Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or company.

To Say These Words
By: Lost-Remembrance (Red Tail)

Chapter One:

"Inuyasha!" The half demon ducked, white hair like a silver cape as his dog ears flattened against his head as a growl emitted from his throat. He looked back impatiently as he crouched on the ground, pulling back from the demon's assaults, making way for the girl behind him to fire her weapon.

Taking aim, the girl Kagome let her arrow fly straight and true. A pink light surrounding the tip and the shaft as it shot through the air, the raven-haired girl keeping an eye on the rather recklessly fighting half-demon. Seeing her arrow hit it's mark, the giant spider demon's leg, she smiled before knotting another arrow from her quiver.

Feeling the spiritual energy from the arrow, the demon hissed, lunging forward to swipe at the human that dared to strike the great Spider King. He hissed, shooting some venom from his fangs at the girl.

Miroku leapt forward, pushing Kagome out of the way as the two of them rolled to safety. The monk looked up, hand on the beads holding his wind tunnel in place and pulled away. After his companions pulled away, then he would do the clean up. He wouldn't take the risk of sucking in one of his friends into the endless void, only Naraku and other demons would have that pleasure.

"Where's the jewel, Kagome!" Inuyasha thrust his sword forward, successfully cutting off some of the legs and hoping to throw the demon off balance.

"Look out, Sango!" Miroku cried, pulling out some sutras as he threw them forward, the legs aiming to pierce through the demon hunter's torso hitting the holy paper. The creature hissed in pain, earning a smirk from Miroku.

"I will not be beaten!" Screeching at an unbelievable pitch, the demon lunged forward, giving Kagome a good look at the entire body of the demon.

"It's on the forehead!"

"Chop of the head, Inuyasha!" Miroku prepared himself to enter the fray as Sango let loose her bone boomerang with a loud cry of, "Hiraikotsu!"

Refusing to go down without a fight, the demon launched itself forward towards the half-demon that was a disgrace to their kind. "Half demon!" It seethed, anger flowing from it's body in an almost tangible way.

"Look out!"

Inuyasha grunted with pain as he felt the fangs of the demon pierce the crook of his neck, biting into the tender flesh and he growled, swinging his sword in a perfect arc to successfully decapitate it's head from the body and through the venomous pest off of him.

His eyes narrowed as the demon laughed. "Bastard!" He seethed, one arm holding his beloved sword and the other pressing down on the burning wound. He panted as he took a intimidating step forward, knowing his demon blood would counteract the venom as always.

"My venom is stronger than your demon blood." Inuyasha thrust his sword into the skull of the still-alive creature, earning a hiss and yelp of pain before the creature turned to ash around his sword.

"Is it over?" A small voice questioned from the bushes, rattling as a small kitsune walked out from the bushes. Kagome gave the small fox child a smile and a nod as confirmation to the question.

"Did you do a good job of watching over our stuff, Shippo?" Miroku questioned as he brushed off some dirt from his black and blue robes. His staff jingled and made familiar music as he did so.

Looking proudly, as the small kit nodded, Miroku grinned. Kagome had a way of allowing the fox to be apart of the team and be safe at the same time.

"Did you get the jewel?" Sago picked up her boomerang, easily holding it as she looked at her female friend who shook her head.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome turned, looking with a curious eye to her half-demon friend. "Are you all right?" Stepping forward, she frowned as she noted that the youth seemed frozen to the spot.

Miroku turned, looking over at Inuyasha as he heard Kagome's voice once more call his name, this time with more worry. "Maybe he's hungry?" Sango questioned, "He didn't have lunch…"

Walking forward in large strides, Kagome forced herself not to run. Besides, Inuyasha was probably fine as ever. Gently placing a worried hand on his shoulder, she felt his muscle tense and he turned around.

"What?" He questioned her rather gruffly as he sheathed his sword, still contemplating the spider's words. Venom stronger than his blood? He growled, earning a confused stare from Kagome.

"Are you all right?"

He brushed past her, leaving the girl to pick up the jewel, "I'm fine." He walked past the ground and headed back towards their stuff and ignored the stared from Miroku, Sango, and Shippo.

"We'll camp here for tonight." He called out to them from the clearing behind the bushes, glancing towards his neck to see the torn fabric and slight pink stain that indicated he had indeed bled.

The numbing feeling in his shoulder meant his demon blood was already fighting against the venom from the damned 'Spider King'. He snorted, "I'm going down to the river."

Kagome came through the bushes seconds after he left, arms full of wood with Shippo trailing behind her with a small stack of sticks for kindling. Kagome couldn't stop the worry from shining in her eyes, "Inuyasha…" She whispered, not even loud enough for Shippo to hear.

"Hey, Kagome!" Shippo put all the sticks into a pile and looked at the motherly figure expectantly. "What do we do now?" Kagome came out of her thoughts, smiling down at the kitsune. She looked at the fading light of the sun and bent down, pulling out a handy match to set fire to the crisp kindling and logs.

"Why did Inuyasha leave?" Shippo walked over to Kagome's bag, rummaging around as he searched for dinner.

"To get food?" The girl offered weakly, "Or maybe he's thirsty. You never know with him!" She laughed and Shippo nodded, pulling out some ramen for all of them to eat for dinner.

Sango watched from the bushes, picking at some raspberries she managed to find growing along. She sighed sofltly, "She's worried about him but she won't admit it."

"She doesn't want to be rejected or hurt." Sango turned back to look at Miroku who walked up silently behind her. In a hushed voice, he added, "She's afraid of being compared to Kikyo."

Sango nodded, a sad look in her eyes as she turned back to see Kagome prepping supper for them. "Or she's afraid of being second best…"

Miroku smirked, creeping up on the demon slayer, "Ah, but you'd never be second best in my book, Sango." His hand groped Sango's bottom, earning a gasp from the girl. "Miroku!" Sango growled and turned around with a deadly look in her eyes.

"Sango—" A slap startled some birds awake, making them take flight in the sky and the russet colors.

Stalking out of the bushes, Sango huffed angrily as she glared at Miroku who emerged, holding his cheek which now, once again, held a red hand mark.

Shippo snickered and Sango glared at the monk. "Miroku…" Kagome sighed, shaking her head in exasperation.

TBC