Chapter 17

Inuyasha and Kagome walked through the maze awaiting their first trial, but never found it.

"We've been walking for almost an hour. When are we suppose to reach these trials?" Inuyasha scoffed at having to wait.

Calm down. Remember these trials are suppose to test the strength of our love, so we can't fail. Just remember I love you and I'll never leave you." Kagome leaned up and kissed the dog-boy just as a heavy fog rolled in on them. "What the?"

~******~

Kagome found herself bound to a hard surface by several Soul Snatchers. "What's going on?" She looked around and saw Kikyo was stumbling towards her.

Kikyo fell to the ground several feet in front of Kagome. She looked up at her then laid her head back on the ground. "Hurry Inuyasha, I need my souls back."

Kagome then saw Inuyasha materialize out of the fog and walk up towards her.

"It's time to give back what doesn't belong to you." Inuyasha gave her a sinister grin before stabbing his hand into her chest. "Give Kikyo back her souls."

Kagome bit her lip to keep from screaming out from the pain. "I know this isn't you. Remember when you told me you would never revive Kikyo, that was the same day you asked me to be your mate. I believed you....and I still do. Want to know why.... Because I know you would never hurt me, and taking away my souls would kill me. So this isn't real." Kagome yelled her last four words at the top of her lungs. She was soon released by the Soul Snatchers where she fell to the ground on to her knees. She looked around and saw only a dense fog. "Did I pass?" Kagome picked herself up and started to walk through the fog, in search of her fiancé.

~******~

Inuyasha walked through the fog, alone, and scanning for any sound, smell or sight of Kagome. He soon found her standing in front of him.....next to Kouga.

"What the?" Inuyasha watched dumbfounded as she wrapped her arms around the wolf youkai.

Kagome looked at him and started to laugh. "You didn't honestly think I loved you, did you....Oh you did." She continued to laugh for a moment before speaking again. "You a worthless half breed, your no good. I need a full youkai to take care of me. Besides you smell funny."

Inuyasha looked at Kagome then to the ground. He then started to laugh almost hysterically. "Is that the best you can do. I know Kagome and she would never act like that."

"Ha, Inukoro, looks like she wants to be my mate not yours. Ja ne Inukoro! Lets go Kagome." Kouga and Kagome turned from Inuyasha and started to walk into the mist.

"Ha!.....Kagome loves me, she would never leave me. Plus she's not this cruel. You tried to trick the wrong person. It won't work." Inuyasha watched as Kagome stopped and turned to look at him. She smiled then disappeared into the fog. Inuyasha started to walk through the fog again, searching for the real Kagome.

~******~

Kagome continues to walk in what she sensed was the right direction. She soon emerged from the fog and stumbled a crossed a battle. Inuyasha was badly wounded and facing a giant toad like youkai.

The toad lashed out with its tongue toward Inuyasha. It hit him in the left shoulder and sent him falling to the ground. Kagome watched in horror as Inuyasha pushed himself up on his hands and knees then coughed up blood. She continued to stare at Inuyasha as he made an effort to reach his sword.

Kagome's breathing caught in her throat when she saw the long, slimy tongue shoot straight for Inuyasha's back. Without a second thought she leapt in between the tongue like spear and her hanyou. Arms outstretched like a shield to attempt to defy the giant youkai. She then shouted at the top of her lungs. "YOU CAN'T HAVE HIM!"

Kagome closed her eyes and turned her head away in a meager attempt to shield herself from the attacking toad. She waited for the end to come, waited for death to strike, waited for .....something. Kagome cracked an eyelid to see what had stalled her death. She then opened her eyes fully and looked around. She was alone again, back in the fog, surrounded by an endless nothing. "I guess I passed it." Kagome then reluctantly continued on.

~******~

As Inuyasha walked through the endless sea of fog, a faint scent caught his attention. "Kagome?" Then another smell. "Kikyo!?" The first name he had spoken had sounded hopeful, the second, and his voice held venom as he growled it out. 'Its never pleasant when those two meet.' He then took off in the direction of their scents.

The sight that he found wasn't pleasant at all and it defiantly wasn't something he had expected. On one side of the field was Kikyo, tied to a tree. On the opposite wide of the field was Kagome, in the same situation. They were a good fifty feet apart and in between them was a large, white baboon.

"Naraku? What's going on?" Inuyasha growled out as he watched the baboon raise both his arms, pointing to each girl.

"Choose..... you can only save one!" Balls of miasma started to form in each palm, crackling and sparking.

Inuyasha looked from Kagome to Kikyo.

"Hayaku! Inuyasha save me. Quickly before it's too late." Kikyo shouted franticly at the poor distraught dog youkai. Kikyo continued to shout for help as Inuyasha looked over at Kagome.

Kagome's head was held low as if tired. She slowly lifted her head to look at the silver hanyou. "Go, Hayaku, save her while you still have the chance." She shouted at Inuyasha before looking at Naraku defiantly. "I'll be fine."

Inuyasha looked at the baboon's hands and saw each held an enormous ball of power. Before he could even blink the ball shot out of his hands and flew for each woman.

Without even thinking of the consequences. Inuyasha leapt in front of the blast and used his body as a shield, he placed both hands on either side of the miko's head, bracing himself against the tree.

"Inuyasha....what are you doing?"

"I'm saving you what does it look like."

"But your suppose to save the one you love, not eh weakest of the two."

"I did save the one I love.....Kagome!" He gazed down into her golden brown eyes and smiled, just as he felt the evil blast near his back. He kept his attention on Kagome's watering eyes as he prepared himself for the inevitable blast. The next thing he knew, the tree that he was supporting him and the girl vanished, sending him face first into the dirt. Inuyasha franticly stood back up and looked around. Only fog. Nothing else.

"I'm really getting tired of this fog. Where the hell is Kagome." Inuyasha almost yelled out his frustration as he hit the only thing he could see....the ground. he growled loudly then continued on.

~******~

Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, and the old man sat around a small fire pit outside the maze. Everyone was silent, each one dealing with their own explanation about their two hanyou friends.

"Hey Miroku....how long do you think they were engaged for. When do you think it happened?" questioned and excited Sango.

"My guess would have to be either that week they were in Kagome's time or shortly after. That's about when they started acting weird." Miroku leaned on his staff out of more habit then necessity.

"Do you guys think they've kissed yet?"

"SHIPPO!" Both monk and taiji yelled at the small kitsune.

"What? You said they've been acting weird, wouldn't those two kissing fall under that category. And don't engaged couples kiss?" Shippo asked as he shrugged his shoulders.

Sango shook her head from side to side out of dismay. "Those two are gonna have a lot of explaining to do when they get back." She then let out a heavy sigh.

~******~