Shippo, Rai, and Inazuma close in on the temple and have just enough time to make it inside, before hearing a massive thunder clash overhead. Just then, almost as though the thunder is chiming the announcement, sheets of rain fall all at once. The rain creates a barrier of its own, preventing anyone from exiting the temple.

Rai dismounts Shippo, as he transforms back into his demon form. "Whew, that was close. If we hadn't left the forest sooner, we'd be out in this," pants Shippo.

"Good thing we didn't sleep for the full six hours," sighs Rai.

"How long did we sleep?"

"Only two."

"You're kidding me! That was only two hours in that hellish dream!"

"I had to pulled you out of it. You were freaking out. After the killer bats, it only gets worse. That fall would have us into a pit full of blood and demonic miasma. Then we would have to race through it into a room full of venomous snakes. The dream doesn't stop until you're scared and shaking super bad." Rai sighs and looks into Shippo's eyes. "You think that little tinkle was all you did, you're wrong. By the time you finished the whole dream, your bladder would be as dry as a farmer's field after a killer drought."

"So you cut the dream in half for me. Then you asked Chichi-ue to come."

"I didn't call him. Jii-chan knew you'd be going through that with me, so he thought seeing a familiar face would keep you together."

"But I didn't keep it together. When I saw him, all I could do was cry. Please don't tell…InuYasha…that…"

Rai places her hand over his mouth. "I won't say anything to him. Bet you any money, he's got enough trouble trying to calm Oba(san) down."

Suddenly Rai hears a woman's scream from inside the temple. "That was Kagome!" shrieks Shippo. He scampers towards the direction of the sound, with Rai and Inazuma following him close behind. Shippo spots InuYasha in just his pants holding onto Kagome, who stands naked and shivering in his arms.

"Rai, what the hell did you do?" snaps InuYasha.

"Shippo and I experienced a similar nightmare too. That's the price for going to Hell's Labyrinth. For first timers, first you throw up, and then you experience one of the worst nightmares of your life. There are seven dreams in total."

"So who's responsible? Huh?"

"Inu…Yasha," Kagome replies in a weak voice, "It's not her fault. It was a dream. Someone else was behind this."

"Rakutaka. He's the one who provides you the dreams. They're really a test to see if you can withstand the hardships of going through that cave. It takes a long time, but you have to be willing to go through all the hardships. The dream tests your psyche and spiritual strengths."

"Ours was tested," sighs Shippo, "I was so scared. My worst fear was losing Rai through this. I was made powerless as well. All those years I devoted to improve my fox magic, it was like none of that mattered and I was back to my childish ways. I felt so small."

"Shippo, I had no powers either. Demonic powers don't work in those dreams. You have to rely on your own strength."

"I just…I was so scared…I was so sure I was going to die."

"Shippo," Kagome sighs, "I thought that too. First InuYasha was killed in front of me by a pack of those dead dogs. Then I was left in total darkness filled with ghosts of demons haunting me. They were chasing me, closing in on me. Those dead dogs followed after me, trying to kill me. Then I saw InuYasha returned to me, but he was dead and coming after me. He turned on me. Then…I couldn't run anymore. That's when I started screaming."

"That's what we heard," confirms Rai.

Shippo starts looking at InuYasha's pants. "Uh, what's with the dark stain?"

"What do you mean? Kagome must have rolled over and puked on them."

"No, that sutra I gave her is meant to prevent stomach problems," corrects Rai, "You wet them. I told you that would happen. I said sleep naked over a bed of straw. I didn't say you might pee in your sleep, I said you will."

"Yeah," sneers Kagome, holding her nose, "Take them off and borrow a kimono from Kaede. I'll go home and wash them for you."

"Ain't doing that," he refuses.

"Okay so Sesshomaru comes through to spar with you and he smells your pants…" sighs Kagome.

"I know why he doesn't want take them off," smirks Shippo, "It'd hurt his manhood."

"What's that?" he sneers at Shippo.

"It's plainly written on your face. You're too embarrassed about anyone seeing you naked."

"You were embarrassed too," sighs Rai, "Until I said your body looks like a god's."

"She saw you naked?" Kagome asks in surprise.

"Please don't be mad, but she insisted and then told me I was beautiful," Shippo sighs, with his face turning red.

"Have you seen her naked?" asks Kagome.

"Oba(san), it's okay. We didn't do anything wrong. I even put up a barrier of invisibility so nobody else could see us. I just feel comfortable around Shippo. I don't want to hide myself from Shippo, nor do I want him to hide anything from me."

"Just as she says. I wouldn't do anything to her; you should know that much about me by now, Kagome. Just please don't be angry," Shippo shies away.

"What makes you think I'm angry with you? Shippo, Rai, you ought to be blessed your relationship is that open. I wish InuYasha and I had that much confidence when we seriously started dating. Your love is more concrete and your vision is much clearer."

"So Shippo, you were together with her from the time you left to now before this rain hit," smirks InuYasha, draping his arm over Shippo, leading him away from Rai and Kagome.

"What's that all about?" asks Kagome. Rai stares off into space with a serene smile on her face.

"We didn't dream the whole time. Had we stayed asleep, we would have been caught. That barrier only protects us from on-lookers. It can't shield you from rain. I'm afraid if we were rained on, we'd be sick for real and you couldn't blame Hell's Labyrinth on that."

"Yeah so what did you do? Come on, you can tell me. You don't even have to call me Oba(san) this time. Just call me Kagome."

"Okay, Kagome," Rai blushes, "We were close to a really awesome hot spring. We took advantage of a bath. Then we met a doe and her fawns. The fawns were really cute and friendly."

"Yeah, Rai you're not telling me everything. Why is InuYasha suddenly interested in a man-talk with Shippo? That's not like him at all."

"Well uh…we sort of relived the moment we met in Nagasaki. We were on the ground, between the bush we slept on and the hot spring. Well he was still shaking from the dream, so I kissed him to calm him down…then…uh. Please don't get mad. We sort of…"

"You made love," sighs Kagome. Rai blushes and stares at the ground.

"I couldn't help it. Don't worry; I'm not in season. It just happened. We had sex."

Kagome smiles at her, "What are you ashamed of? It's not like I'm one to talk. InuYasha's awesome in bed. When we have sex, it's just so incredible. It feels so good. I feel like a new woman the next morning."

Rai sighs in relief. "Do you do everything?"

"We do it all. We even love guilty pleasures." Kagome leans forward and whispers into Rai's ears. "It's okay if you grab it. Puts him in heaven immediately."

Rai blushes redder. "I don't know what you…mean," she lies with her voice fading with every word. 'Damn it, don't say it. You tongue kissed and promised.' "If I break the deal…"

"What deal?"

"N…nothing. Never m…mind."

"You touched him, didn't you?"

"I don't know what you mean," Rai twirls her hair with her fingers. "It was his…tail I played with," she lies. "He wanted to rub my ears, too."

"Rai, it's okay. If you touch him there, your man melts like butter. When I rub it, InuYasha becomes so soothed that his leg shakes. He wants me to continue. It's the same reaction I get when I let him pet my breasts. When he does it to me, all the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Naughty pleasures might be inappropriate, but damn do they feel good, especially when it's just you and your lover."

"So Oba…I mean Kagome, what do you think InuYasha will do to him? What about…I can't let Chichi-ue know about this. He'll kill Shippo, I just know it," Rai starts to shake and cry. "I don't want Chichi-ue to kill Shippo." She collapses into Kagome's arms. "What am I going to do if he ever found out?" Rai weeps.

"Rai. I've known Sesshomaru for quite some time. InuYasha says Sesshomaru sees himself in you. The way InuYasha describes it, it's like you fight on equal terms with your father, even refusing to back away in the heat of battle, even upon his command. Sesshomaru must know you're a woman who never makes herself appear vulnerable to her enemies." "Sesshomaru also knows Shippo. He knows Shippo isn't the type to take advantage of women. At times he even sees Shippo as a worthy ally. You might want to meet with him together and tell him you are a couple. Let Sesshomaru know whom you've chosen to spend your life with. Perhaps he might see great benefits from that. If this relationship between you and Shippo ends up working out and you marry…maybe I'm thinking too far ahead."

"We've thought of that possibility. It's not like I don't want to have Shippo's baby. Some time in the future, I'd want to bear him a son. Maybe he could stay in his son's life longer than his father stayed in his." Rai looks up at her. "Kagome, I met his father."

"Shippo's father? Really?"

"I didn't have the heart to make him finish the whole dream, so I ended it with Shippo reuniting with his father."

"Rai, that was a wonderful thing you did. I think that part will stick in Shippo's mind most of all. Was he a ghost?"

"Shippo was able to be held by him. He cried as hard as he could in his father's arms."

"I'll bet so. I'll bet he'll love you for arranging something like that."

"When we woke up, I held him close. I let him cry as much as he wanted."

"How nice of you. What an excellent girlfriend you are. How long did that last?"

"Five minutes. Then I told him to look the other way…well I wasn't going to be left out. We were sitting on a bush, so whatever."

Kagome laughs at her, "Again, I'm not one to talk. When I fell asleep in that tub, it was clean and crystal clear. When I woke up, the water was all murky and smelled like an unflushed toilet."

"You might want to wash yourself off too. I think after the rain stops you might go outside. I think I saw a waterfall not too far from here."

"Thanks."

"Um how are you feeling?" asks Rai.

"I'm feeling okay. I'm still a little queasy."

"The spell I put on you doesn't last forever. You might feel sicker later on."

"I thought you made me well."

"That was so you wouldn't get sick in your sleep. I didn't think you wanted that. But I recommend not eating or doing anything crazy tonight. Postpone whatever plans you have made. This will go away by morning, but tonight, I recommend before you go to sleep to keep a bucket beside your head. You might also…"

"I've been sick before. I had the stomach flu back in January in my time. I couldn't keep anything down. It was like I was chained to the toilet."

"Well at least here, it'll go away and you most likely won't throw up as much. It'll feel like you drank too much. Trust me, if you throw up again, it won't be anything like what you experienced earlier. You might not even throw up at all. It all depends how tolerant you are. If you've got a strong stomach, then it won't be a big deal."

Sango walks through wearing a white kimono. She looks at Rai and Kagome with tired eyes. "You're up too? What kind of dream was that? I feel more tired now than when I fell asleep."

"Where's Miroku?"

"Standing outside in the rain. It's actually a very warm rain. He says he feels less nauseous out bathing in it."

"I warned Kagome to keep a bucket under her head tonight. Miroku should as well. That spell was meant to keep him from getting sick on himself while enduring the tortures of the dream."

"So, Rai. What did you guys do? I walked by InuYasha and Shippo, and those two were in this deep conversation. It was like they were comparing notes on who has the hottest lover. InuYasha shooed me away with a huge smile on his face, almost laughing. The only time he gets this way is after having hot sex with you, Kagome."

Kagome sighs, blinking her eyes. "Are you okay?" asks Sango. Kagome suddenly races out the temple's front entrance, with her hand clamped over her mouth.

Rai looks at Sango and both follow after Kagome. "She's still naked. I'm going to stand guard behind her," replies Rai. She immediately spots Inazuma following Kagome outside.

"Yeah and I'm going to help hold her hair back," replies Sango.

Rai and Sango race out of the temple, ignoring the rain and see Inazuma standing over Kagome with her hair in his teeth in front of a tree. Immediately Rai and Sango look away while Kagome pukes. Kagome presses her hands against the tree, as she creates a puddle on the ground.

"Hate to see her suffering like this," sighs Sango.

"Yeah, but you have to go through this when you enter Hell's Labyrinth. I was like this for six years. At first it is brutal, but overtime your body and soul become accustom to the training. I started training when I was six. Then by the time I was twelve, I just didn't get sick anymore."

"Does everyone go through this, even demons?"

"Jii-chan told me Chichi-ue went through the same harsh training. Chichi-ue won't admit this, but he got sick at first. Then he had one of the seven nightmares."

"When I woke up, the straw I was sleeping on was soaked and stunk of urine."

"That's how scary the dreams get. It's a guarantee, you'll get scared, and you'll wet whatever you're sleeping on."

Kagome sighs deeply, as she stand up slowly. "Thanks, Inazuma, for covering over me. You have no idea how big of a help you are."

"Are you feeling better?" asks Sango.

"Much better than earlier, actually. I didn't as big a mess as I did this last winter. I was on this side that first day and just got sick. I was outside the house, standing in the snow, making the biggest mess I could."

"I didn't think it'd be huge," replies Rai. "After your first huge throw up, like you had when your soul returned to your body, whatever happens afterwards are just small throw-ups like what you just did. They only come in short waves, and as the night continues, these throw-ups dwindle to nothing more than a violent cough."

"Will I be fine in the morning?"

"By then you might be hungry. I don't know if this would be a drawback but your desire to eat might be like if you've never seen food in your life."

"I felt like that when I was pregnant with InuYuzu."

"Me too, with Hitaku."

"Who's that?"

"Miroku and Sango's son. He's off training in the northeast to become a monk like his father."

"He's even as bad at lechery as Miroku."

"So he goes after a pretty girl too," replies Rai, "He's determined to spread that habit for several generations."

"I don't think we have to worry about Hitaku. He's not after girls, if you know what I mean," sighs Sango.

"He's gay?" asks Kagome with a surprised voice.

"Yeah, he wrote us a letter saying he's into other men."

"That certainly bites it for Miroku," chuckles Kagome.

Rai looks around and sees two villagers approaching the shrine, wearing umbrella hats. "We'd better get inside, guys." Rai shields Kagome with the skirt portion of her outfit. Inazuma stays behind, creating a centralized storm cloud with his hooves.

"What's he doing?" asks Kagome.

"Don't worry about Inazuma, he's staying behind to wash away that puke mess you made." She turns Kagome to see the two village women. "I don't think those two would like it much if they saw that disgusting puddle on such holy ground."

The three women walk back to the temple. They see Miroku in a white kimono sitting with Shippo.

"Feeling better, dear monk?" asks Sango. "When you woke up you looked pale."

"I feel fine, but while I was washing my body in the rain, I got sick again."

"So did I. Rai says these after affects are no big deal."

"This reminded me of this one time I drank way too much sake. I had a really bad hangover."

"After that major throw up, whatever you suffer later on is nothing. Feels exactly like a hangover except without the migraine," informs Rai.

"You experienced this for six year?"

"I had to. Jii-chan trained my ghost to get through the entire mountain, from the entrance to where the Jukon resides. He started training me when I was six. It took me six years to ease my stomach. Both body and soul have to be ready for the challenge."

"What about now?" asks Shippo. "You peed on that bush on purpose."

"I've gotten to the point with these dreams where I don't have accidents. I wake up with a dry bed. I think that steam from the hot spring triggered it."

"No surprise there," replies Kagome. "Whenever I'm walking by a hot spring, the steam pouring out plus the sound of trickling water makes me have to go."

"So you aren't scared of the dreams and you don't get sick after visiting that cave. It takes fourteen years to get used to it," replies Shippo.

"That would explain Nakuhebi's reluctance to tour the cave," thinks Sango.

"And it would have explained Naraku's refusal to check out the Jukon. If it meant he would suffer in such a harsh place," replies Miroku, "He was smart not to even make a move with this huge obstacle in the way."

"I heard from Chichi-ue and Jii-chan that this Naraku was a human-based demon. He made an exchange with his body for their demonic powers. He became the ultimate evil of this world."

"He did. For fifty years he was the ultimate power," replies Sango.

"It wouldn't matter in that cave. Compared to Naraku, this cave would do even him in if he let it. Even if he could get through without vomiting, the nightmares are so intense that it would drive an ordinary man insane. That's usually how Rakutaka keeps people away. First your stomach gets sick, then the dream he gives you scares you into a heart attack, if he lets the dream get that bad."

"It's that bad?" asks Miroku in surprise.

"You remember that man we saw, outside the cave. I'll bet he didn't even get through the entrance. The horrors were so great and the air so foul that he didn't even go in before turning back to throw up just a hundred feet from the cave. You guys were lucky to make it as far as you did."

"What was that noise Miroku and Kagome claim to have heard? I never heard it," replies Shippo.

"I almost heard it," informs Sango, "It wasn't very loud."

"I heard it and it was deafening," comments Kagome.

"Same with me," replies Miroku.

"What you heard wasn't a demon. Just because you're away from your body, doesn't mean you're completely severed from it. The only way you wouldn't need to return is if it died. That sloshing noise is from your stomach. If the sound is loud, then you have thirty minutes to enter your body, wake up, and fine the biggest pit or ravine you can find to hang your face over. When you said that, I told Shippo to hurry with me back to the temple. I transformed that wall into a door. Then when InuYasha arrived back he helped Shippo hold Miroku's body and I asked Kaede to help with Kagome's body. So glad we made it with time to spare." Rai sighs, "If we didn't return in the thirty-minute window of time, your bodies would have reacted anyways like a time bomb. All that vomit would be all over your bodies." The entire group turns their noses up in disgust. "I didn't think you'd want to come home to your bodies covered in that disgusting crap."

"So we should be grateful. You've been through this for so long that you knew what to do."

"What happened when you trained?" asks Shippo.

"Between the time when I started training at six all the way to twelve, I had to go through the entire route with my ghost. The whole thing is ten miles of maze and it takes a full three days to get through it, even in ghost form. All the time I was training, Rakutaka would send a few of his subordinates to help with my body. One of them would possess it, while the other two fed me and gave me clean water to drink. They had it cleaned out. When I heard that noise, they heard it too. They would take my body over to a deep gully and hold it there. The one who possessed my body would have it throw up in my place. Afterwards, they would clean the teeth and feed it white berries."

"How many times did you get sick?" asks Miroku.

"First few times, twenty times. As time went on, I got used to going through the training and puked fewer and fewer times. By the time I was twelve, the puking just stopped."

"After a training section, then you had these awful nightmares?" asks Sango.

"The night I returned to my body, I was given these horrible nightmares. Rakutaka isn't completely done with you when you leave the cave. First he puts your body and soul through the harsh training, then he trains your psyche and spirit, seeing if you can stand the mind training. When I went to sleep, I would spend the night in a barn filled with just straw. My sensei had the barn separate from the dojo. It never failed, when I woke up, I found the straw soaked in my urine. That's because of the serious post-traumatic stress you suffer from the dream. There's not just one dream, but seven. The central theme of the dreams is death. Which possible way one could die."

"So that's the reason for the dreams, testing what death you fear the most," replies Miroku. "I didn't make it in my dream. Sango was walking through the cave with me, when suddenly we got separated. Next thing I heard was her screaming and watched her being dragged away by one of those dead dogs. Then the floor of the cave turned into a damn Kazana like the one that used to be in my hand, only someone was sucking me in. I was being torn to pieces. When I was shot through that Kazana, I had just one full leg and my skin ripped off my hands. I tried to run somewhere, but everywhere I went, what remained of my right leg bled, leaving a scent for those damn dogs to follow. Just then I rounded a corner and found Sango dead, with those dogs ripping her apart." Miroku hangs his head, with tears dripping out of his eyes, "I couldn't do anything to save her. I tried, but then I was overwhelmed and watched my own body being de…" Shippo leans over embracing Miroku. "I…" Miroku's face reddens and he shields his eyes with his right hand. "The worst part was seeing my beloved Sango dead." He starts to sob. "How…can…I? What kind of a man would let his beloved wife be ma…?"

Sango runs over and embraces Miroku. "I thought I lost you too." Sango shields his face, trying to muffle the sound of his mournful sighs.

"I don't want to lose you," he utters between sobs.

"I don't want to lose you either, my beloved monk." Sango steps onto the porch while holding him, and then walk back with him through the open door of the temple.

"Is that the other point of the dream?" asks Kagome, "Watching someone you love getting killed?"

"That's one of the fears that you generate. Rakutaka takes that into account and customized the dream to your greatest fears and paranoias. He's trying to find out how tough your stamina is to torture, even if it's only fabricated."

"You mean the traps in that cave are fake?" asks Shippo.

"They're very real. When you go through the cave, you'll find a whole village of ghosts. That couple we saw were among the ghosts who tried the test. However they only made it that far before a dog killed both of them. Now they stay there, offering visitors rest and tea if you want. You'll find most ghosts are friendly like that. They live in the cave to serve as aids. Sometimes being down there can get lonely, so it actually feels comforting to have ghosts to keep you company. That old couple we met, I used to think of her like a sweet granny. She's always offering food, tea, and a place to stay. Merle loves hearing stories from living spirits. I wish we could have stayed. If I wanted us to stay longer, I could have asked Jii-chan to have Rakutaka's subordinates take over your bodies. They would see to whatever maintenance you need. They would make sure if you had to throw up, they would take your bodies over to the gullies themselves."

"I might consider that," replies Shippo, "I'm very interested in this labyrinth anyways."

"I'm just curious about what this Jukon is," ponders Kagome, "I know InuYasha's curious about it, especially if it came out of his father. Sesshomaru has passed this deity's test. Those two brothers are always trying to one-up each other. InuYasha won't admit this, but I know he's jealous Sesshomaru has seen the jewel and he didn't."

"What has me curious is how he didn't seem affected by the cave," ponders Rai, "He didn't hear that noise like you and Miroku did."

"Sango said she heard it too. Why didn't she puke?" asks Kagome.

"She said it was only slight. It wasn't loud enough. She must be more tolerant of the environment. When did you start hearing it?"

"For me it started out tiny, right when we were watching that dog tearing up that puppet. I didn't say anything because it didn't seem all that noticeable. Then when we were talking two that couple, that's when it was getting louder. By the time we were on our way back to the temple, it became so loud I couldn't hear anything else."

"When it gets loud, the thirty-minute window of time clicks on. At the same time it became deafening, Kaede and I had your body already positioned over the ravine with your mouth open. That's when it's going to come. Then the time is almost at thirty seconds. It was only perfect timing for your soul to enter your body. You could have lingered outside and watch it happen."

"I was curious why you had my body and Miroku's positioned like that."

"He actually started puking before he entered the body," informs Shippo, "He leaped back in, in the middle of the huge lurch. It seemed like we were emptying pots of rotten porridge. Smelled like…"

"Don't describe it, dear, unless you want Kagome to get sick again and want me joining her. I'm all too familiar with how it smells."

Miroku walks back through with Sango at his side. "You feeling better?" asks Rai.

Kaede comes outside, carrying tea. "I've made a batch of ginger tea for you all. I know how sore your stomachs are now. This should sooth them."

"Bless you," sighs Sango. "It smells wonderful."

"You should also eat carefully," recommends Rai. "Chicken soup is great for stomach upset. I'll fix you some if you like."

"I can go home if you want," offers Kagome, "I've got cans of chicken soup."

"You're still sick," sighs Rai, "If you leave for anywhere now, you might make yourself get sick."

"She's right. You're not one hundred percent yet," scolds Shippo, "If you go home, who's to say you won't throw up the minute you get out of that well."

"I've given one of your neighbors a bush of white berries to grow. I've got more seeds. I can grow them outside this temple. They're found all over Mount Hiei and grow overnight. I've also got fresh berries with me in the handle of Naosusaiga. They don't rot because the energy from the sword keeps them fresh."

"Where do we sleep? Here or at the house?" asks Miroku.

"You're welcome to stay here," offers Kaede, "I do want you and Kagome to stay here, since you were the ones who got sick out there."

"I'll go back to the house," replies Sango. "I don't feel sick at all. I think InuYasha should to, since he doesn't handle Kagome being sick very well."

"What about you, Shippo?" asks Kaede, "You and Rai don't seem affected by what happened."

"I feel hungry actually," chimes Shippo.

"You know what. I can cook this chicken soup for Kagome and Miroku," offers Kaede, "Why don't you take Rai out? There's a ramen shop that's just open up. A sweet old man, Raniku owns it and is always looking for folks to sample his cooking."

"I've got some gold with me," shrugs Shippo. He steps off the porch and walks over to Rai. He takes Rai by the hand. "This will be our first date. I want to treat you." He lifts her hand to his mouth and kisses it. Rai nods with a small tear on her cheek. Shippo takes his arm and wraps it around her shoulders, and walks with her towards the steps leading down Kikyo's hill.

Kagome sighs after them, remembering back to when she and InuYasha were like that. InuYasha walks out, wearing a white robe. He watches Shippo escort Rai down the hill. "Shippo, you'd better take care of her. That's my only niece you're with."

"He reminds me of you," smiles Kagome, "When you came around to me and fell in love…Shippo's got the same look in his eyes for Rai."

"You really think Shippo's like me?"

"I see it too," smiles Miroku, "The way he feels about his woman. The way he loves her with all his heart."

"He cries for her, loves her, and kisses her," sighs Kagome, sipping her tea, "They live only for each other."

At the bottom of the hill, Rai looks into Shippo's eyes. She sees a veil of sadness in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Why do you ask?"

"I know that look. You're worried about something."

"I just wonder if I'll be able to sleep tonight. I'm so afraid I'll revisit that place."

"You might remember but maybe it won't come up. Rakutaka made you dream that, but he won't make you relive it again. Well not until you visit the cave again."

"I'm just so nervous. I…"

Rai steps in front of him and embraces him. "I'll sleep next to you if you'd like. I want to give you a peaceful dream. I promise you; I won't make you wet the bed. You won't have to be scared."

Shippo closes his eyes and holds her tightly. He inhales her scent, feeling soothed and relaxed. 'Can't tell you how much I love you at this moment. You've came into my life at just the right moment.'

'Shippo, let's never go our separate ways again. I want to see where this path in life takes us.' She perks her ears up, listening to his heart. She starts to close her eyes when she also hears his stomach interrupting the sound of his heart rhythm. "You really are starving. You're not making that part up at all."

"I told you. I haven't eaten since breakfast, and certainly not before that damn dream."

"I made sure you didn't before going to that cave. Sometimes wetting your bed isn't the only thing. I had to seriously wake up a few times because my ass was calling."

"You cooked wisely. None of that food does that. I've had curry for breakfast once."

"Not a good idea. I make it, but not when I know I'm going send folks to that cave."

Shippo smiles and walks with Rai down the dirt road through the village. About a couple miles into the heart of the town, they spot the ramen shop as Kaede mentioned. Behind the counter, a little old man with a baldhead and a braided white beard stands, washing off his counter. He wears a simple brown kimono with rolled-up sleeves and a white Lenin apron extending the entire front of his body.

Shippo escorts Rai to a stool and sits himself on a stool beside her. "Good evening young folks. What can I get you?"

"Ojisan, Kaede-dono told us you recently opened a shop here. We came by to taste your food," chimes Rai.

"You want anything to drink?" he asks.

"Green tea," answers Shippo.

"Same here," replies Rai. "So how's business going?"

"It's okay. I opened this place two weeks ago. I had customers at first, but then I don't understand it. Lately business has been terrible. Only a handful show up."

Rai smells the steam rising from his cooking pots. "May I taste it, ojisan?"

"Please call me Raniku, young lady," he requests as he serves Rai and Shippo each a small bowl of ramen.

Rai picks up a pair of chopsticks and starts sampling his food. Rai closes her eyes and puts her chopsticks down. "Ojisan, your ramen has no flavor to it. I can see the noodles and the beef, but where's the vegetables? It's got nothing interesting. It's plain."

Raniku nods with a sad look in his eyes. "Sorry, this is the first time I've opened up a business. I know very little about cooking. I'm an old man with nothing to show for my life. I just wanted to contribute to the community. I wish my wife were alive. She was an excellent cook."

"Sorry to hurt your feelings, but if I lied to you then it'd hurt even worse. Raniku, you can still improve your cooking. You need better ingredients. Where's your market?"

"It's just around the corner from my shop, just about three blocks away. But I've got very little money; I only bought what I could afford."

"I've got plenty of gold, plus some red jewels with me. Those jewels have a value of a hundred gold each. I'll buy the ingredients for you," offers Rai.

Raniku nods quietly. "Shippo, could you watch his shop? I'll give you something really special."

"Looking forward to this 'surprise'," Shippo replies with a seduced look on his face. Rai drapes her arms around his shoulders, kissing him on his neck. Shippo turns around in his seat and exchanges kisses with her. The last of the kisses has them together for about a minute. They withdraw slowly, reluctantly parting lips. Raniku looks at the two, smiling with reminiscing eyes.

Rai finally parts from Shippo and follows the old man further into town, towards the market. "You're just like what it was like when Tsuko and I were young. I felt so blessed our parents had us betrothed. She was the love of my life. We spent every waking moment together. Then a year ago, she succumbed to a wavering illness and was taken from me. Her death just didn't seem real; it still doesn't." He stares at the ground, looking away from Rai.

Rai embraces the old man. She looks straight into his eyes. "I understand. You opened your shop because you won't be around too long. I can smell the scent of illness that cloaks you."

"You've got sharp eyes and a good nose. You're like that hanyou dog, InuYasha."

"Well he's my uncle. I'm hanyou too."

"I heard his brother, Sesshomaru, had a skilled samurai for a daughter. You're the young lady who saved this village from an army of thieves." He sighs deeply. "I suppose since you're a hanyou dog, I have no way to hide the truth from you. Can you blame me? I want to give the other villagers here one more lasting memory of me before I go. I want to make the best ramen these folks had when Tsuko was alive. I just want us to be remembered. But I'm so poor. I can't even buy the best ingredients."

Rai holds him, shedding tears for him. "So sorry. You must be in so much pain now. One of my swords, Naosusaiga, has the power to heal your pains and sustain your life longer."

"Thanks for the offer to extend my life, but I must decline. I want to see Tsuko again. I want to go to where she is. All the pain tells me is I'll be able to see her again soon."

Rai stoops down and hoists Raniku's body up, carrying him in her arms. "Least I can do is carry you to the marketplace. Can I do that for you?"

"Young lady," he smiles at her, "Sorry I can't cry. I want to, but… these old eyes haven't cried in years. Guess Buddha's telling me I don't have to cry anymore."

Tears flood Rai's eyes. "I can do that for you too." She carries him to the market stand, allowing the tears to pour down her cheeks. She sets the man down, only then to act as a crutch for him.

A dark-haired woman stands behind the counter, as the two customers approach her. "Raniku-jii, you're back. I'm sorry, but you don't have enough money. I gave you what I could."

"I'm buying what he needs," informs Rai. "I want him to have a good meal the whole village can enjoy. I've got gold and rubies."

"You mean you've got ruby shards too? Those things are worth a fortune."

"May I see them please?" asks Rai. The shopkeeper ducks behind the counter for a few minutes.

While the woman searches, Rai notices Sango's presence behind her. "What are you doing down here?"

"I just had to get away for a while. Miroku got sick again. Kagome's fine, just had to use Kaede's toilet."

"How badly did Miroku get sick this time?" asks Rai.

"Not nearly as bad from when he washed himself off in that rain. Strangest thing was, it's like he puked for a few minutes then it stopped abruptly."

"I didn't think it would last long. Throughout the night, Kagome and Miroku will get better. If either one gets sick again, the amount they throw up will decrease. By midnight, it should be down to just a very violent cough. By morning, it'll be like this day never happened."

"It's a good thing you told Kagome to stay here. Back last winter she had that nasty influenza. I heard the moment she got home, she threw up in the well. She was so weak; InuYasha said she could barely climb out. Then she was home for the rest of the week."

The shopkeeper stands back up with a medium leather bag. "Someone gave me this bag in exchange for food." Rai opens the bag and dumps out all the red jewels.

"Among these jewels is a handful with a great demonic aura. Do you have a bowl or cup handy?"

"You can't have them. I've been given these jewels," the woman protests.

"There are jewel shards hidden among this pile. I'm counting forty dull ones. Those are the ones giving off the aura. If you don't let me take them, then a man going by the name Nakuhebi will. And he'll do what it takes to get them, even kill you in the process."

Sango removes her red tortoise-shell shoulder pad from under her kimono. Rai gets straight to work, gathering the dull-looking jewel shards. Rai shows the shopkeeper one of the dull shards. "Ma'am, be extremely careful of these shards. These are the shards the enemy wants. The shards are dull and unattractive. They barely have any red color in them. But these are the very shards you may not keep. Please give them to the demon-slayers in this village."

"Like Kagome-sama," sighs the woman, "Where is she, at the house by Kikyo's hill?"

"Not tonight," informs Sango. "Both she and Miroku aren't feeling well. They…"

"Caught that nasty bug that's been going around here," lies Rai.

"I see. My husband's sick too. He's been throwing up all day. I just got over it myself. I'm still tired from it. Our next-door neighbors had it too last week." Rai pulls all forty pieces of the Crimson Jewel and fills the shoulder pad. She pulls out her Hono'osaiga six inches from its sheath and quickly slides the shards down inside the sheath.

Once she takes all the shards in Sango's armor, she scans over the remaining pile of jewels. "Now the aura has been lifted, you may keep the rest of them. The really shiny shards are yours to do as you wish. Perhaps use them for buying peppermint or ginger for your husband's tea. If you see anymore dull shards tonight, please bring them by this old man's shop. Shippo and I will be staying with him tonight."

"Awfully kind of you, young lady. I don't have much to offer you."

"I want to help you out. Your time is almost coming. It might be tonight. Maybe this will be the last meal you'll ever cook for this village." Rai turns to the shopkeeper. "I would like fresh carrots, onions, snap peas, beef, basil, fresh ramen noodles, water chestnuts, curry powder…"

"Which kind of curry, hot or sweet?"

"A little of both."

"Anything else?"

"Any fruit? I see you've got fresh pineapples. Can I buy a few?"

"Anything else?"

"That'll be all," replies Rai.

"That'll be 1500 gold."

"I've got 700 gold and 8 ruby shards. Each shard is worth 100 gold."

"I'll take both of them." Rai unhinges the jewel on her belt and removes both the money and the shards. The shopkeeper walks back into the store with the list of requested items.

"So Sango-sama, I guess the monk won't be praying with me tonight. I'll never see him again."

"Tomorrow, he'll be fine. He can pray with you then."

"What if tonight is it? I don't want to be alone. I don't have much time left."

"I'll pray with you in his place," smiles Rai, "Perhaps Shippo and I can stay beside you tonight."

"Jii-chan, you're leaving us tonight?" shrieks the shopkeeper, dropping the bag of requested food.

"I have to, Carmen. I want to make you the same ramen your grandmother made."

The shopkeeper drops to her knees. "Jii-chan, please don't talk like this. You're going to be fine. The doctor said you'd be just fine."

"The monk here said my time's coming. InuYasha's niece says the same thing. InuYasha himself sensed it this last week. Both those hanyou dogs have keen noses for these things."

Rai crawls over the counter and kneels before Carmen. "If you want, you can join us in this ramen stew your grandfather wants to make." Rai picks up the sack of food and hands it over to Sango. Rai climbs back over the counter and hoists the old man again in her arms.

"You're nothing like InuYasha. You look like him, but you're nothing like him," replies Carman, as she closes her shop and follows Sango and Rai.

"I'm his niece, Rai."

"Carmen, this young woman is the daughter of that dog demon, Sesshomaru-sama. That's the demon I was telling you about."

"Sesshomaru?" asks a bearded man, overhearing Raniku and the three women protecting him. "You're his musume, woman? But you're much kinder than he."

"She must have her mother's personality," Carmen comments to the man. Rai soon notices a small gathering of villagers following her. She hears murmuring among them about her.

Shippo walks towards them and helps Sango with the sack-load of food. Rai, Shippo, and Sango walk inside the old man's hut. Rai sets Raniku back on his feet, as Sango and Shippo do the same with the food. Shippo finds a clean cooking pot and gets straight to work filling it with water from the well behind Raniku's shop. Rai immediate starts chopping vegetables. Shippo returns with the large heavy cooking pot filled with water and sets it over the roaring fire pit, starting the boiling process. Raniku prepares the meat, heating it over a heating plate. Sango takes the old stew, dumping outside on the ground for the village dogs to feast on.

Sango returns and helps to prepare the noodles. As Sango begins to boil the noodles, she stares into the boiling pot. Rai looks over at her. "Are you feeling okay?"

Sango shakes her head violently. "I'm fine. I'm not sick. Why didn't I get sick?"

"That sloshing sound you were hearing wasn't loud enough. Nobody gets sick if it's that low. It'd feel like a mere stomachache."

"That's what it was. It hurts a little. Maybe eating this ramen will help it." She looks at Rai. "Why are you crying?"

"Same reason you are. I've been chopping onions."

"Of course. Onions are in this ramen. What's that supposed to do?"

"Adds to the flavor. Fresh ripe onions are great in cooking."

"I guess I was wrong," sighs the old man, "These onions are letting me cry."

Rai drains the juices from the meat and adds the juices from the pineapple to create a sauce. "Shippo, please drain the noodles. I'll add the hot and sweet curries in the sauce and marinate the meat back in." She gives Raniku a small taste of the stew using a small ladle for him to sip from.

"Tastes just how Tsuko used to make it. This is her famous ramen. It's like she's with me."

"It's because she was telling me how to make it," sighs Rai, "I've got the ability to talk to the departed."

"Tsuko, are you here?" She appears as a ghost before the old man. Tears fill the old man's eyes.

"She says you'll be at her side again. Maybe tonight."

Rai appears with the old man behind the counter. She counts out about one hundred villagers gathering around the ramen shop. She senses Crimson Jewels among the gathering. Suddenly her eyes spot InuYasha among the villagers.

"I thought you and Shippo were just going out for dinner. What's all this?"

"This would be Raniku's last meal," replies Miroku, standing behind InuYasha.

"Why aren't you in bed? I thought you were still sick," gripes InuYasha.

"What he has is almost over and it isn't contagious," answers Rai, "Besides this ramen has healing properties. I'd still eat it slowly, however."

Raniku sees Kaede and Kagome upon Inazuma's back. "This smell alone is taking my nausea away," sighs Kagome, "I couldn't be the only on sitting up there anyways."

"I started making chicken soup, when this scent drifted up the hill," replies Kaede, "InuYasha took off in the direction of this wonderful scent."

Raniku looks out, trying to snuffle tears back. "What do we do for bowls? I've only got enough to serve twenty people."

"Don't worry, ojisan," responds a man's voice, "We've got our own bowls."

"We've got gold to pay you," replies a woman.

"Instead of gold, please pay us in all the dull red shards you have in your possession," requests Rai. "You do that and demons won't be plaguing your houses tonight."

Sango sticks her head out and whispers to Rai. "The ramen is ready. If you put the dull shards in your bowls, then you'll receive ramen in exchange." Bowls are given one-by-one to Rai. She quickly removes the shards and places them in an empty leather pouch she finds under the counter. She sends the empty bowls back to Shippo, who fills them with ramen. Sango takes the filled bowls and returns them to the villagers. Each villager takes out his or her set of chopsticks, preparing to eat.

Some sit upon stools to eat, while more sit on the grass. Among the crowd, sits children with their parents, sharing in the ramen from their parents' bowls. After awhile the entire village relaxes with full stomachs around the tiny ramen shop. Rai counts out 145 shards to add to her collection.

Miroku smiles and looks at Rai. "I can't believe this. It's like the nausea I had up at the temple, you erased it. What did you do?"

"It's got pineapple in the recipe. I know that fruit has healing properties for a sour stomach. Plus I secretly added the juices from those white berries from Mount Hiei. That's also great on healing stomachs."

"That was great," replies a woman.

"We also must thank the old man. We really enjoyed this."

Rai looks over at him, and sees him sitting on a stool with his eyes open. She places her hand over his mouth. "Miroku, Kaede, do me a favor, pray for him one more time." She closes his eyes and holds his body in her arms.

Miroku places his right hand on Raniku's head. "Please let this man rest in your arms, O Holy Buddha. He's gone home to live with you. Please let his passage be a safe one."

"When did he die?" asks Sango.

"I felt him go while we were feeding these people," sighs Shippo, "He saw his wife's ghost. He must have waited until everyone had a bowl filled with his ramen before joining her in the afterlife."

Silence fills the crowd, with only sharp cries from infants breaking through the quietness, as though they are crying out for the rest of the villagers.

Rai carries him back into his hut lays his body on a straw bed. Sango watches over him as Rai returns to the counter and dumps the contents of the leather bag down inside the Hono'osaiga's sheath. Shippo looks at her face, and then grabs her by the hand. "What should I do with this food?" asks Sango in a quiet voice.

"Store the unused portions, as much as you can," whispers Shippo. "Rai and I want time alone."

"Perhaps you can take over his business, Rai. Serve it in his honor," suggests Sango, as she watches Miroku walk into the old man's house.

"I'll think about that," replies Rai, in a half-hearted smile. Shippo walks her out and leads her away from the village. He quickly transforms into a fox and carries her into a vast rural area.

He transforms back into a demon as Rai dismounts him. They stand together on a grassy knoll, overlooking a farmer's field. A blanket of stars bedazzles the clear sky. The full moon floods the land with light, trying to imitate the sun during the daylight hours.