Disclaimer: We don't own Inuyasha. Now read the damn story.

Japanese words not all of you may know:

Hanyou – Half youkai

Youkai – Supernatural being/demon

Taijiya – Demon exterminator

Houshi – Monk

Kitsune – Fox

Oi – Hey

Ai shiteru – I love you (romantic only)

Kaze no Kizu – Wind scar (You should know this one though.)

Kazaana – Wind tunnel

Daijoubu ka? – Are you okay?

Arigatou – Thank you

Dango – Sweet rice balls on a stick

Nani/Nanda – What?

Kuso – Damn

Nightmare! – Sanctifying the Hotspring Sanctuary!

Part 1

"Hiraikotsu!" A powerful, yet feminine voice echoed through the walls of a wooded canyon. Following on the wake of its echoes was a massive boomerang, which ripped through the air at the force and speed of a hurricane. Its path, swift and sure, lead to the hideous face of an enormous youkai. The creature resembled something almost like a dragon, but was much stranger in appearance. Though it towered at some 40 feet high and sported a mouth full of jagged fangs, the monster's chubby, slippery-looking build did not aid in looking intimidating. Neither did its pink color or yellow spots. It had a pair of enormous bug-eyes that resembled a couple of balloons with a dot drawn in the center of each. Despite the odd, almost silly look to this adversary...Inuyasha and company were having more trouble than they anticipated. The thing was quick, and didn't seem capable of feeling any pain dealt to it. As Sango's Hiraikotsu made way for its face, the youkai grinned a large grin and swept itself to the side, the boomerang zooming past. Kirara rushed in to help Sango retrieve her weapon, while the taijiya cursed under her breath. That thing seemed to be mocking all of them. Her arm lashed out and snagged Hiraikotsu from midair, then swung it back over her back. Turning around to Miroku, who was seated behind her on the large cat, she looked to him for any sort of plan. "It's too quick. Do you have any ideas, Houshi-sama?"

Miroku was just coming into view. He hadn't been able to pursue the creature as quickly as Sango because he wasn't riding Kirara with her at the time. "We could always try Kazaana!" Miroku suggested. Skidding to a halt before a muppet gone wrong, his robes billowed dust up about him. His normal hand gripped the beads that held the curse in his other.

"Hold it, Miroku!" Inuyasha sprinted onto the scene, Tessaiga unsheathed and transformed. With feet moving at a pace that any human could only dream of achieving, the hanyou made a beeline for the puffy, pipe-like body of his enemy. He skidded to a halt only a few yards away from the monster, kicking up a cloud of dust. The gargantuan Tessaiga was raised up over his head, swirls of youki gathering about the blade. "Leave this one to me..." He growled, "Kaze noooo..." The sword crashed to the ground, unleashing streak after streak of white hot jagged energy. "KIZU!" Each streak barreled toward the youkai as Inuyasha's battle cry rasped its way out. A wall of dust and rubble hid the attack's outcome for the first few seconds. When gravity took action, the group was surprised to find that their rather large foe was nowhere in sight. Where there should have been a halved course, instead there was a large hole.
Inuyasha's tense shoulders loosened and drooped, Tessaiga's hilt following suit. He blinked in the vast direction of the mysterious hole for a moment. "What?" He asked, confused. Nose began twitching, heightening his senses to detect the creature's tell-tale scent. Miroku trotted over, he arm re-wrapped by now.

"It seems it is a burrowing creature," the houshi concluded. Inuyasha began shifting his vision back and forth, lips lifted off of his teeth in a silent snarl. His bare feet tensed on the ground, feeling for the slightest vibration.

"Everyone, don't let your guard down!" He warned loudly to his friends. Kagome ended up being the lucky one. Perhaps it knew she was the slowest member of the party. Or, perhaps it liked miniskirts. Whatever it was, the ground beneath Kagome's feet crumbled as the burrowing creature emerged with Kagome on its nose. Kagome had never taken well to worms, so this youkai was more unsettling than most. As a result, the girl went as stiff as a board.

Inuyasha's eyes gained a new, furious intensity to them. The kind they only get when Kagome is in danger.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted, and bolted for the serpentine beast twice as swift as before. "Get away from Kagome!" The hanyou bellowed in a fury, raising Tessaiga over his shoulder and bringing it down in a lightning-quick lash that would connect with the youkai's body. Kaze no Kizu was not used this time for fear of hurting the girl. Kagome sat sprawled on the ground next to the writhing upper body of miscreant.

The monster struggled violently against Inuyasha's force, now with Tessaiga firmly lodged halfway inside its body. Oddly enough, and perhaps unnoticed, there was no blood in the wound. Regardless, the youkai writhed under the pressure of the blade, rearing its upper half high as it would go. Inuyasha held his place on the ground, putting the force of all his muscles into standing firm. With its lower half hacked and pinned, the youkai decided to bring its upper half down on the unruly hanyou. It made a headfirst dive for him, opening its mouth wide. Inuyasha bared his teeth and prepared for his next move. Just as the jaws were closing the final few feet between themselves and their white-haired foe, the buzz saw-like sound of Hiraikotsu came whirling into the scene. This time the boomerang connected with the monster's face, sending its upper half sprawling off to the left of Inuyasha. The hanyou jerked his sword out of the cut he'd cleaved into the beast and leapt aside as it crashed into the ground.

Now the monster was careening about the field in a blind rage. Or perhaps it was having a seizure due to the brain damage. (Nobody really knows what kind of biology youkai have) At any rate, it was still moving around enough to do damage, and it seemed to be squirming towards Miroku. This was very fortunate for everybody in general. Now Miroku had a good, clear shot for disposing of the creature with his kazaana, and the creature was able to swiftly put itself out of misery. Within moments the three-ton worm was consumed by the dark vortex.

Kagome began to regain her composure by hyperventilating where she sat, a hand plastered over her rapidly beating heart. Inuyasha made a leap to Kagome's side as soon as the youkai was vanquished, and knelt beside her. "Kagome, daijoubu ka?" The girl's irises had fallen into her pupils, which were mere dots. Large tears were hanging ungraciously from her lower eyelids as she turned towards Inuyasha,

"I-i-i-ii t was a biiig w-w-woorm..."

Inuyasha stood and sheathed Tessaiga, placing a hand on his hip. "Geez, that's all? You're not hurt?"

"I-it was a BIG w-wWORM!" she reiterated. Kirara alighted nimbly beside the hanyou and schoolgirl. Sango dismounted.

"Try and be a little more sensitive, Inuyasha. Kagome-chan is afraid of worms."

"Keh, she ain't afraid of Naraku or nothin'. But dangle a worm in her face and she freaks out. I'll never understand humans." Kagome was still too shaken to be insulted. Shippou piped up,

"Yeah, well you can battle youkai, but put an angry Kagome in your face and you're quivering against the wall." Shippou was on Miroku's shoulder before he even finished speaking. Thus Inuyasha was in Miroku's face and growling for a good 5 seconds before scoffing and whipping around.

"Keh! We've wasted enough time here already, let's just get back to that village and tell 'em we're done!" Without waiting a moment for the others, Inuyasha began to trod off. Kagome was finally starting to pay attention to those around her, and awkwardly stood up. She didn't look at anybody, but she felt eyes on her.

"Come on, Kagome-chan." Sango encouraged as Miroku and Shippou climbed atop Kirara with her. "Inuyasha will wait long enough for you to get on his back." Kagome nodded without making eye contact, and jogged off after Inuyasha, pondering her cowardice.

Inuyasha apparently did wait up for her, for he returned to the aforementioned village with the girl riding his back. Upon reaching the conglomeration of huts and inns, a small group of men came scurrying up to the hanyou and company.

"The houshi-sama and his companions have returned!"

"Houshi-sama!"

"Were you successful?" Miroku raised his hand in the traditional fashion.

"The youkai has been exorcized, and we have made sure that it is now at peace. Your problems should now be over." The heads of the village bowed to Miroku respectfully. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Arigatou, Houshi-sama! The youkai had been plaguing our springs for months...if visits from outsiders had declined any more, our economy would have suffered greatly!"

The second village head spoke up. "Please allow us the privilege of letting you and your friends spend another night here. You will have full access to all of our district's springs as well!" As always, Miroku received his compliments gracefully.

"Arigatou," Miroku said with a bow of his head. "Your hospitality is much appreciated."

"And this time we actually deserve it!" Shippou whispered to whoever might be able to hear him. Sango stretched out both of her arms while Kirara diminished her size in a swirl of flames.

"Nn, a bath will be really nice after that fight! You want to head off now, Kagome-chan?"

Not that I helped fight... Kagome thought despairingly. However, she forced a smile and replied, "Hai...it's been a while since I've had a warm bath." Sango smiled cheerily to her friend while Kirara ran in a few excited circles around Shippou. With that, the pairs of women and youkai made their way into the forest that housed the village's springs.

Some moments later, Inuyasha and Miroku had seated themselves outside of the inn they were welcomed at. Despite the fact that Inuyasha appeared rather grumpy, he was helping himself to a bit of dango while Miroku continued to listen to one of the village head's babbling. A day ago, the group had passed through this village/inn-district during their never-ending pursuit of Naraku. Naturally their appearance caught the attention of the people, who were in desperate need of a youkai extermination. Inuyasha had been none-too keen on wasting time playing cat and mouse, but he'd rarely been one to turn down a plea for help.

"It was a pink-colored sluglike youkai you say you were fighting?"

"Yes. And it was full of veins."

"We believe that to be the youkai's true form, for a few people claimed to have seen it...it's come back so many times after we thought we had vanquished it, but perhaps this time it's actually gone!"

"I believe that it may be. Before hand, the proper rituals to ease the spirit were probably not performed...or at least not correctly. We will be glad to stay for a few nights to ensure that the youkai has been properly exterminated."

Inuyasha grumbled something under his breath.

"In fact, I volunteer myself to stand watch at the front of the women's hot springs to make sure that it does not invade the premises to cause any more mischief."

"Would you really do that, houshi-sama?"

"Of course."

"Keh!" The hanyou sneered. "The women in the springs would be safer with that peeping youkai than him."

"Ahh, he is a funny fellow, isn't he?" Miroku chuckled.

A high-pitched shriek was suddenly heard in the distance. It was followed by a few more. Inuyasha's ears twitched to alertness. In fact...it sounded like Kagome. It was hard to tell, though, because the shriek was soon followed by many more. Inuyasha didn't waste an instant on doubt, of course. He dashed from his resting place to the source of the noise. Soon the hanyou found himself at the entrance to the forest where the girls had first departed. He was greeted by a flock of young women in robes and wrapped in drying cloths, all rushing in his direction.

"Eh.." Inuyasha gave his head a quick shake. "Kagome!" Kagome was at the caboose of the stampede, carrying Shippou in her arms. Her eyes were dilated, and she was walking very slowly, almost as if sleep walking. It seemed that pure terror had put her in shock. Inuyasha rushed up to the girl and protectively clasped her against him, just as a tree crashed to the ground not far from them. The culprit was of course Hiraikotsu, thrown by a very angry Sango.

"Kuso...he got away!" The hanyou heard the taijiya curse as she secured the boomerang once more. Kagome's expression remained the same, despite the protection Inuyasha's arms offered. Shippou was looking around excitedly, about to burst with the story he had to tell. Inuyasha's brows raised at Sango's remark. He looked back down at the girl and kitsune. "What happened?" Kagome wasn't about to say anything, and Shippou took the opportunity.

"A youkai appeared in Kagome's cleavage!"

"Gek...N...Nani?" Inuyasha's pupils became flea-sized.

Shippou nodded curtly, "And then Kagome fainted for a little, cuz it looked kinda wormy. I got it out, though, and Sango helped too. But...it still got away." Shippou shook a tiny fist. Inuyasha grasped Kagome a little tighter, looking sharply off into the woods. Got away? Is it the same...? Unwittingly, Shippou was starting to get squashed. As a result, he was starting to squirm and struggle, his tail a twitching fuzzball popping out from between the teenagers.

Inuyasha lifted Kagome into both of his arms and made back for the inn, Sango and Kirara on his heels. "Daijoubu ka, Kagome?" The girl gave a mute nod.

They returned in time to see the other female victims of the youkai crowding around Miroku, squealing for his protection. The village head was beside him, weeping. "So it wasn't vanquished..."

"Ahh, I suppose this youkai is a truly formidable foe...but I believe that he can still be exorcized..." Miroku reassured and elaborated with a wide smile, trying to comfort his meal-ticket and the half-naked women surrounding him. Shippou was finally getting free of being sandwiched between Inuyasha and Kagome. Perching on Inuyasha's head, his eyelids lowered when he caught sight of the monk.

"He looks way too happy about this..." Sango, of course, did not look happy. Her fingers were soon clasped upon the houshi's earlobe. Then she dragged.

"Rather than showing off, shouldn't you be formulating a plan?"

Miroku's trademark masochistic smile formed as he was painfully retrieved from one of his favorite hobbies. It was accompanied by an "EHtetetetetetetetehhehehehh..."

Inuyasha looked more than a little dismayed. His arms loosened and he let Kagome down, still not completely releasing her from his protective grip. The boy looked at the village head, a stern expression on his face. "So after all that, that thing is still alive?" The village head shrunk back instinctively, feeling the blame of an angry young man settling on his shoulders. "It is not our fault! We hired you to exterminate it!" The second village head sighed sadly. "I'm afraid this doesn't surprise me. We've sent many men after this youkai...they have all returned safely, but none were successful in destroying it. It is very, very clever...and now no woman in this village can possibly bathe in peace!" Once again, the man broke into dramatic tears.

Inuyasha gave another cautious glance down at Kagome. The girl's dazed state had drifted away due to the security of Inuyasha's arms...but Kagome's eyes remained on the floor. Not only was the experience poignantly disturbing, but it was arguably even more embarrassing than the afternoon's fight. Inuyasha's brows pressed against the tops of his eyes. He grimaced and looked back up to the village heads, then to the treetops surrounding the village.

"Well he obviously can't stand against someone like me, right? So all I've gotta do is catch him. And when I do..." His voice lowered to a snarl. "I'm gonna make the bastard pay for wastin' my time like this." Of course, everybody knew that there was a new incentive on the hanyou's mind, and in his arms for that matter.

Later that evening, while everyone else was inside and turning in for the night, Inuyasha remained awake and aloof in the courtyard behind the inn. Usually the hanyou would opt to stay indoors with the rest of his friends, but this time he didn't even give a reason for preferring the outside. It was easy to presume, however, that he was keeping a vigil for the ever-elusive peeping youkai. Or perhaps he was just brooding over it. Inuyasha blew out a sigh. It was quickly snatched up by a warm night's breeze, and carried off into the not-too distant woods. The boy folded his legs and sat beneath a small awning, overlooking the many flowers guilding a small koi pond. Bathed in the moon's light, it was a very pretty sight. Inuyasha had little to no appreciation for it, however. He soon heard a soft tap on the wall behind him. Standing in the doorway was a timidly smiling Kagome in blue checkered PJs. Inuyasha glanced up, blinking some.

"Kagome...why aren't you asleep?"

"Ah...I'm just a little restless, I guess..." she replied dismissively as she padded forward to sit next to the hanyou. "Mind if I sit with you for a little while?" Inuyasha didn't answer. He cleared his throat. That was the best 'okay' he could give. Kagome knew to take that as consent, and sat herself down and hugged her knees to her chest.

"It really is pretty here..."

"Nn." Inuyasha answered softly. Kagome's eyes glided over the pool's surface, connecting t he stars that were perfectly reflected.

"It's amazing how graceful koi are. They swim in shallow water, and yet the water hardly seems to ripple."

"Keh. I still don't get why they keep 'em in these places." Inuyasha's eyes followed the languid paths of one of the fish.

"They're pretty..."

"They're fish."

Kagome replied simply, "They're still pretty."

"Did you just wanna come out here to talk about fish?"

"I..." Kagome faltered for a moment, and then sighed. "The truth is, I can't sleep because I feel...pathetic, I guess."

Inuyasha raised a brow. Despite the way that he would sometimes freely insult her, the boy seemed surprised that Kagome should think such a thing of herself. "Pathetic?"

"I was completely useless today, "Kagome informed him with a defeated bluntness. "I froze up, and couldn't do a thing. In fact, I made myself a problem for everybody else."

"Keh, don't say such stupid things." He scoffed softly. "You're more than useful to us. I don't wanna hear you bitching every time you mess up."

"I know that, and I don't! It's just that..." Kagome looked off at nothing in particular, which just so happened to be a rustling banzai garden. "...This time was particularly embarrassing, I guess."

"Quit worryin' about it, Kagome." Inuyasha shut his eyes casually. "That's what we're here for, after all." Kagome was silent for a few moments, letting his words cycle about in her head. Yes...they are there for me...and they don't mind if I slip up sometimes... Smiling a little...and perhaps blushing, Kagome allowed herself to lean on Inuyasha a little.

"Arigatou." Inuyasha couldn't help blushing a little himself. He coughed just a little.

"Don't worry." He said in a soft, deep voice. Inuyasha could feel her head nodding against his shoulder. She understood.

Inuyasha began to feel a little too comfortable sitting with her like this, which, in a twisted way, made him feel uncomfortable. Still a little red, his soft voice broke out in an awkwardly loud one, almost to the manner of a nervous laugh. "Well, it's late! You should go sleep." Kagome's eyes had begun to close, but Inuyasha's nervous vocalization inspired her to check herself. Her eyes opened and cast themselves downward bashfully as she moved away from him and stood.

"Ah...I guess so..." He's so easily embarrassed... Inuyasha watched the girl from the corners of his eyes as she rose to her feet. She didn't move inside, though. She leaned against the post, unwittingly worsening Inuyasha's nerves as she worked up enough of them to say something else. Inuyasha looked around uneasily for a moment.

"N...nanda?"

"Thanks...for making me feel better, Inuyasha," she replied with a sigh of relief at getting her last thank you out.

"Y-yeah...don't worry so much about it! Now get to sleep." Inuyasha stammered out. She gave a little nod and an embarrassed but pretty smile as she turned and hastened towards the door. Just as Inuyasha thought he could relax, though, her head popped out of the doorway again.

"Don't you want to come inside?" Inuyasha glanced to her from over his shoulder.

"I...was going to keep watch tonight." He grumbled a little.

"I'm sure that's not necessary...this youkai seems to be more of a hot-spring pervert than anything dangerous. Why don't you come get some sleep too?" Inuyasha cast a series of uncertain gazes from Kagome to the outside, and back again. After a little while of being indecisive, the hanyou finally conceded with a sigh. Gripping Tessaiga with one hand, he stood.

"Alright, Kagome." He got to see another smile before her she disappeared behind the walls again. As he entered the hut, she was crawling onto her futon thingydingy.

"Oyasumi, Inuyasha," she said musically. Inuyasha grunted out a soft reply as he pressed his back up against the wooden wall at the far end of the large room, and slid down to the floor. Not far from him, Miroku was asleep on a comfortable futon. Sango was sleeping beside Kagome's own futon, where Shippou was already nestled. The boy lowered his chin to his chest and tucked Tessaiga into the crease of his left arm. He intended to let himself fall into a light rest rather than a deep sleep...but as time passed, the comfort of his surroundings allowed him to be lulled into a more secure night's sleep. His female companion's self-conscious worries had indeed been eased...for her breathing became pleasantly slow and regular within only a few minutes.

Inuyasha felt the tug of wakefulness on his eyelids some hours later. They pulled and then fluttered themselves open. The large room surrounding him appeared hazy...all four walls were blurred, and the matted floor almost seemed to have a mist rising from it. The hanyou blinked curiously and squinted through his groggy vision. Something was coming toward him...a figure...a female figure...familiar scent...Kagome?

"Inuyasha..." By the musical sound of her friendly voice, and the distinct scent, it had to be her. She was walking slowly, her eyes twinkling in a decidedly...strange manner. Kagome walked up to him and sat on her feet, her knees just a few inches in front of him. "I...had a bad dream..." Her eyes searched the floor's panels worriedly, almost as if she expected something terrible to explode out from beneath them.

Inuyasha attempted to rub the sleep from his eyes. "What'd you dream about?"

"That youkai..." Kagome's voice cracked, and her eyes retreated under her bangs.

"Come on, it couldn't have been that bad..."

She was silent. One of those silences that invites people to presume the worst. Inuyasha looked concerned. He leaned toward her an inch, trying to get a closer look at her features. "Are you alright, Kagome?" Kagome shook her head a little.. "Well, relax. You ain't dreamin' anymore. I'm right here." Suddenly, she had thrust her upper half forward to land on him, her arms wrapping around his middle tightly as she buried her face into his chest to stifle a sob.

"GEH?" Inuyasha nearly swallowed his tongue as he felt the weight of the girl thrusting onto him. "O-oi...what the hell are you doing?" Kagome just clung to him more tightly... "Kagome!" He insisted at the girl, then looked up to make sure the others were still asleep. In the mysterious haze of the night, he could hardly see them.

"I don't ever want that to happen..." Kagome nuzzled her face ardently against his haori to punctuate her words.

"Want...what to happen?" Inuyasha could feel his face trying to twitch. Kagome slowly raised her face. Moonlight swam through a window to play over her pretty features, giving her skin a soft glow, and her eyes a desperate, loving sparkle.

"Inuyasha...I dreamt...that I was raped. And I know...that that is something that might happen...with all the troubles in this world...and I realized...that I don't want to lose myself like that..." Kagome's hands were drifting from his back to the floor, and pushing herself upward, so that they were nearly nose-to-nose. "I want it to be with you..."

Inuyasha's eyes had shot wide open upon hearing her dream. Be it imaginary or not, just the mention of something like that happening to Kagome was something that he couldn't bear to think of. He was about to say some comforting, protective words when the girl leaned in and finished her statement. At that point the boy's voice shrank.

"...what?" Kagome replied with a kiss. Her lips were just as soft and full of emotion as they had been when they encountered Kaguya. Inuyasha didn't have the same kind of reaction under these circumstances, however. He instantly began sweating bullets. His head thunked against the wall in a failed attempt to pull back. Rather than closing, his eyes looked ready to bug from their sockets. The girl pulled back from the kiss after a few seconds, only to start nuzzling his wet face. "Ai shiteru..."

"Ai...WHAT?" Inuyasha's heart was pounding in his chest as he forced himself to carefully grip Kagome's shoulders and push her out to arm's length. "What the hell is wrong with you, Kagome?" His poor voice cracked.

Kagome smiled as a tear ran down her face and off her chin. It was a very...very pretty smile. "Nothing. I think...for the first time I might really be okay..."

"O-okay! How is this okay?"

Her right hand reached out to gently pet his cheek. "Why isn't it okay? We love each other..."

"B-because this! This kind of thing isn't right! You KNOW that!" Inuyasha tried to scoot away along the wall. Kagome crawled after him surprisingly quickly, and was soon draping herself over him, nuzzling his neck and sending frighteningly pleasant shivers up and down his spine. "Staaa, stop that, Kagome!" Inuyasha pleaded, rendered helpless as he usually is by the affections of a female. Kagome didn't listen. She was soon planting tingling little kisses here and there as her face roamed about his neck and jaw. Inuyasha began trying to push at her shoulders. His legs were squirming uncontrollably against the disturbing pleasure brought on by Kagome's uncharacteristic onslaught. The amorous girl persisted despite his pushing and squirming. Her kisses became more frequent, and eventually trailed back to his mouth. Meanwhile, her hands were hugging him tightly against her.

Inuyasha could feel his eyes starting to shut and his struggling starting to weaken. In spite of this, it did not stop. But the kissing...her scent, her warmth...it was all beginning to suck him in, overtake him...WAIT. This wasn't right! He couldn't do this! But she wouldn't stop! And it was almost like something was forcing him to sit and enjoy it! Almost like he had no control! Clenching his eyes shut, Inuyasha's mind scrambled to a search for any kind of way out of this, while the elating feelings of Kagome's affections continued to wear him down...it was all happening so fast, so easily...so hazy...

To be continued.

Footnotes:

Kagome sighs and takes a bite of a chocolate bar. "Well this story is just all-around embarrassing, isn't it?"

Inuyasha doesn't hear her. He's too busy eating the insane amount of compensation ninja-food he's gotten. "Wha?"

"Mou…next time, on Inuyasha! Inuyasha is horrified at what he almost did, and can't face Kagome!"

"Wait…what?"

"Trying to defeat the peeping youkai once more, yet again we are thwarted!"

"Huh?"

"How are we going to defeat this guy, and how will Inuyasha get over his romantic conflicts?"

"My WHAT?"

"Next time on Inuyasha, Nightmare! Sanctifying the Hotspring Sanctuary! Part two. O-tanoshimi ni!"

"HEY! What are you saying about me?"