Beautiful Souls

“Kouga!” Kagome exclaimed softly, still having trouble processing what was happening.

“Don’t worry, Kagome,” Kouga growled without looking her direction. He watched as Inuyasha shakily got to his feet. “I’ll kill that mutt for daring to lay a hand on you.”

Kagome’s eyes went wide. Kouga thought that Inuyasha had attacked her! “Kouga, wait!”

“Don’t bother, Kagome. He’s already made up his mind and I’ve been itching to give this guy exactly what he deserves.” Inuyasha spat, reaching for his sword.

“How dare you even speak to her after what you did? I always knew you were despicable, Dog Shit, but forcing yourself on an innocent woman is a new low, even for you!” With a final snarl, Kouga leapt forward, slashing the air with his claw.

Inuyasha dodged, just in time to avoid being severed by the Goraishi as it was activated in the wolf prince’s hand. As Kouga’s attack slammed into the ground, the hanyou drew Tetsusaiga and took a defensive stance. “Open your eyes, Wolf Breath! Did she look like she was fighting me?”

Kagome finally got to her feet as Kouga screamed wordlessly in rage and charged at Inuyasha again, this time missing by only inches. She noticed that, despite all of his big talking, her mate was only responding to the wolf’s movements, not making any strikes of his own. She knew that she needed to do something to stop Kouga from attacking, but her brain didn’t seem to want to cooperate by working fast enough for her.

“You have the gall to deny what I saw with my own eyes? You tore open her shirt! You were kissing her! Kagome would never let such a pathetic piece of trash abuse her like that!” Kouga no longer had the benefit of the Shikon shards in his legs, but he was still fast. Hurtling forward, the wolf smashed his fist into Inuyasha’s face, making the hanyou fly backwards about four feet.

Inuyasha chuckled harshly. “Fool. Yeah, I was kissing her… and I would have done a lot more than that if you hadn’t of shown up. She’s my mate, you moron! Or doesn’t your nose work anymore?”

“You lie! ” Kouga’s eyes were flashing dangerously, and he didn’t even stop to consider the possibility that what Inuyasha was saying was true.

The wolf youkai made to strike again, and to Kagome’s horror, she realized that Inuyasha no longer had anywhere to go. His only choice would be to fight back, and one way or another, the results would be fatal.

“Osuwari!” Kagome screamed as loud as she could. Her only hope was to get Inuyasha down and out of the way before the blow struck him.

A light cloud of dust rose from the ground as a body hit with terrifying force. Kagome raced forward, hoping that she’d been in time to save Inuyasha, and gaped when the debris cleared from the air. Kouga lay face down in the dirt, weighted down by the force of the Nenju necklace Kagome had forgotten all about. Inuyasha however, remained standing, as stunned as his mate.

“I forgot about his necklace,” Inuyasha mumbled. “But how come I’m not down there with him?”

Kagome shook her head. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “Something strange is going on.”

“No shit,” Inuyasha agreed. He stared at Kouga, who was just beginning to move a little. “So what do we do about wolf-breath here?”

“Let me talk to him, okay?” Kagome was sure that Inuyasha was going to argue with her about it, and was surprised when he merely hesitated before agreeing.

“Fine. Maybe he’ll listen to you. I’m not going anywhere though.” Inuyasha stared at her for a second before giving a loud snort. Removing his haori, he wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling it closed in front. Kagome blushed as she remembered her current state of undress, and put her arms through the sleeves as her husband moved a few steps away before sinking to the ground and folding his arms, watching Kouga closely.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome knelt beside Kouga’s inert figure. “Kouga?” She placed a hand on his shoulder. When he groaned in reply, the miko winced. She hadn’t meant to ‘sit’ him so forcefully, but she apparently had, judging by how difficult it was for the wolf to shake off the effects.

“Kouga… Inuyasha was telling the truth. I’m his mate. He wasn’t doing anything to me that I didn’t want him to.”

“No,” she heard Kouga softly exclaim. He began struggling harder to sit upright.

He finally succeeded in rising, and the look in his eyes frightened Kagome a little. “Kouga…” she began again.

“No!” Kouga insisted, anger flashing on his face. “I don’t know what he did to make you say these things, but don’t you think I’d recognize the scent of my own….” His voice trailed off and his eyes glazed over as he inhaled deeply, not believing what his senses were finally telling him.

Kagome bit her lip. She knew that he would be able to pick up on the change in her scent now… he’d been too enraged before. She had a feeling that this wasn’t going to be pretty, and there was nothing she could do to make it any easier on the poor wolf.

“Kagome?” Kouga’s voice was no more than a whisper, and as his eyes made contact with hers at last, the truth of the mutt’s words became clear to him.

Kagome wanted to cry at the look of sorrow that entered her friend’s face. “Kouga… I’m sorry, but I love him. I’ve always loved him, and I told you that from the beginning. And Inuyasha… he loves me. You’re a good friend and you’ve always been…”

“You’re pregnant…” Kouga interrupted, his voice still low, but now containing a hint of surprise.

Nervously placing a hand over her belly, Kagome nodded. “Inuyasha and I are going to have a baby.”

For the first time, Kouga turned to look at Inuyasha, who was having a hard time masking the expression of arrogance that threatened to take over his face. All three of them were silent, each waiting for one of the other’s to speak first and break the eerie stillness that was crowding in around them.

Finally, Kagome could no longer stand the tension. “I’m sorry,” she told Kouga sincerely. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, but…”

“How?”

Kagome frowned, not understanding Kouga’s question. “How, what?”

Rising to his feet, Kouga’s voice was low and menacing. “How could you throw yourself away on that selfish, worthless, two-timing, disgusting hanyou? I saw what happened the night before the battle… he left you for another woman. Now that the pile of clay is gone, he’s using you. He doesn’t love you, Kagome. Not the way that I….”

“No -” Kagome’s voice was firm as she interrupted him, angry at his words. Before she could continue, Inuyasha’s surprisingly steady voice stopped her.

“I love Kagome more than you can even imagine, you mangy wolf.” Reigning in the urge to eviscerate the wolf prince, Inuyasha managed to remain calm as he spoke. “There is nothing that I wouldn’t do for her, and the only reason you haven’t died a thousand times over at my hand is because she value’s your friendship. However, if you want to lose both Kagome and your life, I’d be more than happy to oblige… so either prepare yourself to fight me, or get out of my FACE.”

Kagome felt the sudden urge to laugh. Never before had she seen Inuyasha behave so coolly and calmly with Kouga, and it was that factor that made his words all the more frightening. She could see in the wolf youkai’s eyes that he could sense the ferocity behind them too, and if they engaged in battle, the chances would not be in his favor.

Kouga glared with all the hatred burning in his soul, but straightened his shoulders and nodded. This was not a battle he would win tonight, and he did not want to face the seemingly stronger hanyou while his own emotions were clouded with such intense anger. It wasn’t a predictable move for the impetuous wolf, but there was wisdom in waiting for the perfect opening.

Inuyasha turned away from Kouga, feeling a strange sense of pride for not giving in and beating the shit out of his rival, no matter how good it would have felt. He no longer had any jealousy of the wolf youkai… possessiveness towards Kagome, yes, but knowing that the prince never stood a chance with her went a long way towards tempering any lingering feelings of competitiveness.

He turned his head sideways to glance at his mate, pleased to see that she was smiling proudly in his direction. He winked at her and held out a hand for her to take, but her only response was in the widening of her eyes as she suddenly turned to look at the area behind him. Inuyasha cursed himself silently, realizing he’d made an error in judgment.

Kouga had intended to retain his dignity, if nothing else. Seeing Inuyasha turn his back on him, indicating that he held no fear of his opponent, all thoughts of dignity were set aside. It was with a bitter contempt that the wolf youkai made one more attempt on the hanyou’s life. Silently, he sprung into the air with all the force he could muster, not even crying out as he prepared to land a killing blow onto his enemy’s head with the deadly weapon embedded in his right hand.

Kagome couldn’t find her voice to shout a warning, but her feet seemed to be moving as if they had a mind of their own. She ran quickly to Inuyasha’s side, putting one hand on his shoulder and aiming the other one straight up into the air, where Kouga was already in mid-strike and unable to stop the forward momentum.

Both Inuyasha and Kouga’s eyes went wide as they realized that Kagome had placed herself directly in the path of the Goraishi, and nothing either man could do would prevent her from receiving the blow powerful enough to kill a hanyou.

Inuyasha opened his mouth to scream a warning – anything to get her to move out of the way and let him take the hit, but as he reach out to her, the hand on his shoulder began to burn him, and the half-youkai flew backwards for the second time that night. However, this time he did not slam into the rocks… or anything for that matter. In shock, he realized that he was surrounded by Kagome’s warm pink light, suspended in midair.

“STOP.” Kagome’s voice was deep and fierce… almost unearthly in quality. The single word caught Kouga in its force, and the wolf found himself unable to move, frozen on the down swing and still five feet above the miko’s head.

Kouga’s breath came in heavy bursts, partly from the rage that still gripped at him, but also out of confusion over what had just happened. Had Kagome done this? Though he could not move his head, his eyes were able to search out Inuyasha, who had been thrust out of danger with the slightest touch of the miko’s hand. He remembered the pink aura that had hovered around Kagome during the battle, and its presence around both he and his intended target now, further supported the idea that the girl had indeed been responsible for his current state.

Kagome moved into Kouga’s line of vision, and he noticed the strange changes that had overtaken her. The night air was still, but her hair moved with energy of its own, making her look wild and fierce. The shadows on her face had changed its shape, somehow rendering it into a more chiseled version of itself. She did not look like the girl of youthful innocence he knew her to be. She looked like a goddess – cold, beautiful and powerful.

Most surprising of all were Kagome’s eyes, which burned with a violent red heat. The miko circled him from below, slowly studying him from every angle with a strangely analytical expression on her face. Kouga was not a stupid youkai… and he was suddenly deathly afraid of this girl.

Though still cocooned in the protective embrace of Kagome’s aura, Inuyasha could move more freely than Kouga seemed able to. He called out Kagome’s name, but wasn’t surprised when she didn’t respond. He didn’t know if she was even able to hear him in her current state.

Inuyasha had only ever seen Kagome looking like this once before… on the night she had taken the final steps to destroying Naraku. His mate was, at this moment, the full embodiment of the heart of the Shikon no Tama. He felt a strange sense of foreboding. Her manner was almost predatory as she slowly circled underneath Kouga. Inuyasha thought that she seemed to be sizing him up… measuring his worth against his actions.

Finally, Kagome spoke, although her voice was much deeper than normal - smooth as warm wine. There was a slight echo in her words, and that voice sounded much closer to her everyday one – as if these two aspects of her had merged into this one personality.

“ This woman is not for you, Kouga of the Wolf Youkai Tribe. Once again, your life has been spared by This Kagome… leave now, before I regret my decision.” The girl turned her back on the prince, sending him crashing to the earth without the benefit of her aura to cushion the blow.

Kouga rose to his feet, looking as though he wanted to say something more. Kagome froze, sensing his presence still lingering there, and for a moment, the pink light around her pulsed and grew larger. The wolf sighed in defeat, and left without a word.

Inuyasha kept his eyes on his mate, worried about her wellbeing in spite of himself. “Kagome…” he called to her softly.

At the sound of Inuyasha’s voice, the spell was broken, and Kagome suddenly slumped to the ground with an exhausted sigh. The hanyou said her name again, more loudly this time, afraid that he would be trapped within her barrier and unable to get to her. He began moving, and the slowly vanishing field of energy did not resist his attempts to cross through it.

Kagome was unconscious when he reached her side. Inuyasha knelt beside her and pulled the girl into his arms, talking to her all the while. Her heart rate was slightly elevated, but otherwise, she could have been asleep. Putting one hand to her face, he was surprised to find the skin warm to the touch, as if she had a fever.

Carrying her, Inuyasha quickly made his way back to camp, not pausing to answer the concerned questions from Sango and Miroku until he’d placed Kagome on her sleeping bag and checked her over more closely under the fire’s light.

“Inuyasha!” Sango was becoming increasingly more concerned by the hanyou’s behavior. If he didn’t start answering questions - and fast – the taijiya was ready to beat the answers out of him.

Miroku put a restraining hand on his wife’s shoulder before moving to the other side of Kagome, placing two fingers against the artery in her neck. Finding the still erratic pulse, the monk raised an eyebrow at Inuyasha. “I’m impressed, my friend. Even I do not have such skill.”

“It was Kouga,” Inuyasha finally told them, ignoring Miroku.

“Kouga?” Sango looked worried as she came to sit beside her husband, who was doing his best to be serious and not follow his brain down the wrong road at their friend’s statement.

Inuyasha kept his eyes on Kagome as he told them what had happened. The direction of his attention kept him from catching the exchange of glances between Miroku and Sango, but it did allow him to see the soft fluttering of his mate’s eyes as she began to regain consciousness.

“Inuyasha?” Kagome softly asked.

Inuyasha took her hand, relief flooding his face. “I’m here, Koishii. How ya feeling?”

Kagome moaned, but struggled to sit upright, despite Inuyasha’s protest. “That was… weird.”

“What happened, Kagome?” Sango questioned.

The girl thought for a moment. “I can remember all of it… but it was like I was watching it happen. When I saw Kouga going after Inuyasha when his back was turned… I was so angry – and afraid too. Then all of this energy just surged up in my body and something else took control. I didn’t have to think about it at all.” Turning to Inuyasha she grabbed his arm. “If I hadn’t… if whatever happened hadn’t taken control of me when it did….”

Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her. “I still would have beaten Kouga and shoved Tetsusaiga up his ass for good measure… but you saved me.” He pulled away and lifted her chin so that their eyes met. “Now, are you alright? That was pretty scary back there. I’ve never seen anything like it. Well, except…”

“Except the last time I did it… that night we fought Naraku. It felt like the same thing.” Kagome finished for him.

Miroku nodded, as if it all made sense. “Kagome, I have sensed for some time now that you have more power hiding within you than you are yet able to control. It seems that you a capable of channeling the energy in greater quantities at certain times, and when the heart of the Shikon no Tama becomes a stronger than your human persona, and it takes over.”

“What?” Kagome looked bewildered by the concept. “I don’t understand.”

Miroku’s eyes fell on Inuyasha. “It’s like you’re a youkai… or, more precisely, a hanyou. For the most part, you’re yourself… a strong combination of both your normal qualities and the qualities given you when you took in the heart of the Shikon jewel. Just like when Inuyasha’s youkai becomes stronger when he’s facing death, the heart of the Shikon become more powerful in you at certain times, taking over control of your body. It’s still you, but the power you can harness is incredible in those times… almost… godlike.”

Kagome was quiet as she tried to absorb this new information. The others were looking at her, smiling as though they had immediately accepted the truth of Miroku’s words. The girl shook her head. “That can’t be right. I mean, it just… can’t.”

Sango reached out to touch her friend’s shoulder. “Why not? It makes sense. We’ve all seen the power exhibited in you before.”

Inuyasha nodded. “Remember the night before our wedding? When you came and helped me kill that demon, something strange happened. My sword started glowing pink and I was finally able to kill that thing.”

“That wasn’t me, though… it was you.” Kagome insisted.

“How could it have been? It was your aura.” Inuyasha replied.

Sango frowned. “Come to think of it… we’ve all seen Kagome’s aura before… like when we fought the hebi youkai that was possessing Miroku. That final attack from all of us was pink… I remember thinking it was strange, but in all the confusion….”

Miroku glanced at his wife. “And then again earlier this evening.” The monk gave a glossed over description of what had happened to him and Sango at the hot springs.

“So it looks like all of us have been glowing recently.” Kagome summarized.

“So it does, but I still believe it all begins with you, and what happened with the Shikon no Tama. There is no doubt that it is your aura we are seeing, even if you’re not there, or even causing it. You’re the heart of the Shikon no Tama, but each of us absorbed an aspect of it. Because of that, we are all connected.” Miroku was calm as he spoke, but excitement made his eyes shine. “If we could learn how to use this power, it could be very beneficial to us.”

Kagome sighed, realizing that Miroku had a point. Somehow, Kagome must be holding a vast amount of power, and the idea frightened her a little. She didn’t know if she was ready for the responsibility. “I think, if something is happening because of the Shikon jewel, that Midoriko intended for it to happen, and we should try and explore it from every angle.”

Inuyasha smiled, instinctively knowing how hard this was for her to accept. Looking over to where Shippou and Kohaku were sleeping soundly, another thought occurred to him. “I wonder if the boys have had any weird things happen to them.”

“We’ll have to ask them in the morning. In the meantime, let’s get some rest. We still have a lot of ground to cover, and we can use our time in the evenings to discuss this further. Maybe by the time we get to Mt. Hakusan, we’ll have a new idea of how we can defeat our opponent.” Miroku stood, extending one hand to Sango to help her up.

As the two couples settled down for the night, Kagome found that she couldn’t sleep… her fingers were tingling from the energy that still bubbled just below the surface of her skin.

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

The night was filled with noise, as if every creature within its darkness writhed under the pressure from some unseen force. Even the trees seemed to shudder, although the wind held its breath. The air was thick with energy that night, surrounding the seven sleepers in the dark until each of them could no longer remain unaffected by its presence. None woke from their fitful sleep, so they did not see the light that emanated from one of their numbers.

The girl turned in her sleeping bag, pulling forcibly away from her mate as her nightmares became more terrifying. In her mind’s eye, she saw herself standing on a ledge behind one of the largest serpents she had ever before seen. The thick black and blue striated body was so close, she was afraid that its tail would whip up and knock her from her perch.

The snake’s head was at the other end of the small valley… one that she remembered from the last time she’d been there. Although she couldn’t turn her head to look, the girl knew that a lake was on her left, and across from her on a higher plateau was the mountain shrine that adorned the highest peak on Mt. Hakusan.

She struggled to determine what the snake was so occupied with… why it was so intently focused on that particular area. The girl tried to stretch, tried to lean forward and see past the enormous head with dripping fangs… until her vision suddenly cleared, and she could see perfectly.

Inuyasha was there… standing at ready with his Tetsusaiga in his hands and raised above his head. She knew what she needed to do, and raised her own weapon – the Tatsujou, and put an arrow in place against the bow. She aimed… and was shocked to discover her arrow was pointing straight at her mate’s heart.

She could not stop herself from firing the arrow; could not shove away the anger that suddenly filled her soul… could not stop the blast from the Tetsusaiga that suddenly was heading directly towards her.

Kagome opened her mouth to scream in the waking world, unable to fight off the sleep that threatened to smother her. Before a sound could escape her lips, Inuyasha rolled over in his sleep and wrapped an arm around his wife. The girl was instantly comforted by his presence, and in her mind the dream faded into nothingness.

Around their camp, the pink radiance that had risen from the miko began to fade, and slowly, silence returned to rule the night.

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

" This is pointless... nothing's happening!" Inuyasha grumbled in exasperation, making the others around him sigh in defeat.

" I hate to say it, but Inuyasha's right." Sango reattached Hiraikotsu to her back and brushed the hair out of her face. "We've been trying to activate the aura for four nights in a row now, and we're still no closer to figuring it out than we were when we started. There has to be a better way to do this."

Kagoem couldn't help but feel responsible for their lack of success. If what Miroku believed was true, then she was the source of this new power and admittedly, the idea scared her a little. She'd started this journey into the past as a normal, fifteen-year old girl - no more special than the next one. Now, here she was with more power than she knew what to do with, and the fate of the world resting in her hands.

She had never been afraid to act before... to do the right thing whenever she had a choice placed before her. In all her life, Kagome had held to the belief that there was always a right and wrong decision. It wasn't long after she had first met Inuyasha that the girl began to realize that shades of grey did indeed exist in the black and white of her world. These days, the grey area was growing, and if she were honest with herself, she would admit that the reason for her fear was due to that ever increasing nebulous zone where right and wrong were just a little more complicated than usual.

One thing that living in the past had taught Kagome was that history was not build on the principles of good and bad, but on power - who had it, and who did not. Those with power were usually seen as the oppressors of those without it. They were easily corrupted by the very power they'd been blessed with, and she knew that she did not want that to happen to her.

The last few months of being treated like a god; of having everyone, including her friends, look at her as if she were something special, was having an affect on Kagome. She just wasn't sure if that would turn into something good or, like so many before her, something dark and corruptible. She knew what her friends would tell her, but she did not go to them to talk about her concerns. Each of them was stronger than she, and had proved it time and again. More than that, each had succeeded in avoiding the darkness that chased their power, and it only made Kagome feel weaker to know that the idea of her own failure had even occured to her. She could not admit to those who mattered most that she doubted herself in this matter.

Her recent nightmares had more than a little to do with her fears too. Sleep had not been kind to Kagome over the last few nights, and the dreams that disturbed her rest were becoming increasingly familiar to her. They were always the same; her standing on one side of the valley atop Mt. Hakusan, firing an arrow straight at Inuyasha's chest, her heart filled with anger. The girl could vividly remember that place, and the strange things she and her mate had seen there. The closer their group came to their destination, the stronger her feeling of foreboding became.

So although she continued to try, Kagome's fear prevented her from trying her hardest to produce the aura again. The friends were no nearer the solution than they had been after the events of four nights ago, and she was left with a lingering guilt that could not be abated. With a tired sigh, Kagome swung Tatsujou through her arm and over her shoulder.

"Should we call it a night? Try again tomorrow?"

Miroku nodded, much to everyone's relief, but the monk stood silent, staring at Kagome for a moment longer. When the miko realized his focus was on her, she tried not to look as guilty as she felt, and he looked away again. "Let's return to camp. Maybe one of us will think of something during the night.

As they walked the short distance back towards the area they had set up camp at, Miroku held back until he was walking beside Kagome. When the other's drifted a few steps ahead of them, he leaned into her. "They are brave people."

"Yes... they are." Kagome fell quiet, uncertain as to Miroku's intent.

"They've lost so much, yet they... all of us, continue battling evil - even Inuyasha, although it goes against his very blood. I admire them all... but then again, they were born to such greatness." Miroku nodded thoughtfully.

Kagome frowned, not understanding his meaning. "So were you... you've had your Kazaana all your life."

Miroku held out his hand and stared down at the palm. "I was born to the same end as all other mortals... to live and then die. The only difference is that I would have died sooner than most, had we not been able to defeat Naraku... had you not sealed his fate." He glanced at the girl beside him, his tone remaining conversational. "You and I... we were not born with superior strength and skill, nor were we raised as warriors. Yet, some higher power has chosen us for this duty. Do you ever wonder why?"

Kagome nodded, not surprised that the monk had intuited the root of her discomfort. "I don't know if I'm strong enough to... do all of this."

Her answer was vague, but Miroku smiled as if he understood completely. "Buddha has wisdom that us earth-bound creatures do not. The kami are not known for granting blessings that are undeserved, or that cannot be handled by the bearer. I have watched you fight; I have seen you undertake things that are far beyond the bounds of human comprehension, and I have always had faith that you will survive, and be strengthened for it.

"You were given great blessings, not only by the kami, but with the blessing of two very powerful miko's - both of whom you now surpass. If they do not doubt your abilities, why do you?" Miroku paused, giving her a moment to think.

Kagome exhaled deeply. "The other day... what happened with Kouga - I felt... strange. It wasn't good or bad... it was kinda both. I could have easily killed him. I held his life in my hands and I... enjoyed it. I felt sickened at the same time, but underneath it, there was this pleasure at being able to so strongly affect the life of another being. When I let him go, I felt this increadible peace... I was pleased with my decision... like I even had to make the choice whether or not to kill him."

Putting her hand to her face, Kagome realized that her skin was cool and moist with sweat. "What if this power is too much for me? What if that 'pleasure' at controlling other's, poison's me and I become..."

Miroku stopped walking and put his hands on Kagome's shoulders, turning her to face him. "...Evil? Corrupt?" He said these things lightly, but his expression was serious. "Kagome... I never said that this was an easy task. It's true... the power you've been charged with is far greater than you can imagine, and like all great things, it has the potential to create phenomenal good, or increadible evil. That is something no one has control over but you."

The tears that hung in Kagome's eyes began to slide down her cheeks, and Miroku wiped them away with his thumbs. "Kagome-sama, listen closely. Do you remember when Akago kidnapped you and tried to make you his slave? He read your heart in order to search out the darkness of your soul, which he would use to control you. What was the only thing he could find there?"

Kagome closed her eyes, tears still falling softly. "Jealousy," she whispered. "Over Kikyou."

Miroku smiled. "That was the only darkness in your soul, my friend, and even that wasn't enough for his control to take hold of you... your love was much stronger. Now that Kikyou is gone, so is your darkness. You are an amazing woman... more so than you know. I will not tell you that you could never fall prey to the fears in your heart, but I can say with the utmost certainty that your soul is stronger than all of your power, and that's saying something. I've watched you grow for three years, and I love you as though you were my own sister. If anyone has the ability to conquer this, and not let it conquer them, it is you."

The monk dropped his hands from Kagome's shoulders, and watched her face to see if she understood. When she met his eyes and smiled... hesitantly, Miroku responded with a smile of his own. "The very fact that you consider these consequesces says that you are worth of bearing this burden. It is a fool who accepts great power without acknowledging the dangers."

Kagome watched as Miroku turned to catch up with Sango and the others. After he'd walked a few feet, she called out to him, running to his side. "How do you do that?" She asked.

Miroku looked amused, but quizzical. "Do what, exactly?"

How do you always know what I'm worried about, even before I do?"

The monk smiled and continued walking. "You worry about the same things that I do." He glanced down at her. "I just reach my conclusions more quickly than you."

Miroku said goodnight to her, and went to check on Kohaku and Shippou before heading to bed himself. Kagome sat down on her own sleeping bag, put aside her weapon, and pulled a hairbrush out of her backpack, running it hurriedly through her dark tresses as if they were the cause of all her worries.

The sleeping bag rustled as Inuyasha sat down behind his mate. Kagome had reached a particularly nasty snarl in her hair, and made a soft sound that reminded the hanyou of a growl as she tried to jerk the brush through it. Calmly, he took the brush out of her hand, setting it down next to him and using his fingers to work through the tangles. After a few minutes, he continued his work on the rest of her head, massaging her scalp as he restored the hair to its perfect state.

Inuyasha did not speak until he could sense her relax beneath his hands. Her body sagged slightly against him and her breathing became less stressed. He could smell the salt of tears drying on her cheeks, but she was no longer crying. Leaning forward, he murmered softly, "He's right, you know."

Kagome opened the eyes she had closed in relaxation, needing a moment to understand what he was saying. "You heard?"

The hanyou chuckled, "Good ears... excellent hearing."

"You think he's right?" Kagome whispered.

"Keh, of course! He may be a hentai, but he knows what he talks about. There's no darkness in you... and even if there was, I'd be here to protect you." Inuyasha finished with her hair and wrapped his arms around her neck, pulling her back against him.

Kagome sighed heavily, "Maybe you could protect me from myself, but who'll prtect you?"

I'm not afraid of you," Inuyasha said simply.

"Maybe you should be." Kagome sat up and turned to face him. "That vision we all had... I've been having nightmares just like it... only from a different point of view... my point of view. I see you across the valley, and I fire an arrow directly at your chest. I feel so angry... it scares me." Her eyes were wide and her skin grew pale again. "I can't do it, Inuyasha! If anything ever happened to you... if I ever did anything to hurt you, I..."

Inuyasha kissed her, gently but insistently silencing her. "I don't understand that vision. I don't understand your nightmares, or the marking from the Wind Scar that smelled funny on the mountain, or your arrowhead embedded in the rock. I don't know what any of it means or what's going to happen to us when we get there.

"I do know you, Kagome. You're my mate, and that means a whole hell of a lot in my world... maybe more than marriage does in yours. I know better than anyone what you're capable of - good and bad, so believe me when I tell you that I'm not afraid of you. I trust you with my life, and you can't take from me what I've already given freely to you."

Kagome smiled, "Inuyasha, that's so..."

"Sweet? Don't let it get around. I have a reputation to protect." Inuyasha grinned smugly at her, kissing the tip of her nose.

Kagome's nose crinkled, "Actually, I was going to say sappy, but..."

"Sappy?" Inuyasha's eyes widened in surprise, "Why, you..."

As the tickling war began across the campfire, Sango rolled over and threw one arm around her husband. "Looks like you did a good deed tonight."

Miroku blinked innocently. "I did nothing of the sort, Sango my love."

Sango punched him lightly in the arm. "Don't play dumb with me... that's the first time Kagome's laughed since the fight with Kouga. Whatever you said to her must have helped."

Turning to face Sango, Miroku grinned. "Would it make me more sexy if I admitted I may have helped a tiny bit?"

Sango bit her lip to keep from laughing, trying to make it look like she was considering her answer. "I don't know... you've always been a sucker for a girl in distress... it's not exactly a selling point in your favor."

Miroku arched and eyebrow, not falling for it. Leaning closer, he whispered in her ear, "Maybe, but I married you... and you don't exactly fit the description of 'girl in distress.' What does that tell you, Sango?"

Seeing the flippant reply about to emerge, Miroku kissed Sango before she had time to utter her retort."

"Sneaky hentai monk," Sango muttered when their lips parted.

"Yes, I suppose I am... but I love you, so that makes up for it."

"Damn right it does."

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

Night gave way to morning, which gave way to afternoon, and as evening drew near once more, the friends could at last see the towering peaks of Mt. Hakusan, appear in the distance. The air was growing colder as they journeyed further North, and the villages were spaced further apart, separated by vast acres of fields. Inuyasha estimated that they would reach the Houshi Ryokan before nightfall, and all felt both relieved to be nearing their destination, and nervous about what would be waiting there to greet them when they arrived at the looming cliffs.

Kagome's sleep had not been any more restful, but her mood had improved after having talked with both Miroku and Inuyasha last night. Somehow, just knowing that her friends had faith in her, even if she herself didn't, helped to make her feel braver. A sharp breeze slashed through the air, nipping at the travelers as it passed. Zipping up her light jacket, the girl thought that maybe it would have been wise to bring something heavier, despite the coming summer.

All were walking again... an almost imperceptible sign of their own reservations as they finally approached the mountain. The outer edge of the village fields came into view, and several farmers could be seen within them, sweating hard from their toil, and not at all from the temperature. Inuyasha wondered about the change in the climate as he stared back at the workers who eyed him just as cautiously.

“ The village looks so old,” Sango said quietly, also aware of the eyes watching them pass. “They still use thatching on their roofs instead of wood.”

“ It’ll look the same, five hundred years from now when Inuyasha and I return for our honeymoon.” Kagome told them. “We took a tour of the village in my time. The community is very old, and has a unique way of life. It’s said that they have lived the same way for more than a thousand years, and I guess it’s true.”

“They don’t seem too excited about visitors,” Miroku commented, keeping his voice low. Several of the farmers had gathered together, talking softly while keeping their eyes glued to the strangers in their valley.

“Hey guys, look at this!” Shippou’s voice carried to them from several feet ahead, where he and Kohaku were crouched beside a stream that filtered through the field land.

Sango frowned as she and the others joined the two boys. “Ice,” she observed.

Kagome reached her hand out to touch the water, as if verifying that it was truly as solid as it looked. “The water is frozen solid… but that isn’t possible! It’s cold, but it’s not cold enough to freeze water.”

“Not today it isn’t… don’t help us out any though,” a voice from behind them said.

Turning quickly, Miroku stepped forward to address the two villagers who had approached their party. “What’s happened here?”

The one who had spoken before tightened his grip on the handle of the bucket he carried. Inuyasha could see that several of the other farmers held buckets as well, and looking downstream he realized that men with axes were furiously chopping at the ice. Large chunks were broken down into smaller pieces, which were melted over a nearby fire in order to water their fields.

“Look, we don’t want no trouble. We’re a peaceful community, but we’ve hit some hard times now and we just can’t afford to be hospitable to strangers. So just keep on moving and we’ll let you be.” Despite his brave words, the farmer was visibly trembling, especially at the sight of the disgruntled hanyou in their midst.

Miroku smiled reassuringly, assuming his familiar role from their earlier travels by further questioning the men. “We mean no harm. In fact, we’ve heard strange tales from your land, and we thought maybe there was something we could do to help with your troubles. If you would tell us what the problem is…”

“I told you, we just want to be left alone.” The farmer took another step forward, becoming a little braver. “You got no business here, and we don’t need help from any outsiders, so clear out.”

Inuyasha growled low in his throat; a sign of frustration to those who knew him, but a threat to the welcoming committee, who suddenly became wide eyed with fear. When a loud shout rent the air, both farmer’s jumped before realizing that the cries came from the fields to their left.

Kagome and the others followed the villagers as they ran towards the sound, finding themselves in the middle of a drooping field where a group of farmers encircled another man, from whom cries were still issuing.

As an opening in the crowd appeared, Inuyasha and Miroku slipped forward to see what was causing the commotion. The frantically shouting man appeared to be in considerable pain, but none of his fellow villagers approached him, each of them looking quite fearful as they stood in eerie silence.

“What the hell is happening to him?” Inuyasha demanded.

“Inuyasha… look there.” Miroku leaned in to the hanyou and pointed at the man’s leg. His pant leg was rolled slightly to allow access to a large bandage wrapped around his ankle… a bandage upon which two identical spots of blood had appeared, seeping through from the fresh wound.

Inuyasha understood immediately. “Snakes…” he muttered in disgust. Looking around, the hanyou stepped away from the group and tried to sense youkai presence nearby. The thing had to be close.

Miroku approached the second of the two farmers that had confronted them on the road. “When was this man bitten?” He asked insistently.

The farmer blinked slowly, but answered, “You mean the snake-bite? He got that just a few days ago. Hasn’t been back to work until today… it’s a shame the gods chose him now. He’s got a wife and two little ones to feed.”

“What do you mean… the god’s ‘chose’ him?” Miroku pressed.

“Our gods have been angered… it’s the duty of our village to care for them, so we’ve been feeling their wrath somethin’ fierce for a couple months now. First were all the weather problems; ruined our crops pretty quick. Then came the plague of snakes, and now we got people droppin’ like this nearly every day. Can’t do nothing to stop it either. You get too close, and they turn on you. Lost a couple of good men that way.” The farmer finally turned to meet Miroku’s eyes.

“Don’t know that it’s any o’ your business, but you being a monk and all… well, our village was founded on the wisdom of a monk ‘bout four hundred years ago. We don’t take too well to strangers these days, but as you seem to know something ‘bout all this, I wouldn’t stop ya if you wanted to lend a hand.”

Miroku nodded thoughtfully, watching the possessed farmer as he continued to writhe on the ground. “You said other’s have died like this?”

The man nodded sadly. “Yep. We don’t know why it happens, but the men just start going crazy like this, and sooner or later… they die.”

“How?”

The farmer met Miroku’s eyes again. “The last man gouged out his own eyes… he bled to death. That was yesterday.”

“Kagome!” Miroku sought out the miko, pulling her to one side. “I think you may be able to help this man.”

Kagome watched the farmer, who had begun bleeding from his nose, and although she looked fearful she nodded firmly. “Right. What do I do?”

Miroku smiled reassuringly. “I’m not sure… but if you can get close enough to touch him, I think you might be able to drive the possessing spirit out of his head before he takes his own life.”

Glancing at Inuyasha, who had crouched suddenly, Kagome took a deep breath. “I’ll do my best.”

Miroku walked with her into the center of the circle, ignoring the rising murmur of voices. “Be careful… he may try to fight you.”

Kagome swallowed hard, but nodded as she took a step closer to the man.

“Are you a fool? What can a girl do for him? Several of our strongest men have died trying to save these victims... she’ll get herself killed!” The farmer who had first spoken to them looked both angry and fearful for the strange child, but he did nothing to stop her as she reached the center of the circle.

Kagome moved around in front of the man, who was clutching his head and sobbing hysterically. She looked up to see Miroku and now Sango too, standing nearby - ready to assist if needed. Feeling braver, she knelt down in front of the farmer and took his hands in hers, moving them away from his face. She was surprised that he didn’t try and attack her.

Putting one hand on either side of his head, Kagome raised the farmer’s face to meet hers, needing to see into his eyes as she tried to force out the demon who had violated him. She tried not to gasp as she got her first glimpse of the stranger, and could tell that he had lost his vision. His eyes were cloudy and white, staring sightlessly upwards as the milky orbs jumped wildly in his head. The murmurs of horror that arose from the other villagers told her that this wasn’t the way he usually looked, either.

Finding her voice surprisingly steady, Kagome spoke to him. “It’s alright… I’m here now. Just let me in.” She didn’t fully understand her own meaning, but the words seemed right in her mind, and she followed that instinct, not knowing what else to do.

With a start, the farmer’s eyes suddenly focused, aimed directly at her as though he could suddenly see again. Kagome’s breath caught in her throat as the man’s mouth began working fiercely, either searching for words or something hard to sink his teeth into.

“Help… me…” he grated out finally.

The eyes closed again and Kagome grabbed onto his shoulders to keep him from sliding to the ground. “Open your eyes,” she ordered. “Keep them on me, no matter what.”

The farmer stiffened, but when his eyes shot opened, Kagome could tell immediately that something was very wrong. A black film had begun to coat the irises, giving the man an aura of evil that had not been there before.

His mouth opened again, but this time a strikingly different voice addressed her, in shock. “It’ss you !”

Kagome hadn’t the time to figure out who ‘you’ was, because the farmer suddenly regained his waning strength and returned the grip she had on his shoulders. The girl gasped in surprise, but called out for Miroku and Sango to wait before helping.

“ Kagome! ”

Shippou’s voice from outside the circle pulled the girl’s attention away from the farmer as she heard the terror in his voice. The men standing in between the girl and her child parted to one side, and she could see the kitsune, running as fast as his little legs could carry him in the opposite direction, a snake fast on his heels.

Before Kagome could cry out to him, Inuyasha leapt from where he had been hidden, ready to attack the hebi youkai he had only just located a few moments before it recognized Kagome and took off after Shippou in retaliation.

Fear. It filled Kagome’s heart and clogged her throat as she watched Shippou just barely dodge the youkai’s strike. Rolling back on itself, the snake turned just as Inuyasha arrived and delivered another bite, tearing through the hanyou’s haori but not catching his flesh. Her fear turned to anger, and suddenly she realized she was glowing again.

Emotion… she realized suddenly. Turning her attention back towards the momentarily forgotten farmer, Kagome focused on thoughts of her mate and child as she framed the man’s face with her hands and closed her eyes.

“Get out.” Her voice was low and strong, just as it had been when she’d dealt with Kouga. A current of energy passed from her body through to his, making the farmer’s eyes open wide as he fell backwards to the ground.

The farmer’s eyes closed, and opened again a moment later – the irises returned to their normal state. The man gaped at the woman who stood above him, surrounded by a warm pink glow and eyes filled with a haunting red light.

Kagome stared down at the man, making sure he was all right before she went to find Inuyasha. Miroku and Sango were right beside her, although they remained silent, glancing intently at her face every few seconds. She knew that she must look the way Inuyasha described her before, and she wondered briefly if it was a terrifying to them as it had sounded to her. A low-pitched laugh welled up inside her from the pit of her stomach, and the miko felt a sudden thrill at the energy rushing through her blood.

Inuyasha stood facing the hebi youkai in its full form. Shippou had attached himself to Inuyasha’s leg, but bravely peeked out from around the calf muscle, ready to help. The towering demon loomed over the two, giant and green, as the rest of their group gathered with him in defense.

“Inuyasha… I figured it out!” Kagome was breathless, but forced the words out anyway.

“Okay… figured what out, exactly?” Inuyasha never took his eyes off of the snake as he answered.

“The aura… I know what activates it!”

“What is it, Kagome?” Sango asked urgently as she drew her Hiraikotsu.

Kagome removed Tatsujou from her back. “ It’s emotion… any emotion, as long as it’s powerful. Think about it! Every time we’ve seen the aura activated, at least one of us was experiencing a powerful emotion… love, fear, anger….”

“Right!” Inuyasha looked grim and determined, but a tiny grin began to show as he realized his mate’s theory. “I think I can work up a little emotion for this bastard… how ‘bout the rest of you?”

Everyone made sounds of agreement as the team spread out a little, creating a sort of barrier between the youkai and the rest of the villagers.

“I think that the more of us there are, the more powerful the effect. It might not even work for one of us alone. Midoriko said our greatest strength lay in each other… maybe she was hinting at this!” The more she thought about it, the more sense it made. “The power is us … it happened a few minutes ago when I was afraid for Shippou. I’ll bet the emotion has to be about another member of our family!”

Kagome closed her eyes and thought about Inuyasha and Shippou. She imagined the baby growing within her, and the family she valued more than anything in the world. A picture developed in her mind, and all the love she felt for those held dearest gathered into an enormous pink ball, which beat in time with her own heart. The ball swelled with the emotion, growing larger with each pulse until finally it exploded, shooting the energy throughout every inch of her.

A familiar tingling returned her consciousness to the field, and Kagome looked around to see her friends were also glowing. None of them could help but grin wildly at their success, but remained focused on the hebi youkai who eyed them curiously from above.

“Ssuch a sstrange power… I will eat you all and abssorb it for my own!” The snake howled and threw its head back to strike at them.

No one spoke, but all of them seemed to know what the other was doing. Sango dropped to the ground and rolled to a spot further to the left of the youkai, while Kohaku mirrored her on the other side. Inuyasha held his ground in the middle, waiting patiently as the serpent’s enormous head came straight down at him.

Just as it seemed about to make contact, Inuyasha thrust Tetsusaiga up, slicing through the lower jaw of his attacker and falling to one knee before twisting sideways, causing the snake to topple over. Before it hit the ground, Sango threw her boomerang bone with a loud cry, sending it on a path that would slice the youkai right down the middle.

Hiraikotsu made it halfway up the body when the serpent began thrashing wildly, stopping the bone, which now stuck out on either side of its mid-section. The snake spat furiously, cursing them in its own tongue as it tried to round on one of them.


The whipping tail nearly caught Kohaku, who used his chain sickle to sever the divided tail from the rest of the body so that his sister could retrieve her weapon. The hebi youkai screamed in pain as half of its body was lost, and then screamed again as Kagome shot an arrow into its right eye, blinding it.

The blast of energy from the sacred arrow caught the demon in place, freezing it long enough for Inuyasha to deliver the final, destructive blow. The Bakuryuuha caused the energy of the Wind Scar to collide with the youki of the snake demon, obliterating it instantly.

“That was awesome!” Shippou shouted, leaping onto Inuyasha’s shoulder.

The hanyou grinned down at the boy before looking towards Kagome. “Great job figuring all that out,” Inuyasha said proudly.

Kagome smiled, suddenly feeling extremely tired. “I think I did too much,” she sighed weakly. Inuyasha caught her before she slumped to the ground, and picked her up to carry her back towards the villagers.

“Are all our troubles over now?” One of the farmers asked hopefully.

“I don’t think so,” Miroku informed the gathering crowd. “As I said, we came here to see about your problem, and what we are looking for is bigger than a single youkai.”

The farmer who had approached them on the road stepped forward. “Wh- who are you?”

Behind him, someone muttered “ what are you?” and a small murmur of voices rose in agreement.

Miroku smiled patiently. “We are weary travelers who have journeyed a long way. More importantly, we may be the only ones who can save your village. Please, is there someone we could speak with about the goings-on in these mountains?”

The man stared at them for a moment. His eyes fell last onto Kagome, who still lay slumped from exhaustion in Inuyasha’s arms. Finally, he nodded. “I’ll take you to see the Aruji… he’s the leader of our village.”

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

A/N: Almost all the characters in this story were brought to you by the genius of Rumiko Takahashi, and the letters R, V and A. I do not own these characters, they own me.

Hi all! Life’s starting to get easier again, I’m we’re winding closer to the ending of this fic. It’s sad, but also kinda fulfilling! I have so many other projects I want to start working on! I missed hearing from some of my favorite reviewers this week... are you still with me? I hope I’m still pleasing you guys! - Love, Kimberlee

A very special thanks to Crystal from the website: http://inuyashakarma.moon-blurred.net/ . She wrote me not long ago and asked if she could add my story to her website! Please visit her and give her some love.

Diane - I agree... it takes a special person to see through Sesshoumaru’s frosty exterior... I LOVE writing about him! (He’s also not bad to look at!) We are totally sisters in a past life, and I love working with you in this one! You are so talented and inspirational and I’m so proud to be your friend. Thanks for everything and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Mel - Wah-hah-hah... the evil cliffie of DEATH! Hope it wasn’t anticlimactic! I’m so happy you’re enjoying my story, and that we talk again soon!

New Fan - Kouga “knew” about Inuyasha and Kagome’s “feelings” for each other, but didn’t know about the mating thing. Plus, he lives in Denial-land, and I don’t mean Egypt. I’m glad you are looking forward to the sequel... hope you liked chapter 21!

Vikki - Ah, I never tired of hearing from you... it makes me so happy! Cliffhangers may be evil, but it keeps ya waiting for more! I enjoyed writing that scene... it was one of the first ideas I had for this story, way back when I started writing it! I’m glad I was able to keep it in here! Kouga will be back again for a one-shot, which will take place immediately after the scene in this chapter, so keep your eyes open! The teaching stuff was fun, and keep it in mind! It’ll be important in the sequel. (Ooh... spoiler alert!) I am most thrilled that you like the part about Inuyasha’s past. I tell you... that was a complete plot bunny! I suddenly saw the whole thing in my head and had to write it all down. I’m thinking of turning that story into a one-shot... what do you think? I’m happy it touched you... we know so little about his past that I thought, why not? Tell your boyfriend I say thanks for the compliment! I’m glad the lemon please ya... it was all for you! Maybe another one? I don’t know... we’ll see if the bunny’s come back!

cjflutterbye- Thank you for enjoying my version of the IY world! I hope you continue to enjoy it... that’s why I write!

Juice - Man, I had to do a fight scene, just because you wanted one. It wasn’t exactly what I was planning, but you inspired me. Not too extreme, but I hope you like it anyway!

Fran - I kept Kouga away for a long time, didn’t I? I’m glad you were surprised... I wanted him to appear when he was least expected! Hope you enjoy the update!

Moonbabe - Thanks for the compliments and encouragement! It means so much to me. Between this story, the one-shots and the sequel that will follow, we’ll have a lot of time to spend with our friends before I’m ready to end it, so I hope you enjoy!