"It's finally cool!"
The day was an overcast one, with a cool wind blowing. For the first time in a long time, there was no scorching sun beating down on the land. A cool breeze suffused the land, and Kagome thought you could almost hear the forest and grass sigh. Brown spots were starting to appear in the grass, where the sun was scorching it out.
Sango nodded. She was wearing her usual skirt and top again, Kirara perched on her shoulder, "It almost feels like rain. The farmers might get lucky, and we might have some rain."
"That would be good," Miroku agreed, "The lands are getting so parched."
Everyone was wearing their usual clothing once more, Kagome wearing a white haori and dark blue hakama. She was starting to look more and more like a Priestess, now, but she didn't like wearing red hakama. It was stupid, she knew, but she didn't like dressing exactly the same as Kikyo. Even just changing the color of her clothing made her feel a little better.
Kagome lightly touched the Bloodstone she was wearing around her neck. The warm stone sat in her cleavage, a soft reminder of DarkWind. The Kageri had asked her if he could take some time off to go to his own lands, and check on things. Kagome had agreed, curious as to what DarkWind's lands even looked like. But she was wearing the stone today, to give the Kageri some time to himself.
"Speaking of rain," Miroku said, "we need to refill our water containers. I wonder if that village down there will let us use their well?"
They paused, looking down into a large-ish village spread out below. There was a main house, and about 10 smaller houses. Fields were being tended, and a small corral held a few horses. Chickens ran here and there. It looked, if not rich, well off.
"Only one way to find out," InuYasha declared, and started down, hands folded inside his sleeves.
As they walked, Kagome watched InuYasha out of the corner of her eye. She was pleased to see that while the hanyou looked alert...InuYasha always looked alert...he didn't look outright wary.
I remember when we first started travelling together...every time we approached a village, he'd be so tense, like he was expecting an attack at any moment. Which....I suppose he was. But now he's more comfortable with himself. Maybe just the fact that he's walking into a village with a group, and not alone, makes him feel a little more at ease...
Whatever the reason, she was glad to see he was doing better.
Kagome looked at the path under her feet as she walked.
Sometimes, though...it's like he's slipping back into his old ways. Wanting to be alone...getting angry and aggressive...not wanting to talk...acting like having emotions makes you weak...fighting over the slighest thing...
Kagome mentally sighed, I hope it's not because of...what happened between us. He...he seems to have accepted it better, at least. But...I don't want him going back to how he was. He was so unhappy...
A light touch on her hand brought her back to the present with a start. She looked up to see InuYasha watching her, worried, lightly touching her hand.
"Huh?"
He studied her, gold eyes searching her face, "Are you ok?"
"Huh? Why wouldn't I be?"
"I asked you a question but you didn't hear me...you seem pretty lost in thought..."
"Oh," Kagome flashed him a smile, "Yeah, just...thinking about stuff. What was it you asked me?"
He blushed slightly, hesitating. Kagome knew if she seemed surprised at the blush, he'd withdraw even more, so ignored it, and asked again in a neutral voice, "InuYasha?"
He glanced back to the path ahead, slipping his hand into the opposite sleeve again, "I just wondered how your practice was going. With the...the Jewel, and the archery and everything."
Wow...that's unexpected.
She looked back to the path as well, "Well...they're both doing really good, thanks! I've pretty much gotten my old skills back in archery. I guess it's like the bike thing, right? You never really forget. As for the Shikon...I'm doing good in that, too. I can handle the power a lot more now....more of it, I mean. Not all of it yet, but..."
"How...much longer, Kagome?"
Kagome blinked, and looked at him again, "Huh?"
Behind them, Miroku and Sango were lost in their own conversation.
InuYasha spoke quietly, eyes firmly on the path, "I just...How much longer is it going to take? Before you think you can handle all the power, I mean?"
Again, Kagome looked to the path, "Well.....if I keep going the way I am...I will probably be able to handle all the power in about a week, I guess. Then I have to start learning to use it."
He blinked, looking at her in alarm, "Use it?"
Kagome looked at him, blinking, "Well...yeah. I mean...that's what I'm learning..."
He continued to look at her, almost in disbelief.
Kagome found herself getting a little angry, "We've been through this before, InuYasha."
"That's not what I mean! I'm talking about how you plan on practicing with it! How? How do you plan on... I mean, you're not planning on having that thing take you into battle, are you, with-"
Kagome hissed, "Will you stop calling him "That Thing"? He has a name!"
InuYasha flushed a little with anger, "Fine. DarkWind. Are you planning on having DarkWind take you into battle or something? Because I won't allow it!"
Kagome blinked, "You...what?"
He crossed his arms, but continued looking at her, almost glaring at her, "You heard me."
Kagome just stared at him in disbelief. When she spoke, her voice was still low. This was a private fight, she didn't want Sango and Miroku involved. Or even to hear.
"You can't tell me what to do!"
InuYasha's voice was, amazingly, also still lower, "I'm not letting you do that, Kagome."
"Are you forgetting I can "sit" you?"
"Then you'll have to use it. A lot. Even I don't just run into battle not knowing how to use a weapon if I don't know how. You learn first, or so help me, Kagome, I'll drag you out of whereever you are and - "
"And what?"
InuYasha glared at her for a second, then looked back to the path. His voice was level, and calm sounding, but his face was flushed with anger, and his eyes had emotions deep in them, "And push you through the well, and seal it up with a boulder, like I threatened before."
Kagome just blinked at him, "You what?"
He didn't back down, "Going into battle with the Shikon, without knowing how you'll use it, or react to it...or how it will react to you, is a suicide attempt, Kagome. And I'm not letting you kill yourself."
Kagome fell silent. His face was so strained, but he was trying so hard to keep calm, to speak calmly.
"I..."
Silence. They walked on. Behind them, Sango giggled at something Miroku said.
Kagome spoke, "You feel pretty strong about this, huh?"
He glanced at her, a soft, sad look on his face, and just looked back to the path again, his voice gentle, "Yeah."
Kagome kept watching his face, "Then...I promise, InuYasha. I won't go into battle until I know everything about the Shikon."
He blinked at her, startled, "What?"
She nodded, "I mean...if we get attacked or something, and we're all in dire straits, like before, I will try to use it then-"
He opened his mouth to speak, but she raised a hand, cutting him off.
"I will, InuYasha. If I think you're all going to be killed...if I see there's no other way, I will. You need to accept that. But I promise you that I won't intentionally go into battle with the Shikon until I feel I can completely control it, and control it safely. Ok?"
He studied her face in silence for a second,then spoke gently, "Thank you. I...I just...worry..."
"I know," Kagome smiled, "And thanks for that. I'll try not to make you worry too much."
He smiled softly, and she smiled back.
InuYasha watched as she looked back to the path before them.
There were still faint traces of the bruises on her face, the ones Xanter had left, now only a faint purplish shadow over one cheekbone. He winced when he remembered how swollen her poor face had been when he had come running out of the forest, to see her running towards him, terror on her face. She had been bleeding, too; he had smelled her blood on the air.
Miroku's voice interrupted them, "Well now, here we are."
Kagome looked up to see that they had approached the main entrance to the village, and there was a group of people approaching them, a little cautiously, which was fine.
"Greetings, strangers," said a middle-aged human. He was wearing simple clothing, his hair thinning out terribly. Two men walked with him. They were carrying farming tools, but were holding them cautiously, and InuYasha could tell by looking at them that they would use them as weapons if needed.
"And good day to you, my good man," Miroku spoke first, his charming personality coming through, "We were wondering if we would be able to have the use of your well to refill our water?"
The two men walking with the other one relaxed at once, looking to him. The middle-aged man nodded, and smiled, "Of course, Monk. I am called Hibiki. I'm sort of the speaker for this village. Have you come a goodly way?"
"Far enough," Miroku smiled, "It's nice to have the sun taking a break today, isn't it?"
"Oh yes, yes. We may even get some rain, if we're very lucky. The fields are so dry, you know. The farmers carry water by hand from the river to the fields, but you can't do that all day every day."
InuYasha suddenly spoke up, startling everyone, "Tell your farmers to start stocking up on what they can harvest. It's going to be a bad winter."
"Eh? A bad winter?"
Miroku and the others regarded InuYasha in surprise. "Why do you say that, InuYasha?" Shippo asked.
InuYasha spoke steadily, "It's just a weird feeling I have. This heat wave isn't going to leave. Not any time soon. There won't be any snow this year."
"Oh my," Hibiki said softly, "I hope you're wrong. We need the snow from the winters to make sure our crops are watered for spring."
There was an uncomfortable silence.
"Er..anyway," Hibiki said, "Please, come in and make yourselves at home here. Stay for a rest if you wish. Monk, could I possibly trouble you...-?"
"Of course not," Miroku smiled. A monk was almost always in demand, and he expected it.
"We'll fill the water," Sango said. Kagome nodded, and followed, Shippo hanging onto her shoulder.
Kagome glanced back at InuYasha, and blinked to find him looking off into the distance.
"InuYasha?"
"I'm gonna check the village out, Kagome," he said, a little low, "Sniff around."
Kagome leaned towards him, "Do you sense anything wrong?"
"No," InuYasha almost looked embarassed.
"Then what-?"
"I just wanna look around," he said, growing defensive, "Humor me, alright?"
Kagome smiled, "Alright then, go have a look around. We'll all be here somewhere."
InuYasha nodded, and walked off.
Sango and Kagome walked towards the well, carrying their things. The demon-slayer looked at the other woman, "What's InuYasha up to?"
"Just looking around. I think he's feeling a little hyper or something, and doesn't want to just hang around and wait."
Sango smiled as she lowered the bucket into the deep well, "It must be hard to be a demon, or half demon, travelling with humans. InuYasha must find us awfully slow and weak."
"Well, he certainly hates it when he turns human, that's for sure."

The shadows grew long, and eventually, the skies opened up, pouring. While normally it would be a time for everyone to run inside, people actually came outside to enjoy the rare rain. Farmers checked their crops happily, making sure nothing prevented the ground from soaking up as much water as possible, and even set out empty barrels to catch extra water for the next day. Children ran around, jumping in puddles, laughing in delight.
InuYasha sat under the side eave of a hut, legs crossed, watching the farmers move about their fields.
This rain will help...but things are still going to be hard.
He closed his eyes, leaning back with his back against the hut. The rain brought wind, and the sighing sound as it danced around the huts was almost peaceful. The damp wind breeze that came with the rain played with his hair and clothing. It was good to feel and hear the rain again. Good to actually feel dampness in the air, instead of the dry heat all the time.
Raising an arm, InuYasha wrapped a hand around his Tetsusaiga, pulling it, sheathe and all, out of his belt. He opened his eyes, looking down at it, as it lay across his lap.
We killed Xanter, Tetsusaiga. I was able to unlock the Solar Flare from you, and we protected Kagome.
Images of the battle came to him, almost unbidden. Kagome's face, all puffed up and bruised. How furious he had been, how horrified when she had come out of hiding, calling derision down on Xanter, mocking him, "You fell for it! You were too stupid to see, and I used you!"
She had been trying to goad Xanter into an attack...trying to make him so angry he slipped up...which he had.
But she could have been killed, the little fool!
"Why didn't you call DarkWind for help?"
"You didn't need it."

She had believed in him. Hadn't called DarkWind...because she knew he could do it.
He sighed, Will I be able to do it again?
He ran his eyes along the black sheath of the Tetsusaiga.
Will you work for me again, when I need you? Was it just an accident, Tetsusaiga? Or am I learning to use the new attack now?
The rain continued to pour, with a loud hiss. Branches of trees and crops bent under the weight, and InuYasha was suddenly reminded of the pouring rain the night he found Kagome in that other world. How wet everything had been.
The first of the Shadelings are gone. I've drawn First Blood in an actual battle. But that only means the other Shadelings are going to be more wary now. I'll have to be even more careful...
He was going to have to be even more protective of his friends.

The rain slowed, and stopped. The sun came out again, but it was still nice and cool. It was almost too hard to believe that there was a heat wave going on, it felt so nice and cool. Water droplets hung on everything, casting out brilliant rainbows of color.
InuYasha had risen, and was walking back towards the center of the village. Raindrops slid down leaves and fenches, glittering like diamonds, dripping to the ground.
A scent caught his nose, and he stopped, turning. He scented into the air, curious, and turned, following it back.
He heard the unmistakable sounds of arrows hitting targets before he rounded a corner and saw the practice area set up.
In the middle of the practice area, a woman stood. She had pale blue hair, shoulder-length, and was dressed all in black. She was carrying a bow, and had drawn a bead on the target on the other side of the clearing. InuYasha wandered up to the fence, and leaned against it, watching.
The woman released the bow, and the arrow sped true, hitting the target with a solid thunk.
Catching sight of the crimson figure out of the corner of her eye, she turned, and regarded InuYasha.
Her eyes were a dark green, and she was strikingly lovely. Fine eyebrows arched over her eyes, the same hue as her hair. High cheekbones, and a pointed chin gave her a heart shaped face. She was wearing what looked like black leather armor.
Her ears were pointed, and the edges were heavily fringed, almost like gills.
She grinned at InuYasha, and sauntered towards him.
InuYasha watched her approach, mentally nodding. He had thought he smelled a hanyou here.
"Well hello," she smiled, and leaned against the fence as well, a short distance down from him, "I heard a new hanyou and some humans had wandered in, I'm guessing that's you."
InuYasha gave a slight nod, watching her warily, aware she was regarding him the same way. There was almost a cockiness to her, though. InuYasha wasn't sure if she on the verge of grinning at him or not.
"I'm Emi, you've probably heard of me."
"Sorry, can't say I have," InuYasha spoke. Emi was as tall as he was, and she regarded him cooly. She did smile, after a few seconds. There was a brashness that was very similar to InuYasha - perhaps a thing of hanyous.
"Oh really?" she asked, amused, "You've never heard of the beautiful Emi of the Bow? Everyone around here knows me, everyone talks of me. If you didn't come searching me out, why did you come? And what's your name?"
"I came with my friends," InuYasha said levelly, not giving his name. He was attempting to feel out her power, her strengths, and was aware she was doing the same thing. It was odd - almost like a dance where neither moved or said as much, but each seemed to be looking the other over, looking for possible weaknesses. Survival instinct.
"And why did your friends come?"
InuYasha shrugged, looking away, "We needed water."
Emi grinned, and stepped away from the fence, walking back over to take up her stand again, "Well, now you can tell anyone around here you have met the beautiful Emi of the Bow."
InuYasha looked back, flicking his ears, " 'Of the Bow'?"
"That's right," Emi grinned at him, revealing a set of fangs, "I'm unbeatable with a bow. Top archer in the lands."
InuYasha watched her in silence for the space of three heartbeats, and then grinned slowly.

They walked out of the village, heading down from the mountain where they had been wandering. Kagome was carrying new foodstuffs in her backpack, having traded some of her own things for them. They sloshed as they all walked, their bottles and containers full. Shippo munched on some sugared fruit happily.
"What was it they wanted, Miroku?" Sango asked.
"They had a sick child in here, and wanted me to bless her. It had only been a simple flu, but someone had given the child a home remedy and it had only made her worse."
"Poor little thing," Kagome said, "What did you do?"
Miroku chuckled, "I poured it out, of course, told them not to give her that, and blessed her, leaving her parents some instructions of what to do to help."
"Proper healers are hard to come by up here," Sango said, looking at Kagome, "Maybe Kagome should have-?"
"No offense to you at all, Kagome," Miroku said with a smile, "It was a very simple thing."
"That's fine. I'm not exactly a full healer anyway."
Kagome glanced to InuYasha, who had been walking beside them, somewhat quiet. She had been expecting the hanyou to be sullen, as he usually was when quiet. It was a start to see him looking rather pleased with himself. He walked his with hands behind his head, gazing up at the sky.
I'm not sure what happened, but he seems in a good mood, she thought happily.
InuYasha glanced down, caught her eye, and startled her again by smiling warmly at her.
Blinking, Kagome returned the smile, glad to see he seemed content.