Hello Readers,

Before you start reading this small story, I extremely insist you read my other story “Broken Soul” before reading. It is only forty-two chapters long, full of action and angst. This story is a small pull out of the four weeks InuYasha slowly turns back into who he was, as Kagome travels through the well.

Again, if you do not read “Broken Soul” first, you might get confused. As for those who have read my most popular fan-fiction, I give you “Healing Soul”!

~InuYashaReader

InuYasha turned away as Sango and Kagome exited the hut. He closed his fire, red eyes and leaned his head against the wall. InuYasha could feel the wind blow and the loud sound of Kagome as she left this time and into her era.

“Kagome…” InuYasha whispered, he wanted the tears to come, but they remained as dry as a desert, nothing was coming, would he ever be the same?

_~~~~~~~_

Miroku pulled some wood into the center of the village and let out a long sigh. InuYasha was sitting by Kikyo’s grave, his large shape extremely hard to miss.

“Houshi…are you okay?” Miroku turned to see Sango as she moved some fish she had caught and put on the ground.

“I am…I don’t know about...” Miroku stopped and stared at his hanyou friend. Shippo bounded into the clearing and took a fish from Sango’s basket.

“I know houshi.” Sango came up and gave him a hug. Miroku leaned and kissed her neck, feeling the warmth of her body.

“Sango…” Miroku removed himself from her embrace, “I have to go talk to him, he needs as many friends as he can get right now.”

“I know.” Sango looked down. “Shippo can you help me carry this to Keade?”

“Sure Sango.” Shippo looked down, and then looked up at InuYasha and sighed. He scrambled after Sango as the headed to Keade’s hut.

Miroku sighed and pulled his staff on his shoulder and headed up the steps that led to Kikyo’s grave. InuYasha didn’t make any movements to show he noticed him, but Miroku knew InuYasha knew he was there. He slowly sat on the ground and crossed his legs, waiting for something to start the conversation.

“What do you want Miroku?” InuYasha growled. Miroku felt the cold sweat down his back, but pushed it to the back of his mind.

“InuYasha…” Miroku closed his eyes, “I know your not wanting any attention, but please, if you…”

“I don’t need any help Miroku.”

“InuYasha…”

“Miroku…” InuYasha looked at him. The red eyes of sadness stared at him; Miroku looked at his broken friend.

InuYasha was completely different, his face twisted into a face of a demon. His fangs reaching down to his chin, his stripes as black as night, four of them stretching across each of his cheeks. His ears sharp and stiff on each side of his head, his silver hair in knots, and twisted, and his eyes, the red of evil, yet so sad.

InuYasha wore a black armor, apparently impenetrable by anything, the surface just took the image of dragons scales, remembering what InuYasha was forced to turn into sent anger through Miroku’s head.

“InuYasha…” Miroku sighed and walked over to Kikyo’s grave. “She wouldn’t be scared of you, just like Kagome wasn’t.”

“What do you mean?” InuYasha asked.

“Kikyo, InuYasha, she wouldn’t run away from you.” Miroku looked at InuYasha. “Kikyo knows that’s not truly what you are.”

“No, but she wanted me human.” InuYasha growled. “I’m really far from human at the moment.”

“No you’re not InuYasha.” Miroku looked at his hanyou friend. “Your soul is half human, InuYasha. What ever your body is now, is not what your soul is.”

InuYasha looked down further, “How?”

“InuYasha, you are what you want to be.” Miroku came up and kneeled in front of him. “If you want to be a hanyou again, that’s exactly what you are.”

“Miroku…” InuYasha looked at him.

“InuYasha, don’t let this bring you down further, Inuhidoi has been taken care of, its all up to you now, whether you want to be the same again or not.” Miroku stood up, when he felt something snake around his left arm. He jerked and felt his heart shot fast in his chest, and spun around, InuYasha’s red claw had wrapped around his arm, stopping from advancing.

“Thank you, Miroku.” He let him go and looked at Kikyo’s grave again. Miroku rubbed his arm, and started back towards the village, his heart sunk, he had done the best he could, he only hoped InuYasha would follow with his heart.

_~~~~~~~_

InuYasha curled his hand as he sat under the Goshinboku, the wind taking his heavy hair. Miroku’s words came back to him, and felt his whole body shudder, what I want to be?

InuYasha looked up at the Goshinboku and moved his large hand over the spot where he had been pinned for fifty years. The memory of Kikyo shouting his name, as he felt the arrow pierce his chest, slamming his back into the tree’s bark. He closed his eyes, and felt one wing jerk. InuYasha hissed softly, it was taking all his strength to just not rip them off.

Sesshomaru had caught him doing it and had slashed him the cheek, his onii came once in awhile. InuYasha always dreaded when Sesshomaru came, his body could easily kill Sesshomaru, and one petty argument, might make him killing his onii. InuYasha may hate Sesshomaru for the past, but it was the past, and it was stupid to kill your own family over petty fights.

The scars on Goshinboku had been grown over; the time traveling tree had removed the scars with its own power. InuYasha looked at his claws; the poison sank deep in his nose and forced him to look away. Two day since he had talked to anyone, after that day with Miroku, he had been deep in thought to talk.

Suddenly Kikyo’s scent slammed his nose. InuYasha sat rooted to the spot, to scared to move. Kikyo!? No, no, no! InuYasha forced his body to move, but it remained the heavy load on the ground….Kikyo.

The soul skimmers came into view, circling the tree, one hit him and disintegrated before his eyes, InuYasha gulped. Kikyo’s shape come into view, she took a step back when she saw him her bow and arrow pointed straight for his face.

“Who are you?” Her voice sent cold shivers through InuYasha’s body. InuYasha didn’t make any movements, he must looked like a very dangerous youkai to her, his large body almost covering the entire clearing around the Goshinboku.

“Kikyo…” InuYasha looked down, his body waiting for the arrow to pierce him. He heard no ‘whoosh’ of an arrow being released, but heard the bow be pulled down, he shot a glance at the dead miko.

“InuYasha…?” InuYasha looked at her, her hand had gone to her mouth, and she had dropped her bow and looked like she had lost all sense. “InuYasha…is that you…?”

“Yes, Kikyo, it’s me.” InuYasha looked away, to ashamed to look her straight in the eye. He heard her footsteps comer closer to him, yet they were extremely slow, he felt a small palm come on the top of his large hand.

InuYasha looked at her, her face close to his, her body slightly on his leg and her hand on his. InuYasha blinked, a small tear had come down her face, he had never seen Kikyo cry, ever.

“Kikyo…” InuYasha started.

“InuYasha, how, how could have this happen to you?” She put her hand on his face and moved it down, over his large fang. InuYasha turned away. He felt the same; he couldn’t look at Kikyo, just like he couldn’t look at Kagome. But Kagome, he had done something awful to.  

“Kagome, I did something awful…” InuYasha closed his eyes, he just couldn’t bring the tear like Kikyo could. His body was that of an evil half-Kami, no emotion like his onii, yet no soft spot, for anyone.

“Kikyo please,” He looked at her, “I don’t…know if you should stay.”

Kikyo stood up and looked at his left wing. “InuYasha what youkai did this to you?”

“He’s dead Kikyo.” InuYasha said. “I used my Tessaiga, and killed his soul.”

“Then why..?”

“For now, Kikyo, I just don’t know how long.” InuYasha sighed. He stood up, banging his head on the lowest branch of Goshinboku, but no pain came. “Kikyo, I did something horrible to Kagome.”

“No InuYasha,” InuYasha looked at her, “If a youkai possessed you, your actions where not of your own.” She took her bow and arrows and pulled it over her shoulder. “InuYasha, those wings are not a youkai, are they?”

“No,” InuYasha jerked away. “But they are not a Kami either, it doesn’t matter what Inuhidoi was, he’s gone.”

“Then, please InuYasha…” InuYasha looked down at her. “If he’s gone, then decide whether or not he’s taken your heart with him.” And with that her soul skimmer and the young dead miko was gone.

“Kikyo…” InuYasha put his hand on his chest, Miroku had been right; she had not been scared of him.

_~~~~~~~_

As the night descended, Sango took Shippo and put him in the corner of Keade’s hut and pulled out the bag where she slept in. She flattened the unusual sleeping bag on the floor of the hut and tucked both Kirara and Shippo in, and then looked at Miroku. He was asleep, his back up on the wall, and on the other half of the hut, InuYasha’s large body consumed.

His red eyes, open, and yet so far. Sango kissed Shippo and Kirara on the head and walked over to the distraught hanyou. She pulled out a bottle of water Kagome had left and put on the floor next to InuYasha.

“Sango…” Sango turned around. “I saw Kikyo.”

“I…you did?” Sango was wondering what was bothering him, besides the obvious.

“Yea…Miroku told me she wouldn’t be afraid of me, but she cried, Sango she cried.” He looked at her. “I’ve never seen Kikyo cry.”

“InuYasha…” Sango sighed. “Kagome and Kikyo, have feeling for you, both of them saw what happened and took it as if, you were being pulled away.”

“I was.”

“Then…” Sango looked down. “You have your answer, why both Kagome and Kikyo were shedding tears.”

“Is that why I smell yours?”

Sango jerked her hand to her cheek, to find a small prick of water hit her finger, she looked at InuYasha. “InuYasha, you have been there for Kohaku and I, I would never want to lose you to Inuhidoi either.”

She looked down and walked over to Shippo. “Besides, Shippo would miss you, he loves you know.”

Sango looked at InuYasha, and almost fell over in surprise; InuYasha had smiled, for the first time in months.

“Dear me, children never listen these days.” Keade sighed. “It’s supper time, ye hear!”

“Don’t worry Keade-chan,” Sango smiled, “I’ll help.”

“Ahhh yes, since we plan to have our own, am I right my dear Sango?” Miroku smiled.

“You wish houshi.” Sango hissed, yet gave the houshi an evil smile.

“Ahhh, maybe later I suppose?” Miroku rubbed his head, sheepishly.

“Sango doesn’t need children at the moment.” Miroku turned around to see InuYasha towering over him.

“Well, nice evening to you too InuYasha.” Miroku sighed. “I suppose you got the firewood?”

“Yes.”

The children started to run, but stopped just a few feet away from both Miroku and InuYasha. A few started to tremble, and Miroku saw InuYasha’s wings sage a bit.

“The supper is in Keade-chan’s hut, kids.” Miroku said. A boy nodded weakly and raced into the hut, not once looking back. The two girls’ shook from head to toe, but managed to get into the hut without saying a word.

“Am I always going to be seen like this?” Miroku looked up his hanyou friend. The two red eyes were far away, looking in the direction of the Goshinboku.

“InuYasha, we all have hard times.” Miroku sighed and put a hand on InuYasha’s arm. “This is something that will long be forgotten when…”

“How can I forget Miroku?” InuYasha growled. “How do you forget taking someone’s will and shoving it in their fear?” InuYasha turned down on him. “How can you forget that?”

“I suppose...” Miroku closed his eyes, if he was InuYasha’s shoes, he would be saying the same thing. If something possessed him, forcing him onto Sango, he would have a hard time forgiving himself.

“InuYasha, I’m sorry…I only want you to forgive yourself, your actions were not of your own.”

“I still could have prevented it from happening.” InuYasha looked away, the top of his head hitting a nearby hut. “I could’ve stopped it, instead…I just cried like a child.”

“InuYasha, I do not believe you did that.” Miroku stared, “You did all in your power, you never crumbled, if you did, I would not be talking to InuYasha, I would be talking to Inuhidoi.”

InuYasha turned away, his breathe came out loud and slow. “Thanks Miroku.” Was all he mumbled.

“Sango told me, you talked with Kikyo-chan.” Miroku said.

“I did, she…didn’t run, she cried.” InuYasha looked away even further.

“Oh.” Miroku sighed. “I see, I’m glad she didn’t run from you either.”

InuYasha watched as his houshi friend disappeared into Keade’s hut. He opened his eyes and looked up at the sky, the red velvet sun skinny below the horizon.

InuYasha closed his eyes, and took one big leap, lading on the edge of the Bone Eater’s well. He stared down into the abyss, the black square opening calling, begging him to jump down, but he was too afraid. Afraid of what Kagome would think, her family, even Kagome’s little otouto, Souta. His so called ‘hero’ was a monster, raping his ane-ue, been pushed into a corner and cried like a pup.

InuYasha clenched his hand, feeling the poison go into his palm, and golden blood leak down on the grass. He heard the hiss of the grass melting under the acid of blood and turned the ground into nothing but a scorch black Earth.

InuYasha closed his eyes, and stood up. “Yes Sesshomaru?”

“It is not a coincidence to find you here.” InuYasha turned to his onii. The golden eyes of his former enemy now looked at him in almost cold, yet sadness been brought out in those eyes.

“What do you want?” InuYasha asked again.

“Have you changed any yet?” InuYasha looked away, nothing really noticeable, maybe have shrunk a few inches.

“Why do you care?”

“It is the same, why do you care for the miko?”

InuYasha felt his whole insides do a back flip. Did Sesshomaru just tell him…he loved him as a brother? Without meaning to InuYasha looked at Sesshomaru, and bowed his head.

“I didn’t realize…you cared so much.”

“This Sesshomaru does not.”

“You just said…”

“This Sesshomaru said nothing.”

“Sesshomaru…why did you not stop me all those years ago?” InuYasha felt his chest flare in anger, but forcefully pushed it down. His body was too powerful to lose his temper in.

“I…” Sesshomaru stopped then looked at him. “Otouto, I did not know I had a hanyou otouto at the time, it is the truth.”

InuYasha turned away and looked down at the well. “I had no control my whole life, Inuhidoi had been controlling me form the moment I was born, being an abomination hanyou, I think you wouldn’t give a damn.” InuYasha looked at his onii again. “Yet you…joined the women I love, my companions, the wolf, and use your combined strength to get me to use the Inu Soul…why? What did you gain from it Sesshomaru? My gratitude, or was Inuhidoi just another strong youkai that you successfully killed?”

Sesshomaru glared, for the first time, InuYasha sensed his onii had no words to give an answer. But Sesshomaru turned around, so InuYasha could only see his back. InuYasha had a feeling Sesshomaru did not want him to see his face when he answered.

“That women is you life otouto, do not lose her.” And with that Sesshomaru drifted slightly upward in the air. InuYasha noticed Tokijin at his side again, the sword was repaired.

InuYasha looked down at Tessaiga at his side, the sword still did not transform. The old rusty bade was in his hand when he pulled it out. InuYasha watched until Sesshomaru’s form disappeared in the sky. 

InuYasha looked down the well, and in one faithfully jump, pulling the wings as much control he had over them and jumped into the five-hundred years into the future.

_~~~~~~~~_

InuYasha balanced his hands on the branches of the Goshinboku and looked into Kagome’s window. She had a towel around her, her wet hair swishing from side to side.

InuYasha wanted to go in there and collapse in a fit of tears in her lap, all he had let happen to her, she didn’t deserver it. She never did, InuYasha watched as she knelt down and looked in the mirror. A slight tear ran down her face. She moved her hand over a long bandage on her upper lip, sending pain through InuYasha chest.

That scar, that injury, had happened when he had pinned her, hurt her, raped her, and stole her.  He remembered clearly, her fight to get away, her small flat teeth sinking into Inuhidoi’s hand, the acid like blood leaking on her beautiful face.

InuYasha heard a soft hissing sound, realizing it was coming form his own mouth. His anger, his youkai, wanted revenge; he felt it rise up to claim her. NO. InuYasha sank his own poison claws into his acid blood. I will never touch Kagome in this form, ever, InuYasha hissed at himself bitterly.

Kagome snapped up and looked around her room; she limped to her bed and picked up something, the subjugation beads. InuYasha fingered the black armor around his neck, how had they come off? InuYasha didn’t want to know, he figured Inuhidoi must have torn them off with his brute strength, the beads were to subdue his soul, not Inuhidoi’s.

Why hadn’t she said ‘oswari’ then? Stop him from taking her pure body and ram it so into her pure soul. Why, in the whole time she had been ‘oswari’ him, why did she not say it at the time when he truly wanted her to say it?

InuYasha slowly backed away, he didn’t want her to see him like this anymore, his body not his, his soul shattered, he slowly jumped off the branches of the Goshinboku. Heading back to the well house, he heard her window slide open fast.

“InuYasha!?”

InuYasha disappeared into the well house, just as he heard her broke a sob, and the well took him back to his time, and his own misery.

“Ouch!”

Sango sighed. “InuYasha, I know this isn’t helping you but…”

“It still doesn’t fit me!” InuYasha hissed and stood up. He moved his long claws over his arm. They had managed to take the black armor off the top of his body, and had made an attempt to put the fire rat kimono on him. The white and red kimono were not going to fit, the wings were helping in that manner.

InuYasha had changed drastically in the last four days. His height almost slashed in half, his Inu ears were more on top of his head now. Shippo had been enthusiastic when they became more triangular shaped. Sango had noticed the young youkai boy clung more to InuYasha more then ever. I guess, Sango thought, he really did miss him.

“InuYasha…” Miroku sighed. “You mind where your swing those?”

“They have a mind of their own!” InuYasha growled. “Like I give a fuck where they go!”

“Well, pouting like a child is not helping.” Sango said.

“I’m not, bitch!”

Sango felt her inward sense snap just a bit. InuYasha had been calling her a bitch recently, and lately, it was getting slightly on Sango’s nerves. Guess I am the replacement of his yelling matches when Kagome is not around, Sango thought bitterly.

“InuYasha, that is no way to speak to Sango.” Miroku glared at the angry hanyou.

“She is not the one with this problem! You stupid ass houshi!” Sango sighed, he had been calling Miroku that ever since he started to change back.

“He is a cranky one, no?” Keade came out and walked up to Sango.

“Tell me about.” Sango sighed and shook her head. “Sometimes it feels like I’m taking care of a child.”

“He is a child, dear.” Keade said, “We all are.”

“I suppose.” Sango sighed, “I wish he would stop calling me a bitch though.”

“He is only breaking ‘he temper though. His tirade will soon come to pass.” Keade took the wet cloth and handed it neatly to Sango. “Wash those wings of his; they looked like a blistered old horse.”

Sango looked down at the cloth; she really never wanted to look at InuYasha’s wings much. It always got her cold looks from the hanyou. Let alone touching them, Sango bit her lip and walked over to the angry Inu.

“Keade told me we should clean those wings.” Sango said.

“Why not cut them off?” InuYasha hissed bitterly.

“Because I know how much pain you would be in.” Sango snapped. “Why the hell are you so stubborn? I don’t know how Kagome can sometimes stand you!”

“Because she can plant me into the ground anytime she wants.” InuYasha growled.

“Oh…” Sango frowned. “Ummm, what exactly happened to the beads?”

“She has them.” InuYasha sighed, and turned his red eyes to the ground. Sango felt a small lump in her throat; she knew what he meant be ‘her’. Was it so hard for him to say her name anymore, not even once?

“InuYasha…” Sango kneeled down and hung the damp cloth on one of InuYasha’s wings. It quivered slightly, but didn’t really react to the cold, wet cloth. “You know how much Kagome cares for you.”

“Why do you care?” The question stunned Sango.

“Why do I care? InuYasha for more then once you have prevented me from killing Kohaku, my otouto, more then once you have saved my life. And more to that, Kagome is my best friend, and sometimes I see you put light into her eyes that I can never give her. InuYasha, the reason why I travel with you is not just only to defeat Naraku, collect the shards; it is because we all are one.” Sango sighed. “I know what you have done in your past and I can’t fix that, no one can, I know, but if you just let the past become the present, you realize that all that hate, sorrow, and anger is not what you are InuYasha.”

Sango stood up. “Can I wash your wings now?”

InuYasha didn’t reply. Sango sighed; maybe he was absorbed in what she had told him. She even thought what had come out of her own mouth surprised her. When had she had the courage to express such sympathy to InuYasha? Yet alone anyone else?  

She pulled the cloth up and began to wipe the leather skin. It made Sango’s stomach do flips upon hearing the sound that was being made by the cloth. A small hiss was heard, and Sango looked up, realizing InuYasha’s eyes were tightly shut, apparently she was causing him some pain.

“Sorry, wrong spot?” Sango asked.

“The whole fucking wing is the wrong spot!”

“Well, Keade-chan said you had blisters, and you do.” Sango said. “This is some of Kagome’s weird liquid medicine, so it might sting.”

“Why do they have blisters?”

“Because you just drag them around InuYasha.” Sango gave him a look. “I know you don’t like them, none of us really want them here, but you can’t abuse them if they are a part of your body. It would be like taking one of your legs and breaking it, forcing you just to drag it around.”

“They’re not a part of my body.” InuYasha spat.

Sango dropped her cloth and sat down. “How about this, why don’t you at least stretch them, maybe even fly with them?”

“No.”

“Then I have to clean them, if it hurts now, it’s going to get worse.” Sango said firmly. “I’m not Kagome; if I was, I would have ‘oswari’ you already and forcefully clean them myself!”

InuYasha flinched when she said the word. Sango grumbled, he was stubborn yet, was that what had made him fight so long with Inuhidoi? Is that why he didn’t break, Sango wouldn’t want to know if that had happened to InuYasha. She felt her eyes close, remembering Miroku’s promise with the kazaana, and their first kiss. Sango felt her face redden as she looked at InuYasha, should she tell him what Miroku and she did?

“InuYasha?”

“What?”

“I just wanted to say thank you.”

InuYasha turned to her a frowned. “Thanks for what?”

“Ummm…” Sango felt her face get rather hot. “Houshi and I…we…”

“You did what with the hentai?”

“We kissed.”

“Oh.” InuYasha turned his head around. “I thought he did more then that.”

“I don’t need two hentai’s now!” Sango glared.

“I really am not into that anymore.” InuYasha looked down. Sango stopped and gulped. She knew what he was implying and now it was bring that memory back, what Inuhidoi did to Kagome…

“InuYasha…” Sango moved closer to him and put a hand on his arm. “She loves you, she always will remember you saved her, you stopped Inuhidoi, you were with her…”

“No!” InuYasha hissed. “Fuck it Sango don’t you understand!? I….”

“Say that word I’ll beat you.” Sango growled firmly. “I don’t believe you would do that to Kagome for one instant. Don’t pull that ‘raping’ bull shit with me!”

InuYasha’s hair puffed up, his red eyes narrowed, and his upper lip snarling at her, exposing more of his long fang. Sango was half tempted to just punch him, why does he beat himself about this daily? It is only bringing him lower!

“Damn it InuYasha!” Sango growled and stood up, throwing the cloth on his face. “She loves you! Don’t you understand that!?”

InuYasha said nothing, the anger demeanor had had just a second ago was gone, his ears slightly drooped and his wings sagged more to the ground. He pulled the cloth of his face and looked at the Goshinboku and sighed.

“I don’t know anymore Sango.”

“InuYasha…!” Sango took a deep breathe to get her temper under control. “That miko, my friend, she sees you for who you are, not for what you are.”

Sango turned her heel and walked back towards Keade’s hut. She stopped to see two small village kids, a few smooth stones in their hand. Sango saw red.

“Scat!” she hissed, she knew what those stone were for, and they were not going to hit the target with her around. “Leave him alone if you know what’s good for you!” The two boys ran, dropping the stones on the way.

Sango entered the hut, her face red, and before she realized small tears were streaming down her face.

“Sango, what is wrong?” Sango blinked to see Miroku standing over her. Sango fell into his robe and cried. Never had she seen InuYasha like this, she couldn’t hold her feelings in her anymore.

“Sango…it will be okay, I promise.” Miroku whispered and pulled her into a deep hug. “InuYasha will come around; it’s all in the matter of how long.”

InuYasha snapped a small branch in his hands. Despite the chilling weather, InuYasha really wasn’t feeling the cold, but his wings were. There wet leather feeling and thin skin made it impossible to ignore the chill running up and into InuYasha’s back.

InuYasha stood up and walked into Keade’s hut, where Miroku and Sango were asleep around the small center fire. InuYasha sat down, and looked at the old miko stroking the fire with a small stick. For a while they both said nothing, until the rude snoring of Shippo interrupted the silence.

“Here, InuYasha.” InuYasha almost jumped when someone said his name. Keade draped two heavy blankets over both of his wings, and InuYasha felt the cold shiver immediately started to disappear.

“Thanks, old women.” He muttered. He pulled the heavy blanket over more towards his shoulder and looked into the flames. Two more days had passed since the incident with Sango. InuYasha looked at the sleeping exterminator, and all her words came slamming back at him.

They were one? The entire pack? InuYasha blinked and stared down at the hard wooden floor. He never thought of that way, did she only say that to make him feel better, or did she really mean it?

InuYasha looked at the old miko, as she started to fold some blankets and store them away on the other side of hut. InuYasha watched her with his red eyes, and suddenly Keade tripped. InuYasha instead of jumping up, his red claws shot out, snagging the old miko’s kimono and pulling her in an upright position. InuYasha felt his face go hot, and his claws shot back into his hands. He looked down and felt his claws sink into his palms again.

“InuYasha?” InuYasha looked up at the old miko. She was standing over him and a glint in her one eye gave him a slight satisfaction.

“Sorry, Keade I….”

“There is no need to be sorry InuYasha.” Keade sighed. “Tis the reaction was just unexpected.”

InuYasha looked down again, and felt stupid. He could have poisoned Keade! InuYasha swore under his breathe and turned his head. Keade looked at him and walked out of the hut, leaving InuYasha to his own thoughts.

InuYasha closed his eyes and thought of Kagome. Her black hair, her face…InuYasha shook his head. When had these thoughts come in his head? InuYasha blinked and looked back into the fire. Why all of the sudden feelings about her? Why did he want to think about her body like…?

“NO!” InuYasha hissed, slamming his fist into the hut’s floor. Sango and Miroku woke up with a start.  

“InuYasha, what’s the matter?” Miroku asked.

“Nothing, just a bad dream.” InuYasha scoffed.

“You weren’t asleep InuYasha.” Sango stared at him.

“I…” InuYasha turned away from his friends. He felt on of the blankets slide off and sending the cold air shivering through the thin skin of the black wing. “Ohh…” InuYasha actually let out a moan, to his embarrassment. He pulled the heavy blanket back on the sickening thing and grumbled.

“Here InuYasha.” Miroku walked over and took some cloth from his robe and placed it around InuYasha’s bare shoulders. Still due to the wings, his fire rat was still an impossible task to put on.

InuYasha just gave a small nod to the houshi’s kindness and leaned his head back on the wall of the hut. How he wanted the new moon for once. Would being human make these disgusting wings go away faster? Would he even change at all? During the fight on the new moon, only his soul turned human, then youkai. How? He always had been human on that night; it never made an exception for him. All hanyou’s had a moment of weakness why did that change for him?

InuYasha thought, he had been in such rage, such fury, that his human side had willing given to his youkai side and agreed with it, agreed to kill. InuYasha looked at his otou’s fang. The Tessaiga lay at his feet; he really didn’t carry it around much, even though he would usually never let it leave his side.

InuYasha felt the wings shudder under the weight of the blanket and InuYasha hissed softly. Miroku and Sango had fallen asleep again, and too InuYasha’s surprise the houshi’s hand was holding Sango’s palm. InuYasha blinked at the couple, despite all the hentai moments Miroku pulled, Sango still had such deep feelings for him.

InuYasha curled his hand, did Kagome? Did Kagome have such feelings for him? InuYasha’s thought’s shot back with Kikyo, even Kikyo agreed, his actions were not of his own. Kikyo and Kagome always seem so mysterious when they were together. Kagome even had accused her of trying to kill her on more then one occasion. But they still cared, why? They felt that their feelings toward him would either break one heart or heal the other. InuYasha growled silently, it wasn’t fair.  

Sighing, InuYasha stood up, the heavy blankets falling off the useless wings. InuYasha walked out of the hut into a silence village. The dark night was dazzled with the white glow of the moon, the crickets chirped to an audience they didn’t know they had, and the occasionally fire fly glowed in the surrounding fields.

InuYasha walked up to a nearby ledge and sat down. His eyes scanned the sky for anything, more scanning for an answer. The Inu Soul, he had seen his otou in true form. There was just no doubt about it. InuYasha never saw his otou; he had died the night he was born, protecting his mother. Why did you have to die otou? InuYasha pleaded, why?

InuYasha flicked his ear behind him, and let out a low growl. The rustling in the bush behind him became louder and a tall figure came out. InuYasha looked down and glared at the small village.

“What do you want Sesshomaru?”

InuYasha watched as his onii stepped up next to his sitting form and stare off into the sky. For a while InuYasha just stared at the ground and Sesshomaru stared at the night sky. InuYasha felt his irritation coming on, and before he could react, his left wing snapped up and hit Sesshomaru’s leg. Sesshomaru turned and glared at him.

“What was that for otouto?”

“You’re irritating me.” InuYasha grumbled.

Sesshomaru looked at the wing that had a mind of its own, and in one snatch, he had it in his poisonous claws.

“Ouch! What the hell…!? Get off!” InuYasha hissed and threw a punch at his onii’s face. Sesshomaru only stood up taller and avoided the poorly aimed punch. InuYasha hissed and stood up.

“Otouto, when you are angry, you have control of those wings.” Sesshomaru turned away. InuYasha blinked, he had been angry, but he wasn’t going to admit it.

“What the hell do you want?”

“Follow me.” Sesshomaru suddenly lifted off into the sky, and InuYasha stood on the cliff, puzzled. InuYasha slowly turned the direction to follow Sesshomaru on foot, when Sesshomaru glared at him.

“Follow this Sesshomaru up here.”

“How!?”

“You have the aspects of flying.” Sesshomaru said.

“No.” InuYasha said it so coldly; he thought he sounded like a venomous snake. “I will never fly with these damn things. NEVER.”

“Otouto, do you remember when we first met?” InuYasha stopped, why the hell was the bastard bringing up that?

“Why?”

“You were jealous, jealous of my flying capabilities, when you were that young pup.” InuYasha felt his ears flatten on his head. “And yet, you refuse to find out about that feeling now?”

InuYasha felt blind fury take him, who the hell did Sesshomaru think he was!?

“You bastard!” InuYasha shot up and swiped his claws at Sesshomaru, purposely missing, but to his surprise, his wings shot out and prevented him from falling the ten feet. InuYasha felt his heart beat in his chest frantically, he didn’t want to use these! He wanted them gone! He wanted…

InuYasha paused, and felt the slight cool breeze of the chilling night air. He felt the wings getting heavier, but InuYasha felt the muscles in his back tighten and he felt the sudden burst of wind in his hair and face. InuYasha blinked, he was flying, with the wings that he hated so much, and he was…enjoying it.

InuYasha pulled and pushed all the muscles in the wings, making them beat with rhythm and strength.  He peered down at the village and almost let out a small yelp, it was so small, InuYasha could barley see it. Sesshomaru came floating up slowly, and glared down at the village.

“You seem nervous InuYasha.”

“I really don’t want to fall stupid!” InuYasha snapped frantically. “What took you so long anyway?”

“Those wings are built for speed, where instead I glide instead of fly to gain speed.” Sesshomaru said. “Wings are built for the wind, the power of an Inu youkai does not.”

“You’re pretty fast.” InuYasha mumbled.

“In the sky, at this moment…” Sesshomaru turned to him. “You are.”

InuYasha blinked and felt the wings spread out, even though they had shrunken in size to accommodate his body, they were still longer then Sesshomaru by far. InuYasha was still the same height as his onii, his ears the Inu ears he always knew, and the stripes had all but faded down to one on each cheek. The fangs that were once going past his chin were now as long as when he was transformed. Even so, he still looked menacing, and the poison claws still had not faded.

InuYasha looked at the ground, and felt something pull him in the gut. Something he loved doing as a small pup. His mother sometimes tossed him in the air and he loved the feeling when he fell back into her arms. InuYasha looked at the ground and felt an idea come on. He was a pup again, he wanted to enjoy it.

InuYasha felt the wings fold, and he started to plummet.

“Otouto!”

“Don’t worry about me Sesshomaru!” InuYasha called up. He felt the feeling in his stomach the wind in his silver hair and the pressure of falling. The wind was ecstatic, he loved this feeling, but there was no mother to catch him. It was he who would catch himself.

InuYasha shot his wings out just before he hit one of the huts and shot back up, leaving dust on the ground to float up.

Sango and Miroku burst out of Keade’s hut and looked into the sky.

“Is that InuYasha?” Sango asked.

“Yep.” Miroku smiled. “I told him, there is always a good reason for everything.”

“He’s flying?” Shippo asked, as InuYasha dived for the ground.

“Looks like it.” Sango giggled.

“And to me,” Miroku looked up at his hanyou friend. “He’s enjoying it too.”

Miroku held his staff tightly. Holding Sango’s shoulder, he held her and him tightly to Kirara’s back. The youkai cat raced thru the sky like a bird with wings. Her front paws taking the beat of the flight while her back paws propelled them forward with more speed.

Shippo clung on Miroku’s robe; the small fox seem to be in the mood to join them on this youkai hunt. Keade had said before they had arrived at the village a youkai was spotted not far from where Keade’s village was, and rumored to have a Shikon no Tama shard. But without Kagome, they were only going on a hunch.

“Sango, do we really know if there is a Shikon no Tama shard?” Miroku asked.

“I wouldn’t know.” Sango sighed, “But even still, I hope fighting will get us all back in the…mood.”

Miroku sighed. Despite the both of them trying to help, Sesshomaru had really gotten through to InuYasha before they could. Miroku thought about it, Sesshomaru had always despised InuYasha due to his human blood, and yet…at every chance the daiyoukai had an attempt to kill InuYasha, he never took it.

Even InuYasha, even though Miroku wasn’t at InuYasha’s otou’s grave when he fought Sesshomaru over the Tessaiga, he did cut Sesshomaru’s arm off, but did InuYasha still hold back? The way Kagome had described it; InuYasha had a clear shot to the daiyoukai’s neck.

Miroku shook his head, and looked down at Shippo. The young kitsune was shaking from head to toe. He wanted to fight, but he was still a child, Miroku hoped he may just observe as they started to approach the youki.

“We’re here.” Sango said, as she positioned her Hiraikotsu over her shoulder. Miroku took his focus off Shippo and turned his head forward, a small village lay ahead.

Kirara landed and all three got off. Kirara transformed back to her smaller form and hopped on to Sango’s shoulder.

“I hear you have a youkai problem?” Miroku asked an elder woman who was out sweeping in front over her hut.

“Yes, why I do houshi-sama.” the woman bowed.

“We have come to defeat it.” Sango said as she stepped forward. The village suddenly became alive, parents streamed out and men held pitch forks. Miroku noticed most of the men had battle marks, from what, Miroku did not know.

“A youkai taijiya has come!” one man shouted.

“Finally!” another said.

“Wait…” Miroku held up his hands. “I do need to know, do any of you know if the youkai has possession of a Shikon no Tama shard?”

“Why does it matter houshi?” Sango hissed. “We still have to help these people.”

“I know Sango, but I would rather know beforehand.” Miroku responded to her concern.

“I wouldn’t know.” One man said.

“It takes our children!” A woman cried and held her little boy to her tightly.

“Alright, alight.” Miroku held up his hands. “I can assure all of you, you will be sleeping better tonight.”

Suddenly the villager’s faces all turned to horror, Miroku sighed as the youki came up behind him. Sango looked down and said nothing.

“There’s another youkai behind you!” A man screamed.

“Don’t worry,” Sango said, giving the ‘youkai’ behind her a glance. “He’s with us; he’s going to help exterminate the youkai that is bothering you.”

“Are…you…sure?” The elder woman asked, “It looks like it’s going to eat you any second!”

Miroku heard and irritated growl come from behind him. Miroku turned to see InuYasha’s red eyes glaring at the villagers. Both of his wings folded nicely behind him, his red fire rat hakama on, and a ratty old grey kimono with two holes in the back to suit his wings. InuYasha had not been willing to put the top of his fire rat on just yet.  

“InuYasha, they don’t know.” Miroku sighed. “Just ignore them and concentrate on the task ahead.” InuYasha only snorted in response, and took a glance into the sky. He took one faithful jump and snapped his wings out darting ahead to the woods that the youkai seemed to live in.

“That’s our cue. Come one houshi.” Sango said as she moved forward between the shocked villagers. As Miroku started thru them a man gave him an angry look.

“That youkai is no better then the one that terrorizes our village.”

Miroku felt something snap in him, never had he felt the anger, the loss of self control like this before. He glared at the man and got right into his face.

“As I should point out that youkai is actually a hanyou! He was possessed forced to rape the women he loves and almost forced to kill his onii! Is there any more you want to tell me, that I don’t know!?”

The villager backed up, his face printed in shock and confusion, but Miroku wasn’t done. “That is my FRIEND, not a youkai who hunts and feasts on humans! Now don’t tell me that my HANYOU friend is the same as the youkai that terrorizes your village!”

The villagers just stared at him in open mouth response. Some of the women put their children closer to them, but no one challenged Miroku. Miroku took a deep breathe and stalked after Sango. He felt InuYasha would not want him to tell what he had just blurted, but those humans wouldn’t know what happened, none of them would understand. InuYasha should not be judged by how he looked, and it hurt Miroku just to think what InuYasha was going through. InuYasha had been a hybrid, between a youkai and a human, he had no decision on what his parents were, and his parents loved one another. Everyone hated him for what he was; no one cared to know him personally. But Miroku had, he felt for InuYasha, he had no regrets of joining InuYasha to help defeat Naraku.

Miroku felt a sudden chill go through him, if he hadn’t met InuYasha, would he think the same thing? Think that all hanyou’s were abominations? Miroku had a bad gut feeling he would, he had grown and trained to be a houshi, who thought all youkai were evil and need to be rid of this Earth. And if so, he would have attempted to make InuYasha go to peace in Nirvana or maybe sucked him into the kazaana without second thought.

No, InuYasha was his friend, a hanyou, yet a friend. Even now, as full-fledged youkai at the moment, Miroku’s feeling for InuYasha didn’t change. He had been worried when he first heard InuYasha wanted to use the Shikon no Tama to turn youkai. That day when he transformed…Miroku went to Kagome’s side; he hoped he would persuade his friend to stay the way he was.  

Miroku was so in thought he hit something leathery and felt something slam him in the face.

“Shit Miroku will you watch where you’re going!” InuYasha’s voice hissed. Miroku rubbed his cheek to where InuYasha had hit him and shot his brow down.

“Excuse me!” Miroku snapped. “I just defended your integrity, so will you give me some gratitude!”

InuYasha stopped and stared at him, one of his ears flicked. “My integrity?”

“Yes, I don’t want to tell you though, we need to focus on defeating…”

“Already done.” Miroku froze.

“What…?”

“You took to long.” InuYasha gave him a look. He held up the head of the youkai, Miroku almost felt the bile in his stomach come up, as he looked away slowly, not trying to tempt his food from leaving his system so soon.

“Mind…ummm…putting that somewhere else?” Miroku gagged.

“Sorry, mister squirmish, but I’m looking for shards.” InuYasha grumbled. That was when Miroku realized InuYasha was covered in blood, but by the looks of it, the splatter was on him, and not his own wounds.

“Houshi what took so long?” Sango came up behind him.

“I was calming the villagers.” Miroku lied. More like shocking them to a core, Miroku silently cursed himself.

“Found it!” Miroku and Sango turned to InuYasha as he ripped the skull open, much to the dislike of Miroku’s stomach and probably Sango’s, and ripped out the shard from the grey matter.

“Don’t you think he needs a bath?” Shippo asked.

“Definitely.” Sango said. “I don’t have his nose, but I sure can smell this, we better start cleaning this up.”

“Sango?” She turned to him, as the headed to decapitated youkai.

“Yes houshi?”

“The truth…” Miroku looked down. “I lost my temper.”

“You what…?” Sango stared at him in confusion.

“When a villager said InuYasha was the same as this youkai, something in me snapped, I think I scared them all.” Miroku looked down further.

He felt her hand come on his shoulder; he looked up at her smiling face. “You know that is what something Kagome would do. Protect InuYasha like that.”

“What will happen between them now?” Miroku asked her. Sango’s face dropped.

“I…InuYasha needs to get over what was not his fault, I tried to tell him, Kagome loves him. I know women when they see their soul mate; it’s just in her eyes the way she looks at him. He still is in denial.”

“Is that what I’m seeing in your eyes right now my dear Sango?’ Miroku smiled. Sango gave him a cold look.

SLAP! “I only hope not.” Was all she said as turned her back on him. Miroku sighed…so close.

“Are we going to be all day or what?” InuYasha asked, with his bloody arms crossed.

“No InuYasha we’re not.” Miroku answered the impatient hanyou. “But do us all a favor when we get back to Keade’s village.”

“What?” InuYasha scowled.

“Get a bath.”

InuYasha wiped the water off his shoulders and flung his silver hair back. The wet droplets plastered his skin for the fourth day in a row. Youkai blood was extremely hard to clear the scent from, and this one had been no exception.

InuYasha shook his head hard, letting the water fling in all directions. His silver hair feeling so smooth, so alive again, if felt good. His wings shook under the cool water, but InuYasha had gotten used to it. The first time in the small lake had been a shock for the thin, layer wings, and he had actually yelped when jumping frantically out of the water.

“Kagome…” InuYasha sighed, how he wished in that fight, she had been there. Not to just help locate the shard, so he wouldn’t be submerged in youkai blood, but to have just been there. InuYasha let out a snort when something Sesshomaru had said when they had been fighting for Tessaiga, came up.

“You’re faster when that girl is around.”

InuYasha shuddered; have all he wanted had been blinding him all this time? Ever since his mother died, he had been alone, alone in the world, hated for what he was. Believing being a youkai would have solved all his problems, he pursued an angry, destroyed life.

When discovered by both Kikyo and Kagome, the entire perspective of his hate changed, and almost willing to turn human, the other was to stay the way he was. InuYasha looked down at the waters reflection, his red eyes, his purple, savage stripes, and his long threatening fangs. A youkai, not respected, but feared.

InuYasha pulled himself out of the water and pulled his hakama over his wet legs. Squatting down, he shook his long silver hair and black wings until his body became damp. Stretching the muscle in his wings, he soared back into the air and let the wind dry him.

InuYasha looked down at Keade’s village, the small huts looked dark and silent, only Keade’s hut still smoked, indicating that all inhabitants were still awake.

‘Probably, waiting for me to come back.’ InuYasha thought. He was just about to descend when a flash of white came from near the Goshinboku. InuYasha whirled around to see soul collector’s dancing on the top of the branches of the large tree.

InuYasha felt a lump come squeezing up his throat. InuYasha took one look at the human village and flew towards the God Tree.

As the hanyou approached the roots, Kikyo stood there, her hand on the spot where he had been sealed for so long. She turned to him. Something in her eyes showed relied, and even some anger. InuYasha looked at her, his face as complex as hers.

“InuYasha…”

“Kikyo…”

“You’ve changed.” She looked more intently at him.

InuYasha looked down; his wings made a smacking noise, much unwanted at the moment, and moved his bare foot on the smooth root that belonged to the Goshinboku.

“Kikyo…is there something you need?” InuYasha didn’t want to sound harsh, but he couldn’t stay in either Kikyo’s or Kagome’s presence.

“InuYasha…” InuYasha flinched as her hard fingers touched his cheek, tracing his visible stripe. InuYasha blinked, Kagome had done that once, and then they both had…kissed.

InuYasha took her hand and slowly pulled it away from his cheek. What was Kikyo trying to prove with that gesture? That she was trying to change her own mind on how she wanted to see him?

“Kikyo…why did you want to go to Hell with me?”

The question stopped her cold. Kikyo took her hand out of his palm and took a small step back. InuYasha could tell she was pondering his question.

“Kikyo…you don’t have too…”

“No. InuYasha I wanted to be with you. Even in Hell...” Kikyo looked back at him, but InuYasha’s snarl interrupted her.

“Kikyo! You or I don’t belong in Hell! Kami, damn it! You deserve better then that! You deserve…better then me.” InuYasha looked away. He had wanted to say that to her for so long. It was Naraku that belonged in Hell, him and his evil Onigumo soul.

For awhile the silence edged the two figures under the God Tree. The soul collectors swarmed around them, one or two occasionally dropping another soul into Kikyo’s body. InuYasha felt a pain of guilt; he wished she was human…so she wouldn’t have to take all those innocent souls.

“I deserve better then you?”

InuYasha flinched. “Yes you do. I don’t want to have to prove to you that.” He turned to her. “Kikyo, I can’t accept my own forgiveness for what I’ve done. I swore to protect you; you were killed by Naraku and sealed me. I swore to protect Kagome and I couldn’t even protect her from myself! You BOTH deserve better then me!”

InuYasha let out a breathe and looked back at Kikyo. She stared at him, her face as emotionless as before, but her body showed something different. Her body had involuntarily flinched when he yelled the word ‘both’.  

“Kikyo…once we were together, I loved you, I kissed you, I protected you, and I failed you. Now I’ve failed Kagome, Kikyo, I have failed the both of you.” He turned away and looked back up to the sky.

He was about to shoot up, but a hard-clayed hand stopped him. InuYasha looked into Kikyo’s dark eyes that now showed emotion. Concern, sorrow anger, pain, showed through those eyes that had belonged to a miko that was once alive. Her ponytail swayed in the wind as she had approached him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

“InuYasha…yes, you have failed.” InuYasha blinked and felt horror shot through his system, but Kikyo gave him a stare, indicating she wasn’t done.

“InuYasha, you have failed with me, Kagome, my reincarnation, you have not. Failure is where you have completely given up all hope, I still see hope in your eyes about her. Kagome will be as strong as I was if she learns. InuYasha, don’t fail her, for if you do, you won’t disappoint just her or I, but yourself.”

InuYasha watched as Kikyo moved away from him and over the patch on the Goshinboku where his back had been once fasten too.

“InuYasha if I could go back I would. But I cannot; only we can go forward.” She looked at him again. “Go to her, and give her what you could not complete with me. InuYasha, give her that, and I might…”

“…Be free?”

She looked at him again; her clay body shuddered at the comment. “Yes…I’ll be free.”

And she was gone, the clearing only blowing slightly with the weak wind. InuYasha blinked, the whole time he had known Kikyo and Kagome, he thought she had hated Kagome. He had just been proven wrong; Kikyo just doesn’t want him to break another’s heart.

_~~~~~~~_

InuYasha looked down the well, the black mouth of the wood, yearning, taunting, begging, and tempting him to throw his smaller body down that hole. InuYasha tightened his grip on the edges, his red eyes glowing down the dark mouth. InuYasha closed his burning eyes and shot his wings flat on his back and made the faithful leap.

InuYasha felt the familiar pink light take him and shot him thru time. InuYasha looked up at the gaping hole, not to find a starry sky, but the wooden ceiling of the well house.

InuYasha moved his wings a slow and steady and slowly floated out of the well house. Pulling his body on the edge of the branch, he saw Kagome’s body curled in her bed.

InuYasha slowly unclipped the window, and slowly and silently, slipped in. He sat next to her bedside, staring at her crescent face. Her beautiful brown eyes remained closed, her black hair ruffled and messy, spreading over the covers and around her shoulders. Her face glowed from the reflection of the moon coming through the window.

InuYasha noticed how tensed she was, and for a horrible moment, he thought she knew he was there. He watched as she clutched something in her hands, tighter.

“InuYasha…” InuYasha froze, his whole body gone ridged as his name was spoken by the sleeping miko. InuYasha looked at her clutched hands again. Was she having a nightmare about…him? InuYasha wanted desperately to hold her, tell her how much he was sorry for all the physical and mental pain he had caused her.

“Kagome…” InuYasha leaned down quietly and took her palm in his hand. He felt her hand tighten around his clawed fingers.

“InuYasha…Osuwari.” InuYasha felt every hackle and hive in his body shot up ready to impound into Kagome’s bed. But nothing happened.

InuYasha slowly opened his eyes and stared at her. He fingered his bare chest and looked back at the sleeping miko. Her eyes remained shut and tight and she slowly let out a small groan and turned slightly.

InuYasha heard the faint sound of beads coming from Kagome’s hands. He slowly moved his palm to where Kagome was clutching the rosary tightly. He felt himself get rather uncomfortable, he wanted to get away from her, he had already experienced her once, even if he hadn’t been the one doing it. Now, his body was screaming at him to take her again, but with passion and as a youkai mate.

InuYasha felt like he had grown roots and was trapped to the floor. He slowly bent over her, his hands firmly to his sides.

“Kagome…” He whispered, she fidgeted and his lips just brushed hers. His hand moved towards her loosening palm, and slowly pulled the rosary away. Then she suddenly jerked her head, and crushing her lips to his. InuYasha felt his eyes widen, and his face grow hot.

It was then he realized he was kissing her. She moved her tongue into his opened, shocked mouth, and then suddenly leaned back and sank her head slowly back into her pillow.

InuYasha pulled away, his face probably looking stumped. He took the beads and started to back away.

“Kagome…” InuYasha looked at her upper lip. The wound had healed…but the scare still remained. He slowly crawled out her window and headed back to the well house.

InuYasha fiddled with the beads, this was the chance to get rid of them for good, but he felt not hatred towards the rosary now. He wanted them for only one reason, to protect Kagome from himself.

InuYasha slowly hooked them around his neck, they glowed light blue for a second and then fell heavy on his shoulders. InuYasha sighed and took one look at Kagome’s shrine.

He dove back to his era, clutching the beads as if they were his sanity. As he saw the starry sky of the Feudal Era, he snapped his wings out and shot up like a bird.

Keade’s village came into view and InuYasha let out his breathe that he had been holding for quite sometime. ‘How long am I going to regret being with her?’ He thought. He really didn’t think that kiss was intentional, but it sure felt like it.

InuYasha was about to descend when a nasty, sickening pain shot up his back and into his legs. InuYasha’s eyes widen and screamed. His wings! InuYasha suddenly began to plummet, his wings screaming in pain all the way.    

Sango probed the fire in the center of Keade’s hut, Shippo fiddled with a few of Kagome’s coloring sticks, and Miroku looked deep in thought, his shoulders tensed tightly, and his eyes unreadable.

“Houshi?”

“Yes, Sango?”

“InuYasha has been gone for awhile now, should we go check on him?” Sango asked.

“Tis not our duty to go check on the young hanyou, at this current moment.” Sango looked at the elderly miko. “He shall be back quite soon.”

“I’m just worried…” Sango sighed. She knew he had gone to take another bath, due to her persistence, because he stilled smelled like dead youkai.

“Sango I assume InuYasha is just taking his time.” Miroku said. “Now don’t get any ideas of going to go…”

“Houshi! I’m not a hentai like you!” Sango huffed. She felt her face go hot, why would she go peek on InuYasha? Sango narrowed her eyes at Miroku. “You have a disturbing mind sometimes.” Miroku smiled innocently.

“What are you guys talking about?” Shippo asked. Both Miroku and Sango stiffened.

“Nothing your small kitsune mind needs to know yet.” Miroku smiled.

“Yea right.” Shippo mumbled and went back to his drawing. Sango gave Miroku an evil look.

“You can’t keep your mouth shut around children, can you?” Sango smirked. Kirara suddenly meowed and rubbed Sango’s leg. “What is it Kirara?”

“I feel InuYasha’s youki.” Miroku said, “Must be…”

“ARRGGHHH!”

Miroku and Sango froze. Sango felt every nerve shot up her spine.

“That sounded like InuYasha!” Keade cried.

Sango grabbed her Hiraikotsu and raced out the flap in the doorway with Kirara at her heels. Sango looked around drastically, her keen senses scouting the village area. InuYasha’s youki was the only youki around, indicating he was alone. But what could…?

“Sango!” Miroku came racing up, his staff at ready. Sango looked around for her hanyou companion. Finding him no where on the ground, she shot her head up in the direction of the sky. Sango felt her stomach do a tumble.

There was InuYasha in the night sky, his eyes shut tightly, and his mouth opened and screaming. His wings beat frantically, but were faulty, they gave in and he started to plunge. 

“Kirara go!” Sango jumped on her faithful youkai cat as the she transformed into her larger form. Kirara shot up into the sky towards the plummeting Inu youkai.

Sango pulled Kirara under the spot and stretched her arms out, snatching InuYasha’s arm. She wasn’t prepared for his weight and the momentum of gravity pulling on him.

"UGH!” Sango hissed, straining her muscles to keep a hold on his sweating, bony arm. “Kirara up!”

The youkai cat brought her strength in her flight, making it easier for Sango to pull InuYasha onto Kirara’s back. Sango wrapped her arms around InuYasha’s waist as Kirara started towards the ground. 

“Sango!” Miroku cried. He raced towards them, with Shippo and Keade in tow. Shippo raced up to the spot where Kirara had just landed.

Sango, clutching InuYasha tightly, swung herself off the youkai cats back.. InuYasha was limp, his face covered in sweat.

“Sango, what happened!?” Miroku shouted as he raced up.

“I don’t know, just help me!” Sango snapped. Miroku grabbed InuYasha’s ankles and lifted him up as Sango pulled her hands under InuYasha’s arms.

“It hurts…” Sango heard InuYasha mumble.

“Keade-san, we need herbs!” Miroku shouted at the elderly miko. Keade slowly nodded and went back into her hut. Just as Miroku and Sango had gotten closer to Keade’s hut, InuYasha screamed.

He thrashed widely in Sango’s arms, causing her to drop him. His legs kicked out, hitting Miroku square in the back. Miroku hit the ground hard, as he wasn’t expecting it.

“InuYasha!” Sango cried. He wasn’t listening, his legs and arms thrashed widely on the ground. His face and head was swinging from side to side, sweating, crying, Sango couldn’t tell which. She could tell he was in extreme agony.

“InuYasha stop!” Sango cried again. He didn’t listen, his claws slashing, sawing the ground, his red eyes snapped open, and his mouth was wide in a silent scream.

“InuYasha!” Sango grabbed one of his flailing arms and held it with all her strength to the ground. But her mere human strength was no match for a transformed InuYasha in severe pain.

“It hurts! IT HURTS!!!” InuYasha screamed, his arm heaving her a good four feet away. Miroku recovered form the kick and pulled his staff on to InuYasha’s squirming body.

“URG!” Miroku struggled on his friends’ body. “InuYasha, what hurts!?”

“WINGS!! URG!” InuYasha said, as he tried to flip on to his stomach. Sango got up and rushed towards the two struggling men, one trying to get away from the pain, the other trying to help.

Sango grabbed one of InuYasha’s legs, feeling his foot heel slam into her face, hard.

“Make it stop!!!”  InuYasha’s voice screamed. He squirmed like a worm on the ground, trying to get out of his friends vice like grip.

“InuYasha we’re trying to help!” Sango yelled. Shippo and Kirara watched the entire scuffle with wide, fearful eyes.

“InuYasha stop! We have to get you to Keade-san’s hut!” Miroku bellowed.

“NO! NO! Make it stop!!!” Sango managed to get a good look at what had InuYasha in such pain.

InuYasha’s wings were melting, the black leather skin melting inward on it self, coming from the edge and degenerating towards InuYasha’s back. They were rapidly disappearing. Blood was coming from InuYasha’s back, as if he had tried to rip them from his spine. Sango realized, Miroku and she were in a pool of blood that was slowly getting bigger.

“InuYasha…forgive me.” Miroku said, slapping a sutra on InuYasha’s lower back to avoid more damage.

InuYasha’s body immediately stopped moving, his breathe coming out in wheezes, and whimpered.

“Hurry!” Sango grabbed to him immobile arms and they both quickly carried the immobilized hanyou into the waiting hut.

“Put him on his stomach slowly.” Keade said, as she gathered her herbs and some of Kagome’s supplies that the young miko had left behind. Miroku and Sango slowly put the whimpering Inu youkai down on his stomach near the warmth of the fire. InuYasha suddenly let out a scream of pain and struggled against the spell that had him bound.

“No…” InuYasha whined. His face scrunched tightly, sweating broke down his brow. He whimpered, then cursed, and screamed as the wings degenerated more before all of their eyes.

“InuYasha…” Shippo mumbled. Kirara meowed and rubbed her soft body to InuYasha’s sweating face. She curled into a ball between his chin and shoulders, purring to soothe him.

“Make it stop…please.” InuYasha begged. Sango felt a lump come up her throat.

“Put this too his mouth, it will soothe his muscles so he won’t thrash around as much.” Keade handed Sango a cup of herbal tea. “Houshi-sama, take that sutra off his back, you ‘ear?”

Miroku reluctantly removed the spell as Sango had just finished tilting the liquid down InuYasha’s throat. InuYasha’s body shook violently, but his face started to slack. His breathe came out quick and loud, indicating he was starting to fall asleep.

Miroku looked up at Sango. “Sango, we need to…”

“I know…lets make this quick.” Sango took a part of the wing that had not been melting and slowly started to pull it towards her, as Miroku on the other side did the same, slowly and steadily.

InuYasha screamed. “STOP, STOP, STOP!!!” But the herbal tea had done its job, and had soothed his body down to minimum movement. Kirara curled closer to his neck to keep him from thrashing his head.

Sango felt the wing loosen towards her and she finally pulled it away from InuYasha’s back. Where they had both grown from was now a open wound pumping out blood.

“Ouch, shit!” Sango hissed dropping the wing as its own blood melted the black leather skin, leaving nothing but black dust at Sango’s feet.

Miroku was shaking his hand rapidly as the wing he had pulled out melted into the same pile of dist. For a second, nothing but silence embedded them all.

“We better patch his back..” Miroku slowly sighed. Numbly, Sango nodded.

_~~~~~~~_

Shippo sat by InuYasha, his small tail flickering every minute. Miroku and Sango had gone to take care of some youkai business, leaving him with InuYasha, alone.

The hanyou’s breathe came out cracked, and Shippo had to make sure he was alright every time he heard him breathe irregularly. Keade was taking care of a sick child in another hut.

“InuYasha…” Shippo let the tears fall. The obnoxious, loud-mouth, mean hanyou was what he missed. Shippo looked at InuYasha’s bandaged back; some of the blood had started to leak through the white bandages.

Knowing nothing about helping with injuries, Shippo sat there, hoping for InuYasha to finally wake up.

Miroku had scooped up of what was left of InuYasha’s wings and put them in a leather pouch. Placing a sutra over the bag, he had buried it somewhere in InuYasha’s forest. Burying the last evidence of Inuhidoi’s existence.

InuYasha groaned, startling Shippo.

“InuYasha, are you okay?” Shippo asked.

“Fine…” he said groggily. The larger hanyou slowly sat up, hissing when his back bent.

“Be careful…” Shippo said, “The wound on your back hasn’t healed just yet.”

“Oh…” InuYasha brought his hand to his head. “Fucking headache…”

Shippo bowed his head and brought over a cooked fish that he had been making for himself, but the kitsune handed it to InuYasha.

“Shippo…this is yours.” InuYasha frowned.

“I can catch another one, and besides, you haven’t eaten in nearly a thirty days, I can wait.” Shippo sighed. InuYasha gave a small nod to the kitsune and took the stick that contained the fish.

Shippo watched as InuYasha eat, something came over the hanyou’s face that made Shippo’s heart flutter. On InuYasha’s face was relief, relief for food, Shippo could tell the hanyou was savoring the taste and not shoving it down like he usually did.

InuYasha finished the fish and looked behind them, Shippo finally looked into the deep golden eyes. No more red transformed eyes, no more purple stripes that lined his cheeks, and his claws, no more poison. It felt as if Miroku had put the pouch in its grave all the powers InuYasha had absorbed through Inuhidoi’s soul had died and gone into the grave with the pile of dust that had once been wings.

InuYasha used the wall to stand, rubbing his bandaged back as he looked around.

“They’re gone…”

“They’ll come back InuYasha…”

“No Shippo, I meant the wings. They’re gone.” InuYasha said, Shippo nodded.

“They sort of melted off with the help of Miroku and Sango.” Shippo said.

“Oh really runt?”

“Runt?” BOP! “OH! InuYasha! Wahhhh!” Shippo cried, clutching the knot on the top of his head.

“You think I didn’t hear your thoughts before I changed back?” InuYasha smirked. Shippo beamed, the old InuYasha was back.

“Damn it!” InuYasha grumbled as he hoisted a wooden plank over his shoulder. A youkai had charged the village looking for something to kill and InuYasha had killed him with one swing of his sword. As luck had to happen, the body of the youkai had fallen on part of Keade’s hut. Now he was the one fixing it.

“Come now InuYasha, you’ve been moody since last week.” Miroku mumbled.

“Heard that.” InuYasha hissed.

“I know you did.”

“Idiot...”

“Can you men shut your mouths and get this done!” Sango snapped, “By the way, have you seen Shippo?”

“No.” Both Miroku and InuYasha said at the same time.

“Well, then both of you shut up!” Sango grumbled, “Houshi…go find Shippo, I’ll go look check near the Goshinboku.”

“What about me!?” InuYasha cried.

“You can still help an old woman.” InuYasha turned and glared at the old miko.

“Fine!” InuYasha huffed. “But don’t expect my mood to become any better after this!”

“Shame on that dear.” Keade sighed. “Now put that plank over there.”

“Grumble…” InuYasha snarled. Pulling the plank more over his shoulder, he felt a sudden pain in his foot.

“Fuck! Shit! Damn!” InuYasha shouted. He hopped up and down, realizing a nasty wooden piece had stabbed into the heel of his foot. Hissing, he grabbed his heel to pry the annoying splinter out, when suddenly a scent hit his nose, causing all the pain in his heel to suddenly vanish.

“InuYasha…?”

InuYasha turned, ripping the wood from his foot, feeling no pain, and stared in the direction from where the angel-like voice had come from.

She stood there, in a strange red kimono, with a pattern InuYasha couldn’t quite tell from the distance between them. Her black hair blew in the breeze, loose and free. The yellow backpack swung usually over her shoulder, and the bow and arrows bound to the yellow pack.

InuYasha was speechless, the sight of her, the scent, the brown eyes that started up at him. He took it all in, she had grown, and she looked a lot healthier, her posture showed something completely new. He was staring at a woman, not the scared child that he always argued with and eventually was ‘osuwari’ at the end. 

“Kagome…”

InuYasha let the name slip, he hadn’t said for what felt like eternity. She smiled as silent tears ran down her smooth cheeks. She raced towards him as fast as her strange kimono would let her, and wrapped her arms around his arms and waist. She snuggled her face in his haori, gripping it tightly. Her breathe choked in sobs and then she pulled her face up to his. He couldn’t say anything, as if someone had cursed him mute.

“InuYasha…” She reached up and rubbed his ear. InuYasha felt it flick, but relaxed it to fell Kagome’s fingers touch the soft skin.

“Kagome, I…”

“InuYasha…” She looked up at him, their noses touching. InuYasha felt something he had not felt since Kikyo’s death, a longing for love.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer then ever before. Her scent intoxicated him, he looked down at her, her brown eyes sparkled, and her lip trembled slightly. He glanced at her upper lip, the scar was barley there. A small knot of skin that showed the irregular shape was almost faded into nothing.

“Kagome, I…” He couldn’t finish what he wanted to say, he was paralyzed by her presence.

“InuYasha, its okay, I can never hate you. I’ve forgiven you so long ago.” She smiled, and got on her tip-toes, know their lips barley apart. InuYasha leaned his face closer and met her lips.

The kiss brought relief, his body melted from all the guilt that had been building up inside of him. He pulled her gently up, his fingers engulfed in her black sea of hair.

They parted and stared down in each others eyes; finally they looked away, red rising on both of their faces.

“Bravo.” Miroku came into view, clapping.

“Houshi!” BONK!

“Oh! Sango, my dear, what was that for!?” Miroku cried, holding his head where Sango had just hit him with her Hiraikotsu.

“Keep your hentai-ness away from them!” Sango huffed. She turned towards the couple. “Sorry, go back to what you were doing.”

With that, she grabbed Miroku by the ear and pulled him, and a peeping kitsune, who was looking at InuYasha and Kagome with wide eyes, behind the bushes.

Kagome giggled and snuggled next to InuYasha’s chest.

“I missed you.” She whispered.

“Me too.” He combined through her hair. He looked at her kimono, now noticing that the design was covered in white, fluffy dogs. “Why dogs?”

“Do you like it?” Kagome asked, she twirled around to show him every curve it had ion her.

“It looks fine.” He answered. She frowned.

“Fine?”

“Kagome…what do you want me to say?” InuYasha gave her a funny look.

“Is it not pretty?”

“I…yes, it sure is.” InuYasha sighed. Stupid stubbornness of his was backing him into a corner. He walked over and leaned close to her ear. “But, you’re even more beautiful.”

Kagome blushed and moved her palms over his cheeks and smiled.

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” She whispered. She gave him another hug and squeezed his back.

“OH! OUCH! Damn it, Kagome!” InuYasha hissed.

“What!?” Kagome jumped back, startled.

“Damn…my back still is sore.” InuYasha grunted.

“Oh, sorry…” Kagome said. She looked down and mumbled. “What happened to them, the wings?”

“Do you really want to know?”

“No.”

“Alright, is Naraku going to have to wait?” InuYasha and Kagome turned towards their friends, Miroku’s eyebrow was up.

“Keh, no, we’re leaving.” InuYasha smirked.

“Wait…I have to fight in this!?” Kagome gasped.

“Come on Kagome, you don’t need to worry about it.” InuYasha said. “Besides, I think it will blind Naraku so you can shot him.”

“Hue!? What do you mean by that dog boy!?” Kagome put her hands on her hips.

“You know what I mean Kagome-koi.”

“Koi?” Miroku gave InuYasha a look. BONK! The poor houshi was now unconscious on the ground.

InuYasha smirked and looked back at Kagome. Kagome gave him a confused look, and then she smiled.

“And are you two going to get cuddly again?” Sango questioned as she covered Shippo’s eyes.

“NO!” The couple shouted their faces as scarlet as InuYasha’s kimono.

“Alright then.” Sango smiled and helped Miroku up. “And as for you, you’re riding with me.”

“Ooohhh…” Miroku rubbed his head.

“InuYasha?”

“Yea Kagome?”

“Can I ride with you?” She looked at him.

“Sure, I guess.” He picked her bridal style, and pulled the backpack on his upper arm, careful of his back. Still due to his sore back, Kagome would not be riding the normal way. He looked down as he started off after the large youkai cat that had transformed and had their friends on her back.

Kagome’s body felt so close to him as he held her, but he knew it wasn’t going to last. They would go back to their petty arguments, their fights, but he would still remember this feeling.

He leaned down, touching her nose as he ran. She looked up at him and their eyes met. Their kiss didn’t go unnoticed, but to them it didn’t matter. I was a moment of bliss that would last for a lifetime.

_~~~~~~~_

THE END

_~~~~~~~_