"Inu-Yasha…be still…your wounds have yet to heal." Inu-Yasha froze. He thought he heard Kagome. She shouldn't have been awake. With wounds like hers, he'd take days to heal so she'd take days to just awaken from them.
Inu-Yasha looked over his shoulder. Kagome was kneeling behind him. She extended her hand out to his shoulder. "Rest" she said innocently. "Kagome…?" Inu-Yasha tried to question how she could belittle such large injuries. "Your…awake…" he uttered. "Rest Inu-Yasha; recover your strength. Besides we're not going anywhere." She lifted her hand to the wall Inu-Yasha had been trying to destroy. A violet and lavender streaked circular pattern of light began to emanate from under the palm of her hand spreading across the wall in an expanding circle. Inu-Yasha looked puzzled. "A magical barrier" Kagome answered his look. "No one in…no one out."
"Untie me." He ordered Kagome, "Quick, before someone comes back." Inu-Yasha heard the door open before Kagome had the chance to untie him. So Inu-Yasha leapt for the door hoping to make it out the opening. Unfortunately Miroku tackled him, pinning Inu-Yasha down to the floor of the hut. The old town's woman replied, "That's a shame, Inu-Yasha…and you were being so quiet too." Inu-Yasha growled at this comment. The woman just shut the door. "Let him up Miroku." She commanded. Miroku let Inu-Yasha up as commanded.
Inu-Yasha caused a lot of trouble trying to keep their attention from shifting to Kagome whom was in the shadows. "Where are our things?" Inu-Yasha asked quite rudely. "Here" the woman replied tossing their things to the floor wrapped in Kagome's cloak from the temple. Inu-Yasha used his claws to break free of the ropes binding him. He quickly sifted threw the items. A cloak, the book, Kagome's bow and arrows, His two swords …where was the jewel? Shit! He leapt from his crouching position on the floor.
Inu-Yasha tackled the older version of Sango within a second. Kagome screamed then covered her mouth. When Inu-Yasha's weight forced Sango to fall, Sango attempted to curl up in a ball. If she hadn't, she surely would have hit her head on the elevated section where Kagome had been laid to heal. "Where is it?" he demanded with his claws threatening her throat one by one. Sango kept a serious face; she had no intention of giving him any information from this position. Quite concerned for Sango's safety, Miroku asked, "Where is what Inu-Yasha?" "Where is it? WHERE IS THE SHIKON NO TAMA?" Inu-Yasha yelled furiously at the two. Miroku looked quite surprised before responding. "It's been missing since the two of you destroyed the temple."
"Inu-Yasha" Kagome pleaded. Inu-Yasha stood up not wanting to upset Kagome farther. He realized that she should never have had to see that. Inu-Yasha made his way over to Kagome, slowly. Miroku looked at the two of them as they stood together. Inu-Yasha stood in front of Kagome blocking her view of Sango. He closed his eyes and lowered his head to her forehead, which was slightly pointed down. He wrapped his arms around her pulling her into the safety of his embrace. Kagome held her hands clasped together over her heart, where she was when she persuaded him to leave Sango. She closed her eyes and leaned into him allowing his white mane to encompass them. She has found a way to tame the demon, Miroku thought, Love.
Miroku helped Sango back to her feet. Then he stood looking from them to Sango. If he had given Sango a chance, he might have been truly happy. They might have lived out their years together away from hunting demons, then again that had always been Sango's drive: Demon Exterminating.
There was a low rumble in Inu-Yasha's chest, one of distasteful defeat. Kagome pushed back out of Inu-Yasha's embrace. She took a step back from Inu-Yasha grasping his hand openly in hers. She looked deep into his eyes placing his hand to her chest just beneath her throat. He could feel her heartbeat; it was faster than normal. She slid his hand down her chest a few inches. What is she doing? Inu-Yasha thought giving Kagome an uninterested look. In ignoring her, he missed the message. Kagome squeezed his hand hard with a huff. Disgruntled, she forcefully moved his hand upward over the same spot again. The confused look he gave Kagome was short lived. Inu-Yasha felt something in her chest, something small and round. It couldn't be. He told himself. He could feel it. It was something small and round, but he couldn't grasp a hold of it. Almost as if it was hung around her neck, but there was nothing there. Inu-Yasha looked to her for answers. She smiled sweetly. That's it. That's why she was able to heal so fast, he thought to himself. She has the Shikon Jewel. She's drawing energy from it, but what if it's taken from her? Fear crossed his mind; he couldn't bare the thought of her dying. He removed his hand quickly, staring at the ground. He was now tormented by his own thoughts. She may be fine for now, but…
Miroku was grinning from ear to ear while Sango's mouth hung open in surprise. They had forgotten Kagome and Inu-Yasha's lovehate relationship. Kagome blushed. She hadn't intended for them to catch that moment. Inu-Yasha looked at them both dryly. "What the hell are you looking at, Miroku?" Inu-Yasha questioned staring at him. Miroku's smile only became bigger. "Pervert!" Kagome yelled as Sango instinctively reached over clunking him on the head. Miroku collapsed to the floor clutching his head. Inu-Yasha stood shocked; Sango never meant to hurt Miroku before this, only to knock some sense into him. Maybe she came to her senses and gave up on that perverted monk. Kagome nodded at Sango with a smile. Then she raced over to give her old friend a hug. Inu-Yasha smiled showing his fangs quite satisfied with Sango's action, "That's what you get, you perverted monk." He stated degradingly.
Kagome asked Sango to "let Inu-Yasha out." Kagome would stay, but Sango couldn't keep Inu-Yasha "bound up in here forever." Sango knew Kagome was right so she opened the door. Inu-Yasha flew out the door and within seconds was gone from sight. "He'll come back." Kagome told her reassuringly. "He'll come back when he's ready. He always does."