuyasha might have managed a witty response, if not for the blood-curdling shriek that echoed through the valley. All eyes turned to Naraku, who clutched his chest with both hands even as a swirling black void opened up in the center of it. He desperately stretched out an arm to the northeastern sky. Inuyasha’s first thought was that Kagome had shot him with a miko arrow, and his youkai side immediately began conjuring up punishments for her disobedience. A glance in her direction only mollified his anger somewhat, as she was only in the process of retrieving her weapons. Damn wench! Why can’t she ever just stay out of danger?! Perhaps punishment was in order, after all…

Suddenly a brilliant red light soared past overhead, straight into the hole in Naraku’s chest. The evil hanyou inhaled a huge breath, almost as if a tight noose had suddenly been removed from around his neck. But Kagome didn’t give him any time to recover; a pink beam flashed in from the side. Naraku blocked the attack with a mass of tentacles, allowing his disposable parts to take most of the damage. More tentacles slithered toward the miko, forcing her to retreat as quickly as her wounded body would allow.

"Stay back, mate!" Inuyasha heard himself yell, the command sounding even harsher and more formidable than usual because of his transformation.

"I think that was his human heart, Inuyasha!" Kagome called back, unperturbed by his outrage. Inuyasha mulled that over inside his head, both halves of him eventually coming to a conclusion that brought a positively wicked smile to his lips. Over the past several months, the separation of Naraku’s heart and body had been the key to his ability to regenerate himself no matter how many pieces he was torn into. And if the heart was now once again inside the body, then that meant he could be killed. Of course, that meant Naraku was vulnerable, and he was probably thinking about doing what he always did in that situation. Oh, fuck no! We are not letting him run away again! Suddenly his skirmish with Hakudoshi didn’t seem so important. He needed to get to Naraku now, and he needed Tetsusaiga to do it.

His youkai side was unwilling to concede either of those two points easily, so Inuyasha had a major internal battle on his hands. He argued with the most stubborn, pigheaded part of himself for what seemed like hours, but in reality was only a few seconds. Finally, his inner demon yielded to logic and reason, yet another of the many changes made possible by his evolving relationship with Kagome. Decided, he charged at Hakudoshi again, this time leaping high over the child and landing behind him before dashing off toward where Tetsusaiga lay in the grass. Hakudoshi followed angrily at his heels, more than a little annoyed.

"Come back here, coward! Fight me like a man!"

"Sorry, kid," Inuyasha replied as his fingers wrapped around Tetsusaiga’s hilt, rapidly returning his features and mind to normal. "But I don’t have time to mess around with you!" he cried, bringing his sword back around and unleashing the Kaze no Kizu at point blank range. Hakudoshi took the attack squarely in the chest, a blinding flash concealing him from view. When the dust settled, his head and shoulders could be seen floating amid dismembered pieces of flesh. When he spoke it was with a condescending and almost bored tone.

"You should know that you can’t kill me that w— What the hell?" Something was wrong; instead of reforming, the pieces of flesh were all drifting in one particular direction. Hakudoshi’s eyes widened in terror as he realized what was happening. "What are you doing, Naraku?! You bastard! No! NO! NOOOOOOO!" he shrieked, finally showing himself as the child he was in his last moments, as his entire form was inexorably drawn into the void in Naraku’s chest. Inuyasha could only stand and regard the dark hanyou with stunned silence as the hole closed up and the latter readjusted his robes.

"Don’t look so shocked, Inuyasha," Naraku stated casually. "I bear no ridiculous emotional attachments to my incarnations. When they cease to be useful to me, I no longer have any reason to allow them to live. Kagura found that out this very morning," he quipped, enjoying the ire he could see rising in both Inuyasha and Kagome at that revelation. Neither of them particularly liked Kagura, but each felt sorry for her nonetheless. They couldn’t imagine a life more retched than a short one under the control of a master as sadistic as Naraku.

"And if you’re wondering why I decided to kill Hakudoshi now…" he continued after a pause, shrugging in answer to his own query. "Perhaps it is because I have grown tired of devious schemes, or perhaps I simply desire the tactile pleasure of mutilating both of you with my own body. It is irrelevant; what matters is that both of you will die here today by my hand."

"Not a chance, bastard!" Inuyasha retorted. "You aren’t invulnerable anymore. You’re the one who’s gonna die today!"

"Oh, please! Do you honestly believe the location of my human heart makes any difference? I have the nearly complete Shikon no Tama in my possession! I will slaughter you, Inuyasha, and then I will grind Tetsusaiga into dust. I will take my time with Kagome, however. She has wounded me too many times to many times to be given the mercy of a quick death. The last days of her life will be consumed by suffering, and before the end she will experience torments more horrible than anything you can imagine. Her screams of agony will grace my dreams for many ye—"

"You won’t fucking touch her, bastard!" Inuyasha’s furious declaration jogged Naraku’s memory, and a deep chuckle rumbled from his throat in response.

"Oh, yes, how could I have forgotten? I believe in your full-youkai state you referred to Kagome as ‘mate.’ How laughable! The one you truly wanted is nothing more than a walking corpse, but you desired warm female flesh to comfort you. You couldn’t have the real Kikyou, so you chose to defile her imitation instead. Tell me, Inuyasha, is Kagome your little fuck-toy?"

Kagome gasped, staring at Inuyasha with rapt attention. She held her breath, feeling that her ability to draw another depended on his response. For a long moment he said nothing, did nothing. He just stood there, contemplating or fuming, she couldn’t tell. But he appeared so regal; never before had he shared such a resemblance with his older brother. Sesshoumaru’s coldness was nowhere to be found, however, so the comparison could only go so far. Perhaps, in that singular moment, he bore a closer resemblance to his father.

"She knows I love her," Inuyasha said quietly, barely above a whisper. "A heartless bastard like you could never understand."

The air instantly rushed from Kagome’s lungs and her knees buckled even as she beamed joyfully. It was true; she did know. She had known ever since their first night together, though he had never spoken the words. He showed her every day with his actions, how he looked at her, with his eyes as they made love. She felt incredibly foolish for doubting him for even a second.

Naraku frowned, unused to having his emotional barbs thrown back at him. He had been quite certain Inuyasha would do what he always did—become mad with rage and charge recklessly into battle. His unbridled fury would hurt Kagome while simultaneously making him easier to kill. It irked Naraku to no end to see that not only was the hanyou not blinded by wrath, but Kagome was deliriously happy off to one side. The look on her face just about made him sick to his stomach. For even now, the similarity with Kikyou was too strong for Naraku, and he could only think of how dreadful it would be to see the dead miko that content. He wanted Kikyou to suffer; they were all destined to suffer. This happiness would not stand.

"I see. You’ve really grown up, haven’t you, Inuyasha?" Naraku conceded in a painfully patronizing tone. "A woman gave you her adoration, and you were somehow mature enough to win her trust. And now you are ready to join her in basking in your so-called ‘love.’" Pausing, Naraku grinned maliciously. "The second time’s the charm, eh? Better late than never, I suppose. But don’t you worry. You just die and leave the lovely Kikyou to me. I will take good care of her."

"You leave Kikyou alone, you sick bastard!"

Naraku was not surprised that one of the hanyou made that type of response, but his jaw dropped slightly when he realized which hanyou had actually spoken. Inuyasha appeared to be in shock as well, staring blankly at an irate Kagome. To hear all of the self-improvement Inuyasha had made as a person, and the tremendous growth of their relationship dragged through the gutter like that…her blood boiled. Her temper also flared because the devious asshole just had to throw Inuyasha’s ‘failure’ with Kikyou in his face. She had always felt some level of sympathy for the tragic priestess, but defending her was so much easier now that Inuyasha had officially chosen between them.

"What did Kikyou ever do to you?!"

"Nothing," Naraku replied simply.

"Then why do you hate her so much?"

"I despise Kikyou because I desire her," he answered after a brief moment of contemplation. "Or rather, Onigumo desires her. The only weak part of me gives rise to my greatest weakness. That is why I loathe Kikyou so, and that is why her return to the underworld will be even more gruesome than your demises. I may even allow Onigumo to sate his filthy lust for Kikyou, or…or perhaps he would be satisfied with you, Kagome?"

"KONGOUSOUHA!!!!!!"

Brilliant diamond spears raced forward from Tetsusaiga, slicing through Naraku’s hastily erected barrier and tearing into his body. The attack had been sudden and vicious. Within Inuyasha’s eyes danced golden fire, burning hotly with rage. He was tired of Naraku’s attitude, his insults, his attempts to crawl under the skin with cruel remarks. He was sick of the jackass looking down on him for falling for his trick fifty years ago. Most of all, he’d had enough of the bastard’s physical and verbal attacks on the only two women he had ever cared for romantically. Those last two insinuations had thrown him over the edge. There would be no more talking, only blood. And death. Oh, yes, there would be death.

A massive surge of dark energy rocked the valley. The diamond shards which had been embedded in Naraku’s flesh flew in all directions, as huge clouds of miasma rolled forth and quickly covered the entire area. Inuyasha coughed, shielding his mouth with his sleeve amid the dying grass. How the hell did his miasma get so strong? It burned his throat when he inhaled, and even though he knew how tough his body was, he was nervous about spending too much time in the presence of the noxious vapor. They had seen this sort of thing before with Naraku; his powers increased the larger his fragment of the Shikon no Tama became. The addition of Kagome’s shards seemed to be no exception. A feminine cough echoed from Inuyasha’s left, it’s heavily muffled sound meaning Kagome had the right idea. That’s right, wench, stay quiet. That bastard is probably as blind in this shit as we are. Naraku’s maniacal laughter rang out over the haze.

"Kukuku…you two can hide as long as you wish, but I will find you eventually."

Inuyasha grimaced, eyes rapidly scanning his surroundings. Dammit, he’s right. The only question is which one of us will he find first? Retreat was not an option, both because this was their best chance to slay Naraku and they would probably be stabbed in the back if they ran. Visibility was low, but not catastrophically so. Still, he would feel a hell of a lot better if Kagome was by his side; at least then he could watch out for her. And two sets of eyes were better than one. With that in mind, he began gingerly stepping in the direction of her voice, his footfalls on the lifeless grass sounding incredibly loud to his ears.

Kagome’s sudden scream was punctuated by the appearance of a pink glow against the gloom, zipping off across the field until its light no longer reached them. She had loosed an arrow, and Inuyasha could only imagine what her target was. He could hear her footsteps pounding into the grass as she ran, his ears pricked forward as he tracked them. Sheathing Tetsusaiga, he sprinted toward the sound, nearly barreling her over when they collided. As it was, he had a better view of the tentacles pursuing her, tentacles which were now closing in on the halted pair. He shoved her away and made quick work of them with his claws. Another arrow whizzed over his head, making the tips of his ears tingle and obliterating another group of tentacles that sought to take him unawares. He retreated to Kagome’s side, briefly looking her over before turning to stand back-to-back.

"You alright, wench?" he whispered.

"More or less. You?"

"Yeah. How many arrows you got left?"

"Two," Kagome answered despondently. The rest had been broken during her earlier capture.

"Fuck."

"You can say that again."

"Don’t use ‘em unless you really have to."

"Ok. So…what do we do now?" Two sets of hanyou eyes continued to peer anxiously into the miasma, both knowing that another attack would come eventually.

"Hang on, I wanna try something." Pulling out Tetsusaiga once more, Inuyasha channeled the familiar energy and smashed the sword into the dirt. The rippling blades of the Kaze no Kizu lanced outwards across the plain, dissipating the miasma for a few seconds before the poison cloud filled in again. Grinning, Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder and held his sword aloft.

"This is how we find the bastard." Kagome’s reply never came, as a great throng of tentacles descended upon them. She dove to one side, pain jolting from her stomach as she rolled out of harm’s way. Darting into the gloom, she was surprised at the small number of tentacles that came after her. They were easily dispatched, but she did not rejoice knowing that Naraku was focusing on her mate. Inuyasha was constantly in motion, grunting and breathing heavily as he tried to avoid the onslaught. Kagome heard a soft thud, then a flurry of activity as he climbed to his feet again and resumed his evasion. In spite of this apparent close call, it was the sound of coughing that worried Kagome the most. The miasma was beginning to affect her, making simple respiration more difficult, so she could only imagine the effect it was having on Inuyasha right now. The situation needed to be rectified, and fast. Rushing in and purifying tentacles was a temporary solution at best, but she had to do something. Drawing a blank, she was about to go to Inuyasha’s aid before an idea struck and she nearly punched herself in the head for her stupidity. Why the hell didn’t I think of this before? I can sense the fucking jewel!

Focusing her miko powers, she let her consciousness probe the surrounding area for the jewel’s aura. It was not at all hard to find, tainted as it was. In her mind’s eye, it appeared as a floating black orb, the source of great crackling streams of sinister energy. The colossal strength of the jewel, she mused, could be turned into a weakness. She locked her stare on the target, and her gaze never wavered as she raised her bow and notched an arrow. Taking aim, she let fly. The arrow had barely left her hand when she called out to her mate, trusting him to grasp her hastily formed plan.

"Go, Inuyasha!"

Naraku apparently saw the pink glow speeding toward him, as he was able to lunge out of its path, the projectile only managing to lightly scorch his robes. Inuyasha emerged into the path cleared by the arrow, taking advantage of Naraku’s distraction to escape from his relentless tentacles. But the miasma was already seeping back into the open air, and in a matter of moments the dark hanyou’s form would be completely obscured again. Inuyasha was having none of that. He didn’t bother calling the name of the attack, but that made the Kaze no Kizu no less effective. Naraku deflected it with his barrier, but his destruction wasn’t Inuyasha’s goal in launching it. The objective was to blow away a large swath of miasma and give him a clear look at his adversary, and this had been accomplished. He pulled back Tetsusaiga and told it to change form, and the sword responded eagerly.

"Kongousouha!" he yelled, the diamond spears once more battering Naraku’s barrier until it shattered. The rest literally shredded Naraku’s body, tearing through tentacle, armour, and cloth and rending flesh. When the last shard had passed, all that remained of the hanyou was his head, glaring at them vehemently. And hovering below the disconnected neck, about where his heart would be, was the incredible blackness of the Shikon no Tama.

"Now, Kagome!" Inuyasha cried, but the miko needed no encouragement. Already the last arrow was notched, infused with more pure energy than the world had ever seen. She poured her soul into the weapon, her sadness for all the pain and suffering caused by Naraku, her anger for the lives he had meddled with or cut short, her hope for a brighter future when he was gone. When self-preservation kicked in, she ignored it, pushing well past any limits on her power she thought were in place. She stopped only when darkness began nibbling at the corners of her consciousness. With that last of her strength she focused, aimed, and fired, immediately collapsing on her hands and knees afterwards. She watched the arrow with bated breath, praying her aim was good. And for luck.

For Inuyasha, the arrow with its massive conical shaped outpouring of power was truly a sight to behold. He watched it rush toward its target, reading Naraku’s terrified expression an instant before the world went completely white. The all encompassing color flickered black, then back to white again, a hundred times in the blink of an eye before light finally overrode darkness. There was an audible crack, and then a tremendous explosion, punctuated by a single tormented cry that faded into the wind. Out of the blast flew hundreds of thin pink lines, streaking across the sky to unknown and unseen destinations. And when the great flash of light finally faded, nothing remained of Naraku or his miasma.

One of the pink streaks plummeted into the grass near Inuyasha’s feet, and he moved to investigate, already knowing what he would find. He picked up the small object between thumb and forefinger, and raised it up to eye level. It was a tiny shard of the Shikon no Tama, shining with purity. Gradually, an exultant grin pulled up the corners of his lips. They had done it. They had killed Naraku. The air was completely devoid of his scent, as if the entire valley had been wiped clean. There was no way Naraku could have survived that incredible blast of purity, so powerful that it purged the jewel of its taint and shattered it once more. The bastard was really dead this time…he almost couldn’t believe it.

Soft laughter drew his attention to where Kagome lay on her back in the grass, beaming up at the sky and giggling uncontrollably. Inuyasha could understand her giddiness. An enormous weight that had been hanging over his head for months had been removed. His face fell when the feminine laughter turned to coughing, followed by a moan of pain. He hastily jogged over and knelt by her side, gently smoothing her bangs out of her face.

"You alright, wench?" he asked again, eyeing the crimson bloodstains on her clothing. She was in pretty rough shape. He wasn’t in great condition himself, but he would worry about his own injuries later.

"We did it, Inuyasha," she declared in amazement, ignoring his question. Despite his concerns, he smiled down at her.

"Yeah, we did. Here," he said, holding the jewel shard above her nose. Her expression immediately turned crestfallen.

"Sorry," she mumbled remorsefully. "I can’t believe I broke it again."

"Kagome…after all this time, you think I give a damn about the jewel?" Leaning down, he planted a chaste, firm kiss on her lips, then pulled back a couple inches to stare into her surprised brown eyes. "I couldn’t care less." Slowly Kagome’s gaze softened, self-reproach replaced by relief and gratitude. She finally took the shard and, for lack of a better place to keep it, put it in her bra.

"We still need to collect the shards and make the Shikon no Tama whole again. Only when it is gone from this world can we truly move on with our lives." Inuyasha nodded, knowing she was right. But right now, all he cared about was getting her wounds bandaged.

"Come on, wench, let’s get you cleaned up," he declared, offering her his back. Kagome tried to rise, but her shoulders had barely left her ground when her strength gave out and she flopped back to the ground. Inuyasha’s eyes widened in alarm. "Kagome, what’s wrong?"

"Nothing. Just really…" she paused, mouth opening in a cavernous yawn. "…tired." Inuyasha frowned, gathering up her limp form in his arms. Damn, using all that power must have really drained her.

"You overdid it, Kagome. You shouldn’t have used so much miko energy."

"Had to," she replied, not even bothering to open her eyes. Sensing she was well on her way to slumber, Inuyasha didn’t continue the argument. He would let her sleep; it was probably the best thing for her right now. He stooped to pick up her bow, but found that it was nothing more than a pile of dust blowing in the breeze. Holy shit…she *really* overdid it.

Sesshoumaru soared across the sky, sharp eyes scanning the earth below like a hawk. He searched for anything unusual, some irregularity that might lead him to Naraku. Finally, he spotted something that peaked his interest; the rough circle of yellow and brown was a large eyesore amid the sea of green. Descending rapidly, he landed amid the dead grass, knowing that his enemy’s miasma was one of the few things which could have caused such devastation. Naraku’s scent was nowhere to be found, but there was another that caught his attention. Inuyasha had been here very recently, and Sesshoumaru was certain the hanyou had the answers he sought. He frowned in consternation; mixed in with Inuyasha’s scent was another strange, yet oddly familiar smell. The taiyoukai’s eyes widened as he identified the owner of the scent and realized the implications. Very curious now, he began tracking the scents into the forest. Oh yes, his half-brother had much to answer for.

Miroku sincerely wished for the capability to get up and run away, but unfortunately the poison in his bloodstream would not allow it. He and Sango had been sharing a quiet moment, his head resting in her lap and she tenderly stroking his hair. They couldn’t go anywhere with Kirara wounded, so they just decided to relax after the battle. Things had been peaceful until the slayer’s demeanor morphed in an instant, contentment replaced by anger. She positively radiated fury, and it was all directed at him. Suddenly he found himself unceremonious deposited on the ground, Sango looming over him. Her fist was raised, shaking as if she was just barely restraining her desire to smash his skull open. Miroku was completely at a loss, and scared shitless.

"S-Sango? Did I do something to displease you?"

"Don’t act all innocent, you jerk! You were going to sacrifice yourself back there, weren’t you?!" Miroku’s eyes widened in understanding. Oh, that… At least now he knew the source of Sango’s ire. He had refused to close his kazaana until Sesshoumaru demanded that he do so, sucking up many saimyosho and putting himself in his current predicament. Yes, in that moment he had been willing to die to prevent Naraku’s heart from escaping. Sango apparently believed that to be stupid or wrong. He considered it neither, and was not about to apologize for his actions.

"I was prepared for death," he answered seriously. While not an explicit admission, they both knew his statement was more or less an affirmative response to Sango’s question.

"Y-you BAKA!" she yelled, several veins popping in her forehead. "I’d give you a black eye if you didn’t already have one!" Pausing, she hung her head as her shoulders slumped in sorrow. "I thought we were going to live together. What happened to me becoming your ‘beloved wife?’ What happened to all the things you promised me that night? (1) What happened to all the children we were going to have? Do those things mean nothing to you?!"

"Do you think it was easy for me to keep my kazaana open, knowing that I would have to give all that up? Kami, Sango, I can’t even describe how difficult it was. I did it because I had to." Seeing that the slayer wasn’t buying that, Miroku tried again. "Answer me this: what would you have done in that situation? Naraku’s heart was escaping, and I thought I was the only person who could prevent it. If I closed my kazaana, the infant would have gotten away. And who knows when the next chance to kill it would have arisen? Even now, I live on borrowed time. This hole in my hand can take my life at any moment. For that reason, I cannot afford to waste opportunities to rid myself of my family’s curse, even if it means risking my life." Miroku glanced up at Sango, happy to see that her gaze had softened significantly. Yet, he still felt that there was more he needed to say.

"Sango, I do not take my life lightly. I will never throw it away needlessly or foolishly. But you must know that there are people I will gladly die to protect—you, our friends… I believe Inuyasha and Kagome are fighting for their lives this very moment, and perhaps in injuring Naraku’s heart we have saved them. That is why I was willing to sacrifice my life today."

Sango heaved a heavy sigh, some of her anger turning to frustration. She wanted to be pissed at him, but how could she when his explanation made perfect sense to her? How could she resent his willingness to die to protect his friends when she herself felt the same readiness? So he was officially off the hook, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. Growling, she reared back and punched him hard in the shoulder.

"Ow…what was that for, my dear Sango?"

"Just…because!" Miroku made no further comment, choosing to take the blow like a man. He supposed he did deserve it a little.

"I’m hungry," Shippo whined suddenly. Kirara mewed in agreement from her spot on his lap, instantly perking up at the mention of food. Sango favored them with a sympathetic look. They were all hungry, but food wasn’t going to just drop out of the sky. The only practiced hunter in the group wasn’t around, so that was out. Maybe the nearby village would give them something to eat. A place to stay for the night would be nice too. Decision made, Sango heaved herself to her feet.

"I’ll go see if the village will help us out. Maybe they’ll give me a hand lugging you around, Houshi-sama," she joked as she walked away.

"I resent that," the monk replied. I can walk…maybe. But Kohaku can’t, so we’d need help anyway. Grinning, he turned his head to the side and watched Sango walk away until he could no longer make out the unintentionally provocative sway of her hips. Kami, I love that taijiya suit. The minutes passed slowly in silence, punctuated only by feline purring. When Sango reappeared over the lip of the valley some time later, Miroku immediately knew from her stiff gait that the news was not good. She was practically storming back, and the monk was highly grateful that he was not responsible for her ire. She breezed right past him and proceeded to pace back and forth, fuming quietly to herself all the while.

"What did the villagers say?" Miroku braved after a moment.

"What do you think?! Bastards! With the commotion Sesshoumaru caused earlier, they’re all panicked and suspicious of outsiders. They almost convinced themselves that I was a youkai in disguise! They won’t even sell us any food!"

"So we’re staying here for the night?"

"I guess so. Wait—what do you think you’re doing, Houshi-sama?" she asked, noticing the latter had started to sit up.

"Going to gather some firewood."

"Oh, no you don’t! You stay here and rest," she ordered, gently but firmly pushing him back down again. "I’ll get the wood."

"Sango, I’m perfectly capable of—"

"Shut up, Houshi-sama. Don’t make me knock you unconscious."

Miroku sighed, surrendering. Sango really would knock him out if she thought it would be best for him. And he could admit to himself that it probably would be better if he didn’t move around; just that small effort of raising his head and shoulders off the ground had been enough to make him dizzy. For a moment there were two swaying rear ends moving off toward the forest, and then his head cleared and he discovered the view was just as nice with one. Sighing again as Sango disappeared into the foliage, he closed his eyes and resolved to take a late afternoon nap. He was in fact able to drift off for a short while, but being a light sleeper caused him to partly rouse at the sound of soft, urgent speech.

"Kohaku, you’re awake! Are you ok?" Now that woke him up. His eyes snapped open and he turned to see that the young taijiya was indeed awake. The boy was sitting stiffly upright, an anguished expression marring his features as he stared heatedly at his hands. His fingers curled into fists, shaking with what could have been any number of dark emotions. Then suddenly his whole body slumped, his head hanging and his arms flopping limply to his sides. Miroku reflected that he had never seen anyone look so defeated before, and that included any of his friends at even their bleakest moments.

"Why…am I alive?" Kohaku rasped without moving.

"Sesshoumaru revived you," the monk replied. Kohaku’s fists clenched again as he raised his head, anger dancing in his gaze behind unshed tears.

"Why did he do that?!" he demanded furiously. Drooping again, he softly continued, "I should be dead." Miroku sighed, the fact that he expected this kind of reaction from the boy not making it any easier to deal with. He was sure suicidal thoughts were running through his head at this very moment. He had to get through to Kohaku, for Sango’s sake. To lose her brother again after so recently getting him back would be devastating.

"Look, Kohaku, I know you probably don’t want to hear it right now, but no one blames you for the things you did. Sango doesn’t even blame you for what happened to your father. I won’t ask you to go back to the way you were before all this happened, but I will request that you do one thing. Live. If not for yourself, then for Sango. You’re the only family she has left." Pausing, Miroku watched as his words sank in, the conflicting emotions flickering in Kohaku’s eyes though his features remained neutral. "Now," the monk spoke into the silence, "please go help your sister gather some firewood."

The boy turned to stare at him, apparently shocked to hear such a request. After a moment of indecision, he slowly rose to his feet and strode off. Miroku nodded grimly to himself, hoping his strategy would work. He believed the best thing for Kohaku would be to resume a normal life as quickly as possible. Perhaps it would help the boy grow used to life again, and enable him to discover his own will to live. Besides, Sango surely desired to reunite with her brother, and he imagined she would want the encounter to be private. Please, Kohaku, don’t break Sango’s heart again…

Sango hissed in discomfort, swearing under her breath as the bundle of wood clattered to the ground. Carrying anything with her left arm wasn’t going to work, and that meant this was going to take much longer. That presented a problem; the sun was already sinking low in the western horizon, and she didn’t want to be wandering around the forest after dark. They wouldn’t freeze if they ran out of firewood, but it would be nice to have a fire to ward off the worst of the night’s chill. Stooping, she began organizing the fallen sticks and branches into a smaller bundle so she could scoop it under her right arm. Soft footsteps alerted her to a presence behind her, and she barely suppressed a growl.

"Houshi-sama, I thought I told you to stay at camp." When no reply game, she glanced over her shoulder, and the wood in her hand once again tumbled to the forest floor. There, standing not ten feet away, was Kohaku. He stood stock still, staring at the ground with an unreadable expression etched into his features. Sluggishly Sango rose, in complete shock. Despite all the times she had contemplated this moment, she was woefully unprepared for it.

"Kohaku," was all she could articulate, and that in only a whisper. Her brother remained silent, lowering his head even further and closing his eyes. Hesitantly, Sango approached, having trouble believing that this really was Kohaku standing before her. She halted within arm’s reach, tentatively reaching up a shaking hand to caress his cheek. She could feel him trembling.

"Kohaku," she said again, more forcefully this time. Yet, he still refused to look at her. Finally she gripped his chin, gently raising his head. His eyes slid open, and Sango gasped at the storm she glimpsed in his dark orbs. Siblings gazed at each other for a long moment, reestablishing bonds long dormant but never broken. No words were spoken; they expressed everything they needed to in the silence only disturbed by the rapid beating of their hearts. Eventually, Sango managed a small, watery smile and enfolded her brother in a tight embrace. And Kohaku finally allowed the pent-up tears to fall. He sobbed quietly against his sister’s shoulder for what seemed an interminable amount of time, unable to gather his wits until the great torrent of his emotions had run its course. He was also unable to return Sango’s embrace, or her smile. All he could do was hang there limply, supported solely by the woman who for some incomprehensible reason still considered him family. At long last, his tears dried up, and his breathing returned to normal. Sango released him, pulling back far enough to grab hold of both his shoulders.

"It’s going to be ok, Kohaku," she declared confidently, and he almost believed her. Oh, how he wanted to, but the weight of his past was too much to be overcome. He could never forgive himself for the horrible atrocities he had committed, the lives he had taken. But perhaps by living he could avoid wounding the only person left he could call family. He didn’t understand why Sango wanted him to stay, but she did. It was an unfathomable miracle from the Kami, or perhaps it was just the kind nature of his sister’s heart. Either way, it triggered in him an emotion he hadn’t felt in longer than he could remember—hope. Maybe…maybe things really would be ok, someday. Nodding briefly, he broke away from Sango and began gathering the wood she had dropped.

"Sango! Sango! Come quick!" Shippo called, bounding toward the pair at full speed.

"What is it Shippo?" the slayer inquired anxiously.

"It’s Miroku! His kazaana has disappeared!"

"WHAT?!!!"

Kohaku watched as his sister dashed across the field, practically diving into the houshi as she hugged him. Then they spent several moments examining his right hand, all the while sitting in proximity that was entirely too close for Kohaku’s liking. It warmed his heart to see Sango so happy, but it made him more than a little uneasy when the monk grabbed both her hands in his own. He finally tore his gaze away when the two moved to kiss. He scowled. It was Sango’s right to choose a husband, but he would still watch the monk like a hawk. One wrong move, and he would lose more than just his woman. Seeking to distract himself, Kohaku turned his attention to getting his question answered.

"Kitsune."

"Y-yeah?" Shippo replied nervously, having remained in the forest so as not to break up the tender moment going on back and the campsite.

"What does it mean, that his ‘kazaana’ has disappeared?"

"It means Naraku is dead."

"Good," Kohaku answered. Yet, the expected satisfaction never came. Perhaps it was because Naraku’s death could not undo all the terrible wrongs he had executed under the dark hanyou’s orders. Nothing would bring back the people whose souls now resided in the netherworld courtesy of the sickle chain on his hip. Brooding, Kohaku returned to wood gathering.

Inuyasha swore quietly to himself for the hundredth time. Fuck! Why tonight of all nights?! In retrospect, they were lucky Naraku had chosen to make his move in the early afternoon. Already his youkai strength and senses were fading in favor of the mortal weakness that would permeate his body come sunset. He glanced down at Kagome, running his fingers lightly through her hair. After retrieving her backpack, he had cleaned and bandaged her wounds, and now she snoozed soundly with her head on his lap. He would let her sleep; she would need to be awake all night. In this unfamiliar landscape, he didn’t trust himself to alert them to danger before the nocturnal creatures closed in. Not to mention the youkai that would surely gravitate to the jewel shard in Kagome’s possession. It was going to be a long night.

He inhaled deeply, choking and sputtering as a most unwelcome scent registered. Just what the hell is Sesshoumaru doing here?! As gingerly as possible he moved Kagome’s head off his lap, pillowing it with a spare blanket from her backpack. Then he stood and turned to face his half-brother, his left hand coming to rest on Tetsusaiga’s sheath. His sword hand hung limply by his side. Now would probably be a bad time to pick a fight; he wasn’t even sure if Tetsusaiga would transform for him. So he made no move or insult when Sesshoumaru emerged from the forest a few minutes later. The taiyoukai’s eyes immediately shifted to Kagome, widening slightly at what he saw. He continued to stare at her with great interest, and it made Inuyasha more than a little uncomfortable.

"What the hell do you want, Sesshoumaru?" he growled, shifting so he mostly blocked the elder youkai’s view. Golden eyes flickered to regard him stonily, as if Sesshoumaru had just realized he was there. Then they practically flew open, and the taiyoukai’s nostrils flared. Finally, Sesshoumaru’s lips curled in a small but wicked smile that caused a chill to settle in Inuyasha’s gut.

"I see. This is not a good night for you, is it, Inuyasha?" The hanyou’s jaw dropped, then rose again as he bared his teeth. Shit! He can smell my youki receding! "A moonless night, is it not?" Sesshoumaru continued, still grinning with apparent amusement.

"Yeah, so what? You gonna kill me, do what you couldn’t do when I’m hanyou?"

"This Sesshoumaru would not stoop to slaughtering a helpless mortal. If and when I decide to slay you, it will be when you are at your strongest. Then perhaps you can pose some miniscule challenge." Inuyasha smirked. "Miniscule challenge," huh? That stump where your arm used to be tells a different story! Oh, Kami how he wanted to say that! But somehow he held his tongue. More than just his own life on the line here.

"How did this happen?" Sesshoumaru inquired, motioning with his chin to Kagome.

"Why the fuck do you care?"

"Do not mistake detached interest for caring. I know of no previous instance where a human become a hanyou. I simply wish to know how this came about." Inuyasha opened his mouth to deliver a scathing response, but was left gaping when Sesshoumaru lowered himself to sit cross-legged on the ground.

"Wh-what the hell are you doing?!"

"Sit," the taiyoukai ordered sternly, "and talk." Inuyasha snarled, hating that his brother had the gall to boss him around. The last thing he wanted to do was shoot the fucking breeze with him! But what were the alternatives? Start a fight when he was nearly human? Oh, yeah, that would end well. Refuse to talk and give Sesshoumaru an excuse to beat the living shit out of him? No, that wouldn’t do either. So it looked like his only option was to sit and have a conversation with his brother, something he had never done before. But if Sesshoumaru was content to be civil for once, then he really had no reason not to participate in said discussion. What harm could possibly come of revealing the facts behind Kagome’s transformation? The bastard had never born any ill will toward her, except for their first time inside his father’s grave, when she had just been in the way.

So Inuyasha plopped himself down, albeit grudgingly, and spun the entire tale of the rebirth spell, searching for a way to change Kagome back, and their battles with Takehiko and Sora. It took Sesshoumaru several minutes to wrap his head around the fact that Kagome still possessed her miko powers. He also seemed particularly interested in the other inu youkai, and Inuyasha knew why, thanks to Myouga’s brief history lesson (2). The taiyoukai nodded in satisfaction when Inuyasha informed him of Takehiko’s demise.

"That whelp should have been slain more than a century ago. You may give my regards to the miko for taking care of Chichi-ue’s unfinished business (3). Continue." Inuyasha huffed again at being ordered around, but carried on by relating Kagome’s decision to remain a hanyou. Pausing, he eyed Sesshoumaru, expecting some sort of response, but his brother gave none. Skipping everything that happened after that, he jumped right into the battle with Naraku.

"Sometime during the battle, Naraku’s heart returned to his body, did it not?" Sesshoumaru interrupted.

"Uh…yeah. How’d you know?"

"Because I was there when it was wounded, courtesy of your taijiya companion."

"Sango did that?"

"Indeed."

"None of those guys got themselves killed, did they?" Inuyasha questioned, trying vainly to appear disinterested. When Sesshoumaru shook his head, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"And what of Naraku?" the taiyoukai inquired.

"Dead. I—well, Kagome and I killed him."

"How?"

"She hit the Shikon no Tama with a pure miko arrow powerful enough to purge it and cause it to explode into a hundred pieces again. There’s no way Naraku could have survived the blast." Sesshoumaru made no reply, simply nodding and staring off into space. "What, you pissed at us for killing him before you could?" Now Sesshoumaru favored him with a condescending look, as if he was stupid for even considering that thought.

"This Sesshoumaru does not care by whose hand that filth perished, baka, only that he met his end."

"Yeah, yeah, don’t get all pissy about it!"

"This Sesshoumaru does not get ‘pissy.’ Such shows of pointless emotion are below me." Kagome chose that moment to stir, drawing the attention of both males. Instead of waking, she rolled over to face away from them and settled down again.

"And what of the miko? Have you officially mated or are the two of you merely fornicating?" the taiyoukai inquired, wrinkling his nose. Now it was Inuyasha’s turn to glare angrily at his brother.

"Not that it’s any of your business," he spat, "but yeah, Kagome and I intend to spend our lives together."

"Good. Anything less would sully our noble father’s lineage." Inuyasha said nothing, too surprised by Sesshoumaru’s use of ‘our father.’ He didn’t want to read too much into what that could symbolize. "Chichi-ue would approve of her," Sesshoumaru continued, deepening Inuyasha’s stupor. He had never given much thought to what his father would think of him, but now, he couldn’t deny how Sesshoumaru’s words affected him. A sense of pride surged within him, together with an unfamiliar sadness that he had never met his old man. He definitely was not used to that feeling. He had never hated his father, but throughout his early life his attitude had been one of ‘what did he ever do for me?’ That only started to change after he received Tetsusaiga, and even more so after he met Daichi and heard that his father did in fact try to provide for his care. And now he felt a certain sense of respect, because he knew that Sesshoumaru was right. How could his father not approve of Kagome? They had both fallen for strong, willful human women. He remembered how soft-spoken his mother had been, yet she always carried herself with a silent authority that no one dared challenge. That alone spared him the worst of the persecution during his early years, until the awful sickness took her and officially ended his childhood. Kagome’s manner was entirely different, but she lived with the same kind of strength and character. At least regarding females, there was no doubt that he was his father’s son.

"Inuyasha," Kagome rasped suddenly, gazing at him blearily from her prone position. "I think your brother’s here." Inuyasha sweatdropped. She’s just noticing now? Shit, she must still be totally out of it.

"I know, wench. Everything’s fine, so go back to sleep."

"M’kay." She was out as soon as her head hit the makeshift pillow.

"What is wrong with her?" Sesshoumaru asked, and Inuyasha thought he detected an iota of genuine concern in his voice, though he might have just been imagining it.

"She drained herself using her miko powers today."

"It is unbelievable that she still has them." Inuyasha nodded, in complete agreement. Only Kagome had the kind heart and gracious soul to pull something like that off. He shuddered, recalling how close he’d come to losing her that fateful day, soon after she had been struck by the Rebirth spell. Becoming the first hanyou-miko in history had proven challenging at first, as she slowly adjusted to her new senses and abilities. The resulting trials and heartache allowed them to grow closer, and now he was here. Kagome was his mate, and he was carrying on a rather pleasant conversation with his brother. Talk about unlikely scenarios.

But as novel as this was, it was no longer uncomfortable. It was actually nice to sit down and talk with Sesshoumaru. For the first time in his life, he felt like they were actually family. His brother had refrained from making any half-breed comments, even though they had been discussing Naraku. The truly amazing thing was that now, after spending most of his adult life hating Sesshoumaru’s guts, he didn’t feel any compulsion to make him leave. It was true that their encounters had grown less violent over the past year, but this was nothing short of revolutionary. And that was why, when the arrival of the familiar tingle signaled the onset of his monthly transformation, he felt no fear or panic. At least not initially.

He convulsed suddenly, unable to completely stifle his cry of pain as a half dozen deep slashes opened in his flesh. His hanyou body had fully repaired most of the small cuts and bruises, but some of the more severe battle wounds had only partially healed, and now bled freely without the restriction of his youkai strength. In the excitement of realizing tonight was the new moon and Sesshoumaru’s visit, he had forgotten about his own injuries. They needed treatment, but he was clearly incapable of doing it himself.

"Miko," Sesshoumaru called, striding over to her still-slumbering form. But Kagome was already stirring, furrowing her brows as her nose twitched furiously.

"Inuyasha," she mumbled, eyes fluttering open and blinking several times in rapid succession. Lucidity returned to her gaze, brought back by the scent of her mate’s blood. "Inuyasha!" she screamed upon seeing him, lying on the ground in obvious pain. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Sesshoumaru standing only a few feet away, and the resulting conclusion hardened her countenance with rage.

"You bastard! What did you do to him?!" Her miko powers flared and flickered around her, forcing even the mighty Sesshoumaru to take a step back.

"Calm yourself, miko," he ordered sternly. "This Sesshoumaru did nothing. When your mate transformed, his weak human body was no longer able to contain his preexisting wounds." Kagome’s powers faded immediately, as much from exhaustion as her belief that Sesshoumaru was telling the truth. Even that small display had thoroughly drained her again. But as nice as going back to sleep sounded, Inuyasha needed her attention. So she crawled over to him, grimacing as her stomach throbbed with each movement. She was relieved to see that he was conscious; he continually swore quietly to himself through gritted teeth. It was probably a good thing that he aware enough to be pissed at the pain, Kagome reasoned. She slowly drew open his robes, not surprised to see that his kosode was stained crimson in several places. After examining his chest and deciding it was safe, she helped him sit up so she could get a look at his back. He stifled himself, allowing only grunts and the occasional curse word to communicate his discomfort. Finally Kagome was satisfied that he would be fine until morning. If he had to remain mortal any longer than that, her biggest concern would be infection. The wounds were clotting on their own and were fairly clean, so she would just wrap them tightly to limit the blood loss and facilitate further healing. The problem was that the bandages were in her backpack, which was the great distance of fifteen feet away. And she didn’t think her legs would support her right now.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," she said pleadingly, "could you please bring my pack over to me?" She gazed up at him with deep brown eyes, not afraid to do a little begging if it came to that. For a moment it appeared he would refuse, but then he silently strode over to her pack, hoisted it easily, and dropped it by her side. "Thank you," she told him sincerely, though Sesshoumaru did not respond. Inuyasha hissed as she released him to grab the bandages, apparently having difficulty remaining upright without assistance. That presented another problem, because it was impossible to bandage a person with just one free hand.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," she tried again, "could you please help Inuyasha sit up so I can wrap his wounds?" This time she was sure he would ignore her, or worse throw some racist insults their way, but much to her surprise he complied after a momentary hesitation. She was equally shocked that Inuyasha voiced no protest. Whatever those two had been discussing, it seemed they had come to some sort of understanding. Still, Kagome hastened to her task before either of them could change their mind. Finished, she gingerly laid Inuyasha on his back before flopping down beside him, completely spent. Soft snoring sounded in her ear; her mate already dozed fitfully. Fighting off her own weariness, Kagome struggled to sit up again, knowing it wasn’t safe for both of them to sleep in this strange forest. She trusted a hanyou Inuyasha to rouse if danger approached, but not herself. Ugh…how am I going to stay up all night?

"Go to sleep, miko. This Sesshoumaru will keep watch." Kagome stared at the inu youkai in bewilderment. She had to have misheard him, right? But as Sesshoumaru settled himself against a nearby tree, gazing idly off into the forest, Kagome realized that her ears were sharp as ever and her mind wasn’t delusional. She had mixed feeling about this new development. On the one hand, if Sesshoumaru really was going to protect them, she had no doubt that they would be safe. On the other…why? Had Sesshoumaru’s attitude toward them really changed that much? It had been more than a year since the taiyoukai’s last attempt on Inuyasha’s life, and in that time he had actually rescued the hanyou from his own youkai bloodlust. At the time, his professed rationale had been that killing Inuyasha had no value because he was nothing more than a mindless animal. Was something like that going on now, with Sesshoumaru holding back because Inuyasha was human? But that wouldn’t explain why the taiyoukai was guarding them. Perhaps Inuyasha had done something to increase his worth in Sesshoumaru’s eyes, like slaying Naraku. Or something else perhaps? Kagome didn’t know, but she truly wanted to. Nevertheless, she posed the question without really expecting a straight answer from her stoic brother-in-law.

"Why?"

"Do you not sense them, miko?" he replied without looking at her. Kagome stretched out her senses as much as she could, picking up on what Sesshoumaru was referring to.

"Youkai."

"Indeed. They are no doubt attracted by the small bauble on your person. They hold back because they fear my youki. In the state you are in, the two of you would surely be killed if I were to leave." Here Sesshoumaru paused for moment. "Inuyasha’s life is mine to take when I so choose. I will not allow him to be devoured by a swarm of pathetic youkai," he added, as if the statement was an afterthought.

"Oh…well, thank you anyway," Kagome told him sincerely. Receiving no answer, she sat up enough to detach the sleeping bag from her pack. She unzipped and unfolded it fully, laying it across herself and Inuyasha as she stretched out by his side. As she slipped back toward unconsciousness, she let her mind wander, frowning as her nose picked up on a scent she hadn’t detected before.

"Are you wounded, Sesshoumaru?"

"It is of no consequence." Kagome nodded, believing him. The smell of his blood was too faint to be anything more than a minor wound. But now her mind was thinking about Sesshoumaru, and a couple more questions popped into her head. Hopefully he wouldn’t mind entertaining her curiosity for a few minutes. She reasoned that if he could carry on a conversation with Inuyasha, then speaking with her would be tolerable as well.

"What about the little girl you travel with? Will she be safe without you tonight?" Sesshoumaru was silent, and for a moment Kagome thought she had taken it too far. (4)

"Rin will be safe. Jaken knows better than to let any harm come to her." A hundred questions burned Kagome’s tongue. Why does he let a human girl follow him around? When did he meet her? Why does she want to go with him? This time, she held her curiosity in check, knowing that to voice these queries really would be to overstep her bounds. Sesshoumaru was their ally, at least temporarily, but that didn’t mean he was their friend. She settled on a less intrusive question.

"How did you know where we were? Did you just happen to be in the area and catch Naraku’s scent?"

"The wind," he replied solemnly. It took Kagome several seconds to grasp his meaning.

"I see, so Kagura led you?"

"Yes."

"Is she…still alive?"

"No."

"Oh, I’m sorry," Kagome told him, sensing the layer of grief hiding beneath the surface. A hush descended on the small clearing, and she sensed the conversation was over. It’s just as well, she thought, yawning. Cuddling into her mate’s side, cautious of his injuries, she reflected on how grateful she was to be allowed to rest. As she slipped into slumber, glowing golden eyes kept a constant vigil, silent sentinels in the darkness.

Inuyasha woke with the sun, enjoying the return of his hanyou powers. The pain of his wounds dulled instantly, his youkai blood resuming the work interrupted the previous day. Slowly edging out from under Kagome so as not to wake her, he wrapped her in the sleeping bag and stood to face the morning. Or rather, face his brother. He was momentarily surprised the taiyoukai was still here, but the fact that Kagome was sleeping meant he had remained all night. Sesshoumaru was already departing, his protective services no longer needed. It would be so easy to let him go without comment, but Inuyasha felt he needed to say something to express his gratitude. There was a good chance neither he nor Kagome would have seen today’s sunrise without his brother’s assistance.

"Sesshoumaru," he called softly, waiting until the taiyoukai stopped and turned his head slightly before continuing. "Thanks." Sesshoumaru resumed his stride without responding, and soon disappeared from view. And as his scent faded, that of the youkai swarm increased until finally they emerged from the foliage. Writhing, scaly bodies and snapping jaws appeared in every direction, but Inuyasha just smirked and drew Tetsusaiga. Heh, this might be fun!

Kagome roused to the stench of rotting flesh, burrowing further into the sleeping bag with a groan. Inuyasha chuckled at her but didn’t tease. Instead, he slung the backpack over his shoulders and picked her up bridal-style in the bag. He moved a good distance upwind, glad to be away from the putrid pile of dismembered corpses his sword had left in its wake. Kagome was napping again by the time he set her down, and he set about building a fire and preparing breakfast. She would surely be starving by the time she finally decided to get up. But again, he would let her sleep as much as she wanted for the next few days, the rest being probably the best thing for her. The sooner she recovered the better; he wouldn’t be able to truly celebrate their victory until she was back to her old, fiery self.

Sango closed her eyes and grinned up at the sky, loving the caress of the wind whipping through her hair. Kirara roared enthusiastically beneath her and increased her pace, feeding off her mistress’ joy. The fire-cat had recovered nicely overnight, and now the pair was heading off to search for their lost comrades, following the route Sesshoumaru had taken the day before. They hoped some sign of Inuyasha and Kagome’s battle with Naraku would present itself. Sango beamed wider at the thought of her hated enemy’s demise and what it meant for them now, especially for herself and a certain monk…

*Flashback*

"Oh, Kami…I can’t believe it," she breathed, running her fingers along the smooth skin of Miroku’s right palm.

"Me neither," the monk agreed. "I’m having trouble convincing myself that Naraku is truly dead, even though the proof is right in front of us. To finally be free…" he trailed off, at a loss for words.

"Well, you won’t be able to use your ‘cursed hand’ as an excuse for your lechery anymore," Sango observed in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"I’ll tell you something, my dear," Miroku replied with a smirk, pulling his hand from her grasp and placing it lightly on her lower back. "It was never the curse." Giggling, Sango removed the wandering appendage and returned it to her lap, content to sit there and examine it for the rest of the afternoon.

"You know what this means, don’t you Sango?" the monk asked after a moment of quiet reflection. The seriousness of his tone made the taijiya’s breath catch, and she shyly raised her eyes to meet his when he took both her hands in his own. "Shall we get married as soon as we return to the village?" he inquired hopefully, his thumbs moving in delicate circles over her skin.

"I-I’d like that," Sango answered without hesitation, not breaking eye contact even though her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. They smiled blissfully at each other for a moment, then Miroku leaned in to kiss her…

*End Flashback*

Kirara’s roar snapped Sango from her reminiscing and returned her attention to the world around them. Instantly she spotted what had excited her feline companion—a rounded blotch of sickly yellow in the distance. As they approached, the circle grew larger until she could see that it encompassed a sizeable section of a great valley. It looked as if every single piece of vegetation in the area had withered and died. Sango had a feeling that his was probably what they were searching for.

"Can you pick up their scents, Kirara?" she inquired as they landed amid the desolation. The fire-cat slowly meandered around the area, sniffing furiously until finally she raised her head and gave a triumphant growl. But several more minutes of fruitless sniffing led Sango to the conclusion that while Kirara could smell their friends in a few places, she couldn’t track them. And it was frustrating her; that much was certain from her irritated snorting and demeanor.

"That’s ok, Kirara," Sango soothed, rubbing the feline’s neck. "We know they were here, so let’s just go look for them." Kirara growled in concurrence and took off, flying around the dead region in ever expanding circles. Sango periodically called out the names of their missing companions. They were about ten minutes into their search before they got a response.

"Down here, taijiya!" came Inuyasha’s voice, startling the birds roosting in a nearby tree to sudden flight. Descending through the canopy, Sango was overjoyed to see them both healthy, although one of them looked better than the other. Kagome was sitting up in her sleeping bag, drowsily rubbing her face. The movement did nothing to get rid of the bags under her eyes, nor did it improve her disheveled appearance. Her hair was unkempt and frizzy, her eyelids drooped in weariness. In short, she was a mess.

"Kami, Kagome-chan, what happened?" she wondered aloud, dismounting Kirara and darting over to kneel by her side. "You look like hell!" Inuyasha snickered at that comment but Kagome was apparently awake enough to shoot him a silencing glare.

"I’m fine, Sango-chan," she rasped, utterly failing to convince the slayer of that fact.

"You don’t look fine. Are you injured?"

"Well…"

"What?! Where? Let me see it!" the taijiya ordered, already starting to pull apart the miko’s robes.

"Relax, Sango, I dressed it already," Inuyasha spoke up. "I’ll change the bandages later. She’s mostly just drained from purifying Naraku’s ass yesterday." Sango glanced at Kagome to make sure she didn’t want additional treatment, but the latter merely nodded in agreement, so she let it go.

"You really killed him, Kagome-chan? There’s no way he could have survived, right?"

"Nope," Kagome replied confidently. "He’s dead, alright, thanks to you. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t forced him to pull his heart back into his body."

"H-how did you—"

"My bastard of a brother told me last night," Inuyasha answered, the insult not delivered with quite as much conviction as usual.

"He’s really dead…" Sango repeated, the last of her worries leaving her.

"There’s something different about you, Sango-chan," Kagome observed thoughtfully. "Just your eyes…I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so happy before."

"I don’t think I ever have been. Hou—Miroku and I are going to marry as soon as we get back to the village."

"That’s great!" Kagome cried, her exuberance driving away her fatigue as she enfolded Sango in a tight embrace. But before she could gush any further about the upcoming wedding, the taijiya’s next mumbled words wrung a shocked gasp from her throat.

"And Kohaku is alive." Kagome’s face fell as she recalled that Naraku had stated early in the battle that he had not yet taken Kohaku’s shard. That meant the boy’s life was still tied to it, and to complete the jewel…

"Oh, Sango-chan," she whispered, hugging her friend tighter.

"It’s alright," Sango declared as she pulled away, sensing the direction of the miko’s thoughts. "His shard was already removed…and Sesshoumaru revived him."

"What?!" both hanyou yelled at once. "You gotta be shitting me," Inuyasha said in amazement.

"No, it’s true. He said he did it because it was Naraku’s will that Kohaku die. So Kohaku is…alive. He’s really withdrawn, and I can tell he blames himself for everything that happened, but…I think he will be ok, eventually."

"I’m sure he will, Sango-chan," Kagome assured, delighted for her friend. After suffering so much, if anyone deserved a happy ending, it was Sango.

"You didn’t see where that jewel shard went, did you?" Inuyasha asked.

"No, one of the saimyosho took it. Why?"

"Ah, crap."

"Well, you see, Sango-chan," Kagome hedged, taking on the slayer’s question. "I kind of shattered the Shikon no Tama…again."

"Oh, w-well, Houshi-sama and I don’t have to get married right away," Sango said, hastily recanting her earlier statement. "We could continue our journ—"

"No! You two have waited long enough! You should settle down and start a family."

"But—"

"No, Sango-chan! You and Miroku want a big family, right? Well, before you know it you’ll be in your thirties. You…you don’t have that much time," Kagome acknowledged gravely, sobered by the reminder that she and Inuyasha had the potential to outlive their friends by hundreds of years.

"She’s right, Sango," Inuyasha agreed. "Leave the shard hunting to us. You and the bouzu have done enough." Sango frowned, not quite ready to give in, but at the same time reluctant to continue the argument now with Kagome still recovering and Miroku not there to back her up.

"So what do we do now?" she asked, changing the subject. "I could bring Houshi-sama and Kohaku here and we could all go back together."

"Nah, you guys just head to the village and we’ll meet you there," Inuyasha suggested with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. His countenance remained neutral, but inside the hanyou was rubbing his hands together gleefully. Some time alone with the wench sounded positively divine; for a new couple, they weren’t having nearly enough sex. By the time they made it back to the village, he wanted to be counting their trysts on fingers and toes. And they didn’t have to rush back either, even if their friends were waiting for them. Who knew what kind of ‘unforeseen circumstances’ would pop up along the way, delaying their arrival? The humans could wait another couple of days for their precious wedding. There were probably many preparations to be made anyway.

"Alright, I’d better be getting back," Sango declared. "I don’t want to leave the boys alone for too long. I’ll see you back at the village."

"Bye, Sango-chan!"

"Keh." When the slayer was gone, Inuyasha returned to the task of preparing the meal. He moved with just a little extra bounce in his step, and nearly started whistling. His excitement did not go unnoticed.

"You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you have hentai thoughts on your mind," Kagome spoke in a scolding tone. She could not, however, hide her grin or her amusement.

"Good thing you know better then," Inuyasha replied smoothly, earning a small chuckle from his mate.

"Hey, Inuyasha?" she said after a while.

"Yeah?"

"I’m hungry." Inuyasha hung his head.

"Yeah yeah, wench, I’m workin’ on it."

"Well…work faster." Inuyasha sighed, hoping not for the first time that Kagome healed up as quickly as possible. That reminds me; I need to change her bandages. Glancing over, he saw that she was eyeing the food ravenously, a predatory glint in her eyes. Eh, maybe I’d better feed her first…

"Where’s the shard in this one, Kagome?"

"Right behind its left eye."

It was now three days after the battle with Naraku, and Kagome had finally awoken that morning feeling like her old self. It had taken many hours of sleeping and eating like a horse, but her energy levels had mostly recovered. She still hung back as Inuyasha went to work, mostly because her bow and arrows were history. She was ready to intervene if he needed help, but she didn’t expect any problems. This was the third shard-bearing youkai to attack them in as many days, and they had all been primitive and weak. Watching their chunk of the Shikon jewel grow larger by the day, they were both optimistic that recollecting the rest of the shards would not take as long as they had originally thought.

"Here," Inuyasha said, interrupting her musings and tossing yet another shard in her direction. She caught it and fused it with the larger piece, putting the whole thing back in her bra. She was getting tired of keeping it there; a new bottle from the modern era was on her wish list.

"That was quick," she observed, impressed with Inuyasha’s efficiency.

"Yeah, I almost wish it had been more of a challenge," he confessed, rolling his shoulder.

"Be careful what you wish for."

"Keh."

As the pair resumed their journey, Kagome’s mind wandered back over the past few days. She felt very lucky indeed to have him during her convalescence. He had proven an adept nurse, feeding her, helping her change and bathe, and being attentive to her every need. And he had been the perfect gentleman, never pressuring her for sex even though she knew it was on his mind. She decided not to make him wait any longer.

Grabbing his shoulder, she spun him around. Before he could voice his confusion, she threw her arms around his neck and planted her lips firmly against his. Things became heated rather quickly, neither partner feeling particularly patient at the moment. It truly had been far too long. Soon the forest floor was functioning as a makeshift bed, articles of clothing thrown haphazardly off to the side. Each reveled in the sight and scent of the other, and the latter was what caused Inuyasha to postpone the main event in the final stages of foreplay. Stumbling backward, he landed flat on his butt, grimacing as an unfortunate stone poked his left cheek.

"Inuyasha, what’s wrong?" Kagome asked in concern, sitting up and covering her breasts for modesty’s sake.

"Take a whiff of yourself, wench," he huffed in frustration before realizing that emotion was unnecessary—their most recent trip to the modern era had seen to that. Kagome frowned but complied, coming up empty by the look on her face.

"What’s wrong with the way I smell?" she demanded, arousal fading in favor of irritation.

"Nothing!" he hastily replied, waving his hands to placate her ire. "It’s just…I think if we did this now, you would get pregnant."

"Oh," Kagome uttered, thinking it over. "That’s right! I completely forgot what time of the month it was."

"It’s alright. We just have to try one of those con-dum things," he said, turning to rummage through her bag for the circular little godsends.

"Inuyasha, I don’t…I don’t want to use a condom."

"Well then why the hell did we go to all the trouble of—wait, what?" He froze as the possible significance of Kagome’s words sunk in, suddenly finding it difficult to draw breath. Ever so slowly he turned his head to glance at her. She was staring at the ground, face flushed and hands nervously wringing in her lap. Her posture left no doubt as to the true meaning of her words, and he nearly toppled over in a heap at the realization. Whoa, boy…

"F-forget it!" Kagome stuttered, trying in vain to mask her disappointment. "Just get a condom."

"No, wait," Inuyasha said, moving to sit directly in front of her. "Kagome, do you even realize what you’re saying?" When she sent him an icy glare he knew that hadn’t been the right way to put it.

"I think I know what I said, baka!" she growled, shame and hurt morphing into anger. Inuyasha didn’t let the outburst bother him; this conversation was far too important.

"I-I didn’t mean it like that. I meant…well, do you know what this means? Are you really ready to start a family?" Kagome narrowed her eyes, finding a certain clump of dirt very interesting, but she gave no reply. She was probably thinking more about Inuyasha’s answer to his own question, or what she obviously thought his answer was. He would have to correct that misconception.

"Because if you are…" he spoke lowly, grabbing her hands. "Then I am too." Shocked brown eyes finally rose to meet his. Her pupils twitching back and forth, searching for anything besides truthfulness. She found nothing, and her expression softened. She licked her lips, seriously considering her own feelings before coming to a conclusion.

"I’m ready." Inuyasha gulped, sudden anxiety hitting him hard, but his resolve never wavered.

"Okay," he finally said.

"Okay," Kagome repeated.

The ensuing silence was intensely awkward and uncomfortable. Kagome studied her mate; Inuyasha appeared every bit as nervous as he did their first night together. And like that night, she realized that she would have to make the initial move. She crawled forward, pushing him to sit and settling in his lap. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, running her fingers over his back. Only when she felt his tense muscles begin to relax did she raise her chin and kiss him again. Soon the fires of passion were once again roaring fervently, burning with a new kind of effervescence as it finally consumed them.

Both hanyou slept soundly that night with the knowledge that the child of their love was growing in Kagome’s belly. And the miko dreamt…

***

She was sitting in a field of lush green, the sun shining brightly overhead and bathing the area in soothing warmth. Birds and insects flitted about their business, and flowers of every color swayed in the wind. In short, the scene was breathtakingly beautiful.

A small form moved in the distance, drawing her attention. It was a dark-haired child, probably about two or three years old, teetering after a butterfly. It took her a moment to realize that the child had puppy ears perched atop its head. As she watched, the child lost interest in the butterfly and scampered over to a larger form which she recognized almost instantly. Inuyasha…that’s our child!

He had his back to her, but he was staring solemnly off to the side, his gaze unseeing. Why does he look so sad? Sensing her presence, Inuyasha turned to regard her fully, and Kagome gasped at the wretchedness of his expression. Such grief, such sorrow… The world shifted until all she could see were his haunted amber eyes, the once bright orbs burning darkness and despair into her soul. Then, mercifully, the entire image faded into blackness.

***

Kagome held her hand over her mouth, trying valiantly to keep from losing her lunch. How Inuyasha could so nonchalantly wade through dismembered youkai guts she would never know. It had been four days since the conception of their child, and each had been marked by one or two youkai attacks. She stayed back on strict orders from her mate, and she was content to listen when he had everything under control. The safety of their child was not worth risking unless Inuyasha was in mortal danger, and so far none of the youkai had posed much of a challenge. They had already collected a quarter of the jewel; it seemed every shard that had not been launched miles and miles into the distance was returning to them in the form of power-hungry youkai seeking more of the Shikon no Tama. This time Inuyasha wiped the shard off on his robes before handing it to her, and for that she was grateful. She had become nauseous more easily these past few days, but had not experienced any morning sickness as of yet.

Her pregnancy had dominated her thoughts recently. She almost couldn’t believe she was having a child at sixteen. Well, actually she would be seventeen when the baby was born, but that was still very young by the standards of her time. Of course, it was perfectly normal age in the feudal era, and she did plan to live here with Inuyasha permanently. But what would her mother think? And for that matter, her highly traditional grandfather? Those were just a couple of the things she hadn’t considered in that exceptional moment when starting a family now seemed like such a good idea. School was another; she would have to drop out for sure. It would be one thing if she couldn’t hear the inevitable gossip, but her hanyou ears would make her privy to many hurtful comments behind her back. Not that she truly cared what people who didn’t know about her and Inuyasha said, but it would be stressful. And why did she need school anyway? Since Inuyasha made his feelings known, her goal had been to graduate simply to make her family happy. But with the baby on the way, that wasn’t going to happen. She hoped her family would understand.

Perhaps of greater concern was the small matter of their continuing quest to reform and purify the Shikon no Tama. Neither of them had considered how a baby would hinder that pursuit. Also, were she and Inuyasha truly ready to become parents? It was an enormous responsibility, one not to be taken lightly. They had only been officially together for a few short weeks, after all, though their prior history certainly meant something. She drew encouragement from Miroku and Sango; they were to be married soon and Kagome had no doubt Sango would be with child within a month. She also knew that they were fully ready to be mother and father to that child. And if Miroku and Sango could do it, why not her and Inuyasha?

So she didn’t regret their decision, per se, but she could admit that in light of all the extenuating circumstances it would probably have been a better idea to wait until after their journey was over before starting a family. They hadn’t discussed it, but she could tell Inuyasha had reached a similar conclusion. He too realized the complications a child threw into their lives. But that was fine; they had dealt with complications before. They had plenty of time before the birth to collect the shards. Even if she slowed them down and stayed out of the fight, Inuyasha was strong. And even pregnant she was no longer nearly as helpless as she used to be, especially once she got a new bow. She was confident that working together, they could handle anything.

z88;

z88;

Miroku stared at the small but powerful hand grabbing his wrist. Sango’s voluptuous backside was mere inches from his fingers, but that vice grip on his arm meant that it wasn’t getting any closer.

"Houshi," Kohaku warned severely, "attempt to touch my sister in such a manner again, and I shall remove your wandering hand for you."

"I-it’s ok, Kohaku," Sango soothed, attempting to defuse the situation.

"No, he’s right Sango," Miroku conceded. "Now that we are about to be married, I should confine those attentions to a more…private setting." Sango blushed, but Kohaku seemed somewhat satisfied and released him. The small group resumed their journey, the monk following behind and rubbing his abused wrist. That boy has quite a grip! But he saw this occurrence as a positive sign. Kohaku was doing what any good brother would do—protecting his sister from what he perceived as inappropriate advances by a strange man. His threat constituted the first words he had spoken all day. Whenever someone addressed him or asked him a question, he would respond with a nod or shake of the head. It was good to hear his voice and see some real fire in his eyes, even in these circumstances. That said, Miroku knew they couldn’t go on like this. He and Sango were going to marry, a fact Kohaku would have to accept. It appeared the two of them needed to have a little talk. The perfect opportunity presented itself when they stopped at a village that afternoon to con—or rather, to perform exorcism services in exchange for food and lodging. For once, no one objected to his ruse, starving as they were.

"Kohaku, may I have a word with you," the monk asked politely after they were done eating. The boy glared at him crossly but rose and strode out of the room. Sango gazed at him worriedly, but he shot her a reassuring grin as he departed. His face fell immediately upon leaving the room; he wasn’t nearly as confident as he pretended to be. He found Kohaku waiting for him at the edge of the village, standing with arms folded impatiently.

"What is it you want, houshi?"

"Please, have a seat," Miroku requested, plopping down on the grass. Kohaku reluctantly followed suit. "Uh…I fear we may have had a misunderstanding before."

"What is there to misunderstand about trying to grab my sister’s ass?" The monk grimaced, knowing Kohaku had a point.

"I admit I was in the wrong, but you do not know the whole story. I realize how you must feel. You don’t really know me, and I’m just some strange man who moved in on your sister while you weren’t around. Am I right?" Kohaku didn’t reply, but his frown let Miroku know he’d hit the nail on the head. "Look, Kohaku. I have known Sango for the better part of a year and a half. We have laughed, argued, fought, and very nearly died together on several occasions. I trust her completely, and if it weren’t for my own stupidity I’m sure her trust in me would be absolute as well. My…groping is a bad habit, one which I have worked to curb. It has been a long time since my hands last touched another woman. Rest assured; I will be a faithful and honorable husband to Sango. You have my word."

"I hope so," Kohaku answered after a short pause, still glowering at the ground.

"You don’t look like you believe me," the monk observed. The young taijiya remained silent. "I merely ask for a chance to prove the truth of my words, Kohaku."

"I am giving you a chance. One chance."

"Fair enough," Miroku replied. "But I think you will discover that your concerns are unfounded."

"We shall see, houshi. We shall see."

z88;

z88;

"What the hell is that thing?"

"Some kind of beetle?" Kagome answered, backing slowly away from the giant insectoid form. The creature approached hesitantly, antennas waving and head moving side to side so the huge globular eyes could get a better view. The viciously curved mandibles, a full three feet long, hovered right at eye level, twitching and snapping in agitation. It was the type of equipment that seemed designed to cleave living things in half, and that included any hanyou unfortunate enough to find themselves between those gleaming blades. The legs were covered in fine white hairs, or perhaps they were spines; she couldn’t tell from this distance. But perhaps the most striking thing about the animal was its coloring, which Kagome got a full glimpse of when it fluttered its wings for a moment, as beetles are apt to do. The hard carapace shimmered with a stunning mix of pigments, large blue circles surrounded by thin rings of yellow and green, splashes of pinkish-red filling in the rest. In fact, the whole beetle glistened with all the colors of the rainbow. It was exceptionally beautiful, in a brutal, predatory sort of way.

"I’m guessing this thing has a jewel shard, wench," Inuyasha stated dryly. Concentrating for a moment, Kagome nodded in confirmation.

"Yep, in its throat. It must have swallowed it."

"Well that explains how it got so fuckin’ big," he muttered, drawing Tetsusaiga. "Stay back, Kagome."

"Be careful," she replied, hating that she had to retreat instead of standing by his side. But it was necessary, the child in her belly being too important to endanger. Inuyasha could handle himself. The beast twittered at them, clicking its mandibles together in what might have been a meaningful manner. Probably telling us to surrender the sacred jewel. Or perhaps it was just a hungry killer bug searching for a meal. Either way, she and Inuyasha were on the menu. It froze, remaining perfectly still for several seconds. Then all hell broke loose.

The beetle shot forward, closing the fifty feet between them in a fraction of a second. Inuyasha dove to the side, barely avoiding the snapping jaws. Kagome was glad she had moved away, because she wasn’t sure if her reflexes would have been quick enough to avoid it at that short range. It had come on so fast, its pure speed rivaling even Sesshoumaru. But there was no youkai power involved here; just pure muscle covered in shining armour. She didn’t know it at the time, but they were facing one of the fastest insects in the world, and one with an equally voracious appetite. Its modern name—"tiger beetle"—was no misnomer.

It pursued Inuyasha in short bursts, its mandibles never missing the mark by more than a few feet. The hanyou ducked and rolled, dodged and juked, using every trick he knew to stay alive. But the creature was relentless, and showed no sign of fatigue whatsoever. Finally one of the front legs tripped on a well-placed log, giving Inuyasha the small opening he had been looking for.

"Kongousouha!" he cried, knowing that the diamond spears stood the best chance of penetrating the tough exoskeleton. In an instant the powerful wings deployed and the insect soared into the air, avoiding the attack. But it appeared to prefer fighting on the ground, and landed perhaps a hundred yards away. It eyed the hanyou suspiciously from that distance, clicking and chattering to itself, apparently unused to such dangerous prey. Inuyasha breathed heavily, his palms sweating into Tetsusaiga’s hilt. Shit! That’s one tough bastard! But one direct hit from Tetsusaiga and the battle would be over. The trick was making that happen without winding up dead himself.

The creature came on again, more cautiously this time, but still with murderous intent in its demeanor. It advanced to within fifty feet of Inuyasha again, then paused. Recognizing the move now, the hanyou readied himself. At least the beetle didn’t seem to be particularly smart. It charged again, its churning legs a blur, bearing those chilling dark blue eyes ever closer. Inuyasha waited until the last instant, then sheathed Tetsusaiga and dove forward under the beast’s head, its clamping jaws slicing his haori. Under the belly now, he drew his sword and swung it in a great arc all in one smooth motion…only encounter air. With a great convulsion of its leg muscles, the creature had launched itself in the air and somersaulted to land twenty feet away. It attacked immediately, and this time Inuyasha had no time to dodge.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome called, her heart lodging in her throat as her worst fears came to pass. Then she realized the beetle was not moving from that spot; it appeared to be struggling with something. It was facing diagonally away from her, but she could still get a decent view of its head, and the sight made her gasp in dread. Inuyasha was stuck between the jaws, quite literally holding them apart with brute force. One hand held Tetsusaiga, the sword braced against his shoulder and warding off one of the mandibles. The other was kept at bay solely by Inuyasha’s left hand, which bled profusely. His face was scrunched up in a grimace, eyes tightly closed and body shaking with the effort of keeping his tormentor’s jaws from snapping shut. The creature applied steady, unmerciful pressure, the curved blades drawing inexorably closer despite the hanyou’s resistance. Inuyasha would be dead inside a minute.

Kagome didn’t hesitate before dashing across the field, desperately wishing for a bow and arrows. She would have to make due with her hands, which were more than capable of delivering her miko powers. But their enemy was no youkai, so would her miko powers have any effect? If not, her claws would have to suffice.

Inuyasha tried not to gag at the drool flowing from between the creature’s mandibles, the mouthparts chomping excitedly. The stench of death was nearly overwhelming, and he realized that he was very close to adding to that odor. Then suddenly the insect released him and turned away, and he collapsed onto his hands and knees. A feminine shriek told him why.

Kagome cried out in surprise, feeling the whoosh of the wind produced by the snapping mandibles on the fine hairs of her ears. She took off away from her mate, satisfied when the beetle gave chase. That of course presented a whole new set of problems, not the least of which was what to do now. It had spun to face her so quickly; if it had allowed her to get a few feet closer, she would be a goner right now. And that was still a distinct possibility; she couldn’t run forever. Spying a large rock up ahead, about a foot in length, she decided it was time for an experiment. Snatching up the object on the way by, she quickly charged it with miko energy and hurled it backward toward the insect. As hot on her tail as it was, the beetle had no chance to avoid it, taking the projectile right between the eyes. An inhuman screech sounded, deafeningly loud to the two hanyou, and the beetle backed away, shaking its head vigorously and pawing at the blackened burn mark on its exoskeleton. Kagome grinned victoriously. Good, it doesn’t like miko energy! Now I just have to get close enough to purify it. The insect retreated to a distance of about seventy yards, appearing more agitated than ever. It studied the hanyou as they rejoined one another, trying to decide which was more of a threat—the male with the huge sword or the female with the strange, dangerous-feeling powers.

"Wench!" Inuyasha yelled, having mostly recovered from his latest brush with death. "I thought I told you to stay back!" Kagome glared at him sternly, hands planted firmly on her hips.

"I refuse to watch you die, Inuyasha!"

"Keh," he muttered, not even bothering to deny her implication that he had been in mortal danger. They both knew the likely outcome of the creature’s bite had Kagome not intervened. "Just be car—oh, shit!" he swore when movement out of the corner of his eye alerted him to their enemy’s approach. Shoving Kagome behind him, he leapt to meet the oncoming threat, unleashing the Kongousouha once more at point-blank range. A blindingly quick swerve saved the beetle, but several diamond shards sliced through the rear of its abdomen and neatly severed one of the back legs. It screeched in anger but kept coming, forcing Inuyasha to dive to the side and come up sprinting. The loss of a limb seemed to barely slow the beast; if anything, its injuries had only encouraged it to abandon all caution in favor of relentless ferocity. Inuyasha zigged and zagged across the plain, desperately trying to put enough space between him and his pursuer to allow him to turn and launch another attack before it was upon him. But his efforts were in vain; it appeared the chase would continue until one of them slipped. And unfortunately for the hanyou, he chose the wrong moment to glance back over his shoulder.

An unseen rock, one that perhaps Kagome would recognize, caught his toe and sent him stumbling. He regained his balance before falling, but his ears told him it was too late to accelerate and escape. He dropped to the deck, and the insect’s massive head impacted the earth exactly where he would have been had he kept running. He rolled over only to see the great jaws rearing back for another strike, and continued rolling as they churned up the earth right next to him. Left and right he rolled, the creature doggedly following his every move with savage bites that were entirely too close for comfort. Finally one mandible managed to slice a shallow cut in Inuyasha’s shoulder, the stinging pain giving the hanyou an idea.

"Hijin Ketsusou!" The crimson blades tore through the tough exoskeleton, and suddenly Inuyasha could see sunlight again. The insect lurched back, screeching and bleeding from several deep gashes on its head, including one on its eye. One of the vicious mandibles had been sliced in half, its end hanging by a thin tendril of flesh. Snatching up Tetsusaiga from where it had fallen, Inuyasha popped to his feet and spun to deliver the killing blow while his enemy was still somewhat incapacitated. His blade stilled, his eyes widening as he beheld Kagome’s descent toward the still-thrashing insect. Her eyes were hard as steel, and then they too flew fully open in shock as she caught sight of him. She appeared shocked to see him unharmed, having probably thought he was in mortal peril again. Not an unreasonable assumption under the circumstances. But it was the twitch of the creature’s antenna and the way the whole body suddenly stilled that frightened Inuyasha the most. He raised his arm, opened his mouth to shout, but it was far too late to do anything. All he could do was watch in slow-motion as Kagome continued along the trajectory predetermined for her at the moment of her leap, straight at a creature that was ready and waiting for her.

Disoriented as the beetle was, it was unable to bring its jaws to bear on the new threat. But it still spun quickly, too rapidly for a human eye to follow, and threw its whole bulk into smashing its attacker before it could be cut down. The impact occurred on the side of the head, close to the mouth. Kagome’s limbs and neck whiplashed forward, briefly wrapping around the insect as she came to an instantaneous stop. Her lungs compressed completely, the rush of air carrying a pitiful yelp from her throat. Then time returned to normal for Inuyasha, and the sheer power and momentum of the beast’s swing hurled his mate through the air. She landed hard a hundred feet away, bouncing limply several times before finally skidding to a stop. She lay unmoving in the grass.

"KAGOME!!!"

Even an invertebrate with no trace of humanity whatsoever could feel the anguish in that frantic cry. It could also react to the rage humming below the surface, but not fast enough. It turned back toward the male hanyou just in time to receive the massive sword through its head. Mouthparts and feelers flailed helplessly around the invader. Then the hanyou wrenched out the sword, stepped to the side, and deftly severed the head from the thorax. The head rolled along the ground, and a second later the body collapsed in a heap, twitching periodically.

Inuyasha rushed over to his fallen mate, barely taking a breath until he saw the gentle rise and fall of her chest which signified her own breathing. She was lying awkwardly with her hips twisted to one side, and he gently moved her to lie flat on her back. He spent several anxious minutes painstakingly going over her body, checking for broken bones. Miraculously, he found none; she appeared to be simply unconscious, with no major physical damage. Satisfied, he set about searching for the faint source of the blood which had been tickling his nose. His relief vanished as soon as he noticed the crimson stain on her hakama. Hastily drawing apart her kosode, he winced at the massive bruise adorning her stomach, the shades of black and blue seeming to shift like storm clouds as she breathed. With shaking hands he lifted the waist of her hakama, his own stomach nearly evacuating at what he saw. Leaning down, he sniffed as deeply as he could while tears sprung to his eyes. The scent told the whole story. She had been struck by a blow that would have instantly killed a normal human, pulverizing bones and liquefying internal organs. Her hanyou body was strong enough to survive the impact, but the tiny child inside her was not.

The totality of his failure set heavily upon Inuyasha. He heaved violently, flopping lifelessly onto his side when his body had nothing else to give. He stared at her profile with bleary eyes, amazed at how peaceful she looked in sleep. Would her face ever again appear so tranquil, he wondered. How could it, when his heart ached with such pervasive pain that he felt it would never recover? All vitality seemed to drain from his body, pooling on the ground with his tears. He lost track of how long he lay there, his mind fighting to remain blank rather than confront the incomprehensible bitterness that was reality. But no matter how much he wanted to simply waste away in that spot for all eternity, Kagome was alive. She needed him to take care of her now, regardless of how inept he was at that duty. Pulling himself drunkenly to his knees, he finally allowed some of his anger and self-hatred to escape. Over and over again he threw his fist into the earth, the pitiful display finally ending in another bout of heartrending sobs. Blood dripped from the tattered skin of his knuckles, and he loathed the throbbing pain. It assured him that this was real, and not a terrible dream.

Whispers of movement drew his attention across the field. An eerie glow emanated from the body of the fallen insect, shining brightly from every wound as the head slowly inched back toward the body. The creature was pulling itself back together, using the jewel shard that Inuyasha had forgotten about. The hanyou simply grabbed Kagome and took off, running from battle for the first time in many years. He just didn’t have a fight in him right now. Getting Kagome to safety was more important. He didn’t give a shit about the damn beetle or the Shikon no Tama. It was hard to care about anything except the woman in his arms.

It was after dusk by the time he reached well, and the clearing was deserted. So were the shrine grounds, and he stealthily crossed them and leapt up to Kagome’s bedroom window. He entered quietly and carefully closed the door, not wanting to alert any of the other occupants to his presence. He moved to lay Kagome down on her bed but hesitated, clutching her as tightly to his chest as he dared. In this way, he gave into his weakness, if only for a moment. The finality of his decision nearly crippled him, but his resolve remained firm. This would be the last time he would ever hold her in his arms.

He was a coward, a dirty, rotten, low-down scumbag, and completely unworthy of Kagome. More importantly, he was utterly incapable of taking care of her, protecting her. He couldn’t hope to keep her safe, plain and simple. His weakness had let her down for the last time. Even if she could forgive him, his failures were beyond atonement. At the very least, she would be safe here. Her family could support her, give her a future brighter than any he could provide. He loved her with every fiber of his being, but that wasn’t enough. If she would be safer away from him than by his side, then he would give her up. Better that she live five hundred years distant than die in his arms. With that in mind, he took the Shikon fragment and placed it in his robes, noticing that the vivid pink light dimmed as soon as it touched him. He knew he was not the ideal carrier of the jewel, but it was necessary. He absolutely could not leave it here in her time. The well needed to be permanently sealed, for her own good.

Still, letting her go was the single most difficult thing he had ever done. He nearly crumpled on the floor in a pathetic heap, but stopped himself. Settling for a tender, lingering caress on her cheek, he tore himself away from his one and only soul mate, leaving a large piece of his freshly-ripped heart with her. Closing the door behind him, he took a deep breath in the foreboding darkness of the hallway. He couldn’t just leave Kagome here without telling her family what had happened, and whose fault it was. He had to face her mother.

Mrs. Higurashi was not in her bedroom. Inuyasha slipped down the stairs, finding her in the kitchen. She sipped tea in the gloom, the flickering light from the lone candle casting ominous shadows on her worried visage. Sensing his presence, she started and nearly dropped the teacup. She caught his eyes, and he glimpsed the full extent of her anxiety, clearly fueled by the haunted nature of his own expression.

"Inuyasha," she breathed, "what’s wrong?"

"What are you doing up?" he rasped, spinelessly trying to delay the inevitable.

"I couldn’t sleep. It happens sometimes, where I get so worried for no apparent reason. I don’t feel right until I see Kagome again. Now please, tell me what has happened," she demanded urgently.

"Kagome…was pregnant." For the briefest of moments, Mrs. Higurashi’s face lit up in joy, if not some apprehension as well. Then it fell as his words sunk in, one word in particular.

"Was…?" she asked, her voice quivering.

"We were attacked. She…" Inuyasha stopped, knowing he didn’t need to say any more. Mrs. Higurashi laid her head down on the table, weeping bitterly. Oh, how he wanted to comfort her. But he could not be there for her daughter, nor did he have any tears left to shed with her. Turning, he slowly made his way toward the front door, only halting when a soft, broken voice reached his ears.

"Y-you’re not coming back, are you?" Inuyasha paused, making no response for several long moments. Then, he made his final request upon the Higurashi family.

"Take care of her."

With that, he strode out into the night.

Inuyasha knelt in the bottom of the well for a long time. He stared up at the stars, wondering why they seemed dimmed, muted, yet already knowing the answer. A dull ache centered in his chest for the same reason. He was almost surprised it wasn’t pitch black outside. But the radiance of the world would shine on, even if the light of his own life was gone. Oh, how tempting was the thought of returning to Kagome’s side, holding her in his arms and never letting go? His resolve would not allow it. His decision had not been easy, but he would not retreat from it. Lingering at the bottom of the well was just prolonging his torment.

Finally, he leapt out of the structure, treading slowly into the night without looking back. Goshinboku loomed above him, its presence cold and unwelcoming, even more foreboding than the last time he had banished Kagome to her own time. Thinking of that affair produced more doubt in his mind. He had been wrong to tell Kagome he couldn’t accept her as a hanyou to convince her to change back into a human. Could leaving her now be wrong as well? Were the situations really that different? In both cases, Kagome’s exile had resulted from his goal to protect her.

But no, this situation was completely different. Now, his own ineptitude and weakness provided the peril for his mate. Indirectly, he himself was the danger. This was a novel state of affairs, and he needed to respond accordingly, by actually following through on his chosen path and never seeing her again. It was his fault their child had been killed, and he would not put Kagome through any more danger…or heartache. That was his decision.

The first droplets of rain descended from the skies, soon coming down in sheets. The wind buffeted him, tugging at his clothing and whipping his hair. It was as if nature itself was rebelling against him. Still he walked throughout the night, neither he nor the storm ceasing until daybreak.

z88;

z88;

Kagome woke to a muted but insistent pain in her chest. Her lungs were tight, inhibiting her breathing for a few seconds. And even when they relaxed, the subtle sensation of emptiness inside her torso remained. Something was wrong. Opening her eyes, she was surprised to see modern ceiling above her. Sure enough, a quick glance told her she was indeed in her room at the Higurashi shrine. But how could that be? Wasn’t she just in the Feudal Era?

"Inuya—aaaaaah!" she cried as the simple action of attempting to sit up set her entire abdomen aflame. She gritted her teeth, a few tears escaping from the fierceness of the agony shooting through her body with every beat of her heart. Eventually, after several long moments of lying perfectly still, the pain subsided enough for her to inspect the damage. She gasped at the sight of her stomach, tinged a revolting shade of blue-black. It looked like she had been punched by the full force of a giant. Triggered by the view, her memories came back to her at that moment. She recalled seeing the beetle looming over Inuyasha again, her desperation to come to his rescue, and her shock when he was in fact completely unharmed. The insect spun almost too quickly for her to follow, and there was an impact. Then she blacked out.

None of that explained why Inuyasha brought her here instead of simply caring for her in the past. Her injury was excruciatingly painful, but it wasn’t life-threatening. And where the hell was he? Usually when she was wounded he wouldn’t let her out of his sight. Maybe her mother had managed to drag him away to put some food in his stomach. That was fine, but why on earth would Inuyasha bring her here in the first place? She generally tried to avoid letting her mother see her when she was hurt, at least physically. And they hadn’t been that close to the well, if she remembered correctly. So why go to the trouble of carrying her all that way? Had he done it out of kindness or concern, so she could recuperate in the greatest possible degree of comfort? That was plausible, but she still couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that the gesture wasn’t that simple…or innocent. Then again, Inuyasha had taken to pampering her more since she became pregn—

Kagome froze, a sudden chill settling in her gut as the possible significance of her injury’s location dawned on her. No… It couldn’t be; the baby was hanyou. It was strong enough to survive the blow, right? It had to be. Fortunately, she knew of a way to find out for sure. But she hesitated, not sure she wanted the answer. Finally, she closed her eyes and focused her miko powers inward, searching for the innocent presence of her child. It had been there ever since its conception, glowing brightly whenever she sought it out, as if rejoicing in the simple joy of life. Being able to sense her developing child was a cherished comfort for Kagome; she partook every night before surrendering to sleep. Now, no joyful presence appeared to comfort her, soothe her fears. There was nothing, only a hollow darkness that petrified her with its emptiness, made her feel that she was nothing more than a sunken husk of a person. She lay there in stunned silence for an interminable amount of time. She stared up at the ceiling, surprised when the expected tears never came. Perhaps reality hadn’t truly set in yet. Suddenly, the door creaked open, and she rolled over on her side quickly to glimpse the visitor.

"Inuyasha?" she inquired desperately, hoping he could tell her she was wrong, that the baby was fine, that this was all some sort of sick nightmare. Unfortunately, it was her mother’s form which greeted her instead, and Kagome could instantly tell from meeting the older woman’s miserable eyes that no such reassurances were forthcoming.

"Kagome," she breathed, walking over to the bed and sitting down by her daughter’s side. She glanced away, unable to watch as the frantic hope in Kagome’s eyes was extinguished by her next words. "I’m sorry, but…he left." Her mother’s tone left no doubt as to the true meaning of her words. It was far worse than Kagome had originally feared. Not only had she lost their child, but Inuyasha, her love, her mate, was gone. He had…abandoned her. Her heart seemed to crumble in on itself, and the dam on her tears burst as torrents of liquid anguish poured forth. Mrs. Higurashi gathered the broken pieces of her daughter tightly in her arms, holding her long into the night until blessed unconsciousness finally ended Kagome’s torment, at least temporarily. In the morning, she would help her daughter clean up, and then she would begin the arduous process of trying to put her back together. But she knew those efforts would likely prove futile. There was only one person who could undo the damage done to her daughter, and he was apparently the only one too blind to see how much she needed him.

z88;

z88;

The chirps and twitters of songbirds bled through the closed window, muffled but not silenced by the glass. The warbles seemed to call out to the room’s lone inhabitant, urging her to come outside and take comfort in the gorgeous, sunny day outside. Kagome intended to do nothing of the sort. It had been three full days since she last saw the sun. The shades were drawn, keeping her room in a state of perpetual gloom. She hadn’t left except to go to the bathroom. Lying on her bed and staring at the wall had become her favorite pastime, and she was currently engaged in it. What was the point of doing anything else?

At various times over the past few days, her family members had come in and attempted to cheer her up. While she didn’t ignore them, her dismal spirits simply refused to be raised. Her mother appeared periodically to offer food, but she never accepted. Neither Souta, her grandfather, nor even Buyo came in yesterday, so perhaps they had decided to give her time. A misguided effort; she felt that no matter how much time she was given, it would never be enough. That had been her attitude ever since the afternoon of the first day, when thoughts of going back to Inuyasha first sprang up in her mind. Perhaps he hadn’t abandoned her? Perhaps he was simply cooling off, dealing with his grief in his own way in the Feudal Era? That idea was brutally struck down by her realization that she could no longer possessed any portion of the Shikon no Tama. He had taken it from her, knowingly sealing her in her own time…was it any surprise that yet another crying fit gripped her for the rest of the day? Then something snapped inside her, and her tears dried. She had not shed another since. It was almost like her heart was so beaten down that it lacked the strength to form tears, feel sadness, feel anything.

She wanted to hate Inuyasha for rendering her so empty inside, but how could she? Yesterday she had come to terms with the fact that she still loved him, no matter how many hours she previously spent trying to deny it. She still loved him, even if he hated her. And besides, how could she blame him for hating her, when she despised herself. Footsteps sounded in the hallway and her mother’s scent drifted through the opening door. Kagome curled further into herself; she was growing tired of this, weary of everything.

"Kagome, please eat something," her mother pleaded, but the miko made no reply. Mrs. Higurashi clenched her fist, trying to reign in her frustration, but she was unable to keep her voice level. "Please, Kagome! You have to eat! I can’t watch you waste away to nothing!"

For a moment Kagome remained motionless, then she rolled over, unable to ignore the worry in her mother’s voice. Her expression softened at the tears gathering in the older woman’s eyes, and finally she sighed. Sitting up, she motioned for the tray, which Mrs. Higurashi eagerly set in her lap. Kagome tentatively stirred the contents of the bowl, toying with the oden, her favorite dish. Her mother really wanted her to eat something. Glancing once more at the other woman’s hopeful face, she sighed again and reluctantly stuck a bite in her mouth. Her eyes nearly bugged out of her skull; not until that very moment did she realize how hungry she was. She wolfed down the rest of the oden in truly Inuyasha-esque fashion, though fortunately that observation did not occur to her. Her stomach growled like some sort of predator, too ravenous after its long hibernation to be satisfied with just one meal.

"Would you like some more, dear?" Mrs. Higurashi posed happily, smiling for the first time in four days. Kagome frowned; she did want more, but on the other hand eating too much and getting sick would only add to her misery. She shook her head, and her mother chose not to press the issue, satisfied that her daughter wasn’t going to starve herself to death. The next step was getting her to leave her room for something other than the toilet.

"Why don’t you come downstairs? We could go outside and sit under Goshinboku, or you could watch TV for awhile, or…" she trailed off, her cautious optimism sinking as Kagome set the tray down on the bed and rolled over to face the wall again. While the miko had decided that she wouldn’t kill herself, asking anything more than that was too demanding. For her part, Mrs. Higurashi did not take the rejection well. Maybe it was because she no longer had to worry about her daughter’s refusal to eat, but she found herself becoming infuriated by Kagome’s attitude. If she was just going to sit up here every day by herself, then she might as well be dead! As harsh as that sounded, it was completely true. And Mrs. Higurashi wasn’t going to abandon her daughter to such a fate without a fight.

"That’s it!" she yelled, picking up the tray and hurling it across the room. It clattered against the bureau, the dishware shattering on the floor. Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin, turning to face her enraged mother with wide, frightened eyes.

"You are coming downstairs right now, young lady! I’m not going to let you seal yourself in your room anymore!" More shocked than ever, Kagome gulped. She couldn’t remember the last time her mother had spoken to her like that, and she didn’t appreciate it. Given her mood, she wasn’t inclined to just follow orders that easily. Squaring her shoulders, she set her jaw and prepared for a melee.

"I’m not going anywhere." Mrs. Higurashi stared red-faced at her daughter, looking like steam would come shooting out her ears at any moment. Finally, after neither woman backed down from the staring contest, she wrenched herself away, pacing a few steps toward the door. She stopped, rubbing her temples in an effort to control her temper. Kagome had been through a rough time, and yelling at her wasn’t the best way to go about this. The legendary Higurashi stubbornness ran thick in her daughter’s blood, and needed to be appeased. Taking a deep breath, Mrs. Higurashi plunked herself down in Kagome’s desk chair.

"Kagome, please, do you have any idea how much it hurts to see you torture yourself up here every minute of every day?" Kagome slumped, all the fight leaving her. It was bad enough that she was miserable, but she never intended to cause her family any pain. But leaving her room just seemed so…useless. What was there to accomplish? What reason did she have for getting out of bed? She couldn’t come up with one that would outweigh her natural desire to simply remain in her room and self-loathe.

"But what’s the point, Mama?" she whined, hoping the older woman would just leave her alone. But Mrs. Higurashi was determined, if not continually exasperated by Kagome’s attitude. She dropped her head into her hands, muttering to herself at a level that a human wouldn’t be able to make out.

"Ugh…I can’t believe she thought they were ready to have children." Her head shot up at Kagome’s gasp, and she realized with a start that she had forgotten about her daughter’s hanyou ears. But she wouldn’t take it back; it was something Kagome needed to hear.

"How could you say that?"

"It’s true, isn’t it?"

"No! We were ready!" Kagome cried, doubt seeping into her shaky tone.

"You weren’t ready because you don’t know each other as well as you think you do."

"I know Inuyasha."

"Oh, really? You think you know him so well? Let me guess, you think he hates you and blames you for losing the child, am I right?" Mrs. Higurashi paused, giving Kagome a chance to contradict her, but no response came. "Well let me tell you something, Kagome. Inuyasha didn’t look like he blamed you when he left the other night."

Kagome’s mind slowed to a crawl as her mother’s words sunk in. What the hell is she talking about? Who else would he blame besides me? With only the two of them involved, it didn’t take her long to come up with the answer using process of elimination. Oh, no, he couldn’t possibly… And yet, even as she tried to convince herself otherwise, she now knew that she had him pegged all wrong. Of course he would blame himself! How could she have been stupid enough to think otherwise? And of course he would leave her in her time, cavalierly trying to protect her from what he perceived as his own inability to keep her safe. The whole scenario had a familiar ring to it, Inuyasha trapping her in the present for reasons that were either incredibly stupid or just plain wrong. That baka!

But she knew that her misreading of his feelings was entirely her own fault. She had been so wrapped up in her own despair that she hadn’t stopped to consider what Inuyasha was thinking. She subconsciously transplanted her own self-loathing onto him. And he had probably done the same thing, believing that she hated him when in fact nothing could be further from the truth. They were both giant bakas, plain and simple. And her mother was right; they weren’t ready to have children yet, not by a long shot. The realization should have saddened her, but she was too pissed at the moment to really care. Inuyasha needed to be forcefully relieved of his wayward assumptions; she would do for him what her mother had done for her. Standing quickly, she shut the door to her room and pulled off her pajamas, changing back into her Feudal Era clothes.

"You’re going back, dear?" Mrs. Higurashi queried, sounding like her old, merry self again.

"Yep. Gotta find Bakayasha and talk some sense into him."

"I’m glad." A wave of gratitude washed over Kagome. If she saw Inuyasha again, and they were able to piece things back together, it would be solely because of her mother’s love and refusal to give up on her. Blinking back tears, she walked over to the woman and embraced her tightly. Mrs. Higurashi held her close, sniffing as a few tears of relief slipped down her cheeks.

"Thank you, Mama," Kagome said as she pulled away.

"Any time, Kagome. Now go get your man back." Kagome smiled, the expression foreign to her, and nodded. Together, they marched down the stairs and out into the sunlight. Kagome had to squint and shade her eyes at first, unused to the brightness of the day. Her mother tried to get her to take a pack, but she refused. If Inuyasha was in the village, then he would be easy to find. If he was not, then she would need to travel light to have any chance of catching up with him. There remained one major problem, however, which she remembered upon landing at the bottom of the well and not passing through.

"Dammit!" she swore, slamming her fist into the dirt. After all that, realizing Inuyasha’s feelings, getting genuinely excited about going back to the past, it turned out she couldn’t. She didn’t have a jewel shard. It was infuriating to say the least. This was a situation where someone who knew her would expect her to break down and cry, but no tears were forthcoming. Only anger, white hot rage that boiled in her belly. How could the Kami be so cruel? Her fists shook with resentment, a vicious growl springing from her throat. She needed to hit something; her youkai side demanded it. Again and again she smashed the ground, wearing a hole into the earth at the bottom of the well. Her miko powers rose virtually unchecked around her, crackling dangerously as she immersed herself fully in her fury. The pain in her hands became a source of sick pleasure. All the while, her mother observed from above, a small part of her dying with every impact.

Kagome froze, staring down at her hand. Or rather, where her hand should have been; she couldn’t actually see it. Her fist was buried in the dirt, and yet, not buried. Her wrist was ringed by a soft blue glow, and she could feel nothing against the skin of her hand. Sure enough, she unfolded it her fingers and only found a void, wriggling the digits freely as a triumphant grin materialized on her face. Focusing her miko powers, she shoved her entire arm in up to the elbow, then the other hand. The rest of her body was a hair’s width from submerging as well, but a strange voice stopped her.

‘Halt, miko!’

She heard it with her mind rather than her ears, and it sounded disjointed, as if the words were formed by many voices speaking all at once. Nevertheless, she complied, ceasing her movements though not lowering her guard.

‘Wh-who are you?’ her mind responded.

‘We are the spirits of the dead youkai that give this well its power. Be warned, miko; the path you now choose is a perilous one.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘You will be able to force your way through with your miko powers, but only once. We cannot say what will happen to the well after that. You may find that no one may pass without the power of the Shikon no Tama, or you may not be able to pass at all. Consider your actions carefully, miko.’

With that, the foreign presence left her mind, and Kagome slumped against the inside of the well. To think that her use of the well this time could destroy it as a time portal…it scared her shitless. But the alternative was to sit here and hope that Inuyasha came to his senses on his own, an unlikely result in any situation. That was unacceptable; she had to go back. But first, she had to talk to her mother. Climbing out of the well, she sat down on the edge and gathered her thoughts.

"What’s wrong, dear?" Mrs. Higurashi asked, "It looked like the well was about to let you through."

"It was, but…it spoke to me. It said that if I go through now without a jewel shard, the well might never work again. I might…I might not be able to come back." She stared at her toes, too afraid to look at her mother’s face. The older woman was silent for several moments, and when she spoke it was with a noticeable hitch in her throat.

"Go, Kagome." Her daughter’s head shot up, amazement splayed across her features, but also hope. Seeing that, Mrs. Higurashi knew she was making the right decision, no matter how difficult it was.

"Mama…"

"Go, Kagome," she repeated. "Your home," she paused, sniffling, "is with Inuyasha. You need him…and he needs you. Neither of you can truly live, unless you’re together." She dried her cheeks, only to have fresh tears replace them. Kagome’s own eyes watered at the sight of her mother crying, and the two women embraced. They held each other tightly, each knowing that this might be the last time they ever saw one another. Neither could imagine a lifetime without the other, and they struggled to come to terms with the reality that such a thing was possible.

"I’m sorry, Mama," Kagome whispered into her mother’s shoulder.

"Don’t be, dear," the other cooed. "I am proud of the woman you have become."

"I love you, Mama."

"I love you too, my daughter."

Finally, the two tearful women broke apart, doing their best to regain their composures. An awkward silence settled over the pair, heavy with remorse and dread. Mrs. Higurashi sensed her daughter’s hesitation, but there was no turning back now. The other half of her soul was five hundred years in the past.

"Follow your heart, Kagome. It will not lead you astray." Her daughter nodded, taking courage from the words. Then, calling upon her miko energy, she turned and leapt into the well. An azure glow briefly mixed with the pink, and then darkness descended upon the well house once more. Mrs. Higurashi slumped against the old wood, sobbing into her hands. She could only pray that Kagome found Inuyasha, and the two of them put their lives back together. And perhaps, if luck and the Kamis were in their favor, she would see them again.

Inuyasha stumbled, nearly falling on his face before righting himself. His heart had quite literally skipped a beat, and now it pumped faster for no apparent reason. He felt strange, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. It was a good feeling, but he couldn’t place it, so he brushed it off. What did he have to feel good about these days, anyway?

Time was no longer of any importance; he just wandered, traveling wherever his feet took him. It had probably been a few days since he left the well, but he couldn’t be sure. Along the way he had slain perhaps a dozen youkai, all of them seeking the Shikon jewel. The ones that started to reform afterwards he tore into a hundred pieces, not stopping until he found the shards that revived them. He now possessed the large chunk he and Kagome had accumulated, plus three small shards which he lacked the power to merge with the larger piece. Youkai attacks were one of the few things that broke the monotony of his existence. He walked, found food when he was hungry, and defended himself when danger arose. That was it. Sometimes, he didn’t even feel like doing that. But he wasn’t about to let some small fry youkai kill him. If he was going to die, he would do it honorably, by committing seppuku.

But he had no intention of purposely ending his life. That was the easy way out; living was much more difficult. He could not leave the jewel out in the open for any youkai to pick up, nor could he give it to his friends for them to watch over. Sango and Miroku had been through so much already, and they deserved to live in peace now and start a family. That was one of the reasons he had left the village without speaking to them. Another was that they would probably tell him he was being stupid and to go back to Kagome. But they just didn’t understand! And he didn’t feel like arguing with them. Regardless, they were far better off without him and the jewel in their lives. He would complete the jewel or die trying, and then he would find some way to purify it. Perhaps Kikyou could help him. What did it matter if he saw her now? Kagome wasn’t around to get her feelings hurt, and she would never find out. He hoped to run into the undead miko at some point during his wanderings.

Suddenly, a familiar scent reached his nose, causing him to stop in his tracks. It took him a moment to place it, but when he did a malicious grin formed on his lips. Focusing his gaze on the far end of the large meadow he was currently in, he spied the beast. It darted to and fro, feelers and jaws twitching, its brightly-colored carapace shining in the sun. Inuyasha’s grin widened. What luck! That he would have a chance to take revenge upon the creature which had ruined his life must be a gift from the Kamis. A small blessing, one that paled in comparison to the pile of shit heaped upon him recently, but a blessing nonetheless. He would take advantage of it. He pulled out Tetsusaiga but did not transform it, instead jamming into the earth by his side. He desired the tactile pleasure of shredding armour and gristle with his claws; a quick victory would not be enough to satisfy him this time. He would tear this monster apart, slowly. No longer encumbered by the sword’s seal, his youkai side clamored for release, pressing against his subconsciousness. He saw no reason to resist; perhaps he would derive greater enjoyment from the slaughter in his more feral form.

Quickly the transformation was complete, and a sadistic cackle rent the air. Then, with a vicious howl, one monster charged the other. The once peaceful meadow was forever stained with violence, hatred, and blood.

Kagome inhaled deeply from the bottom of the well, enjoying the clean Feudal Era atmosphere. It was good to be back. But she had a mate to find, and perhaps smack. She wasn’t exactly sure what she would do when she found Inuyasha, but the baka at least deserved a good wallop. Leaping out of the well, she was not surprised to find the clearing deserted. She spent a few minutes on her hands and knees, sniffing the grass and bushes for any trace of his scent. Did smells even last three days? She didn’t know, and nor did she know whether it had rained since he had last been here.

At any rate, her efforts proved unsuccessful; Inuyasha’s scent was nowhere to be found. She was almost certain he was no longer in the area; if he was truly disgusted with himself, he would probably choose to go back to his solitary life. But she couldn’t be sure until she checked with her friends at the village. She prayed she was wrong and they had seen him. Otherwise, how in the world was she going to find him? Miroku was meditating on the grass outside Kaede’s hut when she arrived, but he sensed her approach and rose to meet her.

"Ah, Kagome-sama, it is good to see you again. Did you and Inuyasha enjoy your trip?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. His grin vanished when Kagome flinched, lowering her eyes. "Kagome-sama? What’s wrong?" Before the miko could answer, a furry blur shot out of the hut in her direction.

"Kagome!" Shippo called as he leapt into her arms. Kagome caught him with practiced ease, her eyes watering as she held him, squeezing him a little tighter than usual. Only now did she realize how precious, how vulnerable he was, and how much she missed him. Life, especially young life, was so fragile. She didn’t know what she would do if anything happened to little Shippo.

"Kagome-chan?" Sango inquired, having followed the fox kit outside. "What’s wrong? Where’s Inuyasha?" Kagome grimaced; she really should have expected this. Her friends knew her too well to not realize something was bothering her. Of course, she had done a pitiful job of concealing it. Sniffling, she cleared her throat.

"You haven’t seen him around here?"

"No, where is he?"

"He…left."

"What?! What do you mean ‘he left?’" Sango demanded, her fury at the baka hanyou who could apparently still make Kagome cry rising rapidly. Kagome sighed, knowing there was no avoiding it now; she would have to come clean. She glanced down at Shippo, debating whether he should hear what happened. But she could see how concerned he was; it would probably be crueler to send him away and keep the truth from him. A worried companion’s imagination could conjure up scenarios that were even worse than the actual tragedy, and she wouldn’t put Shippo through that.

"I was pregnant," she confessed at last. Her friends brightened momentarily, mirroring the reaction of her mother. After letting her words settle for a few seconds, Kagome knew she didn’t need to provide any more explanation for Miroku or Sango. Shippo was another story.

"Is that bad?" he posed innocently. "I thought babies were blessings." Kagome smiled sadly down at him.

"You’re right, Shippo-chan; they are blessings. But a monster attacked us, and hit me right here," she said, holding his tiny hand against her belly. "And…the baby died." Kagome’s heart broke again as understanding dawned, and his face darkened in grief. His lip quivered and tears welled in his eyes. Kagome held him tightly as he bawled into her shoulder, gently rocking him as he cried out his sorrow.

"Let me guess," Miroku spoke up grimly after awhile, "Inuyasha blamed himself for this and left you in your time?" Kagome nodded, once again berating herself for not realizing that herself. If it had been so obvious to Miroku, it should have been clear to her as well.

"Was it his fault?" Sango inquired evenly, though a hint of anger was present in her tone. She was still furious with Inuyasha for abandoning Kagome in any circumstances, even if the loss of their child was completely his fault, which she seriously doubted. Mates and spouses needed to stick together no matter what. Why couldn’t that baka hanyou see that?

"No," Kagome replied. "Well, I suppose it was both out faults. We both failed; you can’t blame just one of us."

"But Inuyasha obviously does," Miroku observed. "I’m just surprised he left you a piece of the Shikon no Tama."

"He didn’t."

"WHAT?!!!" Sango shrieked, looking fit to be tied. For his sake, it was a good thing Inuyasha was many miles out of hiraikotsu range. That bastard…he tried to trap Kagome on her side of the well! I’ll kill him! But then, how was Kagome here? "If you didn’t have a jewel shard, then how did you get through the well?"

"The well let me pass using my miko powers. But I may have damaged it. I don’t…I don’t know if it will even work anymore." At this, Sango saw red, her whole body shaking like a rumbling volcano. On top of everything else, that asshole’s stupidity had possibly sealed Kagome in this time? There was a chance that she could never see her family again?! To say the slayer’s intent was murderous in that moment was putting it lightly.

"Will you go after him?" Miroku asked, changing the subject before his fiancée could completely blow her stack.

"Yes, I’ll leave right now."

"We’ll come with you!" Sango declared, but Kagome shook her head.

"Please," she begged, "this is something I need to do on my own."

"B-but—"

"Alright, Kagome-sama," Miroku interrupted. "We wish you luck." Holding out his arms, he accepted Shippo, whose sobs had quieted to hiccups.

"Thank you," Kagome stated solemnly, meeting each of her friend’s eyes in turn. "I’ll be back soon." With that, she sprinted back the way she had come, quickly vanishing from view.

"Why didn’t you back me up?!" Sango snapped. "Do you want to let her go into the wilderness alone?!"

"No, I do not. But think about it, Sango. Kagome isn’t going to stop until she finds Inuyasha. She certainly doesn’t want to halt for a whole night because a couple humans need to sleep. She can run a lot faster and longer than we can, and Kirara can’t carry us every moment of every day. We would just slow her down." Sango growled, cursing his irritating logic, but she knew he was right. Miroku looped his free arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him. "We shall just have to have faith in Kagome…in both of them."

Sango scoffed, her confidence in Inuyasha seriously lacking at the moment. Miroku didn’t seem to have a much higher opinion of him. But if anyone could find him and set him straight, it was Kagome. Sango would worry about whether to forgive him for this mess later, when they both returned safe and sound. Until then, she knew she would spend much of each day worrying about them, and that created a whole new problem.

"We’ll have to postpone the wedding, Houshi-sama," she said, expecting an argument.

"Indeed," was his only reply.

"What? You don’t mind?" Miroku cracked a small smile at her surprise. Even after all this time, his hentai habits still caused him to be misunderstood.

"I would be too worried about our friends to enjoy the wedding, or our wedding night." Sango blushed, as she did whenever he mentioned that particular evening, but she was glad he agreed with her on this. Still, Kagome and Inuyasha needed to reunite soon, more for their own sakes than anything else. Until then, she and Miroku would watch over the village, and keep the faith.

Kagome paced frantically in front of the well, contemplating the same question she had already asked herself a thousand times. How the hell am I going to find him?! She had spent a whole hour scouring the area, but could find no trace of Inuyasha. So what options were left? Setting out in some random direction was virtually assured to get her nowhere fast. But what else could she do? Sit around here and hope he came back eventually? Not likely.

"DAMN IT ALL TO HELL!!!"

Oddly enough, she felt slightly better for her outburst. Mostly, she was just tired, mentally drained. Shoulders drooped, she plodded over to Goshinboku and slumped against the trunk. She heaved a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Maybe she was missing something? Going over what Inuyasha had taught her about tracking, she eventually made the maddening realization that she had done everything right. There just wasn’t any trace of his scent left, plain and simple. Getting a sudden inspiration, she tried searching for the aura of the Shikon no Tama, but it seemed all the pieces of the jewel were too far away for her to detect. Groaning, she curled up her legs and laid her head on her folded arms. I guess all that’s left to do is pick a direction and start walking…

It seemed like such a hopeless approach, and she was reluctant to actually stand up and embark. Part of her just wanted to stay leaning against Goshinboku for the rest of the afternoon, the tree’s comforting presence doing much to soothe her agitated nerves. But reality could not be ignored, and she found herself trying to fight off a rising depression. Laying her head against the trunk, she stared up at the sky, the leaves of the canopy swaying gently with the breeze. The beautiful tranquility of nature pervaded her senses, buoying her spirits. She even managed a tentative smile as a pair of courting songbirds flitted across her vision, twittering excitedly. I can do this. The hard part is over. I’m here, in this time, and so is Inuyasha. I’ll find him, even if I have to search all of Japan. No matter how long it takes…

A subtle pressure drew her attention, pushing against her mind. It was a strange sensation, barely there, but neither hostile nor threatening. She focused on it, all the while wondering what it was. Her miko powers acting up? Probably not; it lacked the aura of purity she had come to associate with her miko energy. But then what was it? If felt like it came from within, from some source inside her, and yet…not. Part of it seemed foreign to her subconsciousness, but still familiar. But that didn’t make any sense! How could this feeling come from within and without at the same time? She concentrated harder, and the mysterious sensation became clearer, less fuzzy. She gasped aloud as she recognized the alien presence, her concentration faltering in the process, and the distinct aura of her missing mate vanished.

Frantically she tried to find it again, but her efforts proved fruitless. Oh, no! I sensed him! I know I sensed Inuyasha! What did I do? What was I doing when I first noticed it? If memory served, she had been thinking about how much she wanted to reunite with him, and reaffirming her resolve to make it happen. Closing her eyes, she took several deep breaths, slipping further into a state of meditation with each exhale. Finally, when her body and mind were as calm as they could be under the circumstances, she conjured up those same thoughts, those same positive feelings. Just as before, the sensation arose to press against her consciousness, blurry at first but becoming more vivid as time passed. Now she could see it in her mind’s eye. The blue and pink of her own aura swirled with the fiery crimson of Inuyasha’s in a powerful hurricane, crackles of energy lancing out periodically. It was absolutely breathtaking. Staring at the tempest, she was reminded of Myouga’s words of wisdom from not so long ago. "I don’t know everything about youkai mating. No one does. It’s a very…mysterious thing." "Perhaps you will begin to manifest some signs of a strong bond eventually." "Truly powerful bonds occur at the level of the soul."

Perhaps that’s what she was seeing, the intertwining of their auras, of their very souls. She could think of no other explanation. She knew she shared a strong bond with Inuyasha, but something like this… It blew her away. Now she just needed to figure out a way to use it to find him. As soon as that thought crossed her mind, the red of Inuyasha’s aura darkened, pulsing once. A faint answering pulse came from behind her, so weak that Kagome thought she might have imagined it. But then it pulsed again, and she knew it was no illusion. In her mind’s eye, she turned to face the new energy, her body moving of its own accord to follow. It continued to pulse every few seconds at the same feeble level, seeming to come from far off in the distance. The realization hit her suddenly, jolting her mind so much that the image of the auras shattered. She returned fully to the living world, the sounds and smells of nature filtering back into her awareness. It took her a moment to comprehend the fact that she was no longer leaning against Goshinboku, but standing and facing an entirely new direction. A very specific direction, apparently the same one the pulse had come from in her mind. She grinned brightly as the significance of her discovery dawned. I…I can sense Inuyasha’s aura through our bond. I can see where he is! Now it was just a matter of tracking him down. Without another moment wasted, she took off into the forest, moving briskly through the trees. I’m coming for you, Inuyasha.

For the rest of the afternoon Kagome ran, stopping occasionally to focus her mind and pick up Inuyasha’s aura once more. He didn’t seem to be getting any closer, but hopefully that would change in the coming days. By dusk she was quite tired, having never run for that long before, but she resolved to push on through at least part of the night before catching some shuteye. Then, disaster struck. A sudden headache began, quickly rising in intensity. She knew what was happening by the time the body aches and nausea set in, and she was not pleased. A short bout of dizziness later, and she was fully human. In the middle of a strange forest. Alone.

If that wasn’t bad enough, about an hour after sunset the clouds opened up, and rain pelted the landscape, drenching her to the bone. The leaves of the large tree she was huddled against did little to protect her from nature’s cruelty. Cold winds blew, assaulting her with sideways torrents of water. She sneezed and cursed her luck, but knew that the storm might help her in the end. Her shivering would make it more difficult to fall asleep. And she did need to stay awake; there was no telling what was lurking outside on a night like this. She was far from helpless against youkai, but without a bow, she was easy prey for ordinary predators. Her greatest fear was that one of the wandering gangs of bandits they periodically came across would find her. She shuddered to think what they would do to her. Hopefully all the predators, animal and human alike, were taking shelter from the rain as she was.

She sneezed again, mentally bashing Inuyasha over the head with a log. Tch! He thinks I’m better off without him? Well, Inuyasha? Am I better off now?!

Kagome woke with a start, shooting upright, eyes and ears darting around the area. Her sudden movement startled the small hare which had roused her, and the creature darted into the underbrush. It took a moment for the miko’s lucidity to return, and when it did she glanced down at herself with wide eyes, amazed she was still in once piece. Shit! I fell asleep! But apparently no harm had come of it; perhaps her luck wasn’t so bad after all. And she was hanyou once more, so the dangers of the previous night had largely passed. There was still the matter of her sopping wet clothes, as well as her chilled skin. A shiver ran through her, and she knew that she couldn’t continue the journey with her clothes soaked as they were. She had never known Inuyasha to fall ill, but that didn’t mean hanyou couldn’t get sick. Fortunately, the storm had fully dissipated, and the sun shined brightly down upon the world. After removing her hakama and kosode, she wrung them out and laid them out on a clear patch of grass to sun dry. Yawning, and with nothing else to do, she stretched out on the same patch of grass to take a nap. She didn’t particularly care if someone saw her in her underwear; she trusted her hanyou senses to alert her should any real danger approach.

When she awoke later that morning, her clothes were more or less dry and she felt completely refreshed. Well, except for the hunger. She was ravenous, and now wondered why she hadn’t listened to her mother and taken a pack. But she refused to waste a whole day running back to the well, so she would have to make do with what she could find. Or catch. She grimaced, remembering how well hunting had gone the last time she tried. She really didn’t want to have to murder a cute little bunny. Fish, maybe? She could kill a cold-blooded, dumb, not-cute-at-all fish, couldn’t she? But then she would have to cook it, and the whole process would take time. Did she really want to spend several hours preparing a meal? Her growling stomach convinced her that yes, in fact she did. She had not been eating well lately as it was, and she burned a lot of energy yesterday with all the running around. She needed to keep her strength up if she was going to catch Inuyasha, and she wasn’t particularly interested in finding out how long it would take for a hanyou to starve to death.

Decided, she discovered Inuyasha’s aura again and resumed her trek, nose alert for any sign of fresh water. Perhaps an hour in she found what she was looking for: a small woodland stream, only a few feet deep. Her sharp feline eyes could see small fish hiding among the rocks and fallen trees. She removed her hakama and waded into the water, taking her time and slowly creeping up on unsuspecting victims. It took a few tries, but eventually she nabbed her first fish. She removed its head with a quick swipe of her claws, not wanting the poor thing to suffer by flopping around on the bank until it suffocated. She then caught four more fish, deciding to gorge herself now so she wouldn’t have to do this every day.

If killing the fish was hard, gutting them was even more difficult. She had seen Inuyasha do it several times, so following his lead wasn’t that challenging, but it still made her queasy. She was glad it took awhile to gather wood and make a fire; it gave her stomach time to settle down. Not having any matches was nearly fatal to the whole effort, but she was able to set a flame with her miko powers. It made sense; she had scorched a few trees in the past year and a half, but had never actually tried to create fire before. By the time the fish was cooking, the delicious smells wafting to her nose, Kagome’s stomach had shaken off the nausea and was practically snarling in hunger. And with no one around to witness her bad table manners, she had no qualms about wolfing down the meal. Afterwards, she lay back on the ground, patting her sated tummy. Her stomach felt like it had doubled in size, but it was unbelievably nice to be full again. Still, she knew she had taken enough of a break, and after about twenty minutes of digesting she stood up and set off at a fast jog. Her pace was not as vigorous as that of the day before, but she knew she could keep it all day and well into the night. And keep it she did, only stopping to relieve herself and confirm Inuyasha’s location. The moon was high in the dark sky when she finally stopped for the night, and she checked on her mate one last time. Grinning, she decided that he was a little closer than he had been the previous day. For the first time in over a week, Kagome slept with a smile on her face.

Inuyasha sat in the middle of the meadow, completely and utterly disgusted with himself. The once mighty insect lay scattered in a thousand pieces across the clearing, the largest the size of his head. The ground was saturated with blood and gore, and his clothes, hair, and exposed skin were covered in a layer of vile fluids and entrails. He raised his right hand, shaking off the remains of what was once an internal organ. In his palm rested a new shard of the Shikon no Tama, darkened with a frightening tint of blackness that also permeated the other shards in his possession. That was no surprise, considering the carnage he had just wrought in his crazed full-youkai state.

What would his friends think? What would…Kagome think? He shuddered to consider it. For he had not just vanquished his enemy; he had butchered it. He quickly disabled the creature, overwhelming it with speed and power and tearing each of its six legs off. Then he tore it apart piece by agonizing piece, rejoicing in its struggles and cries of pain, finding immense pleasure in the heat of the body as he ripped it to shreds. He took his time, drawing out the death with unparalleled mercilessness. And when the creature could take no more, and finally expired, he stopped, and did the most horrifying thing of all. He allowed it to reform. Then the revolting cycle began all over again. And again. And again. A total of four times he let the creature come back to life, only to slaughter it once more. Only when he grew tired of the grisly game did he remove the jewel shard and let the poor beast finally die.

He wanted to place the blame for his brutality squarely on his youkai side, but he knew that would be fooling himself. He could have controlled himself if he’d wanted to. But the sad fact was that he hadn’t wanted to stop, and even now it was difficult to feel remorseful. That was why he was disgusted with himself, because the only thing he felt when thinking of the creature was grim satisfaction at its demise. E-everything they ever said about me…the reason mothers told their kids to stay away from me…it was all true. I…I really am just a dirty half-breed.

That had almost no longer been the case. After the massacre was complete, how tempted had he been to surrender completely to the bloodlust, to live through his youkai side, to continue on killing things until he died? He was ashamed at how appealing the thought was to him at the time, and how close he had come to becoming a mindless animal. In the end, only one thing had stopped him. A strange nudge against his consciousness, a brief hint of a presence he thought he would never feel again. His mate…even five hundred years in the future, she still managed to save him. Thinking of her gave him the strength to fight off his youkai side, bury it once more. Only then did he feel any negative emotions about his actions. What would Kagome think of him, indeed?

Swatting a pesky fly, he decided that sitting here wallowing in self-loathing would get him nowhere. He needed to get away from here before more youkai were attracted in by the smell. He really didn’t feel like fighting right now. Rising to his feet, he strode over to Tetsusaiga and pulled it out of the dirt. He paused and held the sword up to eye level, alarmed at the change in its aura. It felt empty, for lack of a better word, and he tried to transform it. Nothing. He cracked a sad smile before sliding the sword in its sheath. He couldn’t blame Tetsusaiga for not wanting him as a master anymore. It looked like he wasn’t worthy of his father’s blood, after all.

Nothing changed in the next several hours, or perhaps it was days. He didn’t bother keeping track anymore; his whole existence was mind-numbing monotony. Even the periodic nudges against his mind became part of the routine. They were so faint, and though Kagome came to mind whenever he felt them, he couldn’t begin to suspect that they were anything more than a product of his loneliness. He missed her terribly. But she was better off without him. Much better off.

It was just after dusk one evening when it happened. He smelled her long before the Shinidamachu slithered in overhead, heralding the imminent arrival of their mistress. He had wished for this encounter, but now dreaded it. For he knew what he needed to say, and it left him with a crushing sense of shame. It felt like betrayal. Kikyou emerged from the trees in silence, her expression stoic as ever. But there was something different about the way she moved, an unfamiliar urgency that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Her eyes were dark and intense, boring into his own, seeking the truth that he was reluctant to give. He held her gaze even as every fiber in his being told him to look away; he would not back down from Kikyou. She had less right to judge him than anyone, with the things she had done since her resurrection. For her part, Kikyou seemed content to put off the obvious questions, beginning the conversation pleasantly enough.

"I have searched for you for many days, Inuyasha," she said, pausing and giving him a chance to respond. When he did not, she continued. "Initially it was because a strange feeling settled over me. A lightness, a sense of completion, an optimism that made me feel for a brief time that everything was right with the world." She smiled briefly at the memory. "I could think of only one reason for such an emotion. Naraku is dead, is he not?" Inuyasha nodded, feeling no joy in the victory, and Kikyou noticed. "And yet, you look so sad. I can imagine why. Do you remember the first time I saw Kagome in her hanyou form, and I said we shared a link?" He nodded again. "For awhile I could sense only warmth and happiness, and something else that I couldn’t quite identify… But then it was gone, replaced by sorrow and pain, and then Kagome was gone altogether. Now I find you out here alone, days away from the well, by seeking out the large portion of the Shikon no Tama you have in your possession. Tell me, Inuyasha, what has happened to my reincarnation?"

"I-it doesn’t matter," he muttered quietly, hoping she would just drop it. No such luck.

"It does matter. Those jewel shards in your possession are not glowing with purity as they should be. Why are they not in Kagome’s keeping?"

"Kagome…isn’t here right now."

"I see. So she is dead then?"

"NO!" Inuyasha cried, shocking himself with the ferocity of his response. "She’s alive—and safe—in her time." Kikyou studied him for a moment, analyzing his remorseful demeanor and the hidden meaning behind his words.

"So you believe you failed her in some way, and to remedy that failure you ditched her in her own time?" Inuyasha cringed at Kikyou’s choice of verb, but made no reply. "Go back to her, Inuyasha," the dead priestess ordered, an action which surprised the hanyou even though it probably shouldn’t have. Kikyou had changed, and he could now state with confidence that she genuinely wanted what was best for him. That didn’t mean, however, that she knew what she was talking about.

"I can’t."

"Why not?"

"I just…can’t."

"That’s not good enough, Inuyasha. Do you not realize how much my reincarnation needs you?"

"Dammit, Kikyou! I said I can’t go back! You don’t understand. It wasn’t just Kagome I failed, it was our child. Our child! Gone because I was too slow and weak to defeat that fucking insect!" He stopped, taking several shallow breaths and blinking back tears. "I have nothing left, Kikyou. Kagome won’t even be born for almost five hundred years. Please, help me complete and purify the Shikon no Tama. Then…then I will join you in hell." Kikyou stared at him for a long moment, then cracked a wry smile.

"It is ironic that Kagome always considered herself second best, and now you are only willing to join me in hell because you think you cannot have her. In the end, I was second best." Her grin faded, and sighing, she held out her hand. "Give me the jewel." Inuyasha pulled the large piece and small shards of the Shikon no Tama out of his robes, holding them in his palm. They were still pink, but dulled, well on their way to becoming defiled with sorrow and hate. He gratefully placed them in Kikyou’s hand.

"Thank you, Kikyou."

"I did not say I would help you," she retorted, nevertheless placing the pieces of the jewel inside her own robes. Later she would fuse them together and work to instill them with purity to reverse the effects of being in a miserable hanyou’s keep for too long. "Now go back to my reincarnation."

Inuyasha snarled. "I already told you I ca—"

"Damn you, Inuyasha! I did not release you so you could abandon your soul mate and wallow in self-pity! I did it because you said you loved her! How hollow is that love, Inuyasha, that you will forsake her now when she needs you the most?"

"It’s not like that! I still love her!" he answered, his voice desperate, as if he was trying to convince himself that what he said was true. In truth, Kikyou’s words had cut him deeply, and his mind and carefully constructed resolve were reeling.

"How can I believe you? Saying you love someone is not enough! You must prove it through your actions!" Seeing that Inuyasha had clammed up, and she would get no further response from him, Kikyou snorted in disgust and turned to leave. "I will take these pieces of the Shikon no Tama to prevent them from being further tainted by your self-loathing. It makes me regret ever releasing you. But then, when I see the pitiful shell of a man you’ve become, I don’t regret it at all. Do not enter my presence again, Inuyasha, unless my reincarnation is with you."

With that, she was gone, taking with her the glow of her Shinidamachu. Still, the darkness of the night could not compare to the darkness in Inuyasha’s heart.

Kagome roused with the sun and resumed her journey, periodically stopping to make sure she was still heading in the right direction. Viewing their bond had a therapeutic effect in addition to the practical one. It often produced the sole moments of peace in her day, when she would forcefully clear her mind of the stressful thoughts which otherwise swirled around inside. At those times when she could feel Inuyasha’s presence, she could almost forget about all their troubles. Then she would drop her focus, and reality would set in and make her want to find him more than ever.

It was mid-afternoon when a very distinctive odor passed her nose and stopped her in her tracks. Sniffing, she realized the smell was coming from up ahead, at about a forty-five degree angle from her current course. She debated with herself for a moment, but decided to investigate the scent. It was only a small detour, and she could not ignore such a strong stench of death and decay. But nothing could have prepared her for the carnage her eyes bore witness to when she entered the meadow. The once pristine stretch of grass was littered with body parts, the remains of some poor creature literally torn to pieces. Kagome wandered through the battlefield, wondering what could have done this, though a feeling of uneasiness settled in her belly at one possible answer. That this happened so close to the route Inuyasha must have taken…

She froze, unable to breathe as she recognized a piece of the carcass. The dark blue globular eye, once filled with predatory malice, stared lifelessly back at her. She would never forget those eyes as long as she lived; they still haunted her at night, bringing nightmarish memories of a fateful battle that always ended the same way. Now the array of colors on some of the other pieces made sense. There was no doubt; the remains belonged to the monster which had ruined her life. Resuming her march, she had just determined to leave this place at once when the faintest of scents caught her attention. She thought she was imagining things for a moment, but another inhale confirmed the smell of her mate’s blood. It took several minutes of effort, but she eventually tracked the scent to a small stain on the grass. Fortunately it had not rained since Inuyasha had passed through. Well, perhaps ‘passed through’ wasn’t the correct term; he had been the one to vanquish the insect. And not only that, but he had completely mutilated the carcass. His blood did not smell normal, and she could only assume that he had transformed into a full-youkai in the process.

Gasping, she wondered briefly if his life had been in danger before realizing that not a half hour ago she had sensed his aura coming from many miles in the distance. No matter how much she scoured the area, she could only find a few more small bloodstains, suggesting that he had suffered only minor wounds. So then why had he become full-youkai? She shook her head, deciding it didn’t matter. She couldn’t fault him for tearing the beast to pieces; if it had been her, she would have been sorely tempted to do the same. She was only glad it was dead. Revenge was hollow and unsatisfying, but it was better than the thought of the creature still roaming the earth somewhere. Taking one last look at the desolate scene, Kagome finally left the meadow. She moved swiftly, wanting to get away from the awful stench and the unpleasant memories it conjured up as quickly as possible.

Several days passed, broken up by mostly sleepless nights. Her normal dreams of the first terrible battle with the insect were mixed with images of Inuyasha going berserk in his full-youkai form. She saw him as if she had been there, watching him shred the creature and savor every cry of pain, every struggle, every drop of blood spilt. She felt a small sense of pity for the creature, and then disgust at even that iota of sympathy for the beast that deserved whatever it got. Sometimes the image of a bloodthirsty Inuyasha would shift, becoming smaller, the jagged crimson markings on his cheeks changing to dull pink as his hair darkened to black. Then she would observe herself, reliving the thrill she had felt when she sliced through that poor villager’s arm. She too had savored her victim’s agonized shriek, the way he twitched on the ground as his life blood drained onto the dirt underneath him. It was that experience that enabled her to truly hold none of Inuyasha’s brutality against him. They would bury this, just as they tried to forget all the other painful memories they had gathered during their quest.

It was after one of those restless evenings that Kagome found a nice patch of rich greenery on which to take a power nap. With Inuyasha getting closer every day, there was no need to run herself into the ground. She would sleep when she needed it. She woke perhaps ten minutes later to a very disquieting sensation, a sudden chill washing over her. Something felt very wrong, and though she couldn’t figure out why, it felt oddly familiar somehow. Thinking back, she perused her memories until the relevant one came to her and caused her to gasp. Back when Takehiko and Sora attacked us, and Inuyasha and Sango got separated…I got a feeling that Inuyasha was in danger then too! (1) She later learned that her instincts had been correct; Inuyasha and Sango had been in mortal danger. She hadn’t thought about it since, but that strange sensation really meant something, that she shared a bond with Inuyasha even before they were mated. The changed nature of their relationship explained why the feeling of dread was much stronger now that it had been back then. Oh, no! Hang on, Inuyasha! After taking a few minutes to confirm her mate’s direction, she took off as fast as her legs would carry her.

Inuyasha sat in the branches of a tree, listening to the crickets chirp in what seemed a mournful manner. Or maybe that was just him, his sour mood understandable given the direction of his thoughts. "Damn you, Inuyasha! I did not release you so you could abandon your soul mate and wallow in self-pity!" Kikyou had surprised him by so insistently urging him to go back to Kagome, but she ultimately had no say in the matter. She had released him, and therefore he was free to do what he wished with his life. Besides, she was the one who rejected his offer to help her collect the jewel shards and then join her in hell. Her opinion should have meant little to him.

So why did her words hurt so much? "I did it because you said you loved her! How hollow is that love, Inuyasha, that you will forsake her now when she needs you the most?" He loved her; he knew he did. It was because of that love that he had left her in her own time, where she would be safe. But in doing to, had he forsaken her? Did she really need him as much as Kikyou seemed to think? "Saying you love someone is not enough! You must prove it through your actions!" He frowned. Prove it through your actions, huh? If giving Kagome up wasn’t a selfless act of love, he didn’t know what was. Still, Kikyou’s words left a bad taste in his mouth. Did Kagome know he still loved her with all his heart? Were the reasons for his actions as clear to her as they were to him? Had he really done the right thing? He turned these questions over and over in his mind, but still no concrete answers would come to him.

The first shafts of sunlight broke over the horizon, and Inuyasha realized with a start that he had been up all night contemplating. Leaping down from the tree, he resumed his aimless trek, resolved to forget about the two miko in his life for awhile. He should have known that effort would prove fruitless, and by that afternoon he was ready to bash his skull against a rock just to get a few hours of peace. Heh, I bet Kikyou wouldn’t mind doing that for me…dah! He wandered into an unfamiliar forest, wracked with indecisiveness. It seemed to him as if his very mind had turned against him, the long-buried doubts he harbored about his decision emerging to pester him. His distraction dulled his reflexes, so that when the trap was sprung, he reacted too sluggishly to escape. A thin tripwire triggered the release of a cloud of noxious purple vapor from somewhere, and he took two breaths of the stuff before he gathered his wits about him and realized he might have been better off holding his breath. By then it was too late; he staggered forward a few steps, coughing as his vision blurred. Then he collapsed onto the dirt, and the world went black.

It was late afternoon by the time Kagome stopped running. She had tasted Inuyasha’s scent on one of her furious inhales, and literally tripped over herself in a frantic effort to halt. Crawling back, she quickly located his scent and drew deeply a few times, just for the pleasure of smelling it again. His scent had become a normal part of her daily life, and she missed it. Tracking him proved relatively easy now, as she moved along the trail in the general direction from which she had last sensed his aura. Inuyasha had been traveling along a fairly well-trodden game path, about four feet wide. She was tempted to speed up, but she knew his scent could veer off the trail at any moment and she didn’t want to lose it. So attuned to her surroundings was she that when the purple fog suddenly sprang up out of nowhere, she was able to plow through and emerge out the other side with only a half-lungful of the stuff. She sank down on hands and knees, coughing and sputtering. For awhile she thought she was going to pass out, but eventually the dizziness wore off and she climbed cautiously to her feet. What in the hell was that?

Looking closely, she spied the tripwire drawn taut across the path at shin height. Covering her mouth with her kosode, she crept low along the ground and tentatively plucked the wire, watching as a fresh puff of smoke was expelled from the tree to her right. She waited for the cloud to dissipate before standing and peering at the tree closely. There! Tied to the trunk at head level was a large gourd of some kind. A small string was tied to the cap, leading down toward the ground. It was the other end of the tripwire, she realized; the thing was rigged to open and expel some of its contents when someone using the path walked through here. The gas inside had probably been pressurized somehow, but she dared not release any more of the stuff to test that theory. But why would someone rig a trap like this in the first place? Who—or what—were they trying to catch? She realized with a sinking feeling that she probably had a pretty good idea why she had sensed that Inuyasha was in danger, especially since his scent mixed with a couple others as it moved deeper into the forest. Human scents. She already had her suspicions about the motives behind the trap, and the fact that whoever set it had taken Inuyasha did not bode well. Oh, boy, I have a bad feeling about this.

Her sense of foreboding only deepened as she continued along the path, ever watchful for more tripwires. She had to step over a few of them, and nearly walked into one at chest height, swaying on her tiptoes for an agonizing moment before falling backward instead of forward into the wire. Rubbing her sore rear end, she glared up at the offending wire. Her eyes widened as her attention was drawn higher. There were tripwires running between the branches of the trees as well, both above the path and on either side. She frowned in consternation, baffled by the seemingly unorganized patchwork of strings running at all sorts of angles. What purpose could they possibly have? They were spread too far apart to catch birds, and the only large creatures known to fly or climb trees were—

Kagome shook her head, vowing not to jump to conclusions. She would get to the bottom of this soon enough, hopefully without being captured herself. With that in mind, she slowed her pace to a crawl, shuffling along the path and making absolutely certain to avoid anything that looked manmade. It seemed like hours before she reached her first major obstacle, though it was probably closer to one hour. Two eight-foot poles stuck out of the ground on either side of the trail, loosely connected by a rope that sloped gently downward between them. More rope lead off into the forest, almost certainly to other poles in what must surely be a long line of them. It almost looked like a huge clothesline except for the sutras hanging along the rope at regular intervals. And she had a feeling those sutras weren’t just for show.

That theory was confirmed when she edged close enough to move her finger toward the boundary line. She received a nasty jolt even before she could cross the invisible barrier. She recoiled, swearing under her breath and shaking her hand to lessen the sting. Damn, that hurt! But it had not been a useless exercise; she now knew that the barrier only reacted to her youkai side. She could still feel her inner demon’s agitation over getting shocked. If she were human the barrier would probably let her stroll right through. Jumping and probing the area above the line proved just as futile—and painful; it seemed the barrier extended up past the trees. But she was a miko as well as a hanyou, so perhaps there was another way. Summoning her miko powers, she approached the barrier again, reaching toward a sutra with a hand that glowed a healthy pink. She was able to get closer this time, as if the barrier was hesitating, but in the end it still shocked her and she pulled away with another stinging rejection. Snarling, she glared at the offending obstruction. It was clear that someone powerful and skilled in the pure arts had erected this barrier to keep youkai out. But whoever it was had also taken Inuyasha inside, and that scared her to death. Who knew what kind of trouble he was in on the other side? Narrowing her eyes, she decided to find out. That’s it! I’ll force my way through!

Concentrating, she called on the full force of her miko energy, and soon she was standing amidst a swirling pink vortex. Her body glowed, and when she opened her eyes they shone with an ethereal light. Striding up to the barrier, she put both hands forward and pushed toward the sutra. She faced heavy resistance; it was almost like trying to stand in the middle of a hurricane. Crackles of power passed back and forth, and she wasn’t sure if they came from herself or the barrier. She gritted her teeth and pressed harder, her limbs shaking with the effort. She was so close! Just another inch or two and her fingers would touch the sutra. Almost…almost…

With a sudden surge of power she was thrown back, flying through the air straight into the trunk of a large tree. The impact knocked her breath away and cracked her head against the wood, and she collapsed bonelessly in a heap. When her dizziness finally cleared she rose onto her knees and then fell back into a sitting position. She rested her forehead on her raised knees, groaning miserably as her whole skull throbbed. Her back was quite sore as well, though it didn’t feel like she had suffered any major injuries. Still, it was quite humbling to get her ass kicked by a piece of paper.

"Ugh…shit," she swore aloud, "what am I going to do now?" Whoever set up the barrier was indeed very powerful. As long as she had youkai blood, she wasn’t getting in, end of story. But she was still dying to know what had happened to Inuyasha, and maybe there was another method to gather that information. Looking up into the canopy, she picked the tallest tree she could see and, careful to avoid any tripwires, she began climbing. It was slow progress because of her achy head and body, but she eventually settled on a thin but sturdy branch near the top. Then she gazed out over the forest, and her jaw dropped. There, not a hundred yards beyond the barrier, sat a large village, with dozens of huts laid out in a more or less organized fashion. But her attention was really drawn to the clearing in the center of the village, where a horrifying spectacle was unfolding. Wooden cages of several sizes were laid out in the grass, ranging from about waist-height to large ones big enough to hold several men comfortably. Most were occupied, and Kagome gasped aloud as she identified the prisoners. They’re all youkai, every one of them! Some were low-level youkai, moving around their cages hissing and snapping at passersby. Others were more or less humanoid and probably intelligent, sitting stoically cross-legged or weeping quietly. But why? Why didn’t they just break out of their flimsy wooden cages? All of them appeared hastily-constructed, and nothing made out of trees should have been able to hold some of these youkai. A spark from one such enclosure provided her answer—sutras attached to the exterior of each cage. The youkai literally couldn’t touch the walls or ceilings of the cages, not even for the split second it would take to smash them. They would get thrown back, much like she had been repulsed by the rope barrier.

One captive in particular drew her attention, a red-clad figure with silver hair. "Inuyasha," she whispered, barely remembering to breath. He was lying motionless in one of the larger cages, probably unconscious. She looked closely, staring as hard as she could, and could just make out the slow rise and fall of his chest. She sighed in relief; he was alive. She had finally found him. That thought brought a few rogue tears to her eyes, which she blinked away. She would cry when he was in her arms, but that was looking less and less likely to happen with their current predicaments. She was stuck outside the barrier, and he was locked in a cage on the inside. Villagers moved to and fro, hurrying about various tasks. A large platform was under construction, nearly completed in the center of the clearing. Atop it stood a man dressed in the robes of a monk, barking orders occasionally but for the most part simply overseeing the activity below him. He must be the one behind all this!

All of this was useful information to have, but only if she could gain entrance to the village. It did her no good if she couldn’t pass through the barrier, and that damn monk had set it up so only humans could get in without permission. Oh, why couldn’t my youkai side have receded tonight instead of a few days ago? Wait… It was a crazy idea, wasn’t it? Her youkai side wasn’t going to just up and vanish because she wanted it to. But what if she forced it to recede? Could I really…purify myself? Inuyasha had been purified on several occasions, including once by her own hand. She shuddered at the memory, but he had never shown any long-term ill effects. He would have to put up with being human for awhile, but that was it. She couldn’t imagine any reason why it would be different for her. Still, it remained to be seen whether she could actually purify herself. Her miko and youkai sides had been living together in harmony for months now, so the latter might be immune to the attacks of the other. But she had to try, because what other option did she have? Sit in this tree and let whatever the villagers had planned for her mate happen? What if they were planning to kill him and all the other youkai in those cages? That didn’t seem like such an outlandish idea from where she was sitting.

If she was human, she could pass herself off as a traveling miko and get to the bottom of this. At least then she would have a chance to defuse the situation or find a way to help Inuyasha escape. Decision made, she leapt down from the tree, grunting as the landing sent fresh jolts through her sore back. This is gonna hurt even worse if I become human. But there was no cure for it; she would just have to deal with the pain. She settled on the ground, crossing her legs in front of her, and took a deep breath. Then she called upon her miko and youkai auras at once, feeling them rise about her. Then, mentally apologizing to her youkai half, she focused everything on her goal. Her miko energy hesitated at first, as if questioning her judgment, before finally surging against the resistance of her youki as her body exploded in agony. She gritted her teeth and bore it, refusing to allow her concentration to waver. Every assault by her miko energy sent a fresh wave of pain through her, but she was winning the battle. Her youki was receding, and it became a race as to which would break first—her youki or her determination. Finally, just when she was reaching the limit of her pain tolerance, something inside her snapped, and her youki abruptly vanished. Her breath left her in a rush, and she swayed dizzily for a moment before collapsing on her back and losing consciousness.

Kagome’s eyes fluttered open, and she moved a hand up to rest on her scalp. "Oh, my head," she groaned, but then a victorious grin sprouted on her features. She had succeeded; there was no furry ear under her fingers and her senses were heavily dulled. Yep, I’m human alright. As for the question of whether or not she was right in believing that the change was not permanent…she would worry about that later. Right now she only had one thing on her mind, and that was taking her baka mate’s ass out of the fire. Then perhaps she would decide whether to kick that same ass, figuratively speaking, of course. Sitting up, she took a cursory look around, and was surprised at how little she could see. When did it get so dark out? Either she had been out for a couple hours or she hadn’t noticed the setting of the sun because of her feline vision. Whatever the case, it was now definitely nighttime, and her human eyes could barely see ten feet in front of her. So it was with a slow pace and a good amount of caution that she moved through the trees toward the village. The once-impassable barrier let her through without so much as a blip. She was tempted to tear it down out of spite, but she had better things to do with her time. Eventually, flickering light started to filter through the trees, and voices drifted to her ears. She paused at the edge of the forest a few minutes later, and taking a deep breath, stepped out into the torchlight.

Most of the villagers were busy working, so no one noticed her immediately. Kagome walked right into the village, but none of the villagers looked up and several walked right past without acknowledging her. Not knowing what else to do, she crept up to the nearest stranger, who was building another one of the smaller cages.

"Um, excuse me."

"What do you wa—" he snapped, cutting himself off as he turned to glare at her. "Who are you?!" It seemed the entire village went silent at his exclamation; Kagome suddenly found hundreds of eyes staring directly at her. She gulped. It’s ok, you’re just a wandering miko. What would Kikyou say in this situation? Steeling her nerves, she tried to channel the stoic, confident persona of the dead miko.

"I am a traveling miko seeking a place to stay for the night," she stated, inwardly thrilled that there was no tremble in her voice. Heh, eat your heart out, Kikyou!

"A miko, you say?" came a male voice, not overly deep but not effeminate either. It was somewhere in the middle of the range, a very pleasant-sounding voice. The villagers parted to let the owner through, and Kagome was met with none other than the monk she had spied earlier. At first glance he seemed the typical feudal era man, though perhaps in better shape than most because of his occupation. His slim form was neither stout with youth nor withered with old age. His hair was tied back like Miroku’s, but his receding hairline and slightly wrinkled cheeks revealed that he was much older, probably in his late thirties. He carried a metal staff, bronze in color and with only a small black globe on the top end. He wore an easy, amiable smile, but there was something about it that made a small chill run down Kagome’s spine. Perhaps it was the hint of menace glowing in his otherwise friendly eyes. She somehow managed to keep from shivering as those same eyes looked her up and down.

"You do not wear the typical colors of a miko," he observed skeptically. It was true; she was currently dressed in her forest green hakama and white kosode. A fortunate choice, for it was her outfit that most resembled miko garb. The only difference was the coloring of the hakama, and perhaps the precise style of the kosode, but that detail was too insignificant to matter.

"True," she replied, raising her fist and allowing some of her miko energy to bleed onto it. "But I assure you my powers are genuine." At this, the monk’s grin grew even wider, and he seemed almost giddy with excitement.

"Ah, I thought I sensed a burst of miko energy a short while ago. That was you, was it not?"

"Y-yes, it was. I, uh, purified a youkai."

"Well, I thank you for that. One less youkai in the world is always a good thing," he quipped, his tone indicating that he saw absolutely nothing wrong with that statement. Kagome gritted her teeth and nodded, deciding that maintaining her deception was more important than smacking sense into this bigoted houshi.

"May I ask your name?" she inquired, changing the subject.

"Oh, how rude of me! Please forgive my impoliteness. You may call me Noburu (2). Would you give me your name, or do you prefer miko-sama?"

"My name is Kagome," she answered, deciding there was no point in making up a fake name. She would probably just forget it and mess something up later.

"Kagome…" he repeated, weighing the syllables on his tongue. "I have not heard that name before, but I like it. It is very beautiful," he said, though Kagome didn’t feel the slightest bit flattered. That foreboding feeling returned, telling her this wasn’t a man she wanted to make friends with. She didn’t think that would be a problem, considering that Inuyasha was currently sitting in a cage under his direction. She narrowed her eyes at that thought, not trusting herself to speak. Fortunately, Noburu didn’t take her silence as evidence of hostility; instead, he just continued on speaking.

"Well, Kagome-sama, it is very fortuitous that you showed up here tonight, because we are in the final stages of preparing for our grand celebration! Tonight, when the full moon is high in the sky, all of the vile, wicked youkai we have gathered will be executed!" At this, most of the village erupted into cheers, though Kagome did notice a handful of villagers angrily shaking their heads. Apparently even this charismatic monk had his dissenters, but they were the minority, and a small one at that. As for her, it was incredibly difficult to mask her horror, but somehow she managed. Unless she did something, and fast, Inuyasha only had a few hours left to live!

"What is the matter, Kagome-sama?" Noburu asked, this time noticing her lack of response. "Surely you do not object?"

"N-no…of course not," she answered, thinking quickly. "I am merely tired from my journey, and I feel it will be difficult for me to stay awake to watch the proceedings. Might I persuade you to delay the, um, execution until morning? I really would like to see it," she ground out, feeling sick to her stomach at the words. Noburu appeared crestfallen for a moment, then brightened once more.

"Certainly, my dear Kagome-sama! I understand completely that you would wish to witness this historic event. Satomi!" he called, and when a woman answered he told her to prepare Kagome a meal and a room for the night. Satomi scurried off, and the villagers began drifting back to their previous occupations, eventually leaving Kagome and Noboru alone.

"Well, Kagome-sama, would you like a tour of the village before you retire for the night?"

"That would be wonderful," she replied sincerely. She really did want a tour; she couldn’t very well help Inuyasha escape unless she saw him first. That thought sent butterflies fluttering in her stomach, but she tamped them down. The time for rejoicing at their reunion would come when he was safe and sound.

"Excellent! Then please follow me." Noburu led her to the center of the village and down the first of several rows of cages. He talked constantly, telling her about how the cages were designed, how difficult some of the youkai had been, how his training in the taijiya arts allowed him to create smoke traps, and a dozen other topics she had no real interest in. Kagome got the distinct impression that the monk was trying to impress her. She largely ignored him, her attention drawn instead to the plight of the captive youkai. Some of them were savage beasts which Kagome would not shed a single tear over, but others appeared to be peaceful, the type that didn’t bother with humans unless provoked. Entire families were present, children sobbing alone and parents trying to hold it together in separate cages. It was absolutely heartrending, and she saw at least one young kitsune, which added to her repugnance for this entire situation. She had already learned that Noburu hated all youkai, and his indiscriminate detestation had placed many innocents on death row. If she had her way, they would all receive pardons. She would free every one of them or die trying.

"So what do you think?" Noburu asked suddenly, startling her out of her musings.

"It’s, um, very…interesting," she answered, unable to bring herself to offer a true compliment, but equally unwilling to blow cover and tell him what she really thought.

"Interesting…" he repeated with a frown, then he sighed. "I get the distinct impression that you oppose what we’re doing here, Kagome-sama." The miko hid a grimace. Damn! I guess I’m not a very good actress.

"No, it’s not that. I support what you’re trying to do, it’s just some of the children… I find it hard to believe they have done anything to warrant an execution."

"Please! Having youkai blood is enough of a crime. They all grow up to be bloodthirsty killers anyway, so why not just nip it in the bud and get rid of them now?" Kagome almost started to point out how warped and perverse that logic was, but she bit her tongue. That’s the single most racist, ignorant, and downright stupid thing I’ve ever heard! But it told her something about Noburu; he was a fanatic, ready with a quick justification for every one of his actions. And she could tell there would be no talking him out of his way of thinking. Freeing the youkai would only solve the problem temporarily; Noburu would be at it again unless he was dealt with. She would try to think of a way to do that besides killing him, but if it came to that, then so be it. She felt no sympathy for a man who would summarily execute a collection of innocent beings just because they were youkai.

"I suppose," she forced herself to reply.

"There, you see! It’s sometimes hard for young people these days to understand how the youkai menace needs to be dealt with, but you’re starting to come around. I’m sure you will soon comprehend it completely." Kagome snorted under her breath, glaring at him out of the corner of her eye. Oh, I already understand everything that’s going on here, you psychopath! She blinked, turning her head to focus on Noburu’s stomach, where a telltale glow shone from inside his robes.

"You have a shard of the Shikon no Tama?!" she blurted out, mentally kicking herself afterwards. Stupid! The object here is NOT to do or say anything suspicious! Noburu recoiled in shock for a moment, but he seemed to take her question in stride.

"I did not realize you could sense it, Kagome-sama. You are more skilled than I realized. Yes, as a matter of fact I do have a jewel shard in my possession."

"Have you come across any more recently?" she asked, trying to be casual about it. She knew for a fact that the piece she and Inuyasha had collected was much bigger than the small sliver Noburu had on him.

"Unfortunately, no. None of the youkai we caught had shards." This both relieved and disturbed Kagome at the same time. Inuyasha, what the hell did you do with our piece of the jewel? But that was a minor concern at the moment, so she pushed it aside. The top priority was still breaking him and the rest of the youkai out of their makeshift prison. Finally, she and Noburu turned into the last row of cages, and she stopped cold, gasping as her eyes widened. There he was. Inuyasha, her mate, looking just the way she remembered him. It was hard to believe they had only been apart for less than two weeks. He sat immobile, unable to move because of the sutra stuck to his forehead, but he was awake. His golden eyes stared right back at her, emotion overflowing from the shimmering pools. In his gaze warred happiness and anger, relief and frustration, love and resolve. The conflicting emotions both made her want to reach out to him and stilled her hand.

"Kagome-sama?" Noburu inquired, wondering why she had stopped. He followed her gaze, and broke out into a smirk. "Ah, so you’ve never seen a hanyou before. He was a handful, that one, which is why I had to restrain him. He looks almost human, but don’t be fooled. He’s just as vicious and dangerous as the rest of the—"

"No! He—" Kagome exclaimed, literally choking on the rest of it to give herself an opportunity to reign in her temper. Calm down, Kagome! You can’t do any good if Noburu decides you’re a youkai-lover and locks you up. "N-never mind," she said, waving her hands. Noburu favored her with a wary look, but then shrugged.

"Then let’s continue with the tour, shall we?" Kagome nodded and the two of them set off again. They continued down the row, and had almost reached the end when one of the villagers ran up to them and asked Noburu to help with something. Turning to her, the monk managed a mostly sincere smile. But there was something darker there, something Kagome didn’t like.

"Well, that’s pretty much all there is to see," he said. "I imagine you’ll want to retire soon. I’m sure Satomi has your meal ready by now."

"Thank you," Kagome replied, issuing a slight bow. Noburu nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"Sleep well, Kagome-sama," he told her as he turned to leave. Kagome scoffed inwardly. I doubt I’ll be getting any sleep tonight. She heaved a sigh, letting the tension in her shoulders subside.

"Relieved to get away from Noburu?"

Kagome jolted at the sudden voice, turning toward the source and spying a man grinning amusedly at her. He was short, stooped, and heavily wrinkled, probably in his fifties or sixties. He leaned on a walking stick, but he spoke clearly and seemed quite sure of himself, so apparently his mental state was not in question. Kagome stuttered, not knowing which answer this man wanted to hear. He chuckled at her discomfiture.

"Relax, sweetheart. I don’t blame you. That damn monk has been nothing but trouble since he got here!" Pausing, he seemed to rethink himself. "Well, I shouldn’t say that. He did help us quite a bit in the beginning, but then he took things way too far!" Kagome smiled in relief; apparently this was one of the dissenters she had noticed earlier. Maybe he can help me. She would make sure to breach that subject cautiously, however. She only got one shot at this escape attempt, and the consequences for a screw up were dire indeed. No, she would start with a safer question.

"Has Noburu been here long?"

"Goodness, no! He’s hasn’t even been here for a full lunar cycle, and already most of the villagers would follow him to the ends of the Earth if he asked them to. These same people used to listen to me. I’ve lived here my whole life, and they suddenly turn away because of some sweet-talking bouzu who thinks he knows everything about the world. Why, back in my day—"

"Um, excuse me…"

"Huh? Oh, my apologies. I was rambling again. Anyway, you said your name was Kagome-sama, right?"

"Just Kagome is fine."

The old man did a double take, gazing at her thoughtfully. "You really aren’t the typical miko, are you?"

Kagome smiled wryly. "You have no idea."

He grinned back at her. "Well, that’s probably a good thing. My name is Ryuunosuke, by the way (3). Like I said, I’ve resided in this village since my birth. For most of that time we lived peacefully, rarely having any problems with youkai. Then, a number of days ago, young Kenta found a mysterious pink shard out in the forest, and brought it to us. Now, we didn’t know what it was at the time, but it was immediately clear that it was something special. We had more youkai activity in a few days than we had in the previous several years. We were able to defend ourselves, but even so a few unfortunate ones were killed. We wanted to get rid of the shard, but we were afraid. If the lower youkai that normally didn’t bother us wanted it so badly, then what would happen if one of them actually got a hold of it?

"The situation was becoming drastic. A couple more villagers were killed on the forest trails, and we knew it was only a matter of time before something big showed up, something we couldn’t handle. Then Noburu arrived, seemingly a savior sent straight from the Kami, and took care of all our youkai problems. He has incredible power, and when a couple big youkai did show up he vanquished them easily. But it soon became clear to some of us that Noburu had an agenda, that exterminating youkai wasn’t just a profession for him; it was an obsession. It also became clear that most of the simpletons in this village were willing to go along with it out of fear. We are afraid to disobey Noburu because we don’t want to be left alone to fend for ourselves. People like me think that selling our souls and becoming mass murderers is worse than death, but unfortunately there are too few of us around." Here, Ryuunosuke paused, his tired eyes closing for a moment. "I heard what you said to him before, and I’m with you. Not all of these youkai are innocent, but the ones that have done us no harm don’t deserve to die, especially the young ones."

Kagome studied the older man as he was speaking, and decided that he was entirely genuine with his words. While not as open-minded as Kaede, for example, Ryuunosuke was at least willing to make the distinction between good and bad youkai, something that many people in this era refused to do. It gave her courage to breach a dangerous and potentially fatal subject with him.

"Ryuunosuke-san, what would you say if I told you I wanted to help these youkai escape?"

"I would say that I cannot let you do that." Kagome gaped in shock, and was about to protest when Ryuunosuke continued. "Unless you promise to help us take the Shikon jewel shard from Noburu, and then to carry it far away from this village. Once the villagers see that the danger has passed, I am confident that they will stop laboring for Noburu’s genocide and go back to their daily lives. Do we have an understanding, Kagome-sama?"

"Yes, we do," Kagome replied, delighted at the arrangement. If they pulled this off, it looked like everything else would fall into place. Of course, that was still a pretty big ‘if’ at this point.

"Excellent," Ryuunosuke said solemnly. "Retire for the night, Kagome-sama. I will send one of my men to retrieve you when it is time. We are few in number, but I think we can finagle it so no one loyal to Noburu is on guard duty tonight. And with you there, we will be protected if any of the youkai decide to turn on us." Nodding, Kagome turned to depart before Ryuunosuke’s voice stopped her. "Oh, one more thing, Kagome-sama."

"Yes?"

"That hanyou…he is the real reason you are here, is he not?"

"Yes," Kagome hedged, unsure how much to reveal. "He is…important to me."

"I see," Ryuunosuke replied neutrally before bowing. "Well, goodnight, Kagome-sama."

"G-goodnight, Ryuunosuke-san." With that, the old man turned and walked away, leaving Kagome wondering just what information he had gleaned from her vague statement. Shrugging, she decided to put that aside for now. Her stomach growled at her; it was time to find Satomi. She couldn’t very well play the heroin on an empty stomach, now could she?

A contemplative grin sprouted on Ryuunosuke’s face as he strolled through the village he knew so well. A miko and a hanyou. In all my years I’ve never seen or heard anything like it. They must truly love each other. If not, it would be impossible for two fundamentally different beings to be together. Heh, no matter how old you get there are always new things to see.

Noburu glowered at the scene from his position behind one of the nearby huts. What is she talking to that damn pest Ryuunosuke about? It can’t be anything good. At first, he had taken Kagome as a simple miko, if not a bit nontraditional. But then as the night went on, things started to happen that aroused his suspicion. He wasn’t stupid, and her flimsy excuses couldn’t mask the fact that she didn’t like what he was doing. He had heard tales of a hanyou and a miko working together to collect the pieces of the Shikon no Tama, but had written them off as myths until now. Then she revealed her ability to sense jewel shards, a feat that most people with spiritual powers could not accomplish. Her thinly-veiled interest in the jewel, combined with her hostile reaction at his description of the hanyou, provided more evidence against her. But he would not jump to unwarranted conclusions; it was still possible that Kagome was simply a powerful miko with a misguided sense of mercy, bearing no relation to the miko from the stories. Nevertheless, he would do well to keep an eye on her, especially since she had been conversing with Ryuunosuke. Oh, yes, he would watch the little miko very closely, indeed.