A/N: Thanks for the kind reviews last chapter! I've had this story bubbling in my thoughts for a while and just now found the means to get it out. Without further ado, however, here's chapter 2!

Oh yeah, and I still don't own Inuyasha...

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Inuyasha watched as an orange glow grew in the sky and the sun made its debut. His eyes ached with its intense light as the orb pulled its head from the warm pillow hidden some place on the other side of the earth. He stretched a bit, taking great pleasure in the bits of warmth that were beginning to shine from the celestial orb taking its throne in the sky as his eyes adjusted to the brightness of it all.

The grass below him, as he observed from his perch up high in the branches of a Japanese maple, glistened as if they had been sprinkled with ground emeralds and liquid diamonds. A faint smile traced his lips as he watched the morning dew reflect the morning sun and his thoughts quickly turned to the girl who's eyes sparkled much like the dampness below him.

Kagome. Did you sleep well, my Kagome?

He shook the dampness from his silver tresses and straightened the fabric of his fire rat kimono before he allowed his gaze to travel to the girl of his affections. A faint smile eclipsed his lips once more as he watched her peacefully sleeping form. He could hear her steady breathing, deep and slow, signaling that she was still very much sleeping even as the sun rose. He allowed his eyes to trail along the curve of her body. He allowed his eyes to watch the glimmer in her hair that the sun magnified beautifully. His only wish was to see her eyes open and catch the sun's light so their beautiful glitter within could be released.

He allowed his gaze to wander to the rest of his companions on this little shard hunt. Miroku slept propped against the tree trunk below him. After proving his intentions near Sango to be lecherous, the demon exterminator had made sure to leave the impression of her hand on his cheek and forced him away from the camp ground for the night. Inuyasha snorted a bit, trying to stifle his laughter, as he remembered last night's events.

Sango lay at Kagome's feet in one of those "bags of sleeping" things that Kagome had brought with her from home. He could never really grasp the concept of these things. As far as he was concerned, they were just blankets sown into a bag shape that constricted you all night and would slow you down if you were under attack.

Kirara and Shippo slept peacefully, snuggled into the small of Sango's back for warmth. The little kitsune used the little fire cat demon as a pillow throughout the nights that Kagome fell asleep too early for him to snuggle with her. Although the kitsune never complained, it was obvious to everyone that he was much happier in the morning if he had slept under the protection of his serrogate mother instead of the fire cat.

What's this scent?

Inuyasha lifted his nose to the wind, searching for a definition of the new aroma that had wafted to his nose. He noted right away that it was a very familiar scent. It smelt of life and water with just a hint of lilac blossoms.

Kagome.

His gaze shot in her direction as he continued to smell. It was undoubtedly her scent, but something about it had changed. It was more intense and filled with a much stronger emotion than her normal state of calm or even her outraged visage.

She's only ever angry because you provoke her, you dolt.

He leapt from the tree and snuck over to her, his hand tight on the tetsusaiga to keep his demon blood from taking control, blocking out his memory and therefore probably destroying the young girl before him as well as everyone else on the camp site.

He felt a tremor of fear run through his body as a vision of himself with crimson eyes and purple markings on his cheeks came clearly into his vision. He watched as his already enhanced nails became ruthless daggers. He watched helplessly as he tore everything in front of him to shreds. He could hear his ragged breathing with the physical exertion and he could feel the adrenaline pumping through his system at the prospect of blood flowing freely from those that he loved most.

"Inuyasha! NO! INUYASHA!"

He shook his head, freeing himself from the terrible vision of destruction that had had him hypnotized for the past few minutes. He had heard his woman screaming out in fear and loss and the strong sting of guilt still struck him hard in the gut as he turned to look at her, half fearing that he had actually transformed and began his blood lusted assault. His eyes softened, however, as he watched the small miko cringing within her sleeping bag.

Kagome, I'm so happy I didn't hurt you!

He crouched close to her and grasped her shoulder, trying to pass along comfort with his touch. It did little more than send her into a wave of convulsions and he quickly drew away.

"Kagome. Wake up, Kagome. Its just a bad dream."

"Inuyasha? Where's your sword, you oaf? Where's your...INUYASHA!"

He fell to his rear as Kagome sat up, breathing hard and covered in sweat from her night terror. Her face had paled considerably and the stench of fear came off of her in waves, making Inuyasha's stomach sick. He stared, frozen to the spot as her chest heaved in and out with the force it took to get any amount of oxygen into her lungs. He gulped as her honey eyes, stained with a hint of green from the tears welling in her eyes, turned to meet his amber as she began to survey her surroundings.

"Inuyasha?"

It was a whisper full of doubt and disbelief. Had it not been for his pwerful demon hearing, Inuyasha highly doubted that he would have heard his name roll of her lips. He shivered a bit, in spite of the morning heat.

"Kagome, are you...are you alright? You wreak of fear," he cooed as he inched closer, "and you're sweating as if I just forced you to run from here all the way back to Kaede's."

"Inuyasha!! I was so scared you'd be gone!"

She had been pulling off the sleeping bag as she spoke and there was nothing the half demon could do to avoid the assault of her arms around his neck. He slowly snaked his arms around her waist and almost immediately he could smell her tears.

"Shhh. I'm here, Kagome. I'm real."

"I kn-kn-know."

He could feel the eyes of the others burning a hole into his neck, but at this point in time, their scrutinizing gaze didn't matter to him. He wanted nothing more than to make Kagome stop crying, but something felt so wrong about the whole thing. Slowly, Inuyasha turned his head and out of the corner of his eye, he saw a tall woman with scarlet eyes and a white folded fan grinning menacingly at the friends that were caught off guard.

"Kagome, you have to-"

"I know. Just, don't die on me, alright?"

"Keh. Not by the hands of this windbag."

Reluctantly, he allowed his grip on Kagome to loosen and he stood, unsheathing his tetsusaiga as he turned to the Sorceress of Wind. Her stance had not changed since the first time he had caught her in their camp site. She still had a smug smirk plastered across her lips and a joke tucked into her eyes. It was obvious to Inuyasha, with his years of experience, that the punchline to this whole situation was a one on one battle to the death.

"Oh dear, Inuyasha. It appears I've ruined some kind of moment?"

"Shut it, witch. You didn't ruin nothing. Now what the hell do you want!?"

Inuyasha watched, his tetsusaiga poised and ready to taste the witch's blood, as she shifted her weight and dropped the arm holding the fan from her face.

"Actually, Inuyasha, it is I that have something you may want."

He allowed his tetsusaiga to rest against the earth, but never once allowed it to transform back to its normal katana state. Despite the sense of submission that Kagura was giving off, Inuyasha wanted to be ready to protect his friends if the need should arise.

"There's nothing that Inuyasha could want, Kagura. Now why don't you just hop on your feather and make your way out of here," spun the tongue of the monk that had taken his place by Inuyasha's side, ready for striking and ready to defend the miko and the demon exterminator behind him. His eyes skimmed the bushes and fell upon the forms of Shippo and Kirara tucked neatly inside.

"Don't be so sure monk," Kagura breathed out full of malice and spite, "There's one thing his heart desires more than anything and I'm not talking about the woman behind him."

Inuyasha's grip tightened on his sword with the bold words Kagura let fly.

If she knows about my feelings for Kagome, then she can use them against me! I'll never let the windbag hurt her!

A cold cackle fell from her lips as a large chunk of the jewel shard began to glow a deep, malicious purple in the palm of her hand. Her eyes came to rest on the hanyo's and desire for the power within her palm could be read almost as if the words had been imprinted in his eyes.

"Now, now, Inuyasha. This is still mine, unless you can pry it from my dead, cold hands."

"That'd be my pleasure. WIND-"

"Hold it! If you kill me now, you'll never get it from me."

Inuyasha lowered his tetsusaiga as the grey wind of the windscar began to blow the blades of grass beneath it apart.

"What's that wench!?"

"The only way you can win this from me is if you battle me there on the foot hills of Sanguine Mountain at sunset."

"Keh. Fine. I'll be there. And don't you back down, you hear me!?!"

Inuyasha could only hold his fist up in the air as Kagura pulled a feather from her hair and began to drift away to the foothills of Sanguine Mountain. His irritation made great cover for the fear that was growing in his heart. He would never tell anyone, but he knew that if he fought there it would be the death of him. No one from the Inu Youkai clan had ever done battle there and lived to tell the tale.

"You don't have to do this, Inuyasha. You know that right?"

Kagome watched her half demon comrade closely and felt a coolness settle between them as Inuyasha's gaze never once met hers. It was obvious to her that he was hiding something and Kagome was almost certain that it was fear.

"Kagome, if you ever want this era to be in peace, we need to finish the jewel. If I can win it off of Kagura, we'll be done. Then you can-"

"I can what? Leave you alone so you can go back to Kikyo!?"

"No. I wasn't gonna say that and you know it!"

"Then what is it, Inuyasha? What can I do after all of this is done?!"

"You can spend your time with me."

A blush crept over the hanyo's cheeks as he spoke and Kagome was certain that hers were on fire as well. It was the first time he had been open with her about his feelings and she was certain it would be one of the last times he would be as well.

"Do you mean it, Inu...Inuyasha?"

"Of course I do, wench. Now let's get packed up. It'll take all day to get to the base of that mountain."

The group made quick work of tucking everything into Kagome's backpack. When they were certain the fire had been put out for good and nothing would be set into a blaze for its own undoing, they took off towards the base of the red earthen mountain. Kagome, however, couldn't shake the feeling that there was something to her dream and that her beloved would fall victim to whatever it was that was about to rear its head.