After managing to escape the dangerous sea urchins, the group safely arrived at the entrance of the domain with no trouble at all. They escaped without any injuries, and for that they were very fortunate. The mystery behind them was quite puzzling, and at the moment, they would have to wait until their next confrontation. Now that they knew what the cause here in Great Bay, they were prepared for the next time.

The second their feet touched the mossy surface below, Inuyasha led the way inside. Kagome on the other hand stayed behind, walking alongside her good friend Sango. How long had it been since she and Sango last talked? For some odd reason, Kagome felt distant from everyone around her. Of course so much had happened since their descent into this world, but she never would have thought this would happen.

"Sango, are you okay?" she asked softly, while watching the older woman's expression intently.

Sango nodded, her anger already subsiding. "I'm fine. He just can't keep his hands to himself." The slayer eyed the monk in front of her, who was now sporting a large bruise on his right cheek; it served him right. When would he ever learn? Instead of venting out her emotions, which she tried so hard to hold back, Sango sighed.

As their footsteps echoed off the cavern walls, the sound of splashing ahead did not go unnoticed. Making their way down the small incline, they turned the corner, not at all worried about any surprise attacks. But, the moment they arrived the large room, they were greeted by a surprising sight.

Rather than standing watch for any surprise attacks, the males were gathered together conversing with one another. They were each situated next to the large spring, while a few others were mostly sitting or swimming. These Zoras were not wearing any armor or breast plates, no, they were completely nude; it was just a little too much for Kagome to handle. As for the few remaining females, they were standing on the other side of the room, casually talking.

With her face hidden by her hands, Kagome couldn't help but gasp. Of course Kagome wasn't completely naïve to the opposite sex, she had, some months back accidentally seen Inuyasha when he had almost passed out from bathing too long in a hot spring, and then there was the incident with Sakon. But, for her, a teenager to see so many men naked at once, she felt embarrassed. If her friends had been in such a situation, they wouldn't hesitate a second. She'd been with them enough to know what goes on in their minds.

Serena too blushed at the sight before her. Why, it wasn't a day ago that they were without clothing. "Oh gosh!" She returned to Link's hat fully embarrassed. While Kagome and Serena made it obvious that their appearance was too much, Sango and the others restrained themselves to not look too low.

Noticing that they were not alone, all eyes turned toward them, most out of mild curiosity, and the other out of either annoyance or deep respect. The truth in the matter was that they had not been expecting to see their return, but there they were standing. Many of the young males were curious of these strangers, and the fact that they were able to cross the dark water was puzzling.

There was a slight stir in the group ahead, and a figure stepped out from the crowd. To be more exact, it was Kauji who had noticed their presence, mere seconds before they had stumbled inside. With his ever present smile, he walked across the room, shortening the distance between them. His friends on the other hand stayed back, not out of annoyance, but rather curiosity. "So you've returned!" He exclaimed with laughter. Out of deep hospitality, he ushered them inside. "Come inside, we don't bite." He teased.

In the background, some of the onlookers glanced at the travelers warily. Their appearance didn't go unnoticed by any of them. All of their garments were in disarray, and some of their hair was quite untidy. There were some scratches and some singed marks on their clothing.

"Did you have trouble getting here?" Kauji asked eyeing their clothing. He felt unsure of these people who claimed that they could save their king and their women. First appearances always put strangers off. Perhaps there was more to these people then he first thought?

Before Miroku could answer his question, Inuyasha cut in. "Actually, we ran into some trouble. We found what was responsible," Inuyasha explained with his arms crossed in an irritable manner. "Now are you willing to accept our help, or not?" he demanded, but he only received odd looks and more glares from all sides of the room. Inuyasha had not set a very good impression upon the Zoras, so it was no wonder he was receiving glares. But it didn't matter to him one bit.

The male merely continued grinning before turning to the closest Zora next to him, who was shorter and skinnier in stature. "Go fetch the leader." Looking back, he smirked. "Well, make yourselves at home, he will be right out shortly." He eyed Inuyasha from top to bottom, as if he were trying to put the pieces together.

While that was taking place, Kagome examined the occupants in the room, curiously, though her blush did not go unnoticed by some. "Why are you all out here?" She thought they were standing ready for any attack, but instead they were just lounging around without much care. Were they not terrified? What was going on?

Kauji took his eyes off of human Inuyasha and turned his attention to the young woman standing next to the half demon. "Why?" He questioned. His eyes trailed her figure before he turned his back to her. "Well, we're getting ready for our competition, of course."

Sango and Miroku merely blinked at this. "Competition?"

He nodded. "Of course, this is a normal custom our tribe has. Of course we were going to wait until all the women were rescued, but some of our men are impatient. You see, it's a type of sport that everyone is allowed to participate in," he explained. When he saw their puzzled expressions, he went on to clarify. "Think of it as a coming of age sport. It's a time when the young ones grow to show off their abilities and the sort."

"I see, but can't this wait until after everything is settled down?" The monk asked. "Right now, many of your women have been taken, as well as your king."

Kauji nodded. "Yes, but we cannot postpone this event any longer, I'm afraid," he explained as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Bewildered by this, Shippo scratched his head. "Is it that important?"

"Yes," he replied as a matter of fact. "And you're all just in time." Kauji was not oblivious to their stares. "Do not fret, we are still on alert. Some of the older males, who are not participating in this year's event, are stationed on guard. We have some on both exits of our home."

Relieved by this, Kagome sighed. "That's good." She was beginning to worry, but it seemed like they had everything under control.

Aggravated, Inuyasha searched the room. He wanted to get his over with as soon as possible, and he hated waiting. "Damn it. How long is this going to take!" he mumbled to himself.

Again Kagome sighed. "Quit being so impatient Inuyasha. We don't always have to be in a rush."

In response to her reply, Inuyasha grunted. "Listen here, we can't just sit back and relax all the time. Don't forget we're on a time clock here."

Hearing this, Miroku walked across the room. "That may be true, but don't forget that we're only human, Inuyasha."

"He's right," Sango cut in. "We at least need to gather our strength. Now that we know what we're up against, we're going to need all the energy that we need."

While Inuyasha grumbled incoherent words to himself about lousy friends and how weak they were, Kauji leaned in closer to the monk. "So, who exactly are you people?"

"I'm Miroku, a traveling monk in service of Buddha," he explained in a polite manner. "Seems we haven't had the opportunity to introduce ourselves."

Kagome nodded at this. "We seem to be doing that a lot lately," she laughed. She stepped up to Kauji, and bowed her head respectively. "My name is Kagome Higurashi. I'm a priestess in training," she explained joyfully. She regained her original posture. "I want to thank you for saving me the other day."

Seeing her beautiful smile, Kauji couldn't help but return the kindness. "I see. Well, you're welcome. To be honest, I've never heard of a monk or a priestess before. And, what is Buddha?" he questioned.

Surprised by this, Miroku was just about to explain to Kauji just who Buddha was, but before he could answer that, Kagome stepped in. "Buddha was a title given to a young man by the name of Siddhartha Gautama; he was the son of a Nepalese Raja. Siddhartha was a Zen priest, who went on a spiritual journey in search of self-discipline and contemplation. One day, he sat under a tree and he reached a peaceful state. So he spent his whole life teaching his disciples about his beliefs and how to achieve the enlightened state of Nirvana," she explained.

Miroku marveled at her knowledge. "Kagome, I didn't know you knew so much about Buddha."

Embarrassed, the priestess scratched her check. "Actually, I learned it not long ago in my history class." Kagome remembered studying for that exam, and it took her four nights to catch up on all of her assignments. In the end, she decided to memorize a small paragraph about Buddha. To be perfectly honest, she couldn't believe she still remembered it. "It's nothing really."

Absorbing this, Kauji turned back to the monk. "And what is a monk? Or a priestess?" In fact, he wanted to know much about these people. Was that strange? They talked in a funny accent, and their clothing was strange to him, but there was something that seemed to lure him into their own world.

Miroku cleared his throat. Seeing as how the leader had yet to show, and ignoring Inuyasha's glare, he went on to explain just what a monk was. And being such an expert, Miroku told him everything, especially the fact that they exercised evil spirits and demons. Of course that led on to what a demon was, and it seemed to branch off to more questions on why it was so. During his explanation, some of the other Zoras listened in with interest.

After a few moments, Kauji understood some of what he explained. "I see. Such a strange land you must all come from. Of course, it's not at all surprising. Many of us have never left the sanctuary of our home for many years."

"Why is that?" Sango asked joining the small discussion.

"We cannot leave our home, and without enough water to sustain us, well, it would be hard to survive."

That made sense. Kagome felt sorry for the tribe. Here they were trapped in Great Bay, and it must be hard for them to travel on land. They probably never really explored all of Termina. "I see. I guess you dream of going out to see the world, huh?"

Kauji nodded. "Yes. I've always wondered what lied beyond Great Bay. You see, we have a music band here, and they get to go off to a town in Termina to perform once a year."

"Really?" Shippo asked. He paused after a moment. "What's a band?"

Before his question could be answered, Kauji turned his head to look toward the far side of the room where a door opened, revealing a tall Zora. "Seems we'll have to wait until later to talk more."

Looking away from the male in front of them, everyone turned their eyes to the Zora approaching them. He was the very same male from before, who acted high and mighty. The leader, whose name was never given, never took his eyes off of the travelers. On either side of him were two other Zoras, covered in armor, and their expressions were hard and calculating.

A frown marred his expression as he stopped and examined each and every one of them. "I see you have returned."

Satisfied that he finally showed, Inuyasha stepped forward. "Well, what's your answer? Because whether you like it or not, we're going to help."

The leader eyed him, just as Kauji had done not long before. Something just wasn't right with his appearance. "You are not the man from before, are you?" He certainly resembled him, but his hair was darker, as were his eyes, but his commanding nature was still there.

Inuyasha nearly rolled his eyes. "I am. Now, what's your answer?"

Deciding to overlook the oddity, the leader nodded his head. "We give you permission to go after our people and his majesty. You are to return them safely. If you do this, a great feast shall await your arrival, and you shall be rewarded for your success," he explained with his head held high.

"Very well," Miroku replied. "Have no worries, we shall return your women and your king safely. Although you offer us a feast, we must decline. I'm afraid time is running short, and we must continue on our journey after this task is completed.

The leader understood this. "I see. So be it."

Glad that this was taken care and without any threats or use of violence to talk them into letting them help, Inuyasha turned his back to the taller male. "Alright. Let's get this over with!"

Before either of his teammates could move one muscle, they were blocked by five young Zoras, armored and with their weapons at the ready in front of them.

Inuyasha glared at this. "What the hell? Move!"

Someone from behind them cleared his throat, and Inuyasha didn't have to guess twice to know who it was. "I'm afraid I cannot allow the women to go along."

Surprised, Kagome turned questionably to Kauji and the leader. "Why is that?" Why were she and Sango not allowed to go?

"Women are not warriors, and are definitely not suited for combat," Kauji explained with an air of nonchalance. His previous joy had dissipated, and he now wore a stone mask. "While you may claim to be worthy of battle and great strength, we Zoras have rules. Women must not participate in such fatal feats. Instead, you may both make yourselves at home here until the task is completed.

Shippo did not understand this. He'd seen his friends in combat plenty of times, and without them, he knew it would prove difficult. After all, he was there to witness the strange creatures which had attacked them moments before. Not even Inuyasha's new sword could defeat them so easily. How were they going to fair without Kagome's sacred powers and Sango's exceptional skill as a slayer? Miroku no longer had his wind tunnel, so he couldn't attack from a distance like Sango and Kagome.

"Do not fret. I'm sure you will be fine," the leader explained. "Now then, you don't have much time, go along." Noticing how quiet the males had gotten, he once again cleared his throat. "You have nothing to fear. They shall be safe. I assure you. Besides, I'm sure you don't want any harm to come to your lovers."

Remembering something the monk had said before, Kauji stepped in. "Oh, the monk does not have a lover. It's strictly forbidden for him." It was strange to him that some land walkers refused to have mates, but apparently it was so. The thought seemed lonely to him. How could a man live a life without a female companion?

The leader blinked at this new information. "A monk? Forbidden to love? I've never heard of such a thing." He glanced back at the other girl. "What say you, woman?"

Confused, Kagome pointed to herself. "Me?" she asked.

"Which man are you with?" he clarified. Apparently there were two girls and three guys. There had to be at least a couple of lovers in the group.

Seeing this, all the men stared at Kagome, which of course completely embarrassed her. "Uh…I…don't have anyone like that," she stuttered feeling her face grow hot. What did it matter if she was with a man or not? Besides, it was none of their business, but they seemed completely interested in knowing for some reason.

"For such women as yourselves, it is quite surprising that you do not have someone," A tall Zora stepped next to Kauji, with his arm around his shoulder. "Kauji, can you believe that?" He seemed serious one moment, then the next he laughed.

"Not at all," he replied as he stared at the women with piqued interest.

Out of the corner of his eye, Link noticed many of the Zoras approach the group, and he wondered about their strange behavior. Of course the situation was baffling, he moved away from the crowded area and stood before the entry way. It made Link's job easier if Kagome was going to stay. At least he wouldn't have to worry about her, seeing as how she did seem to attract trouble. Besides, she wouldn't be alone; Sango would be with her.

Unsure of how to respond, Inuyasha merely glared at them. There was no way he would allow his companions to stay behind. He needed their aid, but then again, Kagome might get in the way. When wasn't she? And if she stayed here, then she would probably stay out of trouble, and the domain was protected. Sango could stay and keep her company as well. He didn't trust those Zoras one bit, and with Sango there, he knew she'd be safe.

"Inuyasha? What are your thoughts?" Miroku asked, noticing his stern glare.

After a moment of reconsideration, he nodded. "Fine. And if anything happens to them, just remember I hold your king's fate in my hands," he warned.

The Zoras each glared at the remark and many scowled at his ignorance. Neither of them had forgiven Inuyasha for the rude comments he said yesterday, and so they bitterly resented him. They could care less about the other guys. As far as they knew, they didn't have a problem with them.

Hearing such a rude and arrogant reply from her friend, Kagome grew upset. "Inuyasha!"

"I'm just saying!" He growled at the leader before turning his back to Kagome. "Let's get going!"

As Miroku and Inuyasha departed off, Link remained where he was, and stared at the Zoras. Nothing made sense. These new rules about not wanting women to go off into battle stumped him. The Zoras were never acted that way, not that he knew. For some reason, he had the urge to stay, but he thought better of it. He knew more about Great Bay than anyone else, and the guys would need his help.

"What do we do, Link?" Shippo asked at his feet.

Turning his attention away from the females, Link followed the path Inuyasha and Miroku took seconds ago. "We follow. I may need your help Shippo." With that said, he continued on, with Kirara following closely behind.

Glancing in both directions, the child wasn't sure whether he should follow Link or not. He wanted to stay with Kagome, and he was in no hurry to face any dangerous sea monsters any time soon. Remembering his promise to Jim and the Bombers, he sighed before scampering after the green warrior. "Wait for me!"

Link stopped suddenly, and turned to Serena sitting on his shoulder comfortably. "Serena, can you stay here and keep a watch on them?"

"Of course!" She replied joyously. "But, will you guys be okay?"

Link nodded. "Yes. If anything should happen, come and find me. I shouldn't be too far. I have a good hunch where we might find these creatures."

"Really? Where?"

"Hurry up!" Shippo called ahead of him.

Link shook his head at his fairy companion. "If my hunch is right, I want you to find the fisherman we met before. He will direct you the way. After all, he was the first one to come upon the beasts."

Serena nodded at this. "Got it! I'll keep Kagome safe!" Leave it to Link to figure out the mystery behind the mutant fish.

Link blushed at the mentioning of Kagome's name, before following after the others. He realized that Serena must have noticed his infatuation with the girl. The boy knew he'd never hear the end of this.

Left out once again, Kagome sighed, dropping her shoulders as she did. Yet, she wasn't alone. This time Sango was with her, and for that she was truly grateful. If she were left alone here, she wouldn't know how to behave with so many nude men in the same room as her. So what would she and Sango do during their stay here?