Basic Instinct 2

Chapter 1 - Hell Hath No Fury The walk back to camp should have only taken them around five minutes, but at Inuyasha's current pace, it would take them nearly twice as long. He was in no hurry. Not when he had the girl of his dreams, the woman he loved...his mate, currently snuggling so closely against him, as she rode on his back, arms wrapped around his neck, legs gripping him tightly. Brazenly, Inuyasha adjusted the position of where he held Kagome's legs, shifting his hands to creep just a tad higher up her inner thighs. "Hentai..." she murmured playfully, though she made no move to dislodge his hold. Chuckling quietly, the hanyou found himself wishing that Kagome was wearing her school uniform, instead of her flannel pajama bottoms. Oh well, maybe next time... All too soon, the peaceful tranquility of their morning walk came to an end, as they met up with their friends back in the clearing. "Good morning, you two." Miroku greeted with a smile, trying to act as nonchalant as possible while he and Sango finished breakfast preparations. "Morning." Kagome replied as she slid down from Inuyasha's back, moving to rummage through her backpack for a change of clothes. "Be back in a sec." she said as she disappeared behind a large tree, uniform in hand. Glancing around camp, Inuyasha couldn't help but notice the way Shippou started sniffing after Kagome. It wouldn't take the kitsune long to figure out what the change in her scent actually meant. His own scent was different now, too, since he had done more than merely drink Kagome's blood. He'd already bitten his tongue in preparation to fuse his own blood into her system, so while he drank from her he had also taken her blood directly into himself via that same bite, taking her blood straight into his veins. It didn't matter that she was human; the magic of his own youki was all that was needed to take and capture her scent, making it a part of him, forever. The hanyou knew that Shippou had come to think of Kagome as a surrogate mother of sorts, though he'd never say so out loud, but nevertheless, Inuyasha suddenly realized in that moment that he would need to let the kitsune know that he wasn't going to take Kagome away from him. Crouching down and gaining Shippou's attention, Inuyasha waited until the boy shifted his wide eyes in his direction, and then quietly, so that only Shippou would hear him, he repeated the woof that the kitsune had said to him the night before. "Pack." With a huge grin breaking out over his face, Shippou nodded his understanding.

Standing and turning to face his other friends, then, Inuyasha mentally cringed at the awkwardness he could feel between himself and the two humans who were currently unsure of how to act around him. After all, they were still under the impression that he didn't remember anything from the night before, but then...just like he had had his own temporary dilemma of how to act around Kagome, he wondered what they thought had been his initial reaction upon waking up with Kagome away from camp, assuming he had no memory of Kikyou's actions. Had he truly not remembered, then a fight between himself and the future-born miko would have probably been unavoidable, as he would have kept on demanding to know what had happened, while she would've kept on refusing to tell him. The monk and slayer had probably been caught off guard by how pleasantly he and Kagome had returned to camp. Sighing, Inuyasha knew he had never really been a dishonest person. A private person, yes, but there was a big difference between deliberately deceiving someone, and simply telling them to butt out. He would not let their minds continue to wander in invalid directions, embarrassment or no. "Just so you two know, Kikyou was wrong about me not remembering anything. I remember everything, but you don't gotta go walking on eggshells 'cause of it. I'm fine." Immediately sighing in relief, Sango sent a genuine smile his way as she stated "Well, I'm very glad that you and Kagome appear to be getting along all right. I would have hated for you two to have gotten into a fight because of this." Ears lowering a bit at the slayer's words, Inuyasha decided it wouldn't hurt to omit the part where he'd acted like a total baka, snapping at Kagome upon first waking up before deciding to drop the routine. An unspoken truth was not a lie, right? He was just glad that he'd kept his voice quiet enough so that they hadn't heard him. "I was kind of embarrassed, at first." he admitted, leaving it at that as far as his initial reaction was concerned. "But Kagome and I are definitely getting along all right. In fact, much better than all right." he added sheepishly, unsure of how to broach the subject. "Do tell..." Miroku chimed in with his trademark lecherous grin. "Well..." "Would you like me to tell them?" Kagome asked her mate sympathetically as she reappeared from behind the trees, fully dressed in her school uniform with her pajamas in her hands. She knew how uncomfortable it could sometimes be for Inuyasha to discuss certain things openly, and this subject, especially, had to be way more private than anything he had ever divulged in the past. "Please, by all means." Miroku stated while gesturing to Kagome with his hand that the floor was all hers. "Kagome?" Sango spoke up, noting the girl's sudden nervousness as she fiddled with the zipper on her backpack after putting her pajamas away.

"Okay...well...you see...the thing is..." Closing her eyes and counting to three, the miko took a deep breath and blurted "Inuyasha and I are mate-bonded." Eyes widening in disbelief, it took the slayer a moment to truly comprehend her friend's words, and seeing the taijiya's silent request for confirmation, Kagome moved her hair aside to reveal her mating mark. Miroku's grin widened tremendously. While the houshi had finally confessed his feelings to Sango several months back, and he and the slayer had plans to settle down together once Naraku was defeated, he hadn't honestly expected his baka-headed friend to ever make up his mind regarding his supposed obligations to Kikyou versus his obvious love for Kagome. Yes, Miroku had known for quite some time that Inuyasha was in love with the future-born miko, no matter how many times the hanyou claimed otherwise. To do this now, to bond with Kagome so permanently, it was much more than merely confessing his love, much more than merely asking Kagome to be his wife in the human sense. Miroku knew that the mating bond could never be broken, and that the scar on Kagome's neck meant that Inuyasha had unwaveringly chosen her, for all eternity. All lecherousness aside, he was tremendously happy for his friends. Though that wasn't to say that he wasn't thinking anything lecherous. Inuyasha, you ol' dog you... he mentally chuckled, the double-meaning intentional. Of course, their hanyou leader was not the only canine member of the inu-tachi. Happily jumping up into Kagome's arms, Shippou offered the miko his biggest, warmest smile as he enthusiastically stated "This means we'll be together forever!" "Why yes, yes it does." Kagome answered the kit, smiling and chuckling a bit as she cuddled the boy in her arms. "Wipe those thoughts from your mind, bouzu." Inuyasha spoke up then, glaring at the monk's telltale grin. "I only marked Kagome." Inuyasha stated, explaining "Yes, she knows what it means, and yes, she's my life-mate now, but I ain't gonna just rut her in the woods. She deserves better than that." "Gee, thanks." a red-faced Kagome murmured into her hand, her face in her palm. "Well you do!" the hanyou defended, causing Miroku to laugh out right. "Then why not wait until the timing was more...appropriate, before doing something so drastic?" asked Sango, her voice more than a little scolding. The slayer knew that what was done was done, but why did Inuyasha always have to jump headfirst into everything?

"Actually..." Kagome spoke up then, feeling she better come to her mate's defense. "Once we got our feelings out in the open, I was actually the one who told him to mark me. I just didn't see the point in waiting. We love each other, and we want to spend our lives together. I don't regret it for an instant." Sango's eyes searched Kagome's for the truth of her words, and clearly seeing the young miko's sincerity and love, the slayer's gaze softened after a moment, as she nodded her understanding before stating "So long as you are happy, then I am happy for you." Outwardly, Inuyasha appeared calm, but on the inside he was borderline flabbergasted. To be perfectly honest, he hadn't really thought about what their friends' reactions were going to be. Well, Miroku he had pretty much assumed was going to be a pervert about the whole thing, but Sango... Inuyasha honestly had no idea how a girl brought up in a village full of youkai slayers could so openly accept her friend being mated to a hanyou, her miko friend, no less. Kagome wasn't the only remarkable one out there, after all. Sango and Miroku both accepted him for who and what he was, and they both accepted he and Kagome being together. It was unfathomable, yet it was the truth. "Well then..." the houshi chimed in in that moment, pulling everyone from their thoughts. "Shall we eat?" Inuyasha's ears swiveled forward at that. He'd been so caught up in his thoughts about he and Kagome that he hadn't even noticed that their friends were preparing ramen for everyone. It looked like he'd finally found something he loved even more than the futuristic noodles. "Keh." ````` Getting back out on the road again was a bizarre experience. Truly, the more things changed, the more they stayed the same, or so it appeared. Inuyasha had been expecting things to still be somewhat awkward between himself and their friends, but Sango and Miroku were already completely accepting of the fact that he and Kagome were mate-bonded. Aside from a few lewd comments from the monk about how he must just be itching to 'complete' the ritual, thankfully murmured and a level low enough so that the girls didn't hear him, nothing was out of the ordinary one way or another. Inuyasha didn't really mind the houshi's hentai remarks, either, because he'd known the bouzu long enough by that point to know that his teasing was really all in good fun, and that the fact that he was joking around like that in the first place meant that he truly considered him a friend. It meant the world to the hanyou that he actually had himself a genuine 'guy friend', pervert or no, and he even managed to get the monk back at his own game once by responding with something other than a blush and a growled demand to shut up. When Miroku said that the next time they stopped at a village Inn for the night and requested two rooms, presumably for the women and men to sleep separately, that he would gladly sacrifice such sleeping arrangements so that Inuyasha and Kagome could have a room all to themselves, instead of sputtering, the hanyou's response was "Oh sure, big sacrifice on your part. Just don't

let me hear it from the runt that you couldn't keep it in your robes around Sango. He's my brat now, an' I don't want him scarred for life." Blinking in surprise, Miroku chose not to comment on Inuyasha's claiming of Shippou as his own, and instead merely insisted that he would never do such 'inappropriate' acts in front of a child. "Damn right you won't." the hanyou grumbled. Of course, said child was plenty old enough to understand what they were talking about, and perfectly within earshot for a youkai to catch every word, but smiling to himself at Inuyasha's unforced willingness to accept him as his own, Shippou decided that Miroku's idea was actually a valid one. He could handle sharing a room with Sango and Miroku for one night, especially with Kirara to keep him company. Inuyasha and Kagome needed some time alone together, pronto. It was unheard of to perform the mate-bonding without actually mating, and now that they each had a part of the other within themselves, the bond between them would start driving them to mate. It was a natural side effect of being newly bonded that the urge to mate was stronger than normal, because the more times a pair mated, the closer they grew to one another, not to mention the instinctive goal of creating offspring. Shippou didn't know if them having never even mated in the first place would make that pull even stronger than usual or not, but he could already tell it was happening to some degree, as Inuyasha broke away from his conversation with Miroku in that moment to instead walk beside Kagome. The miko smiled at him before reaching for his hand, and instead of flinching away in embarrassment to reveal such affection in front of the others, Inuyasha happily closed his fingers around Kagome's, offering her his own smile in return while completely ignoring their audience. It also occurred to the kitsune that all during Inuyasha's retort to Miroku about how much of a pervert he could be, not once did the hanyou actually object to the notion of sharing a room alone with Kagome. There was no denying it, things between the hanyou and miko had definitely changed, forever...but also for the better, as far as Shippou was concerned. Things were peaceful for the rest of the day as they continued to travel the countryside, stopping at the couple of small villages they passed along the way in the hopes of hearing a rumor or two. With no larger communities containing official Inns immediately along their travel route, Kagome and Inuyasha were forced to behave themselves while in the presence of strangers, as they all shared one room in the Headman's home at the village they decided to stop at for the night. It was strange having to avoid showing affection for one another, since thanks to the bond there was a definite closeness that had developed between them, though it wasn't truly as if the hanyou and miko were that eager to just up and jump each other. Yes, the desire for physical closeness was definitely there, but they could control themselves for the time being. They would get closer whenever the opportunity to do so decided to present itself. There was no need to go out of their way for a return trip to the well when they were not yet out of supplies. Following shard rumors was far more important than taking time off from their mission for something like that. Of course, had they known what horrors soon awaited them, then they might have reconsidered the option of changing course ahead of time.

It was the third night after their bonding that the inu-tachi finally came upon a prosperous trading community that dealt with many of the smaller local villages. A place as large as that one would be a good place to ask around for possible jewel shard rumors, considering how many vendors and tradesmen were present, not to mention how many travelers passed through on a near daily basis. The Inn Keeper was wary at first of allowing a hanyou and two youkai to stay on his property, but as always, Miroku managed to smooth talk their way in, and before they knew it, Kagome and Inuyasha found themselves alone in a private room for the night. During the night they had shared in one large room at that other village, Inuyasha had maintained his traditional posture of sleeping propped up against the wall. Then the previous night, they had actually camped out in the woods between vilages, so while only in the presence of their friends, the hanyou and miko had gotten much closer, lying beside one another with Kagome resting her head on his chest, his arm wrapped around her affectionately. But they had still not gone any further than cuddling, not while lacking any true amount of privacy. This night, things would be different. Inuyasha grinned. Rolling out the futons, placing one on top of the other for added comfort, as they would not be requiring separate bedding, Inuyasha removed Tetsusaiga from his obi and plopped down, taking a moment to just take it all in. It was almost weird, that there was no awkwardness between himself and Kagome, not that Inuyasha was complaining. He had no desire to be shy around Kagome any longer, and he was actually relieved that she felt the same way. When Miroku had first told the miko of his plans to switch rooms with her for the night, that he would bunk with Sango and the little ones so that she and Inuyasha could be alone, Kagome hadn't choked up, and she'd barely even blushed. She'd actually thanked Miroku for his courtesy, and had then proceeded to send her mate a playful smirk, an expression that sent silent promises of a sleepless night. His grin growing wider at the recent memory, Inuyasha closed his eyes as Kagome moved about their room, setting down her backpack and arrows. Breathing deeply through his nose, he cherished the delicate fragrance that was his bonding with Kagome. She smelled of him, on a much deeper level than could ever be possible from mere physical contact alone. He was inside of her, and not in a perverted sense. She was also inside of him, and he relished in the fact that his own scent smelled as strongly of her as hers did of him. They were one. Hearing footsteps approach him from behind in that moment, Inuyasha chose to remain motionless, allowing his prey to come to him. "Alone at last." Kagome sighed in relief as she hugged her mate from behind, crouching over his sitting form, her whispered breath tickling his sensitive ears. Rumbling low in his throat, Inuyasha moved faster than Kagome could blink, and before the miko knew it, she found herself pulled down sideways into his lap, as he continued to sit crosslegged, a clawed hand slapped playfully over her mouth to silence her startled cry of delight. Then, removing his hand, Inuyasha bent forward to capture her mouth with his own. The kiss

was slow and sensual, as Kagome wound her arms up and around his neck, holding herself to him even as she felt his own hands brace her from behind, his right hand resting against her back while his left wrapped around her to brace the back of her head, her legs dangling forgotten off towards his left. Neither of them could say how long they remained like that, Kagome sitting haphazardly across his lap, heedless of the awkward angle as she allowed his tongue to claim every inch of her. At the feel of his left hand leaving the back of her head, she eagerly tilted her head backward, shuddering in delight at the feel of Inuyasha running his tongue across her throat, teasing her mating mark before traveling back up to reclaim her mouth once more. His missing hand didn't remain unaccounted for for long, as he brought it forward, bravely fondling her right breast through the fabric of her shirt, and she arched herself into his touch at the contact, silently telling him that he had her permission to do even more. They were mates now. They belonged to each other. There was no part of her that he couldn't touch, but the opposite was also true. Feeling him grow stiff below her as she continued to sit in his lap, Kagome managed to rearrange herself so that she continued to hold onto him with her left hand hooked around his neck, while she reached down and between them with her right to search for what she could feel pressed against her left thigh. Reaching her goal, she wrapped her fingers around his clad stiffness and squeezed, earning herself a hiss of delight from the man above her. As Inuyasha continued to cradle Kagome's form with his right hand supporting her back, his left hand quickly ventured south, vacating her chest in favor of the treasure that rested just barely concealed by her obscenely short skirt. As Kagome felt Inuyasha's fingers come into contact with her panty-clad heat, her response was to open her legs, inviting him to explore her even further. He palmed the damp fabric between her legs with care, observing her reactions. Never had he imagined that this moment would come, that he would actually be touching the future-born miko so intimately, not to mention the way she was currently stroking him in return. Were it not for the mark on her throat, he was sure they wouldn't be about to mate, or at least not yet. Having your feelings out in the open was one thing; nervousness could still remain, a desire to take it slow. With their mating bond already in place, however, it was as if the entire concept of taking it slow had been removed from his brain. She was already his mate; therefore there was no reason to postpone the actual mating itself. The hanyou was just about to push aside the thin barrier of cotton preventing him from touching her most intimate flesh when an unmistakable and unexpected stench coming from outside somehow managed to invade his senses, even over Kagome's mouthwatering aroma. "Kikyou..." he grumbled low, only to open his eyes wide in panic at the fear of Kagome misunderstanding his meaning. He had so not just called her by that woman's name! His mate stared up at him in shock, but his fears were quickly put to rest when the first words out of her mouth were "She's here?" as she straightened herself before moving out of his lap.

"And what fucking timing." the hanyou confirmed, taking a moment to palm his aching erection as he rose to his feet. A few good whiffs of Kikyou's unnatural scent should have his body's excitement cured in no time, although that wasn't how he'd planned on making his hard-on go away. Oh well, better luck next time. Moving to the door of their room and silently sliding it open, the hanyou's suspicions were immediately confirmed upon noticing the telltale glow of Kikyou's shinidamachuu, the soul carrying youkai flying overhead in a circular formation meant to waft Kikyou's scent in his direction, as the undead miko waited for him in the woods beyond the village's boarder. "Damn...she's definitely not just passing through." he muttered. As soon as he slid open the shoji, Kagome was also able to pick up Kikyou's unmistakable scent, thanks to the increase of her senses due to their bonding, and there was also zero doubt in her mind that her preincarnation was deliberately summoning him. "Well, come on. We better go let her know what's up." Kagome stated while slipping on her shoes before grabbing her bow and arrows. She had no plans of facing the woman unarmed ever again. "Nothing's up any more." Inuyasha muttered while flashing Kagome a dejected pout, earning a chuckle from the woman. "Oh you poor thing. There will be other nights at other Inns." she assured him teasingly. "Feh..." he grumbled good-naturedly, offering her his back before bounding off into the forest. ``````````````````````````````````````````` Kikyou had thought long and hard on how to plan the perfect revenge. Originally, she had hoped that a fight would have had her copy running home to mommy the following morning after her first failed plan, leaving the hanyou alone and easily manipulated, but apparently, Inuyasha and that woman/child had managed to talk things out somehow. She had sent one of her soul collectors to spy on them, and it had reported back to her that the inutachi were continuing onward with their mission, apparently one big happy family. That wouldn't do at all. She couldn't continue allowing Inuyasha to believe that there might actually be people in this world who would accept him for what he truly was. Nobody could fully accept a hanyou, not really. His 'friends' merely needed him for his strength, his abilities, and his protection. Once their shared goal of defeating Naraku was over, his 'friends' would all go their separate ways, she was certain, but she couldn't wait that long for him to finally realize that his ultimate fate in this world was to remain alone and unwanted.

Having finally come up with the perfect way to guilt him into agreeing to leave with her now, Kikyou sent her summons, silently rejoicing in what she knew would be her copy's sorrow the following morning upon her discovery of Inuyasha's absence. By then it would be too late. The undead miko was not expecting Inuyasha to enter the tree line with Kagome riding on his back. Even more disturbing than that, the stupid bitch was armed. Just what in all the hells was going on here?! "Inuyasha!" she demanded, stepping forward and gesturing carelessly towards the girl who slid down from the hanyou's back as he straightened. "What is the meaning of this?" Deciding against playing games, Inuyasha got straight to the point as he stated "Kagome goes where I go, now." "She has no business being here." Kikyou replied coldly, sending her reincarnation a look that could have frozen a hot spring. Gulping, Kagome silently took a step closer to Inuyasha. It was disconcerting to know that what fueled the evil woman before her had actually come out of herself. How had her soul managed to contain such absolute hatred? Kagome tried to feel sorry for Kikyou, realizing how horrible it must be to be incapable of feeling warmth or kindness, but there was only so much sympathy she could give when it came to the prospect of that woman wanting to take Inuyasha away from her. "That's not true." said hanyou replied in that moment, and both women focused solely on his next words, one anticipating and the other dreading what was about to leave his lips. "She's my mate." he settled for simply, figuring there was no point in rehashing technicalities. At face value, his statement was true. "This cannot be!" Kikyou shouted, taking two steps forward before Inuyasha shifted himself into a protective stance in front of Kagome. "I'm sorry, Kikyou." Kagome murmured sincerely, pulling her hair aside to reveal her mark as she added, "But it's true. I'm his, and he is mine." "You little bitch." Kikyou spat. Inuyasha bristled at the insult directed towards his mate, but didn't say anything as his former love continued her rant. "You think you know him? You think you love him? You think you can truly accept him for the dog he is? Fine! Take him away from me, but you won't have him for long. We'll see just how loyal your heart truly is!" Inuyasha and Kagome both tensed at Kikyou's words, expecting her to reach into her robes at any moment to pull out another handful of that purple powder. Would a stronger dose be

permanent? Muscles poised to grab Kagome and spring out of the way in less than a second should the need arise, the pair continued to watch on high alert as the undead miko's shinidamachuu wrapped themselves around their mistress before lifting her into the air. Without another word, Kikyou was gone, leaving an undeniable feeling of foreboding in the pits of their stomachs. Something unstoppable had just been set into motion. ````` As Kikyou flew off she continued to fume, though her initial anger had calmed at least enough to start formulating the details of her new plan. He has betrayed me again. He must pay! Though...it wasn't really like it was his fault. She'd pushed him right into Kagome's arms, Kikyou realized in that moment, because if she hadn't decided that her wait was over, showing up to drag him into Hell... Am I truly so evil? Does Inuyasha truly deserve to die for what Naraku did to us? Maybe he really didn't deserve to be dragged into Hell, or maybe he did, but it was a moot point now, anyway. There was no longer any reason to attempt guilting Inuyasha into doing anything. He would never leave Kagome now. Kikyou knew only all too well the seriousness with which canine youkai regarded their mating bonds. It was the main reason why she would have never considered being with Inuyasha until after she had used the jewel to turn him human. Youkai bonding was far too intense, and Kikyou had had no desire to adopt a youkai's lifespan or senses. An aversion her reincarnation apparently didn't share. Kagome was his for the rest of eternity, now. There was simply no two ways about it. Keeping that last thought in mind, the undead miko quickly decided that it was revenge against Kagome that was most important to her now. Glancing up towards the sky as her youkai took her to the cave she would not call home, but rather a place she retreated to whenever the need arose, Kikyou grinned wickedly. She had not lied. What she had planned would indeed be a test of Kagome's loyalty to the hanyou. If the girl thought it was so easy to love Inuyasha, to accept all of him including his inu half, then let her and that dog express their love for each other as the freaks they truly were. Smirking momentarily, Kikyou knew precisely how she would design her spell, and what she would set as its key. It was very un-Kikyou-like, but she no longer cared what anyone thought of her. After all, she was dead. I understand...I am Kikyou, but yet, I am not Kikyou, not any longer. If that girl is truly supposed to be me, then perhaps they really are meant to be together... It was a little like saying the grapes were sour anyway, but the undead miko would take whatever small comforts she could find. If one truly looked at the nature of reincarnation, then her soul had come back to him, merely in its newest form. In a way, they would still be together, then. Still, that girl's loyalty needed to be tested, and Inuyasha was not without deserving some

measure of punishment for this final act of betrayal, even if it was only a betrayal of her memory, if that was truly all that remained of her within the clay shell she now called her body. As Kikyou touched down and began the preparations on her newest spell, a faint, sincere smile graced her lips, if only for a moment. You may think I am without compassion in this body, Inuyasha, but I did love you, once. If her heart is truly yours, then all will be well, and she will have proven that her love for you truly surpasses my own. ``````````````````````````````````````````` The following morning, upon sharing with their friends what had happened with Kikyou out in the forest, the inu-tachi unanimously decided that the best course of action would be for them to return to Kaede's village, so that Kagome and Inuyasha could have a chance to regroup and plan things out where it was safe. Part of the hanyou hated the idea of running away, but it was his concern for Kagome that won him over in the end, wanting her to return to the world beyond the well, where he knew she would be safe from whatever it was Kikyou was planning. Neither of them knew what being separated by five centuries might do to them now that they were bonded, or if it would truly have any effect at all, but rather than take any chances Inuyasha had simply agreed to go with her. Besides, all the unpleasantness of undead miko plotting revenge aside, he and Kagome were still in dire need of some alone time, considering the mood from the night before had been thoroughly shattered at Kikyou's appearance. They'd done nothing more than go to bed upon returning to their room, sleeping uneasily in each other's arms. While Inuyasha felt a tiny bit of nervousness associated with the notion of taking Kagome back home, considering her family was yet to be made aware of their bonding, his mate had assured him that her family would approve, that her mother was already fully aware of her love for him, and that in all reality her mother's reaction would probably be to pack up Jii-chan and Souta so that they could have the house to themselves for a night. It was with that last thought in mind that the inu-hanyou tried his best to keep his spirits up while he and the others headed back to Musashi. The journey would take a few days, but hopefully they would make it before Kikyou reappeared again. If they caught sight or scent of her while still out on the road, Inuyasha knew he would grab Kagome and make a run for it before risking her safety during another confrontation. Kikyou was truly plotting something, and after her last stunt, the hanyou realized that the woman he had once loved was truly not the same person as she used to be, and he had no idea what she was capable of. How right he was. They were about half a day's journey from the well when the undead miko reappeared literally out of nowhere. She had found a way to mask her scent from him. Damn it! Even now that I'm staring right at her, I still can't smell a thing!

His sense of smell wasn't otherwise impaired, as he continued to register all other scents around him. It was just that, as far as his nose was concerned, Kikyou was invisible. How is that possible? "What's the matter, Inuyasha?" the undead miko taunted from her spot leaning casually against a tree a few feet in front of the group. They had been cutting through the forest, as it functioned as a tremendous short-cut back to Kaede's village, which had also worked to the undead miko's advantage because it had offered her the cover she'd needed to hide herself visually until that very moment, when she'd stepped out from behind the trees directly in front of their path. "Surprised you can't smell me? I have many talents you are not yet aware of. Hello, Kagome..." she added, gesturing almost politely to the future-born miko, who was currently standing almost completely behind Inuyasha, as the hanyou moved forward to protect her. "You stay away from Kagome." "You be careful, too, you know..." Kagome whispered to her mate, reminding Inuyasha of the possible dangers he faced himself. He couldn't risk Kikyou cutting him off from his brain again. Slowly reaching with his hands behind himself, feeling for Kagome and hoping the girl would get the hint and jump up onto his back, he braced his leg muscles for a sprint when he felt her hands grab his own, before glancing around them only to realize with horror that Kikyou suddenly had him and his friends completely surrounded. Shinidamachuu, more than he had ever seen accompanying the undead miko before, were literally flying all around them. Each one of them was carrying a soul, too, which Inuyasha was sure was a ploy meant to detour Miroku from choosing to unleash his kazaana. The houshi could never risk sucking up innocent souls. "Maybe I can take her out..." Sango contemplated, the slayer making a reach for Hiraikotsu. "No, don't. It's not really her fault, what she's become..." Sango blinked in surprise, as did Inuyasha, the words having come from the miko standing behind him. "Still so compassionate, Kagome?" Kikyou drawled. "We shall see how far your compassion truly goes!" With that, Kikyou began chanting, her words quick and indistinguishable. Kagome immediately felt Inuyasha stiffen, almost as if paralyzed, and trying to tug on his hands earned her no response, as he stood immobile. Ignoring her friend's previous request, Sango immediately let her weapon fly, but the Hiraikotsu proved ineffective against Kikyou's barrier, the giant boomerang being comprised of youkai bones and easily deflected by holy powers, which for some incomprehensible reason, the undead miko still possessed in abundance. Miroku feared that

he would be just as useless against the dark priestess, although his worries didn't stop him from trying, as he flung several ofuda in her direction, which...just as he'd suspected...gave no reaction upon harmlessly making contact with her person before slipping down to land on the forest floor. She was not truly a youkai, nor was she powered by youki in any way, and therefore, his sutra were powerless against her. He dared not open his kazaana with so many innocent souls being held hostage all around them. Miroku was truly stuck, aside from engaging the miko in direct physical combat, although it looked like someone else had beaten him to that idea. "Deflect this, bitch!" Sango shouted as she charged, her sword drawn, but four shinidamachuu swooped in in that moment, wrapping their tails around her arms and legs, effectively holding her immobile. Miroku gave it a go, then, twirling his staff to fight off the first few soul collectors that descended upon him, although soon enough there were simply too many of them, and the monk quickly found himself pinned as well. Damn it, I hadn't wanted it to come to this! Kagome thought frantically as she notched an arrow, her eyes wild with fright at the pained expression on Inuyasha's face. "Ahhhhh!" the hanyou suddenly cried out, dropping down to his hands and knees. "What the hell are you doing to him?!" she shouted as she aimed her arrow with shaking arms. Kikyou looked momentarily worried, but didn't stop her chanting, which was in a dialect Kagome had never heard before, as she only picked up the occasional random word. "Shut up!" she shouted, letting her arrow fly, but a shinidamachuu intervened at the last possible moment, using itself as a shield to protect its mistress. The youkai disintegrated upon contact with her arrow, the soul it'd carried freed and floating up towards the sky. Suddenly, all eyes were on Inuyasha as he snarled. A horrid, vicious sound that none of them had ever heard him produce before, and Kagome panicked as she imagined her worst fears coming to life. Whatever Kikyou was doing was destroying him, ripping him apart from the inside out, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. What happened next had everyone gaping in shock. With a howl of agony, Inuyasha's body suddenly shifted and began changing before their very eyes, growing fur, morphing in shape, until suddenly, a large white dog was standing in his place, struggling to remove itself from the confines of his kimono. "By Buddha..." Miroku whispered in disbelief as Sango gasped. "No! Inuyasha!" Kagome wailed as she dropped to her knees beside him, raising a shaking hand which paused before making contact, unable to fully comprehend what she was seeing as the dog

he had become began tearing at his hindering clothing, until finally breaking free to charge fiercely in Kikyou's direction. Several shinidamachuu flew down to intervene, and he slashed and chomped at them fiercely, quickly revealing that his inu-youkai powers were still intact as he reared onto his hind legs and swiped down with his right forepaw in Kikyou's direction, four jagged blades of energy rapidly closing in on her position. Reacting quickly, Kikyou spun around with her bow held out protectively like a shield, deflecting the brunt of his attack. Some of his youki did manage to strike her person, causing damage to her false body, but her wounds did not bleed, and with time, and souls, her body would repair itself. Having her collectors gather so many orbs for her had been two-fold in her plan, knowing that it would protect her from the monk's greatest weapon, but knowing also that she would likely be in need of them to recuperate after expending so much energy. With her task complete, her remaining soul collectors gathered closely around her, delivering their charges into her person as they wound themselves around her to carry her to safety. The ones holding the slayer and monk prisoner released their hostages in that moment, and Kagome knew that with the extra shinidamachuu flying around, it would be futile to attempt firing another arrow in Kikyou's direction, so reluctantly, she let the woman go, turning her attention instead to what had become of her mate. He was standing on all four legs, barking fiercely at Kikyou's departing form. The sound was savage, and she had zero doubt that he would've torn Kikyou to shreds with his own fangs if given the opportunity. But how long would this last? Was it temporary? And how much of her hanyou was still in there? "Inu...yasha...?" Kagome whispered hesitantly, unsure of what to say, of what to think. Suddenly, his barking stopped, and with his ears lowered to his head, he turned to look over his shoulder in Kagome's direction. Her eyes lit up with the faintest spark of hope. "Inuyasha? Is that...still you? Are you still in there?" Had his mind been reduced to mere instincts like the last time, or had this spell only affected his body? Suddenly, he barked, for lack of a better term. It was a strange sound, caught somewhere between a growl and a yip, with a bit of a whimper thrown in for good measure, and then he was gone, running through the trees faster than the human eye could follow. "Inuyasha, wait!" It was no use. Shippou crawled out from his hiding spot in that moment, and glancing up at Kagome with remorseful, sad eyes, he turned his attention to the direction Inuyasha had gone for a moment, before glancing back up at Kagome. "Shippou?" Sango questioned at his curious display. "Did you understand what Inuyasha said?"

Kagome met Shippou's gaze hopefully then, tears welling in her eyes...and his, too, as he nodded reluctantly, before confessing "He said... 'Please forgive me.'" Chapter 2 - Happiness On Hold "Ohhhh, that baka..." Kagome grumbled to herself for the umpteenth time. "How are we doing, Kirara?" she asked the nekomata. "Mrrrrow." Almost immediately after Shippou's translation had sunk in, Kagome had spun around and asked Sango if she could borrow Kirara, before kneeling and addressing the then kitten-sized youkai personally, asking the cat if she could track Inuyasha's scent. Kirara's response had been to transform into her full size, and the two had been racing through the forest ever since. Kirara was flying low to the ground, so as not to jostle Kagome too badly as would be the case if she actually ran, but easily able to follow the hanyou-turned-inu's scent at such close proximity to the ground, the nekomata was fairly confident they would be catching up to him soon; his scent trail was getting stronger by the minute. Kirara found that she had to agree with her charge, Inuyasha was a baka. So he had been turned into a dog, what was so bad about that? Then again, Kirara suspected that it wasn't so much the form itself that bothered him, but what the woman currently riding on her back would think about said form that had the hanyou so skittish. "Kirara, do you think I treat you any differently?" Kagome asked out of the blue, as if reading her thoughts, and the nekomata shook her head in the negative. In her opinion, the miko from the well had never displayed any difficulty with comprehending the fact that she was just as intelligent as any higher, humanoid youkai. Sure, she utilized her abilities in situations such as this one, as they flew through the forest together, but that was what she was for, to assist humans in that capacity. Kirara would never believe for an instant that her mistress Sango, for example, thought of her as nothing more than a flying horse. That simply wasn't true, they were comrades in battle, and besides, how many times had the miko ridden on Inuyasha's back? With a humanoid body, no less... Even little Shippou had occasionally transformed to offer his services as a steed when the situation had called for it, and one shouldn't forget about Miroku's companion, Hachi, whom even she herself had ridden upon with the others while in kitten form. Kirara didn't mind assisting the humans in such a fashion, and she did not believe the miko thought little of her for her services. She was as much a member of the inutachi as the rest of them. Catching up to her prey a few minutes later, Kirara slowed to a crawl before silently touching down on the forest floor, grateful when she felt the miko dismount without question. The girl was smart, and knew that she needed to be quiet. Doing her best to smile in Kagome's direction despite the shape of her mouth, Kirara then turned and butted her head gently against the miko's back, indicating which way she should travel. Silently, Kagome mouthed "Thank you." to the neko-youkai before turning and heading in the indicated direction.

It didn't take her long to find him. Clearing the brush, Kagome headed around a large tree and suddenly there he was, lying on his stomach with his chin on his paws. Both ears immediately turned in her direction, and he shot to his feet. "Please don't make me say it!" Kagome said quickly as she saw the way his body tensed to run away again. With his ears pinning backward at the reminder of the beaded necklace his still wore...the only thing he currently wore...Inuyasha reluctantly lied back down, his head up and watching her every move as she shifted around before kneeling beside him. "Inuyasha, why did you run off like that?" Kagome asked him, as if she actually believed he could answer her with words she would understand. He just stared at her incredulously. His eyes, she realized in that moment, were unchanged by his transformation, and they were still the same windows to his soul she had found them to be on the night of Kikyou's first spell. "Did you honestly think I would suddenly stop loving you?" His eyes widened at her words, his ears shifting forward. "This means I'm yours for life, remember?" Kagome stated while showing the mark on her throat, though her tone of voice was almost cheerful, and exceedingly optimistic. "I bet this new spell of hers is just as temporary as the last one, or even if it won't wear off by itself, then there has to be a way to undo it. Don't give up on us so easily, all right?" Inuyasha was floored, and despite himself, his tail started wagging. Kagome giggled behind her hand at the sight, but realizing that she wasn't really laughing at him, he let it go as he rose to his feet; all four of them. He stood only to Kagome's hips. His mass hadn't changed as a result of the spell, making him a giant inu-youkai like what Sesshoumaru was capable of transforming into. He also didn't possess the ability to fly, which he would were he suddenly a full-blooded inuyoukai. Instead, it was as if the human half of him had been magically transformed into a normal dog, leaving his youkai half alone, so that he still had his intelligence and powers, only now he was trapped in an unchanging canine body instead of an unchanging humanoid one. In a way, he was still a hanyou of sorts; he was still a half-demon. Whatever Kikyou had done to him, he just prayed that there really was a way to undo it. Kagome may say she still loved him, but there was only so far she would be willing to take that love while he was stuck in the body of a dog. I guess I should have rutted her in the woods, after all... he mentally pouted as he turned while woofing over his shoulder at Kagome to climb onto his back, which she seemed to understand by his gesture as she obeyed him in that moment, straddling him. Oh kami... he mentally groaned at the feel of her heat pressing against his spine. Could things get any worse? As for the miko, she'd caught the remorseful look he'd given her as he asked her to climb on, and she had a pretty good idea where his thoughts had wandered off to.

Our relationship isn't about sex... Kagome told herself with conviction. I proved that by asking him to mark me without mating, and the love I feel for him in my heart hasn't changed. Still... There's got to be a way to change him back, but...what if there isn't? How far would she be willing to go to prove her love? Just because their relationship wasn't based on sex didn't mean she would truly be happy in a sexless relationship. But Kagome figured she was getting way too ahead of herself. There was a way to change him back. Wasn't there? Kikyou's words from that night at the Inn suddenly took on a whole new meaning. My heart shall remain loyal to him, no matter what. Of that she was certain. ````` The trip back to the others was silent, for obvious reasons, but not as uncomfortable as he had feared it would be. Not wanting to make the trip too bumpy for his mate, Inuyasha kept his pace at a smooth lope, allowing the inu plenty of time to contemplate recent developments. Just when he thought his life was turning around for the better, having friends who accepted him for what he was, having a mate who accepted him for what he was, what he was had to go and be changed against his will. Would they still accept him now? How could they? And how long before Kagome grew tired of waiting to find a cure? Was there a cure? What if he was stuck like that forever? The only thing that kept him thinking semi-positively in that moment was the presence of the girl currently riding on his back. It was kind of hard to convince himself that she could never possibly look at him the same way ever again, when she had just spent the last two hours tracking him down, only to tell him that she still loved him. What kind of a mate was he? Had he truly been so willing to give Kagome up? No...not really. He hadn't really been running away for good, Inuyasha knew, although he couldn't really explain himself to Kagome in great detail at the moment. Initially, he had been chasing after Kikyou, after asking quick forgiveness for having allowed this disaster to happen in the first place. It was his fault, after all, for having allowed Kikyou to get the drop on them. He knew Shippou would translate for him, but apparently Kagome had misunderstood his actual meaning, not that he blamed her. He sure hadn't been in a great hurry to return. After losing sight of Kikyou when the undead miko had taken higher to the sky, and still having no trace of a scent to follow, Inuyasha had continued to wander aimlessly for a while before finally plopping down, hoping to think of some kind of a solution. He would've eventually dragged his ass back to his friends, but Kagome had come for him before he'd gotten the chance, proving just how loyal she truly was. Of course, part of him had also been ashamed for her to see him in such a condition, which was the real reason why he had been preparing to dart off again before she'd threatened him with the o word, but he was glad that she had. He'd needed to hear what she'd had to say. While he still wasn't

happy about it, he was much more optimistic, now, that something could actually be done to rectify the situation. It might take a while, but he definitely had something worth waiting for. Finally closing in on the area where they had left the others, Inuyasha came to a stop to allow Kagome to rise from his back. It would be getting dark soon, so they would need to find a place to setup camp. He could go scout ahead for that, but didn't want to risk her thinking he was abandoning her again, so reluctantly, he walked with her the last few steps until they reached the others. "Kagome!" Sango spoke up quickly, the slayer having become worried when Kirara returned alone. "And Inuyasha, I see..." Miroku added, taking note of the obvious intelligence shining in the white dog's yellow eyes. Said white dog woofed in that moment, which the humans quickly realized hadn't been directed towards them. Shippou bound forward at the summons, and then proceeded to do something that none of the humans, or inu-hanyou, had been expecting. He transformed himself into a fox. The kit then proceeded to yip and bark at Inuyasha in the canine native tongue, which was much easier for him to form properly with a fox's throat than a humanoid's. "You idiot! Why did you go running off like that?! There's got to be a way to change you back! And even if there isn't, Kagome's you're mate forever, no matter what!" "Don't you think I know that?!" Inuyasha growled back, hating the reminder as his ears lowered to his head, his tail hanging limply. He loathed the idea that he had trapped Kagome to him, if he were truly trapped as a dog for the rest of eternity. What kind of a future was that? It wasn't a future... "Look, tell the others I'm gonna go scout out a place to make camp. I'll be back." With that said, Inuyasha turned and bound off through the trees. Kagome had been watching the whole exchange with a moderate amount of understanding, betting she could guess what had been said between the kitsune and inu even though she honestly hadn't understood a word of it. As Inuyasha turned and trotted off, something told the miko not to panic, that he wasn't just up and leaving. Shippou confirmed her beliefs when he popped back into his part-fox/part-boy form and said, "He said he's gonna go find a place to make camp. He'll be back." True to his word, Inuyasha returned a few minutes later, and a low woof told the inu-tachi that he wanted them to follow him. Doing so, they were led to a small clearing that would function quite well as a camping spot for the night. They would reach Kaede's by mid-day tomorrow, and then hopefully the elder miko would know what her undead sister had done, and even more importantly, how to undo it.

Dinner preparations were mildly awkward, as Kagome was unsure of how to go about serving Inuyasha his ramen, but he answered her unasked question when he proceeded to head over and snatch one of the cups of ramen right out of her hand. True, he couldn't hold chopsticks in his current condition, but in their place he had a muzzle that was long and narrow enough to allow him to eat right out of the Styrofoam cup like a bowl, as he proceeded to do just that, slurping up his ramen with only slightly less gusto than on any normal night. After dinner was over, as Miroku and Sango both settled into their respective sleeping rolls for the night, Kagome pulled out Inuyasha's kimono from her backpack, along with some thread and a needle, and proceeded to start stitching it back together by firelight. Silently walking over to her position by the fire, Inuyasha plopped down on his haunches, tilting his head to gaze at her work with curiosity, before woofing at her quietly. "I know...I know...the fire-rat fur will heal itself, but it'll do that much faster if shown where it needs to reattach itself, like setting a broken bone so that it can knit properly." she explained quietly so as not to disturb their friends, holding up her work to reveal that she wasn't sewing his robes anywhere near as meticulously as would be required were the garments not self-restoring. Inuyasha just stared at her with wide, unblinking eyes, at the realization that she could still understand his dog-form so fully. She had seemed to be able to read him so well when his mind had been reduced to nothing more than that of a dog, so maybe...maybe things wouldn't be so bad, after all. That is, it wouldn't be so bad in the mean time, until they found a way to reverse the spell. They would find a way to reverse the spell... Leaning forward hesitantly, he offered Kagome a quick lick across the cheek. Turning her head in surprise, she beamed at him with her brightest smile as she whispered "I love you, too." before leaning forward herself and kissing his nose. He would have blushed at the gesture, were dogs capable of blushing. Putting her sewing away a few minutes later, Kagome murmured a quiet "Good night..." before moving herself over to her sleeping bag. Kirara and Shippou were already cuddled together on the other side of the fire, so having the available space, Kagome thought to offer Inuyasha the option of lying with her again. She didn't want him to think she would be put out by the idea, if he were interested. Quite the opposite, in fact, Kagome wouldn't mind cuddling up against a warm, furry dog for the night in the slightest. He was actually really cute, although she was doing her best to resist the urge to pet him, lest he fear she truly thought any less of him now. He was not an animal, no matter what his form, and Kagome understood that. Turning her head to glance in his direction in that moment, her new angle so close to the ground provided the miko with an excellent, albeit unexpected view of what she was sure he hadn't meant for her to see, as he continued to sit on his haunches just a few feet away. Oh crap! she panicked, turning her head away quickly. She had forgotten that Inuyasha was naked! Said inu-hanyou, having caught the way Kagome turned towards him only to look away again much too quickly, didn't take long to realize what had happened, though instead of being

embarrassed from flashing the girl, he mentally chuckled at his mate's own embarrassment. Had she already forgotten how she'd had her hand wrapped tightly around that same part of his anatomy just a few short days ago? As soon as Kaede was able to reverse the spell, he planned on whisking Kagome away so they could finish what they'd started. The urge to mate with her was getting more and more powerful by the day. In the mean time, however, it truly meant the world to him that she hadn't immediately turned her back on him, willing to stick by him for however long it would take to change him back. Walking forward, he plopped himself down beside Kagome in that moment, leaning himself against her. Smiling as she felt him join her, the miko rolled back over and wrapped her arm around Inuyasha's back, holding him to her as though he were a giant teddy bear. From the other side of the fire, Miroku and Sango both chose not to comment, as they silently grinned at the sight of Inuyasha's tail wagging. ``````````````````````````````````````````` I guess things could've been a lot worse... Inuyasha contemplated silently as he walked beside Kagome behind all the others during the last leg of their journey back to Kaede's. Things really could've been a lot worse, if Kikyou's spell had also affected his mind, although he was pretty sure he knew why she had chosen to leave his mind intact while only warping his body. She had wanted both Kagome and him to suffer, and he wouldn't have suffered if he'd been rendered too stupid to know any better, so this way, Kikyou was assured that they were both miserable, in their own unique ways. Kaede will change me back, and then I'll hunt that bitch down andInuyasha was pulled from his thoughts when the woman beside him gasped, a hand flying to her chest. Immediately on high alert, his ears swiveled frantically atop his head, as Sango and Miroku both turned around to ask Kagome what had happened. "I sense two jewel shards, coming fast!" she revealed, dread swelling up in her scent. Ah, crap... Inuyasha groaned internally, sniffing the air only to confirm his mate's words. As if things hadn't been touchy enough, it was in that moment that a whirlwind zipped upon them through the trees, coming to a stop and dissipating to reveal Kouga's smug form. "Kagome...how is my- What the hell happened to Dog-shit?!" Inuyasha snarled while the ookami-youkai laughed openly at his expense. "It's a long story, but it's temporary, so no need to worry yourself." Kagome replied with a slightly more bitter tone of voice than anyone had ever heard her use towards the wolf before,

not that the ookami noticed, his mirth still obvious as he gazed in Inuyasha's direction with zero sympathy. "You've really done it to yourself this time, haven't you InuKuso? Come on, Kagome, you'll be safer with me until he finds a way to change back. Can't protect you with that powerful sword of his while he doesn't have any hands." he commented, gesturing to the sheathed katana Kagome currently carried among her arrows in the quiver across her back. As Kouga took a step in Kagome's directly, Inuyasha moved into a protective stance in front of the miko, barking and growling out a series of threats that were promptly ignored. Smirking, Kouga met Kagome's eyes and stated "He said you should go ahead and come with me. That he's not fit to protect you like this." "That's a lie!" Shippou yelled from his place on Miroku's shoulder. "He said to leave Kagome the fuck alone!" "Shippou!" Kagome scolded, turning her attention to the kitsune as she stated "You don't need to quote him word for word, I don't want you using that kind of language!" "Sorry, Kagome..." the boy murmured. "At least we have an honest translator." Miroku chimed in, adding, "Kouga, I find it exceedingly hard to believe that Inuyasha would so quickly and willingly release all rights to his mate." Inuyasha stopped growling and glared at Kouga smugly, while Kagome winced in preparation for the new level of hostility she was sure they were about to be faced with. Although, truth be told, Kouga really should have noticed the change in their scents on his own. It was only because he was so joyfully distracted by Inuyasha's plight that he hadn't been paying that much attention to anything else. Immediately silenced by the houshi's words, Kouga glared at his woman long and hard, breathing deeply through his nose. Then his eyes widened. "No...it can't be..." "It's true, Kouga. Inuyasha's always been the one I've wanted. I'm sorry, I never meant to hurt you, but I just think of you as a friend." Kouga nodded slowly, a sudden hardness in his eyes that made him look cold and calculating. "You should have just told me you preferred fucking animals. I can transform, you know." Kagome recoiled as though she had been slapped, but she didn't have long to feel shocked by Kouga's words as he growled fiercely in that moment before his blue eyes shifted to demonic red, as fur overtook his entire body. Instead of tearing out of his clothing, his primitive wraps

appeared to become a part of himself, just like Sesshoumaru's pristine robes remained unharmed whenever he transformed, and the next thing everyone knew, a large black and brown wolf was charging at Inuyasha, teeth snapping. The white dog didn't back down from the challenge, as he met Kouga's slightly larger form head on, and the inu-tachi suddenly had a very violent, very dangerous dog fight on their hands. Kagome didn't dare use the subjugation command. She didn't doubt that Kouga would move in for the kill while her mate was immobilized if she did. This was far different from any of their other fights, and not just in the sense that they were both currently in animal form. Before, Kagome had always believed that they would never seriously try to injure one another. This time, it was to the death. Not if I can help it... the miko thought with determination, but what could she do? "Sango!" she shouted suddenly, racing over to the slayer and whispering something in her ear. Nodding, the taijiya reached into her robes and got herself into position. In the next moment, Shippou was holding his hands over his mouth and nose while the smoke cleared, two unconscious but otherwise unharmed canine youkai lying where they'd fallen thanks to her stink pellets. Well, 'unharmed' was a relative term, once everyone took note of how much blood had been shed. Inuyasha's wounds were especially visible, thanks to his silvery white fur, but Kouga was not without his own share of damage, if the tremendous about of blood around Inuyasha's mouth was any indication. Quickly moving into position to treat Inuyasha's wounds, it was decided that Kouga would be moved off to the side, sealed with a sutra that would not injure him but would prevent him from moving, once he finally came-to. In the mean time, Kagome prodded through Inuyasha's fur for a few minutes, until deciding that most of the bites were nothing more than small scrapes and tears that would heal just fine on their own. Kouga had taken a couple of good chunks out of him on his side, near his right shoulder, and so Kagome concentrated on those areas. Inuyasha came-to to the smell and sting of medicine, and groaning in a very dog-like fashion, he lifted his head slightly to observe what Kagome was doing. "Shhh, don't move around too much, there's torn muscle here." she told him gently as she applied a bandage, patting him on the head before she even realized what she was doing. His ears lowered at the contact, and silently, he plopped his head back down to the ground. Oops...but I probably would have done that anyway. She'd patted Inuyasha on the head before, not that he really appreciated it all that much even in hanyou form. But what was done was done, so it would probably be best to just move on without dwelling on that one for too long. A groan from the other side of their makeshift camp offered the perfect distraction in that moment. Kagome felt more than heard her patient start growling, but she effectively shushed him as she whispered, "He can't move, we have him pinned with a sutra, and no, I have not treated his wounds, nor will I."

Inuyasha immediately stopped growling, completely in awe at her words. She wouldn't be treating that bastard's wounds? For Kagome, something like that was completely unheard of. She must be very angry with Kouga. Which worked out perfectly, since it just so happened that Kouga was very angry with Kagome. "Damn it, Kagome, get this fucking thing off of me!" the ookami suddenly demanded, having managed to shift himself back into his humanoid form, because that change was accomplished through his magic, although he still couldn't move physically thanks to the sutra on his back. "Not until we're ready to leave, and not until you promise to leave us alone." the miko replied, her tone colder than anyone had ever heard her use before. This time, the ookami noticed. "What's gotten into you, Kagome? I mean, besides the mutt." Inuyasha began growling again. Ignoring Inuyasha, and also ignoring the shocked and outraged expressions of her friends, Kagome sprung to her feet before stomping over in Kouga's direction. As he lay sprawled out on his side in his humanoid form, his injuries were more easily noticeable, but Kagome was more than familiar with the workings of youkai by that point, and she knew that he would recover. She knew that Inuyasha would've recovered without treatment, too, but she liked treating Inuyasha's wounds. She loved him, and she wanted to care for him. "Let's get a few things straight, Kouga." Kagome began, making sure to stand far back enough so that his eyes could reach her face, since he couldn't move his head. She also didn't want to risk giving him any glances up her skirt. "Inuyasha and I became mates before this happened to him, not that it's any of your business one way or the other. But even stuck as a dog, Inuyasha is twice the man you could ever be, and even though we will change him back, supposing, just supposing there wasn't a way to reverse this spell, he's still my mate. His claim is valid, and he has every right to fight for me when somebody is too stupid to realize they should just leave me alone. I'm off limits, no matter what." Inuyasha immediately stopped growling at Kagome's words, not that anyone noticed with how loudly Kouga was suddenly snarling, spouting off things such as "You were mine first!" and other such nonsense that nobody was honestly paying all that much attention to. They were just observing him making a fool of himself, waiting for him to calm down so that Kagome could undoubtedly tell him off again. Silently, Inuyasha ran over his mate's words a few times...over and over...trying to find some other meaning than what he thought she'd meant. He couldn't possibly have heard her right. No... Truly, all she'd said was that they were still mates, regardless of his appearance, and ultimately, that was the truth, since a mating bond couldn't be undone. So she'd meant that she would remain forever loyal to him in the sense that she wouldn't abandon him to take any other mate. Yes, that was what she'd meant.

Still, he found her level of love and sacrifice quite humbling. To give up having a lover, to give up having children... Staggering to his feet, Inuyasha limped over to Kagome's position, coming up beside her so that he brushed up against her hand with the top of his head, his silent way of letting her know that he forgave her for the little slipup of her petting him. Supposing, just supposing that he was going to be stuck like that for a while, he might as well try to embrace the notion. Subconsciously reaching the same conclusion, Kagome cupped her hand over Inuyasha's head, scratching an ear for a moment as she continued to stare down in Kouga's direction. "We're going to be heading on our way now, Kouga." Kagome stated after the ookami-youkai finally grew tired of the sound of his own voice. Stepping forward, Kouga thought Kagome was moving to remove his sutra, so it was understandable that his scent spiked with horror at the realization that she had moved to his shins. "I guess I should take these while I'm at it, probably waited too long as it is..." she muttered more to herself as she popped out the jewel shards in his legs with virtually no effort. At her touch, the small amount of taint in the shards from being connected to a youkai immediately disappeared, allowing the purified shards to fall away from Kouga's flesh as they basically rejected him. Sango and Miroku both stared wide-eyed, though they knew better than to comment as the miko stepped away from Kouga's prone form, putting his shards with their others in the little glass bottle she carried. She then stepped back to once again stand beside Inuyasha, as she silently drew an arrow from her quiver before notching it loosely in her bow. Kouga's eyes widened, the only part of his body besides his mouth that he could currently move. "Do you promise to leave us alone?" she asked, her voice a steady deception of the tremors in her body. Wordlessly, Kouga gulped, and he would've merely nodded his uneasy promise, but because the sutra on his back prevented even that minimal movement, he finally forced his vocal cords to function as he uttered a faint "Yes..." "Okay, Miroku, remove the sutra." she stated then, her arrow still aimed, though not yet pulled back to fire. Quickly snapping to attention, the monk wordlessly complied with Kagome's request, praying that the ookami-youkai didn't attempt to call her bluff. Miroku knew that Kagome had no desire to shoot him, she was merely gambling that Kouga wouldn't know that. As soon as he could move, Kouga bolted to his feet, though he didn't immediately make a run for the hills, as everyone had secretly been hoping.

"You won't possibly change your mind?" he asked her dejectedly. Swinging her head around to flip her hair out of the way, she bared her throat at him, or more accurately, her mating mark, as she said, "Does it look like I could change my mind?" Beside her, Inuyasha flinched, hoping Kagome hadn't meant that the way it'd sounded. Nevertheless, Kouga finally seemed to get the hint, as he lowered his head in defeat before turning and running off without another word. With shaking hands, Kagome dropped her bow and arrow, collapsing to her knees as silent tears streamed down her face. Instantly forgetting his own problems, Inuyasha was licking away her tears, trying his best to tell her that everything would be all right. He was so proud of her for standing up to Kouga, especially since he knew it would've killed her inside to have to actually fire an arrow at him. A clearing throat brought the inu-hanyou back to himself as he glanced up to see Miroku's comical grin, while Sango was far too obvious in her attempt to look elsewhere. Sending a glare Miroku's way, Inuyasha turned back to the kneeling miko before him and woofed quietly. Coming up beside the pair, Shippou translated. "He said 'Don't cry.'" Laughing shakily, Kagome reached up with both hands to wipe at her red and puffy face for a moment, before silently thanking Inuyasha with her eyes as she rose to her feet. After collecting her fallen weapon, she turned to her friends and said "Well, come on. We're almost there, and then hopefully Kaede will be able to shed some light on this subject." ```````````````````````````````` "I see..." the elderly miko commented once everything had been explained to her fully. "I am not unfamiliar with this spell. However, I have never before seen it applied to one of demonic blood. It is dark magic, and typically used to transform humans into farm animals, such as a pig or a goat." Kagome sat with wide eyes, nodding eagerly as she took in everything the elderly miko explained. Who knew that such old wives tales of magic were actually true? That witches really could turn someone into a newt, to coin a phrase. Hopefully Inuyasha would 'get better'. Kaede continued to explain that the spell, as she understood it, never affected the mind, but merely the body, leaving its victims forever trapped in the form of whatever animal their tormentor had chosen. The 'forever' part earned a gasp from the younger miko before Kaede quickly explained that, under normal circumstances, the spell was simply never reversed. She then went on to assure them all that she was quite certain the spell could be reversed, although the bad news was that only Kikyou knew what the key was. "Key?" Miroku asked.

"As is with the workings of this particular magic, it must be bound to a key, that will unlock it, upon its time of creation. However, the nature of that key is at the sole discretion of the witch." she explained. "So basically, there is something that will undo this spell, because there has to be something that will undo this spell in order for it to have been created in the first place, but only Kikyou knows what that is?" Sango asked for clarification. "Precisely." Ears lowering upon his head, Inuyasha whimpered, earning himself an ear scratch from Kagome that did nothing to raise his spirits. "We'll get through this," she assured her mate. "Somehow." Chapter 3 - Love's True Form Having decided that it would be too inconvenient, and also potentially risky, to continue on with their mission while Inuyasha was in his current state, unable to properly communicate with them or utilize the strength of Tetsusaiga, the inu-tachi took advantage of the break in activity to get some other neglected responsibilities out of the way. Miroku decided to pay his old master Mushin a visit and make sure the aging monk was still in relative health, while Sango headed for her old home village to perform some much needed maintenance on Hiraikotsu, and also to stock up on other supplies, such as those very useful stink pellets. Kaede vowed to do whatever was in her power to see if there was a way to discover the key, as she spent the next several days going over ancient scrolls she hadn't read in years, looking for anything and everything she could find with regard to this particular type of magic. Hopefully it would turn out that there was either a spell that would counteract this one despite its lock, or perhaps at least a spell that would then divulge what all the unlocking key consisted of. Worst case scenario, Kaede was also searching for a spell that could be used to force Kikyou to tell the truth, which would be tricky given the undead miko's false nature, meaning that no natural herbs that must be consumed could be used in the potion. But Kaede was not without hope that something could be done for their canine companion, even if hunting Kikyou down and forcing her to reveal the key turned out to be the only way. Through it all, Kagome refused to leave Inuyasha's side, although she did spend the time catching up on her reading, thankful that she'd had her schoolbooks with her on that side of the well. While it was true that she would ultimately be spending her life in the past with Inuyasha, they had agreed that for her family's sake, she would continue to stay in school until graduation. Since graduation was the ultimate goal, it meant that she still had to watch her grades, which meant that any time spent studying was time well spent, and at least it gave her something to do so that she didn't feel quite so useless while Kaede did her research, which she was sure was how Inuyasha was feeling at the moment, as he currently laid a few feet away from her on his stomach, head level with the ground, eyes gazing up towards the sky.

Unable to take the silence between them any longer, Kagome closed her book before setting it aside. His ears flicked in her direction for a moment, but he otherwise remained motionless. "Inuyasha..." Kagome called quietly, smiling a little when he finally lifted his head before turning it to look in her direction. Kagome... he thought, his ears lowering. How could I have so selfishly ruined your life? He never should have marked her. He should have insisted that she wasn't thinking clearly, that he wanted to give her more time to make sure she was really sure before just up and deciding to do something so permanent. He should have insisted that their mating wait until after the Kikyou issue was fully resolved, until after the undead miko was guaranteed to no longer be a threat to them. Now what were they supposed to do? They hadn't even told her family of their mating yet, and he seriously doubted they would accept him in his present form, even if Kagome herself did. There was also still the very real issue of not knowing what might happen if they were separated by the well, but he didn't even know if the well would let him through in his current form. That basically meant that Kagome was not only stuck with him as he was, but she was also stuck in his time, unable or at least unwilling to try returning to her own world until after they found a way to change him back. But how long would that take? Days? Weeks? Months? Years? And yet she spent the time studying, as if she truly believed she'd be able to return to school soon enough for it to make a difference with her grades. Was she truly that nave, or was she just in denial? Or, perhaps, was she deliberately putting up a front, for his sake? Turning to face her fully, Inuyasha sat up some, though his head remained submissively lowered, as he whimpered in the back of his throat. Kagome immediately recognized the sound, having heard it the morning he'd marked her. "Don't." she told him immediately, her eyes loving yet firm. "There's nothing for you to apologize for. This isn't your fault." He woofed his disagreement to her statement, which Kagome could understand easily enough, but choosing not to argue in that moment, she changed the subject as she asked him something that had been nagging at her for the last several hours, questioning with all seriousness "Is it bad?" He cocked his head to the side, so she elaborated. "I...I mean, being a dog. Is it really that bad, for you? This isn't like a regular human being turned into some kind of random animal. You were already half inu-youkai, so...what I'm trying to say is that I just hope you aren't suffering too badly. That you don't feel too uncomfortable in your own skin. Of course we're going to do whatever it takes to change you back, but I hate the idea of you being so miserable until then." Inuyasha gazed into her eyes with a look of loving and longing, before suddenly turning his head in the direction of the village and yipping something very loudly. It didn't take the miko long to realize he'd called for Shippou when the kitsune child came running from the direction of

Kaede's hut, the boy having previously stayed behind because he'd wanted to let Kagome and Inuyasha have some time alone together. Wordlessly, Shippou came to a stop before Inuyasha and seemed to wait for the inu-hanyou to make the next move, which Inuyasha did without delay, barking and yipping a whole slew of things that had the kit occasionally nodding his head. Finally, Shippou turned to Kagome and said, "He wants me to translate for him, but he's worried you don't want me hearing some of the stuff he needs to say. He wants me to let you know that just 'cause I'm a kid, I already know all about adult stuff, so I won't be hearing anything I shouldn't, not really." Taking a deep breath, Shippou continued, speaking for himself as he said "Kagome...he really needs to talk to you, so please don't be embarrassed that I have to help. There's no other way." The miko couldn't help the slight tint of pink that stained her cheeks at the thought of just what, exactly, Inuyasha wanted to discuss with her that would have her so concerned over the notion of using Shippou as a translator, but Kagome also understood that there were no other options, and that she and Inuyasha did need to talk. "All right, Shippou. I guess you're a big boy, after all, so let's get this conversation underway." Immediately, Inuyasha began barking again, his eyes never leaving Kagome's as Shippou nodded his understanding off to the side. Then, the kitsune spoke up with "He says it really isn't that bad, in some ways, being a dog, and that the worst thing about it is definitely because he can't get close to you." "Oh, Inuyasha..." Kagome sighed, scooting herself over until she was sitting right next to him, hooking an arm around his back. "I know it's you in there, I promise I don't think of you any differently." The large white dogged barked some more. "He says...that's not really true. That he doesn't think you're lying, but just that you don't really know what you're saying." Getting a little miffed, Kagome scooted herself around until she was kneeling directly in front of him. They were eye-to-eye as she boldly declared, "That's not true. You're my mate, and I do know what that means. We're bonded for eternity, no matter what." Narrowing his eyes, Inuyasha growled out something that had Shippou blanching, but knowing that it was his duty to translate, he cleared his throat before stating "Uh...he said, 'So you would really be willing to...uh, mate... some dog?'" Kagome gaped, appalled not at Shippou, but at Inuyasha. While it was obviously a topic that couldn't be ignored forever, she couldn't believe he'd just blurted it out so crudely. She had a

sinking suspicion that he hadn't used the word 'mate', either, though she was appreciative of Shippou heeding her previous request that he not necessarily quote the hanyou word-for-word. Squaring her shoulders, Kagome narrowed her own eyes as she met her mate's calculating gaze head on. "First of all, no, I would not be willing to 'fuck some dog'..." she started, earning herself Inuyasha's eyes widening in surprise at her own use of language, even as his ears folded back at her words. Noting his instant change in demeanor, Kagome took a moment to think about it...to truly think about what had happened to him, and the level of love she knew she still felt for him in her heart despite what Kikyou had done. What if he was stuck like that for the next several years? Or even worse? Reaching forward and placing a hand on his shoulder, she continued then, her voice much softer, even as she stressed a few words to get her point across. "But you are not 'some dog', Inuyasha. You are my mate, and this..." she gestured to his current appearance, "is not your true form. I refuse to be so quick to believe that we will not be able to find a way to change you back, but just assuming for the time being that it turns out you really are stuck like that for eternity...well, if what you really meant to ask me is 'Would I really be willing to make love to my husband, regardless of whatever evil spells have him trapped away in a false body that is not truly his own'..." Pausing, Kagome took a deep breath, and stated softly, "Then the answer is yes." It was Inuyasha's turn to gape at Kagome, as he stared at her with wide, unbelieving eyes. He would never, could never defile her in such a way; he refused. But he'd said it to make a point, to make her see. She couldn't possibly truly still think of him the same way as before... He hadn't expected her to take his words and use them to make a point of her own. Even though he would never hold her to it, to simply hear her say such a thing meant more to him than even he had realized prior to actually hearing her say it. Was there truly no end to this woman's love for him? He had no idea what he'd done to deserve her, but the bottom line was that she was his mate. He would make sure she never regretted that fact, even if 'mating' was never a part of their relationship. Seemingly reading his mind, Kagome pulled Inuyasha from his thoughts in that moment as she reached her right hand up and gently brushed it across his head a few times, lovingly scratching an ear that perked under her touch. "But I know you don't want that..." she added after a moment, in reference to her previous statement. "And I refuse to believe we won't be able to change you back." He woofed softly in that moment, in a manner that Kagome seemed to understand meant "What if..." even without Shippou needing to translate it for her. "In my time..." she began sagely, "There is an ancient legend called 'The Dog and his Wife.'"

Inuyasha's eyes widened in surprise as Kagome continued. With a shrug of her shoulders, she stated nonchalantly "Maybe it's about us." before proceeding to tell him the entire story as she remembered it. "If we can't find a way to change you back," Kagome added after she was done with her tale, "I would gladly live with you in a small hut in the middle of the forest, tucked away from the world, just you and me, just like in the legend." Turning her head to glance Shippou's way, she ruffled the boy's hair before amending, "Of course, our translator would have to stay with us, too." Shippou puffed his chest in importance while sending Kagome a playful smile, which quickly turned back into a serious expression as he glanced Inuyasha's way again. Kagome instantly took note of this, and meeting Inuyasha's gaze herself once more, she added with a loving tone... "But remember, Kaede said that there is a way to change you back. There has to be, because that's how the spell works. It might take us a while to figure out what it is, but we know there is a way. So there's no need to be so pessimistic, all right? It's only been a few days, after all. We shouldn't give up hope too easily that Kaede might be able to figure out how to reverse the spell by herself, but even if she can't, then we'll just go hunt Kikyou down and force her to do it. We will turn you back, Inuyasha. I promise." Encouraged by her words, the hanyou leaned himself forward and licked Kagome across the lips, figuring that such a small gesture shouldn't be pushing things too far. He wanted to assure her that he understood, that he still loved her - kami did he ever - and that he was willing to wait for however long it took to change him back. Smiling at his show of affection, Kagome leaned herself forward after he pulled away, and wrapping her arms around Inuyasha in a tight hug, the miko whispered into his ear, "I will always love you, no matter what." ``````````````````````````````````````````` After doing as much research as was possible, searching within every scroll she possessed containing information regarding magic spells of any kind, Kaede finally had to inform the young couple after a week's time that, regretfully, she still had no information as far as how to reverse the spell. To make matters worse, that night was the night of the new moon, and nobody knew what to expect; they could only guess. Given the nature of the spell, it was highly unlikely that Inuyasha would still turn human, though just as a precaution for modesty's sake, the hanyou had agreed to crawl into Kagome's sleeping bag prior to sunset. If he did turn back into a human, he would be turning into a naked one, and he had no desire to do that outside, or to give Kaede an eyeful. As the sun slipped passed the horizon, however, it turned out that the elderly miko's hypothesis was correct. Because the spell was linked to his human half, it was truly his human-self that had

been turned into a dog in the first place, which meant that during the nights of the new moon, when he lost his youkai powers, he therefore became a mortal dog. Inuyasha whimpered despite himself as the transformation rippled through him, his silvery white fur bleeding into black, the strength of his youkai blood ripped away from him. Fortunately, he still maintained his higher consciousness, because there again, that was the nature of the spell, to turn humans into animals that were fully aware of the fact that they were actually humans. For that, the younger miko was eternally grateful. Kagome hadn't wanted to see her mate reduced to nothing more than the mind of a dog...not again, and certainly not while he had the body to go with it. One or the other was hard enough to deal with independently. As Inuyasha crawled out from Kagome's sleeping bag, he cast his mate a sympathetic gaze. For the first time in his life, he had actually been looking forward to turning human. Much more so than when he had agreed to use the jewel to turn human for Kikyou. That had been a means to an end, specifically the end of his loneliness. But now, he already never had to worry about being lonely ever again, and he didn't have to turn human in order to earn his mate's love. He had hoped that turning human would grant them the ability to express their love, but apparently, it simply wasn't meant to be. While only having one night of intimacy a month would've been a horrible prospect in and of itself to have to endure for the rest their lives, it would've still been a thousand times better than what they were now faced with instead. Now what was he supposed to do? He was completely useless! He couldn't protect Kagome like this! Oh sure, he knew they were safe for that particular night, but the wheels of his mind were already turning to months...years down the road. With Kaede unable to reverse the spell, the only chance he had was getting Kikyou to do it, and they still had to find her, first. Worst-case scenario, Inuyasha knew, despite Kagome's protests, that the possibility was great that he would be stuck like that for the rest of his life. Temporarily ignoring how deeply that prospect sucked in all other areas, it also spelled disaster for future new moons. Sure, he had better senses than he did when trapped in his human body, but how was he supposed to fight? Without his sword, all he had left to rely on were his youkai abilities. Okay, so he might be able to protect her from a human attacker with his teeth, but against even the lowest of youkai he'd be dead meat as he currently was. Though granted, she was getting better with her miko powers, and would probably be able to master the art of barriers before too much longer...but that wasn't the point! He was supposed to protect her, damn it. As if reading his thoughts, Kagome immediately tried to cheer her mate up, as she gazed across the room lovingly at the black dog he had become, and stated, "Well, look on the bright side. At least you haven't lost your senses like you do when you turn human. They might not be as strong as normal, but I know a dog's sense of smell and hearing are both way better than a human's, and I'm sure your night vision is much better than a human's, too."

He woofed out something clipped and abrupt as he gazed her way for just a moment, that had Shippou over in the corner of the room pipe up with, "He said 'So what?'" Kagome didn't really know what to say to that, so she remained quiet, as Inuyasha turned away from her, her sad eyes following his movements until he finally plopped down by the fire, apparently deciding that since he was useless as a protector in that form anyway, that he might as well get some sleep. Kagome wanted to cry, for his sake, but she feared he would still be able to smell it, and so with a shaky breath, she bit back her tears, forcing her eyes to obey her command as she made her way over to her sleeping bag. They were safe, at least for this moonless night, so she may as well get some sleep, too. From her place on the other side of the fire pit, Kaede observed the young couple whose lives her sister had ruined with a wave of genuine sympathy. The elderly miko tried hard in that moment to put herself in Kikyou's place, to try and deduce logically what the unresting spirit that was her deceased sister may have chosen as the unlocking key. But it truly made no sense to her that she would have cast such a spell in the first place, so trying to think of things from a point of logic proved nearly impossible after a moment. Kikyou was mad, and there was no telling what her warped mind had concocted in her moment of vengeance. All they had told her she'd said to them before hand had been insinuations of what was to come, Kikyou challenging Kagome with the fact that Inuyasha would not be hers for much longer, and that the young miko would be left to deal with the 'dog' that he truly was. They had been warned, tauntingly, but there was nothing to indicate that Kikyou had actually given them any hints of how to undo it. Kagome had said that it was like Kikyou was challenging her love for him, but Kaede had no trouble seeing that the young miko's love for her mate had not truly lessened in any way, so if that wasn't the key, then what was? Unless... Shaking her head, Kaede tended to the fire a moment longer before preparing her own bedding for the night. She was fairly certain that was not it. She could not see her sister, even considering what Kikyou had become, doing something like that. Granted, it would be unwise to dismiss the possibility in its entirety, but it was much too soon to make such rash hypotheses. Two hours later, Inuyasha was roused from his light doze by the scent of tears; Kagome was crying in her sleep. He found morbid humor in the fact that he couldn't talk at the moment, because at least that meant he couldn't put his foot in his mouth. No words were needed in this situation, anyway. Silently getting up from his spot on the hard wood and making his way over to Kagome while remaining careful not to wake either Kaede or Shippou, Inuyasha gazed forlornly at his mate's tear-streaked visage for a moment before gently leaning forward to lick the marks from her face. Kagome's eyes fluttered open to be met by the loving gaze of warm brown eyes surrounded by black fur. There was no hesitation before she was pulling back the unzipped flap of her sleeping bag, which she had left open with the secret hope of him deciding to join her at some point in the night. Crawling into her sleeping bag, Inuyasha laid down on his side with his back to Kagome, mentally smiling at the feel of the girl snuggling herself up against him even closer than usual, as she practically spooned him, wrapping both an arm and a leg over his body. It was as if she wanted to make sure he couldn't get away from her, at least not without waking her up. But he had no intention of going anywhere, and doing his best to tell her so, he tilted his head to lick the hand of the arm wrapped around him. Her response was to kiss the back

of his head. Together, the pair drifted off to pleasant dreams of a time when the spell was removed and they were living together happily in a hut of their own. ````` Kagome was reluctantly pulled from a rather vivid dream by the sounds of the village, people working, children playing...and groggily opening her eyes, she was met by the sight of a white, furry triangle. Not yet fully awake, she smirked, remembering her dream well. She always had loved Inuyasha's ears, and she also knew from personal experience that he didn't hate her messing with them like he used to pretend he did. Stretching her neck forward, she captured her prize, her lips sensually closing around his fuzzy ear. He immediately jerked in surprise at the contact, and it was then that Kagome snapped into full wakefulness, realizing that it wasn't a dog-eared man she was cuddling against, but rather, that he was still locked away from her in his false full-canine body. The ears are the same... she thought with a mild blush as she quickly pulled away. Inuyasha immediately turned his head around to gaze at her from a semi-upside-down angle, his eyes wide with shock. Blushing darker, Kagome mumbled, "Uh...good morning." The miko wanted to chuckle as she got the distinct impression that he would be blushing, himself, were he able. Crawling out of her sleeping bag and standing up on all fours, Inuyasha gazed hesitantly in Kagome's direction. It was easy for her to read the emotions in his eyes; he was worried she was going to be disgusted with herself for what she'd unthinkingly done while still half asleep. Refusing to let the new day start off on such a sour note, she sat up and scooted herself closer to his position, before reaching forward and capturing the same ear she'd just mouthed with her fingers. It was still damp. "There's nothing to feel weird about, you know. It's not like these guys are because of the spell. You've always had dog ears, and I've never had a problem with them." His eyes instantly relaxed at her words, as he tilted his head into her touch. They were alone for the moment, and by kami, he needed Kagome's touch. Any touch. Just simple physical contact helped the strain he felt tremendously. The unfinished mate-bond was really starting to get to him. Last night had been a reprieve, of sorts, since with the absence of his youkai blood it also meant that the pull of their bond was temporarily muted, although he would've much rather turned human. At dawn, with the return of his youkai blood, Inuyasha had refused to move, feeling more than content to remain in Kagome's arms for however long the girl remained asleep. Even as Kaede and Shippou roused and went about getting up for the day, he'd stayed put, sending them both a silent look that had clearly articulated his desire for them to let Kagome sleep in. It was with silent nods of understanding that the elderly miko and kitsune had quietly vacated the hut. Kaede had plenty of morning duties to attend to elsewhere, anyway, and Shippou could keep himself busy easily enough.

Inuyasha had remained like that for over an hour, simply enjoying the presence of the girl snuggled against him, until finally picking up on the telltale signs of wakefulness that had told him Kagome wouldn't be asleep for much longer. Still, he had silently vowed to not move from his spot until she moved first, just on the off chance that she too would've chosen to remain lying peacefully for a few moments longer. He had not been expecting to feel her shifting against him, only to suddenly find one of his sensitive ears encased by moist warmth. The sensation triggered an instant reaction further south, which was why he was currently standing on all fours rather than sitting on his haunches, until he could get that 'reaction' back under control and out of sight. It was a miracle Kagome wasn't yet disgusted by him, and he wanted to keep it that way. Closing his eyes in contentment as his body calmed down while she continued to rub his ear, he missed it, at first, when his mate began speaking softly. "...before Sango and Miroku get back." she finished, giggling at the confused look in his eyes as he pulled his head away from her touch before shaking it as if to clear his mind. He didn't hear a word I said, Kagome smiled to herself, secretly pleased that she had such an effect on him. "I said..." she repeated herself gently, chuckling a bit at his sheepish glance. "I think I would like to have a bath before Sango and Miroku get back." Blinking, it took Inuyasha a minute to realize just how long it'd been since Kagome had bathed. For the miko who at times almost seemed to have an obsession with water, this had to be a world record. But there weren't any hot springs within walking distance of the village, and he seriously doubted she was all that interested with the river, which she had always complained was too cold to bathe in. She only ever washed up in cold water when she had no other choice, when hot water wasn't available and she was covered in youkai guts. Kagome wasn't that filthy, so the river was definitely out, but there was also no way she'd suddenly decided to chance going through the well. That could only mean... She...she wants me to take her to a hot spring. Getting away from the village for a day sounded wonderful. There was nothing Kaede could do for him at that point, and he was tired of overhearing all of the concerned whispers from the rest of the village. It wasn't as if their words were cruel, they genuinely felt sorry for him, but then again, the villagers also had no idea that he and Kagome were mated. When they'd shared that little tidbit with the elderly miko she had agreed to keep that news private until a more opportune time to officially celebrate their union could be arranged. Inuyasha was already mildly concerned regarding how the villagers would take the news that their holy priestess incarnate was joined to a hanyou, so there was no reason to fuel the fire by having it become publicly known that she was actually joined to a dog. One hurdle at a time. Of course, Kaede had taken the news rather well, so that was a comfort, knowing that the majority of the villagers would most likely concede to her judgment. But still, there was no point in causing more problems than were necessary.

It was with that last thought in mind that Inuyasha knew they'd better tell Kaede where they were going to be heading off to, lest she mistakenly think that they had decided to track Kikyou down on their own. There was no telling how long it would take to locate the undead miko. Miroku and Sango would both be returning from their respective trips within another day or two, tops, so they would wait until their group was back together again before taking off on their latest quest. Heading over by the door of the hut, Inuyasha turned his head and woofed softly in Kagome's direction, letting her know that he understood and was ready to head out whenever she was. Demonstrating that she still possessed her uncanny ability to understand him in dog form, Kagome smiled brightly before going about preparing her backpack with the accessories she'd need for the outing. She wasn't really that dirty, just dusty, though her hair could certainly use a good washing, but more than anything, she too simply wanted to get away for a day. While her hearing still wasn't quite as acute as Inuyasha's, it was much better than it used to be. Kagome could easily hear the whispers of the villagers, herself, and it was getting harder and harder to remain optimistic when everyone around them kept on muttering about how horrible it would be if he were stuck like that forever. They don't even know the half of it... Gathering up her bag over her shoulder as she finished munching on the granola bar that would function well enough as breakfast for the time being, Kagome headed for the door, murmuring, "We need to find Shippou before heading out." Inuyasha woofed softly in acknowledgment. It only made sense that she'd want to bring the boy along. They found Kaede and Shippou together only a few minutes later, as the elderly miko had the kitsune assisting her with pulling weeds out of the herb garden. "Good morning, you two." Kaede greeted with a smile, an expression that soon faded as her thoughts drifted at the sight before her. Kagome's aura had always screamed of spiritual powers to Kaede, and with Inuyasha standing protectively beside her as he currently was, the sight whispered of a powerful priestess and her inugami. But Inuyasha was not an inugami, and it saddened her deep inside to know what the young couple was suffering through. Quickly shaking such negative thoughts free from her mind, Kaede forced her smile to reappear as she took note of Kagome's backpack before asking in a friendly manner, "And where might ye be heading off to?" "Inuyasha's going to take me to the closest hot spring." Kagome answered, adding, "We'll be back in a few hours. I just wanted to get cleaned up before hitting the road again, and a nice soak in warm water sounded too inviting to ignore." Shifting her gaze to smile down at the young kitsune, Kagome added, "So be a good boy and stay with Kaede until we get back, all right Shippou? I don't want you wandering off while we're not here to look after you."

While it was rare, the occasional rouge youkai did continue to wander closer to the village than would be preferred, especially when they sensed Kagome's jewel shards. Shippou nodded his understanding with a murmured promise to be good, and to also let Miroku and Sango know where they had gone should one or both of them return during their absence. Kaede offered the couple pleasant wishes for their brief travel before getting back to her weeding, all the while Inuyasha was still trying to wrap his mind around what Kagome had just said. She didn't want Shippou to go with them? Not that there was really all that much to talk about, Inuyasha supposed, if the only reason she would've wanted the runt to tag alone was to function as their translator. The quiet was actually surprisingly nice. He was secretly amazed that Kagome hadn't unconsciously started filling all of the silence between them with excessive jabbering on her own part, but apparently, the fact that they couldn't have a legitimate two-way conversation prevented the miko from needing to think of one. Simply put, when you couldn't talk about anything, it eliminated the need to find something to talk about. The fact that she hadn't wanted Shippou to tag along simply for the sake of tagging along pulled at the edges of his lips, until a full-blown 'dog' smile was gracing his muzzle as he trotted with Kagome towards the edge of the forest. She wanted to be alone with him. Not that he was thinking anything perverted, of course, but a little alone time would be nice; genuine alone time, without the backdrop of discreet glances or whispered concerns. As soon as they passed through the first layer of trees, shielding them from view of anyone who might happen to glance in their direction, Kagome looped a leg around Inuyasha's back, and then they were gone. Picking up the pace beyond the mere loping he had done the only previous time she had ridden on his back in his current form, Inuyasha ran as fast as he dared, relieved to hear his mate's playful cries of joy as they zipped through the trees as nothing more than a blur. Kagome was crouched forward, hugging herself to Inuyasha's form like she was riding a Ninja motorcycle, and not one speck of fear was present in her scent as she took in the scenery flying by her. It was definitely different, to see the world rushing by her from a vantage point so close to the ground, and she definitely missed running with Inuyasha in his traditional form, leaping through the trees, flying above the world like nothing could touch them, but all things considered, she had no complaints. She got the distinct impression that the man-turned-dog below her was enjoying the moment of freedom, too, when he growled and yipped playfully as they zeroed in on their destination. Something told her he was telling her to hold on, and bracing for whatever was about to happen, Kagome was prepared when Inuyasha suddenly leapt up into the air, clearing the wall of rock and fallen logs to deposit them safely on the other side, within the secluded clearing of her favorite hot spring. Dismounting without a word as soon as he came to a stop, Kagome wobbled a bit before regaining her balance, a worried Inuyasha rearing onto his hind legs and placing his front paws on her back to help stable her when it looked like her legs were about to collapse. "I'm fine..." she replied as she steadied herself with a chuckle in her voice. "That was just...wow."

Smirking, Inuyasha dropped back down to all fours, before getting serious and taking a moment to sniff around the hot spring to make sure there were no threats in the vicinity. Kagome observed his behavior with a keen eye, waiting until he gave her the all clear before proceeding. After a few minutes of sniffing the surrounding area, circling further and further around the spring's perimeter, Inuyasha came back to Kagome's position and woofed lightly. "Is it safe?" she asked, just to be sure. Though the movement was slightly awkward, for her sake, he nodded. Sighing in relief, Kagome slipped her backpack from her shoulders before digging through it for her soaps and towel. She then reached up and began unfastening the buttons on her blouse, before pausing to cast an unsure glance in Inuyasha's direction. What was the protocol in a situation like this? Sensing her hesitation, Inuyasha gazed Kagome's way reassuringly, woofing softly before turning and heading for the other side of the boulders. Yes, on the one hand they were already mates, but they still hadn't completed the act, so he could understand Kagome's shyness, and while he would've loved to have stayed to watch her undress, such an act would've honestly been nothing but torture for him, anyway. It was better this way Remaining conscientious of the man currently on the other side of the boulders that separated the hot spring from view, Kagome quickly finished disrobing before settling herself down into the steamy water, sighing audibly as the soothing temperature immediately relaxed her tense muscles. She felt a little weird, actually, acting so silly about being nude in Inuyasha's company. After all, they were mates now, and had it not been for Kikyou's untimely interruption, then they would've done a whole lot more than just see each other naked by that point. As it was, though, they'd been bonded for two whole weeks and still hadn't done any more than some heavy petting, and over the clothes, no less. That was something she really wished she could change, and were Inuyasha in his normal body, she would've shown her daring by inviting him to join her in the water. But that was just it. Inuyasha wasn't in his normal body, and that was why she'd hesitated. Not really because the idea of his current form disgusted her, but more because she didn't want to inadvertently come off as seeming cruel, taunting him with what he couldn't have. That thought honestly hadn't crossed her mind when she'd first asked him to bring her to the hot spring. She truly had wanted a bath, not to mention some alone time away from the villagers. But she'd wanted to spend that alone time with him, not spend it entirely alone all by herself. True, he would never actually leave her by herself while she was so vulnerable in the water; he would stay right on the other side of those boulders should a random youkai decide to show up and cause trouble, but that wasn't the same. Closing her eyes and leaning her head back against the raised bank behind her, Kagome tried to muscle up the courage to call out to Inuyasha, to tell him that he didn't have to stay hidden over there if he didn't want to, but no matter how many times she rehearsed the invitation in her mind, the words wouldn't come. She didn't want to risk him misunderstanding her, if he might think she was uncaring of how hard this whole situation really was on him. She just didn't want him to feel like he had to stay isolated from her if he truly would prefer being closer. It was perfectly all

right with her for him to stay on her side of the boulders while she bathed, even if that meant seeing her naked. Of course, the simple idea of Inuyasha seeing her naked in the hot spring quickly had the miko's mind wandering to other occasions, other baths, other times Inuyasha was just on the other side of those boulders. What if he'd spied on her in the past, just like Miroku always tried to do with Sango? For some reason, that thought didn't anger her any longer. Quite the opposite, in fact. Keeping her eyes closed, Kagome began imagining that Inuyasha was in that very moment creeping his head around the corner, sighing silently to himself in relief to note her closed eyes, so that he could believe he was getting away with something she didn't know about. Perhaps it would be better that way, if she silently let him look without actually telling him that it was okay. It made things more exciting. Daring to peak an eye open after five minutes, however, revealed that there was no voyeur secretly enjoying her bath time, at least that she could see, and Kagome confused herself even further by finding that she was unsure of how she felt about that. Was she relieved that Inuyasha was apparently respecting her privacy, or disappointed? She also realized in that moment that she had to try and think of things from Inuyasha's point of view. If his desire to be with her was truly as strong as her desire was to be with him, then it would probably just be torture for him to know that he could look but he couldn't touch. How was that fair? Not that this whole damn thing was fair in any way. She wanted her mate back! Sighing, Kagome leaned forward and reached for her shampoo, starting the process of getting clean. That was the main reason why she'd wanted to come out here, right? May as well get it over with, so that then maybe she and Inuyasha could enjoy some alone time afterwards by taking longer to head back to the village. Smirking momentarily, just on the off chance that he was spying, Kagome deliberately arched her back further than was necessary to wash the suds out of her hair, pushing her breasts up and out of the water, her nipples instantly hardening as the cool morning air hit them. Maybe it was a little sneaky, but if he was being a sneak himself, then fair was fair...in this world of unfair they currently found themselves stuck in. She honestly didn't think he was looking, but it wouldn't hurt to pretend, right? And if he was watching of his own volition without her having actually asked him to step around the boulders, then that meant she wasn't being cruel. She was just having her bath, unaware of her audience. She smiled. As Kagome rose from the water to begin soaping her body next, she began the process a bit more slowly than was necessary, again just on the off chance that he was secretly watching her, but before she knew it, the miko was caught up in her own game, the sensitive peaks on her breasts begging for attention that no one could give...except herself. Losing herself to the rhythm of her scrubbing, just for a moment, Kagome began pinching and rolling her hardened nipples, until a telltale tingling down below suddenly had her coming back to herself with the thought of What am I doing? Lowering herself back down into the water, allowing the suds to flow free from her body, Kagome trailed her hand lazily across her stomach under the water, realizing belatedly that the heated pool would offer no comfort to soothe the warmth she felt in her blood. She needed

physical contact. She needed to be touched. What she really needed was Inuyasha's touch, but if all she had in the mean time was her own... I'll be quick... she reasoned with herself then. If he's really not looking then he'll never know... Dipping her hand down between her legs, Kagome kept her eyes glued to the boulders on the other side of the clearing, prepared to jerk her hand away at the slightest sign of movement. She knew she could keep from moaning out loud, and any sloshing sounds he might pick up should just be shrugged off due to her washing. Of course, logic and reason quickly took a backseat once the miko really started getting into it, rubbing at her clit under the water with the flats of her index and middle fingers. Her movements were slow, at first, as she massaged her most sensitive flesh in languid circles, before picking up the pace to rub herself in more rapid up and down strokes. Even as her eyes stayed focused on the wall of rock before her, her mind began to wander, picturing images of how her inu-hanyou used to be. She remembered the time she'd seen him naked when he'd burst into her room after Souta had prepared too hot of a bath for him. Too bad she'd been such a squealy little girl back then, though granted that was over two years ago. Then there was also the time when Jaken had nearly stolen the Tetsusaiga, when Inuyasha had toppled over in that hot spring thanks to the head rush of standing too quickly. She'd gotten quite the eyeful that time, and comparing mental notes between that image, and what she had felt through his hakama only recently, Kagome realized that her Inuyasha was what they called a shower and a grower. Unaware of the nearly inaudible moan that slipped passed her defenses to vibrate in her throat as her lips remained sealed, Kagome unconsciously leaned herself backward, once again tipping her head back to rest against the raised bank at the rear of the hot spring as her eyes drifted shut, thoughts of what she would like to do with a certain part of Inuyasha's anatomy instantly heightening the sensations rushing through her as she imagined it was no longer her own fingers bringing her pleasure. Suddenly, Inuyasha was before her, towering over her, his own hand between her legs as he expertly parted her flesh to sink first one, then two fingers inside of her, stretching her, preparing her for what was to come. Her left hand became his right, reaching forward to grab her left breast, pinching her nipple before he leaned forward to gently capture the beaded flesh between his teeth. Baring her own teeth to bite down on her lower lip, Kagome's efforts doubled as she imagined he had taken a hold of his shaft, rubbing the head of his penis against her clit teasingly. Kami, how she wanted him. Unconsciously thrusting her hips in time with her movements, his movements, Kagome's awareness of the world around her dropped to zero. She knew nothing but the pleasure stemming from between her legs to rocket throughout the rest of her body. Almost there...almost there... Meanwhile, on the other side of the boulders, Inuyasha could no longer ignore what was happening. When he had first headed around the rock face to grant Kagome her privacy, he had had absolutely no intention of peeking in on her, no matter how badly a certain part of him had really wanted to. That part of him had no business offering up opinions for the time being. Just listening to her splash around in the water as she bathed had been troublesome enough; watching

her would have been absolute torture. So it was with that mindset that he continued to let his mate have her bath in private, even as his masochistic subconscious decided to start sharing with him its best guesses as to what she currently looked like, scrubbing the dirt from her skin as she stood up in the water wearing nothing but soap. He had seen her naked on several occasions over the years, though always in fleeting glimpses that lasted no longer than a second or two, but those still frames were permanently imbedded in his memory, and were more than enough for him to construct an artificial peep show in his mind. He imagined her rubbing her hands all over her own body, and suddenly, he had to shift his position, lying on his side instead of his stomach. Damn it...I really fucking miss having hands... he mentally groaned as the ache he felt in a slightly higher place than normal only continued to worsen. Turning his head to glance down at himself, he was met by the striking contrast of vibrant red flesh standing proudly against white fur. The tip wasn't just peaking out like earlier back at the hut for a moment, he had a full-blown erection. Fuck... he groaned again, plopping his head back down. He needed a soak in some cold water, and pronto, but there was no way he was leaving Kagome unattended to, especially since he had belatedly realized they'd neglected to bring her bow and arrows. Granted, from the perspective of how fast he could run, they were only a few minutes away from the village, but the village wasn't really that close by. If Kagome were forced to make her way back there by herself for whatever unforeseeable reason, it would take her a few hours. So far though, fortunately, he continued to sense no threats in the immediate area. In an attempt to take his mind off of certain...unfortunate circumstances...Inuyasha stood up in that moment, taking a deep breath through his nose in an attempt to reaffirm the continued safety of their surroundings...and promptly found himself sputtering and gasping for air. What the fuck?! He smelled Kagome's arousal, wafting towards him casually on the steamy air like a heady bouquet of temptation. Snapping his jaw shut, he turned to glare at the rocks behind him as though they were directly to blame, his ears trained forward to note the subtle yet rhythmic sloshing coming from the other side. Then she moaned. It was very faint, and had he not already been listening intently then he may have missed it. She was clearly trying her best to be quiet. His ears lowered at the thought. Damn it all... Inuyasha was lost in a sea of emotions. He felt guilty over the fact that his mate was unsatisfied, forced to resort to pleasuring herself to make up for what he couldn't give her. He both shared and understood her frustrations. Then, despite his own discomfort, a large part of him was even more turned on by the carnal imagery his subconscious was now providing him with. Torture or no, he was tempted to peek around the edge of the rocks to watch her erotic display. At the same time, he was also angry, not with Kagome directly, but at the whole gods damned situation. He was angry that he wanted her but couldn't have her, and he was jealous that she at least got to get

off while he was stuck humping air. Masturbating while fantasying about Kagome was nothing new to him, and if he were capable then that would at least be something, but as it was... It took a lot of mental discipline to get his hips to stop thrusting forward, as he shook his head, determined to maintain control over himself despite his raging hormones. If he had known that taking Kagome to have a bath was going to leave him with a painful hard-on he could do nothing about, he would have seriously reconsidered the idea, or at the very least, he would've insisted that Shippou come along with them, which would have thoroughly killed 'the mood' for both of them. Too late for that now. He would live and learn, he supposed, provided that he didn't die of blue balls first. Inuyasha briefly considered the one option he did have to relieve the throbbing pressure he felt down below, but before he could truly start thinking too deeply on the age-old male dilemma of whether or not self-gratification by mouth would be acceptable, she moaned again, and in a tone that sounded suspiciously like his name. All rhyme or reason left him as he headed around the boulders on autopilot, not even realizing he had moved until his eyes widened at the sight suddenly before him. Kagome was writhing against the raised bank at the back of the hot spring, her sweat-glistened breasts heaving as she panted heavily. Her left arm was presently outstretched onto the soil behind her, her fingers clinching the earth most likely in an attempt to keep herself anchored in place so that she didn't accidentally slip forward to sink below the surface. As she sat only waistdeep in the water, it was beyond obvious what her right hand was doing, though the ripples from her frantic movements obstructed his view. Maybe he let out a tiny whine without realizing it, or maybe Kagome could merely sense her audience, but either way, it was in that moment that she opened her eyes, her head snapping up to stare forward, her gaze instantly locking onto his own. Feeling as though every inch of his body was on fire, Inuyasha panted heavily, unable to register anything other than the passion and desire he felt coursing through his veins. He was unfazed at having been caught staring, and when the fire he felt raging through him suddenly mirrored itself in her eyes, as she continued to stare hungrily back without making any move to conceal her breasts from view, or to relocate the position of her right hand, he found himself stepping closer to the water's edge. As for Kagome, her current frame of mind wasn't much better off, as she stilled all movements while leaving her hand in place. She was too far gone to be embarrassed; by that point, his presence had merely startled her. As Kagome gazed across the width of the pool to where her mate was currently standing, she paid little attention to his overall appearance, focusing suddenly and mainly on his long, flapping tongue, as he panted. The miko remembered well the feel of that tongue of his as he trailed it across her throat, and she suddenly found herself wondering what it would feel like if he trailed it across other parts of her body. He would certainly be allowed to do so in his normal form, so why should his current appearance make any difference? A tongue was a tongue, right? Her idle hand slowly began moving again at the imagery, as she imagined him lapping at her most intimate flesh. The sight of Kagome resuming her activities despite his presence had the hanyou-turned-canine fully entranced, as he continued to slowly approach her position. When his left front paw encountered water, however, it was enough of a surprise to pull him back into himself, as he

nearly fell into the spring before backpedaling to regain his balance. Feeling lightheaded, he sat down on his butt as he mentally berated himself for being so weak, though feelings of humiliation never came. He still wanted Kagome in that moment more than he'd ever wanted anything else in his entire life, that single desire coursing through him paralleled only by his desire to destroy the surrounding forest in his aggravation over being denied what he wanted. As for Kagome, she too finally snapped out of the spell her actions had cast upon them both at the sight of him nearly falling into the water in his desire to reach her, and she too immediately began mentally berating herself for what her lack of control had allowed to happen. Burning desire or no, she would not ask Inuyasha to fulfill her most recent fantasy, especially when she could see for herself just how miserable her own arousal had made him. With the way he was currently sitting, she had an unobstructed view of his erection, which was surprisingly similar in size and shape to a human's, she realized in that moment, before immediately chastising herself for the thought. But if a tongue was a tongue, regardless of its current form, then wouldn't logic stand to reason that the same comparison would also be true for other things besides his tongue? Maybe we could...pleasure each other... Kagome thought after a moment, easily willing to return a favor for a favor, at least by hand. Besides, professional dog breeders did that all the time, for the purposes of artificial insemination, and if that wasn't considered sick or wrong, then why should pleasuring her husband be forbidden? As those types of thoughts continued to flitter through her mind, Kagome remembered the conversation they'd had with Shippou's assistance, of how, if it truly turned out he was going to be stuck like that forever, she would be willing to be with him in that form as opposed to their relationship forever remaining sexless. He had seemed adamantly against the idea, at the time, not that she truly wanted her first time to be with a dog, either, but you didn't always get what you wanted in life. Over 90% of her initial optimism that they would be able to change him back had been from placing her faith in Kaede's ability to reverse the spell by herself. While Kagome refused to give up hope entirely, especially with the revealed knowledge that there was something that would reverse the spell, she was far more reserved to the fact that he might be stuck like that for several, several months, if the only way to change him back was to first locate Kikyou, whom Kagome was fairly certain had no intention of being found. Then, after they achieved the first miracle of actually finding and cornering the undead miko, they would have to get her to tell them what the unlocking key was, a secret the vengeful specter would probably rather carry with her into Hell than share with them. A muffled grunt pulled Kagome from her thoughts in that moment, as her eyes focused to recognize what Inuyasha was doing from his place by the water's edge, his head bent down between his legs. With her cheeks flushed a dark red from a combination of arousal and angerdriven determination, Kagome's mind was suddenly made up as she sloshed forward, climbing fully out of the spring before he even noticed her movement. Hard to the point of actual pain, Inuyasha simply hadn't been able to take it any more. He'd realized quickly enough what Kagome was staring at, as she'd pulled her hand away from herself to stare at him when he'd sat down after almost tumbling into the spring, and glaring down at his own erection angrily, he'd almost contemplated biting it off before realizing there was a much

less painful, and only slightly more humiliating solution to his immediate problem. Of course, it quickly turned out that using his tongue only added fuel to the fire, since the strokes were more teasing than genuinely fulfilling, and he seriously doubted he would be able to reach completion that way. But much like scratching at a horribly itchy spider bite, it felt too good to stop, even though he knew he should. He was genuinely startled when Kagome suddenly placed a wet hand on his shoulder, his head snapping up and away from himself to stare at her with wide, panicked eyes. But before he could decide if he was afraid because he believed Kagome was going to be angry with him, or if he was afraid because he knew damn well what it was she had planned, he felt her hand wrap around him and tug, and suddenly, there wasn't enough blood left in his brain to be afraid of anything. With hooded eyes, he leaned his head forward and began lapping the water droplets off her breasts. They tasted just as he had always imagined they would. She arched herself into his touch, a moan escaping her lips as he gently teased her hardened nipples with his teeth, careful not to cause her any harm. Suddenly, Kagome was leaning away from him, though before he could misinterpret and think that the action meant she didn't want him touching her in return, he quickly realized that was not the case when she merely lied down before him, her legs spreading wide as she continued to tug gently on his throbbing erection. "Join with me..." she whispered pleadingly, his eyes going wide again at her words. Wh-what?! he panicked, his leg muscles tightening to make a run for it, which she sensed as she tightened her hold on him there to keep him in place. His gaze met hers, and releasing him, she smiled. "I mean it, Koibito. I just don't care any more. I can't take not being one with you any longer. You're my mate, I love you, I want you, please..." Any thoughts of how degrading, how defiling this act was were instantly banished from his mind at her words. What kind of a husband would he be if he denied his loving wife? Maybe that legend from her time really was about them. He could certainly see Kagome being kindhearted enough to want to aid any lost traveler who happened upon their home in the forest, and he already knew he would cave if she gave him the look, much like she was giving him in that moment. Of course, should any such traveler, after their show of mercy, happen to gather after some time a 'rescue' party in an attempt to steal Kagome away from him, then he would most certainly slaughter every last one of them, too, just like in the legend. Shaking such thoughts free from his mind, Inuyasha mentally promised his mate that they would not give up in their search for a way to change him back, even as he conceded to her request in that moment, as he slowly crawled himself over her body, settling himself into position. It was the wrong angle for him to be able to finalize the act by himself, at least without any hands, so the ultimate final step was definitely Kagome's to make. If she moved forward with this, he would not stop her.

When he felt her hand once again grab a hold of him from between their bodies, he knew he had her answer, as he lifted himself up only enough to give her more room to maneuver. When he felt the tip of his shaft come into direct contact with her heat, he somehow managed to resist the urge to start thrusting madly, knowing that for her sake, he needed to handle this as much like a human male as was possible, despite his thundering instincts. With that last, lingering thought, he pushed forward slowly and steadily, his eyes trained on Kagome's face as she grunted and hissed at his intrusion. Suddenly, though, after only entering her partway, he froze, as an unexpected, painful yet familiar sensation quickly overwhelmed him. Immediately pulling himself out, up and away from her, Inuyasha threw himself to the side before he began writhing in total agony, his jaw snapping as snarls sounded from deep in his throat as his body was literally ripped apart and put back together again. Having sat up in shocked confusion the moment she'd first felt him pulling away from her, Kagome stared wideeyed in that moment, having quickly realized what was happening and feeling horribly powerless to do anything to ease his pain, even as she silently rejoiced, unable to tear her eyes away from the sight of his transformation. Unlike his monthly change from hanyou to human and back again during the nights and dawns of the new moon, the changes currently rippling through him were nearly as agonizing for her to watch as they were for him to endure. His various joints all appeared to snap, dislocating before realigning themselves in different positions. His tail wilted and rotted away to disappear within the base of his spine like an infant's umbilical cord, even as his legs and arms grew in density, body fat and muscular changes giving him buttocks and meatier thighs and biceps. The white fur that had previously covered his entire body retracted within the pores of his flesh while the fur on his head grew longer and thicker, his face warping and rippling as countless micro fractures reconstructed the shape of his jaw, while the black flesh of his nose faded back into peach. Truly, the only part of his body that remained unchanged, was the only part that had remained unchanged the first time around, as his ears danced frantically upon his head in an instinctive search for possible threats while he remained lying otherwise motionless on the forest floor. Holding her breath, Kagome was afraid to move, afraid to speak. The transformation was over, as Inuyasha lied naked in his hanyou form before her, his back to her in his current position. Was he all right? It hadn't appeared to hurt him quite that badly when he'd first changed into the dog, but then again, maybe his anger over the situation had overruled everything else as he'd wanted to immediately give chase of his attacker before she'd had a chance to get away. This time, Kagome was certain the dominant emotion he probably felt was relief, knowing that that was how she felt, herself. Still, though, right after relief was concern, especially when she noticed the way his shoulders were suddenly shaking. "Inuyasha...?" she dared whisper quietly, though she got no response. Scooting herself around to the other side of him so that she could see his face, Kagome was shocked to realize that he was actually laughing. "Inuyasha?" she asked again, louder that time.

He opened his eyes to greet her confused ones with a genuine smile. "Do you realize..." he began between chortles, "...what this means?" "You mean, besides our lives not being ruined, after all?" she asked with a smile. Sitting up and paying no attention to his nakedness, though his excitement had fled during the torment he had temporarily been forced to endure, Inuyasha grinned stupidly at his mate before explaining, "It also means that Kikyou's got a bit of a hentai in her, to have set that as the key." Understanding dawned as Kagome's eyes widened comically before a deep blush stained her cheeks. I guess she really had been challenging my love for him, after all, she thought with her own growing amusement. I guess I passed the test. Gazing happily across at his mate, Inuyasha couldn't stop going over the last few minutes in his mind, over and over again. Who would have thought? Now he was very glad Kagome had managed to convince him to give in to his desires, rather than sticking to his original refusal to subject her to such at act. Of course, the more he thought about it, the more desire he felt quickly return, until suddenly, his body was eager to pick up where they'd left off. Kagome, noticing the sudden change in his demeanor, thought to ask him what was the matter as his face went blank and his eyes clouded over, but all she got out was "Inuya-" before he pounced, pinning her on her back as he captured her mouth with his own, his renewed erection poking her hip demandingly. "Where were we?" he breathed as he pulled away for only a moment before lowering his mouth to hers once again. It only took Kagome a second before she melted under his touch, as she hungrily returned his kisses while winding her arms up and around his body, holding him to her as though she were afraid to let go. Shifting her legs to slide open in blatant invitation, Inuyasha easily maneuvered himself to rest between them, his manhood nestled comfortably against her nether lips as he languidly began grinding himself against her. In no time, Kagome was dripping, and they each easily noticed her slickness as he continued to tease them both with his movements, until she took initiative to reach down between them, grabbing his shaft just like before as she broke free from their persistent kissing to murmur, "I think we were right...here." in answer to his question as she realigned his staff with her entrance. "I think you're right." he replied gently, holding himself up slightly with his hands pressed against the ground on either side of her head so that he could gaze into her eyes as he slowly, carefully, began pressing himself inside of her.

This time, there was no sudden, stabbing pain of magic like electricity rippling through his entire body. This time, the only discomfort he felt came from having to go so slowly, as he continued to enter his mate, stretching her, pressing himself inside a place that no one but himself would ever be allowed to enter. Finally, as Inuyasha found himself seated fully within her, his hips and thighs coming to rest against her own, he once again had to fight his instincts as he ignored his desire to start thrusting in favor of allowing the girl below him time to adjust. Blinking back tears of happiness, Kagome breathed deeply a few times before quietly murmuring, "Okay...", wincing only slightly when Inuyasha slowly pulled out only to push himself back in again. "Are you all right?" he asked her cautiously at the sight of her pinched eyes and furrowed brow. "It's just new and different, I'm fine." she assured him, "Keep going." she added when he didn't pull out right away. Gradually picking up the pace, Inuyasha did his best to keep his strokes smooth and steady, even as the near overwhelming waves of pleasure washing over him had his muscles twitching at random. It was far more intense than anything he had ever experienced before, and he couldn't stop the whimper that sounded in the back of his throat, as he suddenly had to stop his movements to keep from finishing too soon. "H-holy shit..." he breathed, collapsing himself against her for a moment to just relish in the sensation of flesh against flesh, until he felt he could move again without exploding. "You don't need to hold yourself back, Koi..." the girl below him whispered lovingly, causing Inuyasha's eyes to lock with hers. "Kagome..." he murmured, leaning in for another kiss as he resumed his gradual pumping. "I...I can't take it, Aisai, you feel too good." he confessed, stilling his movements once more. "But I'm not going anywhere without you." he added playfully, as he once against raised his body up and slightly away from her own, to give her room. "Touch yourself." Kagome's eyes widened in surprise at his request, before her lids drooped seductively, a new kind of fire instantly ignited within her at his words. Unabashed, she maneuvered her hand into position between them, and immediately started rubbing at herself, just as she had done in the hot spring. It didn't take the miko long at all to regain her own previous, unfulfilled excitement, and before she knew it, she was raising her hips in time with Inuyasha's thrusts, moaning and gasping as her fingers worked quickly between their bodies before suddenly screaming out his name two seconds before his hips locked tightly against her own, trapping her hand between them as he cried out her own name as he emptied himself deep inside of her. They rode out their euphoria together, Inuyasha's arms wrapped tightly around Kagome's form, holding her to him, as her left arm locked around his back in return.

As soon as they could each breathe again without shuddering, Inuyasha lifted himself away from her on shaky arms, as she pulled her right hand free to grasp each side of his face with both hands, kissing him lovingly before allowing him to finish backing away from her. "That was...wow." Inuyasha panted after a moment, in a playful mirror of what his mate had said upon their initial arrival at the hot spring. "You can say that again." Kagome sighed, propping herself up slightly on her elbows as she remained otherwise in her same position, lying on the ground. She would definitely need another bath before they headed back to the village. That thought had Kagome smirking over the realization that she would get to share the water with Inuyasha, after all, since he could certainly use a bath himself, before her eyes widened in horror at the sudden realization that he didn't have any clothes. "What?" he asked with a worried edge to his voice as his nose suddenly picked up on the hint of dread in her scent. Was she regretting their joining? But how could she?! They were already mates! "I just realized...I didn't bring your robes with us. You have nothing to wear!" she confessed, and he immediately relaxed at her words, even as a light dusting of pink splashed his cheeks. "Feh...I'll manage." he assured her with a nonchalant wave of his hand before bringing her previous thoughts to life as he stated, "First things first, you need another bath." The way he waggled his eyebrows at her had the miko giggling over the realization that her mate planned on getting dirty again before finally letting her get clean. Two hours later, Kagome was beyond sated, the strain of the last two weeks more than made up for, as she wrapped her arms tighter across Inuyasha's shoulders as he carried her back to the village. She now had firsthand knowledge of what it felt like to have his tongue trailed across the rest of her body, and Inuyasha had also learned that Kagome was far more talented with her mouth than he was when it came to his own anatomy. Having no choice but to head back to Kaede's village in the buff, Inuyasha was traveling a little slower than normal, allowing himself extra time to scent his surroundings before anything or anyone had the opportunity to get the drop on them. Once they made it within visual range of the Goshinboku, he stood straight slowly to allow Kagome to slip from his back, the miko playfully giving his front a quick reach-around tug before fully stepping away. Fair was fair, considering his hands had not been idle as he'd held her inner thighs much, much higher than usual during their trip back. Shooting his mate a playful glare, he held out his hand in expectation, and Kagome quickly grabbed the bag from her shoulders and opened it to retrieve her towel, handing it to him so that he would at least be covered by something while she retrieved his robes from Kaede's hut.

She was praying the hut would be empty when she entered so that she could quickly grab his clothing and bring it back to him, but luck was not on her side when she walked in to find Kaede and Shippou sorting herbs. At least Miroku and Sango didn't appear to be back yet. "Kagome, welcome back." Kaede stated merrily, not yet picking up on the girl's anxiousness as she stated, "Lunch will be ready soon." before gesturing to the pot of rice currently cooking over the fire pit. "Good, er...yeah, um..." Shippou immediately stopped what he was doing, lifting his head to gaze worriedly in Kagome's direction. Sniffing to make sure she wasn't injured, his eyes widened in surprise by what his nose told him. "Is everything all right, child?" Kaede asked her, concerned by both the young miko as well as the kitsune's reactions. "Yes," Kagome answered sincerely, resolving to get her embarrassment over with. "Everything's more than all right. I, uh...need Inuyasha's clothing." Kaede's eyebrows rose at that, her one good eye sparkling with amusement as she suddenly realized what young Shippou's nose had probably revealed. "I see. Well, this is certainly good news, indeed. We must not keep the man waiting." With that said, Kagome bowed quickly, thanking Kaede for her understanding as she darted over to where she'd left the rest of her supplies when she'd gone through her backpack in preparation for the trip to the hot spring. With the promise that all would be explained as soon as she and Inuyasha both returned, she darted out the door, fire-rat in hand. So... the elderly miko thought, shaking her head in amusement, Kikyou had it in her to do such a thing, after all. No matter, at least now all is well. ``````````````````````````````````````````` Miroku and Sango both returned to the village around the same time later that evening, and each were quick to rejoice at the news that their hanyou companion had in fact turned back into a hanyou during their absence. Kagome didn't know how much teasing she would be able to take if the monk became aware of precisely how Inuyasha had managed to change back, so openly, it was only stated during dinner that night that while Kaede had been unable to find any information in her scrolls, Kagome and Inuyasha had managed to figure it out on their own. Of course, the houshi was still able to get in several lecherous comments about how the hanyou and miko had most likely 'celebrated' his transformation, but honestly, they would've worried if he was sick if he hadn't made any comments at all.

Before getting back to their mission of collecting jewel shards, there was a very important mission of another kind that needed to take place on the other side of the well, so the following morning, Inuyasha and Kagome made the leap together, literally, five hundred years into the future. Just as predicted, while Kagome's grandfather was reluctant to hear the news, her mother and Souta were both overjoyed to officially welcome Inuyasha into the family. Her grandfather became mildly more accepting when they promised her family that Kagome would continue attending school as often as possible so that she could graduate with honor, and Inuyasha even agreed, for her family's sake, to participate in a traditional Shinto wedding of their time. It wouldn't really be legally binding, considering he had no 'paperwork', whatever that meant, but he understood the symbolic importance of the ceremony, and at least he didn't have to worry about accidentally being purified, since Kagome's grandfather would be performing the wedding, himself. Because of how long Kagome had been away, Inuyasha agreed to let her stay in her time for a few days, catching up on her schoolwork so that they could make good on their promise to her family in that regard. Since he refused to leave her time while she was at school, Inuyasha spent his days assisting her family with mundane chores, or getting his ass kicked by Souta in some video game or another. He was gradually starting to understand how the controller worked, though. While he had no idea how the thing actually worked, he knew which buttons did what. Victory would be his...soon. Once they were back out on the road in search of jewel shards back in the past, Sango pulled Kagome aside the first opportunity she could, and the miko was only slightly hesitant to confess to her friend the truth behind how she had managed to reverse Kikyou's spell. Instead of the look of disgust she had been only partially expecting but truly dreading, Sango patted her shoulder reassuringly, and told Kagome she understood. Love was a powerful emotion. While the women were gone, Miroku also took advantage of that same opportunity to grill Inuyasha. Thanks to the naturally perverted workings of his mind, Miroku had already guessed on his own what had reversed the spell. Even if he had only been kidding, he'd said it, and Inuyasha's instant blush had immediately confirmed his suspicions. But Miroku also didn't think badly of Kagome for what had happened, and it was truly necessary, anyway, since that had been what had reversed the spell in the end. Inuyasha made a deal with Miroku in that moment that he could tease him as much as he wanted without getting pounded, about this or anything else, whenever the girls weren't around, so long as he kept his mouth shut about that topic in front of Kagome. The houshi easily agreed to his terms. It really was true, Inuyasha realized later that day as he and Kagome walked hand in hand beside their friends, on their way to the next village up the road. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same.

~ Fin ~