Well, I am officially bored. At least I can write. There's nothing really for me to do, except sit in front of the fan and try to keep cool. Man, it's hot out. This heat wave is going to be the death of me. I just know it.

Save Me From Myself

Chapter Two: Traveling Hardships

After what happened, I cherished the memories of days past. Even though I know that I should be grateful to still be alive, I can't help but think about what things would be like if circumstances were different. I wish that things didn't have to go the way that they did. But, I can't change the past, even though it changed me...

- - -

InuYasha jumped out of the well with Kagome's bag in one hand and Kagome in the other. She glared at him for picking her up like that, but didn't say anything.

The two of them started to walk towards the village when Sango burst through the clearing that the well was in. "Great! You two are here! I came here to see if you guys had arrived yet. We heard a rumor about Naraku!"

"Well, let's get going, then!" InuYasha shouted angrily. He ran towards the village to get things ready for the trip.

"Did you really hear something about Naraku?" Kagome asked Sango, walking towards her friend. The breeze started to pick up and Kagome's bare legs started to get goose bumps.

Sango nodded. "Yes! We heard he was to the north," Sango explained, all business now. She looked past Kagome and got a hard look in her eye. "I know that when we meet him next time, it'll be the start of something huge. Prepare yourself, Kagome-chan."

Kagome was a little frightened at Sango's sudden... scariness, but Kagome just nodded in reply. "I will."

- - -

After a day of getting supplies ready and such, they left the morning after Kagome and InuYasha came back from the modern era.

The day before, Shippo had been whining to Kagome that he didn't want her to go "Back to the future" anymore. He was still a bit upset the morning that they left, but he was feeling better.

"So we're going north, right?" Kagome asked the group, walking with Sango next to her.

"Yes. We heard about some villages being killed by a strange miasma. We think it's a safe bet that Naraku's there," Miroku explained, turning his head slightly to speak to Kagome.

"I hate how long it's gonna take to get there," InuYasha said, crossing his arms in his sleeves.

"Be patient, InuYasha," Kagome said to the hanyou.

"Yes, InuYasha, patience is key," Miroku said, sounding very wise at that particular moment.

"Shut up, Miroku," InuYasha said, hitting the monk in the back of the head.

Miroku rubbed the lump that had formed and asked InuYasha, "Why did you do that?"

"Because I'll get hurt if I hit Kagome," InuYasha said, glaring at the road ahead of them.

Kagome looked angry. "If you were even thinking about--"

"No! I wasn't! It's a joke!" InuYasha said, putting up his hands to try and prove his innocence.

"It better have been a joke," Kagome seethed, glaring at the hanyou. He gulped and continued walking, making sure to distance himself a little bit farther from Kagome.

- - -

"You know that making fun of InuYasha just brings you pain," Sango said to Miroku as they were out gathering firewood for the night. Kagome had some of her fancy ninja food from her time.

"Yes, but it also is quite fun. You should try it some time. I'm sure that he wouldn't hit you, since you're a girl," Miroku said, smiling.

"Are we children again? That 'hitting a girl' thing is so stupid!" Sango said, picking up a stick for fire.

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really!"

Miroku walked over to Sango and lightly hit his fist against the top of her head.

"What did you do that for?" Sango shouted at Miroku.

"I'm trying to prove a point," the monk explained, shrugging. "Well, I suppose you're right. You can handle being hit... Though, that doesn't mean I'm going to start hitting you, now," Miroku said, picking up a stick.

"Well..." Sango said, looking at Miroku carefully. "Whatever. I'm glad you're not going to hit me."

"How could I hit such a beautiful woman, anyway?" And with that comment came the usual butt rubbing and face slapping.

Sango sighed and started to walk towards the camp, leaving a barely conscious Miroku behind.

He quickly went back to normal and gathered up his pile of firewood. "Wait, Sango, my dear! Don't leave me behind. Your beauty is too extravagant to leave alone!"

- - -

Would that stupid moron just keep his hands off of Sango for one minute? I would like to walk in peace for once! InuYasha softly growled, trying to ignore the almost constant sound of slapping.

Kagome walked next to him, sighing every so often when she heard the sound of slapping. Even though it was a nice day, she couldn't seem to enjoy it.

"What's wrong, Kagome?" InuYasha asked. Kagome turned her head to InuYasha and raised an eyebrow.

"Why do you care?" Kagome asked, curious about InuYasha's sudden interest in her feelings.

He looked back at her for a second, but then resumed looking straight ahead. "You've been sighing all day! It's getting sort of annoying."

Kagome glared and then turned her gaze to the path before them. "Oh. So you just want to get rid of a minor annoyance?" Kagome spat, crossing her arms.

"I didn't say that!" InuYasha bit back, stopping in his tracks and shouting at Kagome.

"Then what do you mean?" Kagome stood up straight and put her hands on her hips.

"I mean is I don't want to see you upset! I just wanted to know what's wrong! Is that a crime?" InuYasha shouted. He readjusted the bag on his back that he was carrying for Kagome. The quarreling two failed to notice that the exterminator, monk, and kitsune had stopped in their tracks, watching the fight play out.

Kagome's eyes widened and her hands fell from her hips. She went into a more casual pose and asked, "Do you really mean that?"

"Yes!" InuYasha grumbled, turning to walk on the path again. "Now, are you gonna stand there and gape or are you going to keep going?"

Kagome closed her mouth and walked faster to catch up to InuYasha. Behind her Sango and Miroku watched, both of them smiling a bit.

"What just happened?" Shippo asked, bouncing up on Sango's shoulder.

"I think InuYasha just did something right for once," Sango said, smirking.

"I would have to agree, my dearest Sango," Miroku added, following the hanyou and miko up in front.

Up in front, Kagome sighed once more.

"You didn't answer my question," InuYasha stated, not looking over to Kagome.

"Huh?"

"My question. What's wrong?"

"Oh, that question," Kagome said, sighing again. "It's just, I'm getting a really bad feeling. Like we're going to regret this."

"Regret what?"

Kagome sighed some more. "Going to fight Naraku."

"Oh."

The two were silent for a while, until InuYasha said, "Well, we're still going to fight Naraku. I'll protect you from whatever happens."

"I know that we're going to still fight him... I just can't shake this feeling," Kagome complained, hugging herself.

InuYasha frowned, suddenly realizing that he had been feeling that same thing lately. It was like dread and fear of what was going to come. He clenched his fist and furrowed his brow.

InuYasha was brought out of his thoughts by a sudden gasp.

"What?" InuYasha said urgently, turning to Kagome.

"There's no moon tonight!" Kagome whispered to InuYasha with wide eyes. It took a couple seconds for that fact to sink in for InuYasha. He turned to look at the sun's position and thought there may be about an hour or two of the day still left.

InuYasha turned around to address the rest of their group.

"We're going to travel farther into the forest, okay?" InuYasha shouted back to them.

Sango leaned over towards Miroku a bit and said to him, "Houshi-sama, what's wrong? Is there something the matter?"

Miroku thought for a moment as they followed the other two into the forest. "Ah! Tonight is the night of the new moon. Obviously InuYasha had forgotten, like the rest of us. We better be extra alert tonight, Sango."

"Y-yeah," Shippo said, popping up on Miroku's shoulder and shivering a little bit.

"Shippo, are you afraid?" Sango asked, smiling a little bit.

"N-no..." Shippo denied, shaking his head madly.

Suddenly, Kirara popped up behind him and meowed loudly in his ear, which sent Shippo into a screaming fit and toppling off of Miroku's shoulder. Miroku, in turn, started laughing so hard that he fell to his knees.

InuYasha turned around with an expression that made 'angry' look like 'exuberant.'

"Will you morons quit messing around and get going?" InuYasha shouted, causing Miroku to cease laughing.

"Oh, lighten up a bit. We'll be fine," Miroku said, getting up and walking towards his furry-eared friend. Walking up next to InuYasha and putting a hand on his shoulder, Miroku said, "Since you're so eager to get going, I suppose we should, then?"

InuYasha growled and turned around abruptly, walking quickly to an area of the forest that was a bit more crowded with trees then the rest of the forest. "Let's make camp here," InuYasha said, dropping Kagome's bag next to a rock.

"I'll go get firewood," Sango said. Shippo agreed to help and followed closely behind her.

Once the two of them left, InuYasha sat by a tree, bouncing his leg impatiently. He didn't notice Kagome leave, but he noticed when she came back. "Where's Sango-chan?" Kagome asked, bursting in through the forest.

"She still hasn't come back from getting firewood," Miroku answered.

"No, I'm here," Sango said, carrying a bundle of sticks in her arms. Shippo walked next to her and set his sticks on the ground in a pile. "What did you want, Kagome-chan?"

"I found a hot spring! Do you want to take a bath?" asked Kagome.

Sango smiled and nodded, setting down her firewood. "Miroku, can you make the fire for us?"

"Well, I will if you let me join you," commented the monk.

"You wish," Sango said, throwing a stick at Miroku's head.

The two girls went off towards the spring to take their much needed baths.

- - -

"Those girls are sure taking a long time," InuYasha said angrily. He wasn't feeling very good now that he was human. He tapped his claw-less fingernails against his knee and looked around. "Hey... WHERE DID MIROKU GO?" roared InuYasha. He stood up and started to run towards where the girls were bathing.

Once he was almost there, he slowed and started to try not to see or be seen. Cursing not being able to smell anything, he looked around to try and find the monk. Unexpectedly, he was pulled down by his sleeve and a fabric covered hand went over his mouth. Miroku 'shh'ed InuYasha as he fell to the ground.

Miroku lifted his hand from InuYasha's mouth. InuYasha glared and whispered, "What was that for?"

"You don't want to be caught, do you?" Miroku asked. "Besides, if Kagome-sama were to catch you in this state, imagine how much it would hurt to be sat." InuYasha winced at the thought.

"Fine. But I'm here to bring you back," InuYasha said, grabbing Miroku's ear.

"And what makes you think you can do that?" Miroku whispered, smirking.

InuYasha smirked back. "If I do get sat as a human, when I go back to normal, I'll give you back the pain 100 fold." It was Miroku's turn to wince this time.

"Well... Naaw," Miroku said, turning back to where the girls were.

InuYasha groaned and pushed Miroku from behind, sending him toppling down the hill to where the girls were bathing. InuYasha quickly ran away, as to not get hurt by Kagome.

Though, InuYasha doubted that Kagome could hurt him as much as Miroku was getting hurt at the moment.

Chapter End

He he he. This is basically a filler chapter. I like this one.