A Place In Their Hearts

by Dreaming Hearts

Link embarks on a journey with new friends, to rid the world of an ancient evil threatening to destroy everything. Four pendants emerge, a connection with the Goddesses, and only the True Hero can save Termina. (AU) (Ao3)

52. Forgotten Mysteries (FIXED)

A/N

2022-Update:

A reader informed me recently that they noticed missing pages to certain chapters, hence, I have already gone ahead and fixed all of those. Also for the chapters where Kagome is thought to have been raped, I have no yet edited anything past the chapters labeled (E). For now, just ignore that part of the story and I will edit when I have a chance. 😊

OOO

He froze. It had been so loud that it had startled the lad, and he had found himself so close to kissing her that it somewhat upset him and at the same time relieved him all the same. Before he could remove himself from Kagome, she suddenly fell against him, her head rested on his shoulder and it was then that he realized she had fallen … asleep.

A silhouette with shimmering silver hair appeared above the hill, this person's golden stare piercing through the dark and landing on Link almost instantly that it caused him to still.

"I didn't do anything!" Link admitted, somewhat panicked when he saw a flash of anger pass the half demon's expression.

Finally caught up with his friend, a certain monk, garbed in his usual attire, stood beside the half demon, staring at him concernedly. "Have you found Lady Ka—" While he had been so preoccupied searching around the ranch with Inuyasha leading the way to where her scent was strongest, he hadn't intended to spot a certain young swordsman below the hill, holding what appeared to be a certain priestess. Bending down some, a low whistled left his lips, before a smirk found itself plastered to his face. "I believe our young friend has got to her first…"

The fact that he had woken up to Kagome's all too familiar scream and now to find her unconscious in Link's arms, her attire quite dirty and her hair a mess, Inuyasha couldn't help but feel his protective side rising. Despite the fact that Miroku didn't seem the least bit fazed and found the sight quite interesting, Inuyasha, with his demonic speed, sprung from his spot until he landed frighteningly in front of the seated boy and priestess.

Why was she out so late? Why had she screamed? Why was she alone with Link, unconscious? Those were the thoughts swirling around in his thoughts. "What happened? Is she alright?" Before Inuyasha could snatch her away from the boy and reclaim her, Link surprised him by holding her close. "Explain."

Link nervously swallowed, his heart still pounding when interrupted so suddenly. He had almost … and now there was the suspicion. But he didn't do anything, yet his intentions had been so wrong. He mentally berated himself for acting on selfish decisions, and therefore he couldn't conjure up an explanation to the impatient half demon still glaring at him.

At this point, Miroku finally caught up to the two, after carefully trying not to stumble down the steep incline. "We shouldn't jump to conclusions, Inuyasha. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation as to why they were out so late…and in their current state…" Miroku smirked and winked, which caused Link to frown slightly.

Inuyasha growled under his breath, and he suddenly caught a whiff of a strong odor in the wind, a scent he was all too familiar with. He was immediately reminded of the bar and his unexpected mishap with the monk. "Why the hell is she drunk?!"

Flinching, Link couldn't help but rub the back of his neck. This had to be the second most awkward moment he'd been placed in, though it wasn't as half as bad as when Kagome allowed him to stay with her in the spring while she bathed back in Ikana. "Well…she drank some of the milk here on the ranch and I'm sure she must have thought it was ordinary, but I assume she grabbed the wrong bottle…I saw her outside and I tried to coerce her into returning to the house."

"And?" Inuyasha pressed further.

Miroku interrupted Link's explanation. "Might I ask how the two of you ended up in such a compromising position?" He arched a brow, which caused Link to blush.

Link nodded slowly before his eyes drifted to the sleeping girl and to the half demon. "She lost her balance on the hill and I went to grab her before she fell, but we … I guess … we ended up like this …" Well it was only half the truth, but what they didn't know was for the best. Link wasn't sure what the half demon was capable of if he had actually told him the truth, well…he could imagine a few things.

"I see," Replied the monk, however he couldn't help but notice that Link wasn't being completely honest. No one genuinely ends up in such a position after falling. "Did she fall asleep?"

Again Link nodded. Honestly, Link had a feeling Inuyasha knew he was lying or wasn't being entirely truthful, but it was enough to calm him for the time being. Deciding it was time to head back, and also to escape the continuous stares from each of his companions, and quite possibly the expectant wrath from a certain male, Link pushed Kagome slightly off him as he made to turn before placing her onto his back as gently as he could without waking her before standing up. This entire situation still embarrassed him, and he was somewhat thankful it was dark enough so his companions couldn't see his face.

Inuyasha was quick to move. "I'll take her back," As he made to grab her around the waist, it wasn't Link's movements that startled him; instead it was Kagome's who suddenly wrapped her arms tightly around the boy's neck, cuddling herself closer which caused Miroku to arch a brow for the second time that night.

Annoyed, Inuyasha gruffly gave up and walked past Link, leading the way to the house. "Come on. We don't have all day."

While following behind, Link couldn't help but frown some. It seemed Inuyasha was mad at him again; wasn't it always like that though? Maybe he never thought of Link as a real companion yet, and it seemed just about anything unnerved him. Wait, why did he care? Before Link had acted nonchalant when around the half demon, so why now was he feeling somewhat disturbed? It wasn't as if the two of them were good friends, and it shouldn't bother him, but there was still that distrust in his eyes. Did Inuyasha really hate him? Link pondered briefly if perhaps his placement in this group had really upset him, and it wasn't as if Link wanted this.

"Are your injuries still hurting you, Link?" Miroku asked, probably noting that she might be too heavy for him or the fall might have reopened the boy's wounds.

Having almost forgotten about his injuries, Link shook his head. "I'm fine…" In truth, just this morning while everyone was out touring, he had taken the liberty of drinking some red potion, if only to help heal the injuries he had acquired back in Ikana faster, and right now they were almost healed, but the scars would still remain.

Because he noticed the melancholy look grace the young boy's features and the fact that Inuyasha had come real close to interrogating him, Miroku leaned in. "Don't worry. He was just worried about Lady Kagome's safety. He's just a little upset, but don't let that bother you," He whispered, before placing a comforting hand on Link's shoulder reassuringly. Miroku knew the half demon would get over it with time.

"I see. Thanks Miroku."

He smiled in return. Link wasn't such a bad person in his eyes. In fact, he had proved himself quite the companion in the group, whether a certain half demon agreed or not. The young boy had proved himself capable of enduring harsh battles, and protecting his friends. There was much he wanted to learn about Link, and as the days went on, he noticed that he seemed to open up, before it had been difficult for him to say anything.

Eventually the four returned to the house and were greeted by a baffled ranch owner and a small familiar red head that was still half asleep. The two must of just woken up when they heard the scream not too far from their home and upon noticing that Kagome was upon Link's back, the owner couldn't help but approach worriedly.

"Is she alright? What happened?"

Not even bothering to answer, Inuyasha stalked past her and into the house without a word, while Miroku simply led her inside, reassuring her that all was well and not to worry, but she wasn't convinced.

Closing the door behind Link, Romani couldn't help but frown. It was clear that Link had been the one alone with the priestess, and that alone upset her, not to mention Kagome was too 'closely' attached to him, and Link was too good of a person to not step in and help her into the house.

"I found this," Cremia indicated while holding an empty bottle of her prized winning milk, Chateau Romani in view. "Did she drink this?"

Looking closely, Miroku recognized the bottle, seemingly similar back in Clock Town, and when he looked at the boy beside him, he saw him nod his head apologetically.

Before Cremia could question further, Kagome, who was still on Link's back, threw her arm into the air. "I did!" She admitted too enthusiastically, causing Romani to cross her arms and Cremia to blink uncertainly. "It was really good! Thanks Ro—ma—ni!"

All eyes landed on the small girl beside Link, whose eyes couldn't get any wider with disbelief. Gulping, she turned away slowly and opened the door to leave, but a hand caught the collar of her white dress, before the other slammed the door shut.

Romani froze, and the glare from her sister scared her.

"Romani! What possessed you to give her alcohol?!"

At this point, Sango descended the steps with Kirara in tow. When Inuyasha had returned, acting as if nothing had happened, and explained that Kagome had gotten herself into alcohol, she couldn't believe it. In truth, she had been woken up by a cursing half demon and a befuddled monk that she had wanted to see what had happened to cause such a commotion so late in the night.

"I'm sorry!"

While Cremia scolded her little sister, the demon slayer sauntered to Link and Miroku, questionably looking from them to her female friend who was sluggishly clinging to Link. Inuyasha had been right, it seemed Kagome was drunk. "I'll take her to bed," She replied before reaching out for Kagome, but the priestess pulled away from her touch groggily. "Kagome, it's time for bed. Come on."

"Nooo…I don't want to! I want to s-stay wit Link!" Kagome threw her arms around his neck once again, suddenly causing the boy to blush and Romani to explode with jealously.

"Hey! Let go of grasshopper!"

Sango couldn't help but look at the monk, who was simply smiling away as if the whole thing were amusing. Shaking her head, Sango planted her hands firmly on her hips, taking on a more authoritative manner. "Kagome, it's time for bed. You can see Link tomorrow morning." It felt so weird speaking to her as if she was child.

Musing, Kagome found herself wondering if it was the best thing to do. When she caught sight of Link's reassuring nod, she smiled. "Okay!" With that said, Link lowered himself to the ground, allowing her to stand on her feet. Jubilantly and still quite wobbly, Kagome threw herself into the slayer's arms before embracing her.

While Sango helped her younger friend up the flight of stairs and to the comfort of the bed, Kagome's voice could still be heard from upstairs, which brought a smile to everyone's faces.

"Sango…you're the bestest big sister in the world! I love you!"

Cremia turned her attention back to her sister, who was still quite annoyed by the turn of events. "As for you, tomorrow you will apologize to everyone properly, especially Kagome, and we will have a long discussion after. Understood?"

Romani nodded, and without even sparing a glance at Link, she ran up the steps before slamming the door to her room shut. How awful. Her sister had scolded her in front of the boy she liked; how could she ever face him again?

Sighing, Cremia apologized for her sister's rudeness, and rather than returning to the comfort of her own bed, she settled on brewing some tea, offering some to her guests.

This was beginning to be a long night…

OOO

A faint light off into the horizon made itself known, shrouding the land of Termina into a golden glow. As the sun peeked above the horizon, the early morning grew silent, and not even a trace of wind was seen. In truth, nothing moved, not the blades of grass in the pasture or the leaves from the trees. This sudden silence brought with it a morbid feeling that something was not quite right.

It started when a small vibration beneath the soil made itself known, and as it continued, they became more constant and violent, so much so that the tremors themselves were suddenly capable of ripping the earth apart it seemed. Crevices grew from the quake in numerous numbers, creating a rippling effect which caused more tremors to spread like wildfire, some moving up toward the mountains, some near the shores of Great Bay, and quite a few in Ikana. Canyons and mountains were brutally split apart, tidal waves and avalanches suddenly sprawled out of control, so much that the inhabitants of Termina frantically found themselves experiencing what seemed like the end of man-kind.

It was so loud, so strong and so terrifying that even Romani's Ranch felt its effects, and the occupants inside their homes scurried from their beds in alarm. The two sisters held themselves close, almost reliving a terrifying experience four years ago, and a surrogate mother holding her adoptive son close to her chest, hid beside the bed, surrounded by her four companions.

As terrifying as it was, the quake died down, settling for a several more small vibrations before ceasing entirely. From outside the window, the group saw that many fissures had destroyed some of the pastures and a good many trees had fallen over in response. Thankfully, the houses still stood and everyone inside were safe.

"Is everyone ok?" Cremia asked, and from their nods, she placed a hand over her heart. "I'd better check the animals!"

Watching her leave the room, with her sister following in toe behind her, the group couldn't help but exchange knowing glances before following after the owner. The earthquake had heightened so much during the course of their stay in Termina and they knew they needed to hurry.

Exiting the house, everyone was overwhelmed by the damage. A nearby tree had crashed onto the stable and there was a ruckus inside the barn, no doubt the cows were upset. As Cremia and Romani went to check, it seemed the animals were just fine, if not a little startled.

Because she had been awakened by the earthquake, Pamela clung to Miroku's robes, and he held her close, patting her head reassuringly. Shippo on the other hand clung to Kagome, his mouth agape as he surveyed his surroundings, and as for Link and Sango, they merely observed their surroundings.

"This isn't good…" Sango voiced as she clutched the strap to her boomerang.

Link frowned. Not good was right. There wasn't much time it seemed, and they were two short of the pendants. Just how many days were left before the entire land was crushed?

"Morning everyone…" A small voice muttered from the entrance of the house, earning the curious stares of her friends.

Link blinked. "Serena?"

The little pink fairy, which had still been half asleep, suddenly saw the destruction all around her. "What the heck happened here?"

"Don't tell me you slept in?" Kagome asked curiously, and to this the little fairy only nodded.

Link shook his head. "She's always been a deep sleeper…"

Serena ignored his reply, and settled for bobbing around the half demon's head. "What happened here? Is the end here already?"

Inuyasha swatted her away. "We're still alive, ain't we?"

Not the least bit insulted by him swatting her away, she buzzed around her male companion's head before settling herself on Link's shoulder. "It looks awful."

The priestess nodded. "It seems the earthquakes have gotten stronger. I wonder how many days we have left…"

The slayer had to agree with her friend. "It's only a matter of time now…So far we've managed to obtain two pendants."

Miroku nodded. "That's true...The sooner we head to Woodfall the better. The Great Fairy is no doubt expecting our arrival, I'm sure…"

After checking up on all the barn animals and ensuring that the horses were safe, Cremia and her younger sister crossed over the group, who seemed to be in some deep conversation.

"Hey!" A male voice shouted suddenly, and all eyes turned to see a familiar man with a familiar mohawk running up the hill toward the house. As soon as he was a few feet away, he bent down and attempted to catch his breath. "You're all okay? How are the cows and horses?"

Relieved the young man was in safe condition, Cremia enveloped him in a warm hug. "Everyone is safe, including the animals. What about you, Grog? Is your house okay and your chicks?"

He merely nodded. "We're all safe as well…but…Madam Mamamu Yan..."

Miroku grew concerned. "Is she alright?"

Grog nodded, and everyone released a sigh. "She fainted, and at the moment is resting. Her dogs are fine too. The building is still intact."

"Thank goodness," Cremia breathed. How awful. Romani's Ranch was now in shambles by such an unlikely occurrence, and she was sure it would take forever to clean up. "Well for now all I can offer is morning. Would anyone care for breakfast?"

Unfortunately the group had to apologize and refuse the hospitable invitation, but the owner understood fully. After all, their intent was to stay the night, allowing Pamela time to adjust to her new home before they disembarked for their next destination.

Cremia smiled. "It was nice having company, and don't worry, Pamela is in safe hands," She replied, placing a comforting hand on the child's shoulder from behind. Her attention shifted to her younger sister. "Romani…don't you have something to say to our guests?"

Nodding, the red head lowered her head and apologized for last night's happenings. "I'm sorry Kagome…"

Baffled, the priestess looked between her and her friends, who all sweat dropped due to her obliviousness. "Did I miss something?"

"What, you don't remember?" Inuyasha asked with a roll of his eyes. Looking closely, he noted that she didn't seem bothered by last night, unlike him and Miroku earlier that day. Why was that?

Kagome blinked and mused to herself. All that she could recall from last night was sleeping, and that was it. "Did I do something?"

Link sweat dropped, but inside he released a heavy sigh. At least she didn't remember.

Before Kagome could press further, Grog suddenly interrupted her. "Kagome, I will await the day you wish for revenge."

Looking away from Inuyasha, Kagome suddenly smiled at the taller man, who in turn smirked. "Next time I'll beat you!" She laughed, which in turn earned curious stares from her companions, those except Inuyasha and Miroku.

"I guess we should get going. Are we all ready?" Miroku asked, and from their nods, he knelt down in front of the small brunette and ruffled her hair. "Be good now." He smiled, which in turn earned a small nod from the child. Before leaving, he whispered something into Pamela's ears, which earned a wide grin from the child and an eager nod to follow.

Noticing familiar white birds pecking the ground near his feet, Inuyasha took a few steps away, impatiently while waiting for Miroku to hurry things along. "Damned birds…" He muttered under his breath, and he nearly flinched when one of the birds turned its attention to him in a heartbeat. Annoyed, he turned his back and walked away.

Shippo, who had witnessed the terrifying experience yesterday afternoon, he couldn't help but tap Kagome on the leg. "Careful Kagome…they're dangerous!" With that said, he pushed her that all his fox energy would allow him, and she couldn't help but allow him to push her after the half demon.

Kagome laughed, and as soon as she was a reasonable distance away from the birds, she and Shippo turned back to the her two friends who said their goodbyes before catching up to Kagome. "Bye Romani! Bye Cremia!" She waved, and in return the owner waved before guiding her sister and Pamela into the house.

Still in earshot, Kagome couldn't help but overhear her conversation with Grog.

Smiling, Cremia approached the masculine man. "Since you're here, why not have breakfast?"

Grog felt his face heat up, but he nodded. Before he knew what to expect, the young rancher had her arm around his elbow and led him inside.

Revelation hit Kagome in an instant. "I think Cremia might have a thing for Grog."

Inuyasha stopped and turned his golden orbs back to the house before looking at Kagome perplexed. "Huh?"

Flashback

"I once loved this man a few years back. Actually, I grew up with him and we were really good friends."

Inuyasha turned his head and listened to her, not understanding where she was getting at.

Cremia weakly laughed. "Turns out he had eyes for someone else…my best friend. I got mad and said things I didn't mean, and she and I ended up not talking for a long time," She replied, rethinking back to the days she and Anju were young and in love. Back then, Kafei was the heart throb of Clock Town, and he was the Mayor's son. "But you know…"

Inuyasha's ears twitched suddenly, and he couldn't help but look away from the girl. Somehow, he knew she was trying to cheer him up, and help him look past his negative thoughts, but he wasn't sure if it was working.

"I was happy for those two, and I realized our fights were silly," She admitted, before smiling at the young man beside her, whose back still faced her, but she knew he was listening. "I'm happy for them both." Hugging her knees, she rested her head and closed her eyes. "Eventually I fell in love with another…but I'm not even sure he realizes though…I'm sure he only sees me as a friend…"

End Flashback

Inuyasha smirked. "I never would have guessed." However, just as soon as the smile had been there, it dropped into frown.

The conversation between him and her was still fresh in his mind, and he remembered how her words had afflicted him inside, but she was honest with him and about her feelings. Cremia was right…she knew last night that seeing Link and Kagome so close had pained him, and he wondered if it was so obvious to his friends as well. Of course Inuyasha cared for Kagome, but he still managed to upset her from time to time, hurting her feelings, criticizing her, and he hadn't been too friendly with Link either. Inuyasha supposed an apology was in order, even if that was the last thing on his mind. Did Link hate him, after all the insults thrown his way?

Brought out of her musings, Kagome turned her focus onto the monk walking along side Link and Sango, with Kirara perched on his shoulder. "Hey, what did you whisper to Pamela?"

The monk grinned. "I told her she would be rejoined with her father soon. I promised her."

"Miroku, you shouldn't go making empty promises!" Inuyasha replied from up front.

Shippo, walking along side Kagome, had to agree. "I don't want to go back there again…"

Even Serena agreed. "Me either! I've had enough of walking corpses for one day, thank you!"

Inuyasha smirked. Well, for once some people actually agreed.

Sango couldn't help but look back at the house and then to the male beside her. "About her father…when we left there, he seemed awfully pale, almost sickly. I wonder if he's doing alright by himself up there." As far as she knew, there was only him and Dampe, the grave keeper living in the canyons; there hadn't been any signs of anyone other living soul there.

At the mention of Pamela's father, Miroku stopped, earning curious stares from his companions who turned to him on the trail toward Milk Road ahead. With a frown marring his face, he clenched his staff tightly and turned his serious eyes to his friends. "I'm afraid I haven't been entirely honest with you…" Miroku hadn't had the heart to tell Pamela the news, but the least he could do was share this information with his group. They had a right to know.

OOO

Silent stares fell upon the monk, who had at first been filled with joyous spirits as they were on their way to claim the remaining pendant in Woodfall, but it dropped at the mention of Pamela's father. What did he know that the others didn't?

"Huh?" Shippo couldn't help but stare at him bewildered. "What's going on?"

Sighing, he shook his head. "Let me start from the beginning…"

Flashback

Nathaniel hissed when the throbbing ache in his arm pained him. The medicine he had his daughter fetch for him didn't seem to be doing the trick. Leaning over the table some, his legs felt quite unsteady, and in the process of holding himself upright, he knocked over a bowl of dried fruits which clattered nosily in the small room.

While he had been observing through the window, Miroku immediately turned the moment he heard the crash, and offered his assistance to the perspired man. "Are you alright? What ails you?" From the sight of his bloodied bandages, he gasped. Certainly the wound hadn't reopened, had it? Miroku was sure it was nothing but a mere scratch, but that obviously wasn't the case. "Let me check your wound!"

The moment she heard the ruckus, the door swung open from the next room and Pamela emerged worriedly. "Father! Are you okay?"

Grasping his arm, Nathaniel reacted frightfully to Miroku's attempt to remove the bandages and to his daughter's sudden appearance in the kitchen. With unwavering speed, he turned from the monk and took to the stairs in a desperate fashion, in which case clearly shocked the monk and child.

"Father!" Pamela cried out, and as she proceeded to follow after, a gentle hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"I'll look into this. Stay here," Miroku explained, and with that, he walked down the staircase, quite dumbfounded and concerned.

Staggered and speechless, Nathaniel fell to his knees in desolation. What he had thought had been a measly scratch turned out to be something quite serious, so serious, that he knew no amount of medicine could change anything.

"Nathaniel?" Miroku's voice drifted to his ears. "Is everything okay?" At the sight of the bloodied bandages laid scattered by his feet, Miroku assumed not.

Startled, the older man hid his arm behind him protectively and offered the monk a small, feeble smile. "Oh…it's nothing…I'm alright."

The monk knew instantly that Nathaniel had lied, and it was probably because he didn't want anyone to worry, especially his daughter, but the mere sight of the blood seeping from his injured arm brought with it worry and impatience to understand. Wait…wasn't it only his hand that was injured? Did his arm somehow get hurt also? "Nathaniel, you're wounded gravely, please, let me check your arm," He moved forward and reached out a hand to the older man, but he refused to budge. "I can see that you're not alright. Your daughter is very worried, as am I. Allow me to check your injuries."

Hesitant, Nathaniel closed his eyes, gripping his throbbing arm behind his back. "You can't help me…it's already too late…"

Miroku narrowed his eyes, his thoughts trying to decipher his words, and the silent message he sent him that would somehow convey Nathaniel's meaning. The only reasonable explanation that occurred to Miroku was that his injury was no mere scratch, and it could be quite possible that it was indeed fatal. Still, this didn't mean he'd give up and allow the older man to die at his feet, knowing full well that his daughter would be left alone in the world.

Bending down, he grasped the injured arm, alerting the man of Miroku's intentions, but before he could pull away and into the safety of some corner, Miroku inspected the arm in front of him, still within his grasp. "You're losing blood…" That much was obvious. Looking at his hand, he saw that it was now coloring to the sight of a sickly purple, where small indents of teeth marks were left behind, followed with it a nasty gash. An alarming chunk of skin had been brutally torn away, about the size of his own fist, causing Miroku to pull away slightly.

But it wasn't just his hand that was causing him such pain; it was the remainder of his arm. Concerned, he tugged away the now useless bandages and he couldn't help but gasp. The sight was indeed alarming. From his wrist up, his skin had taken on the same sickly color, and worse, a sickly smell emanated from it entirely; this was no ordinary wound. Pamela's father had been bitten…and if he had to guess, it was by something in the cursed ravine, the strange creatures that had tried to pull him under. Miroku looked into Nathaniel solemn eyes.

"One of those hellish creatures managed to bite me…it's already too late for me…I've been infected."

Too late? Infected? "Please explain."

Nathaniel sighed, his head turning in the direction of a picture posted to his wall, resembling one of the feral Gibdos the group had confronted. "You already know I've lived here for some time now…and during that time, I've researched the land…The beasts that prowl during the day and during the night, feed on the living and then they take them beneath the soils as one of their own…"

In truth, a vague memory had surfaced a few days ago, and the scientist remembered how he had almost succumbed to the inevitable. He saw his daughter in tears, and she had locked him in the closet while the moans of the corpses just outside pounded on their house, seeking to take him away; however, a melody had drifted to his ears and awakened him from the curse; Nathaniel wasn't sure who played it, but he had been cured completely. Now, he had been foolish enough to continue his research, and this time, he was sure there were no second chances.

"Nathaniel?"

He shook his head. "I was foolish to remain here…I should have left that day…and none of this would have happened…" Tears fell from his eyes and he found the support of the young man beside him, comforting him though still confused. Wiping his eyes, he looked into Miroku's face. "In short time…I will turn into the creature that did this to me..."

His eyes widened. "You said you were infected. Am I to presume it was from the bite last night?"

"Correct…The infection has already spread half way up my arm…" Nathaniel gripped his arm painfully, feeling the bones through his forearm becoming more apparent by the hour. What could he do?

If that were the case, then there was only one thing to do, and for any infection, you treat the patient immediately. "Then the best I can suggest is…we remove your arm at once before it spreads any further." However, and to be truthful, Miroku had never dealt with such a situation, in fact, such injuries such as these, were dealt with mostly by healers.

Nathaniel looked up at that, and gulped. Of course he had mauled over such an idea, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Still, there was also no sure way a person would survive; it was risky. "I don't know…I…"

Miroku glared. "This is a matter of living! Think of your daughter."

The scientist shook his head. No. He didn't want to. Not again. "Miroku…I'm cursed already. I don't believe any amount of healing nor could the removal of my arm lift what has already been delivered…my fate has already been set…"

Fate? From what he had seen of this land, there were people who had denied the coming, prophesized end and then there were those who accepted it. People continued to live on, despite the warning signs, yet there were others out there, others such as Pamela and her father, as well as Dampe who feared death. It was no surprise of course, and this land was a recurrent nightmare. Though the land was dying, so were the hopes of the citizens. Hope seemed fleeting.

"Surely there must be something I ca—"

"I think…I should retire to my bed…" The older man softly muttered before standing, stepping away from the monk. He knew that soon his daughter would be delivered from this cursed land and into the safety of some far away town; the happiness of his daughter remained the first thing on his mind.

If nothing else…then the least Miroku could do was pray for him, pray that his soul be spared from the inevitable.

End Flashback

"And…that's what happened…"

Silence.

The priestess brought her hand to her mouth, and she couldn't help but shake her head. "How awful…" Poor Pamela…

Inuyasha cocked his head to the side, observing the monk's and everyone else's crestfallen expressions. "If that's the case…then why fill the kid's head with empty promises if he's just going to turn into one of those walking corpses?"

Miroku sighed. "I suppose you're right…I did not mean deceive her…"

Kagome interrupted. "There's still always hope…maybe he won't turn. Pamela was saddened before all of this, and she might as well hope for something while she's living on the ranch; it'll give her something to look forward to."

Shippo only frowned. "But…when she learns the truth…and she does return back to that place…what if she sees her father like that?" He could only imagine the terrors she'd be burdened with, and the lies that were spoken to her about returning to her father. If it was him, he would have wanted the truth so that he'd be able to heal over time.

Sango and Link were silent during the conversation concerning Pamela and her father. They didn't disagree entirely with the monk's decision, but still, what could someone say to the child?

"Well…this is really depressing…" Serena said, during the sudden silence. Hoping to take their minds off of the whole subject, she looked ahead. "Well would you look at that! We're out of the Milk Road! Ohh…and look! There's the entrance to the Swamp! Well, we better get going!" With that, she flew on ahead, with everyone else following behind, still bothered by the new information.

'I thought my healing abilities might have helped his injury…' Kagome thought depressingly. He lied…and he hid the truth from them, but he did it to protect his daughter, so that she might live on. Still, Kagome couldn't help but feel that he was selfish in his decision not to save himself. He could have possibly lived and they could have been a family again. She sighed, her head lowered and a familiar feeling of regret overwhelmed her.

Somewhat dismayed, Link couldn't help but glance at his satchel on their way toward the entrance to the wooded area ahead. Inside, he knew his blue instrument, the Ocarina of Time resided, and after his adventures four years ago, after saving Termina from the wrath of Majora, the Ocarina lost its magic. If he had known the fate that now slowly consumed Nathaniel…no…there would be nothing he could do, not then and not now; now that his power over his Ocarina was gone, what good was it to him? Now it was but a hollow shell, reminding him of memories from his past, a past he knew he could never return to.

Again, he felt useless; now he was but a mere, wandering swordsman, and his connections to his past life were severed. This was no longer a story about a Legendary Hero, to save the day, in fact, Link was sure he was never truly a hero to begin with. Sure he thought he saved Hyrule from the hands of Ganondorf, but it turned out the threat had been more than just his rule over the lands; it had been a flood that swallowed his homeland. Then, because of that cursed door beneath the Clock Tower in Clock Town, he was trapped in this land, where the citizens either accepted their fate or denied it; and no one bothered turning to a hero for help, but he intervened for their sake, but even after defeating the cursed evil residing in the mask and stopping the moon from plummeting into Termina, even that was not enough to stop the cycle from repeating itself.

The Great Fairy mentioned that only the true hero could bring peace to this land, and she believed someone in this group held that purity. Even so, it meant that Link wasn't truly a hero; he was just a boy, one that dreamed of seeing the world, and he saw a great many interesting sights on his previous quests, but he wasn't satisfied. Link felt alone, though he had the comfort of his companions beside him, as he guided them down the many paths to complete this task in hopes of putting an end to the ever, continuous cycle that tormented Termina, but would it really be that simple? Somehow, Link didn't find any of this reassuring. The Goddesses had cursed the land of Termina, as it was said in the Great Fairy's ancient story near the beginning of time itself. They had a reason for what they did, and here they were trying to stop it…Would this really work? Would gather four ancient relics and bringing them together really put an end to all of the evil threatening this land?

The entrance to the wooded area loomed before them, dark and ominous. From inside, a howling wind blew, and with it, a fog crept out of the darkness ahead; it crept up their ankles as they stepped inside, their view of the town in the distance far from sight. What lay ahead of them now was a mystery, but they knew that what they sought there was well within their reach. In truth, this was the very forest the group, except Link and Serena, had first appeared in by the strange golden light and it was then that they encountered the youth and his fairy.

However, much had changed since their last visit. The soil at their feet, no longer sturdy was muddy, and the path before them was littered with roots and branches of various sorts. Withered trees were laid waste in certain areas of the forest, and a strange feeling of darkness towered over them.

A chill swept through Shippo, and he leapt onto Sango's shoulder, his emerald gaze peering out into the darkness behind them and elsewhere. At one point he thought he heard someone following them, but there hadn't, at least, not that he knew.

At one point during their walk down the misshapen path, Link and the group couldn't help but notice what appeared to be a good 12 or so small, withered saplings, their faces betraying fright so much so that it bothered them; how it was possible for small trees to reveal such a strange resemblance to human emotions was beyond them.

As the group pressed on, Link remained standing, his eyes looking each of the small saplings over when a familiar memory surfaced, one that reminded him of a certain sprout he came across at the beginning of his adventure, before arriving in Termina; the expressions that these exerted were much different compared to the one he first encountered.

'These are…'

"Link?" Kagome called, stopping to call out to him when she noticed he had lagged behind.

Shaking his head from such thoughts, he took one last look at the row of small Deku's, who had been cursed by an eerie sort and followed after the group, though the image of that one sapling still remained etched in his memory, bothering him.

If he remembered correctly, there had been few in the past he had failed in saving; there was Mikau the Zora, Darmani the Goron, and lastly a young Deku child, whose presence behind the door inside the Clock Tower had been a mystery to Link, and because he knew literally nothing of the Deku, who had been cursed to remain frozen in time in that dark abyss between the border of Hyrule and Termina, Link couldn't help but feel grief for the child. There had been nothing he could do to prevent Darmani's and Mikau's death, and he was sure that the Deku had died long ago, before Link had plummeted into the land. Now he only carried the masks, which reminded Link of his past adventures, and he wondered if the souls inside the masks would one day be set free.

For what seemed like ten minutes, the trees ahead of them parted, and they realized that they were not the only people crossing the same path.

It was then that Inuyasha stopped dead in his tracks, causing his companions to stop and stare with confusion. "Great…" This was not what he was looking forward to seeing.

Ahead of them, a young man, quite tall and handsome, was dressed in a familiar maroon vest, his long sleeved white tunic clinging to his lean figure nicely and a pair of fitted black pants. Long wavy auburn hair, swept down his upper back in gentle curls near the front of his face, revealing sparkling blue eyes and a flawless expression, of someone filled with peaceful content. The young man wasn't facing them, and he seemed entirely fixated on something in front of him, hidden from view.

Kagome was the first to recognize him instantly. "Jo-Ho?" What was he doing all the way out here in the swamp so far from town?

Before either of the group could call out, he suddenly turned and smiled warmly, but before he could converse happily with them, a vine suddenly slid up from under a nearby bush and caught his ankle in its vise like grip, causing him to fall, his basket of herbs and so forth spilling onto the ground in disarray.

Unbeknownst to him, he had accidentally stumbled into one of the few patches, home to two Deku Baba's, a carnivorous species of plant life he researched some years back, and because of his little notice, he hurriedly rolled out of harm's way when the head of one of the feral plants sprung toward him with its sharp teeth and acidic breath.

With Serena's quick info on Deku Babas, Kagome was willing to shoot the head of the plant, her arrow easily piercing its roots; the head went sprawling onto the ground near the basket, while the other lunged for the young man like its fellow companion had, but it too met with the same fate, and soon after, everyone had gathered around to help Jo-Ho to his feet.

"Are you alright?" Kagome asked, kneeling beside him, her hand on his shoulder lightly.

Because he was surprised, he couldn't help but smile fondly at her and her friends. The attack had happened so suddenly and then, in the blink of an eye, the parasitic creatures were gone and of no consequence to him or anyone in the vicinity. "I thank you kindly," He replied, his jovial expression easing those around him, save for Inuyasha of course who was too busy sizing him up before turning his nose in the air. Upon realizing who this young girl was beside him, he offered her a smile. "We meet again my fair maiden. It must be fate that we've stumbled upon each other." Though, given the circumstances, it was not an intended second encounter.

Kagome blushed. This guy was so different compared to Hojo, and she knew that the modern day boy would not act so forward, nor would he have kissed her cheek during their first meeting. "Hello again," She smiled back, her and Shippo picking up his flowers, spices and herbs and placing them into his basket.

"Much obliged, my friends. Though I'm surprised you've all journeyed out this way. Might I ask why?" Jo-Ho asked curiously, standing up as he scrutinized the group of travelers.

"We're on an errand," Kagome replied, and it was truth.

The young man nodded. "I see. I do hope you'll all be careful on your way." Realizing he had yet to introduce himself, he lowered his head to the strangers, with his palm to his abdomen and his posture somewhat leaned in a formal bow of gentlemanliness. "How do you do? My name is Jo-Ho, and it seems we have not yet been introduced."

From the sidelines, while the rest of the group introduced themselves, save for Inuyasha and Serena, the small fairy couldn't help but relax on the half demon's shoulder. "Gee…he sure does have a way with people."

Inuyasha didn't answer, and when the young man had turned to him in confusion, he gruffly gave his name. "Guys like him piss me off."

"Why?" Serena asked. She observed the young man's interactions with the group, and it didn't occur to her until she noticed her companion Link suddenly frown, his expression souring unhappily beside Inuyasha. Looking back at the others, she couldn't help but smirk to herself. So that's what they were so upset about.

After listening to their explanation, Jo-Ho had offered to guide them to the lake and point them off into the direction in which they sought; it was the least he could do to show his thanks.

Shippo bounded onto Kagome's shoulder as she walked alongside the pretty boy leading the group. "How come you're out here?"

Jo-Ho smiled. "Since my grandmother and I are florists, I often come out here in search of flowers and herbs to sell," He explained. "There are a lot of fresh herbs, berries and many spices out here, more than enough to keep our business running."

Miroku nodded in understanding. "I see. Though you come out here often, and I do not mean to pry, but you seem unarmed with any weapons to protect yourself."

The young man shook his head. "Oh, I am," He unbuttoned his vest and opened it to reveal a set of knives and small vials strapped to the underside of the clothing, earning curious stares all around. "The vials contain a special chemical, that can easily put anything asleep, even those carnivorous plants you rescued me from," Jo-Ho explained. "I use these knives to collect the herbs, and if needed, to protect myself.

"So, you've been in danger many times I take it?" Sango asked, and at this he nodded.

"I admit, I have a habit of getting in the unlikeliest of trouble, and today happened to be one of those days," He laughed, as if the whole thing weren't at all that troubling. "Though, I must admit, recently these woods have changed..." His expression fell as he buttoned his vest. "Now I can't seem to locate anything living to sell at the shop, as you can see for yourself," He nodded to his basket, and truth be told, there were very few inside it.

Finally reaching the lake, he turned to Kagome, and ever so warmly, he offered her a small pouch. "For you and your friends," He replied. "I've grounded up some medicinal herbs inside and for later use, and if necessary, it can be used as a paste for any injury, even burns and poisons."

While she accepted them, Kagome couldn't help but sweat drop. He was doing it again, but she really didn't mind. "Are you sure? Don't you and your grandmother need them for your shop? We wouldn't want to trouble you…"

Though it seemed important, he waved it off. "No no. It's by no means no trouble at all. I assure you." A sudden look passed over him, and he couldn't help but eye the young girl from head to toe. Though she was dressed in different clothing today, a small green dress and white blouse with a red handkerchief of some sort tied around her neck, he found her physique to be on the thin side, especially her friends now that he noticed. "Have you been eating properly?"

Kagome canted her head to the side perplexedly. "Oh, well we make do with what we have," She laughed it off. She didn't think she was that thin, but maybe it was just in his character to worry about others, just like a certain brunette boy back home.

Jo-Ho shook his head. "That will not do…" Displeased by her answer, he suddenly opened up the small, light brown satchel by his side and offered a bundle of goodies to the raven haired girl, who found herself sweat dropping even more at his kindness. "These are dried fish. Grandmother always says I don't eat much, so that's why I carry so much food on me," He smiled, and at this Kagome suddenly found herself blushing yet again, uttering a small thanks.

"You look fine to me," Kagome complimented, noticing that he seemed healthy and there was no bones or too much thinness showing.

A charming smile graced his face suddenly, and if one looked closer, they would notice a tinge of pink color his cheeks. "Why thank you, Kagome. You're very sweet! And might I say, you're quite the beauty; I'm sure you have many admirers waiting on you back home," He replied, furthering Kagome's embarrassment.

"Oh? Uh..me?" She laughed and waved the very idea off. "No, no, there's really no one like that," She lied, and if she could, she knew a few names off the top of her tongue, but she wouldn't admit it.

Hearing this, Serena couldn't help but whistle. "Whoa…she sure has a way with words, even though she obviously doesn't realize it," She laughed. "That Jo-Ho guy sure is the flatterer," She commented before turning to stare at her two companions. "Hey, why the sour faces?" She asked a certain silver haired half demon and a pouting blonde youth.

Inuyasha growled. "How can she just say that to him as if it was nothing?" He was referring to the priestess calling Jo-Ho 'Fine.'

"Aww…are you two upset?" Serena teased. From the sidelines, she heard Kagome laugh, and saw the young man wink at the young girl, who embarrassingly tried to hide her shyness. Sango, Miroku and Shippo were oblivious to their closeness, as they were observing the foods and items that Jo-Ho had given them.

Serena giggled away, finding the sight of both Inuyasha's and Link's jealousy quite amusing, but seeing Link's scrunched up face and small pout made him all the more cute in her opinion, so she couldn't help but tease him a little. "Link, your mouth is open wider than before! Better close it before a bird makes a nest in it," She laughed.

Red in the face, Link quickly shut his mouth and lowered his eyes to his feet embarrassed. It seemed Kagome was quite the charmer toward the opposite sex, and to see that older man cozy himself up to her, well it put him off, though he could have just ignored it if he wanted to, after all they did just meet yesterday afternoon…

Noticing the solemnity grace Link's face, the small fairy flew upon his shoulder next to his ear. "Are you jealous?" She asked, and noticing his face redden from her question, she took that as a yes. "Don't worry. She likes you more than that Jo-Ho guy," She explained as a matter of fact. "She's just too oblivious for her own good, that's all." Well maybe oblivious wasn't the word. Dense was more like it.

Inuyasha, who had heard her whispering, didn't respond nor did he acknowledge that he heard it; instead, he simply unfolded his arms and crossed over to the duo before standing in between them with an air of indifference, ignoring Kagome's and flower boy's confusion. "So, which direction takes us to that palace?" He eyed Jo-Ho expectantly.

Jo-Ho smiled before pointing across the lake. "If you take a boat and follow the stream, you'll no doubt reach the palace; you can't miss it, my friend."

Inuyasha glared. Friend? He only just met the guy. There was no way in hell he was already friends with this flower freak, but he didn't reply back.

Checking his watch from his pocket, Jo-Ho realized he was running late, and with that, he said his farewells to the group, hoping for their safe travels on their errand before flashing Kagome one last charming smile before disappearing into the woods back to Clock Town.

"Humpt…I don't like that guy," Inuyasha replied, only to receive a frown from the priestess behind him.

"I don't see why you don't like him. He's really a nice guy," Kagome said in Jo-Ho's defense, which clearly didn't set well with the half demon at all, in fact, he turned on her and fisted his hands ready to retort, but instead, he said nothing, opting to keep whatever comments to himself.

Sango and Miroku blinked at this, before sharing a look which clearly read, 'What's gotten into Inuyasha?' Normally their friend would have sputtered a bunch of insults toward the young girl, but instead he kept it all to himself. Very interesting…

Serena officially came to a conclusion that Inuyasha hated any guy who tried to put the moves on Kagome, because like she said before, Inuyasha did seem to have feelings for the girl, but she wasn't sure…no she was definitely sure Kagome held no feelings for him in return, nor did she seem the least bit interested in Jo-Ho earlier. Still, having noticed the half demon move and stand in between the two, Serena couldn't help but wonder if he did that for his and Link's sake or he was simply impatient to leave and tired of the flirting. Whatever it was, Serena was thankful, because now her companion wasn't bothered with his inner thoughts again.

"Well, he said we should take a boat there," Miroku began, and realizing there was a building atop a platform raised by four separate lengths of lumber, he pointed. "I believe we've found our boat," He motioned to the small, yet old boat nestled beneath the suspension in the murky water.

Shippo bounded over to the sign next to the ladder before turning back to his friends. "It says, closed due to fog,"

Inuyasha huffed. "I don't see why we just don't fly over. Who the hell needs a boat?"

It was at this point that Link interrupted. "Actually, since we're on our way to the palace, could be stop by the Potion Shop? I happen to know two witches there, and they might be willing to give us some information before we get too far ahead."

Miroku mused. "I don't see why we can't…Inuyasha?"

The half demon blinked. "What? Like I care. Just hurry this up."

Sango turned to Miroku before whispering into his ear. "Does he seem a little different today?"

Miroku nodded. "He's not complaining as much…" The monk whispered back, oblivious to Inuyasha's glare and sensitive hearing.

Both weren't sure how to take his sudden change in character, but it wasn't as if it was a bad thing. Still, after witnessing him hold back on his protests toward Kagome just recently and then agree to let Link do what he wanted without growing irritated, it was surprising.

"Well?" Inuyasha impatiently asked. "Are we going or aren't we?"

Sango sweat dropped. Sadly, some things just never changed. The slayer turned to her small two tailed cat by her feet. "What do you say Kirara?"

The kitten mewed in response before transforming into her much larger form, and as soon as her, Miroku and Inuyasha boarded, Shippo transformed for both Kagome and Link; this seemed like a routine if anyone observing would have noticed by now.

On their way, a sudden warmness swept through them, and the scenery they'd once been surrounded in altered when some strange phenomenon occurred. No longer were they flying through the thick, hazy air of a desolate swamp, but now they hovered before fresh greenery and clean air.

As soon as they landed on the other side, the group took in their surroundings before looking back in the direction they first came. In the distance, across the lake, they saw that everything was still murky and eerie, but as soon as they crossed over onto the other side, it wasn't so decrepit; In fact, everything seemed alive. There were fresh, green, towering trees off to the side of a sparkling small lake where a large waterfall spilled into from some high rocks above a mountain.

"It seems we've passed through some sort of barrier," Miroku said suddenly, finding the new environment quite pleasing to his eyes.

Link had to agree with him on that one; he never knew the witches to put up a barrier, though he wondered why? Perhaps to make it seem livelier in their home?

"Is that where the witches live?" Shippo asked, pointing ahead.

Centered perfectly in the midst of this beautiful scenery was a brightly colored orange house, which somewhat resembled that of a kettle, only its spout, which was normally thought to be at the side, was positioned at the top of the structure, where it acted as a chimney. The colorful Potion Shop was suspended on a fairly high platform situated atop a large tree trunk, and this tree sat directly onto a floating, wooden podium in the middle of the water, with large, colorful jars sitting at each corner, and leading up to the multicolored blue door above, was a wooden ladder. All in all, the sight seemed rather nice and not at all creepy.

High pitched shrieks resonated in the vicinity, and it was so close that the group turned their curious stares toward the sky overheard. It was there that they caught sight of two individuals souring overhead on broomsticks, cackling quite sinisterly and very much unaware of the group below. Voluminous white hair, stacked high upon their heads, fell in curls to frame their green and haggard faces. Upon their foreheads they wore a brightly colored gem which hung loosely by a silver chain, and by the looks of it, they wore dark dresses where decorative white symbols were etched into the ends of their wide sleeves.

"Oh it is a delight that we were able to find so many mushrooms for the pot!"

"I agree, but they were difficult to come by and I'm not surprised!" Remarked the louder witch. Curiously, her attention shifted around her and she inhaled a baffling scent. "Sister…do you smell that?"

The younger sister blinked. "Smell?"

It was at that moment that they turned their attention downward, and startled, they jumped back, turning to the other skeptically before whispering, their haggard voices each laced with venom and concern.

"Sister, what are these humans doing here?"

"I know not…how could they have passed our barrier, Koume?"

Kotake, with hers and her sister's large eyes, observed the strangers below before the two of them nodded in silent agreement before each flew down on their broom sticks to greet them.

Silence hovered before them as they scrutinized the travelers, who had, by no means traveled far from town to wind up at this point, and to pass their very barrier was further baffling.

Seeing the awkward staring contest begin to brew, Link stepped forward, and it was then that one of the witches suddenly pointed in sudden delight before hurriedly shaking hands with the young boy.

"Oh ho ho, my my if it isn't the boy who helped me in the woods some time back! How are you? I haven't seen you in ages!" Koume suddenly questioned, and at this her sister blinked before eyeing the others up.

Nodding, Link pointed to his companions. "We're on our way to the Deku Palace, and I brought them here in hopes of finding some answers."

Koume's attention shifted to her sister. "Well we can answer any question for you, lad, but could you answer us one question?"

Link nodded.

Kotake suddenly crossed her arms. "How is it you humans passed through our barrier? We normally don't allow outside visitors to enter," She explained.

Inuyasha crossed his arms. "Does it matter? Look, we're not here to start trouble, okay?"

Kotake snorted at the individual and his ignorance to his elders. "And what manner of human are you? I've never seen a Terminan with dog ears and silver hair," She inquired about his characteristics.

Inuyasha glared. "What the hell does that have to do with anything?" He asked, and suddenly felt Kagome glare at him, and to this he turned his head away with annoyance.

Koume sighed. "Sister, it's obvious they're not here to do us harm, so we should relax. And that nice boy is with them, so let's hear what they've come to ask."

Taking her eyes off the insolent half demon, Kotake fully understood her sister and nodded. "Very well. We shall pardon you for trespassing. Speak up now."

Shippo gulped, and hid behind his surrogate mother. Even though the witches weren't a pretty sight to look at, they were quite intimidating, and he made sure to keep out of sight for good measure.

After getting their introduction out of the way, Miroku and Sango went on to explain why they were here, and that their passage through their barrier was a mystery to them as well. The witches soon learned that these individuals were not clearly passing by on some empty cruise, but were indeed on their way to the palace, in order to restore peace to the swamp, and as unbelievable as it sounded, they did not see any lies in their eyes.

The witches shared a look.

"Yes, the barrier we put up was not only to keep intruders out, but it was to keep out unwanted evil," Koume explained. "It seems that great misfortune has plagued these woods for weeks now, I'm afraid your journey to the palace might wind up troubling…"

Kotake agreed with a nod.

"Troubling?" Sango asked.

"What has befallen the Deku Palace and its people?" Link inquired, and at this the witches sighed.

"Well," Kotake began. "The King sent out his sentries to seek out his abducted daughter who had been stolen just yesterday," She explained. "As you can see, the woods are not as they used to be, and strange occurrences have started up as of late."

Gathering what he knew from their story, Link came to the conclusion that those small saplings, which had been frozen some distance back, must have been the sentries the King had ordered to reclaim the Princess. "Do you know the cause?" Link asked, but to his disappointment, the sisters only shook their heads.

"No, as we said before, right now might not be the best of times to head out to the Palace,"

"Well as troubling as it might be, we still have no other choice," Miroku explained. "You see, we've been summoned by the Great Enchantress in Clock Town to reclaim an item from his Majesty, and we're willing to do anything at any costs to retrieve it."

Again, the sisters took a moment to whisper to one another, before silently nodding.

Koume spoke up. "We'll report this to his majesty right away. For now, you can remain here until we return."

Kotake nodded. "You see we recently have been asked by his Majesty to help his people, and since we are neighbors, it's only right that we lend a hand. Our barrier not only stretches here, but it extends further to the palace."

"It's the least we can do to help protect them from such dire consequences," Koume replied. First things first, and as the witch scrutinized the young people, she couldn't' help but scrunch up her fairly large and obtrusive nose, similar to her sister's, and shake her head with disgust. "Before granting you an audience with his Majesty, you will tidy yourselves up." Koume attention shifted away from the group and toward the massive waterfall near her cottage. "Behind that waterfall is our spring. You're welcome to use it while I'm gone."

Kotake agreed. "Yes. And as for you, young man," she pointed to Inuyasha. "You smell like a wet dog…when on earth was the last time you bathed?"

"Excuse me?" Inuyasha growled, and Kagome had to hold him back from getting in the old hag's face.

Not at all fazed by his ignorance, the old hag turned away and went to her daily chores while her sister, Koume flew off in the direction of the Palace to meet with the King.

Excitedly, Kagome turned and extended her arm above her head joyously. "Shot gun!" She declared, and at her friends puzzled looks, she lowered her backpack and sorted quickly through her belongings before quickly shuffling off, pulling Sango in the direction of the Waterfall and supposed Hot Spring with a small bundle in her hand.

Inuyasha blinked.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Serena called suddenly, and just as the girls, she too flew off in the direction of the waterfall, with Kirara, surprisingly, following after.

Now that Koume had flown away on her broomstick to the palace, and Kotake had taken to her chores of sweeping off her porch, the guys each took a seat on ground, the silence quite nice to their ears.

It was this moment that a few objects, laid scattered around the forgotten, yellow backpack, that Kagome always often carried around with her, caught young Link's interest immediately, and though he said nothing, he couldn't help but try to decipher what these strange materials sitting right in view of him meant. There were some oddly shaped devices that caught his interest. One particular object was round and blue in color that appeared to have flat buttons with symbols that reminded him of arrows along the sides, along with a couple other symbols that baffled him further, yet his attention shifted to long black cords that connected to small round objects that connected to the strange device entirely; they were curved and on one side that was in view of Link, he saw a strange letter but he couldn't fathom its meaning either.

Miroku, who sat next to Link, noticed his piqued interest at Kagome's things and therefore brushed his hand over the lid of the backpack and opened it without concern. "I see you are interested in one of the many wonders that comes from Lady Kagome's bag," He replied with a chuckle.

Inuyasha frowned. "Don't even think about it monk. If she catches you in her bag again…"

Miroku smiled innocently. "I do not believe I understand what you mean, my friend…I am simply showing Link some of her other worldly possessions such as Lady Kagome's music player that has already caught his eye," He explained while holding the small, circular contraption in one hand while holding the ear pieces in the other. He turned to the boy. "This, my friend, enables you to hear all sorts of music! Truly a magnificent object."

Shippo leaned into Link. "Yeah, she uses it sometimes to tune out Inuyasha during the night."

"Miroku I'm warning you…" Inuyasha replied. Kagome was definitely not a force to reckon with, and he knew that the actions Miroku displayed before them was of dire consequence.

Miroku ignored the half demon. "Now, now Inuyasha, I'm merely looking. Every day she brings something new to our world, and it's not every day we get the chance to see these futuristic objects. I must say, her world does fascinate me…" Miroku lowered his eyes into the bag and began rummaging through it, his ever pleasant and innocent smile still in place.

Back and forth, Link looked from Inuyasha to Miroku, wondering if perhaps what the half demon spoke of was worth acknowledging. Indeed, it seemed going through Kagome's belongings was below any of them, but still there was that small fascination with her other world that kept his interest.

Shippo peered into the bag also. "We should show Link the ninja food too!"

Inuyasha's ears perked at this. "Don't' forget, she's out of her snacks,"

Shippo frowned. Gee, and here he could have had Link taste some of the many samples from Kagome's time, even the sweets she often brought for the tyke after her many long absences.

A large white box found itself in Miroku's hand and on it was a familiar red cross that he too showed to Link, and after opening it, he revealed the various medical supplies. "These," He pointed to a small pack of lightly colored brown rectangular strips with white gauze fitted in the center. "is called bandages, and they're just like all bindings except when you pull these white coverings off like so…" He demonstrated, removing the white plastic strips from the bandage itself. "you're left with a sticky substance that allows you to cover a wound without the worry of it falling off!"

Shippo stuck the bandage on his arm as an example, and at this Link slowly nodded, while Inuyasha sighed in the background.

"They also come in various sizes and colors too," Miroku explained.

Shippo grinned. "Oh yeah! Last time I got hurt, she gave me a blue one with a smiley face on it!" He exclaimed happily, as if it were the best thing in the world.

Miroku smiled at the child, before pointing to the other medical supplies in the box. "Do not be deceived by these clear containers my friend. Inside, is not water, but alcohol."

This baffled Link. "But Kagome said she never drinks…"

At this, Miroku laughed. "Well aside from last night, Kagome does indeed not drink. This is not the type of alcohol one can drink, in fact, I believe she used this stuff on you before…let me see…when you were first wounded up on the Snowy Mountains? Yes, I believe so."

Link took a moment to recollect his memory. If he remembered correctly, Kagome had used some sort of liquid on him that had stung him terribly, and he did not appreciate the pain from it.

"Alcohol is a disinfectant as Kagome calls it, and this," He pointed to a brown bottle with different labeling on it. "is called Peroxide."

At the mentioning of this bottle, Shippo excitedly turned to Link again. "I like that stuff! Unlike the other bottle that leaves a nasty sting, this one makes your cut bubble up and somehow it gets rid of the infection…I haven't figured it out yet, but I think it's magic." Shippo exclaimed.

All of this astounded Link, and he found her treasures from her other world indeed amazing and quite beneficial as well. Still he didn't understand why the priestess had put him through more pain then not if she had only used this other bottle called Peroxide. "I'm a little confused…why two bottles that do the same yet one is more painful than the other? Wouldn't one benefit more from this so called, 'Peroxide'?"

Shippo excitedly raised his hand. "I know! I know! Peroxide is for little cuts, like a sprained knee or something, but alcohol is for deep wounds and that painful sting is the alcohol cleaning out all that dirt and bad stuff that worsens a cut."

Miroku nodded at the child's knowledge and closed the box, returning it inside Kagome's backpack.

OOO

After discovering the hidden spring behind the waterfall, Sango and Kagome had been awestruck to find that not only was it like a private oasis, but many diamonds and crystals were imbedded into the walls, casting the small cavern into a soft blue glow.

A soft moan escaped the young girl as she and her friend Sango sunk into the warm water, the warmth tingling her skin and etching a smile on her lips. Off to the side, she noticed Serena hovering around, and questionably called out to her.

"Serena? Why not join us?"

"Me? In water? I can't…If I got my wings wet, I'd drown," She replied, and at this Kagome couldn't help but ponder to herself. The little fairy was a little envious of the two human girls, and she wondered what it might be like to sit in a spring such as this without the fear of dying. Serena noticed little Kirara sitting in the shallow end of the spring, but still otherwise enjoying it also with her closed eyes.

An idea came to Kagome. "I know…" Reaching up for one of her washcloths, she dipped the rag into the spring, soaking up hot water before wringing it out and placing it to the side of her and Sango for the little fairy. "Here you go. Try it out. It feels really good!" She laughed.

And Serena did just that, fluttering herself over to it, and careful of her wings, she lowered herself into warm, steaming cloth and a content sigh escaped her. While she was not actually in the water, she still had the luxury of enjoying a nice steaming sensation of the rag beneath her. "Ahh…you're right…this is relaxing…"

Kagome laughed. "Told you."

OOO

"Hey, something fell out," Shippo noticed a small colorful bag with many flowers embroidered onto the soft material before pulling the zipper back to reveal an assortment of many colorful items. "Hey, are these more medical supplies?"

Miroku leaned over and peered into the small bag. "Hm…I have never before seen Lady Kagome with this bag. It is quite lovely."

"It smells like flowers…hey what's this?" Shippo held up a clear bottle with a pink cap that held a colorful liquid inside.

Annoyed, Inuyasha took the object from Shippo. "Will you two give it a rest already? And it's obvious from the smell that it's one of Kagome's many scents, that girly stuff if you want to call it that."

"So it makes you smell better?" Shippo asked.

"Yeah, here I'll show you how it works," Somewhat awkwardly, Inuyasha removed the pink cap from the small bottle before raising it up to meet Shippo's wrist, a way in which he had once seen kagome do once before during their journey. "Like this—" And pushing down on the small nozzle, a gust of spray unexpectantly, and with an alarming and overpowering smell, instantly collided with the half demon's face. The bottle fell to the ground and he fell into a coughing fit, cursing as he rubbed at his now stinging eyes.

Shippo watched in mild curiosity. "I don't think you're supposed to spray it in your face…let me try—" Before Shippo could reach for the bottle, Link had taken the liberty of pulling it out of reach, fearful that the same thing might happen to the child. "This seems more of a danger to men than to women, obviously…"

Inuyasha coughed repeatedly and rubbed at his eyes that stung him terribly. "Damn it all to hell!"

Shippo moved closer to Inuyasha and sniffed him, before smiling. "Hey, you're right! It does smell good, like flowers and butterflies!"

Inuyasha growled, attempting to push the child away from him, but his vision was too blurred to see straight.

Oblivious to the comical scene between Inuyasha and the perfume of Kagome's, Miroku had soon taken sudden interest in the flowery bag, with Kagome's backpack soon forgotten off to the side. In his hand, he held a small black packet, rectangular in shape with small images of fuzzy animals painted on its surface, and curious, he opened the plastic covering, revealing a cylindrical shaped device where a long string fell loosely at one end. Miroku eyed the object, quite unsure of its use, and quite bewildered, he gave the string a small tug, but nothing happened. "How strange…"

Shippo turned to the monk, and he too eyed the object with mystified interest. "What's that?"

"I'm not sure…but it must be something of importance, but the question is, what is it used for?" He commented. Miroku turned it each way and with further prodding from Shippo, Shippo suddenly took it from the monk's grasp.

Maybe it was a toy? "Hey look! It's got an x on this end…there's something white inside it…maybe we're supposed to push it out?" The child asked, and with curiosity, he poked the x, hoping it would reveal its mystery, but still nothing happened.

Inuyasha snorted, after recovering from said perfume. "Now what the heck are you into?" Noticing the tykes many failed attempts of removing whatever it was that was inside the cylindrical object, he squinted his eyes.

"Here Inuyasha, you try." Shippo handed the half demon the object.

With a roll of his eyes, he looked the small 'whatever it was' over before noticing the string hanging loose at the end of the stick like object. He tugged at it, but nothing happened. Blinking, he took hold of both ends with little to no force; he managed to somehow push the stick up into the tube revealing a white cotton strip, nearly the size of a female's index finger that had somehow been shaped into the same shape as the tube. "There…see that wasn't so hard,"

"Wow! So…what is it?"

Miroku rubbed his chin. "How interesting…hand me that for a second, Inuyasha."

Without a care, he handed the item of Kagome's to the monk's outstretched hand, and while the monk observed for what seemed like the tenth time, Inuyasha couldn't help but sweat drop when he repeatedly pushed and pulled on the stick, revealing and then re-hiding the cotton, and it annoyed the half demon so much, that he struck Miroku with a glare. "Will you stop that already!"

With too much force, Miroku accidentally pushed too hard on the stick, and the cotton fell completely out of its original place, onto the grass before him.

"You broke it," Shippo frowned. Now Kagome would be really upset.

However, this did not faze Miroku at all; in fact, he picked up the small cotton and realized it was still attached to the string, which helped him sum of its entire purpose. "I do believe it was meant to come out of this plastic tube…"

"Huh?"

"Allow me to demonstrate. I believe this device is meant for severe wounds, just as many of Lady Kagome's medical supplies, but we have never been so injured to the point that we would need this, all with the exception of Inuyasha who succumbed to many fatal injuries in the past, and given that he is a half demon, there are likely no reasons he should need these as we might."

"Yeah, so what's it for Miroku?" Inuyasha asked quite curious.

"I believe that if a wound is too great, it can be used to stop the flow of the blood, or keep the patient from bleeding to death. It's simple my friends. You place this inside a wound, given that its deep enough and you push it inside, allowing for this cotton to block the blood flow," Miroku explained.

Shippo mused quietly before his gaze fell on the string. "Yeah, that makes sense, but what about the string? What's it do?"

Again Miroku had a reasonable explanation for this. "I believe that it is used to pull the object out, so that it doesn't get stuck inside…and then removed for later purposes, perhaps cleaning the wound properly once the blood flow has lessened, it makes sewing the wound up much easier."

After remaining silent for so long, observing and witnessing the small scene before him, he suddenly found his curiosity speaking louder than his thoughts. "If that's so…then how does something so small block such a huge wound?"

Miroku scratched his face, musing to himself. "Shippo, hand me one of Kagome's water bottles."

The child did just that, and after removing the lid, he handed the clear container to the monk, who took it without hesitation. "If my theory is right, this cotton should expand as soon as it is moistened, and I do not believe a lot is required for such purposes." With that said, he poured a small amount of water onto the cotton and all eyes suddenly grew wide in surprise.

Shippo's mouth flew open and he awed at the sight, and Link couldn't help but widen his eyes. "Whoa, it did get bigger!"

"Well I'd be damned…the monk was right," Inuyasha muttered to himself.

Excitedly, the little fox child reached for Kagome's flowery bag and rummaged inside of it for more amazing and mysterious objects. "I wonder what else she has in here! Hey, what about this Miroku?" Shippo handed the monk a small brightly colored, yellow object, square in shape.

Glancing at the soft, silken fabric, he pulled it away and found that it contained a thin, cushion-like mass of soft material, almost the length of his palm, and it was shaped like an hourglass no less. "Hmm…how interesting" Turning it over, he noticed a rectangular covering on the back and after pulling it away, it revealed a sticky substance. How interesting indeed. "It's like Lady Kagome's bandages, only backwards…" Motioning for Shippo to approach him, he lowered the object down and after pushing the child's pants up, he wrapped it around the child's leg, with the sticky part facing out. It seemed to him that overlapping the fabric would indeed allow for it to stick.

Shippo looked at the oddly placed bandage. "It feels weird…and it's too big."

Inuyasha observed the whole scene. "Looks stupid to me."

For some reason, this didn't seem right to either of the three, Miroku, Link and Shippo, due to their little knowledge of Kagome's medical supplies.

"Maybe it's gauze, and the sticky stuff keeps it in place?" Shippo asked.

Miroku nodded. "Yes, that does make sense." With that figured out, Miroku returned her belongings, or what was left and usable, placed back into her flowery bag before returning it into the yellow backpack. However, just as he was about to stop pillaging through her belongings, he noticed another mystery inside her bag, and it was a secret compartment that housed a truly divine piece of fabric, one that had his mouth watering at the sight. "My friends, I believe I have just found one of the many treasures that our dear priestess owns…"

"What's that Miroku?" Shippo asked curiously.

Without a second to spare, he revealed the thin fabric to his friends, and it looked exactly as Inuyasha had described it only yesterday afternoon, in his sketch in the dirt. A brightly colored pink and black two piece, enlaced with two ribbons of opposite colors, were embroidered on each side of the lower half where the strings met with the hips, and one ribbon at the upper half centered in the middle.

Miroku's eyes sparkled. "Truly a remarkable sight, wouldn't you agree?" He smirked at young Link, whose face had darkened to a scarlet hue, especially at the directed comment from the monk to himself.

Shippo blinked. "Do you like it Link? Kagome used to always wear it before Miroku showed up."

Miroku looked at the child. "You have seen her wear this?"

"Yeah. She used to wear it when we were near a stream or lake whenever it was hot and go for a swim…but like I said before, she never wears it any more now that you're around." He turned away yet eyed the monk from the corner of his eye. "Perverted monk…"

Inuyasha suddenly snickered at this, while the monk felt entirely appalled for being blamed, and that it was his fault, his very existence to his group that he would never get to see the fair and lovely Kagome in her bikini. Miroku blamed his once cursed hand…

OOO

After being granted an audience with the King, Koume hastily made her way back to the shop, her thoughts conjuring up many scenarios of the confrontation between these newcomers and the King. The witch pondered briefly, if there was truly anything these humans could do to help them, and if possible, would they go out and search for the abducted princess. Koume, herself wasn't sure, but she and her sister would soon find out if these people were who they said they would be.

While her broom carried her through the skies, a constant and echoing noise resonated beneath the woods below her, and curious, she stopped mid-flight and searched with her eyes for the source. If she didn't know any better, she'd say she recognized that pitiful and irritating wail. "Sister will have a fit if I bring him back to the house…" She sighed. Then again, if she didn't, then that feeling would no doubt crawl up inside her…how troublesome…"

OOO

A sigh of relief flooded over the priestess and she happily wrapped her beige towel around her form, before combing out the knots in her hair with her fingers. "That felt great!"

From the sidelines, Serena agreed. "I can see why you humans love it so much! I could sit in that rag forever…thanks for that Kagome."

"You're welcome. We should do this more often," She replied.

Sango smiled, squeezing the water out of her long, brunette hair before tossing it over her bare back. Lowering herself down, she picked up her pink kimono and pulled the pink fabric over her shoulders before sliding her arms through the sleeves. "It was nice. It's been a while since we enjoyed ourselves like this."

The priestess agreed before reaching for her neatly folded school uniform off to the side of the spring. At least now, thanks to her detergent, she could wear her school uniform again. All The blood that had been previously stained in the fabric was gone, and there were no stains or spots to be seen.

Ever so nosey, and always one to speak her own thoughts out loud, little Serena, the fairy, couldn't help but eye the slayer from behind, her eyes, glimpsing the scar on her back before she fully pulled her kimono closed. "Hey Sango…can I ask you something?"

The slayer curiously turned her attention to the fairy. "What's that?"

"Not to be rude, but how did you get such a scar on your back? Was it in battle?"

After asking such a question, everyone in the cave paused, and Kagome couldn't help but frown to herself; she of course knew the cause of her scar, and it wasn't something her friend wished to talk about.

Seeing this silence, Serena felt her wings droop, and she quickly apologized when she saw the slayer lower her gaze to the ground before tying her hair back loosely. 'Uh oh, I did it again…Link always said my mouth would bring trouble…'

Despite the fairy's anxiousness to take back what she had said, Sango offered a small yet feeble smile before shaking her head slowly. "It was a long time ago and to be honest, it a was an accident…" Sango didn't say anymore on the subject, and Serena didn't bother to pry any further.

Serena suddenly brightened up when a thought suddenly came to her. "Well…if that's the case, then I happen to know of a few stray fairies that can help. You see, they have magical powers that can help heal really bad wounds, and even scars."

Though the information seemed much appreciated, Sango simply smiled. "No, it is fine. This scar is a reminder of all that I have endured, and accomplished."

Serena understood but she sighed nonetheless. "Just like Link…"

Kagome perked up at the mentioning of Link, and she couldn't help speak up. "You mean the scars on his body and his hand?"

Serena couldn't help but snicker at this, causing the young raven haired girl to curiously stare at her. "Ohh…so you got a good look at his body?" She teased, causing Kagome to blush and Sango to curiously stare between the two.

"What? No! Not like that," Kagome replied, shaking her hands in front of her. What in the world?

"What are you two talking about?" Sango asked.

Serena once again tittered. "Kagome said she was looking at Link's body…very closely if I might add," Serena stared at the priestess's open mouth and laughed out loud. "See? She's red in the face! Told you!"

Sango smiled and Kagome denied the very thought, though she couldn't help blush further.

"No, I saw it when I was helping heal his wounds before."

The fairy couldn't help herself, as she fluttered next to Sango before perching herself on the slayer's shoulder, her eyes staring at the blushing school girl in front of her. "So…you and Link seem awfully close recently…" She commented.

"No closer than we have been…why?" Kagome hesitantly asked, not liking where this conversation going. She swore that this conversation reminded her of how her three friends back home would try to pry into her private life, and it usually centered around Hojo or Inuyasha. "There's nothing going on between us—" Before she could explain further, Serena shook her little fairy head and interrupted.

Serena didn't give up. "Oh really? Because that's not what I saw…Girl, don't even deny it," She said, smirking inwardly at the faint blush cover her cheeks, and the fairy knew Kagome remembered. "Does the Stock Pot Inn ring a bell? Or how about you and Link alone together?"

"Huh? Wait, Kagome, did something happen between you and Link that night?" Sango asked. An image of her and Link together suddenly brought a blush to her face. "Did he tell you about what had happened before you were rescued."

Before Kagome could reply, Serena yet again interrupted. "Yeah, and he said he'd be her shield and protect her too!" She giggled.

Sango and Kagome blushed, and when the slayer noticed that the young girl didn't deny it, the slayer couldn't help but place a delicate hand to her own mouth, smiling to herself.

"Sango, you should have been there. It was so intense!" She exclaimed, despite Kagome's silent protests to stop. "I mean there was touching, there was eye contact, ohh and there was kissing!"

The slayer suddenly gaped and did a double take. Her brown, large eyes stared at Kagome incredulously and then to the fairy on her shoulder. "Kagome? Wait, but what about Inuyasha?"

Serena's laughing suddenly halted and a silence suddenly fell in between the three of them. "Wait, wait, wait…you and Inuyasha?" She fluttered in front of Kagome's face, her pink light darkened. "I thought the two of you were just friends…do you guys have some history or?"

Kagome sent a quick glare to Sango, who silently apologized behind the fairy's back before sending her eyes to the questioning Serena in front of her. "We're just friends, me and Inuyasha…it was a long time ago. He…preferred someone else," She admitted. "I guess he couldn't get over his ex," She faked a laugh. "And there was no kissing involved," Kagome couldn't help but blush further, to the point where her face took on a lovely hue of scarlet.

Serena wanted to roll her eyes. "There was definitely kissing Sango. Don't even try to deny it, Kagome. A kiss on the cheek is still considered kissing." At the sight of Kagome's open mouth, the fairy continued. "You should be proud of yourself. I haven't seen the boy smile so long in a long time…even if it wasn't a lot of lip action…" Serena sighed.

Wanting to voice her thoughts out loud, Sango found herself merely staring, stunned and tongue tied at the two. So Kagome had kissed Link? Or did Link kiss her? The priestess even admitted to not feeling anything for Inuyasha anymore, which certainly meant that much had indeed changed during their arrival to Termina. Could it be that, because of Inuyasha's sudden change in character that he also knew of Kagome's unexpected infatuation with their companion, Link? Was she truly interested in the boy? There was little about this situation that Kagome had yet to share with her fully, and she hoped some light would be shined on this soon.

A small cry disrupted her train of thought, and the slayer suddenly turned her attention to kagome, noticing that she, now fully clothed, was holding little fairy Serena in her palm closely. "What happened?"

Kagome looked up worriedly. "I don't know, she suddenly passed out," She replied, quite concerned when she saw her pink light suddenly dimmed and brighten, as if out of focus. "Serena?" She called, and when she caught sight of her fluttering wings, a sigh escaped her.

Serena raised herself up from Kagome's palm. "Wow…I suddenly felt really dizzy…"

"Maybe we've been in here too long, and it's the heat from the spring?" Sango asked, and judging by Kagome's agreement, the little fairy accepted this. "Well, just to be safe, let's head back, so that the guys can have their turn in the spring."

Kagome and Serena nodded.

OOO

While in the moment of sweeping her porch off, a sudden change in the air turned Kotake's attention away from the lecherous boys down below, going through what appeared to be the young girl's large satchel and to the woods to her right. "I sense a disturbance brewing..."

As if to answer her question, Koume suddenly appeared from the tree tops and soured to the shop ahead, carrying with her a small green bundle, its constant and ever present wailing which caused Kotake to grip her boom tightly and her brow to twitch violently.

As Koume hovered on her broomstick, the boys couldn't help but pause in their search of the mysterious things from Kagome's backpack and look up to the witch questionably before Koume suddenly dropped whatever it was onto the ground before them before rejoining her sister on the porch, who seemed none too pleased about the unexpected surprise.

"Sister! Explain why you brought that misfit here, again?" Kotake barked at her younger sibling, who did nothing more but lower her head apologetically.

"Forgive me, but he kept crying. I couldn't just leave him there, stuck in that tree,"

"Yes you can, just look the other way and keep going!" Kotake replied with a wave of her hand. "Maybe it'll teach him a lesson for once!"

Koume sighed. "You're so cruel, sister…"

"Thank you, I sometimes worry about you, but thank you," With that said, she resumed sweeping the porch while her sister, Koume, brought word from his majesty, to which her ears were itching to hear.

OOO

All eyes remained fixed on the small, paunchy, familiar green man, who's appearance was anything but pleasing, and yet questioning all the same. The little guy's tight, fitted one piece green suit was torn in several places, covered in dirt from head to toe.

A twitch developed beneath the half demon's eye, as he stared over his shoulder at the crying and sobbing little man. If it was one thing, it was another. And here he thought he'd seen the last of Tingle… "Shit…" He cursed.

With a pair of lacy panties twisted around his fingers, Miroku offered a kind smile to the little guy. "What a surprise. How have you been?" He thought for a moment, trying to remember his name... "Tingle was it?"

Tingle's eyes, though reddened from his obsessive crying moments before, caught sight a familiar silver haired man, the very man who had the audacity to show his face after all that he had done to him way back in Great Bay. "Inuyasha…" The name fell from his tongue distastefully.

Not bothered by the use of his name, Inuyasha merely eyed the small guy. "What the hell are you doing here?" He asked without so much of a care.

Though it was a mystery as to why Tingle was upset, the little guy, pushed himself off his bottom and proceeded to stand, feet apart and hands clenched at his sides as he sent Inuyasha a glare that was half met. "Tingle hates you! How could you Inuyasha!?"

Miroku and Shippo stared at the half demon, while Link couldn't help but watch as a long strand of yellowish snot fell down Tingle's nose and at the top of his lip before sniffing it back in; the sight was very appalling to Link, yet he said nothing but sent the man a sad glance.

Shippo frowned at Inuyasha. "Now what did you do?"

"Me? In case you haven't noticed, I've been sitting here this entire time, Shippo!" Inuyasha remarked as a matter of fact, and Miroku nodded in agreement, still the monk couldn't help but wonder what could have upset the little guy so much; the last he remembered, him and Inuyasha were supposedly best friends.

"It's your fault! All of it! Because of you Tingle got stuck in a tree with a turtle trying to kill Tingle!" Tingle ranted very much outraged, still speaking in third person as always.

Still, the half demon didn't seem fazed and he questioned Tingle's sanity. "What the heck are you going on about? How is that my fault?"

Tingle pointed his little finger at him. "If you didn't abandon Tingle in Great Bay, Tingle never would have gotten into this mess!"

This bit of information caught Link off guard. "As I recall, we had rescued you, but I do not remember seeing you with us on the beach…" Link found himself wondering. In truth, he had thought the little guy had gone his own way before hand, but apparently that had not been the case.

Tingle scoffed at the mere mention of 'rescue.' "Inuyasha, you pushed Tingle off that flying feline! How could you? Tingle thought you were his friend?" He cried, but that only caused Inuyasha to blink.

All eyes fell on the half demon, and he returned his own with a look that said, 'what.'

"The weirdo was getting on my nerves…so I pushed him off…" He admitted, surprising his friends, and unnerving Tingle to no end. Hell, Inuyasha had thought he'd done his friends and himself a favor; at least he ended up with one less headache.

Miroku, placing the small clothing onto the ground, struck his friend a disappointed look. "You didn't…" As he remembered correctly, before escaping the burning fortress, Tingle had been out cold. Now that he remembered it, he had forgotten about the guy after that, and therefore, there hadn't been any questions regarding Tingle's disappearance. "I would think you of all people would know better, my friend. At the time, he was clearly unconscious…"

Inuyasha glared. "No, he was staring at me…not to mention drooling!" Inuyasha shivered at the image and glanced at the irate fairy man off to the side. "See? He's okay, so there's no reason to get upset about it. Besides, if I remember correctly, we did save your ass from getting burned," Inuyasha replied, hoping it would shed light on Tingle's obsessive rant, but judging by the sight of Tingle's temper, it hadn't. "What's that word Kagome uses…oh yeah, stop being such a damn drama queen!"

Fed up, Tingle stomped his foot and turned his back to the group of boys. "From this day on, Tingle and Inuyasha are no longer friends! Tingle hates you!" With that said, he walked away, but unfortunately he didn't get very far when he suddenly stumbled over his own two feet before crashing chin first into the ground.

Everyone sweat dropped.

Hearing small sobs escape him, Link couldn't help but stand up and cross over to Tingle before kneeling down and offering him a hand up. "I apologize for Inuyasha's mistreatment towards you Tingle."

Tingle's eyes watered and he took the boy's hand before returning to his feet, though he didn't turn to face the group. He sniffled and blew his nose into his sleeve before wiping at his face furiously with his hands. "Tingle is not mad at you, fairy boy…Tingle is sad…Tingle needs to return to town…but Tingle's balloon is gone…" He sniffled, and the bags under his eyes told Link that he probably had a hard time sleeping since they last saw him. "What will Tingle do?" He muttered to himself.

Miroku, Link and Shippo pitied him, and after sending Inuyasha a disappointed look, the half demon felt his eye twitch in annoyance.

Unsure of what to do, now that Tingle was among them and in a poor state of mind and appearance, Link couldn't help but awkwardly scratch his cheek, before turning back to look at Inuyasha, who had clearly read the look on the boy's face before he opened his mouth.

"No. There is no way he's coming with us," Inuyasha glared, and Link couldn't help but sweat drop.

"Come now Inuyasha, there's no reason to get upset," Miroku replied. "Having him tag along with us wouldn't be that much trouble.

Inuyasha glares. "The little guy is nothing but trouble. Remember when he got in the way at the fortress?"

Even though Inuyasha did have a reason to not like Tingle, Link had to admit that the little guy was more trouble than most. After all, Tingle did blow their cover when they had first attempted to sneak into the stronghold, which had resulted in Link taking a different route, under water to sneak inside without the assailment of fire arrows thrown at them.

Annoyed, the little man crossed his arms and turned his nose into the air. "Tingle doesn't want to go anywhere with Inuyasha!"

"Yeah, don't force it on him," Inuyasha agreed, thankful that he might yet be saved from some headaches later on.

"Tingle," Miroku suddenly called out to him. "Where are you headed right now? The least we could do for you is have you tag along with us."

A growl escaped the half demon. "Monk, you don't know when to stop! You're worse than Kagome!" Inuyasha argued, glaring at Miroku who returned the glare back.

Miroku looked at Inuyasha. "I will not take that as an insult. In fact, I'll take that as a compliment. For Lady Kagome is pure at heart…"

Inuyasha was taken aback from this and suddenly felt the urge to roll his eyes. "Miroku, have you looked at yourself lately? There is nothing 'pure' about you. You say that you're a holy monk, but we all know the truth. You're nothing but a lecher that goes around pilfering through young girls belongings! You even go so far as to ask them to bear your children, and if that doesn't help, you grope them every chance you get!"

Miroku felt his eye brow twitch at this, but he didn't deny of it of course. The only reason he did what he did was because he took after his father. It was in his blood. "And you my friend are no better than an insolent child with no respect—"

"Oh shove it Miroku!"

Before Miroku could say anything, he was interrupted by a high pitched voice saying, "Oh what is this?" before looking down to find that Tingle had suddenly found one of Kagome's bikini tops. "Oh that's—" Before the monk could explain the use of such clothing, Tingle suddenly tied the strings around his cone shaped head with the bikini top covering each of his eyes.

"Ooh! Are these some type of new goggles?" Tingle asked, his vision blinded by the strange contraption.

Inuyasha snickered at this, and he would have said it was, but suddenly he felt his ears twitch at the sound of feminine laughter some ways back, and he stood up. "Well that's my que to leave…" He walked away, but not before turning back to Link, who merely blinked in question. "You coming, Link?"

"Huh?" Puzzled, Link stood up and followed after the retreating half demon, before looking over his shoulder curiously. From a distance, he saw the girls returning back from their bath, and it dawned on him that he and Inuyasha were making an escape.

Without question as to why they were headed into the Woods of Mystery, Link continued after Inuyasha quietly, his thoughts puzzled as to why the half demon had wanted him to follow after him in the first place. It didn't make sense. Normally he would have turned his nose in the air and looked or gone in the opposite direction, but this was not the case.

An ear piercing shriek suddenly resonated throughout the woods, and Link flinched at the sound before stopping and looking back, but he and Inuyasha were well out of sight of the witch's cabin to see anything. Still, Link recognized the scream all too well.

Noticing the youth pause, Inuyasha stopped and with his sensitive hearing, identified Kagome as the source of the noise. "She'll get over it," He replied before continuing on, much to Link's dismay. "Don't worry about it."

Link complied silently, but after a few short minutes of wandering through the foliage and taking random paths, he couldn't help but lag behind. His blue eyes were glued to the half demon in front of him. For whatever reason that it was, Inuyasha had saved himself and had given Link the opportunity to escape, but why he was leading him through the woods was indeed a mystery to Link. Was there really any need to go this far?

Deciding this was probably far enough, the half demon turned, and when he noticed the large distance placed between him and the boy, he couldn't help but fold his arms in his sleeves.

Also pausing in his step, he looked into Inuyasha's amber eyes, and for a moment, he couldn't decipher what was going through the half demon's head that had caused him to drag him this far out and away from the others. "I do not mean to be rude…" Link began, and when it seemed he had his fullest attention, he continued. "Why did you drag me out here?"

Inuyasha arched a brow. "Isn't it obvious? I'm looking for those murderous turtles," He replied as if it was common knowledge, and this only caused Link to blink in stupidity.

Awkwardly, Link rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the area stiffen lightly. Was that what it was? Looking around the area they occupied, there were no sightings of the giant reptiles, in fact, the woods were quiet. Blue eyes returned to Inuyasha's, and he returned the stare just the same. "Inuyasha…"

"What?"

"Why are you suddenly so talkative towards me now?" Link asked, removing his hand from the back of his neck to rest at his side.

The half demon narrowed his gaze. "Why, you got a problem with me talking to you?" He asked gruffly, but Link only shook his head at this.

"No…just curious…"

Inuyasha unfolded his arms, and for a moment, he seemed conflicted with his inner thoughts. "Look…I'm just going to say this once…" He began, and with an irritated scowl, he closed his eyes and sighed. "Sorry…for treating you like I have in the past…"

Link blinked. Wait, what? He was apologizing?

Satisfied that he had gotten that out of the way, Inuyasha couldn't help but sigh. At least he had gotten that off of his chest, but he still felt the awkward tension in the air surrounding himself and the boy. Before passing Link and returning to the others, his ears twitched at the sound of something snapping nearby.

Link also heard the disruption in the woods, and in but a matter of seconds his sword was drawn and he took on a defensive stance beside the half demon, who couldn't help but observe the boy quietly before turning to his surroundings.

"How well do you know these woods?" Inuyasha found himself asking. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword as his eyes searched around him.

Link narrowed his eyes. "Not too well, I'm afraid," He replied, his blue gaze also searching through the foliage around him.

Suddenly, the pebbles at their feet shook, and suspicious, Link and Inuyasha stared directly ahead, down the path where an alarming chorus of shrieking resonated followed after by a questionable sound resembling that of clashing blades.

In an instant, Link recognized the noise, and before he could move out of harm's way, a blur of white flooded his vision, and he was suddenly swept off his feet. Because Inuyasha had reacted quickly, he managed to pull himself and Link out of the path of the frightened monkeys and spinning turtles. The sight was baffling in any case, but Link had come to the assumption that the monkeys had stirred up the irritation of the turtles, known as Snappers.

"Well, I guess we found the murderous turtles," Inuyasha replied.

Link nodded. "They are hostile, so I'm not surprised Tingle ran into trouble." From his place in the tree, Link turned to Inuyasha. "Thanks for that."

Annoyed, the half demon leapt from the branch and folded his arms in his sleeves, while Link managed to safely jump to the bottom. "Don't get used to it. Anyways, lets head back."

Agreeing, Link aided the half demon through the Woods of Mystery, and after a few moments of walking down the pathways, they found themselves safely back at the entrance, where the orange cottage and waterfall in the distance greeted them.

"And where exactly have you two been?" Kagome asked, her hands placed on each side of her hips as she leaned into Inuyasha with a hint of annoyance in her eyes.

Inuyasha didn't seem bothered. "Exploring the woods."

Narrowing her brown eyes, the priestess shook her head, her raven locks fanning around her before crossing her arms defiantly. "Whatever. Just go get your baths over with." Not long after hers and Sango's bath, she had returned to the camp and what did she stumble upon? Miroku, Shippo, and some weird little man dressed in some gaudy, tight green outfit with a cone head pilfering through her belongings, and to make matter worse, they were unwrapping her personal items and trying them on as if it was nothing to be ashamed of! Of course she had pictured Miroku as the kind of creep to rummage through her things, but somehow he got Shippo involved and worse, some weird little man! Kagome had found her things in disarray, and even her underwear was on display.

Kagome felt the fire inside her rise up, and she clenched her hands. "Well?" She glared at the half demon who refused to budge from his spot, settling only to stare at her as if she had grown three heads, and Link on the other hand, well he wasn't even looking her in the eyes, for whatever reason, she was unsure.

From the sidelines, Sango sat beside Kagome's backpack with Kirara nuzzled in her lap, and she sweat dropped. Even she was irritated, but after delivering enough blows to the lecherous monk, she felt much better. On the other hand, Serena sat with Sango, quiet for a first as she witnessed the priestess nearly go off on Inuyasha.

With a shrug of his shoulders, and not wanting to tempt fate into sitting him just yet, Inuyasha sauntered away from the riled up priestess, with his hands placed behind his head nonchalantly. However, when he realized Link wasn't following, he stopped and glanced over his shoulder.

Realizing Link was still standing before her, Kagome blinked. "Link?" Before she could ask him what was wrong, and why he wasn't looking her in the eyes, she couldn't help but remember the conversation between her and Serena in the spring, and she found herself looking down quite embarrassed and awkward.

"Don't even try to deny it, Kagome. A kiss on the cheek is still considered kissing."

Kagome blushed. Well, she did kiss him, but it wasn't as if she did it because she held feelings for him. Right? The kiss had been a thank you. It was nothing more than that…But thinking back on the time she and Link were alone together in the room back in town, Kagome couldn't help but remember all that had happened between them. When she cleaned his wounds, her fingers had lingered longer than they should have on his chest, and then when she had realized they had been close to kissing, Kagome recalled how nervous and timid she felt, and just looking into his eyes had been a challenge. In all honesty, it reminded her of having a crush on some boy in school.

Then when Link mentioned he had something important to tell her that night, she grew fidgety and embarrassed because she had thought he was going to ask her out, but instead he revealed that she had been rescued before anything awful had befallen her from the clutches of Sakon.

Still, why did she suddenly assume then that he was going to confess his love to her? Kagome had jumped to conclusions, and still that hadn't been the case at all.

And then…

"Kagome, I'll be your shield," He softly voiced. "I'll protect you…"

She couldn't help but hear his voice replay those few short words to her, and it had been enough to make her swoon almost. At the time, her heart had skipped a beat, and her stomach seemed to perform summersaults along with those small little butterflies. Link…he was serious about protecting her…If Kagome didn't know any better, she'd think he had confessed to her, but she didn't think that at all. Still, Kagome found herself blushing at the mere thought of it all.

Unaware of Kagome's thoughts, Link found himself nervously rubbing the back of his neck. He wasn't sure why he had fallen silent before her. Well one thing was certain, he felt bad that the guys had rummaged through her things, and he wanted to apologize for not doing anything to stop it, but he couldn't find his voice.

Looking back into her eyes, Link couldn't help but blush when he found her staring back at him. The priestess's face had taken on a hue much like his own, but what really caught him off guard was her passionate gaze, directed at him no less. It shocked him, and he felt his chest tighten suddenly. What was she thinking about?

Nervously, Kagome found herself fixing the hem of her skirt. "Link…h-how are your injuries?"

Link gulped. "They're um…I think almost healed," He replied.

With a roll of his eyes, and a glare directed at Inuyasha by the oldest witch up on her porch, Inuyasha decided to interrupt the small moment between the swordsman and the priestess. Grabbing Link's head, he pulled him away from Kagome, much to their surprise and pushed him ahead toward the waterfall where he was sure Miroku and the others were bathing.

The slayer's eyes widened, and when she saw her female friend turn around, flustered and embarrassed, she placed hand over her mouth. It was just as Serena had said. Kagome was in love with Link or she didn't realize it, and surprisingly, the little fairy hadn't said a word.

OOO

After arriving at the hot spring, Inuyasha found himself snickering at Miroku, who clearly ignored him. From what he could see, the monk had two lumps on his head and his nose had taken quite the hit, and he could only guess that Sango had joined in with her female friend. "She got you good this time, monk." After discarding his robe of the fire rat, he saw Shippo scowling on the other side of the spring. "What's with that face, Shippo?"

The child turned and pointed his little finger at the half demon. "You knew she was coming, didn't you? Now I'm grounded! Kagome says I can't play her Gameboy for a week, and I was already on the fourth level!" Shippo complained.

"Hey, you were the ones going through her things. Link and I had nothing to do with it," Replied the half demon.

Annoyed, Shippo struck Inuyasha with a glare before turning his emerald gaze to Link. The look the kit shot the boy read one word, and that was 'traitor.'

Because he didn't seem to have an ounce of care at the moment, Inuyasha reclined into the steamy water, feeling all his aches and pains lift away. It felt nice to kick back and relax sometimes, and this was just what he needed. Inuyasha closed his eyes in contentment before opening them. Across the steamy mist, he made out Tingle's figure, sitting on rim of the hot spring, dipping his dainty feet into the water, and just like the monk, he was also sporting many bumps and bruises. Inuyasha didn't care.

After removing his clothes and piling them to the side, Link relaxed into the spring, but he couldn't help but look at Inuyasha. "Gameboy?" Link whispered in confusion.

"It's some children's game from Kagome's world," Inuyasha replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

With that said, the four cleansed themselves in the steamy bath, and staying no longer than twenty minutes in the hot water, they quickly dressed and prepared for their confrontation with the King.