Chapter 41: Before a Storm

Inu Yasha exchanged a worried look with Kagome as he looked into the direction that Kyoko had headed off to. "She's been sitting there all night."

"Yeah… She's probably thinking about Sesshoumaru…"

"I think I've pissed her off, so I don't think that I can talk to her about it…"

"Inu Yasha… tell me… why is it that you seem to be so much more worried about Kyoko all of the sudden?"

"I already knew how much she cared about Sesshoumaru, but… when he left the other night, Sesshoumaru yelled. I have never known him to show any type of anger in such a way. I've never seen Sesshoumaru that… emotional. He loves her as much as she loves him… He just seems to be afraid to say so."

Kagome rolled her eyes as she muttered, "Must run in the family…"

Inu Yasha's face flushed red as he turned away. "I'm gonna go see what's wrong with Kyoko."

Kagome giggled as Inu Yasha ran towards the old tree that he so often sat in while he was thinking, where Kyoko had been sitting for most of the night.

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"Oi, Kyoko, what's the matter? You've been up there almost all night."

Kyoko smiled as she dropped out of the tree and held her finger in front of her lips, indicating to Inu Yasha to keep silent. She led him towards the edge of the forest, where another camp fire had been set up. She pointed to it as she hid Inu Yasha and herself behind a shrub. "Look," she whispered.

Inu Yasha glanced over the top of the small bush and saw Sango and Miroku, leaning against the base of a tree, with their arms around one another, asleep. Inu Yasha dropped his eyelids in annoyance as he whispered back, "That's what you've been doing all this time, watching them?"

Kyoko smiled and nodded. She brushed herself off as she stood and led Inu Yasha back towards the fire that he had been sitting in front of with Kagome earlier. "Kagome-chan, come look!"

Kagome, intrigued, followed Kyoko. She looked upon Sango and Miroku, and saw a scene much the same as what Inu Yasha had. She had nearly turned away when she noticed Miroku's hand fall from Sango's shoulder and hit the ground, just brushing against Sango's bottom. Without even opening her eyes, Sango slapped Miroku across the face. Miroku jumped awake and rubbed his cheek, as though trying to work the from it. "What did I do to warrant that?"

Sango's cheeks reddened with embarrassment. "You touched my ass again!"

"I did not!"

"So, you telling me that your hand has a mind of its own, and touched me without your consent?"

Kagome and Kyoko could not longer hold their laughter. Kyoko, in between laughs, tried to explain. "Sango-chan… his hand… fell off of your shoulder…"

Both Sango and Miroku blushed with embarrassment as they realized that they had been watched—sleeping in one another's embrace. Miroku stuttered as he began to explain their situation before Sango took her embarrassment out on his head. "Umm… It's not what it looks like… You see… We just… fell asleep… and I… being as I am… well… you know…"

Kyoko giggled. "Don't worry about it so much… it was actually… cute."

Sango, still red with embarrassment, stretched to awaken her still asleep muscles. "So… what time is it?"

Kyoko looked towards the sky and studied the position of the stars. "We'll have about a half hour until day break."

Kagome yawned as she looked around herself. "That's all?"

Kyoko nodded as she took in the scents of the early morning air. [No…] "Inu Yasha, do you smell—never mind…" [I forgot, Inu Yasha is human right now… he can't smell anything like he normally would…] Kyoko bit her lip as she strained her eyes to see in the dim light from the stars and the slow to come dawn. "Kagome, Sango, Miroku… I want you three to stay with Inu Yasha… Don't let him go anywhere until he has regained his usual form. Don't any of you go anywhere… Stay here…"

Sango tightened her grip on Hiraikotsu. "What's going on, Kyoko?"

"Something that I cannot stop… Kagome… I wish you the best of luck with Inu Yasha. Sango, as Miroku's sister, I give you my blessing to take care of Miroku, and Miroku… don't allow fate to get the best of you, okay?"

Miroku nodded as he placed his hand on Kyoko's shoulder. "What's going on, Kyoko? You act as though you are going off to your death."

"Perhaps I am."