Beautiful Souls

Miroku sat cross-legged on the grass with his hands resting on his knees, fingertips touching each other lightly. Beside him, Rin copied his position and concentrated intently on his voice as he guided her through the same breathing meditation that he’d once taught Kagome. Though not participating, Inuyasha watched them silently, thinking about the girl who would soon return to his brother’s care.

Rin had begun her training with Sango teaching her basic self-defense. Though the girl was still little, she picked up the moves fairly easily and was now beginning to learn fighting techniques. Sango had made the girl an exterminator uniform like her own, but with orange trim instead of pink.

Kagome had begun her own training once Rin had graduated to fighting. She gave her old bow and arrows to Rin, and the last half hour of Sango’s lesson was devoted to target practice with Kagome. The eager student proved to be not as adept at this task, but never once complained. In addition to that, Kagome had also begun teaching Rin how to read and write, and they were just beginning their math lessons.

Whenever the three girls bathed together in the river, their time was used for lessons of a different kind. Sango and Kagome quickly discovered that the only way to insure privacy for certain topics was during bath time, when all the boys conveniently disappeared. Starting simply, the two adults introduced Rin to the facts of life and womanhood, and on one particular occasion, Rin even learned how to shave after seeing Kagome doing it. Now, all three girls performed this task, and Miroku had been so please with Sango’s results that he’d started trying to feel her legs as well as her butt. His thanks to Kagome for teaching this new trick to his wife had made the miko blush.

Shippou and Kohaku had made it their personal duty from the first to befriend Rin, and the trio was often found running through the village or playing in front of the house. Inuyasha was particularly pleased with this development, for he remembered how hard it was to be a lonely child, and could only image what living with Sesshoumaru was like.

Though Miroku had been kept fairly busy by the disturbances in the village, he made an effort to meditate each morning. Thinking it might help the child strengthen her mind, he invited Rin to join him, and the girl surprised him by how quickly she accepted his offer.

Rin’s days were divided much like Kagome’s school days had been. The young girl rose with the dawn to join Miroku in meditation before returning to the house to have breakfast. After eating, Sango and Kagome would spend the morning hours with her, either in exercise, fighting technique or, more recently, sewing lessons. The hours before, during and after lunch were spent with Kohaku and Shippou in play, and Kagome spent the afternoons providing a more formal education.

It was Inuyasha alone who had not become an integral part of Rin’s daily training, yet it was him the girl went to whenever she had the time. Every night she begged him to tell her stories of the youkai he’d faced, and the two would sit together, deeply lost in the tales he would spin. Sometimes, she would come upon the hanyou lost in thought, and would immediately begin singing little songs she’d made up – something that made both Inuyasha and Kagome laugh. The reason for Rin’s desire to be around the half inu-youkai was obvious… she missed Sesshoumaru. Being closer to Inuyasha seemed to ease that particular loneliness.

For his part, Inuyasha continued to examine the girl who had apparently captivated his brother so. He often sat near her lessons, paying close attention to Rin’s behavior. She had none of the attributes he had imagined Sesshoumaru would care for. Though she was beginning to show potential as a taijiya under Sango’s guidance, Rin wasn’t a warrior by any means. She definitely held no special powers like Kagome, as she had trouble firing a regular arrow with her bow, much less a sacred one. She was smart, but not extraordinarily intelligent and the only skill she showed any unique talent in was, surprisingly, making her own kimono.

Rin was sweet, kind, fiercely protective of his brother, and Inuyasha often wondered how she managed to breathe while chattering non-stop. Sesshoumaru was old and his hatred for humans went back a long way. It had pitted father against son, and brother against brother. This girl was everything the hanyou’s mother had been and yet, the same youkai who would have murdered his father’s human mate, had turned from battle in order to rescue this child. If Inuyasha hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it.

That Sesshoumaru really did care was beyond doubt, and so Inuyasha had narrowed the meaning of it all down to one of three possibilities - either their father’s blood was causing a change within the youkai; there was something more to Rin than met the eye; or it was a sign of the apocalypse... and he seriously doubted that the world was coming to an end, since Kagome’s time wouldn’t even exist in that scenario. Try as he might, he couldn’t see any indication that Rin was something more than what she seemed to be either, and that left Inuyasha with the most unlikely possibility of them all.

Kagome came outside just then, still wearing her pajamas. Smiling sleepily at Inuyasha, she joined Miroku and Rin on the grass, quickly slipping into her own meditation. Although Kagome had been meditating on her own for some time now, she had decided to join Miroku and Rin each morning, starting a trend that spread like wildfire.

It wasn’t long after, that each member of their household had begun finding reasons to partake in Rin’s other classes as well. Kagome had attended Sango’s lessons soon after returning from her time. It seemed natural for her to participate in the exercises, since she wanted to keep in shape for the baby, but when Shippou and Kohaku joined as well, Miroku told Inuyasha that he wanted to see what the fuss was all about, and now all six of them spent at least part of their morning honing their skills.

Sango and Miroku had enjoyed this so much that they’d started going to Kagome’s lessons too, showing particular interest in learning her math. Soon, every lesson set up to train Rin had a class of six, including Inuyasha’s story-telling sessions. One night he’d started to tell Rin some stories from the time before he’d met Kikyou and slowly, everyone had found their way to his corner of the room.

Inuyasha watched and waited, and sure enough, Sango, Kohaku and Shippou came to join the meditation, forming an incomplete circle with one empty place on the ground – a silent invitation for they hanyou to join them. Staring at those whom he considered to be his family, Inuyasha sighed before leaping down from his tree branch and filling in the gap between Kagome and Sango. Assuming the position he’d seen Miroku take on numerous occasions, he closed his eyes and concentrated on the monk’s voice.

He’d never meditated before. He hadn’t ever wanted to… so Inuyasha was surprised when he was overcome by a feeling of peacefulness as soon as he closed his eyes. The sound of Miroku guiding them through the meditation faded, and the hanyou felt his breathing slow and become even, as though he were asleep. He felt weightless, then suddenly bodiless.

Even without a body, Inuyasha could feel the cold wind whipping around him, chilling him to the bone. Wait… wind? It was almost summertime! He opened his eyes and saw before him wide vistas of rock and mountain, frosted with the lingering traces of snow. Without knowing how he’d gotten there, the hanyou knew where he was. He and Kagome had stood on this very cliff nearly two months ago. Inuyasha looked down to see the deep scars that looked like the path of the Kaza no Kizu, but bore a different scent.

Inuyasha had returned to Mt. Hakusan. The place that had disturbed him from the moment they’d reached the shrine atop the highest peak. Everything looked almost exactly as he remembered it, and Inuyasha could not figure out if he was actually there, instead of sitting cross-legged in the grass in front of his own home.

Slowly, the changes in this scene became more defined. Inuyasha first realized that there was much less snow than when he and Kagome had been here before. Although the sun had not been able to cut through the thick haze on their last visit, it had still been day. Now, night covered the mountain, bringing with it the biting teeth of the frosty wind.

Off to his right from beyond where he knew the lake to be, a source of light began rising, as if from a large fire. Inuyasha realized that he could not turn his head, but was forced to focus on the furrows in the earth, which somehow seemed much fresher than before. Suddenly, the lines began to fade into nothing, and Inuyasha thought he was leaving Mt. Hakusan as mysteriously as he’d arrived.

Inuyasha closed his eyes involuntarily, and when he opened them again, he gaped in surprised. Facing his direction, but not looking up at him was an enormous snake. Liquid black scales flowed into one another over its body, broken only by the electric blue striations that slashed across the demon serpent’s back. Its large blue eyes glared at a spot just below where the hanyou stood, and Inuyasha lowered his eyes to see… himself.

A second Inuyasha stood with his back to the cliff, Tetsusaiga drawn and ready. The warrior’s eyes were open wide in an expression the hanyou hardly recognized as his own. As he watched, he heard the second Inuyasha scream in rage, “KAGOME!” and slam the fang against the earth.

From his vigil on the cliff, Inuyasha raised his eyes to see his love… his mate, on low shelf across the clearing from where he and his double now stood. As the snake youkai laughed in a way that made his skin crawl, the hanyou watched in horror as the arrow Kagome had just fired headed straight towards the second Inuyasha’s heart. The blow would strike the double at the same moment that the second’s Kazu no Kizu would pass the snake and collide with the young miko, killing her instantly.

Inuyasha’s eyes flew open and a strangled cry escaped him. Immediately, he turned to Kagome, only to find her eyes on him already. Opening his mouth to say something, anything that would change what he’d seen, he found himself at a complete loss for words. Realizing that Miroku had stopped speaking, the hanyou glanced around at his friends to find four additional sets of eyes watching him and Kagome in shocked silence.

The only one who seemed unaffected was Rin… who had leapt to her feet only moments before and run towards Sesshoumaru; the girl’s long awaited master had slipped towards them from out of the forest.

Still under the influence of the vision, Kagome slowly rose to her feet. Sesshoumaru listened intently to Rin’s excited chatter, but his eyes were focused on the miko, reminding her that he could see through the calm exterior she’d quickly erected. Straightening her shoulders, Kagome met his gaze firmly, daring the youkai to comment.

Sesshoumaru dropped his eyes to Rin’s face, making the girl’s smile widen all the more. “Did you behave yourself, Rin?”

“Yes I did, Sesshoumaru-sama,” Rin answered, nodding her head vigorously.

Inuyasha noticed an odd look cloud his half-brother’s eyes as he finally noticed that the girl was no longer calling herself by name. Before he could consider it’s meaning, Kagome interrupted the momentary silence.

“Rin, why don’t you get into your outfit so we can show Sesshoumaru some of the work you’ve done.” Kagome looked to Sango to help get everything prepared, and was glad to see that Miroku had received her unspoken message as well. The monk gathered the boys and took them inside to dress as well.

Inuyasha watched his mate, crossing his arms across his chest so that she would understand that he had no intention of leaving her alone with his brother. Kagome rolled her eyes at him, but smiled to indicate that she wanted him there. With a final grunt in her direction, the hanyou turned to Sesshoumaru. “You’re early.”

Sesshoumaru looked at his brother. “This Sesshoumaru met in conference with the Lord of the Southern Lands near this place.”

Inuyasha snorted at what he considered to be a blatant excuse, but as he opened his mouth in reply, Kagome cut him off.

“Rin’s been doing very well… she studies hard and is so enthusiastic about everything.” As Kagome rattled off a very through account of the child’s lessons, she noticed a change in the youkai’s aura as Rin came back outside wearing the black and orange armor Sango had fashioned for her.

Continuing to speak as she followed his gaze, the miko tried to discern what emotion the pulse in his life force indicated. Since she had first met him three years ago when the Lord had come to Inuyasha in search of their father’s final resting place, Kagome had only ever seen one of two emotions displayed by Sesshoumaru – anger and indifference. Although occasionally there was a hint of something more, the woman had become used to his monotony, and these new clues to the youkai’s personality were interesting to her.

It wasn’t love that Sesshoumaru was feeling right now – love was much stronger than the undulating ripple that surrounded him. As Rin began to warm up with Sango and Kohaku, Kagome realized that it was an intense interest; not exactly concern , but definite curiosity. The expression on his face was completely inscrutable and, could she not see his aura, Kagome would have thought he was bored.

Sesshoumaru listened impassively to his brother’s mate tell him about Rin’s training as he watched the girl in question begin a sparring match with a young boy… the same boy who had tried to kill Rin while under Naraku’s influence. Sesshoumaru was not bothered by this – the boy was harmless now and, were he to try anything, the youkai would cut him down before the child could blink.

Killing the boy did not fit in with Sesshoumaru’s plans. In fact, it would work directly against those things he hoped to achieve here... and it was a rare day when the Lord did not get exactly what he wanted. In this instance, the success of his designs depended heavily on the young miko beside him; killing a member of her pack would only incur her wrath, and even he knew it was probably better to avoid that scenario.

Kagome… at first, she had been nothing more than a nuisance to Sesshoumaru – something easily disposed of, but hardly worth the effort. Had it not been for her association with his baka half brother, the Lord might never have come to know of her existence. His first clue that there may have been something special about her came when the girl had so easily removed the Tetsusaiga from its rock, when both he and Inuyasha had already failed.

Before long, Sesshoumaru found that his desire to kill his worthless brother would always be impeded by the insufferable Kagome. She foolishly threw herself in his way or challenged him, which allowed Inuyasha to gain enough ground to spare his own life. Even more infuriating was the fact that the girl refused to die easily. No matter how many times the Lord felt certain that he’d finally disposed of the pest, she always returned to interfere again.

Sesshoumaru had nearly lost to his brother when the hanyou suddenly managed to activate Tetsusaiga’s primary attack. Were it not for his own sword, which acted as a barrier to protect him, the youkai Lord would have been in worse shape than he was when a small human child found him in the woods. Despite his repeated dismissals, Rin – as she came to be known, continued trying to care for him in her own awkward ways.

Why the Lord of the Western Lands should take even the slightest interest in the well-being of a mortal pup was a question that still plagued Sesshoumaru – and everyone else who knew as well. For some reason, when he’d found Rin’s lifeless body sprawled across the road leading away from the nearby human village, he had been persuaded by Tenseiga to restore her life.

Rin had followed him faithfully ever since, and Sesshoumaru had never said a word of explanation about it to anyone. It was no one else’s concern what he chose to do or not to do, and anyone who’d dare question him would suffer for their insolence. However, the Lord was aware that he himself did not fully understand his reasons for keeping Rin.

At first, he had wanted to study her more closely - to determine if there was a reason why Tenseiga had responded so strongly to the child’s death. Sesshoumaru would be damned before he’d admit that he still did not know the answer to that. Rin seemed normal enough for a human… until he began noticing the unusual similarities between the child and his brother’s bitch.

As the power in Kagome grew, he wondered about Rin more. Could she have some hidden source of power that could be used for his benefit? It hadn’t seemed so, but one does not live for hundred’s of years without patience. Slowly, a new interest had begun to emerge within Sesshoumaru – one that he found disconcerting. As Rin grew older, the inu-youkai discovered that he actually enjoyed her company… in his own way. He would never actively seek her out, but neither would he send her away when she sought him.

Sesshoumaru also found himself incapable of resisting the need to rescue Rin any time she was in trouble - but he could find sense in that. The girl was his, plain and simple. He’d restored her life to her, and that life was his to take away again if he so chose – not anyone else’s. Owning up to his own desire to protect her placed the Lord in a most unsettling situation.

If Rin were to remain in his company, she would need to be trained. The Lord had not been completely truthful when he’d told the miko that he had neither the time, nor the patience to do it himself – it would have been more accurate to say that he did not have the inclination to do so. Youkai trained their pups, and the girl was certainly not that. Neither was she his servant, so having Jaken tutor her was also out of the question. Besides, after Rin had set the imp’s cloak on fire while trying to use the Staff of Two Heads, Sesshoumaru was certain that there was nothing his retainer could teach the girl anyway.

This left Sesshoumaru with only one option, and he would have been damned to all the Seven Hells before asking his brother or a human for help. However, the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. There were certain human conditions that he could not… would not, explain to Rin. Besides that, the skills she would need to learn had already been mastered by Kagome, and as a human who knew both how to fight and respect youkai, she was the only one capable of raising Rin in a manner suitable to himself.

Ignoring the implications of his actions, Sesshoumaru had taken the opportunity of Rin’s illness to approach his brother’s bitch and goad her into complying with his wishes. The miko… Kagome, was now watching him intently again, but the lord kept his gaze focused on Rin although his thoughts were elsewhere.

Sesshoumaru had spent the length of his life thinking of humans as worthless pieces of flesh; nothing more than another food source for his kind. Kagome was the first for which he’d seen any purpose - the first to prove worthy of the right to exist. The youkai Lord was not such a fool that he would deny his ever-rising respect for the girl… something that shocked him as much as it amused him. His brother’s mate held more power in her hands than anyone else he’d ever even heard of, though she did not fully realize it yet. There was no other human more suitable for such a task, and he would trust Rin to no one else.

Sesshoumaru’s voice interrupted Kagome’s nervous rambling, “Humans are so weak,” he stated softly.

Kagome forced herself not to smile as she responded, “Rin’s spirit is strong, and if she keeps up her practices, her body will strengthen too.”

The youkai Lord was surprised that Kagome had instinctively caught his meaning, instead of interpreting his comment as an insult. Sesshoumaru eyed the miko blandly, feigning nonchalance, but nodded once to acknowledge the truth in her words. “ I shall return with her in one year. You will continue to train her in the manner I see fit.” With that, he turned away and began headed over towards Rin.

Rin sensed Sesshoumaru’s approach, and turned to greet him with a broad smile. At that same moment, Kohaku let loose his Kusarikama and cried out in surprise as it headed toward his sparing partner, who’s momentary distraction left her completely defenseless. The taijiya yanked sharply on the weapon’s chain, hoping to pull it up short as Sango rushed forward to block the young girl.

Before Kagome could react, Sesshoumaru had flown from her side to stand before his ward. A second later, Sango tackled Rin to the ground behind him, and Kohaku’s sickle hit the ground in front of him, brought down by the boy’s quick actions. The inu youkai stared down at the young taijiya, sensing his fear. Rin was getting to her feet as the woman who had risked her own safety to rescue the child made sure she was alright before cautioning her against losing her focus in the midst of a fight.

Sesshoumaru waited, observing the situation with all of his senses. Rin was unhurt, and was sufficiently chastised for her error as she politely apologized to her sensei with genuine contrition. The youkai was pleased by the girl’s reaction, and before he could stop himself, he turned to Kohaku who still stared at him wide-eyed.

“Your reflexes serve you well. Rin will learn much here.”

Sango fought back the tears as she heard Sesshoumaru’s words and took in her brother’s stunned expression. “Come on, Rin. Let’s get your things.”

***************

Kagome awoke to find herself in an odd, yet familiar position. Though still snuggled warmly in her sleeping bag, she was being held close against Inuyasha’s chest, high in a beech tree, with Shippou clinging tightly to her stomach and snoring loudly. For a moment, she couldn’t recall what they were doing away from their house, until her mind brought back the events of the past few days.

Not long after Sesshoumaru and Rin had gone away into the west, Inuyasha had begun insisting that the group leave immediately. He’d been more than patient about waiting so that Kagome and Sango could go with them, and now he was eager to seek out the threat to their family. After a brief discussion, ending with Miroku bopping the hanyou on the head with his staff, all agreed to get one more nights sleep before beginning such an arduous journey.

The following morning, Inuyasha had woken everyone at dawn by storming through the house and griping loudly about ‘pathetic humans needing too much sleep’ and, after a quick breakfast, the seven friends began the trip to the northern mountains. They had traveled all day at the highest speeds they were capable of. Inuyasha carried Kagome and Shippou, while Kirara flew with Sango and Kohaku on her back. Miroku alternated between running behind them and riding on Kirara as well to spare the nekomata the excess weight. Needless to say, the going was not altogether to Inuyasha’s liking, and he’d gone to sleep that night in a foul mood that even his mate couldn’t bring him out of.

Looking at his sleep softened face now, Kagome smiled softly. He looked so innocent in repose, free from all cares and worries. It was still something that took her by surprise whenever she caught a glimpse of it… as if she’d never get used to the peaceful nature that had started to fill Inuyasha’s heart even as long ago as the first day they had met. She wondered why the attack on Miroku had caused in him a greater distress than she’d seen since Naraku’s defeat.

As if sensing her thoughts, Inuyasha’s eyes slowly opened and met with hers. A tiny smile played at the corners of his mouth, and for a moment, Kagome could forget that anything troubled her husband.

“Hi,” she whispered, pressing her head closer against him.

“Hey,” he replied softly, leaning in to kiss her forehead. Inuyasha closed his eyes as his lips touched her skin. There were times when he woke up in the early morning hours like this and found that he could not open his eyes, terrified that the last few months had all been a dream, and that he was alone.

Kagome tilted her head up to kiss the tip of his nose, “What are you thinking about?” she murmured.

Inuyasha sighed, “I was careless. That snake shouldn’t have been able to get close enough to attack one of us like he did.”

Kagome furrowed her brow. “That’s not your fault. We’ve already had this discussion… we’ve all been a little too relaxed over the last few months, but that doesn’t any one person responsible for it.”

“It’s my responsibility to protect our family….” Inuyasha responded lamely.

“Only in the way that we all protect each other, but you can’t carry the burden of our safety on yourself. Just because you’re stronger…”

“That’s right… I’m stronger than any of you.” Inuyasha interrupted. “I was so busy focusing on other things that I let us become vulnerable. I knew there would be dangers once Naraku was gone, and I….” The expression on Kagome’s face stopped him.

“Inuyasha,” Kagome replied, fighting the tears that had risen. “ I was the ‘other thing’ you were focusing on. Are you saying that if it weren’t for me, this wouldn’t have happened?”

“Shit,” Inuyasha muttered softly, berating himself for his thoughtlessness. Holding Kagome more tightly, he pressed his forehead to hers. “No… Kagome, becoming your mate was the best thing I’ve ever done… the only thing I’ve ever done right in my miserable life.”

Kagome closed her eyes. “You can’t live your life, always on guard. That’s no way to live… especially for someone who’s immortal.” Leaning back a little, she looked into his eyes. “Things are going to happen to us, because of who we are. We aren’t always going to be able to prevent them, but we will always fight back the best way we can. Miroku is all right now, and no one was seriously hurt, so stop beating yourself up and be confident that we’re the only ones who have the ability to stop these demons from doing anything worse.”


Inuyasha smiled. Though Kagome still spoke softly so as not to wake Shippou or their friends below, the familiar argumentative edge had crept back into her voice and it reminded him of the fierce determination that had kept her coming back to him, no matter how big a baka he was. He nodded, but his expression sobered before he spoke again. “It’s not just us… the village could have been destroyed. Those people trust us and we put them in danger.”

Kagome giggled gently, “Since when do you care about the villagers? You never have much before.”

“ I care!” Inuyasha protested a little too sharply. Shippou twitched in his place on Kagome’s stomach before rolling over and attaching himself to Inuyasha’s haori. Softening his voice, the hanyou added, “They took us in; they rely on us to protect them. How can we protect them from other’s if we can’t even protect them from ourselves?”

“They don’t know that Miroku had anything to do with it.” Kagome reminded him.

Inuyasha shook his head. “If they did know, they’d drive us out. Even if we told them that Miroku was being controlled, they’d figure out that we’re not the gods they think we are, and you can bet they wouldn’t be happy about that either. Besides, the fact that they don’t know about the possession could be bad too. The villager’s might see all the things that have happened as a bad omen, and now that they’ve stopped just two weeks before we left….”

“Inuyasha!” Kagome reached up to touch her husband’s face. She made him meet her eyes. “You’re afraid of being alone again, aren’t you? Of not being accepted?”

A hard look of denial crossed Inuyasha’s face, but melted at the love in Kagome’s eyes. “When I was a pup, my mom and I were run out of any number of villages. We finally ended up back with her people, but the only reason they let us stay there was because she was family. Even that wasn’t good enough, and mother was always treated like something that had crawled out of the wilderness – something they’d taken pity on.” The disgust in his voice was palpable.

Kagome kept quiet. Inuyasha rarely shared memories of his childhood, and she had a feeling that doing so would help ease the ache he still carried in his heart. Such words were difficult to listen to, but they were even harder for the hanyou to speak, let alone keep buried away for centuries.

“When mother died, there was no one left to protect me. The children in the village tormented me, and I couldn’t fight back because mother always told me that I was stronger, and it would be dishonorable to do so. Their parents found every chance they could get to make trouble for me with my grandparents. I stopped going outside after a while, but the servants hated having me underfoot, and would take it out on me by breaking or stealing valuables and tell my grandfather that I’d done it.” Inuyasha’s eyes closed against the flood of memories that overtook him. He’d tried for so long to keep them in that he was surprised at how quickly they came now that he’d begun sharing them.

The warmth of Kagome’s eyes scanning his face gave Inuyasha the courage to finish his story. He met her eyes with his own. “One night, I heard my grandfather and uncle talking. My uncle had begun making arrangements to have me sold to a slave trader.”

Kagome’s mouth fell open. “What? But… you were family! How could they do something so horrible?”

Inuyasha’s eyes flashed with hatred. “ Like I said… my mother was treated like the scum beneath their feet. I was the stain upon their precious family name, and once she died, there was nothing to stop them from getting rid of the final reminder of their shame. The next night I was pulled from my bed and thrown into a bag. I woke up hours later in the Southern part of the island.”

“Why didn’t you leave? Why didn’t you fight them? You’re much stronger than any human could ever….” Kagome fumed with rage.

“I was twelve then… only a year older than Shippou is now. Youkai mature differently than humans, but a hanyou is stuck between those two worlds, and I doubt I was much stronger than the runt is.” Inuyasha lowered his voice as he continued. “Besides… I wasn’t raised as a fighter. My mother taught me to protect myself without resorting to violence because I was so much stronger than the other kids. She relied on the instincts she knew would kick in as I got older to protect me from other youkai, but I guess I was so well hidden during this part of my life that I never got a chance to prove it.”

Kagome didn’t relent, “You could have run away,” she insisted.

Inuyasha nodded, “ I probably could have, but where would I have gone? I was just a pup and both sides of the only family I knew wanted nothing to do with me. I couldn’t have survived on my own. I spent the whole day trying to figure out a way to escape, but it all came down more quickly than I expected.”

“So they took you South… how did you get away?” Kagome asked.

“I didn’t… not for ten years anyway. I stayed in a camp made up of mostly hanyou, but a few lesser youkai were there too. During the day, we were forced into labor – clearing roads and fields, breaking stone and wood into useable pieces… stuff like that. After a while, if you weren’t considered a threat, you could be assigned to a group of builders. The work was better, but at night, we were still chained to the walls in one large group cell that stank of urine and shit.” Inuyasha curled his nose and turned his face away from Kagome.


“I don’t understand,” Kagome pressed on. “Why did you stay there? Couldn’t you have broken the chains?”

Inuyasha sighed, refusing to meet her eyes. “I could have, yes. We all could have broken the chains, and most of us probably could have made it past the damn human guards and made a break for it… but none of us had the will left.”

Turning, Inuyasha forced himself to explain what he’d always kept secret. “When we first arrived at the camp, we were all shoved into this chamber, so small that there wasn’t room for anyone to sit. We were left there for a week, and when they finally let us out, some dropped dead as soon as the bodies holding them up moved away. Others were so fucking insane by that time that they weren’t dangerous to the handlers. Some just gave up and went quietly, but the rest of us… those of us who still had some fight left… we got ‘special treatment.’

“ One by one, we were thrown into tiny cells in the earth, without doors or windows. It was like being buried alive. Every day, two of the handlers arrived to ‘train’ us. One was always a youkai, whose job it was to keep us restrained, but the other was a human. It was the humans who did all the dirty work.” Inuyasha could feel his demon blood stirring within him, and he swallowed hard, hoping to force it back.

“Kami…” Kagome breathed. “What did they…?”

Inuyasha shook his head. “Torture… deprived us of anything we needed to survive. Stripped us of what little dignity we had. I won’t go into the details… there are some things that you should never have to experience, even second hand. It’s enough to say that by the time they were done, none of us would have even considered trying to escape from that place. We were scared, and our will was broken.”

Kagome was quiet for a moment, taking in his words. “Humans and youkai? They were working together to do this?”

“The slave trade was run by a youkai no one ever saw. His main workers were youkai too, but humans are weak, greedy and easily manipulated. The youkai got the easy jobs while the humans were mostly the ones who had direct contact with us, and they were protected by the Head Youkai from anything we could have tried. We relied on them for our food, water, - hell, even to change the shit pail on a regular basis. I guess, looking back, they weren’t in a much better position than we were, but it was them we focused our hatred on.”

“How did you survive?” Kagome wondered.

Inuyasha shrugged. “I’m not really sure. I didn’t think I wanted to survive after they were done torturing me. I kept to myself. I didn’t talk to anyone unless a handler asked me a question. After about five years I was allowed to join the builders, which was worse, in a way, because I knew I’d let them beat me. I couldn’t see any reason to fight back. My mother was gone, I was an outcast, and at least here I was useful, and not dead.

“ Our group was building palaces in the Southwest when I made my first friend in that place. I never did learn his name and I don’t think I ever told him mine, either. He always called me runt. He was a kitsune, about 100 years older than I was, but one day he got behind me in the line and started talking. I hardly ever spoke, but he didn’t seem to care. For three years he looked after me... kept me from withdrawing further into myself.

“From him, I learned to be proud of my youkai heritage and began to understand the need for freedom. Under the human handlers, we were nothing... but for the first time, I could see that my demon side was not a curse, as my mother’s family always believed it to be. In order for youkai to live with honor, we needed freedom to be. We would never have that in the slave camps, and the kitsune intended to escape from there as soon as possible.”

Kagome waited for him to continue. When Inuyasha hesitated, she urged quietly, “Did he ever make it?”

Inuyasha’s eyes were distant. “I don’t know for sure.... Our group had finally moved on to the Western lands, and the kitsune was getting eager to return to his former home, which was nearby. His plan was to take me with him, but before he could take action, the humans somehow got wind of the whole thing, and pulled him out of the morning line-up. They were dragging him towards the Pits - the torture cells - and....”

“What happened?” Kagome pressed.

“I got angry. For the first time in my life, I got angry. I’d fought my own torture, but I always felt like I deserved it for being what I was. The kitsune was full youkai though... fox demons aren’t known for their strength, but he was more than a match for those guys. If they hadn’t been protected by the Head Youkai, he could have taken them with no problem.

“I watched them take him away, and I felt like I wanted to hurt something... badly. I remember screaming, and then... blood. Everywhere. It wasn’t like when my youkai side emerges, but it was probably as close as I’d ever been at the time. The next thing I remember is standing in the middle of a field, dead humans and youkai and hanyou all around me. The survivors had run off and the camp was destroyed, but other than that, all was quiet. I searched for days, but never found the kitsune.” Inuyasha fell silent, eyes flickering in the glow from the campfire below them.

“The thing is... it wasn’t me who killed them... who made them pay for their crimes. There was this massacre all around me, but I was totally clean. There wasn’t a speck of blood on me, and yet something had demolished everything else and left me standing. I still don’t know why I was untouched, but at the time, I felt more worthless than I’d ever felt before. The death I’d been longing for had come, and even he hadn’t wanted me.


“It was at that moment that I decided to find a way to get rid of my human half and become a full youkai.” Inuyasha exhaled deeply and ran a free hand through his hair. “I spent about seventy five years hating my human side... and all humans in general for their weakness.”

“Until you met Kikyou,” Kagome supplied.

Inuyasha nodded with a slight frown. “Kikyou was... different. I heard that she was the guardian of the Shikon no Tama, and I went after her to get it... to make myself a full demon, or die trying. Every time we met, Kikyou refused to kill me, and somehow, I realized that I didn’t want to kill her either. I’d follow her around, watching her. I pretended that I was looking for a weakness in her, but one day she called me to her side and told me that the reason she couldn’t kill me was because we were the same. Both of us were hiding our true selves behind what everyone expected us to be.

“I saw myself in her - in the pain she felt from being a human... but more than a human. I wanted to protect Kikyou from the loneliness that I’d felt. I wanted to be with her so that neither of us would have to be lonely again. I was willing to become human for her... but I don’t know if that would have been enough.” Inuyasha pondered.

“Why not?” Kagome asked, curious in spite of herself.

“Kikyou was born different, just as I was. I’ve realized just how hard it is to turn your back on who you are... even if that person is hard to accept. I may have been able to be content with remaining a human, as long as I had her to cling to... but I don’t know if Kikyou would have been able to live normal life without missing all she had before.” Inuyasha’s frown deepened as he considered the meaning of the words that had come to him so instinctively.

Kagome frowned as well. From what she knew, Kikyou had been willing to give up her life as a priestess to be with Inuyasha... a full-human Inuyasha, anyway. Would the miko have been content with such a life? Then again, Kagome had never understood why such an exchange had been necessary. She herself had been able to live both as Inuyasha’s mate and as a miko in training. Why did her pre-incarnation feel so strongly about needing to give up one for the other?

As if he’d read her mind, Inuyasha continued, “Kikyou’s spiritual power came from her solitude. Naraku always said that her feelings for me compromised her strength and made her vulnerable to him. The Kikyou from back then lived for others. She claimed it was her duty, but I always saw it as a part of her personality. It was something in her that I’d never seen in humans before, and that drew me to her.

“In order for us to have been together, she would have had no choice but to give up her ability to help others, and I don’t think she would have been able to live like that... no more than I could now. I might have been enough for a while, but sooner or later Kikyou would have realized the mistake she’d made and it would have destroyed both of us.”

Kagome snuggled closer against Inuyasha. “If being with you is a mistake, it’s the best one I’ve ever made.”

Inuyasha smiled and held her tighter. “That’s what I love most about you... your power is your love for others. It was your love that made me the man I am today, and you’re stronger for all the love you give others. You didn’t have to give up any part of yourself to love me and you love me for who I am. For Kikyou, it would have been a mistake to be with me. For you, it would have been a mistake to do anything else.”

Kagome smiled. “Thank-you.”

“For what?”

“For sharing with me... I know it’s not easy for you to talk about your past. I think I get what you were trying to say about the villagers. You feel responsible for them, because they accept you, right?”

“That’s part of it,” Inuyasha agreed. “It’s also that... back then, I hated humans because I hated my human blood. I hated the weakness it represented. Because of you though, I love both the youkai and the human blood that runs through my veins.

“Living among humans has shown me a strength in them that I’d never thought possible. They fight for their right to exist in everything they do. They work themselves into the ground, and never get anywhere for it. That’s honorable. That’s what my mother did... she retained her honor in an undignified situation. If I’d been older, I could have protected her better and maybe she’d still be alive.”

Kagome nodded, “So you protect the villagers....”

“Because they protect me... and because I can.” Inuyasha finished. “They deserve it.”

“I love you, Inuyasha.” Kagome whispered.

**********************

They ran, they rode and they flew, and each of them was just as eager as the next to reach their destination. As the days passed, Miroku noticed that their group was making record time crossing the span of Japan’s largest island, as though no one could bear contemplating any course of action other than finishing the task set before them. It made the monk sad to think that he had been the cause of such disruption in their momentary happiness, yet at the same time, he felt blessed to possess friends such as these.

For now they walked, giving Kirara a chance to rest on Sango’s shoulders as they continued over the mountainous lands. Miroku had taken up the rear in their procession, and this allowed him to observe his companions without their knowledge. The monk smiled at the sight of Shippou and Kohaku chattering animatedly just ahead. Even though the kitsune had never complained about having no one his age in their party, the addition of Sango’s brother had pleased the young fox greatly.

Kohaku too, seemed to have benefitted from their friendship, and each day he moved further and further away from the guilt that seemed to hover over him like a plague of locust. His increasingly familiar laughter burst forth, and Miroku glanced at his wife to catch the pleased smile he knew would be there. That sound was something that never failed to enliven her spirit, and the monk said a silent prayer for both the happiness Kohaku’s laughter was caused by, and the joy it created.

At the head of the group, Inuyasha appeared perturbed, and Miroku felt sure he knew the reason why. Judging by the hanyou’s frequent glances at Kagome, who had insisted on walking as well, the monk had to stifle a laugh at the increase in his friend’s overprotective tendencies. The weather was quickly warming up, even as they raced away from the more arid Southern climate, and despite Kagome’s assurances that she was fine, Inuyasha continued to fuss over his mate until the miko finally exploded, telling him to back off.

As was becoming more and more usual, the pair’s fighting didn’t last long, and Miroku grinned as Kagome quickened her pace to match that of her husband’s, taking his hand in hers when she reached his side. Inuyasha stiffened, and for a moment looked as though her would reject her silent apology, but finally his shoulder’s relaxed, and his hand tightened affectionately around hers.

Miroku shook his head. In a way, it was nice to be back on the road with his friends. Life somehow felt more normal when they were traveling. What did not sit well with the monk was the fact that their peace had been interrupted because of him. Oh, he knew that wasn’t precisely true… it wasn’t his fault that he’d been bitten. The attack had not been against him in particular, but against their family as a whole. Still, this didn’t relieve the notion that his friends looked at this new mission of theirs as ‘his’ vendetta, and looked to him to set the pace.

The truth of this lay solely in their behavior. For example, although it would have been expected of Inuyasha to urge them forward as quickly as possible, the hanyou had kept silent on this matter over the last week, allowing Miroku himself the last word on when they rested and when they resumed, and also whether they would run and fly, or walk.

Resting was another point of proof for Miroku. Neither Inuyasha or Sango would ever have suggested taking a break unless it were for the benefit of someone else, but Kagome and Shippou usually showed no qualms about asking to stop when they needed to. Since this journey had begun, no word had been spoken about resting by anyone, unless it were he himself. In fact, had he not caught on to that the very first day, they would have traveled much further by now, to the detriment of both Sango and Kagome who tired more easily these days.

As he remembered this, Miroku noticed that once again the day was dying, and Sango in particular appeared tired and sore from the day’s activity. The group had reached the halfway point in their journey late last night, and a fair amount of distance had been put behind them in the last twelve hours. All they needed now was a decent place to rest for the night, and he would give the word.

Almost as though on request, the bubbling sound of a hot spring met Miroku’s ear, and the pungent aroma of sulfur confirmed that one was near. “We should stop here,” the monk suggested, coming to a halt. “I think there’s a hot spring near those rocks that would be most refreshing right about now.”

Kagome’s eyes lit up at the thought of a hot bath, and without waiting for another word on the matter, she grabbed Sango’s hand and took off in the direction of the rocks to verify that Miroku’s words were true. Inuyasha nodded in silent affirmation of Miroku’s request, and moved off of the road to find a comfortable and protected shade of trees for their camp.

The endless reservoirs of energy reserved for the youth overflowed once more in Shippou and Kohaku, who took off through the trees with a shouted offer to gather firewood.

“Don’t go to far!” Miroku called after them, before settling himself against the base of a tree, watching Inuyasha as he tested the air for the scent of any youkai who would object to their presence. After a few moments, the hanyou relaxed and began going through the backpack that Kagome had thrust at him before running off.

As Inuyasha began pulling out bowls of Ramen for their dinner, Miroku closed his eyes, as if in meditation. “Thank you, Inuyasha.”

“Huh?” Inuyasha mumbled, searching for chopsticks in the bottom of the bag.

“You’re a loyal friend, and I thank you for it,” the monk elaborated.

Inuyasha finally raised his head, one eyebrow arched in confusion. “What are you going on about, monk?”

Miroku sighed, opening his eyes. “ Many would not be so eager to disrupt their lives for something that does not directly involve them self. That you feel so passionately about this mission indicates that you consider me a friend.”

“Keh, don’t be stupid,” Inuyasha said gruffly. “We’ve been fighting together for how long, and you think I’d just let it go? Besides, I keep telling you that the attack was against all of us, not just you, so that blows your theory all to hell.”


Miroku shook his head. “Even so, this is not the first time you have shown concern for others, and it is not taken for granted. So, I thank you.”

“Baka,” Inuyasha mumbled, but the suppressed grin that threatened to crack the surface of his face betrayed his delight in the monk’s gratitude.

Sango eyes were shining as she and Kagome reappeared through the trees. Leaning Hiraikotsu against the beech where Miroku rested, the taijiya stretched her tight muscles. “The spring isn’t too far from here, and it looks wonderful! Who should go first?”

Kagome caught the glances that her friend exchanged with Miroku, and generously offered to let the couple bathe ahead of her and Inuyasha, who seemed indifferent. However, the final word on the matter came from Miroku, who felt it wisest to offer the first bath to Shippou and Kohaku if they wanted to get to sleep at any sort of reasonable hour.

That settled and agreed upon, Kagome gathered her supplies together for the kids just as they returned with their arms full of wood, which Inuyasha stacked in what would later be known as a ‘log cabin’ formation. Using the tip of his claw to strike the flint on one of Kagome’s matches, he added a few leaves to the hollow center, which instantly caught the spark, and soon a cozy fire had sprung to life. Placing a few rocks in the very center of the structure to keep them warm long after the flames had died, Inuyasha finished by erecting a spit to hang the coffee pot from, so that water could be boiled for dinner.

After sending the boys to the hot spring and telling them not to stay in longer than twenty minutes, Sango managed to find a source of fresh water close to the road, and filled up both the coffee pot, and a plastic jug that Kagome had given her so that they could replenish their drinking water as well. Passing back by the spring, the taijiya smiled at the sound of her brother and Shippou talking and laughing from beyond the shelter of the rocks. Sighing happily, she inhaled the familiar scent that accompanied the spring, eagerly anticipating her own turn in the pleasantly bubbling waters.

It felt like forever since they’d all been on the road together, and Sango couldn’t remember ever feeling as sore or dirty as she did now. However, she blamed this on her current circumstances; the taijiya knew there had definitely been times in the recent years where she’d ended her day much worse off than she was now. ‘So, it’s either because you’re pregnant, or you’ve just gotten lazy,’ she teased herself, believing at that moment that either possibility could be true.

Sango returned to the camp just as Kagome finished setting up. Food items sat neatly to one side, waiting patiently for the water to boil. The miko’s sleeping bag had been unrolled and positioned a safe distance from the fire, and the girl sat upon it, pulling her pajamas out of her backpack to change into after her bath.

The taijiya joined her friend on her sleeping bag, heaving a contented sigh as she finally allowed herself to relax for a while. “Got any shrimp flavored Ramen tonight, Kagome?” Sango asked.

Kagome grinned. “I brought several. You’re craving that one, too? I’ve been thinking about it all day… that and peanut butter chocolate chunk ice cream.”

“ What’s that?” Sango laughed, crinkling her nose.

“Ice cream… it’s a desert made from cream and ice and sugar… plus some other stuff. It’s a little rare in Japan since almost anyone who’s not European is lactose intolerant, but I guess I missed that gene, ‘cause I can’t get enough of the stuff!” Kagome sighed at the idea of the delicacy. “Maybe when we get home, I’ll bring back a carton of it… although, it might be better if I didn’t. If you got addicted to it too, you might go crazy trying to get it again.”

“Hmm….” Sango pondered. “We’ll see… if it’s as good as you say, I may have to chance it.”

“I think the water’s ready,” Inuyasha urged from the other side of the fire. He’d already staked his claim to the beef Ramen, and so was not threatened by his companions’ sudden desire for shellfish flavoring. However, he was hungry, and liable to become cranky if less talking and more eating didn’t commence immediately.

“I’ll go check on the boys,” Miroku announced, rising from the ground.

“We’re back!” Kohaku appeared in the campfire’s circle, stopping Miroku’s escape from the path of the hungry hanyou by sitting down to choose from the remaining Ramen flavors. “Ooh, chicken!”

“I’ll have the beef!” Shippou shouted while handing Kagome the towel he’d been used to dry himself off. Inuyasha growled protectively, but backed off once he was assured that there was enough of his favorite flavor to go around.

Companionable silence settled over the circle of friends sitting round the campfire, as each took a moment to enjoy the meal. Food somehow always seemed to taste better when traveling, and the day’s exertions had more than stoked their appetites. ‘’

“Inuyasha,” Kohaku said, breaking the silence. “Do we have a plan? For when we get to Mt. Hakusan?”

Inuyasha grunted, “Keh… find whoever it is that attacked us and kick its ass … that’s about as much of a plan as I need.” He quickly drank down the remainder of his broth, and when he looked up again, he realized that everyone was staring at him, waiting for him to continue. “What?”

Kohaku reddened, but pressed forward. “I mean… are we just gonna march in there? Don’t you think they’re gonna be expecting us?”

“Yeah, they probably are… so what?” Inuyasha sighed. “There’s that inn Kagome and I stayed at on our honeymoon… it’s at the base of the mountain and the aruji is this really old elk youkai. We can go there first and pick up some information about anything weird that’s been going on there recently.”

Miroku grinned, “That’s actually a well thought out plan, Inuyasha… I knew you had it in you.”

“Yeah, usually he just bursts in and starts bashing heads,” Shippou piped up between slurps.

Inuyasha glared, but Kagome spoke before her husband could thump the cheeky kitsune. “ ‘Bashing heads?’ You’ve been watching too much T.V. with Souta.”

“Maybe it’s because Inuyasha’s afraid of snakes… is that it?” Shippou put down his bowl and jumped on top of the hanyou’s head. “Hey Oyaji, you should study the Saotome School of Martial Arts, like in Ranma ½. There’s this one attack called ‘cat-fu’ where Ranma’s fear of cats reduces him to a state where his only retaliation is to take on the characteristics of a cat to fight.” Miming the actions, he added, “He arches his back and hisses, and swipes with his claws… he can shred stuff to ribbons just like paper!”

Inuyasha stood up abruptly, causing Shippou to fall off his head. “ Thanks, but I don’t need this… School of Martial – whatever it is. And I’m not afraid of snakes!” Looking at Miroku and Sango, he growled, “It’s getting late. Are you two gonna take a bath, or what?”

Miroku got to his feet and extended a hand to his wife, both of them struggling to hide their amusement. “We’re on our way.”

“Wait a sec.,” Kagome said, reaching into her pack once more. Pulling out the mesh bag containing her bathing supplies, she handed it to Sango with a concealed wink to her friend.

As the couple headed for the hot spring, Kagome found herself tuning back in to the conversation still going on between Shippou and Inuyasha.

“It’s okay if you’re afraid of snakes, Inuyasha… even that Indiana Jones didn’t like snakes…”

“I told you, I’m not afraid of snakes! Why do you keep saying that?”

“You don’t have to be ashamed about it. Our fears make us stronger, and if you train harder…”


“Grrr…” Inuyasha stomped off into the woods, disappearing into the branches of a tree.

“Shippou,” Kagome called out. The boy came running to sit in her lap. “Why do you think Inuyasha’s afraid of snakes?”

“Oh, I don’t…” Shippou admitted. “Inuyasha’s just so much fun to tease!”

********************

“Ohhhh….” Sango heaved a deep sigh of relief as she sank into the hot spring. The water immediately began soothing the aching muscles all over her body, and called her attention to a dozen more sensitive areas she hadn’t previously known existed. Were it not for the tightness in her shoulders, legs and back, the taijiya knew she could have easily drifted off to sleep right then and there.

“Allow me….” Miroku murmured, sliding around so that he sat behind her. Deftly, his hands began kneading the taunt flesh between her shoulder blades, steadily working out the kinks. He smiled as his wife’s eyes drifted shut and her head fell gently forward, a tiny exclamation of contentment passing from her lips.

He worked slowly with an almost hypnotic rhythm, never seeming to tire as one by one, her muscles were soothed by his efforts. Miroku’s hands had become the focal point of Sango’s universe, their movement dictating the ebb and flow of her blood, sending it racing through her body in concert with his own.

As if it were alive - a wild animal attempting to claim dominion over her soul - the savage aches within her were soothed by the music of Miroku’s soul beckoning to hers. Sango’s spirit unconsciously answered its call, nearly stilling itself before coursing backwards to join with that of her lover... it’s mate.

This primal push and pull of their life forces, combined with the delicious swirl of warm water surrounding her made Sango feel as though she were suspended in midair - completely weightless and controlled by no more than emotion. Her breath catching in her throat, the taijiya tried to turn to her husband. Miroku merely hushed her, setting her on her feet so that he could continue administering treatment, this time to her legs.

Despite the sudden need that had awoken within her, Sango remained still, allowing his deft fingers to resume their path across the surface of her skin. His touch was more intense now... grounding her instead of freeing her from the earth’s pull. The points at which their flesh connected sparked with the energy that was beginning to fill the air around them, shining with an almost iridescent rosy glow.

By the time every inch of her body had been attended to, Sango felt as though her knees would collapse underneath her - so intense had her desire become. Again, she turned to face Miroku, and again he quieted her, this time with a look that spoke volumes of his own longing. The monk remained silent as he reached towards the shore, pulling Kagome’s mesh bath bag closer to remove the loofah and body wash.

Although he’d never used either item himself, Miroku had heard enough from both the miko and from his wife to understand their purpose. Pouring a more than generous amount of the sweet smelling liquid soap into the sponge, he began working it into a lather while Sango watched with interest.

Again starting with her shoulders, Miroku retraced his previous path with the loofah, causing Sango to moan softly and close her eyes against the immediate barrage of sensations. Her passion increased as he quickened his pace, gently covering her body with satiny layer of tiny white bubbles.

To Sango, everything seemed suddenly magnified in her mind. The water from the hot spring she stood half immersed in had heated the surface of her skin to a feverish degree. The cool night air breathed between the rocks surrounding them, blowing kisses onto her heated flesh. The pop of each minuscule bubble was intensified, until she felt as though she could hear their explosions.

The source of such exquisite torment - the tender rasp of mesh combined with the silken caress of the soap suds - threatened to overwhelm her. Sango could no longer stand the few inches that separated her and Miroku, and her body screamed at her to relieve its new agony. Prepared to ignore another protest, she grabbed the sponge from her husband’s hands and tossed it aside. Her arms lifted to wrap around his neck, pulling him against her mouth in a passionate kiss.

A yearning groan rose in Miroku’s throat, and he returned her kiss with equal intensity. The feel of her breasts against his chest was heightened by the additional lubricant the soap provided, and any thought of simple romance was driven out of his head by the roaring thunder of his immediate need. He gasped aloud as Sango leapt against him, wrapping powerful legs around his torso, causing him to clutch at the most treasured part of her anatomy in order to support her weight.

Miroku’s violet eyes had darkened to midnight blue, and his chest heaved as he was allowed access to Sango’s backside. Her forced breath against his neck as she kissed her way to his earlobe caused a riot of want to twist in his gut, making him moan softly. Gently, he lowered her backwards into the water, watching as the translucent liquid glided across her chest, rinsing away the remaining residue from the soap. Pulling her to him once more, he turned to rest her on the flat bank beside the hot spring.

Sango placed a hand on Miroku’s cheek as he leaned over her, meeting his eyes to see the worshipful light that filled them. He softly touched his lips to hers, tasting their softness with his tongue before standing straight to gaze down at her for a moment.

The moon had just begun to rise, and it’s light cast shadows through the trees that hid much of Sango’s figure from him, but Miroku did not need the light - her image was burned upon his soul. “My Goddess,” he whispered adoringly, allowing one hand to slide down her body lovingly.

Sango’s breath caught in her throat at the intensity in Miroku’s voice, and she reached towards him, urging him to join with her. She gasped as he entered her slowly, beginning to rock languidly against her. Crying out softly she clutched his arms, pulling him forward so that he was suspended over her, all of his weight supported by the hands resting on either side of her head.

Miroku’s eyes never left hers, and Sango studied the intensity on his face, absorbing every detail. A bead of sweat trailed down from his hairline, arching over the slope of his forehead be fore dipping into the valley beneath his eye and making its final descent down the plateau of his cheek before dying on his jawbone. She watched its progressed, entranced by whatever spell had overcome her when her husband’s hands had first met her body tonight.

A ball of tension began to roil within the pit of her stomach, pleading for release. Sango moaned softly, digging her nails into the flesh on Miroku’s arms. He seemed to understand her unspoken request, for the tempo of his thrusting increased until both of them were crying out to each other.

Miroku heard his name; saw it born upon her lips, and he knew once more that he would forever be lost within the depths of Sango’s soul. With a loud groan, he collapsed against her – never slowing the rate of their coupling as he frantically sought a position that would bring him deeper and closer to the woman he loved. His hands roamed her body, lingering over her taunt breasts before sliding down the length of her to cup her behind.

Sango’s voice failed her as Miroku lifted her bottom slightly, angling her in a way that intensified the already overpowering sensation he was creating inside her. The tension in her gut doubled in size, and she could feel the energy their bodies were generating as it tingled in her fingertips. Her mind called to him over and over, begging for him to go faster, harder.

It was so much – so forceful a desire that Sango arched off the ground, bucking against him before locking her ankles at the small of Miroku’s back. This did indeed bring him closer, and provided exactly the right amount of pressure she knew would cure the ache inside.

“Sango,” Miroku exhaled in her ear, thrusting once more before he knew he was almost done for. Crushing his mouth against hers, he kissed her passionately, sucking her lower lip into his mouth and nibbling at it. He heard her gasp, and knew that she two was close. No sooner had the thought entered his muddled brain, she cried out to him and clutched him against her chest as the powerful waves of her climax fell upon her.

As hers came, so did his. Miroku’s eyes flew open as his essence flowed between their two bodies, wrenching itself from him in quick spurts. He gasped harshly, struggling to regain his breathing as the tingling in his body began to subside.

It suddenly occurred to Miroku that something was off… something different than before. It wasn’t until he could calm his labored breathing and focus his mind that he realized that he and Sango were bathed in a warm pink light….

********************

Kagome giggled as she raced ahead of Inuyasha, knowing full well that he would catch up to her before she reached the hot spring. She had waited patiently for Sango and Miroku to get back so that she could have her turn, and was so eager to go once they did return that she had only dimly registered the unusual silence between her two friends. They had seemed to be deep in thought and the miko had vaguely wondered at it, but then Inuyasha had snuck up behind her and the chase was on….

No sound came from the dark trees at her back, but Kagome knew that he was there - could sense the familiar presence of his youki much more clearly than any other creature lurking in the dim forest. In any moment, Inuyasha would spring out at her, and then….

Leaving that thought unfinished, Kagome quickened her pace, heart racing in anticipation of being captured. She had to admit, the idea of Inuyasha hunting her – stalking his prey – made her stomach quiver in a not unpleasant way. It excited her, and she wondered if her mate got as big a thrill from it as she was. ‘You have to wonder?’ she chided herself playfully.

The cove of rocks sheltering the hot spring were dead ahead, so Kagome angled herself to round them as she passed, hoping to hide in the shadows until Inuyasha found her. She was surprised that she’d made it so far, and for a second the thought occurred to her that maybe something had gone wrong, and maybe Inuyasha had been hurt.

“Oof!” Kagome gasped in surprise as Inuyasha leapt out of the shadows she had been aiming for, wrapping his arms around her midsection and tackling her to the ground with a predatory growl of victory. She shivered at the vibration it made as he turned her face ut and straddled her torso, pinning her beneath him.

“What took you so long?” Inuyasha murmured in a rough, seductive voice. He could see the excitement shining in Kagome’s eyes, and he chuckled proudly at the effectiveness of his little game.

“Inuyasha!” Kagome breathed, still recovering from her surprise. He was leering down at her in a cocky way, and it was having an interesting effect on her. She felt the soft tickle of the night air on her chest, and she craned her neck to look down at herself. A large tear had cut through the fabric of her cotton shirt, slashing horizontally over her breasts at a slight angle.


“You tore my shirt!” Kagome whined, trying to reach up to examine the damage.

Inuyasha held on to her arms, preventing the movement. Slowly, he leaned down so that his face was mere inches from hers. “If I’d been intending to do it, the shirt would be off of you by now.”

Kagome’s eyes widened as Inuyasha moved as if he would finish the job on her top. “Don’t you dare,” she threatened.

“You won’t be needing it,” Inuyasha assured her, placing a claw at the neckline of her shirt.

Kagome swallowed hard, trying to feel irritated at the arousal that was beginning to cloud her brain. “What will I wear?” she managed to protest.

Inuyasha gave her an evil grin. “You brought other shirts,” he reminded her. Seeing her resolve weakening, he slowly began slicing through the fabric.

“I can’t go back to camp naked! Sango… Miroku….”

“ Would be shocked and appalled?” Inuyasha teased with a raised eyebrow. “And I bet they did nothing but take a bath when they were here before us, right?” He’d already cut from the neck down to the accidental tear, and now began cutting the lower portion away. “ You’ll wear my haori. Now stop talking and kiss me, woman.”

“ You jerk!” Kagome realized that Inuyasha had managed to completely slice open her shirt without her really noticing it, and although she was amazingly turned on by his seduction, she couldn’t help playing the innocent a little longer. Of course, he didn’t seem to mind the act either. The low rumble in his throat deepened as he descended upon her, capturing her mouth with his.

Kagome made a brief show of struggling against him, which only seemed to ignite him further, before sighing contentedly and allowing her hands to explore the planes of her mate’s chest.

“Kagome…” Inuyasha growled, eye flashing with a desire he could barely hold in check.

Kagome gasped suddenly as Inuyasha disappeared from above her. She watched in confusion as his body slammed into the rocks ten feet away from where she lay. Sitting up, she tried desperately to clear the fog from her brain when she realized for the first time that they were no longer alone.

“You disgusting mutt…” Kouga growled murderously at Inuyasha, flexing his clawed fingers. “How dare you do that to my woman!”

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A/N: Almost all of the characters in this story are brought to you by the genius of Rumiko Takahashi, and the letters O, N and I. I do not own the characters. They own me.

Oy! What a week! So much to do and so little time to do it! I’m glad you’re all still here with me! It makes things easier. Hope you like the update and see you again soon! Please review! I crave the input!

Diane - Ah, my dear goddess... what would I do without you? Family and love are indeed key in this story, and I’m so glad I’ve met you to add to my own! Talk to you soon!

Juice - You’re so enthusiastic, you make me want to write faster and faster just to make you happy! Hope you enjoy chapter 20! Good stuff coming up!

PJ - Someone was telling me that they hate it when characters can’t figure out what is obviously going on. I thought Inuyasha ‘getting it’ was funny, because he’s both the least and most likely to do so! I’m glad you caught it! Hope 20 was worth the wait!

Stuey - Go watch Ranma ½! Part of the reason I’m mentioning it so much is because I just fell in love with it recently. My enthusiasm is being shown through Shippou and Kohaku, just so you know. ;) I’m so happy to know that you’re being inspired to work on your own writing! So many people have hidden talent, and I’m glad that my courage to do this is giving you courage! Thanks for the reminder about the missing definition... I should have caught that! That’s why I have you guys around! Gotta keep me on track!

ravenshadow - I was wondering if people were worried. I was worrying myself, but only because I’m my own biggest critic. I’m glad you approve of the direction we’re heading in, and I promise... there’s still a plot in here somewhere!

Vikki - Hey there! I promised and I delivered! I’m gonna try and get ONE MORE lemon in... between the couple WE love to love, so stay tuned (and keep your fingers crossed). I’m glad you enjoyed their teaching skills! I’ll give you a spoily hint... this play’s a BIG ROLE in the sequel! (Mwha-ha-ha....) I’ll could never forget you guys!

New Fan - Hello and welcome! Unfortunately, I don’t actually think we’ll see Sesshoumaru again... in this story. He definitely has a one-shot and play a large part in the sequel, so stay tuned! I hope you keep enjoying the story!

The winner’s for the baby name contest will be announced soon... I promised prizes... must work that out. Hmm.... LOVE YA!