A/N: Over 50 read, but only 8 reviews. sigh come on guys/girls, even if you hate/despise/loath it, at least tell me so I can make it better. I come home from school, the first thing I do is look at my reviews, just one review makes my day.

Kagome awoke with an unfamiliar warmth surrounding her. She opened her eyes, she could see out the door, which apparently the wind from the rain had blown aside. It was a beautiful autumn morning, the trees showing of a dazzling display of colors. Golds softened into bright yellow, yellows deepened to reds and purples. A brisk breeze was evident from the light swaying of tree tops, with the occasional gust blowing up leaves in a whirlwind of colors. It was truly a beautiful day.

As she tried to move to get up, she heard a low growl. She looked up to see Inuyasha. He had her in a protective embrace. She had her back to him, his arms wrapped around her chest, her head nestled into his neck. She wished she could snuggle back into his neck, and lose herself in his warmth.

Then she remembered Miroku and Sango. She looked over to where she remembered them sleeping. She let out a relieved sigh. They were still there, though Miroku had gotten much closer to Sango in his "sleep."

She started to panic. She couldn't let them see her and Inuyasha like this! She struggled to get up, only to have Inuyasha's growls increase in volume and his grip tightened. Eventually she gave up struggling.

'There's got to be some way of waking him up without waking to others' She thought. Then she had an idea. Looking up to Inuyasha, she gently started to blow air to his ear.

Inuyasha's ear started to twitch, which just made Kagome want to rub them, though she couldn't, her arms were pinned to her side by Inuyasha's embrace.

She blew toward his ear again, more forcibly this time. This time, her ear twitched violently and he awoke with a dog-like growl that escalated in to low bark "grr-ruff." This made her giggle.

"What's so funny?" He asked in gruff voice.

"I've never heard you make that sound before." He looked at Kagome with a half puzzled half sleepy expression.

'That's strange, usually he's wide-awake once he's up, and he's usually the first one up, too.' She thought.

"What 'sound?'" He asked gruffly.

"That sound you just made. Starts as a growl, then you seem to change your mind and bark."

"I don't make sounds like that."

"You just did. Some day I'll get a tape recorder to record what you do when you deny it."

"What's a 'tape recorder?'" He stumbled over the pronunciation a bit.

"It's a device that lets you record sounds so you can listen to them as much as you want"

"Keh" He tightened his embrace unconsciously.

"Inuyasha"

"What?"

"I'd like to move now" She blushed slightly.

He just then noticed the position they were in. He let go suddenly, blood rushing to Kagome's arms which she just then realized were numb from his embrace. Inuyasha was blushing now, too. She stood slowly, stretching her arms high above her head, and let out a small yawn. Inuyasha stood up and started to twist his back and arms, whose joints started to pop and crack.

"Sorry, but I didn't think you wanted them to see us like that."

"Yeah, I can just imagine what that lecher of a monk would say." He let out a sigh. "Sleep well?"

"Yes, very." She said with a smile. She almost wanted to snuggle back into his chest and the warmth it gave her.

She shivered as a cold breeze blew past them.

"You should really wear something warmer this season." Said Inuyasha.

"I can take care of myself, thanks." She didn't want to sound weak at the moment.

She felt something warm and heavy drape over her shoulders. It was Inuyasha's haori.

"Yeah, right." He said unbelievingly.

She started to object, but just then another breeze blew by, so she clutched the haori around her tighter.

Just then Miroku and Sango stepped out of the hut. They were chatting about something she couldn't hear.

"Lecher" She heard Sango mutter as she got within earshot.

"Morning, guys." Kagome said happily.

"Good morning, Kagome." Sango said cheerfully.

"And a beautiful morning it is." Miroku said a little too happily.

"What's on the agenda today?" She asked turning to Inuyasha.

"Keh. Same as always, we need to get some more jewel pieces before Naraku shows up again."

"Oh." She saw this as an opportunity. "Inuyasha, would you mind if we started heading back to the village?"

"What? Why? You just went before Kaguya's castle" (three days earlier) He said in an annoyed tone. "Don't you have enough supplies for a little longer?"

"Well, most of my supplies disappeared when I was being held captive." She responded.

Miroku and Sango gave a nervous laugh. They had thrown some supplies out of her bag looking for bandages that held a time barrier against Kaguya. Of course, they forgot all about it.

"And I gave the rest of the ramen to Akitoki." Oops, shouldn't have said that, she realized.

"YOU WHAT?" Inuyasha had a vein popping out of his head. She had given way HIS ramen!

"Calm down, Inuyasha. We'll just go and get some more." She waved her hands up defensively, and had a small sweat drop on her head.

"Keh, I guess if we're out of ramen . . . " He mumbled.

"Arigato."

"Let's just get going, the sooner you go the sooner you come back, I guess." He said in a bored tone.

Meanwhile

Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands, made his way toward Mt. Fuji. He knew of the legend of the demon that kept the moon full for several nights. 'She stops time without remorse, and kills all living creatures' If something was threatening his lands, it was his duty as lord the stop it.

"I still don't see why we must travel such a distance to Mt. Fuji." Jaken complained.

Sesshomaru ignored him, and just kept walking. He believed that the demon was still at large

Jaken retreated back to Ah Uhn, the sleeping Rin on it's back. 'Lord Sesshomaru has been acting strangely these past couple of days, I wonder what could get my lord this upset'

Sesshomaru stopped silently. Jaken, lost in his own thoughts, ran into the back of his leg. Jaken lost his footing and fell backwards.

Rin awoke at Jaken's fall. She rubbed one eye sleepily. "What's wrong, Lord Sesshomaru?" She asked lightly.

A familiar scent drifted into Sesshomaru's nose. "Inuyasha" He said more to himself.

Meanwhile

The Inu crew was walking along the path. It was about eleven o'clock in the morning. Miroku and Sango walked ahead, Miroku already had a red hand print of his face. Kagome walked along net to Inuyasha. Her bike had been lost by Hojo, whom she almost pounded into the ground in frustration. Inuyasha tried to calm her by telling her there was nothing he could have done anyway. This actually calmed her a little.

They were walking along at a brisk pace, enjoying the crisp, clean air that always follows a rain, and the colors of the season. Well, most of them were. Inuyasha just gave it a bored sigh. He just enjoyed Kagome's scent. It was a scent he could never place. Sango always smelled of the poison powder she kept for warding off demons that she hardly ever used anyway, it always bothered his nose when he got too close. Miroku smelled of the black ink he kept on his sutras in some hidden folds of his robe. Kagome's scent, though, smelled of some sort of flower, mixed with the smell of a fresh rain. It was a scent he enjoyed thoroughly.

Kagome shivered and drew Inuyasha's haori closer around here. "What am I going to where for the winter? I don't have many clothes I can use in the wilderness." She mumbled to herself.

Inuyasha heard this anyway, of course. "Keh. I've seen your cloo-set." He stumbled over the word the Kagome had used for a small room used to store clothes in, apparently. "You have plenty of clothes to wear."

"Yeah, but there usually just for going out in my time, they aren't made for sleeping or traveling in." She said in a slightly irritated voice.

"You'll just have to make do." He said indifferently.

"I guess so." She said softly.

"Anything is better than that skimpy thing." He said teasingly.

"Excuse me, but all the girls in my school wear these!" She shouted.

"Really?" Asked a voice in front of them. " It's a shame I can't go to Kagome's time . . . " THWACK. Miroku's face suddenly sported a bright red hand print, courtesy of Sango. "And you call yourself a monk." Sango scolded

"A guy can dream, can't he?" stated Miroku innocently. This time the whole group gave him a "Lecher"

Just then, Inuyasha stopped dead. He sniffed the air cautiously.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked softly.

"Sesshomaru." He said coldly.

"Are you sure?" Kagome asked.

"No mistake." Inuyasha had an edge to his voice.

"Well, let's not start picking fights, maybe he won't notice us." Sango said.

"Keh. Yeah right, he's probably picked up our scent and is on his way right now." Inuyasha stated.

"Very perceptive of you, little brother." Said a cold, emotionless voice.

"Sesshomaru." Inuyasha gave him a vicious stare. "To what do we owe this pleasured visit?" His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Sesshomaru ignored his brother's comment, considering it beneath him to answer. "I came to investigate the youkai that caused the full moon, these are my lands, and I will protect them, no matter who lives there." He said in his usual voice, glaring at Inuyasha menacingly. He believed that Kaguya was still alive, because it's only been three days, two nights the moon remained full naturally, and the previous night was raining so he couldn't see the moon.

Inuyasha smirked arrogantly. "Is that so? Well, you're too late, because I already defeated that youkai."

"Hey!" Kagome yelled reproachfully. "You needed me and you know it!"

Inuyasha growled in annoyance. "Fine! We defeated it. Happy now?" He yelled to Kagome.

"Humph. Yes, as a matter of fact." She said arrogantly, waving her hand in a shooing manner.

"Keh." Inuyasha once again focused on Sesshomaru, who stood there smiling in a condescending manner.

"Once again, your patience with these creatures amazes me, little brother. I refuse to believe that a half breed and a mortal would be able to defeat such a foe."

"Well I guess it doesn't matter what you think because it's true."

"Then it's obvious that it wasn't worth my time." He said coldly.

"What's that supposed to mean."

"Well, if a band of weak humans and a half breed could destroy the youkai, then it wouldn't even be a bother to one as powerful as I." He said arrogantly.

Inuyasha drew the Tetsusaiga. "You just love to puff up that big head of yours don't you?" He stated more than asked as he charged Sesshomaru.

Inuyasha made a wide sweep with his sword, whipping up a cloud of dust from the force, but Sesshomaru easily jumped up to avoid the swing.

"Slow as usual." He said coldly, drawing tokijin and swung downward at Inuyasha, sending blue streaks of power toward Inuyasha.

Inuyasha pulled up Tetsusaiga up, blocking the wave of deadly energy. He jumped up to meet Sesshomaru, and swung a vertical strike, the two demon swords clashed, blue lightning crackled in the air from the two powers struggling to overpower the other.

While the lightning sizzled through the air, Inuyasha slashed Sesshomaru with his claw. Sesshomaru jumped back in response. The part of the armor around his shoulder blazed with sparks before crumbling. Sesshomaru looked at it in disgust.

"Guess it's a big disability for the great Lord Sesshomaru to be short an arm." Inuyasha said mockingly, smiling his arrogant smirk.

"Hmm, this is far from OVER!" he emphasized his last word in a vicious swing of his sword. A blue wave came straight at Inuyasha.

"Wind Scar!" Inuyasha yelled, sending three waves of deadly yellow energy, overpowering the blue wave easily, but slowing them down so Sesshomaru could dodge it easily.

"It seems Tetsusaiga has gotten more powerful since we last fought."

"Yeah, how about that?" Inuyasha spat. "Maybe it's me whose gotten stronger, what do you think of that."

Sesshomaru laughed. It was a short, abrupt, mocking laugh that made Inuyasha's blood boil in rage. "It doesn't matter how strong you are, half breed. You will never equal me or this sword."

"We'll see how you feel when I hack off your other arm!" Inuyasha made another vicious arc with his sword, which Sesshomaru easily parried with Tokijin.

Sesshomaru jumped into air, only to come crashing down moments later in a downward slash. Inuyasha held Tetsusaiga above his head, blocking Sesshomaru's powerful slash. Blue lightning sizzled through the air once again. The demonic winds of Inuyasha and Tetsusaiga combined with Sesshomaru and Tokijin whipped dust and dirt outward in a circle.

"The demonic winds coming from those two are enormous." Miroku speculated.

"Why are we just standing around? We should be helping Inuyasha." Sango said helplessly.

"What can we do?" Kagome asked. She didn't have her bow or any arrows, they were lost after Kaguya took her captive. (A/N: though she never seems to have them until she needs them anyway, the same with her backpack, she never seems to carry it in the anime.)

"I'll show you, Hiraikotse!" Sango yelled throwing her weapon.

"No, Sango, don't!" Inuyasha yelled.

Too late, Sesshomaru turned and sent a wave of blue power toward the Hiraikotse. Sango's weapon was slashed in half easily, the blue energy continuing straight toward Sango. She stood immobilized with fear. The demonic wave grew closer . . .

"Wind Tunnel!" Miroku said, using his wind tunnel to suck Sango out of the way. Sango flew toward him, and they both crashed to the ground as she came tumbling on top of him.

"Thanks Miroku, you saved me-" She stopped suddenly as she felt his hand stroking her leg. THWACK! "HENTAI!" she screamed while her face turned about as red as the hand print on Miroku's face.

"Is that any kind of 'Thank You?'" he asked innocently.

"Inuyasha, tell them to stop, they will only get one warning." Sesshomaru said menacingly.

"Keep outta this!" Inuyasha yelled to his friends. They obliged as Sango picked us what used to be her weapon.

"Accepting human aid, how low will you sink, Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru asked mockingly, swinging his sword at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha easily parried the wave of energy sent from Tokijin. "As I recall, you used a human arm to wield Tetsusaiga." He said mockingly.

"Silence!" Sesshomaru yelled. He swung a mighty horizontal swing, knocking Inuyasha backward into a tree. The multi colored leaves fell around him, swirling around as Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's demonic winds whipped up the leaves and dirt once again as Inuyasha stood up and started staring Sesshomaru down with a vicious gaze.

"The great Lord Sesshomaru can't hold a sword without the help of a human arm." Inuyasha said mockingly. That struck a nerve.

"I won't be belittled by my half breed younger brother!" He emphasized his last word with a charge. The two brothers were in each others face now, their respective swords clashing, but this time the blue lightning seemed to come from Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's eyes, from the glares they were giving each other.

"Gyaahhh!" Inuyasha grunted, pushing his sword in the air. This caused Sesshomaru to lift Tokijin above his head in a prone position. Inuyasha took advantage of his brothers vulnerable position to take a slash at him with his right claw. A tearing sound ripped through the air. Sesshomaru put his foot to Inuyasha's chest and pushed off, sending him into the tree again. A blizzard of colors swirled around Inuyasha as leaves fell from trembling branches.

Inuyasha looked up at Sesshomaru, investigating the tearing sound he heard. He saw the fluff on Sesshomaru's shoulder shred and fall to the ground. Sesshomaru gave it a disgusted glance.

Inuyasha gave an arrogant smirk. "I'll just keep hacking at you tell I get to your head" He said, lifting his hand and cracking the joints in his fingers.

"This battle is far from over." Sesshomaru said coldly. He once agin charged Inuyasha, but stopped short to send blue bolts of demonic energy straight at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha easily jumped through the branches of the tree he was under. The blue stripes of energy sliced through the trunk of the tree cleanly. The tree started to slide down and fall. It fell with a large crash between Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. Sand and leaves blew outward, along with a shockwave that shook the ground.

"He cut it like it was firewood!" Sango said in astonishment.

"Tokijin is indeed a very formidable weapon, and with Sesshomaru wielding it, it can only become more deadly." Miroku stated calmly. The group was positioned so they could see both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, though they could not see each other.

Kagome stared at Inuyasha with a worried look. 'I hope Inuyasha can get out of this one.' She thought to herself. 'If only Inuyasha could get Tokijin away from Sesshomaru, then maybe he could get some substantial damage to Sesshomaru.'

Inuyasha was having the same thoughts. 'Damn, with Sesshomaru wielding Tokijin, I can't get close enough to do any real damage! I need to try and disarm him.' He snickered to himself at the thought of how he literally did that to Sesshomaru's left arm.

Inuyasha jumped over the tree, coming straight down on Sesshomaru, coming down on him with a strong downward stab. He easily jumped out of the way with time to spare. "You'll have to be faster than that." Sesshomaru said.

Inuyasha came crashing down in the dust, kicking up a cloud with the force of his stab. He growled irritably, pulling Tetsusaiga from the ground.

"Oh, this is hopeless, they'll both drop from exhaustion before they do any damage." Said Sango with a tinge of annoyance. "And the worst part is that we can't do anything about it."

"I wouldn't say that." Miroku said slyly, pulling out one of his sacred sutras.

"Miroku, Inuyasha said to keep out of this, he may not be able to save us if Sesshomaru decides to retaliate."

He put the sutra back into a fold in his robe. "Then what do you suppose we do about this?" He inquired.

"Grr, there must be something we can do to help." Kagome said irritably.

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, were now both breathing heavily. Sweat had accumulated on their forehead, and they didn't know how much more they could take.

Inuyasha charged at Sesshomaru, swinging blindly, missing every time. "Getting tired, half breed?" Sesshomaru mocked. "Shut up, bastard!" Inuyasha yelled. Sesshomaru caught Inuyasha on a back swing, then punched Inuyasha in the jaw, the handle of Tokijin making his fist that much harder, there was a sickening crunching sound of bone breaking.

Inuyasha flew backwards, sliding on ground into the branches of the fallen tree. Branches broke and pierced skin by the force of the impact. A trail indented in the ground was the telltale sign of Inuyasha's path into the tree. He was lost from sight in a mass of leaves.

Tetsusaiga flew from Inuyasha's grip, landing nearby with the handle sticking out of the air. It transformed back into its non-battle form, a rusty, useless looking old sword.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted, tears welling in her eyes. She started to run to him, but Miroku grabbed her arm.

"Let go, Miroku, I have to see if he's all right!" she pleaded.

"You can't! He said not to interfere!" Miroku said sternly.

"So it ends." Said Sesshomaru coldly, putting Tokijin back in his belt. He started to walk away . . .

"INUYASHA!" Kagome screamed desperately.

A/N:

A/N: Oh no, what happened? Did Inuyasha survive? Find out next time.

I wish Sesshomaru didn't have sucha long name, makes my job harder.