A/N: I'm Ba-ack:D

You know, I've noticed, I have a thing for prophetic dreams in my stories…wonder why? (Must have something to do with the time I dreamed that I was in the hospital…and the next day I broke my arm! Thank god I wasn't a fanfic writer then…) I wonder why it's a recurring cliché anyway? Probably cuz its one of the best subtle hints out there…

Okay, enough rambling! (Evil Grin) Back to the story.

Chapter 14: The Approaching Darkness

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, but then gasped. "Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha's voice was full of worry. "Ka…gome! Get back!"

"No!" she said, determinedly. "I won't leave you!"

His voice was strained, as if he was hurt badly. "If you don't get out of here…you'll get hurt!"

"I don't care!" she cried. "I won't leave! Not when I can stop you!"

"Kagome, don't—"

He was cut off as she begged, desperately, "Inuyasha, don't do this! Please don't!"

"I…can't…" His strength was failing.

"No, please—"

Inuyasha fought to keep his voice at the same level. "I'm…sorry…" He gave one last cringe of pain, and then there was silence.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, timidly. But there was no reply. "Inuyasha!"

Kagome gasped as she woke from the awful dream. Her eyes shot open, and she was breathing heavily, as she remembered the dream. Once again, she hadn't seen everything. She had seen only darkness, but their voices were as clear as if she was with them. What happened…I sounded so…scared…Kagome shivered at the thought. And Inuyasha…something wasn't right with him…it sounded as if he was…dying!

No! she thought. It can't be that, it just can't be…He could have been going into battle, or something…He could have fainted…But...what could have happened to him?

"Hey, Kagome, what's wrong?" a familiar voice yawned from behind her.

Kagome gave a small gasp. I forgot, he's here. She turned around to see Inuyasha, still in his human form, but not wearing his haori, only his white undershirt. It took her a few seconds to realize the haori was wrapped around them both. He was sitting against a tree, and Kagome had fallen asleep in his arms.

Even in the darkness of the night, she could see the concern in his dark eyes. "Kagome?"

But she couldn't tell him, she could tell him about everything else, but this… She shook her head. "Nothing. I just woke up."

Inuyasha didn't believe her. "You jumped up so fast, it woke me up. Kagome," He put his arm around her, pulling her body, trembling at his touch, closer to him. His chin rested on top of her head as she buried herself in his embrace. "You can tell me anything. I promise, nothing will hurt you. I'll keep you safe, here in my arms."

She leaned her head against his chest, hearing his heart beat underneath her ear. His human heart…she thought absent-mindedly. She was glad he had held her close. Kagome knew, that once Inuyasha held her, nothing would harm her. She was always safe, there in his arms. He could protect her. He would always protect her.

But, even despite this, she still couldn't tell him. The dream wasn't guaranteed to happen, and she didn't even know what it was really about, but it kept nagging at her. That, plus the vision they had the night before…and the creepy feeling that soon, something terrible would happen…she just knew that it would only start trouble. And she didn't want that not now, with Inuyasha and her spending time together.

"It was nothing, Inuyasha." She replied. "Just a stupid nightmare…about homework and stuff like that." She hated lying to him, but it would be the only way to get him to back off.

Thankfully, he did. Inuyasha snorted, "Keh. I knew that place was bad for you." He released her from his grasp, and they both looked in each others eyes, savoring the feeling passed between them. The hanyou looked back towards the camp, his black hair swaying in the wind. "We'd better get back…It'll be sunrise soon. And I don't want that monk jumping to conclusions."

Kagome gave a small giggle, the red haori wrapped around her flapping with the breeze. No matter what form he's in, he's still the same. "Yeah, we don't want Miroku thinking that."

Inuyasha was about to get up, but Kagome, stopped him by grabbing his white shirt. "Inuyasha," she asked, pulling him back.

"What is it?" He wondered, tilting his head cutely like a puppy in confusion.

That image brought a small smile to Kagome's face, before it faded. "What were you going to say last night…that you didn't finish?"

By the shocked look on his face, Kagome guessed that maybe he had wished she would forget about what he said. A small sigh of defeat escaped his lips, and he resigned himself to tell her what he had meant. "Don't expect anything poetic like last night," he muttered. "I borrowed a few lines off the monk."

Kagome suppressed a giggle. Of course, most of it had been anything but poetic, but Inuyasha wasn't exactly the romantic type. "That's okay, Inuyasha. I guessed. Whatever it is, you can tell me in your own words."

That seemed to ease him up a bit. "I guess…all I need to say is that, Kagome…you've just…you've done something for me that no one's ever done." He paused, glancing at Kagome, who was hanging on to his every word. "You were the one who taught my heart to trust again…you helped me to learn that being a hanyou wasn't a bad thing. Kagome, you helped me come to the decision that I want to stay a hanyou, forever."

Her eyes held surprise, a hand was placed over her mouth as she gasped. "You…you don't want to become a youkai anymore?"

He shook his head. "No, Kagome, I don't. I haven't wanted to be one for a long time. And all because of you." He grasped her right hand, making Kagome's heart race in surprise as he was spilling these things out to her. Maybe the speech wasn't filled with romantic lines, but it was the truth, and he was opening up to her in a way like he had never done before…that alone made her heart melt under the gaze of his eyes, and with his voice telling her all of this.

"You're the only person, who's ever made me truly happy, Kagome." His confidence rose with every word. "I can't imagine living a day without you…I just want to spend the rest of my life with you."

All Kagome could do was look into his brown human eyes, so manipulating when he was like this, and nod like an idiot. His honest words turned her heart to mush, her whole body feeling warm, and her heart racing faster than she had ever known it. She loved this sensation, this wonderful, beautiful feeling; knowing that she was loved. She would do anything he asked, anything, if he would just keep going, and say the thing her eyes begged of him. Say you love me…

"Kagome…" he murmured, in a warm, loving tone, making her body shiver with delight. He drew closer, filling the gap that lay between them. "I want you to know, that...I l—"

Suddenly, there was a giant growl, like that of a youkai, which made Inuyasha and Kagome jerk apart, and turn swiftly to see where the growl had come from. A youkai that looked like a red lizard, was advancing from behind them. It looked like an ordinary, oversized lizard, except that fire burned from its back and from its mouth, lighting up the dark forest in the early morning hours.

They both shot up, and Inuyasha pushed Kagome behind him, the haori remaining around her shoulders. "Get behind me!" he yelled, unsheathing the untransformed Tessaiga.

"No, Inuyasha!" she begged. "You're human right now!"

But he didn't listen as the salamander attacked, spitting flame from its red mouth right at them. Inuyasha swore profoundly as he pushed Kagome and himself to the ground, just barely out of the way of the advancing fire. Once the fire was diminished, the salamander advanced, waddling on its four legs like a crocodile while its fire tail whipped out behind it.

Kagome lifted her top half off the ground, the haori haven fallen over her head, so she could see the advancing monster. Inuyasha was already getting up, grabbing Tessaiga as he did. "Kagome," he ordered. "Get out of here, find Miroku and Sango. They can help."

"No!" she yelled, also standing up. "I'm not leaving you!"

Inuyasha's head darted to look at her, his eyes leaving the youkai. "Damnit, woman, just do what I say! It doesn't matter what happens to me! As long as you're alive!"

No matter how much they loved each other, and how often they showed it, they could still get into a heated argument. "Inuyasha, maybe that's how I feel about you too! Maybe I don't want you to die either!"

"You're not supposed to feel that way!" he roared, forgetting all about the youkai he was supposed to be fighting. "Only I am!"

"Oh yeah? Why's that?" she demanded.

He sputtered, "B-b-because that's the way it is! Now get out of here!"

Kagome gave him her angriest glare. "Fine! I'll move out of the way, but I won't leave you!" She stormed off to find some cover.

The hanyou, still human despite the slowly lightening sky, muttered about "stubborn women", and turned back to face the salamander youkai, only to discover that it wasn't there. He looked around to see where it had gone, when he heard a scream.

"Kagome!" he yelled, running towards her and the salamander youkai, who had taken advantage of their fight to get closer. But he was too late. To his horror, he watched at it spat a great flame at a screaming Kagome.

He gasped. "Kagome!" he yelled again, this time in anguish, but there was nothing that could be done. What had been her was now a giant crackling flame, with her body lying at the center of it all, covered by his haori.

But wait…he looked closer. She was covered by his haori. The haori made of fire rat hair…he remembered. When he saw her move, he was convinced of it. His heart raced as he knew she was safe. "Kagome!" he yelled, "Don't breathe any of that in! Stay under there, and don't move!"

So obliged, quickly making sure all of her was covered under it. Inuyasha turned back to the youkai, his temper rising. He felt the youkai blood stir in him, despite his human form. My strength's coming back. he thought, as the sun broke over the horizon. In an instant, his claws and fangs grew back, while his eyes, hair, and especially the ears took a longer time to return to normal.

But that didn't matter. He had enough strength, at least, to invoke the transformation in Tessaiga. In a flash, it turned into its true form, the fang of steel. With its transformation, it cooled the youkai blood that had been waking in his temper more often. But he still couldn't help the small, youkai-like feeling leaking into his brain of the joy he would feel at this insignificant youkai's death. Joy because it had almost killed Kagome.

Inuyasha, now with ears, eyes, and hair back to normal, yelled, "Kaze no Kizu!" and the wind burst from Tessaiga, flying over the youkai and disintegrating it in a second with a flash of golden light. All that was left was ashes scattering in the wind and the echo of its dying cry.

He didn't even bother to sheathe Tessaiga as he ran over to Kagome. He tossed the sword behind him as he looked at her. The fire had died with the youkai, but Kagome wasn't much better. He grabbed her form that lie under his red haori, which was hot to the touch. "Kagome? Are you okay? Kagome!"

She didn't move for a second, and that struck a sharp jab of fear into his heart. But, to his relief, her head emerged from her cover and she coughed after being wreathed in smoke for so long. "Inu…yasha…" she said, taking deep breaths.

"Are you all right?" he asked, his face full of concern and worry.

Kagome nodded, wiping off the ash that was on her face. "I'm all right…it was lucky that I had your haori on, huh?" But Inuyasha wasn't amused. He could never be amused at making light of when she had almost died. "I just think I need some water," she said, standing up on shaky legs to go towards the river.

As Inuyasha watched her go the scent of fire, still in the air, wafted into his nose. Fire? Why is that scent so…familiar?

Suddenly, he remembered the dream he had months ago, that dream that he had forgotten recently with his new love for Kagome. The burning village…the sense of urgency…and the miko crying "Curse you!"

He put a hand over his forehead, feeling as if he had gotten a sharp headache at the moment he remembered that dream. But, it wasn't a headache…it was a feeling, a feeling he didn't recognize…something terrible, horrible…it was as if he knew something bad was about to happen. Something that could endanger him…and Kagome.

Whatever it is, I won't let it happen! He decided, yet he knew, he sometimes couldn't stop things from happening. Like that last battle with Naraku, and how Kagome had almost been killed. Even just a few minutes ago, where if it hadn't been for her luck, she would have been dead…they both lived upon the edge of a sword, and one wrong move could send them to their deaths on the sharp blade.

Inuyasha watched her form as she bent down to drink some water. We could both die without a warning…every day not knowing if we will live to see the next…

He sighed, Kagome…

And, without warning, the memory of the dream once again flashed in his mind, "Curse you, hanyou!"

A/N: This chapter seemed…squeezed. But a lot needed to happen, I guess. Anyway, I am so evil, aren't I? I get so close to revealing what's going on, and I cut you off! Well, it keeps it interesting, don't you agree? Anyway, since I'm reaching the half-way mark in this fic (somewhat. I believe the chapter count might be off by a bit…) I have to reveal the OMG HOW COULD YOU BE SO EVIL! thing, so yeah, its coming up. Not going to say when, (Cuz I'm EVIL!) but you might want to start thinking about buying some emergency tissues…