Crossover Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Journey to the City of Endless Night ❯ Chapter Forty-Three ( Chapter 43 )

Chapter Forty-Three

Kagome felt Inuyasha tug on her hand, dragging her in the opposite direction than the old sorcerer had taken. She hissed, “Inuyasha, we have to talk about this with them. They already know so what good will it do to avoid it?” She felt him grip her hand tighter and heard a growl emanate from deep within his chest. He didn't reply, dragging her away from the camp. When they stopped, Inuyasha let go of her hand and Kagome massaged the tender flesh after his iron grip had pushed the knuckles together. “Inuyasha?”

Inuyasha turned, looking at her. His gold eyes were furious and his mouth was drawn into a tight line. He crossed his arms. His gruff voice was harsh as he spoke. “I don't trust them and you're going to tell them everything there is to know about your era. What if Naraku has some way of overhearing? You're my mate and I don't want to see anything happen to you because of this. We don't know nearly as much as we should about where they stand.” His silver hair billowed around him in the slight wind, making his already fierce appearance that much more savage.

Kagome sighed. She said, “Inuyasha, they have just about as much reason to dislike Naraku as we do. Think about it. Their homes are being threatened by him. Zakath might lose his entire country. You saw what Naraku did with that imp. What will he do if he can control a Demon Lord from Hell like that? They have a lot to lose, too, Inuyasha. I don't like to talk about my era with them any more than you do, but the sooner we get it over with the better.” She stepped closer to him, taking his hand into hers. Kagome bit back tears, not wanting to upset her hanyou further. “Besides, my time hasn't been home for a very long time.”

She could hear a sharp intake of breath come from Inuyasha. He pulled his hand out of hers and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her as close to his chest as he could. Inuyasha whispered, “It's still too dangerous.”

Kagome whispered, “I know you don't want me to do this. But how many times will we put this off and let them ask questions? I wish I could take what I said in that grove back, but I can't. They would have figured it out eventually. Let's just get it over with, okay? I promise not to say a whole lot.”

Inuyasha growled in her ear. Kagome felt him slam her back into a tree and his body pin her. Inuyasha crushed his mouth to hers, his tongue delving deep into her mouth. He ran a clawed finger under the scarf she had put on that morning and undid the knot. Once her neck was free of the garment, he tossed the offending material haphazardly to the ground. Inuyasha moved his mouth down to her neck, his tongue circling her mark. He kissed her throat, his fangs grazing the skin. His hips pinned hers to the tree and Inuyasha refused to move. A growl could be heard from his throat. Kagome realized that he believed if he couldn't get her to understand his reservations with words instead he would attempt other ways to make her submit. Kagome ran her hands over his hair and tilted her head to grant him access.

Inuyasha lifted his head, resting his forehead on hers. “I don't want you talking about anything with them that has to do with your era. Do you understand?” He placed his hands on either side of her head, the weight of his body pressing her further into the tree. It was apparent that he wouldn't let her up until she submitted to his will. Inuyasha lowered his head back to her neck, his tongue darting out at her mark. He said, “Mate, Mine.”

Kagome bit her lip. How would she get him to understand that they had no choice? She did not want to talk about her era with these people any more than he did, but Kagome knew that the truth had already been let out. To further try to withhold any information about her true era of origin would be futile. Kagome understood this and she closed her eyes, trying to figure out a way to convey that to Inuyasha. She whispered, “Inuyasha, we have to get back to camp.”

Inuyasha dug his claws into the bark on either side of her head. He snarled and her eyes snapped open to look into the fury swirling in their golden depths. Just as quickly as his anger surfaced, Inuyasha slumped. His gold eyes became despondent and he looked down. His ears drooped and he stepped away from her. Kagome was afraid that he might slip back into the melancholy that had threatened to consume him that morning. She caught a soft whisper, “I'm sorry. I should be more careful. I already hurt you enough.”

Kagome pulled away from the tree and pulled one of his hands into hers. She squeezed it. “You made a promise to me, dog-boy.” She stepped closer, throwing herself into his arms. She snuggled her head into his shoulder. “I mean to make you keep it.” Besides, her neck did not feel nearly as tender as it had in the morning. The bruising kisses that Inuyasha had just placed on her throat hadn't hurt at all. In fact Kagome was disappointed that he had stopped. She said, “You didn't hurt me. Dog-boy, I mean to make you keep your promise to me.”

Inuyasha gasped before pulling her into a hug. His arms wrapped around her tightly, one clawed hand running through her hair. He rested his head onto her shoulder and sighed. His rough voice became pleading. “I don't want you to do this. I don't want you to tell them about your time. It's too dangerous. Naraku could really hurt your family and I don't want to see that. I can't watch you get hurt.”

Kagome blinked back the tears. She said, “I don't even know how to get home anymore. I'm with you and that's all I need. I miss Mama, Sota and Grandpa sometimes, but I think it might be for the best that I can't go home. They're safer if I'm not traveling back and forth.” She burrowed her face into his shoulder. “Inuyasha, I know you don't trust Belgarath, but I think he would have harmed us by now if he was going to. You saw what he was capable of when he fought that other sorcerer.”

Inuyasha snorted. He didn't release his grip on her. “Feh. I still don't want you telling them too much. Tell them only what they need to know. They don't need to know everything about your time.”

Kagome hugged him tighter. She said, “I wasn't going to tell them too much. I can't really. All I have with me is my history text book, my math book, and a few odds and ends. There's so much more to my era than what I have in the bag.” Her eyes fluttered shut and she took a deep breath, inhaling his scent. He smelled like a forest, the scent of it permeating his flowing hair. More specifically, she noticed, picking upon it for the first time, the underlying smell that could only be from his time spent on Goshinboko: the clean, sweet fragrance of the Sacred Tree's blossoms. And underlying all of that, rested a spice and musk that could have only been Inuyasha. She gripped him tighter, clutching his haori front in her fists. Kagome whispered, “You smell good.”

A soft rumble escaped Inuyasha's chest as it formed into a deep, warm laugh. “I smell good, huh, wench?” Inuyasha held her closer. He whispered, “Mate. Mine.” His nose nuzzled one of her ears. As he pulled back, Kagome felt a shiver at the contact from the cool breeze on her skin. It was with disappointment that she pulled away from him. He let his hands slide down her sides until he gripped her hand into one of his rough, callused hands. Inuyasha looked down, his hair hiding his face from her. “Come on, before they come looking for us.” His voice sounded ragged and his breathing was heavy.

Kagome gently squeezed his hand and sighed. She let go and bent down to pick up the scarf Inuyasha had hastily removed. She held up the yellow silk, admiring it before retying it around her neck. Before she could fully get the knot in place, Inuyasha's hand rested over hers. He shook his head, pulling the scarf back off and shoved it into his haori. Kagome asked, “Inuyasha?”

“Oi, wench, you don't need it.” Inuyasha leaned in, lapping at her mark. “Leave it off.”

Kagome smiled. It was the most encouraging thing he had done all day. She nodded that she approved before linking her arm into his again. She felt him pull her close, his arm going around her waist. It was too bad that they had to return to camp at all. She was not looking forward to this conversation in the least. She leaned her head onto Inuyasha's shoulder as they walked. Something stung her cheek and Kagome instinctively slapped it, finding Myoga in her palm. She asked, “Myoga, where have you been?”

“Well, I---you see, I was here this whole time.” The flea twirled his walking stick in his many arms, fidgeting.

“Yeah fucking right you were.” Inuyasha snorted. “You probably saw that demon and high tailed it out of here as fast as you could.” Inuyasha leaned down, glaring at the flea demon. “What is it this time, Myoga? We have something important to do.”

“I thought I would come with you, Inuyasha-sama.” He bowed low on Kagome's palm.

“Feh. Do what ever you want, Myoga.” Inuyasha blew some of his hair out of his face as they entered back into the temporary camp. Kagome noticed that the sorcerer and his daughter were waiting for them by a fire. Inuyasha hissed at the flea, “What ever you do, keep your mouth shut.”

Kagome felt Inuyasha sit down and pull her down next to him, wrapping himself around her. She saw from the corner of her eye that he had a scowl on his face. Kagome leaned back against him, sighing. She said, “Sorry for the delay. We'll talk now.”

Belgarath shook his head, brushing off his stained brown tunic. He said, “You said something about being from five hundred years in the future. What did you mean by that?”

Kagome felt Inuyasha tense behind her and she wrapped her arms around his to ease him. She heard the soft growl in her ear. Inuyasha snarled, “Let's get one thing straight, Old Man. I don't like you forcing my mate to talk about this. She'll tell you the basics and thats it. You don't ask for more than that.”

Belgarath nodded. “I understand. The less is said the less can be overheard. I only want the basics. Anything more would potentially put Kagome in jeopardy and I'm not about to do that. I've spent too many years at this to let one member of my group get hurt needlessly. My Master has commanded me to keep all things confidential and you can be rest assured I won't be disobeying Aldur. I haven't in seven thousand years and I refuse to start now. I see your concern and I am willing to meet you half way.” Belgarath turned his gaze to rest on Kagome. He said, “Now, Kagome, may you please explain in basic terms what you mean when you said what you did in that grove?”

Kagome sighed. She felt Inuyasha pull her closer still. Kagome thought carefully for a moment before she said, “I travel through a well between Inuyasha's time and mine. I was born with the Shikon no Tama in my body and when I turned fifteen I fell through the well after I was pulled in by a demon. Shortly after that, in an attempt to keep another demon from claiming the jewel after it was removed from my body, I shattered it.”

“So the Shikon no Tama brought you to Inuyasha's time. I see. That would make sense in a way, I suppose.” The old man accepted a tankard from Polgara. “I suppose if the Purpose wanted you in a certain time it wouldn't mind playing with the chronological order of events. Naraku doesn't know does he?”

Kagome bit her lip, leaning against Inuyasha further. She looked into the fire that had been built, watching as the orange and red flames flared in the breeze. She shook her head. “We're trying to keep him from knowing anything about that. My era doesn't have demons or much magic of any kind. If Naraku were to find out and find a way into my time, he most likely would be able to wreak havoc that could alter both my time and Inuyasha's.”

Polgara stoked the fire before setting a tea pot over it. She nodded. “Yes, that would not do. Certain things have to happen at certain times so that events that must happen can. However, because you do come from a different time than Inuyasha, we would like to know at least a little bit about where you come from.”

Kagome cast her eyes down to the ground. She felt Inuyasha's grip on her from behind tighten. She said, “In my bag are some items from my era.” She started to disentangle herself from Inuyasha but before she could cross towards the horses, Inuyasha stood, pushing her to sit on the ground. He crossed towards the pack horses, pulling her yellow bag onto his shoulder. He sat down next to her, dropping her bag with a plop. His expression was a scowl and his gold eyes were narrowed with mistrust. Kagome put a hand onto one of his, squeezing to reassure him. She pulled out from her bag the text book that had fascinated Sesshomaru so much during their passage over the Sea of the East. “This is a history text book of the twentieth century. It has a little bit of the inventions and wars. It also talks about the important people. You are free to look through it.”

Belgarath took the book from her, leafing through it. His brow furrowed and he looked at the various items. “The twentieth century, you say? In our calendar that's roughly when I went with Cherek Bear Shoulder's sons to reclaim my Master's Orb from Torak. That was some four thousand years ago. We had nothing like this, that's for sure.” He paged through more of the book. He pulled the map insert, looking at it. “This isn't a map of our world at all. None of these countries are the same.” He shook his head. “You're not just from a different time, you're from a different world. That explains the time differences. I'll have to have a little talk with Garion's little friend later.” He sighed wistfully. “I must say, some of these contraptions would be fascinating to attempt replicating.” His blue eyes became distant as he looked over various things within the book.

Polgara sighed. “Father, you can study that later. Before you disappear inside that book and don't emerge for the next two hundred years or more, you should give it back to Kagome.” She poured some tea for herself. “You tend to get distracted. It must have something to do with your age. I've noticed that the senile can be easily sidetracked.”

Belgarath shut the book with a clap. He glared in her direction. “Now, Pol, that was uncalled for.” He handed the book back to Kagome who took it into her hands gratefully. Their exchange reminded her much of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's unending banter. The old man scowled at his daughter.

Polgara smiled sweetly in his direction. “Someone has to remind you that you're going senile once in awhile, Old Wolf. Uncle isn't here to do it so I thought I'd take his place.” She sipped from her tea.

“You're a cruel woman, Pol.” Belgarath sipped from his tankard. “You said you have objects from your era with you?”

Kagome nodded. She took out the cell phone. “This is a camera phone. It can take photos and you can speak with others on it that have one of these.” She handed it to Belgarath.

The old man looked at it, his brows furrowed as he examined it. He turned it around and then flipped it open. “What is it made out of?”

'”Plastic.” Kagome wasn't sure exactly how she would explain that material. She sighed.

“I see.” He hit a button and Kagome heard the soft beep as the phone turned on. He pushed different buttons to see what they would do. Belgarath shook his head. “Your time has strange objects.” The old man handed her the phone back. “Now that I've seen some of the inventions and such in that book, I can see why you wouldn't want Naraku to know. If he should get a hold of any of those items and finds a way to use them to his advantage, the armies we could raise wouldn't match. It's bad enough he may be using a demon army as it is.” Belgarath stood and began pacing. “I just wish I knew what this Naraku wanted. I hate going into these things blindly.”

Myoga took this opportunity to show himself. He jumped up onto Kagome's palm and said, “Might I say something, Inuyasha-sama?” Kagome could not have been more overjoyed at his interruption. It would divert all attention from her and the origin of her time to other matters concerning it. If Myoga had been large enough, she would have hugged the cowardly flea demon.

Polgara looked around for the location of the voice. She arched an eyebrow. “A talking flea? Now I can officially say I've seen everything.”

Myoga looked towards Polgara. “Might I be introduced to this lovely beauty?”

Inuyasha leaned over, glaring at the flea. He pinched him between his clawed finger and thumb. “I thought I'd told you to keep your mouth shut.” He let go letting Myoga fall.

Myoga's voice became strained as he fell from Inuyasha's grasp. “Such is the life of a flea.” Once he landed, he recovered. “If I might say something, I've heard a few things about these demons.”

Inuyasha leaned closer, looking at the flea. “Now you know something. Where were you before my brother got squeezed by that damn thing? You sure pick your timing poorly, you know that?”

Belgarath sat down, staring in wonder at the flea. “Now just who is this?”

“That's Myoga. He's Inuyasha's servant of sorts. A total coward.” Kagome smiled wide, leaning forward to look closer at the flea. “Now what is it that you know about these demons?”

Myoga cleared his throat. “Well, I don't know much about the demons themselves, but I have heard that Naraku is intending to use them to claim a particular stone. He said that with it and the Shikon Jewel he could become much more powerful.”

Belgarath smacked his fist into his palm. “That's what he's after. Figures. Torak's city, Torak's ambition. Why wouldn't he be after the Orb? It explains why he might have let Zedar out, too.” He leaned closer to look at the flea. “And just how do you know this?”

Myoga crossed his arms. He said, “I have my methods.”

“I know he didn't hear it from Naraku's mouth. He's too much of a coward for that.” Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her further. “Isn't that Orb on Garion's sword?”

“Yes.” Belgarath sighed. “Demon Lords, particularly Nahaz or Morjda might want to possess the Orb because they have their own worshipers. The Morindim worship Morjda and the Karands worship Nahaz. If they can get the Orb, they can potentially try to use it to destroy the other. The Gods only know what Naraku might want with it. If the Dark Purpose has consumed his mind, he probably wants to become Torak reborn in some form. Or a more frightening God than even Torak was.”

Kagome heard Inuyasha's hiss as he sucked in air. His gold eyes were wide. “Wait, Kagura told us when she attacked us that Naraku had a new incarnation. Kagome, remember when Naraku tried to absorb Sesshomaru? You don't think he's going to absorb some of these demons from Hell and draw from their power? What if makes them into incarnations and then tries to use them to steal the Orb?”

It seemed as if the entire discussion about her era was fading, something Kagome was most grateful. The less they talked about her time, the better. Hopefully showing the text book to the sorcerer would suffice to soothe the old man's curiosity and they could find a way to counter anything that Naraku might do. After all, Naraku was the more important matter and Kagome really didn't have much to show about her time. She hadn't wanted to share any of the information she had, but Kagome knew that she had had no choice.

“What's this about absorbing Sesshomaru?” Polgara arched an eyebrow, her gray eyes puzzled. “I don't understand.”

“Naraku tries to gain power by absorbing other demons. My brother was lured to his castle after Naraku had Rin abducted. It was all a ruse to absorb Sesshomaru into Naraku's body and thus gain my brother's power.” Inuyasha flattened his ears to his head. “After fighting one of your demons tonight, I wouldn't be surprised if Naraku's decided to try absorbing some of these demons you have. Who knows what power he might gain from that.”

Miroku sat down not far from them. He brushed off his robes and looked over the small group. His voice was cheerful as he said, “I see we're having a delightful conversation here.”

Kagome leaned against Inuyasha. She felt him pull her closer and wrap himself around her again. Kagome sighed in contentment as the focus shifted from her to Naraku and what he wanted. Perhaps when more trust could be earned between the two groups would she feel comfortable talking about her time more. She closed her eyes and sighed. Kagome tensed in Inuyasha's grip as she remembered Shippo. She had promised she'd spend some time with him. Inuyasha whispered, “What's the matter?”

“I promised Shippo I'd spend some time with him.” She sighed. Kagome really did not want to leave the warmth of Inuyasha's body behind.

He whispered so only she could hear, “Feh. Go play with the runt. It'll keep them from asking more questions. They know all they need to know.” He pushed on her back. Before she could stand, Inuyasha breathed into her ear, “You owe me, wench. Don't forget.”

Kagome shivered at the connotations in those words. She nodded and stood up. She looked back down at him, his gold eyes locked on her. They were fierce and churned with desire. Kagome crossed the clearing to join Shippo, glancing every so often towards her mate. Inuyasha had his back turned as he continued to talk with the sorcerers and Miroku. Kagome knelt down by Shippo. She asked, “Shippo, what are you doing?”

Shippo looked up from the drawing he was making. “I'm just making a picture.” Kagome glanced over his shoulder and smiled. It was a picture of her holding Shippo in her arms. Both of them had wide smiles. She noticed that another picture resting on the ground not far away included Inuyasha. He had made quite a few of them and although they weren't entirely accurate, they were endearing.

Kagome sat down next to him. “It's a lovely picture, Shippo.” She picked up a crayon, starting to color along with him.

Shippo smiled up at her, his green eyes happy. He said, “Are you coming to spend some time with me, Kagome?”

“Yep. I am. I promised you, didn't I?” She absentmindedly started to draw with the crayon, making no particular design. “How are you feeling?”

“Okay. My head doesn't hurt at all.” Shippo continued to work on his drawing, his tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth in concentration. His tail flitted behind him frantically and Kagome stifled a laugh. She didn't want to hurt his ego.

Silence passed between the two briefly before Kagome said, “That's good. I was worried about you after you were hurt, you know.” She placed her hand onto one of Shippo's.

Shippo looked down, a small blush on his cheeks. He attempted to cover his embarrassment by imitating Inuyasha. “Feh.”

Kagome laughed. She picked Shippo up, hugging him tight. “You really need to stay away from Inuyasha for awhile.”

Shippo asked, “Kagome, where did you get those bruises?”

Kagome set down the kit. She reached up, touching the bruises on her neck. They weren't tender and Kagome wondered just how dark they were. Suddenly she wished Inuyasha would have let her retie the scarf again. “They're nothing, Shippo. Don't you worry about them.”

Shippo looked down, dejected. He said, “Okay.” Kagome couldn't help but notice the worry in his voice. He turned back to his drawing and Kagome joined in with him, hoping that he would forget all about the bruises. The less he knew about the terrible events of the previous night, the better. He didn't need to know about such things. Shippo looked up from his drawing again. “Kagome, do you think we'll ever get to go back home and see Kaede again?”

Kagome furrowed her brow. “I don't know, Shippo. I can't tell you that.” She filled in the lines in Shippo's drawing with a red crayon.

“I miss home sometimes, but I'm glad I get to be with you.” Shippo dropped his crayon onto the paper. He hugged her tight. “When we couldn't find you or Inuyasha for the longest time I thought maybe Naraku had done something to hurt you. No one knew anything about you. I thought I'd never get to see you again.”

Kagome felt tears well up in her eyes. She hadn't realized how much the separation had hurt Shippo. “Well, we're all okay. As long as we're together we'll be alright. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru won't let anything bad happen.”

At the mention of Sesshomaru, the young fox child tensed up in her arms. He said, his voice quavering with fear, “Sesshomaru-sama?”

Kagome laughed softly. “He wouldn't hurt you, Shippo. Why would he? You haven't done anything to make him angry. Don't be silly.” She set him down.

Shippo looked down at the ground. He absentmindedly colored with a crayon on the paper. “He's still scary.”

Kagome shook her head. “He's not that bad once you get to know him. Just give him a chance, okay?” She ruffled Shippo's hair. Kagome leaned in, whispering, “Don't you ever tell him I told you this, but underneath all of that cold, scary exterior lies a big puppy dog.” Shippo looked wide eyed at her and she laughed. Smiling wide at him, Kagome said, “Why don't we finish these drawings, okay? They're just begging us to finish them.”

“Okay.” He smiled brightly at her, sitting down onto his stomach to continue drawing. Kagome shook her head and joined him, coloring in some of the drawings he had made. She glanced over her shoulder, noticing that Inuyasha had disappeared from where she had left him. Shrugging, she continued to color with the young demon child.


Miroku sat near his hanyou friend, completely aware of the tension passing between Inuyasha and the old sorcerer. Myoga had left rather quickly when Inuyasha had threatened the flea and Polgara had excused herself to check on Sesshomaru. This left Miroku alone with the old man and Inuyasha. He noticed the scowl that crossed Inuyasha's face. It was obvious to him that the two were having a dispute, even if neither talked about it. Miroku cleared his throat, trying to cut through the uncomfortable silence. He said, “Well, I must say I am curious, Belgarath, about these demons.”

Belgarath nodded. “Well, it's fairly obvious that Naraku has found a way to make any demon from Hell formidable. Demons here are not born into this world, unless a demon can successfully mate with a human woman and that pregnancy can come to term. In all my life I haven't seen one actually come to term and be alive. The only thing that can be done if it should ever happen is to summon a God.” He stood pacing. “What troubles me more is the fact that the demon tonight didn't have a magician controlling it. There was no one giving it commands. It acted on its own as if it was summoned on its own. That's not how things are supposed to work.”

Inuyasha snorted next to Miroku. He crossed his arms and glared again at the sorcerer. “Feh. That jewel shard was all Naraku needed to control that demon. He doesn't need a magician or what ever it is to control it.” Inuyasha's ears were raised high on full alert as he listened for things around them. His gold eyes were narrowed and the tension increased. Miroku hoped that his half-demon friend wouldn't choose to pick a fight with the sorcerer.

“Now that throws another twist in.” Belgarath folded his arms behind his back and began to pace. He ran a hand over his short, white beard. The old sorcerer muttered to himself, “I suppose I'll have to contact the twins and find out if they know anything about what Naraku is planning. The Mrin and Darine might have something we're not aware of just yet. I do not want to get all the way to Ashaba or Torak's blasted city and not know what to expect. I hate surprises.”

Miroku felt the tension in Inuyasha rise. He glanced over towards Inuyasha, noticing that a sneer crossed his friend's face. Inuyasha had his arms folded across his chest, hidden by the sleeves of his fire rat. His gold eyes were feral as they followed the old sorcerer's pacing back and forth. Inuyasha's ears were flattened tightly to his skull and his stance looked as if he was ready to spring up. As Belgarath turned his back on them to head off into another section of camp, the half-demon stood, glaring directly into the old man's face. He said, “Before you go, Old Man, I have something to say to you. Now that my mate is not here and she has told you what you want to know about her secret, I want you to tell me how I know that I can trust you? What's to say you won't turn on me and my mate? You forced Kagome into a corner and I want to know that I can trust you.”

Belgarath didn't flinch away from Inuyasha. His blue eyes were calm as he looked back into Inuyasha's gold eyes. The old man's expression became a scowl to match the half-demon's. His voice was firm as he replied, “Your Naraku has crossed me. He has done the unforgivable. Why would I give him this information so he can use it against us? Naraku released Zedar from the rock I sealed him in for eternity. Would you like to know why I sealed Zedar into that rock?” The old man's eyes swirled with an inhuman anger and his voice became deathly quiet as he continued, “First he betrayed my Master. Second, Zedar murdered Durnik. You'll recognize him as Polgara's husband. Zedar is past the point of no return. We were fortunate that Aldur granted Durnik his second life and his Will, but I cannot forgive Zedar for what he has done and thus I cannot allow Naraku to continue unchecked. Naraku has sided with Zedar, something I cannot forgive.” He backed away from Inuyasha, his expression grim. “Does this satisfy you?”

Miroku noticed that Inuyasha's facial expression had melted from anger into shock. Inuyasha sputtered before nodding his answer. Miroku noticed that his friend's gold eyes were confused. Inuyasha's ears drooped and his mouth hung slightly open. He stared towards the old sorcerer and whispered, “I didn't know.”

Belgarath's blue eyes locked onto Inuyasha's gold. “I didn't expect you to know. You should also know that no one over heard anything Kagome said to us. I made sure of that myself. Rather you believe it or not, I do not want to see any harm come to her, either. The only ones to hear what she said was you, my daughter, and myself. Not even the others in this group heard. I don't want Grolims able to sift through everyone's minds to find things that they don't need to know. Like it or not, Aldur has decided your pack is important and therefore I will do everything to uphold my Master's wishes. I know it will take time for you to trust me.” The old man turned, starting to making his way towards camp. Belgarath stopped and said, “I do hope we can learn to trust each other.” He nodded once before melting into the camp which left Miroku and Inuyasha alone.

Inuyasha stood staring at the old man as he left. His shoulders were slumped and his clawed hands were in tight fists at his sides. He looked up towards the stars before staring down at the ground. It seemed that what the sorcerer had said was going to take some time to sink in and Inuyasha was trying to process it. Miroku put a hand onto Inuyasha's shoulder. “Inuyasha, I understand your concern about Kagome. I know you don't want Naraku to know Kagome's secret, but I don't think he can use the well. Sango, Shippo, and I can't. All we can hope for is to defeat Naraku so he can't do anything in either time.”
Inuyasha sighed. He sat back down, crossed his arms and looked into the fire. Miroku sat down next to him. Inuyasha looked up towards the stars. It seemed that what the sorcerer had said had struck some sort of nerve in his friend. Inuyasha remained silent, his silver bangs hiding his eyes. It was a pose that Miroku wasn't all that unfamiliar with. He reached out, squeezing Inuyasha's shoulder. It bothered him that Naraku had yet again hurt someone else for his own gains. So many had been affected. Inuyasha, Kikyo, Kagome, Sango, Sesshomaru, himself. They all had their own reasons for opposing the evil half-demon. And now it seemed that the strange people they traveled with also had their own reasons.

Inuyasha looked back down to the fire. He tensed up before clenching one of his hands into a tight fist. A snarl erupted from Inuyasha's lips. He stood, kicking at the ground, dirt flying. He said, his fierce eyes focused on the ground, “Naraku sure likes to play fucking games. You'd think he'd have enough people to manipulate.” Inuyasha looked over at Miroku. Anger swirled in the golden depths of his eyes. “Why did he force us to come to this place?”

“I don't know. Maybe it wasn't really his idea. Maybe some other force did it. All we can do is hope to find a way to right what Naraku is doing wrong.” Miroku looked into the flickering fire. He felt a small smile cross his lips. “I think Naraku should be careful, though. It's not just the six of us anymore. I don't think he's anticipating the type of power we've seen these sorcerers use.”

Inuyasha snorted. “I'm going to go for a walk.” He pulled out a yellow scarf from his haori front. “Take this to my brother. Tell him Kagome doesn't need it anymore. Oh, and monk, keep the brat away from me and Kagome tonight. Tell her to come a bit into the trees. I'll lead her from there.” He glared at him. “And if you so much as make one perverted remark about why I want to spend some time alone with my mate, I'll pound your head in.”

Miroku accepted the scarf. He nodded. “Alright, Inuyasha. I'll give this to your brother and tell Kagome.” He folded the fine silk in his hands. Miroku watched as Inuyasha's form melted into the trees. Despite the bright red coloring of Inuyasha's clothes, the hanyou seemed able to use any forest around him as camouflage. Even his footsteps made no sound as he crossed the ground. Miroku shook his head. He looked over the camp, sighing wistfully.

Miroku looked back down at the lemon yellow scarf and then towards the canopy that rested over Sesshomaru. He gulped. Hopefully the Demon Lord wouldn't remember his promise not to listen at the door. He slowly made his way towards the canopy, peering inside. Sesshomaru rested inside, the little girl drawn across his chest. The Demon Lord's arm was tightly pulled around the girl's back. Even injured with a splint on his leg and the streaks of blood in his hair, Sesshomaru appeared deadly. His face appeared composed, a softness tinting his angular features. Miroku quietly bent down to place the scarf inside, but before he could back out, he heard Sesshomaru speak. “Monk, what is it you are putting in this Sesshomaru's tent?”

Miroku sucked in some air. The Demon Lord's eyes were still closed but it was obvious that he was no longer asleep if he had been at all. He fingered the beads on his Wind Tunnel, trying to formulate an answer. He still wasn't quite sure what to make of the addition of Inuyasha's older brother to the traveling party. Before he could upset Sesshomaru further, he answered as quickly as he could, “Ah, well, Inuyasha wanted me to return something to you.”

“I see.” One gold eye opened, locking onto him. He noticed the scarf. “Kagome's scarf. I have no need for it. Take it back to my brother or his mate and tell them that it is hers.” Sesshomaru closed his eye, adjusting his head back onto the pillow formed from his fur. Before Miroku could reply or look for Kagome, Sesshomaru stated, his smooth voice carrying a deadly edge, “Monk, next time you lie to this Sesshomaru it will be the last time you shall use your tongue.”

Miroku ran his hand on the back of his neck. Apparently the dog demon had a longer memory than he had hoped. Miroku bent back down to retrieve the scarf. He clutched it into his fist. “Yes, Sesshomaru-sama. I'll tell Kagome right away.” He backed out of the tent. As he was leaving, he blinked in surprise as he caught what could only be described as a small smirk touching the Demon Lord's lips.

Miroku turned towards the center of camp. He noticed that Kagome was with Shippo and that they were giggling. Kagome had Shippo pinned and was tickling him furiously. The young kit was laughing loudly, his head tossing from side to side. Shippo cried out, “Kagome! Don't tickle me!”

“What are you going to do about it, mister? Huh? Just try and stop me.” The girl dug her fingers further into the young fox child's sides, causing Shippo to howl with laughter. She reached one finger down to one of his feet, running the tip of it on the bottom. Shippo squealed, flailing to try and get away. “Oh no you don't! You're not going to get away that easily, Shippo!”

Miroku examined the silk in his hand again. He sighed. He had better give her the scarf. He joined the pair, sitting down not far from them as they continued to play. He laughed as Shippo kicked his feet. He said, “Kagome, you'll injure him if you make him laugh too much more.”

Kagome jumped, blushing. She laughed. “I suppose. We were having so much fun.” She smiled wide at him. “What's that in your hand?”

Miroku leaned forward. He slipped the scarf back into her hands. “Sesshomaru says it is yours.”

Kagome looked at the scarf in her hands. “He did? Wait, Inuyasha had it last.”

Miroku cleared his throat. “Yes, well, I was told to give it to Sesshomaru and then he told me to give it to you.” He brushed off his robes. “Shippo, why don't you and I find something to do in awhile. It's getting awfully late and you should get some rest after that bump to the head last night.” He had to find a way to get Shippo to let Inuyasha and Kagome have some time alone and a way for himself to possibly have some time with Sango as well.

Shippo sat up, catching his breath. He crossed his arms and stuck his lower lip out into a pout. “I don't wanna.”

Kagome ruffled his hair. “Come on, Shippo. It is getting late and we had a big day. Aren't you tired at all?”

Shippo yawned wide and then tried to cover it up by scuffing one of his feet into the ground. “But we were having such a good time.” He pouted further.

Kagome leaned forward. She placed a kiss onto the sullen child's forehead. “You should go get some rest. Everyone else is going to want to sleep soon, too.” She hugged him. “For me?”

Shippo snorted. “Feh.” He turned his back on the pair. “Alright.” He smiled over his shoulder. “Good night, Kagome.” The little boy scampered towards the tent, making his way inside. He peeked out once, a big smile on his face as he waved at Kagome before ducking back inside.

Miroku sighed. He leaned closer to Kagome and whispered into her ear, “Inuyasha wants you to meet him in the trees over there. He said just go over there and he'll lead you the rest of the way.”

Kagome nodded. “Thanks.” She stood up, waving at him. “I better get over there before he gets cranky and disturbs the rest of the camp.”

Miroku shook his head as he stood up. He headed towards his own tent that he shared with Sango and Shippo. Hopefully he'd find a way to spend some time with Sango. Pulling the flap aside, Miroku entered. He noticed Shippo curled up into one corner, the blankets pulled around his tiny form. Sango sat in another corner, cleaning her weapon. Her expression was serious as she polished it with a cloth. She still was wearing only her slayer outfit, something Miroku didn't mind seeing. He could hear a soft hum come from Sango as she worked. He sat down not far away, his robes rustling as he adjusted himself.

Sango jumped glaring in his direction. “Monk, next time say something. You startled me.” She pushed her weapon into the corner. Sango reached up, pulling the tie that held her hair up. It fell about her shoulders and she lifted the dark mass so it would flow freely down her back. The demon slayer turned over on her side, facing away from him. “We should get some sleep. Keep your hands to yourself.”

Miroku glanced over at Shippo, hearing soft snores come from the young kit. He looked over towards Sango as she attempted to get comfortable for the night. He moved closer. “Why don't we take a walk.”

Sango turned, glaring over her shoulder. “What are you up to now, lecher? Why would I want to go on a walk at this hour with you of all people?” She flopped back down onto her bedding mat, muttering about how he was up to no good.

Miroku sighed. “You misunderstand me, my dear Sango. I'm not up to anything. I just wanted some company as I took a walk before retiring for the night.” He stood, turning to exit back out into the night air. Perhaps if he didn't force her to come with she would out of curiosity. He started to walk away from the tent when he felt a hand grab his. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Sango standing behind him.

“Alright, fine. I can't sleep yet anyways. I'll go with you, but you better not be up to anything funny, monk.” She blew some hair out of her face.

Miroku smiled. He said, “I promise that I am not up to anything. Quite the opposite, my dear Sango.” He began to walk, noticing out of the corner of his eye that Sango was walking next to him. Her head was bowed and a slight blush tinged her cheeks. So far he hadn't tried to grope her, although the shape of her bottom called for him to touch it. He squeezed his cursed hand into a fist to resist.

They crossed a portion of the camp into the trees, the opposite grove than the one Miroku knew Inuyasha hid in. He continued walking, looking around the dark wood that surrounded them. Despite the fight that had taken place earlier between the demon and its aftermath, the night was rather pleasant. Sango stumbled behind him, struggling to cross some of the terrain. She muttered, “Why did you want to go on a walk again?”

Miroku smiled over his shoulder. “I needed to stretch my legs. We were riding pretty much all day after all.” He tumbled forward as he felt Sango careen into his back. He grunted as he felt Sango scramble to stand back up. Miroku turned over, looking up at Sango. She looked down towards the ground, her cheeks flaming with a bright blush. Her dark hair flowed around her face.

Sango stuttered, “Sorry. I didn't mean to.”

Miroku stood, taking one of her hands into his. “Sango, it's quite alright. I almost caught that root, too.”

Sango glanced around the grove, the moonlight reflecting off her dark eyes. She kept her eyes from his. Miroku smiled when he felt her squeeze his hand. She laughed nervously. “I guess I should look where I'm going.”

Miroku kept a grip on her hand and led her further into the trees. He felt her inch closer to him, eying the trees around them with caution. He slipped his arm around her waist, tensing as he waited for her to slap him. He resisted again the temptation to touch the roundness of her bottom. Much to his surprise, Sango leaned in closer. He said, “We can go back if the forest makes you uncomfortable.”

Sango snorted. “I'm not afraid, monk.” She didn't pull away from him and Miroku smiled. They continued a bit further until they reached a small clearing within the grove. Sango pulled away from him, looking up to the stars. She was silent and she hugged herself. She sat down on one tree's large root, leaning back against the bark.

Miroku sat down next to her, his hands holding his knees. He stared at her as she looked up to the stars. Sango's hair lifted a bit in the breeze. The moonlight reflected off her pale skin. The combination of her sheer strength and quiet vulnerability called out to him. The skin tight slayer outfit accentuated the power of her body as she stretched out on the branch. He slowly took her hand into one of his own, hoping he wouldn't get slapped. This time wasn't about incurring her wrath. That attracted him, too, but that wasn't what he was after. Miroku interlaced the fingers of his cursed hand with hers. He heard her gasp and her dark eyes rested on his. She whispered, “Just what are you up to, now?”

Miroku didn't let go of her hand. He said, “I'm not up to anything. Why must you always assume that I'm up to no good?” He let a small smile cross his face. “Have I done anything since we started this walk to provoke such mistrust?”

Sango tensed next to him, glaring. She leaned forward to look at him. She pulled her hand out of his, resting it onto his forehead. “Are you ill? You haven't tried anything funny.” She took her hand from his forehead and rested it on her own. “You're not running a fever. Did you manage to suck in some of Naraku's insects?” She wrinkled her nose in the way she did when she was confused or perplexed. “I don't believe you when you say you're not up to anything.”

Miroku sighed. “I'm not, honestly. He raised his hands up by his head for emphasis. “I'm not trying to do anything at all. See? My hands are where you can see them.”

“They had better stay that way, monk.” She looked away, another blush painting her cheeks. She didn't move away from him and he found that to be encouraging. Sango looked down, her dark hair shrouding her face from him. She sat back against the tree, looking off into the distance. Sango sighed, pulling her hair away from her face.

Miroku moved closer, taking her hand back into his own. He said, “We can go back if you're tired.”

Sango turned to look at him. She kept her eyes downcast. “I'm not tired.” Her eyes looked up, confusion swimming in them. She didn't let go of his hand. An owl loudly hooted not far away and it startled her. Sango threw her arms around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder. He laughed quietly. Her muffled voice said, “It's not funny, monk.” She didn't move away from him though and Miroku eased his arms around her back.

“Yes it was. Admit it.” It never ceased to amaze the monk how one moment Sango could be fearless in battle with a demon and the next a simple thing such as the hoot of an owl could frighten her. The longer she rested against him, Miroku could feel a blush cross his own cheeks. Again he fought against his instincts to reach down and rub her bottom.

Sango laughed against his shoulder. She rested her cheek on it. “Okay, it was funny.” She pulled back, looking away as she blushed. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't let stupid things like that get to me.”

Miroku tilted her chin up with his cursed hand. He looked into her eyes, noticing that she blushed to match his own. “I understand. We've all had a lot of adrenaline rushing through us lately, after all.” He looked at her slightly parted lips inviting him and leaned in, brushing his own against them. She was startled and her mouth opened slightly. Miroku pushed his tongue in, running it against hers. Instead of the slap he knew he should have earned for such a transgression, he felt her arms go around his neck as she returned the kiss. He closed his eyes, fisting her hair into his hands as he deepened the kiss. As he pulled back once they broke away, he whispered, “We should go back before someone comes looking.” Sango's cheeks blushed further. She tugged on his hand, shaking her head. Miroku's eyes went wide. He asked, “Are you sure?” She nodded yes and he leaned in to brush his lips against hers again. It was unexpected but he would make it last as long as he could. He smiled inwardly. So far not groping her had paid off splendidly.