A dull thud was heard in the hut as Kagome fell to her right side. Sometime during the night she had fallen asleep, sitting, and now she was groaning on the floor. She held her aching head as she sat up, thinking of the big bump she was going to have. Looking through the small window she saw that it was already morning and the sun was just rising. Then her eyes landed on Inuyasha. It seemed that he hadn't moved all night and his condition hadn't changed.
"Inuyasha..." Kagome said quietly as she moved closer to him. "Inuyasha..." she repeated louder when he didn't answer and again got no response.
'I hope Kaede-baachan comes faster.' the girl thought while changing the already dry cloth on the hanyou's forehead with a wet one. She looked at his wide open and empty eyes and involuntary shivered. 'This look gives me the creeps, Inuyasha.' she thought and reached with one hand to close his eyes. The moment she removed her hand they opened again, startling her.
"They are here, Kaede-sama." a man's voice was heard from outside and Kagome immediately rushed toward the door.
"Kaede-baachan!" she yelled and ran to the old Miko to help her get off of her horse. "I'm so glad you came... He's just lying there...staring off at...nothing..."
"Calm down, child." Kaede said, once on the ground. "Let's go inside and you'll explain me everything."
"Finally..." Miroku groaned as he sat on a fallen tree trunk at the side of the road.
"I don't want to hear it, Houshi-sama." Sango threatened and sat next to him, at his left side.
"You are evil, my dear." the monk said while trying to catch his breath, which only earned him an angry glare from the demon exterminator.
"Seriously, Sango!" Shippo, who was on Miroku's left shoulder, said. "You are worse even than Inuyasha!"
"Do you want this?" she shot the small kitsune a cold glare too, showing him her right fist.
"No!" Shippo squeaked and moved to Miroku's right shoulder. "I take my words back."
"I just can't stand you two anymore!" suddenly the demon exterminator yelled and stood up in front of her friends, her fists shaking in anger by her sides. "How can you be so calm? Don't you give a damn about Inuyasha?"
When she had started shouting Shippo had fallen off of Miroku's shoulder and had hid behind the tree trunk. At first Miroku was startled and surprised by Sango's sudden outburst and just started at her stunned. But when he saw two tears fall down her cheeks he frowned. Shippo was confused beyond belief when, after finding the courage to look at his friend, he saw her crying. Why? For Inuyasha?
"Sango..." Miroku said, standing up and going to her. "Calm down... Of course we care about Inuyasha."
"No, you don't!" she yelled at him and pushed his reaching hands away. "Don't you hear yourselves?"
"Sango, we are just trying to be optimistic." the monk tried to explain and again reached toward her. "I was just trying to cheer you up..."
"Yeah, me too..." Shippo said from his hiding place.
"Well, it's not working!" the demon exterminator cried and again tried to push Miroku away but he just grabbed her hands and pulled her in a tight embrace.
Shippo started at them in disbelief. Sango was loosing her temper; Miroku was hugging her not because he wanted to grope her but because he wanted to make her feel batter. And all this for Inuyasha? Why? He sure was worried for the hanyou too, but after all the beatings he has got from him for telling him that he was weak, Shippo just couldn't imagine Inuyasha in death threatening situation.
"Don't cry, Sango." Miroku whispered. "Worrying for him and practically trying to loose ourselves again isn't going to help him."
"I know..." she cried and leaned closer to him to make him hold her tighter. "It's just... I lost everybody I loved because of Naraku. You guys are everything I have."
"Shh, Sango..." the monk whispered again and held her tight.
"Inuyasha did so many things for us... for me..." the demon exterminator said with shaky voice. "I tried to kill him, I stole his sword... And I did this for Naraku but... but he didn't give up on me..."
"I know... I understand you, Sango." Miroku said and stroked her head. "We all first fought against him and despite everything we are friends."
Shippo stood on the tree trunk, staring at his friends with wide eyes. Everything they said was true – although they had once been his enemies, Inuyasha had actually accepted them as his friends. The small kitsune felt like the lowest and dirtiest creature in the whole world – only he hadn't realized this, and had even joked about the mighty Inuyasha being sick. Tears started to fill his eyes and he started to hiccup. Hearing him Miroku and Sango parted and looked at him.
"I am so sorry!" Shippo cried and jumped forward. Sango caught him and as he buried his face in her chest she looked almost terrified at Miroku.
"Shippo, what's wrong?" the monk had the same expression as Sango and they both were totally confused.
"Shippo-chan..." the demon exterminator started.
"I don't want Inuyasha to die!" the kitsune cried again, not lifting his head from the demon exterminator's chest. "I promise to apologize for every bad word I've ever said to him. I'll let him hit me on the head too."
"You see what you did now?" Miroku asked Sango and she looked him questioningly. "How are we going to deal with a crying kid?"
"Shut up, Houshi-sama." she glared at him through still teary ayes. "You're just upset that your head isn't where his is."
The monk immediately stiffened and gave her a nervous laugh. "It's not like that, Sango." he said, bringing his right hand behind his head.
She just 'Humph'ed and started to stroke Shippo's head and try to calm him down. After all were quiet and calm they decided to continue walking and hope that Kirara would find them. It seemed that their prayers were heard and about noon they spotted the cat demon in the sky. Thanks to their all night walking and Kirara's half day and night flying they had saved a whole day. After seeing them the cat demon landed and received a warm hug from Sango.
"I'm so glad to see you, Kirara." the demon exterminator smiled. "Everything ok?" she asked and the cat demon nodded. "Oh, good." she sighed.
"So, Inuyasha's alright?" Shippo asked smiling and Kirara tilted her head to the side in question.
Sango frowned at this reaction and exchanged worried glances with Miroku. "We think that Inuyasha is possessed by a dream demon. Did Kouga tell you?" she asked and Kirara shook her head.
"Are you sure?" Miroku asked, his slightly shaky voice showing his concern. "What about Kaede-sama?" after that question Kirara just looked at him.
"We won't learn anything like that, Houshi-sama." Sango said firmly. "We have to go to the village as fast as we can. Do you need rest, Kirara?" she asked and after the cat demon shook her head the group was off in the sky.
At Kaede's hut the old Miko and Kagome were sitting beside Inuyasha. Kagome had just finished explaining the old woman what had happened while she was examining Inuyasha. He was still lying by the fire on the girl's sleeping bag, but at least his eyes were now closed. Kaede had removed his haori and shirt and now his breathing was calm and even. The old miko looked at him for a moment and frowned.
"What is it?" Kagome asked impatiently. "What's wrong with him?"
"Most likely Inuyasha is possessed by a dream demon." the old woman said thoughtfully.
"We fought one before we came here, but I thought we killed it." the girl said and just now she realized why the hanyou was acting so weird all the time. "What are we going to do now?"
"This is a very strange condition." Kaede said, again as thoughtfully as the last time.
"But you can handle it, right?" Kagome asked, fear not mistakable in her voice.
"Listen to me now, child." the old Miko started and a strange feeling of dread appeared in Kagome's heart. "Inuyasha's condition is no ordinary. He is in some kind of trance, which serves as a barrier against the demon. Something must've startled him and he must've built up a defense against the demon." Kaede stopped for a moment to take a breath and just couldn't miss how Kagome's cheeks reddened at her last sentence. "Unfortunately, I can not deal with such a situation, it is beyond my powers."
"What do you mean?" Kagome asked, her eyes widening and her voice dangerously shaking. "Are you saying that he is going to die? Inuyasha?" the very thought of the hanyou dying sounded absurd to her and she just refused to believe it.
"No, child." Kaede said quickly, before the girl in front of her from desperate became angry because of her powerlessness. "I didn't say that. Houshi-dono can help him. Right now the demon is of no threat to him..."
"Because of this 'trance'?" Kagome asked a little calmer.
"Yes." the old Miko nodded. "When Houshi-dono comes here I will wake Inuyasha up and..."
"And Miroku-sama is going to kill the demon!" Kagome smiled widely, not really caring that Kaede might get angry because of her interrupting her in every few words. After all that was the best news she had heard in days.
TBC