Hello, all you Inu-Yasha fans out there! Boy was I surprised when I visited the site and found that I had gotten about 16 reviews since I'd last posted a chapter! (True... 9 of them where from one person... but... I swear I don't know them!) That was really cool and I was going to start working on my new Harry Potter fic, but I decided, since you guys are so loyal, that I'll type the next chapter first. This one's pretty short, anyway.

OH! And for those of you not well versed in Creedence Clearwater Revival (not that I am, but...) the phrase "Bathroom on the right" is a famous misinterpretation of one of their song's lyrics that should really be heard "Bad moon on the rise." I thought that was kind of funny, but I felt I had to explain myself for those of you that didn't get it. (Namely my foreign friend Joanna. Hi, Joanna! I didn't know if you knew CCR or not, so... here it is.)And also, sorry about not spell-checking that last chapter. The program I did it in had no spell check. But if you guys have read this far, you're used to it by now!

Chapter 10: Bathroom on the Right: Inu-Yasha's secret

(At least I think it's chapter 10,anyway...)

It had been 2 weeks since Inu-Yasha had started trailing the demons. Their trail was fairly erratic and unpredictable. To complicate things, the idiots could fly which made them nearly impossible to track by scent.

It was about noon saw Inu-Yasha, looking frazzled and worse for wear, wound her way through yet another town. She passed throughout he town with nervousness, hoping no one would notice her. That, of course, was next to impossible as Inu-Yasha was a beautiful young demon in a bright red kimono which, at the moment, as rather dirty an nasty looking.

People stared at her, but no one spoke to her. She seemed to have an agenda, as she looked at no one and didn't deviate from her route.

"There's a forest on the other side of this town... Of that I'm sure... I can smell the trees..." she thought.

Another few minutes trapsing through the town and Inu-Yasha was through, bursting out into a lush forest. She explored it for a few hours before finding what she'd been looking for. The mouth of the cave gaped at her. It looked so out of place in the hillside. Trees surrounded it on all sides. Inu-Yasha hoped for miles.

She entered the cave slowly and cautiously, hoping that there would be no inhabitants and made her way toward the back. Satisfied that no one was present she decided to make the cave her camp for the night. She returned to the entrance and struck out to look for fire wood, as she figured the night would get chilly. It began to rain lightly before long and she hurried back to the cave with her firewood.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Night fell.

Miroku trudged through the forest wearily. Mud squelshed beneath his sandals as he walked. The rain, so light and innocent earlier, had begun to come down in torrents and was now a veritable downpour.

Miroku sighed and tried to protect the lantern he was carrying. Tracking the swath of destruction the 2 demons had been leaving was easy. Finding them was not. It seemed they attacked places at random and went home when they got bored. But where was home? He had no idea and was beginning to get sick of the whole thing. The last village he'd left said there was supposed to be a demon living in the woods that might be able to help shed some light on the whole thing--some kind of Tengu or something--but all Miroku had found was an unhelpful water-sprite. He'd also gotten lost.

Right now I'd give my left eye for a cave or something... he thought in dismay. He parted the tree branches before him.

"Well, wadda' ya' know!" he said with a smile as he looked at the rather inviting cave.

"Right now, I'd give my left foot for a hot woman in a tight kimono."

Nothing happened.

"With a whip?..."

He let out a sigh. "It was worth a try..." With a shrug he entered the cave and shook his tunic vigorously. The water made a nice spray as he did so. Miroku looked around the cave. It was fairly difficult to see even with his lantern.

He sniffed the air. "Smells like fire..." he thought. "Someone must've been in her recently."

"Hello-o-o-o-o-o...?" he called out in curiosity. There was hardly any noise to be heard over the din of the rain. Miroku took the lantern from the end of his staff and held it in hand. He raised it but kept it no higher than it had to be. "I mean no harm. Are you still here?"

There was shifting in the back of the cave as Miroku took a few steps.

A rumble began, deep and low. "Leave me alone," growled a voice from the void.

Miroku was surprised by it and blinked. He could see in the darkness a glow. The embers of the fire he'd earlier smelled. No doubt he'd scared his "friend" into scattering their flames.

"You don't have to worry about me," he said. "I only need a dry place to stay the night."

A growl came again, although, he realized, it seemed a little forced.

"Find somewhere else!!!" roared the voice. He knew then. The voice was familiar.

"I-Inu... Yasha?..." he wondered aloud, a smile creeping across his face.

There came a contemptuous growl from the recesses of the cave. "Don't ask questions, Miroku--just piss off. Don't come near me or I swear to God I'll rip you to ribbons."

Miroku's face became serious. "Why? What's wrong?" He stepped forward again.

"I'm warning you, Miroku!" she yelled, but Miroku could sense something like alarm in her voice and he knew that something was amiss.

A rock whizzed by and glanced off the metal of the little pagoda lantern that Miroku had brought. He placed it on the ground at his side.

"God damn it, Miroku! Stay there---" she yelled as he quickly reached for her.

"Nope. There's something wrong with you and I'm gonna find out what."

He latched onto her arm.

She wasn't trying to bet away! She cold destroy him and yet she was letting him capture her! Did she actually have feelings for him? He smiled at the thought and felt a little sheepish. It wasn't everyday that a demon fell for him.

"Miroku, let me go-- or so help me--"

"You'll what?" he asked and he yanked her out of the shadows and into the light of the lantern and his own waiting arms.

She found herself against his chest and was strupified to find that he wasn't groping her. He held her tight and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Don't worry. I'm here now--- HOUGH!" He was punched in the gut.

Miroku reeled a bit, fell down, said, "Ow...?" and looked up. Shock fell across his face. "You're---"

Inu-Yasha stared at him defiantly, a crimson hue tinting her face. "Yeah?"

"You're human!" the priest finally got out.

Inu-Yasha avoided eye contact, tossed her now raven locks and scoffed.

"Well, you know. Shit happens."

Miroku began to get up and dust himself off. No wonder she wasn't struggling much... she's weaker... he thought dismally.

Inu-Yasha stomped over to the remnants of the fire.

"So now you know," she said angrily as she tried to get the sticks gat hered up and back into a pile. The lantern flickered hauntingly.

Miroku moved the lantern so that Inu-Yasha could see better. "You had me worried. I thought it was something serious," he said with a little smile and a sigh of relief. He picked up a stick and brought it to the pile.

Inu-Yasha threw down the pile she'd been carrying. "Are you out of your gourd?!? This is like a death sentence for me if anyone finds me. Bad enough that I'm a girl right now. Why the hell do you think I was holed up in this cave all day?"

Miroku opened the lantern's door and poked a stick in hoping that it would catch on fire. "You knew that it would happen?"

Inu-Yasha snickered. "This always happens on the new moon. It's cause I'm a half-youkai."

Miroku paused thoughtfully. "Ah..." The stick he had put into the lantern had begun to burn, but he continued to watch the movements of the agitated and angry girl.

As beautiful as she was as a demon, it couldn't compare to her looks as a human. Her black hair suited her very well and it looked more silky and shiny--not wiry and wild like it looked when it was white.

Her eyes are violet... he mused with a smile. Seeing a strong, beautiful woman so vulnerable just made him melt. He felt his cheeks grow hot.

Then it hit him.

"Oh, jeeze..."

"What," Inu-Yasha demanded irritably.

Miroku shook his head. "Nuh---nothing." He slid the flaming stick under the pile and watched as more of the wood caught fire. He settled in and sat with his legs crossed, hoping that the girl would ignore that he was blushing like a schoolboy.

Inu-Yasha sat down as she saw that the fire had started again. She warmed her hands. Miroku watched her as she warmed them to sufficiency and then she wrapped her arm around her waist.

She must be cold... Miroku thought, but he knew that any offer of his to keep her warm would be seen as perverse so he kept his mouth shut . He didn't want to alienate her.

They sat in silence for a while when finally the girl spoke. "Listen, Miroku--you've got to keep our mouth shut about this. If anyone finds out about it I'm as good as dead."

Miroku nodded. "Don't worry about anything," he said and before Inu-Yasha knew what was happening the monk had rounded the fire and pulled her to him. "As long as I'm with you, I'll make sure nothing happens to you."

She struggled against his chest, her face blazing.

"How many times do I have to tell you?!? I'm a MAN, God damn it! A MAN!!!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Morning broke and Inu-Yasha awoke to find that the priest was cooking something.

"Good morning," he smiled.

She looked at him suspiciously but strode toward the remnants of the fire and plunked herself down opposite him.

"Does nothing phase you?" she asked as she reached for one of the little eggs that were nestled in the embers. She yanked it out hurriedly and tossed it from hand to hand as she realized how hot it was.

Miroku sat confusedly for a moment and then remembered the previous night. After he'd grabbed her she'd hit him pretty damn hard and told him he better not be there in the morning.

"Oh, that," he said as he poked the fire's embers with a stick. "I'm not one to be so easily deterred."

"I've noticed," she said as she cracked the top of her egg with a claw.

"You're back to normal, I see."

"Yup," she said as she began to pick at the hard egg within.

"We should probably get moving after breakfast." He grabbed an egg as well and waiting for the storm, hoping that there wouldn't be one.

"Mm," said the half-youkai in agreement. She suddenly stopped. "Whadda' ya' mean 'we'?"

Miroku smiled. "Well.. you have to keep an eye on me now that I know your secret--just to make sure I don't go blabbing it to anyone..."'

She growled and eyed him harshly. "What?!?" she demanded.

Miroku took and egg into his hand. "Well, we can help each other out--who knows how powerful those 2 lightening demons are by now?"

"I can handle them by myself, thanks," she growled.

"You really don't have a choice, do you? Not unless you want your secret told," said Miroku as he flaked the shell off of his egg.

"You WOULDN'T..."

"Wouldn't I? I might and I might not." He popped some egg into his mouth. "But can you really take that chance?"

Inu-Yasha seethed. "You bastard. Are you blackmailing me?"

Miroku smiled, raised his eyebrows and finished off his egg. "Come on. It'll be fun."

"Fun my ass," she grumbled.

"I'd like to. What has it got in mind?"

"Leave my ass out of this!" she growled in alarm and clamped her hands over her hind-quarters.

Miroku shrugged. "You're the one who brought it in."

"Listen up, pervert-- You make lewd comments--I hurt you. You look at me wrong-- I hurt you. You touch me, I maim you. Then I hurt you. You got that?"

Miroku nodded with contemplation. "Sounds like our current arrangement. Okay."

The dog-demon pointed at him. "And you stay out of my way when it comes to the shikon shards. They're mine."

Miroku's brow furrowed, but the shards were just a pathway for him--not his destination. Then again, wouldn't the shards make his poor dog-girl more powerful and demon-like? She already pummeled him enough to destroy any lesser perverts.

With a little bit of reservations, Miroku said, "Fine. Iagree."

Inu-Yasha nodded curtly. "Fine."

They set out after finishing breakfast and by lunch Miroku had been on the receiving end of many a thwack to the head. He was bearing up admirably, however and bore a smile on his face rivaled in intensity only by the look of hatred on Inu-Yasha's.

Chapter 10, Owari

next: Chapter11: Short and Sweet: an excerpt from Maru-chan's new life.

(And when I say short, I mean short...)