by Nate Sindel

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

Okay, second chapter, I know, I know, took me long enough, well, here it is. Once again, I must apologize for any and all OOC-ness.

" " speech

' ' thought

( ) author's notes

***** scene change

* * this is what should be italics

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"Please try to keep up," Sakura said as she led the odd procession of three humans, three hanyous, a kitsune, and a two-tailed cat demon.

"She sounds like a tour guide," Kagome thought aloud.

"Akira, did people once live here?" Sango asked looking at the carvings that littered the walls, these were so intricate that they couldn't possibly have been made by dragon hands.

"Once, a long time ago, but there will be enough time for explanations later," he said as he pushed passed the others in the group to take the lead. "My turn."

They came to a wall, and there, in the center of it, were two handprints, one was definitely Akira's the other was human.

"Sango, that's you name right?" he asked looking back at her, she nodded. "Come here, place your hand there."

She did as he said and placed her hand in the print, and was surprised to find it fit perfectly. It also seemed to be holding her hand there, and she tried to pull it out. Akira merely let out a light laugh, saying:

"It will release when the circuit is complete," and he pressed his hand into the second print.

Upon contact, the wall let go of Sango's hand, and he pushed the wall to the side. They all walked through the door into a large, circular room. The stones that made up the floor were formed in a flowing pattern that led to a pool in the very center. The room itself was bathed in a rather bright light, which emanated from the pool.

"The liquid in the pool is very hot, so don't touch it," Sakura said as Shippo was about to stick a foot in. "Please, may I have the jewel shards?"

"Sure," Kagome said, handing her the newly acquired shards and the large piece she already had.

"Thank you," she walked over to the edge of the pool and knelt down, rolling up her sleeves, revealing her arm to be scaled as well.

Dipping her hands in with the shards she began to move them around, grinding the pieces together. Sure the liquid would scald a human's skin, even a hanyou, like Inuyasha, would not have been able to keep his hands in too long. But none of them had the tough scales of a dragon, and that is the only reason that Sakura could place her hands in it.

Ever so slowly the shards began to build into a larger and larger mass. It was still small, since the shards Akira had collected were some of the smallest of the pieces of the jewel. After about five minutes Sakura removed her hands, which were steaming slightly, from the pool, and held up the reformed third jewel.

"All done, but there's still a long way to go," she said giving it back to Kagome.

"Thank you, but, one question," Kagome said looking the jewel over, "how?"

"The liquid is a mixture of several elements found inside a demon's body. When the jewel comes in contact with it, it becomes lucid enough to be, for lack a better term, melted together," Akira said from the other side of the pool, the light casting long shadows upon his face.

"Seriyu brought this here?" Sango asked inspecting how the pool was carved from the rock.

"No, no, he brought the ingredients for the liquid, and the enchantments needed, we carved this cavern," he responded waving his hand to signify their current surroundings. "So, unfortunately, you cannot take it with you."

"But we can come back, correct, there are no barriers or enchantments to stop up, right?" Miroku asked.

"No, none at all, how do you think I was able to leave to collect the jewel shards. Though, to tell the truth, many fell into the valley, and some were brought by demons seeking what I had."

"What happened to the villagers, did the dragons eat them?" Shippo asked.

"Of course not, why would we do something like that?" Sakura asked with a slight tremble in her voice, like she couldn't believe what he had just said. "We all lived in peace."

"Stupid people ask stupid questions, I guess," Inuyasha said heading for the door.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shippo asked with a hurt expression.

"You heard me."

"Oh yeah," he leapt at Inuyasha and pulled his ears.

"AH!" the hanyou yelped, grabbing Shippo's tail and attempting to yank him off.

"Are they always like this?" Akira asked Sango.

"Yes, unfortunately," she sighed.

It wasn't long before Miroku joined Inuyasha, and Kagome soon after, having her arms around Inuyasha's middle, pulling the other way, no matter how hard they pulled, not much ground was made.

"Shippo, let go," Kagome said as she pulled.

"Not until he apologizes," Shippo whined and held on tighter.

"I won't apologize!" Inuyasha yelled and punched Shippo on the head, hoping to make him let go.

Akira watched the scene with a mild amusement, and with concern, what if, in the process of pulling Shippo off, they fell in the pool? Whoever fell in, or if they all fell in, they would not be coming out alive. With a sigh he walked over and scratched Shippo right beneath his nose. The very tip of his claw lightly grazed the fine hairs beneath it, and Shippo soon began to sniff back.

"Ah-ah-ah-AH-CHOOO!" he sneezed and instinctively brought his hands up to cover his nose and mouth, letting go in the process.

"GAH!" Inuyasha and Kagome fell one way, and Miroku, Shippo still in his grasp, went the other.

They all quickly got up, Miroku holding tight to the young kitsune before he could grab Inuyasha again.

"Thanks," Inuyasha mumbled rubbing his sore ears.

"Eh, you learn things when you get older," he shrugged. "Well, you'll probably want to wash up and sleep before you leave. Come on, it's getting late anyway."

*****

Once outside, they followed him along one of the four paths that met at the large tree. Indeed the sun was setting already, over the western-most mountain. The path led them through the forest, and when they emerged, they found themselves in a clearing along the side of a large lake. In that clearing was a medium-sized hut, a small stream of smoke coming from a hole in the roof.

"Here we are," Sakura said grabbing Kagome and Sango's hands, leading them to the house.

"There are some hot springs through the forest that way," Akira pointed to the forest, a column of steam rose over the place where he pointed. He also noticed a slight twitch in the monk's eyebrow, but didn't think much of it.

A minute later Sakura emerged with the other two, both had towels. In Kagome's hands were some shampoo bottles and soap. Akira noticed Miroku's eyebrow twitch again as he watched them enter the woods.

"I'm afraid I must answer the call of nature," Miroku said (what? I couldn't think of any other kind of excuse) as he turned and headed for the woods.

He stopped though, as a large shotel slammed into the ground, blocking his path. A chain was attached the end of the handle, a chain that lost its slack as Akira yanked the massive sword back to him.

"You will stay here," he said then clashed the swords together to make a spark, which ignited a fire in the pit he stood next to.

"Good call," Inuyasha said under his breath.

*****

Meanwhile, the three girls arrived at the hot springs. It was a rather large pool that glowed with the same glow that the melting pot had had. Sango and Kagome stripped their clothes off and slowly dipped into the pool. Sakura turned and was about to leave when Kagome said:

"Come on in, I'm sure you could use a bath too."

"Really, y-you don't mind?" she asked hesitantly, pulling her robes a little tighter.

"Yeah, it's not like we're gonna try anything," Sango said stepping out of the pool to grab her.

"O-ok," Sakura continued to stammer stepping back again.

"How long has it been since you've seen a human?" Kagome asked.

"Many years, you're the first I've seen since I was little," she kept moving back as Sango advanced. "Humans tend to avoid this place."

'What's happened to her, before she seemed so open, so alive, now she's like a scared child,' Kagome thought as she sank down into the pool up to her neck. 'Come to think of it, she didn't really talk much, to us at least.'

Sakura slowly untied the front of her robes and slid them off her shoulders. This revealed her body to be fully scaled from just around her collarbone all the way down to her knees. Down her upper arms to her elbows, the rest uncovered. The sharp scales did not cover her breasts; wide ventral scales covered there, stopping short of her sternum. These ventral scales also covered her abdomen. Unconsciously, or instinctively, her hands moved to cover herself (hey, I had to sneak in some fan service).

"Hey now, there's no need for that," Sango gently grabbed her wrist and led the dragon girl back to the pool.

*****

"Come on Inuyasha, how can you expect to beat Naraku with powers as weak as yours?" Akira asked blocking the Tetsusaiga with ease. "You're a pitiful CHILD!"

The shotel swung around, striking Inuyasha in the side, and sending him flying across the clearing. Slowly Inuyasha got up, having been struck with the flat side of the blade.

"Don't call me a child."

"But that is what you are Inuyasha," the dragon said whipping his tail out and wrapping it around Inuyasha's ankle, hoisting him into the air. "If you cannot defeat me, then Naraku will walk all over you; seeing as how he now travels with the one called Kikyo."

"WHAT?"

"YOU HEARD ME!" Akira yelled back slamming Inuyasha into the ground. "Never ask me to repeat myself."

He threw the shotel he had been holding behind him, cutting off Miroku's path, again. His tail unwrapped from Inuyasha's ankle, favoring to press down on his back, grinding his face into the dirt. The other shotel was thrown, the chain wrapping around Miroku, dragging him back to sit in from of the fire. The chain unwrapped and the sword was yanked back to its owner's hand.

"Think of the energy you could have saved by *not* trying my patients."

"And think of the energy you could have saved by not stopping me," Miroku said settling himself down by the fire.

Akira sighed, removing his tail from Inuyasha.

"Is he always like this?"

"Most of the time, but his 'problem' seems to increase whenever we're near a hot spring," Inuyasha said standing up and sheathing the Tetsusaiga.

Akira sighed again, and looked over at the lecherous monk who was still where he left him.

"Keep an eye on him, I'll be back."

*****

"You have nice hair Sakura," Kagome said as she lathered up the dragon girl's blue hair.

"T-thank you," she said trying to suppress a giggle, the shampoo was tickling her scalp.

Sakura turned to look at Sango, who was just leaning against the edge of the pool. Her arms were folded on the shore, her chin resting on them. This gave the dragon a full view of Sango's heavily scarred back and right side.

"Rinse!" Kagome exclaimed and dunked Sakura under the water, driving all thoughts from her mind about the demon slayer.

The blue haired girl came up from the water sputtering like crazy. She felt two arms grasp her to keep her from moving around as her nails began to lengthen, becoming claws. She attempted to slash at the person, but ended up getting her wrist caught. Turning her head, she saw it was Sango. Quickly calming down, and jumping away from the two humans, Sakura began apologizing.

"I'm sorry, you surprised me, I'm sorry," the dragon girl pleaded with them, only to be met with understanding.

"It's okay, Sakura, it's okay, I should have warned you," Kagome said using the same apologetic tone. Upon looking at the girl's tearing eyes, Kagome asked, "Have you ever done this?"

Sakura shook her head, "Not since I was very little, I used to do this with my mother."

Both Sango and Kagome could relate to that (honestly, who can't?).

"How old are you Sakura?" Sango asked tentatively.

"Four hundred," she responded slowly, followed by a long pause, then her face opened in a smile. "I had you, didn't I?"

The two humans stared at her, dumbstruck, lost for words.

"Please, four hundred years a bit long for someone to remain a child, don't you agree?" she asked sounding much more mature than she was a few moments ago. "Well, say something."

Neither said anything, they simply looked at each other, nodded, then proceeded in double dunking the dragon hanyou. She came up laughing this time, and the others joined in.

*****

"Inuyasha, why do you wish to become a full demon?" Akira asked calmly as his ears picked up the laughter from the woods. "Is it because you do not feel you get respect in your current form?"

"I just want people to stop treating me like some freak, ever since I can remember everyone was always been picking on me," he said slowly staring at the flickering fire.

"If you become a full demon, they will simply treat you worse, but, if you became full human, then they would not even notice you," the dragon stated as his tail snaked out and grabbed another log to throw in the fire. "But then you would be forsaking your demon heritage, the Tetsusaiga would be useless to you."

"Let me asked you a question, if you were to choose between being full human or full dragon, which would it be?" Inuyasha asked getting annoyed with this person's questions.

"I can't properly answer that question, if I did have a choice, I would stay just as I am."

"Why, you could walk the earth and not have anyone bother you, or call you a monster, or do anything that might hinder your pursuit of happiness."

"What was it about her, Inuyasha, that made you love her?" Akira asked as he laid back. "Was it her innocence, her beauty, or something deeper?"

"Shut up, I don't see how that concerns you in the least," the hanyou scoffed and turned away.

"Of course it doesn't concern me, but it does have relevance to our conversation. Earlier, you said her name with such malice that I'm sure that if she heard it she would have died, again. Yet, you seem to still
care enough to not endanger her reputation."

Inuyasha, upon hearing that shot at Kikyo, would have jumped on Akira and proceeded to rip his throat out, if he hadn't already been beaten so badly he was still sore. He just watched the fire, and waited for Kagome's return. When she came, he would have her sit next to him, and things would get better, just like Kikyo.

"She's not a replacement for Kikyo."

"If she isn't, then why do you think of her as such. They are very similar, Kagome and the way Kikyo was fifty years ago, but that does not give you the right to make her into the one you lost."

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?"

"A man does not come into another man's home and proceed to order him around, Inuyasha," Akira said simply and got up to get some food. He returned with a rather large wild pig on a spit. Placing it over the fire he sat back down and let his tail turn the spit. "I suggest you remember that."

"Feh," Inuyasha scoffed and turned away more, though the scent of the food was tempting.

"I know what you have gone through, Inuyasha, to lose one whom you care for so much that it tears you apart inside."

"So, is that supposed to make me feel more at ease?"

"No, merely to show you that you are not alone in your misery," he said in an almost civil voice, but with enough force to get it through to Inuyasha. "It is the curse of living as long as we do."

"But you don't understand, if I had gone through with Kikyo's idea, I would have become human, and lived as long as they do."

"Yes, but your brother would have put a swift end to that."

Inuyasha growled and turned away from the fire completely. He knew Akira was smiling, having had an answer to everything he could think of. Then he remembered just how old the dragon was, but didn't think much on it. He didn't want to think about anyone having answers to *his* problems.

"I suppose."

"Akira, where did the people of this place go?" Miroku asked.

"Disease. Once, we had allowed in an old dragon seeking refuge. We did not know he had a deadly disease that soon wiped out all of the humans, and most of the elder dragons. The people not killed, they left. You'll find a field of graves through the woods over there," he pointed in the opposite direction of the hot springs. "If you wish to bless them, so be it, but other monks, of much greater standing than you, have already done it."

"Well, I'll just go and bless them anyway."

"Why not wait till the girls are back, then I'll show them to all of you."

Miroku was somewhat caught off guard by this. Most people, after seeing he was a monk, let him go about his business, but this dragon seemed incredibly suspicious of him, and that was not good for Miroku.

The three of them were snapped from their reveries as laughing could be heard from the edge of the woods. Three toweled figures emerged and made their way to the hut. Neither Akira nor Inuyasha bothered looking, but Miroku was attempting to sniff back a small nosebleed that had started.

"Almost done," Akira said as he looked at the pig.

TBC

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There, second chapter done, sorry for it taking so long.

Again, any comments you have just e-mail me at Berserk_fury001@yahoo.com  Next chapter should be up pretty soon.