Author's note: Inuyasha's not mine, and never will be!

Chapter 2: So Close and Yet so Far

The pale full moon poured its celestial light down on the humble roof of a small poor shack. Streams of moonlight streaked through some crevices in the thatches of the roof and lightly landed on Kagome's face. She drew her sleeping bag closer to her and slowly opened her eyes. Inuyasha was asleep on the other side of the room with his back to the wall. He sat cross legged with his head down, arms protectively wrapped around his legendary sword, in his typical fashion. Miroku was laying down near him, dreaming peacefully... "maybe 'peaceful' wasn't exactly the word she'd use", Kagome thought. A recognizable grin settled on his face as his right hand twitched on a circular protrusion from Kagome's big yellow bag. "Lecher!" she shouted in her head as a scowl rested on her lips. Sango was just behind her, laying with her back to Kagome. Kiara slept sweetly in the dip between Sango's shoulder and neck, purring very quietly in her sleep. Shippo snored happily, snuggled in Kagome's chest.

Kagome let her eyes drift over the walls of the shack. It had looked abandoned from the exterior, but suddenly she wasn't so sure. The fire place in the center showed evidence of recent use and even though there seemed to be an excess of cobwebs, the dust was only settled in the corners of the hut. Inuyasha had not affirmed it was uninhabited as he usually did when they came across such structures near bed time. His expert nose would tell him in an instant if it were or not. Still, the recent news that a powerful demon rumored to posses sacred jewel shards had sparked their immediate interest. They had decided to cover as much ground in the direction it was last sited as they could in the hopes that Kagome might pick up a real lead.

Inuyasha felt his body regaining consciousness. His sharp senses told him someone was approaching the hut. He could smell him. His golden eyes popped open and he readjusted his grip on Tetsiaga, with the handle in his right hand. He was ready. The breeze seeping under the shack's door insisted the man was human, but blood and the scent of demon on him was enough to convince Inuyasha that he should be careful. Inuyasha suddenly felt as if someone was watching him and his eyes locked with two glistening orbs. "Kagome" he thought. She was staring at him, worry etched into the soft curves of her face. His eyes broke the contact as a scuffling noise was detected just outside.

An old man pushed the thin mat covering the entrance lightly to the side and scooted inside. It flapped as the man froze before the strangely grouped party. The fresh moonlight from the open doorway illuminated his frightened features and tugged gently at the back of his tattered kimono before retreating back outside when the mat closed the entranceway.

"Please, do not be alarmed" came a soothing voice next to Kagome, "we are simply weary travelers who sought shelter for the night. We did not know that anyone lived here." It was Miroku, who had inexplicably risen to a sitting position and fully conscious state. The man stood puzzled for a moment.

"Well..l..," choked the old man for a second, "I did not know I was to have company tonight. I would have put on the chicken." He forced a smile to his previously stunned features.

"There is no need," replied Miroku, the only one to offer a friendly smile, "we should be the ones serving you." He stood up and helped the man into the hut. At least one of them remembered their manners. Inuyasha dropped his look of concern and resigned himself to indifference. Kagome sat up and gently roused Sango as Kiara mewed discontent at the interruption of her dreams. Shippo sat up, rubbed his eyes, stretched, and let out a lion-like yawn.

"Please excuse us," Kagome added politely, "we didn't mean to intrude."

"It's quite alright friends," reassured the man, "quite alright. It's calming to have company, especially at a time like this." Inuyasha's ears twitched and he looked up.

"A time like this?" Inuyasha piped up for the first time in a few hours. He had been unusually taciturn tonight. Kagome had caught him gazing off into nothingness again, which was never a good sign. He only acted like this when he was worried, love-sick, or deep in thought. She knew he had been scratched by a demon in their last battle. But what she couldn't understand was why he was so effected by it. He always proclaimed he was fine after battles, and this last one didn't seem significant in the least bit. The demon hadn't even drawn blood. It just scratched him across the chest. Sure, his armor would need fixing, but not even Kagome was going to fuss over him.

flash back

Kagome stood behind Inuyasha. He drew his sword and a loud scraping sound was heard as it transformed into the rugged tusk-like shape that it was renowned for. The demon cackled and started to charge.

"Stand back, Kagome!" Inuyasha bellowed as he held up his sword.

"Sure" Kagome ducked back. Inuyasha swiped at the thorny beast and missed.

"What the hell?" He growled. A fowl smile played on its lips. It lept up while his hands were occupied holding the sword and thrust one pointed fist into Inuyasha's unprotected chest. Inuyasha gasped as the thing unsuccessfully attempted to impale him. The look on his face was so strange. He was flabbergasted. Within seconds Sango's voice rang out.

"Inuyasha!" she screamed as hirakots powerfully rippled through the air and halved the demon in one clean movement. Inuyasha stared, with is head turned down, at the remains and clutched his chest with one hand.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome half questioned and half cried. She touched his chest where his hand was. The top of his head barely touched her shoulder as she stood by him. She couldn't feel an open wound or anything. He briskly grabbed her hand and stood erect.

"I'm fine." he said shakily. "It just winded me that's all." Kagome looked at him quizzically and he looked away. "We should get going. Sunset will be soon. We need to make it as far north as we can."

"Let's go then." Sango declared firmly. Inuyasha hesitated and then stooped down a bit for Kagome to climb on and started off.

end of flashback

"Aye," the old man's voice shifted Kagome's attention back to the conversation, "it is said that a fearful demon has been stripping the region of its holy shrines and paralyzing their protectors, then sucking out their spiritual powers. You, I see you're a monk. You should take extra care in this area." The man's wise wrinkled eyes rested on Miroku as he lit a fire in the center of the room. Miroku met his gaze, but with no show of deep concern.

"A demon has been paralyzing monks and priestess you say." Miroku repeated the man's words. He shifted his gaze to meet Inuyasha's. The half-demon's eyes seemed as anxious as the reflection of the crackling flames burning off of them from the fire.

The old man nodded, a solemn look imbedded on his face. He thoughtfully fanned the growing flames. "Tell me," said Miroku, turning to the man, "what does this demon look like? What is it that he does exactly?"

"The demon is said to be human to the eye. He has long blue hair and bright orange eyes. Few have reached the holy places in time to see exactly how he disposes of the monks and priestesses. Those that have, did not live to tell the tale." The man ended on that eerie note. Miroku sighed to himself. It couldn't be Naraku, but maybe it was another incarnation.

Kagome pulled a hand to her lips. She felt consuming unrest welling up inside her stomach. She wondered if the demon would come after their group eventually.

"Where was it last seen?" Inuyasha's body language said he was alert. To Kagome's surprise, he even stood up.

"Word has it that it was headed north through the forest." The man seemed a little unnerved by Inuyasha's towering form. Inuyasha walked over to the entrance and pulled back the mat. He stood there, his body soaked in the moonlight, and sniffed lightly at the air. The night was calm. Satisfied, he released the mat and sat with the men in front of the fire.

"What do you think, Inuyasha?" Miroku looked seriously at the half demon. Inuyasha looked at his claws briefly and then regarded the monk.

"We might as well check it out."

"Then we should leave tomorrow morning." Miroku acknowledged the women.

"Yes," agreed Sango. "Do you suspect this is the same demon that we heard possessed the sacred jewel shards?"

"Yes," retorted Miroku. "I have never, to my knowledge, heard of a demon that could simply steal spiritual powers." Kagome pulled her own jewel shards out of her shirt and studied them.

"You alright, Kagome?" squeaked Shippo. Kagome looked into the child's face and smiled.

"Ya," she said, almost surprised. She replaced the jewel shards and squeezed Shippo in her arms. She stroked the back of his head lightly with her fingers. Here she thought that she was one of the only normal ones of late.

The old man excused himself from the room for a moment. They all watched him exit. Then Sango and Miroku engaged in their own conversation. Kagome let their voices lull through her ears as she stared vacantly at the kitsune in her arms. He really was a little barnacle. Her thoughts drifted to the demon. She hated to be immodest, but if the demon really was after spiritual powers, she was a primary target. It worried her that the news of the demon had already traveled so far. They had first heard about it many miles south of here, and yet word had already spread this far north, maybe even further. How much longer could she sleep soundly? Not that Kagome wasn't used to the constant threat of death, but when she could anticipate it, it made her edgy.

Kagome lifted her eyes to the fire. Something glittered in her peripheral vision. She directed her vision at it only to discover that Inuyasha was looking directly at her. He was sitting only two feet away. He wore a concerned expression and his golden eyes spoke the depths of his feelings. It was an expression she didn't usually see on him, but when she did, her arms and legs commanded all the tenacity and support of jellow. She blushed.

"Kagome" he said gently. Shippo smelled a change in Kagome's demeanor and released her shirt from his balled fists. He looked at Inuyasha. His scent had changed too. Shippo was puzzled. Why were his two friends acting so different? Sure, everybody had been a bit cold after their latest battle and they were chasing after another demon, but their constant volatility confused him. He shook his head in defeat and dropped to the floor from Kagome's arms. He hopped over to Miroku and Sango. They were cooking some of Kagome's Ramen Noodles and acting normal.

Kagome and Inuyasha totally ignored the young fox demon and remained absorbed in their own mix of emotions. Inuyasha knew that he had been unreachable for awhile and was now seeing what impact it had had on Kagome. She was sad. He wasn't sure if it wasn't just the new demon that was worrying her, the compounded stress from the eternal nerve-wracking hide and seek game they played with Naraku, or if it really was his interactions with her (or lack there of). Something told him that he was mostly the cause. She was reacting to him. Her scent was flustered. It had been for the last few hours, but had softened again while she slept. Now it was returning in full strength. He had not told her why he was so aloof. Secretly he did not want to admit it to himself. A part of him didn't want to hurt her. The truth was that in the last battle the demon had been more powerful than Inuyasha let on. The demon had spoken to him in his mind...

flashback

"Stand back Kagome!" Inuyasha ordered. This wouldn't be too hard, he thought, but he had long since learned that it was best to play it safe when Kagome was around.

"Sure" she replied and he heard her scuffle back over to Miroku and Sango. Inuyasha got ready to exterminate the demon in one thrust. He let Tetsiaga hurl forward when he heard something that made his aim fail.

"Your looking for him aren't you?" cackled a menacing voice in Inuyasha's head.

"What the hell?" he Inuyasha said aloud. The demon grinned at him. His sick spiky body crackled when he moved.

"You seek the holy-power sucking demon like I do. Where is he? Tell me!"

"I don't know, and even if I did I wouldn't say" thought Inuyasha.

"Oh, I think you do. You smell like her, the priestess bitch! You must know!" The voice resounded in his head. The thing lept toward him and punctured his robe of the fire rat with its needle-like knuckles. Inuyasha felt his heart take off. Then he felt a searing pain shoot through his chest. He gasped. He had only experienced this feeling once before: when Kikyo had pinned him to the sacred tree. It had been unbearable and he had passed out. Now the demon was using the same passage. When it seemed his mind might be taken over and he might completely black out, he heard a familiar voice. Then he vaguely remembered observing Sango's weapon whirl about his body and split the demon. He bent down for a minute, recovering. He felt a light touch on his chest that suddenly made all the hair on his body stand on end. He pressed his chin into his neck as he looked at his chest. There was a glowing black scar where Kagome's hand was touching him, Kikyo's mark. That's where the arrow pierced his flesh. He suddenly realized he was crouched over and had one hand latched onto his chest. He seized Kagome's hand and stood straight.

"I'm fine," he tried to sound normal, "it just winded me, that's all." Kagome's eyes dug into his with a question she didn't need to ask. Inuyasha understood what she wanted to know. He had to drag his eyes away from hers. "We should get going. Sunset will be soon. We need to make it as far north as we can." He wanted to move on. He had a lot to ponder.

Kikyo...

"Let's go then." Inuyasha snapped to attention when he heard Sango.

He suddenly realized he really didn't want to touch Kagome right now, much less have her touch him. However, he knew he'd really be getting some stares later if he didn't carry her like he usually did. Inuyasha sensed the awkwardness of his hesitation and dropped to a squatting position. He grimaced as her delicate form rested on his back. Her powers must be reawakening the residual power from the arrow... Inuyasha grit his teeth, but didn't let anyone see his pain. He put extra energy into his strides to assure that no one would be suspicious that he could be so weakened by that measly demon.

"Kikyo," he thought, "are you still so angry with me that you won't let the spell dissipate even when the seal is broken?"

end of flashback

"Inuyasha... are, are you sure you're ok?" Kagome asked innocently, daring to break the silence. Inuyasha, forgetting about his previous detachment from her, felt the urge to be close to her.

Kagome saw Inuyasha's form drawing closer to her. His eyes were sincere and sorrowful. His irresistible puppy ears were drooped. She slowly leaned toward him. Her hand landed on his knee. Nothing else mattered, just them. Just them...

"Yes," Inuyasha replied in a hushed and dreamy voice. Inuyasha wanted to make amends with Kagome. By the expression she was giving him, he was sure she'd understood. She knew he was sorry for being so distanced. She forgave him. Their faces were mere inches apart... He could feel the warmth radiating off her skin. Her scent tickled his nose and sent shivers down his spine.

"AAAAAAAHHH!" screamed a voice next to them. Inuyasha and Kagome jumped and Kagome swiftly removed her hand from Inuyasha's knee. They stared wide-eyed for the source of the disruption.

Miroku was lying face down on the ground behind the fireplace. Sango was standing with her fists clenched, teeth grit, and was obviously commanding one foot to return to the ground. Shippo hid crouched behind Kagome's bag. Apparently Miroku had earned himself a drop-kick to the face this time. His limp arms twitched painfully as he remained fairly motionless.

"Lecherous monk!" Sango roared. Miroku rolled himself over and caressed his jaw. He wore a guilty, but satisfied look.

"Idiot" said Shippo.

"You know, Miroku, you really should control yourself," Kagome lectured.

"Do you always have your mind in the gutter?" Inuyasha scoffed.

"I was just following you guys!" Miroku plead in his own defense.

Inuyasha's eyebrow's jumped and his jaw dropped a bit as he cried "eh!" Kagome went ten shades of pink.

"Wha..What'r you talking about!" Inuyasha attempted to snap, but only succeeded in stuttering. A sly grin gripped Miroku's face as he regained a dignified position. Miroku nimbly picked up his bowl and chopsticks. Apparently he had decided to let it drop. He had his eyes fixed on his Ramen and was purposely distanced from the huntress beside him. Sango's eyes held daggers and he knew this was no empty threat.

The old man returned inside the hut. He was carrying a bucket of water that quietly sloshed as he entered.

"Is everything alright in here?" he asked the disheveled monk, furious demon slayer, terrified fox cub, befuddled half demon, and cranberry-red school girl.

"Fine" replied all, in a wide range of tempers.

"Then lets all get some rest," he said cooly. Heeding his words, everything was soon dark and silent in the old shack. Kagome lied down for the second time that night, except this time with a calm and permissive mind.