"Well, looks like that's that!" Kagome sighed as she flopped herself on to the small bed. She and Sango just finished sweeping the floors and making all the beds inside the inn, including their own. Her eyes fell on her friend standing across the room. "Sango, what's going on with you and Miroku?" Sure, it came out of nowhere, but she was curious about her two friends. After all, Sango seemed quiet for the last week, and so it was only natural for Kagome to worry. Besides, Sango was like a sister to her.

Somewhat startled by her friend's question, Sango lowered her eyes. Talking about such things always made her feel strange, especially when it concerned a certain monk. "Nothing really."

"Nothing, huh?" Kagome asked before sitting up. "Same here."

Sensing the priestess's lament, Sango took a seat next to her on the bed while softly stroking her back. "I'm sure something will spark between you two," she tried to explain, but she only received a bitter laugh. "Kagome?"

Kagome bore her gaze toward the wall opposite from them. "I don't think he can ever forget Kikyo, and I don't blame him. We're constantly at each other's throats, and I hate sitting him," Kagome sighed, just remembering all the times he upset her.

"Well, do you still love him?" The slayer asked.

Kagome tore her eyes from the wall and toward the eyes of her friend. "That's the thing. I don't know. I feel so distant from him these days." Sighing, Kagome changed the subject. "What about you? I haven't seen Miroku flirting with anyone yet, and has he tried to… you know?"

"Actually, no. The only time he did was in the forest."

"Well, the festival is tomorrow," Kagome replied. "Maybe then we can be alone with them. What do you think?"

Blushing, Sango nodded. "Just as long as he doesn't grope me again."

Laughing at her words, Kagome stood and raised her arms above her head to stretch. "Then it's settled. When Shippo gets back, we're going to make some masks. Are you going to make one?" Just the thought of making something from scratch, especially with Shippo, excited her; it kind of reminded her of her younger days.

Actually, Sango hadn't thought about it. "I don't know. Maybe."

"I wonder if we have to dress up for this festival," Kagome pondered this. Sure, it'd be nice to dress up once in a while, but she felt bad about asking Anju if she and Sango could borrow a dress. "I'll have to ask Anju about that when she has time."

A loud and agonizing scream from outside startled both women from their thoughts. The yell was very familiar. After a moment of silence, there was another shout, most of which sounded like a certain monk. While the screaming continued, laughter soon followed.

"That sounded like Inuyasha," Kagome muttered. Why was her friend screaming? 'Did something happen?'

Sango was just as perplexed as she. "And Miroku. I wonder what's going on."

As the two dispersed from the room, they came upon Anju walking down the hall, smiling. Of course, when wasn't Anju happy?

Seeing the young girls exit the room, she smiled kindly. "Hello. Where are you two off to in such a hurry?" When they explained they were going out for a bit, Anju looked thoughtful. "Just now, I thought I heard a commotion outside…"

Kagome mused. "Maybe it was the guys?" She said before all three of them carried on a light conversation as they descended downstairs.

At the bottom, they came upon Kafei in the lobby, staring out the window.

Noticing her husband staring out the window, she stood beside him. "Kafei?"

He merely looked up at her with a childish grin. "Seems like Inuyasha and Miroku are having quite a time out there." Kafei couldn't help but turn his gaze back toward the window before laughing.

The moment Inuyasha noticed the reason for his friend's behavior; he cursed and, with his strength, pushed Miroku into the throng of squealing girls that appeared out of nowhere. Sure, it was wrong to throw his friend into the line of fire, but it was him or Miroku; Inuyasha chose Miroku, besides, he was already sporting another bruise, no thanks to the monk of course.

Hoping that with the monk as a distraction, Inuyasha hurried toward the Inn for safety, but he didn't get very far. In fact, something had latched itself onto his back and he found himself pushed to the ground by the weight. No matter how hard he tried to crawl away, the squealing girl on his back would not allow it.

"Oh my oh me! Is this a doggie I see! You're so cute!" This woman's hands found his ears, and she couldn't get enough of the softness. "I love your ears!"

"Traitor!" Miroku shouted from somewhere inside the crowd of girls. Only his hand was visible. "No! No, stop!" He screamed as he tried in vain to get away. Hands were grabbing at him from every direction, and as any guy would have welcomed it, he was only interested in one female at a time. "Inuyasha!"

Giggles erupted from a few women to his right. "Oh my, isn't he just charming!"

"I demand that you let me go!" Miroku declared, but he only received a pinch on the cheek.

"I love it when a guy demands what he wants," A seductive voice whispered in his ear, causing him to jump away, but only into the arms of another woman. "Makes me want to—" She began unbuttoning her top.

"Nooo!" The monk thrashed and kicked, but it proved futile. One minute he was with his robe on, the next, his entire torso was bare. When he realized this, he couldn't help but wonder just how the girls took it off so quickly and without his noticing. From a distance, he saw two girls fighting over what was left of his robe, most of which were tattered to ribbons.

Picking himself up on his hands and knees, Inuyasha attempted to throw the girl off, but it only proved to excite her more than she wrapped her legs around his middle and her arms around his neck. "Get off!"

"Oh, you're just a tease, baby!" She murmured in his ear. "Come on! Go faster!"

"I said get o—" He winced at her sudden grip on his ears. "Stop pulling!" Of course, all he got in response was a laugh.

Serena suddenly came fluttering by and boy, did she see an eyeful. "What the?" As her eyes fell on all the crazed women and what was left of the two men, she could only stare. "What let loose here?" Deciding against getting any closer to the mob, she settled back and watched with horror and amusement as Inuyasha screamed his head off. "Serves him right, heh heh heh."

It was around this time that Link came waltzing around the corner. He heard the commotion all the way in the south of town, but he wasn't expecting the sight that was in front of him. From his line of vision, Link watched as both men were desperately trying to get away from the horde of girls. Of course, while he watched, he wondered about something. 'When did Clock Town have these many girls?'

"Oh ho ho ho!"

Glancing to his right near the Stock Pot Inn, just opposite of the ruckus, Link noticed the two jugglers from the Gormon troupe laughing their heads off.

"Oh my, but what a sight!" Replied the man garbed in red. He was practically crying about the whole thing.

"Oh ho ho ho! They'll never get away!"

"Should we help them, brother?"

Shaking his head, the mustached man in blue grinned. "Oh no! If we do that, they'd start liking us, if you know what I mean? Those homosexuals are weird like that."

Surprised by this new information, Link tore his eyes away from the twins and onto the men who were now held back by their arms. During his childhood years, Link never once saw the likes of such men. Sure, he heard rumors now and then, but he never thought he'd actually be acquainted with them. For a minute, Link was caught up in this small moment.

"Come on, kiss him!" A girl shouted from the crowd that now surround them from either side, making escape impossible.

Trying his hardest to pull away from the three women latched onto his arms, Miroku never thought he'd fear anyone as much as Naraku. Sango was a different matter, but this was too much. 'If Sango saw this…' He paled at the thought. "Release me!"

"Don't touch me! I ain't kissing him! What the hell is wrong with you girls?" Inuyasha cried, but it was no use. Inch by inch, he found himself pushed closer to the monk, and vice versa.

Murmurs started around them, and the two men found themselves a foot away from each other, both wearing terrified expressions. All around them, the women appeared baffled by Inuyasha's remark.

"What's wrong with them?" A tall woman with long blond hair asked her neighboring friend.

"I don't know."

"I think they're too shy to admit that they love each other!"

At the sound of such a remark, both males turned their heads up toward the girl. When they did, they realized it was the same woman from the Treasure Chest shop. It all made sense to the two.

The rumor must have started from that woman, because she got the wrong idea the last time they paid a visit to her shop. But there she was, wearing a long pink dress and loads of makeup on her face. Even her hair had a little curl to it since they last saw her.

A sudden rage started inside Inuyasha. "You! This is your fault!"

Smiling, she kneeled down and patted his head gently. "What do you mean?"

"You spread those rumors around!" He pointed to all the women. "Listen, there's nothing going on between me and Miroku! You're all sick to even suggest such a disgusting thought!" Why, if those women didn't have firm holds on his arms, he would have made her and all the others pay.

Surprised, the woman with short blue hair stood up and walked over to the silent monk before sitting in front of him. "Oh really? If that's how you feel," She glided her hands up and down his perfectly chiseled chest, earning an intake of breath from Miroku. "Then I'll take him."

"Then, can I have the man with the strange ears?" asked a young woman who suddenly threw her arms around the half demon from behind. "I call dibs first!"

Startled by the turn of events, Inuyasha cringed at the thought of being shared among all the women. 'Oh god! I hope Kagome doesn't see this! She'll sit me all the way to hell if she does.'

"Haven't you any modesty?" Miroku asked as he found the woman now straddling his waist as she now sat on his lap. Of course, she ignored him while she played with his ponytail. "I'm sure there are better guys out there. Besides, I already love someone!"

"Who?" she asked. "Is it a woman?"

"Of course! I'm only interested in the opposite sex!" It was against his religion to love a female, but he took after his father.

This elicited a giggle from the woman above him. "I can tell," she whispered in his ear, and he blushed when she brushed her body against his. He was already losing himself, and she already knew. "Tell me, does she excite you more than me?" Perfect manicured hands roamed his chest, slowly descending in a lustful manner.

'Oh Buddha please! I can't betray Sango, I can't!'

"Get a room!" The girls shouted together before laughing at the sight of the man caught in her trap.

Seeing his friend struggling to overcome his desire from the woman in his lap, Inuyasha knew he had to do something. While everyone's eyes were glued to the monk and the woman, he slipped out of one of the girl's clutches that suddenly slackened. The moment his feet touched ground, he was about to leap into the air away from the chaos, but of course fate had other intentions for him.

"Not so fast!" A small woman with short chestnut hair threw her arms around the half demon's waist, earning a grunt of annoyance from the man. "We're going to get married! You and me!"

Just as he was about to grab the woman and throw her across the town, a woman grasped his ankle and pulled with all her strength, thus causing Inuyasha to fall on his back with the woman now above him.

"Heh heh heh! This is great!" Serena laughed as she helped herself to leaning against the Treasure Chest shop's sign.

Link, who had watched the entire scene, could not help but look away. As he did, he eyes fell upon two females, who stood standing outside the Stock Pot Inn. 'This ought to be interesting,' he thought as he leaned against the post in the square.

"Marry me, Inuyasha!" The woman above him exclaimed with hearts in her eyes. This woman's chest was pressed against his as she practically held him down with force, aided by some of her friends. "I'll make you the happiest man alive—"

"Sit boy!"

The ground beneath them trembled suddenly, alerting and frightening the women, who jumped to the possibility of an earthquake. Dust gathered around them and they coughed as the dirt entered their lungs. Screams vociferated in the entire vicinity before diminishing altogether.

As the dust cleared, Miroku regained what dignity he still had and scramble to his feet. He was breathing quite hard, and he fought to regain some control over his body, but it had other ideas. Of course, his heart hammered in his chest when he realized that Sango and Kagome were there. Gulping, he slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder.

Grasping for air, Inuyasha dragged himself out. Rocks fell from his hair, and he winced when he saw angry brown eyes glaring at him some feet away. 'Oh no!' Waving his hands in front of him, Inuyasha shook his head from side to side. "Kagome, it's not what it looks like—"

"Sit!" She shouted with venom. "Sit sit sit sit sit sit sit sit!" Kagome took a deep breath before turning away from the half demon.

From so many sits, the ground suddenly shook with great velocity. Kagome and Sango lost their footing. Anju and Kafei emerged from the Inn, and they held on to the building with fear and surprise. The crater in which Inuyasha occupied was so large that it caused the ground to crack.

"Again?" cried the demon slayer.

After a minute of the interruption, it ended. Sighs filled the air and everyone regained their bearings. As for Inuyasha, he had yet to move from his hole. The crater was a sight to see, and Kagome suddenly felt responsible.

"Sorry… I didn't mean… I…"

Sango patted her shoulder comfortably. "It's not your fault."

"But," she began as she stared at the wreckage. "I sat him and then—"

"That wasn't your doing," Kafei interrupted. "Actually, it was another earthquake, I'm afraid. We've been getting quite several of them as of late." Kafei sauntered over to the massive crater and bent down to look at the man inside. "Are you alright, Inuyasha?"

"Ugh… fine…"

"Kagome," Sango began with concern. "Maybe it's best not to sit him again. Just sitting him may upset the earthquake again."

Still a little shaken by the sudden tremor, Kagome nodded. "Yeah." A sudden realization struck her. "Oh! I hope Shippo and Link are alright!"

"Link's right over there," Sango pointed for the distressed girl beside her. "As for Shippo, I wonder where he could have run off to."

The moment she said this, a pink ball with crazy looking eyes flew overhead before popping in midair. Shippo appeared in his normal shape, completely unfazed by all the stares given to him by Kafei, Anju, and Link. "What happened?"

Relieved that he was alright, Sango explained about the earthquake. She left out the part where all the women bombarded both the guys.

"Another one?" Shippo found his way over to the giant sized crater, where a certain half demon managed to slowly crawl out. "Man, what happened to you?" Sure, he'd laugh at his predicament, but he was a little worried, even if he was a jerk sometimes.

"Just having an off day, that's all," Inuyasha huffed as he straightened himself and looked at Kagome. 'She must have gotten the wrong idea. It wasn't my fault.'

"Brother, seems like another earthquake,"

"Yes. I wonder why we have so many."

"Do you think the end is near?"

"Who knows!"

While the two jugglers went on talking amongst themselves, Shippo noticed a tension form in the surrounding air. Miroku and Inuyasha appeared frightened and guilty, and Kagome and Sango were quite quiet. Even Link, who stood leaning against the post a couple feet away, was quiet, but then again, when wasn't he?

"Inuyasha…" The priestess muttered, causing him to flinch.

"Kagome, it's not what you think!" He hurriedly explained. "They came out of nowhere and attacked me and Miroku!"

Unconvinced, Sango pointed toward the monk. "Oh, really? How do we know it wasn't Miroku's perversion that started this whole thing? Huh?" Just leave it to Miroku to stir up a woman. She couldn't believe him or Inuyasha.

"Sango I would never eve—"

"And how did they know your names?" Kagome interrupted. She was not very thrilled about his. When she saw the woman on top of him asking Inuyasha to marry her, it just set her over the edge. "Well?"

"It was that woman's—" Inuyasha began, but unfortunately he was once again interrupted by the angry girl.

"You know what? Forget it! I don't care," With that, Kagome, as well as Sango, turned their backs to the men. 'So much for going alone together to the festival.' The priestess sighed. When she suddenly noticed Kafei and Anju looking between the two awkwardly, she felt herself blush. "I'm so sorry! You shouldn't have seen that."

Waving it off, Anju merely smiled. "It's alright. Actually, those girls have stirred up a lot of trouble. Whether a guy wants them around, they automatically assume that they're interested," she explained to the two girls, who looked shamefully back at the two guys.

Pleased that someone was taking their sides, Inuyasha grabbed the top part of his shirt before looking back at the girls. "See? What'd I tell you?"

Miroku nodded. "The moment he and I walked out of the Inn, we were attacked. The girls claimed we were both… uh…" Just thinking about it made him cringe. It sickened him that anyone, especially girls, would even want such a thing.

"Homosexuals," Serena explained from nowhere. She fluttered toward the boys before snickering as she returned to her partner's side. "You should have seen the beginning, Link. Priceless!"

Arching a brow at his fairy's laughter on his shoulder, he shook his head and brushed a blond lock of hair away from his eyes. While he stood there, he wondered about the relationships between the girls and the guys. Kagome had expressed her anger toward Inuyasha for something he was not in control of, yet it surprised him when she said the word 'sit' multiple times. Was it a spell? Somehow or other, she had some sort of hold over him, which was uncommon for women unless they studied witchery, but he doubted this about her. This only made him more curious about her.

"Sorry for yelling and saying the s.i.t. word."

"Whatever. I probably would have jumped to conclusions too if It'd been me. Don't worry about it," he explained with nonchalance.

Waltzing himself right up to the demon slayer, Miroku took her hand in his. "Sango, will you forgive me?"

Blushing lightly, she nodded. "Yeah. Just as long as you didn't touch them."

Hearing this, Miroku was appalled. "Never! I only have eyes for you, my dear sweet Sango!" One by one, he began nuzzling her hand, furthering her embarrassment when she realized people were staring.

"Stop that!" Freeing herself from his hands, she turned her gaze elsewhere, causing everyone around them to laugh.

A couple of elderly ladies sauntered by the group, discussing important matters. They wore fancy dresses with elaborate designs and handmade laces. Their graying hair was tied back in high buns, and they wore thick powder on their faces. Suddenly they stopped and turned to stare toward the Stock pot Inn where Kafei and Anju stood. All at once, they began walking away in hushed whispering.

"It's that woman that runs the Inn!"

"You mean the one that married the kid? What was his name again?"

"It's disgusting! Why, she should be married to an older man, not some dim-witted child. How do they expect to earn a good living?"

"I blame the mayor for even allowing such a thing!"

Frowning at their rudeness, everyone looked at the couple near the door. Anju stood behind Kafei with a comforting hand on his shoulders, wearing a solemn expression. Kafei stood in front of her, barely tall enough to reach her neck. His eyes were downcast in a manner as if he were sorry. Both his hands were fisted, as if struggling to control himself, but he remained calm because of his wife rubbing his shoulders in a soothing manner.

Kagome pitied them. It must be hard for Anju and Kafei, since their ages are completely different. Sure, it wasn't uncommon for rumors to spread, but they've been together for four years. 'They made a promise to each other.' Kagome decided she would talk with Anju at a later time that day about a few things.

Changing the subject, Anju's face suddenly brightened with a false, cheery smile. "Let's go inside for lunch. I'm sure you're all hungry by now, right?"

Oblivious to the whole incident, Shippo leaped for joy. "Yeah! I'm starving!"

Miroku picked up the rest of his robe and followed everyone inside the inn. "That sounds lovely."

Over all, everyone agreed to lunch, deciding to overlook the awkward silence just moments ago. Even Link followed the gang inside, along with his fairy companion, who finally quieted down.