Disclaimer: :whispers: I'm trying to take over Adult Swim again, this time by taking over Cartoon Network completely! Muhahahaha! Anyone who wishes to join, review! InuYasha shall be mine- ours, I meant ours. Yea…

Chapter 40: Discovery

Sango bounced the squealing baby on her knee, while Miroku looked on smiling. Shippou was standing in front of the three, using his kitsune magic to change into different shapes for the child's entertainment. Kaede stepped out of the hut to join the others. She sat down next to the exterminator, laughing at Shippou's impression of the monk.

He looked just like Miroku, only with a bushy tail lingering behind him. His face was black and blue from bruising, and his expression of one of fake fear. "Now Sango, don't do anything too rash, I'm a simple monk with a cursed hand." He waved his hands in front of his as if warding off an attack. Sango and Kaede laughed hysterically as little Mai looked from Shippou, to her father, then back again.

"I sound nothing like that!" exclaimed Miroku, turning away with his arms crossed and nose in the air. "And I am offended by your very discriminative projection of me, Shippou."

"Oh, Miroku." Sango giggled. "I think Shippou hit you right on the mark."

The monk's jaw dropped. "How could you say that Sango? I am nothing like that nor have I ever been."

"Yea right." Shippou changed back into his normal form, gaining another giggle from the human baby. "You always used your curse as an excuse to rub Sango's butt."

"I did nothing of the sort. The feel of her luscious curves against the ever growing hole in my hand merely gave me the strength I needed to keep myself from being pulled into my own void." He turned, taking Sango's hand in his. "And I am forever grateful for you allowing me the honor of being your husband." He kissed her cheek.

"Hm. And you are very welcome."

"Hey, try this one!" Shippou once again changed, this time into the hot tempered hanyou, still with his bushy tail. "Keh! What do you think you're doing wench! Where's my ramen?" Miroku was now joining in the laughter. "Oi, monk! What are you laughing at? I oughta pound you!"

Sango decided to step in, handing Mai to her father. "Oh, InuYasha…" she mimicked Kagome's too sweet tone, "Sit!"

"Gah!" Shippou fell face first into the dirt before changing back to himself, rolling on the ground laughing.

"That…is just…like him!" Sango said between laughs. Shippou stopped laughing and looked at the ground, suddenly growing sad. Sango was the first to notice the change in the kitsune's emotions. "Shippou, what's wrong?"

He let out a small sob. "They've been gone for a long time now. Do you… do you think they might not come back?"

"Oh, Shippou. Kagome and InuYasha will be fine. As soon as Suoh is gone, they'll return. They'll be back before you know it." She looked over to Miroku for support.

"InuYasha will not let anything happen to Kagome, so there is no need to worry for her safety." Shippou nodded, but still looked downcast.

"What else is troubling ye, young one?" Kaede joined in.

Shippou looked up with watery eyes. "It-it's nothing."

"It's okay, you can tell us. Maybe we can help, so what is it?"

"I know Kagome will be safe, InuYasha wouldn't ever let anyone hurt her, but…but what about InuYasha? He's always such a reckless baka! What if something happens to him? I-I mean, Kagome would be sad if something happened to him." Sango, Kaede, and Miroku looked at each other, each begging the other for the right thing to say. The kitsune really liked InuYasha and the other way around, though neither of them would ever admit it. InuYasha was like an older brother to Shippou, always protecting him, and watching over him. The others never stopped to think of how all this was affecting the kitsune. He had already lost one family, now he was scared he was going to lose another.

"After all the trouble he's gotten into lately, I doubt that Kagome would let our hanyou off that easily." Miroku rubbed Shippou's head with a smile. "Besides, he has beat Suoh once. I have no doubts that he can do it again."

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True to his word, after a few hours of rest InuYasha, Kagome, and Sesshomaru were on the road once more. Kagome was holding on tight to InuYasha's shoulders as he leaped and ran through the forest. Before they left, Kagome had used her miko powers to make sure they were still heading in the right direction. His aura was surrounding her now, as fresh as it's ever been. It was growing in strength the entire time. Kagome had to do something. Maybe if she searched deeper into his aura, she could find out how strong he had really gotten. She shut out all the other aura's around her, completely focusing on Suoh. The heavy emotions that encased her sent shivers down her spine and made the hair on her neck stand up on end.

"Kagome, you alright?" InuYasha sensed her sudden distress and turned his head to look back at her.

"Fine."

"What are you doing back there?"

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me, wench. I can tell when you're up to something, so spill it."

"I'm just trying to figure out what we're up against now. Suoh is stronger than he was last time, InuYasha. He's still connected to me. He can still get stronger by using my powers."

"Don't worry so much about it. You did your part, now it's up to me and Sesshomaru to get rid of this creep. We'll take care of him, and then we'll go home. I bet the kit is driving the others crazy over worrying about you." He smirked, but it quickly faded. "So, how close are we now?"

"Hard to say. If he's still moving it might not be until late tomorrow, but if he's stopped somewhere we can probably get to him by morning."

"Kagome, if anything starts happening, if he starts attacking you, you better tell me. And when the battle starts I want you to stay back, no matter what."

Kagome gripped InuYasha's hair, pulling back slightly. "That's not fair InuYasha! You are not alone in this fight and no matter what you think I can help."

"I knew you were going to be like this, that's why I left you back in the village. Every time I try to protect you, you have to come running up to get yourself into even more danger. No, not this time, Kagome. You're going to do as I say!"

"Baka! Have you ever thought that maybe I don't want to lose you either? Have you once considered that without you, I don't want to live." By this time Sesshomaru was very interested in the couple's argument. He ran a short distance away from the two, giving them at least some privacy. "I can help InuYasha. I can, just…trust me." She held back a sob. "Okay?"

InuYasha sighed. That's defiantly not what he wanted to hear. He was willing to throw to life away to save her, but she was willing to do the same. It wasn't supposed to be that way. He was supposed to keep her safe from harm, even die for her. At least that way she would have a chance to have a better life. Now Kagome was telling him she would be willing to die for him, if it came down to it. He couldn't let her do that, not for him. "No." he stated. "No, it's not okay, Kagome. It's my job to protect you, and it's your job to trust me. So just drop it." He felt her head fall against his back and sighed. "Look, just let me do this for you. Nothing's going to happen as long as I can help it."

"InuYasha?"

"Hum?"

"I-I don't feel so good."

Kagome released her grip on InuYasha's back and placed her arms around her head. The sudden shift almost made InuYasha drop her. He had to turn around in mid-step to catch her in his arms, loosing his balance and falling to the ground with Kagome falling on top of him. Sesshomaru skidded to a stop and looked on as his brother's mate screamed out in pain. Not now! InuYasha thought. Not when we're so close! He quickly sat up with Kagome in his lap. His ears flattened out on his head from his mate's shrieking. "Kagome, fight it! Don't let him hurt you!"

"InuYasha…" she gritted her teeth. "I…can't…"

InuYasha started to growl loudly. "YES YOU CAN! Do it, wench! Fight it! Don't you dare just let him hurt you like that. You can beat him, just fight it!" Sorry Kagome, sorry I yelled, but you have to fight him. You have to beat him. You can't let him get anymore powerful then he already is!

"Miko. You must remember, you are not the only one at risk." Sesshomaru stood beside InuYasha, still completely expressionless.

Kagome opened her eyes for a split moment, looking to InuYasha for strength. "I-I'll try." InuYasha watched as she closed her eyes again. She started to moan between her gritted teeth, sweat now pouring from her forehead and her face going pale. InuYasha gripped her hand in his, holding on in fear of losing her. "Inu…Ya…sha…"

"I'm right here Kagome."

"I…can't…"

"Listen to me Kagome. You can do this. You're one of the strongest people I know. You can beat him, trust me." Please, Kagome, don't give up! Don't let him win! All he could do was watch on as his mate tossed and turned in his arms. She was in pain, terrible pain as the hanyou could tell. He could hear her breath become more and more labored as her heart beat started to race. It was all stressing her body, causing her to shake uncontrollably. InuYasha was scared. He didn't know what was going on or how he could help, so he held on to her, willing her to fight and not give up. After what seem like forever to InuYasha, Kagome finally opened her eyes.

"InuYasha."

"Are you okay now?"

She nodded. "H-he's coming this way. He's stronger. I won't be able to hold him back again."

"You won't have to Kagome. I'll take care of him." He looked over to Sesshomaru. "You ready?"

Sesshomaru glanced over and nodded. "I'm able to sense him now. The miko is right, the youkai is a great deal stronger than I first expected. He will be here shortly." InuYasha placed Kagome against a tree as she started to drift off. He gave her one last look and kiss on the cheek before joining his brother on the path. "The miko will live. She is but weak from using her powers."

"I know. Let's just get rid of this guy once and for all."

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"InuYasha?" Kagome had to force herself to speak. Every time she so much as moved the pain became ten times worse.

"Hum?"

"I-I don't feel so good."

Kagome released her grip on InuYasha's back and placed her arms around her head. She felt as InuYasha caught her in mid air as she started to fall, then they both hit the ground, Kagome landing on top. Kagome screamed as another wave of pain came over her. She could feel Suoh all around her, surrounding her. He wasn't trying to hide his presence anymore, he knew Kagome and the others were trying to find him. InuYasha quickly sat up with Kagome in his lap. His ears flattened out on his head from his mate's shrieking. "Kagome, fight it! Don't let him hurt you!"

"InuYasha…" she gritted her teeth, trying to bear the aching pains that came with speaking. "I…can't…"

InuYasha started to growl loudly. "YES YOU CAN! Do it, wench! Fight it! Don't you dare just let him hurt you like that. You can beat him, just fight it!"

"Miko. You must remember, you are not the only one at risk." Sesshomaru stood beside InuYasha, still completely expressionless.

Kagome opened her eyes for a split moment, looking to InuYasha for strength. She's not the only one at risk. No, she wasn't. She had more people to think about then her own pain. "I-I'll try." InuYasha watched as she closed her eyes again. Kagome sought out the blue/black aura she had followed, instantly becoming consumed by it. The aura was surrounding her, suffocating her own aura, mixing and blending with Suoh's. That's why his aura looked the different from all the others. Her blue miko aura was corrupted, creating the swirl of midnight blue within Suoh's own aura. He was turning her pure miko powers into something tainted for him to use. She started to moan between her gritted teeth, sweat now pouring from her forehead and her face going pale. InuYasha gripped her hand in his. "Inu…Ya…sha…"

"I'm right here Kagome."

"I…can't…"

"Listen to me Kagome. You can do this. You're one of the strongest people I know. You can beat him, trust me." InuYasha's words calmed her and gave her the courage she needed to press on further. A white light press through the darkness, intertwining with her own. He was there with her. He was helping her, though he may not know to what extent, his aura was helping her fight. Suoh's aura seemed confused by the interference. It attacked over and over again, only to be blocked by Kagome and InuYasha's aura. Then, it stopped. Suddenly receding and pulling back.

"InuYasha."

"Are you okay now?"

She nodded. "H-he's coming this way. He's stronger. I won't be able to hold him back again."

"You won't have to Kagome. I'll take care of him." He looked over to Sesshomaru. "You ready?"

Sesshomaru glanced over and nodded. "I'm able to sense him now. The miko is right, the youkai is a great deal stronger than I first expected. He will be here shortly." InuYasha placed Kagome against a tree as she started to drift off. She felt his eyes upon him and the soft brush of his lips against her cheek before falling into unconsciousness.

A/N:

Coming up next… Chapter 41: The Final Showdown Begins

Enough spoken, for now…