Chapter 13: The return of a loved one and the Meido Zangetsuha

The first thing he noted was it was quiet and he could smell the difference in his surroundings. The first thing he could smell was a familiar scent closer to him but the rest were unknown. He could hear the shallow breathing of the person near him, the sounds of crickets nearby and a low breeze flowing around the build he was in. No sooner did he sniff the air he took in a large gasp of air and his breathing slowly began. That was when he noticed he was laying on something hard and cold.

When he stirred, he grunted and squinted his eyes only to slowly open them. As he surveyed his surroundings , he could see that it was some sort of medicine physician hut. He looked over to his right and smiled then yawned and fell asleep.

Kagome woke early the next morning and rubbed her eyes. She glanced at Inuyasha's sleeping form, she sighed and looked down and that was when she saw his chest slowly rising and falling.

Kagome sat up, "Inuyasha? Inuyasha are you alive?" Kagome shook his chest and repeated her question. Inuyasha made a face and opened his eyes to look into the rich brown ones of his mate's. He smiled and let out a sigh before falling back to sleep.

"Oh Inuyasha." Kagome laid her head on his chest in a hug and cried. After, he slowly set a hand on the small of her back ,she wrapped her arms around his neck. " Are you alright?"

Inuyasha smiled and nodded. "I'm just really tired."

Minutes later the others came in and Sango put a hand over her mouth before running over to him. Kagome sat up and wiped away a few tears, Inuyasha smiled as Sango hugged him. Miroku with Shippo on his shoulder walked in followed by Koga, Ginta, and Hakaku. They all exchanged looks and said hi to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha sat up as the medicine women came in. She glanced at Inuyasha and walked up to him. He bowed his head as she asked him a question. The medicine women examined Inuyasha's body and then left. After Inuyasha and the others talked the women came in again.

"I must speak to the boy alone." The old women said as she walked towards Inuyasha who sat up and nodded. "you all must get out."

Kagome looked down and hesitated, Inuyasha looked at her and sighed. "Go on Kagome, ill be here when you get back."

"I know but I just got you back, I don't want to leave you." Kagome said looking at him with tear filled eyes.

Inuyasha made a face and sighed. "Hey don't cry I'll be here when you come back. Go." Inuyasha set a hand on her shoulder and looked at her. "Go with Sango to a hot springs or something, Alright"

Kagome gave him one of his many looks and pouted, "alright ill go."

Inuyasha smiled and Kagome reluctantly got up and left with the others. He then turned to the old women and gave a small apologetic smile but the intensity of the old women's face made that smile fade. Inuyasha sighed, "so am I gonna like this?"

"it all depends on how you look at it." she said as she sat down across from him.

Concern fell over Inuyasha's once calm face. He took a deep breath and moved into a better sitting position. " go on say it."

"You have been to the spirit world and back. And spent four days there, did you not?" Inuyasha nodded in response. " do you know the consequences for what has happened to you?"

Inuyasha gave her a look and shook his head. " do I want to know?" he finally asked. The old women sighed and stood up off the bed she had been sitting on and walked to the stove. The old women told him the things he needed to know and an hour later Inuyasha exited the hut with a strange look on his face. He greeted the others with a smile and announced that they were leaving.

Kagome watched Inuyasha with concern in her eyes. When they were on the road she looped her arm with his, dragging him farther from the others.

"inuyasha? What's wrong?" Kagome asked draping her arms over his shoulders. Inuyasha just smiled at her and said nothing. He set his forehead on hers, then kissed her gently.

"nothing, love, just unwanted thoughts." Inuyasha said then he turned away.

"what did she say?" This question stopped Inuyasha in his tracks. "She had to have told you something."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and refused to answer. Kagome gave one of his own faces to him and ran up to him, grabbed his ear, and asked him again. Inuyasha made a face and pulled away. Inuyasha leaned away as Kagome went to grab his ear again. He told her later and that he needed time alone.

As the sun began to set Inuyasha returned and sat with his friends, who had just prepared dinner. Kagome greeted him with a smile and nodded to her. She then handed him some ramen and a pair of chopsticks. Inuyasha Thanked her and began to eat.

Once night fell the group settled in for the night and Koga stood under the tree Inuyasha was sitting in. He whispered the same question Kagome had asked him earlier. Inuyasha said he couldn't tell anyone and that he didn't want anyone to know. Koga rolled his eyes and jumped up to the branch just below Inuyasha's and pushed him off.

"what the hell was that for" Inuyasha whisper with a growl.

"To knock some sense into you. And apparently it didn't work." Koga said jumping down.

"I told you I'm not telling anyone what the medicine women told me."

"And why not?" Koga asked, but Inuyasha looked away. Koga slapped him. "Think about what your doing Inuyasha. Kagome is worried sick, you've been dead for 4 days, and now you wont tell anyone what that women said when that info might be important!"

"Keep your damn voice down." Inuyasha growled and walked away.

"don't you walk away from me." Koga said following Inuyasha closely

"will you stop following me." Inuyasha growled as Koga continued to follow.

"no. tell me what she said."

"if I tell you will you leave me alone?" Inuyasha asked as he turned around. Koga nodded and Inuyasha sighed. He looked away and told him all that the Medicine women told him and when he finished his back was to Koga. "Don't tell Kagome. I'll tell her in time, but not right now." Koga agreed and they headed back to the campsite.

The next day went as usual and Koga and his friends still followed the group as they headed north. As Kagome walked beside Inuyasha she asked what the old lady said, but he smiled at his lover, replied that it was nothing to worry about and kissed her head. Kagome Smiled, but deep down she knew he was lying about it. Inuyasha could tell she wasn't buying it and decided to tell her and told her to come with him up further than the group. Kagome knew what was coming so she braced herself for what was to be said.

"you really want to know what the old women said to me?" Inuyasha looked at Kagome who nodded in response. "she told me I need to watch myself more in battle. If I die again, I wont be able to come back."

Kagome looked at him, then looked down, "what are you going to do?"

" I don't know. Try not to get myself killed."

"was that all?" Kagome asked

Inuyasha shook his head, "no she told me some other things but ill explain when we can truly be alone."

Kagome nodded, "What about your Demon form? I was surprised when you didn't change the other day."

" I'm glad I didn't." Inuyasha looked at Kagome, " I'm afraid of it."

After a few more words they walked farther up the path leaving the others behind. Miroku and the others stopped and gave the two some privacy, despite Koga's relentless badgering.

Inuyasha sighed, " you know, Sesshomaru was right." Kagome looked at him a small hint of surprise on her face. " He had stated that more of my heart is taken every time I transform. He's right."

"Myoga had said something about that. That with every transformation a little more of your heart is consumed by the demon blood."

" I don't know why I didn't change. It might have been because I still had Tetsusaiga, but I did feel that sensation but it never happened." Inuyasha sighed and sat down on a boulder. "I know I can't use the jewel to become full-demon, not now, not after all that's happened. "

Kagome smiled and sat beside him, leaning against his shoulder. " I don't think you need to be a full-demon. You're strong enough as it is."

"I know that." Inuyasha smiled and wrapped an arm around her. The two sat there in silence, Inuyasha loosing himself in his thoughts. Kagome was watching his face go through the emotion his thoughts triggered. When she asked him what he was thinking it took him a few moments to reply. "its just, I cant explain it."

Kagome cocked her head and moved to look into his face better. "try."

"well, since the last time I transformed. It's like," Inuyasha paused trying to figure out a way to word what he wanted to say. "I can feel it inside most of the time. Its like there's a battle going on inside my heart. My human side fighting against the demon in me. Sometimes the feeling gets so intense that I can't think straight. I know that the fight is futile and neither side would win. even though I know that the demon side in all sense would win. I'm tired of it, If the demon I want to be is anything like I transform into, then I don't want it."

Kagome just looked at him and took the hanyou into her arms. She told him it was all ok and he wrapped his arms around her. The two stayed like this for sometime and even when the others approached they didn't move. Inuyasha and Kagome had fallen asleep in each others arms, so the group set up camp and left the two alone.

The next day went without much incidents, Inuyasha and Koga argued over the stupidest, smallest thing they could come up with. The others couldn't help but laugh at their childish argument and it was Kagome who eventually ended the argument. It was near twilight Inuyasha had walked out of the woods after looking around. When he returned Kagome and the Sango were just leaving. Inuyasha asked where and Kagome just smiled at him and waved while Miroku told him.

Inuyasha returned the smile and sat near the fire and waited. It wasn't until an hour later that he got up and left ignoring Shippo's warning. Inuyasha walked until he came to a good tree to sit in without the girls knowing and where he can keep an eye on them. It was during this time that Inuyasha began to reflect on his time with Kagome and the others, he was so engrossed in his thoughts he failed to notice when Kagome and Sango noticed him. It took Kagome to say "sit" to get him out of his thoughts and when he looked up the two girls were standing there, but not with anger looks. He defend himself by saying he couldn't see them, but he knew they were there.

Sango gave him a look and put her hands on her hips and Kagome just laughed, "I think I know why you're here."

Inuyasha blushed, "y-you do?" Sango and Kagome both gave him a look and his face brightened. "ok. Yeah, so what…" Sango and Kagome laughed.

The three stood there, well Sango and Kagome did Inuyasha just sat there talking until Inuyasha's stopped replying and his face turned bright red and he cover his face. The two girls asked what and Inuyasha just gestured to the two girls and then to their clothes. Sango let out a slight surprised yelp and quickly cover but Kagome, being Inuyasha's lover didn't seem to mind and just laughed and slightly covered. Inuyasha turned his back to allow the slayer to dress.

When Inuyasha didn't come back right away Miroku took it upon himself to find him. It didn't take long for he could hear his voice along with the girls'. When he came to a spot where he could see without being seen he instantly grew jealous of the hanyou, even though he couldn't see past Inuyasha he knew that Inuyasha had a front row seat to see not just Kagome naked but his own fiancée too. He pouted and turned back when he saw Sango dress and head in his direction, leaving Inuyasha and Kagome at the hot springs.

"I'm surprised you didn't notice sooner." Kagome said as she sat on the bank, her back to Inuyasha. Inuyasha let out his famous 'keh' and blew it off. He crawled over to Kagome and leaned her back to face him. He smiled and stated that its not like its nothing he hasn't seen. Kagome reached up and put her arms around him before he leaned down and kissed her. "Join me Inuyasha?" Inuyasha smiled and nodded, before removing his own clothes and slipping into the heated waters of the spring. An hour later Inuyasha and Kagome rejoined the group and they settled in for the night.

A month later found the group already on their way back to the village and once they arrived the group took a couple days to recoup and rest. Kagome had gone back to her time only to find her family gone. Despite that she took the time to study and go to school only to find it closed and that the day was Sunday. So she went home, bathed, cooked herself food, and go to bed, but it was still light out and she found herself lonely and her thoughts trailing to Inuyasha and the others. She contemplated on going back but at the same time she didn't want to, so she got up and decided to study. Kagome attempted to work but her loneliness over took her and she laid her head on her desk, silently cried, and eventually drifted off into sleep.

Kagome woke to a breeze flowing through her hair and a heavy wait on her shoulders. When she opened her eyes she saw it was her comforter and noticed a figure sitting on her bed. She turned around and realized it was Inuyasha and he got off her bed and handed her the bow from Mount Azusa and told her Keade said that she needed to have it with her.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha and as tears swelled in her eyes, causing Inuyasha become concerned and confused. Kagome then threw herself into his arms and cried that she was glade he was there.

An hour or so later found the two sitting on the floor of Kagome's room chatting. Inuyasha scolded her, gently, about her staying here and that she should of came back. She smiled and leaned on him, telling him, that she was ok now. Inuyasha smiled and told her that he would do whatever it took to keep her safe and not fall into Naraku's hands. He grabbed her hand and softly kissed it before taking her into an embrace.

Two days went by and Kagome and Inuyasha returned to the Feudal Era, rejoining the others to head off to finally defeat Naraku.