Inuyasha returned to the village late at night. He entered the hut and couldn't help but feel relieved that Kagome hadn't gone in search for him. He threw a few sticks in the fire to keep it burning and that made Kirara wake up. Inuyasha gave her a signal to be quiet by placing a finger on his lips and after the cat demon laid back down he turned to leave the hut.

'She was pretty angry but...' he thought and stopped, turning to look at the sleeping girl, reconsidering his decision to go outside. 'No, it won't be good if the first thing she sees in the morning is me.' with that he exited the hut and jumped on the roof.

He didn't sleep the whole night. And how could he, after everything Kikyou had told him. It turned out that she was even a better person than he thought. He repeated her words in his mind and now, as they sunk in, he truly understood them. 'Why the hell not?' he shrugged, thinking about her advice to forget his pride and stubbornness.

It was around midnight and the other three of the group was just getting ready to continue on their way after a not refreshing enough break. Sango was standing up and stretching while Miroku was sadly staring at the grassy ground and Shippo was dozing off on his shoulder.

"Come on, Houshi-sama, get up." the demon exterminator said and went to pull him up. "We lost a lot of time in trying to find our way."

"And we still haven't found it." the monk sighed and stood up before Sango could reach him. "Wouldn't it be better if we wait for Inuyasha or Kirara to find us?"

"If Inuyasha is possessed the last thing they would think is us." she said and grabbed his right hand. "So, let's go."

Miroku groaned in despair and followed her. They walked through the forest for a while. For Miroku it was like forever and he prayed to the Gods to do something that would stop the inexhaustible demon exterminator. Apparently tonight the heavens were very benevolent toward the monk. Suddenly a strong wind blew around the small group and when it was gone Kouga was standing in front of them.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked and looked around sniffing the air.

"Hi, Kouga..." Miroku said weakly.

"Where are dog butt and Kagome?" the wolf demon asked somewhat concerned, not for Inuyasha but for Kagome of course.

"We got separated." Sango explained. "They had to take Kirara and go tot the village first."

"Why?" Kouga was now really worried. "Something wrong with Kagome?"

"No, no, she's alright." the young woman hurried to calm him down.

"If only that mutt..." Kouga didn't listen and now was angry.

"Kagome-sama is alright." Miroku said, deciding to help Sango. "The problem is with Inuyasha. That's why they had to take Kirara and go to the village."

"The village you say?" Kouga said thoughtfully. "Don't you think you are lost?"

"A little..." Sango said quietly.

"A little?" the wolf demon asked in amusement. "You are at least two days away and you're walking in the wrong direction."

Sango and Miroku's mouths dropped open and they thanked God that Shippo wasn't awake to hear that. Suddenly loosing her will to continue the demon exterminator walked over to a fallen tree trunk and sat heavily down. She held her face in her hands and sighed deeply, mumbling something incoherent.

"Hey, don't be like that." Kouga said feeling a little guilty about what he had said, or rather about the way he had said it.

"Listen Kouga, can you do us a favor?" Miroku asked hoping to receive a positive answer only to make Sango feel better. "We can't ask you to guide us..."

"Alright." the wolf demon didn't wait for the monk to continue. "I'll go to the village and tell Kagome to send you that... cat." he had trouble remembering Kirara's name. "I'd get to see Kagome too."

"Thank you, Kouga." Miroku smiled. "And please, just in case, tell Kagome-sama that Inuyasha is probably possessed by a dream demon. Kaede-sama would know what to do."

"A dream demon?" Kouga scratched his head. "Never heard of such..."

"It's really important; don't forget to tell Kagome-chan." Sango, who had come to the monk again, said.

"Don't worry, I won't." Kouga said. "You just stay here and wait. Bye!" with that he was off.

The morning came fast for Inuyasha. He waited for the sun to rise before he went in the hut to see Kagome. She was still in deep sleep. Noticing that someone had entered Kirara opened her eyes and lifted herself a little, mewing at the hanyou and tilting her head to the side in question.

"Shh, Kirara." Inuyasha whispered. "I'm going to the river, so you keep Kagome safe, ok?"

The small cat demon mewed in agreement and the hanyou exited the hut. He headed to the river with the intention to take a nice refreshing bath. The last few days were really difficult for him and he needed to cool off. Actually not only his mind was on fire from overstress, but his whole body felt like burning. So, the cool river waters were the only thing that could calm him and he desperately needed that.

Kagome woke up about an hour after Inuyasha left the hut. She smiled at Kirara and sat up in her sleeping bag, stretching and yawning. She looked around the hut and noticed that the fire was still burning – someone must've kept it during the night.

"Kirara, has Inuyasha come while I slept?" Kagome asked and the cat demon nodded. "Really?" she couldn't help but feel happy.

"Kagome-sama?" she heard the headman's voice. "Are you awake?"

"Yes, I am." she said and went outside.

"Everything alright?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you." Kagome smiled.

"Since Kaede-sama is not here, I came to offer you to have breakfast with my family." the man said and looked around as if searching for someone. "Isn't Inuyasha-sama here?"

"No, he has come some time during the night and then left again." the girl explained.

"I see." the headman nodded. "Well, are you coming?"

"Can I take Kirara too?" she asked and the cat demon climbed on her left shoulder. "She won't cause any trouble."

"Of course you can take her." the man smiled. "Come on, let's go." he said and Kagome followed him.

It was around noon when Inuyasha finally decided to go back to the village and meet Kagome's wrath, if she was still angry of course. He had a strange uneasy feeling and something was making him stay alert all the time. It felt like a demon was nearby but he couldn't say where it was. The bath didn't help him to feel better at all – he was still hot and now he even felt slightly dizzy. If he wasn't a hanyou he would think that he was getting sick.

In the village Kagome had just returned to Kaede's hut. She had stayed the whole morning in the headman's house, helping his wife by watching their children. That was the least she could do for them, after all they had been so nice with her. And actually she was pretty good with kids, having annoying little brother, a small kitsune and one really big kid to take care of – Inuyasha.

"Those children were really impossible, weren't they, Kirara?" Kagome smiled and stroke the cat demon's ruffled fur. Kirara growled softly – obviously she wasn't happy with her stay in that house. Kagome was just about to enter the hut when she suddenly felt two Shikon shards closing with enormous speed. She sighed heavily, knowing who was coming and stood in front of the hut.

Soon enough a big whirlwind appeared at the far side of the road. Kouga was running so fast that if he hadn't smelled Kagome he would've missed the hut. Not able to slow down in time he managed to stop a few meters away from the hut, almost falling on the ground. Not seeing Kagome anywhere he started to look around but being the idiot he is he didn't think of turning back.

"Kouga-kun, I'm here." she shouted at him.

"Oh, Kagome, hi!" the wolf demon turned to her and ran to her. "I was looking for you."

"Obviously." the girl said annoyed. Today was the worst day for Kouga to appear. Although she didn't think that Inuyasha was angry anymore it was more than easy to piss him off and with the 'hated' wolf here... She just had to get rid of him before Inuyasha smelled him. "What do you want?"

Kouga frowned at the way Kagome was talking to him and decided that Inuyasha must've done something really terrible to make 'his' woman so angry. Thinking that this wasn't a good time to be too close to her, considering the damage she could do to Inuyasha and why not to him, Kouga decided to tell her what he was asked and leave. Knowing the hanyou's temper after a fight with her he didn't want to meet him either.

Inuyasha was on his way toward the village when a familiar and really irritating scent struck his nose. "Kouga..." he growled and ran off. What was he doing here? And why the hell hadn't Inuyasha smelled him sooner? Right now, the hanyou was sure of it, the mangy wolf was with Kagome and he was very close to loosing control.

"Well?" Kagome said nervously looking around. It was as if she knew that Inuyasha was coming and that made her feel really worried. She was sure that he was in some kind of stress or something and just didn't want to even imagine the consequences of a meeting with Kouga.

"Well," the wolf demon started and seeing that Kagome was getting more impatient missed to notice a familiar scent, the owner of which was closing very fast. "Last night I ran into your friends. They are lost and asked that you send that cat... What was her name..."

"Kirara." Kagome said and he nodded smiling. "Thank you very much Kouga-kun." at this point she completely forgot about why she wanted him to leave. He had actually come to find help for her friends! "And you came only for that?"

"Yeah, and I wanted to see you too." he said scratching his head nervously and moved closer to her. He took her hands in his right and wrapped his left one around her waist. Kagome made and annoyed sound in the back of her throat but made nothing to push him away. "They also said..."

"What the..." a surprised and at the same time angry voice was heard.

Kouga immediately released Kagome and looked at Inuyasha somewhat suspiciously. There was something different in his scent but it wasn't like the one he got when he transformed into human – it was completely the opposite. Yes, Kouga felt pure rage come out of Inuyasha. It was like he didn't have control over himself.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome looked at the growling hanyou worried. There really was something wrong with him. Usually she could easily feel and recognize his youki every time and everywhere but now it felt completely different. It was like a fire that was being sprinkled with something inflammable. Seeing Kouga's worried face and not really wanting to see how Inuyasha is going to tear the wolf demon into shreds, Kagome didn't waste time and said the saving word. "Sit." and just in case... "Sit."

"Thank you, Kagome." Kouga said, this time he was really willing to run away. "I'll be going now..."

"Just tell me in which direction Kirara must fly." Kagome said and glanced at Inuyasha, who was growling and struggling to get up.

"Only west." the wolf demon pointed.

"Oh, and you said that they told you something else..." the girl reminded him.

"Yes, yes..." Kouga tried to remember but from the surprise from Inuyasha he had forgotten everything. Kagome even had luck that he remembered the right direction. "I forgot. But it wasn't important."

"Alright, now go before Inuyasha gets up." she said and after waving for goodbye Kouga was off.

Just a second later Inuyasha was up. Another second and he slumped down again, cross-legged of course, breathing heavy. Kagome ran to him and crouched in front of him. She placed her hands on his shoulders and looked at him. His eyes were unfocused and he didn't seem to be very coordinated and adequate. She shook him slightly and he turned his eyes to her but she was sure that he couldn't see anything.

"Inuyasha, snap out of it." she said and shook him again. "Inuyasha!"

Suddenly he startled and his vision cleared. He blinked a few times and worriedly looked around. "Kagome?" he turned her name into a question. "Why am I here?" he asked and she looked at him even more confused than he already was.

"What do you mean?" she asked and leaned a little closer to him. "Don't you remember how you got here?"

"No, I was at the river and I was coming back and then..." his eyes looked to the side and his brows furrowed as if trying to remember something. "I don't remember..." he looked at Kagome almost in panic. "What the hell is wrong with me?!"

TBC