Disclaimer: I don't own the wonderful manga or anime of Inuyasha. But I do own the inu-hanyou who runs around in my head when I let him.

CHAPTER FOUR:

Koga the Wolf Comes to Protect Kagome

Kagome stared at him in shock. This was unexpected. What she'd suspected. How? It was all too confusing and she couldn't figure it out. "You do?"

"Yes. And I never forget." Inuyasha stood there, his amber eyes locking with hers. 'Believe me Kagome, please,' was his silent plea. And neither spoke for what seemed like an age, unable to figure out what was going to happen.

'I believe you Inuyasha...I want to, anyway...,' she thought back to him. Out loud she said, "Maybe we should start this conversation over." It was a soft and serious voice she used. So close to her normal, sweet tones, and he cherished it. He nodded his agreement.

So, they did start over. They sat in the same way they had before, five feet between them. But this time, the silence was more relaxed and understanding. Kagome and Inuyasha started to talk, and have a serious conversation. It had been a long time since this had happened. So they talked, about feelings and grudges and whatever else. They'd badly needed to clear the air for a long time, and this was a perfect opportunity to let it all out.

***/|\***

It had been ours since Kagome and Inuyasha's dawn departure, and the hours had crept by slowly at the camp. All the weapons had long sice been cleaned and polished and repaired. Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara had packed up most of the gear and had nothing left to do.

The sun was rising in the sky above, steadily getting higher and warmer, as Miroku leaned back against a tree, enjoying the leisure.

"Houshi-sama?"

"Yes Sango?"

"When do you think they'll get back?"

"Oh, they'll get here eventually, after having thoroughly enjoyed their talk, I'm sure." He opened his eyes, wary of what harm the demon slayer beside him might have him succumb to. When no slaps or whacks came, he raised an eyebrow quizzically.

She saw the eyebrow and answered the silent inquiry. "It's just too much work right now to go over there and smack you, I'm so comfortable and relaxed." Simple enough.

"Hey Miroku," he turned his head to look at the kitsune.

"What is it Shippo?"

"You keep saying 'talk' like you mean it differently..."

"I do mean it differently."

"So what does it mean?"

Miorku's face broke into a grin. "I'm delighted you asked. You see--"

"Careful, monk. I let you get away with the first offense, but no such luck this time if you choose to continue." Sango was glaring at him, but her eyes had a smile in them. She meant it though. Looking at Shippo she said, "I'LL explain it to you when you're older."

"Phooey." Shippo crossed his arms and sat next to Kirara. "When you're older, everyone says. I'm older, and they still won't explain it to me."

Sango smiled sympathetically at him and stood to rummage through Kagome's backpack for a candy bar to hand over as recompense. As she lent over to retrieve the one she'd felt near the bottom, her eyes widened. There was a familiar hand groping an uncomfortably familiar part of her body.

"YOU HENTAI!!!" she cried out, grabbing the candy bar and whacking the monk in one smooth motion. He fell to the ground, a red lump rising on the side of his head. She handed the candy bar to Shippo, flushing angrily, and turned to see Kagome and Inuyasha appearing out of the trees.

They looked perfectly normal, not at all like...'Nevermind that. Damn, baka, hentai Miroku.' Sango was fairly tempted to slap him again.

"So, did you two sort everything out?"

"Feh."

"Yes, we did. What did you guys do here while we were--," she broke off, noticing the injured monk on the ground at her feet. "Ah."

The taijiya nodded grimly. "So, did you find anything out?"

"Well, we found out that we had very similar dreams, like Miroku predicted. And that we'd forgotten to ask you something."

"What was that?"

"You two never told us what Kaede said about Sesshomaru's visit." When Kagome said his brother's name, Inuyasha glared. He said nothing though, so it went unnoticed.

"Oh...," Sango looked down at Miroku ruefully, wishing she hadn't hit him quite so hard. "I should have him explain. I don't understand half of it, and the other half doesn't make sense, since I don't." This wasn't entirely true, but she didn't have to say so just then.

"I see."

"Hey bouzo, wake up!"

In reply, Miorku groaned, his indigo eyes clearing with every successive blink. He managed to sit up and lean against the tree again.

"Houshi-sama, they asked what Kaede said about Sesshomaru. Should we tell them?" She knelt beside him, close enough to whisper, watching both his hands suspiciously.

"How about if I tell Inuyasha and Shippo here while you and Kagome take a bath at the hot spring so you can tell her?"

"Why, so you can spy on us?" was her dry reply.

He laughed somewhat hollowly. "No thank you, Lady Sango; I have quite enough of a headache already, thank you."

She smiled at him fondly for a moment. He was sweet when he wasn't being a lech.

Sango and Kagome gathered up the things they'd need for a bath, and the two girls walked away into the trees. Miroku watched them go, his eyes resting on Sango. He loved her, and he knew it. Plain and simple. She was everything he wanted in a woman. And far more importantly, she was everything she wanted to be.

"Oi, monk," Inuyasha turned his own gaze from Kagome to glare at him. "You wanna put your eyes back in focus and tell me what the old hag said?"

"Lady Kaede said that Sesshomaru's visit only confirmed her beliefs."

"What beliefs? Honestly, when you explain something, it ought to become clearer, not more cryptic!"

"I apologize, Inuyasha." 'He isn't going to like the next bit...'

"See if I care. Now what were those so-called confirmed beliefs?"

Miroku looked at him, a grim expression in his eyes and on his face. "That has to do with the problem in the forest's aura."

"What about it?" Inuyasha sat down. He could tell the monk was beating around the bush, like a monkey who was about to steal someone elses coconut, and it was grinding down on his last nerve.

***/|\***

"...Kaede said that the power that is receding from the forest has to be going somewhere, or to someone." Sango and Kagome were relaxing in the hot spring, enjoying the desolation. They pretty much trusted Miroku for now, but as a precaution, Sango had gathered a handy cache of fist size rocks just in case.

"Receding...and going somewhere...? As in something's taking our powers?!" Kagome came to this conclusion wide-eyed.

"That's what Lady Kaede said."

"But who? Naraku? Can he do that?"

"Ah, that's what troubled her all the more. Naraku, to our knowledge, has no power such as this. Kaede fears it might not be Naraku at all..."

***/|\***

"So Inuyasha, Kaede believes that it would be wise for you and Kagome to take caution from now on."

"Caution, hah. That old lady's lost all her wits if she thinks a little thing like danger's gonna hold me back!"

"Surely you don't think yourself equal to anything."

"Nope, I think I'm better."

Miroku sighed and rached his brain for another tactic. Inuyasha HAD to take this seriously. "What about Kagome? You aren't going to foolishly risk her life just because you didn't think Kaede's warning meant anything, surely?"

Inuyasha glared furiously at the monk, his golden eyes widening angrily. "Don't you lecture me about keeping her safe! Nothing's happened to her yet, right?

"Well, unless you count being wounded in various ways, kidnapped, and imprisoned, then...no."

"You always make me sound so irresponsible. Honestly, it's not like something attacks her every--" A shriek rang out from where they knew the hot spring to be. "Dammit! Couldn't she wait til later?!"

"That was Kagome!"

"I know Shippo; go ahead and see if there's anything wrong. Miroku, let's get closer and I'll try to sniff something out."

"Why aren't we rushing there immediately like usual?"

"Kirara, stay here and guard the camp!" A roar from the transformed cat was his answer. "I thought I heard you say you didn't want another headache, monk. There's usually nothing at the hot springs but monkeys anyway."

Miroku had to agree to that, and they slowed to a calmer walk, Inuyasha trying to sniff out any trouble. Then, another, more unusual cry was uttered:

"Inuyasha!"

The man and the hanyou both broke into a run again, heading swiftly toward their companions. As they rushed through the trees, the same though echoed through both their minds, 'THAT'S never happened before!'

They reached the hot spring and could immediately locate the problem. Both girls were out of the water and dressed, but without their weapons. Apparently, they'd been taken by surprise by the other newcomers at the hot spring.

It was Koga, and two of his pack. The wolf demon had obviously sniffed Kagome out for whatever reason, and found her there. His appearance seemed to have occured just as Kagome and Sango had finished dressing, thus resulting in Kagome's first cry.

Having figured it out, all Inuyasha had yet to do was figure out Koga's motive. That he dealt with directly, marching up to the youkai and glaring at him.

"What're you doing here, you wimpy wolf?" he demanded, none too kindly.

"I was here to offer my services in protecting Kagome, seeing as she has no one else reliable to keep her safe." Koga smirked and crossed his arms over his chest.

"WHAT?! YOU STUPID WOLF!!!"

"Inuyasah, be quiet!" commanded Kagome. "Koga just came to see if I was safe, so settle down."

"Feh." This subject was rather a sore spot with Inuyasha at the moment, and one glance toward Miroku proved it.

At this, the smug and defended wolf took the girl's hands and made a gallant proclaimation. "Kagome, you're my woman, and I promise to protect you from other demons and this pathetic half-demon."

Now it was Inuyashsa's turn to smirk. "Ha! Pathetic half-demon, am I? well didja ever consider the fact that if you and Kagome has a kid that IT would be a so-called pathetic half-demon?"

The girl in question went bright magenta and scowled at first Inuyasha for suggesting that, and then Koga for looking like he HAD been considering it.

This was too much. "Inuyasha, SIT!" Then Kagome smacked Koga. "Alright, this is how it's gonna work: Koga, you can travel with us asn helf protect me, and Inuyasha will deal with it. won't you?"

Inuyasha scowled and glared, looking like he might refuse. Then he caught Kagome's eye. "Fine...but I'm still in charge here, get it?"

She sighed resignedly. "Alright, fine," then looked around. "Where's Shippo?"

*************************************************************************************************************

A/N: So, there's another chapter. It's a little longer than usual, and a lot more fun!!! It also took me a really long time to type it. Sorry about that. I'm already working on chapter five, and I'll see if I can update two chapters in a week or two. And don't worry about Shippo, the cliffy was only for affect and he's not in any sort of grave danger. Unless I abandon that mudhole idea and come up with something worse...

Anyone who can think of a good forest dwelling demon, please let me know (since I don't) when (that's right, not if, when) you review. *sighs* Now to write a glossary and answer some reviews...

"blah": talking, physical speech

'blah': thoughts, mental speech

****blah****: dream sequence

if talking or thinking occurs during a dream sequence, italics and normal font will be reversed.

*/|\*: scene change or flashback or time change

******** in a continuous line: end of the chapter

GLOSSARY:

youkai: demon

hanyou: half-demon

baka: stupid or idiot (noun and adjective)

houshi: monk

-sama: when addressing someone respected

kitsune: fox/fox demon

bouzo: a rather disrespectful term for monk

hentai: see MIROKU

Miroku: see chapter

^ ^ Now those responces...

Mrz.Sparrow2130: I'm doing my best...alas, I am only allowed a computer but once a week and every other weekend.

kittykathy: Eheheheh, it's harder when you don't bother to write and outline. Plus there's that evil baka thing called homework...but I digress. You keep reading and reviewing, I keep writing. ^ ^

Cattibrie393: *evil grin* Wouldn't you like to know?

strangerthanthou: Nice name. a) no, they can't figure it out until chapter...oh wait, I don't know yet. b) Sorry, not Kikyo...I wouldn't have been able to resist bashing her yet. and c) thankies about the summary...I changed it cuz the frist attempt sucked, quite frankly.

I have now RE-uploaded this chapter 3 times, but I finally fixed the problem due to my non-html proneness.

That's all folks! For now, anyways...

--*Elyndewen Startree*