These chapters might be a little short, only because they are right next to each other. I'll try to make the future ones longer. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. No one will heed my pleas, and lawyers haunt my every step. I will continue to write, nevertheless!

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The back door flew open, revealing a very disheveled Kagome. She kicked off her shoes and rushed inside.

"Mom! I'm home!" There was no answer. "Mom? Souta! Grandpa!"

She sighed. "Figures they'd be out just now," she muttered, walking into the kitchen. "Hm, there's no note. They'll probably be back soon."

Kagome leaned against the refrigerator and closed her eyes. She had been overwhelmed by the need to see her family as soon as she had touched down in her era, and had forgotten everything else for a moment. Now that she realized they weren't home, the conversation she'd had with Inuyasha came back to her.

"Oh, Inuyasha," she whispered as she slid down to the floor and buried her head in her hands. "Why do we always lose our temper with each other that way? I didn't even give you a chance to speak, did I?" She laughed sadly. "I really can bite people's heads off sometimes. Oi."

With a groan, she pushed herself off of the cold floor and stretched. "Well, I'll think about it after I've had a bath." She winced as her bruised body protested to the sudden movement. "And some painkillers, too."

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"I told ya, I don't need anyone fussing over me, old woman."

Kaede's frown deepened as she tried for the third time to remove Kouga's bandage. When he only growled, she sat back and sighed.

"Youkai, I need to check on your injuries," she stated testily.

"You're acting as childish as Inuyasha!" Shippo added.

It was as if he had said the magic words. Kouga huffed and scooted into a cross-legged position close to the miko.

"I'm really getting tired of being compared to that mutt-face," he snapped, making Shippo jump nervously.

Kaede began to unwrap his bandages briskly. "Is that so? Who else has compared ye to him, then?"

"Hey, careful, old woman," he hissed. "What did you say?"

Kaede almost rolled her eyes. "Who else has compared ye to Inuyasha?"

"Oh, yeah." The wolf youkai looked down at his lap. "I guess only she had, until right now."

The old miko raised an eyebrow. "I take it ye are referring to young Kagome?"

Kouga closed his eyes. "Yeah. It's like she only sees him whenever I talk to her. She kept giving me this stuff about how she wishes Inuyasha was more like me, and just a few minutes ago she told me I was no better than him!"

"This is most surprising," Kaede murmured.

"Yeah, tell me about it," the wolf youkai exclaimed. "I mean, how can anyone think Inukkuro is anything like me?"

Luckily for Shippo, he did not see the kitsune snicker into his hands.

Kaede looked at Kouga like he was crazy, and pointed at his torso. "Your wound is surprising, youkai," she said slowly, as if she were speaking to a child. "It has healed tremendously since last I saw it!"

Kouga looked down, and grinned. "Well, what do you know?" he cried smugly. "I told ya I didn't need fussing. Powerful youkai like me heal a lot faster than half-breeds."

"Either that, or the jewel shards that ye possess helped accelerate the healing process," she informed him dryly, and Shippo nodded sagely from behind her.

Before Kouga had a chance to retort, there was a faint ripping sound as the curtain was torn off of the doorway and thrown to the floor.

"Get up, you mangy wolf."

Inuyasha's voice was low, and laced with contempt. His golden eyes locked on Kouga's bright blue ones, and neither looked away.

"Why should I do what you say, Inukkuro?"

The hanyou's jaw clenched. "Because," he said through bared fangs, "I'll kill your sorry hide if you don't stop hanging around Kagome."

Kaede stood up slowly. "Inuyasha, what are ye doing?" she protested. "Kagome would not have liked for ye to treat Kouga so. Remember, he is her friend, if not your own."

"Of course he ain't my friend!" Inuyasha barked. "And Kagome didn't tell me not to kill him when she left, so she can't complain about it later."

Kouga stood up quickly. "Where did she go?"

"None of your business, wolf boy," the hanyou snapped. "Now leave or I'll have to finish you off once and for all." He drew Tetsusaiga, and pointed the transformed blade at the youkai.

"He is hurt, Inuyasha," Kaede started, but Kouga stepped in front of her. "Don't worry about me, old woman," he said softly. "I can still take the mutt out, even if he does have his big fancy sword."

Without warning, the wolf youkai suddenly sprang forward at Inuyasha, who was still standing in the entrance of the hut. His foot connected solidly, and they both went flying out into the dirt.

Kouga rolled once and was on his feet again without skipping a beat. Inuyasha was still getting up, using the Tetsusaiga for support. Grinning, the wolf youkai pounced at him again, this time aiming a kick at his head.

Inuyasha barely managed to dodge it. As the youkai passed, the hanyou reached up and grabbed his ankle. Using the momentum Kouga had created in his sprint, he flung him into a nearby storage house.

The impact destroyed it completely, and a cloud of dust rose from the pile of old wood. Inuyasha watched it warily, knowing that would not be enough to subdue the wolf.

Sure enough, the top pieces slid off as Kouga rose from the debris. "Nice one, dog boy," he chuckled, wiping blood from his mouth. "You managed to predict my move, I'll give you that."

Inuyasha crouched lower, readying Tetsusaiga. "That's nothing, wolf boy. I gave you a choice, and you didn't leave. So I ain't stopping until your pathetic carcass is in my hands."

With a shout, he lunged himself at Kouga, ready to chop him in half with the enormous blade. "You're dead!"

"Don't think so," Kouga stated, using his speed to sidestep the attack. He jumped away as Tetsusaiga hit the ground behind him, tearing into the earth until it was embedded in a crater about six feet across. He landed somewhat shakily, bracing his wound with one arm. A single bead of sweat ran down his temple.

Inuyasha swore heavily as he yanked the sword back up. "Stop moving around, you coward. You know you're gonna die anyway; you might as well make it easy on yourself."

"Inuyasha!" Kaede was calling him from the hut, and she sounded very upset. "Stop, or ye will kill him!"

"That's the point, you old hag!" Inuyasha yelled. "Now stay out of this!"

Kaede's expression turned into one of defeat, and she didn't notice the little kitsune youkai jump in front of her.

"Kouga!" he cried. "Kagome went back to her own time, through the well by the Goshinboku Tree!"

The wolf prince grinned as Inuyasha turned to glare at the kitsune. "What the hell do you think you're doing!?"

"Later, Inukkuro!" Kouga said, right before sprinting off into the forest.

Inuyasha cursed again, leaping after him. "You'll pay for that, you little runt!" he yelled back.

The old miko sighed and tried to comfort a very nervous Shippo.

"Do you think Kagome will be able to handle them?" he asked, tears beginning to well in his large eyes.

Kaede nodded half-heartedly. "Aye, Kagome will know how to handle those two. Inuyasha does not know how much he risks in attacking so rashly."

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"Sango! Wait!"

The taijiya slowed down hesitantly, as Miroku ran toward her. "What is it, houshi-sama?"

When Miroku finally reached her, he could only stare. She fidgeted under his gaze, absolutely terrified that she'd start blushing again.

"Well?"

"Sango." The houshi's voice was soft, and she felt her stomach flutter.

"What is it, Miroku?"

"Are you still angry because of my comment?"

Sango sighed. "There would be no point," she said quietly. "If that were the case, then I would always be angry with you."

Miroku shrugged with mock indignation. "Why, Sango, I do not understand why you have such a low opinion of me."

Sango chuckled. "You really are hopeless, Houshi-sama," she said, shaking her head. Her breath caught when she felt him grab her hand.

"You look so beautiful when you laugh, Sango," he said, bringing her close. "I am glad I made you smile."

*Hn? What's he up to? Oh, I know I must be blushing now!* the taijiya thought as the houshi looked down into her face. "Well, it's not easy to smile when you're only remaining family is in the hands of a cold-hearted demon," she whispered. Her eyes widened as she suddenly remembered something.

"Thank you for saving me at the castle, Miroku," she said. Then, against her better judgement, she wrapped her arms around the houshi. She braced herself for the inevitable grope, but it never came. She pulled back, her face feeling hotter than ever.

Miroku sighed, disappointed at the sudden loss of contact. Still lost in the moment, he reached out and lifted Sango's face to him with his hand. "Sango," he began.

"I'm going to kill you!"

Sango frowned. "Nani?" She turned in the direction of the commotion, as tears of exasperation streamed down Miroku's face. *So close!* he cried, turning to glare at the approaching dust cloud.

"I'm not leaving Kagome, Inukkuro!"

They recognized the wolf youkai's voice as he sped past them, followed closely by a red blur.

"Stay the hell away from her!" Inuyasha roared as he passed the bewildered pair.

Sango started to follow them, reaching up to touch Hirakotsu with one hand and gesturing to Miroku with the other. "Let's go see what they're up to!" she called, before jogging off. Miroku stared after her, shaking his head.

"So close!" he cried, before going after her.

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"There it is!" Kouga cried triumphantly as the old vine-covered well came into view. He could smell Kagome's scent all over the place, as well as some strange magic that lingered around the small stone structure.

Inuyasha watched in frustration as the wolf youkai leapt over the rim. Then, a few seconds later, there was a soft curse and some scuffling sounds. The hanyou's lips curled into a satisfied grin.

"What's the matter?" he taunted as he peered over the rim into the depths below, where Kouga was furiously throwing aside handfuls of dirt and old bones. The wolf youkai turned to glare up at him.

"Why doesn't it work?" he asked furiously, bounding out of the well. He faced Inuyasha accusingly. "Is that really the well?"

Inuyasha laughed. "It is the well, you idiot. But I guess it just so happens that the only ones that can use it are Kagome and me." He steadied his sword again and took a fighting stance.

"Now let's get back to me killing you, wolf boy!" he cried, charging at him with his blade outstretched.

Kouga narrowed his eyes as an idea came to him. Thinking quickly, he dodged the deadly blade and landed on the rim of the well. "Too slow, puppy!" he teased. "You'll never catch me like that."

Inuyasha turned again, gritting his teeth. "Then I'll just wipe you out with one sweep!" he retorted. *First, I have to find the Wind Scar. There, I see it! Now, I'll--,"

"No, wait Inuyasha!" Miroku cried as he and the taijiya rushed into the clearing. "You'll destroy the well if you use the Wind Scar!"

The hanyou halted in mid-swing. *Damn it all! He's right!* he thought angrily. *If I destroy the well, Kagome might never be able to come back!*

"Damn it," he muttered. "I'll just have to kill you with my bare hands then!" Shielding the sword, the hanyou launched himself at the wolf youkai.

*Just as I expected,* Kouga thought as he tensed. Even though his wounds slowed him down a bit, he was able to dodge Inuyasha's sudden assault and kick him in the back. As the hanyou pitched forward into the well, the wolf prince reached out and grabbed a fistful of long white hair. Inuyasha yelped as they both fell in together.

"Inuyasha!" Sango cried, rushing forward. She shielded her eyes with her arm as a bright light poured from the well, then subsided. Miroku joined her as she looked into the dark depths.

They were gone.

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There you go, my wonderful reviewers. Another chapter, just for you. Tell me what you think!