Running out of the house and to the well, her words reverberated around Inu Yasha's mind.

'I haven't seen my daughter since she left two weeks ago…' Her admonishment as he left followed him through the well, and leaping from tree to tree as he headed for Kaede's hut. 'Bring my daughter home.'

Inu Yasha gritted his teeth. 'Don't worry. I will.'

***

Shortly after Inu Yasha left, Miroku left to gather water for the rabbit stew that Kaede was preparing. The pail dipped into the spring water, filling quickly from the fast flowing stream. Straitening, he carried the pail away, walking slowly back to Kaede's hut on the edge of the village. The evening darkness was approaching quickly, leaving him in the semi-light.

Kaede's hut in sight, a strange feeling of lightness overcame him. Miroku stopped, wondering at this sudden peace that radiated over him. He hadn't felt this way in-heck, never. Hand itching, Miroku absent-mindedly scratched the flesh just beneath the cloth and prayer beads. Miroku froze.

Carefully, he pushed aside the cloth and slid his fingers over the spot. And, miraculously, the feeling of nails meeting flesh reached his mind. Breaking into a run, Miroku reached the hut and burst in, breathless from excitement and kind of wet from where the pail of water had soaked into his robes.

Both Kaede and Sango looked up, took one glance at him, and became alarmed. 'The boy looks as if he has gone mad!!' Kaede thought, seeing his giant grin and flushed face. This thought became concrete when Miroku dropped the pail clattering to the floor, and began removing the beads upon his cursed hand.

Sango's eyes widened at his actions, and, throwing her body at Kaede, rolled away from the direction his hand was pointing. Waiting for winds to pull her to oblivion, she was surprised to find that nothing of the sort came to pass. Kaede groaned in pain below her and she rolled off quickly coming up to her knees, and watching Miroku.

His hand lay open to view, the firelight shining upon it. Shippo made his entrance at that moment took in the scene and said.

"What's going on? Miroku doing a trick?"

"Look at it!!" He said excitedly to them. "It's gone!! The Kazaana is gone!! Do you know what this means?!" 'It means that Sango and I--' Sango interrupted him and popped his fantasy with one word.

"Kohaku!!" She stood up, got her weapon and headed out the door quickly, leaving the poor disappointed monk behind. Shippo went over to Kaede and joined her in looking at Miroku.

Miroku sighed. "Well, I guess I'll follow her." 'I shall follow until she finally come to realize what else this means.' Pushing the flap aside, he was relieved to see that Inu Yasha was back.

"Is Kagome well?" However, when both looked up at him, their worried faces destroyed the lingering positive effect of his now cured hand.

***

The feather beneath Kagome began to lose its power. It's speed diminished, as well as its height in the air, until Kagome was but hovering over the ground. She seemed neither to notice nor care, staring straight ahead. And she did not react when the feather dissipated beneath her, dropping her the few inches to the ground. The blades of the grass crushed beneath her as she lay there on her side, nestled within the pelt, unmoving. A slight breeze wafted over the grass and through the trees, causing them to rustle slightly.

***

Just as they we're heading towards the forest where the last Naraku sighting had been, a wind swept past them, rustling the trees and loosening a few leaves from their grip upon the branches. Inu Yasha's face perked up in concentration, his nostrils flaring, as he took in the scent that the wind brought with it. Sango and Miroku glanced over at him, waiting expectantly for his next words. Inu Yasha grinned; his fangs bared, and cracked his knuckles.

"Seems Naraku is as eager to see me as I him. Let's go." With that he darted into the trees, Miroku following closely behind as Kirara transformed and Sango leapt upon her back.

Inu Yasha never lost the scent now that he had it, and it grew stronger with every step he took. Suddenly, to his left, the scent reared its head. But it was odd. It was more like…. Naraku had been in that direction, but not himself.

'Must be another of his underlings. Might as well take care of it on the way. I don't want to bother with it when I get Kagome.'

Swerving towards it, the others were left behind by the sudden movement. But Inu Yasha did not notice. Springing up above the trees, air whipping through his hair and across his clothes. From his place in the air, he caught sight of a familiar fur pelt poking out from beneath some bushes. The smell originated from there.

'What the hell…?'

Landing but a short distance from it, Inu rushed in, claws at the ready, to slice pain into the apparently weakened and abandoned creature. The wind shifted yet again that evening, bringing with it…

Inu Yasha halted his steps, a frown marring his face.'But… That's Kagome's scent…'

Cautiously making his way forward towards the small still form upon the ground, Inu Yasha sniffed the air as he grew near. There was no mistaking it, though it had changed a bit. It WAS Kagome's clean scent. Bending down, Inu Yasha lifted the edge of the Baboon pelt. The silk cloth of a kimono blared up at him.

Losing patience from the very small amount of information he was gathering by what he was doing, Inu quickly pulled away the pelt, flinging it away. It landed, spread out, upon the branch of a tree; it's empty eye sockets staring at him eerily. Gazing down at Kagome, Inu took in the odd sight of Kagome in a kimono. All he'd ever seen her wear were her 'New Age' clothes.

Reaching out his clawed hand, Inu Yasha gently shook her. "What are you doin' here sleeping in the middle of nowhere for, ya wench?!" Seeing that she did not awake, he shook her harder and in the process, flipped her from her side to her back. His amber eyes met her brown ones and Inu Yasha became alarmed.

'She looks…dead. And why is her scent mixed with Naraku's so closely?'

A light flared within those same brown eyes making him doubt his earlier thoughts. Opening his mouth to speak yet another rudely formed question, it stayed that way. For Kagome's hands had wandered from their place on the ground to wrap about the flaps of his red coat, pulling herself forward and lifting her face to his in a passionate kiss.

Frozen in shock, Inu just stared straight ahead. But when her hands started to slide downward…

"What the!! STOP that!!" At that moment, the others made their way out of some obscuring leaves and made their way over to the pair, one now still and the other confused completely.

"What have you found Inu Yasha?" Miroku asked, before his keen womanizing eyes caught hold of slender legs beneath a kimono stretched out beside Inu. "A young girl in trouble? I'll aid her as a good monk should!"

He happily pushed aside Inu Yasha and looked down. Eyes widening, Miroku's chest tightened at the sight of Kagome's dead-like eyes before him. Sango looked over his shoulder, eyebrow twitching in annoyance until she saw the same sight.

"What's wrong with her?" Sango asked worriedly, as Kirara came over and nuzzled her softly. Sango stroked her.

"Has she been like this since you got here, Inu Yasha?" Miroku said, lifting the young girl in his arms and looking over his shoulder in question. Inu Yasha was bewildered.

"Ummm… yeah." Inu Yasha didn't particularly want to share what had just happened between he and Kagome right then. However, he did not like how Miroku was holding Kagome so tightly to him.

'The perv…'

Stalking over, Inu Yasha took Kagome out of Miroku's arms, wondering slightly if he would get a repeat treatment of before. However, nothing happened, not a flicker of life from her. He didn't know whether he was relieved or… disappointed.

Shaking his head, Inu readied to sprint away. Pausing, he looked over at Sango. "Coming?" Inu asked.

Sango warred with herself. Her friend was ill…. But her brother may be still locked up somewhere or dead. Deciding, she looked Inu in the eye. She owed her brother first priority.

"No, I'm not." Inu nodded and Miroku looked at her. Moving to her side, he glanced at Sango before turning to Inu Yasha.

"I shall join her as well, Inu Yasha." Inu raised a brow at this but all he said was.

"Suit yourself. See you later!" With that, he sprinted away and the trio of travelers turned back to the direction they had been going.

***

Landing at Kaede's hut doorway, Inu Yasha stumbled in. "Kaede! I've found her." Laying her down beside the fire pit, he moved away. He was slightly disturbed when he found that Kagome's eyes were following him.

'Nah. Trick of the light.'

"Well?" He said, as Kaede hovered over the young miko and he ignored the bouncing overwrought Shippo. "What the hell's wrong with her?"

Wrinkled and tired, the one eyed old miko glanced up at him as she bustled across the room to get an herb of some sort and throw it in a pot. "I'll know better by tomorrow, and without ye to stare and sulk it will go much faster." Huffing, Inu Yasha nevertheless headed out the door, sending worried looks over his shoulder on the way. Shippo looked up at Kaede.

"Can I help?" Kaede smiled kindly down at him.

"Yes. Indeed ye can. Fetch me some more water and fire wood."

***

Inu Yasha plopped himself down right outside the door, watching silently for once as Shippo went to and fro from the well and then the wood pile.

'What's wrong with Kagome? Why did she… kiss me like that? She's not acting normal….' He growled. 'If I ever get my hands on that bastard Naraku…' He cracked his knuckles contemplating all the things he'd like to do. Something with a cheese grater that Kagome had told him about…

***

The next morning, Inu was about to explode from tenseness. The chirping of that GODDAMN cricket didn't help either…

"What ARE ye doing, Inu Yasha?" Inu Yasha yipped from surprise and turned red. She had caught him pouncing after that cricket.

"Ummm…" He freed the cricket with in his hand and looked around innocently." Uh, how's Kagome?"

Kaede shook her head, "I'm afraid ye'll be disappointed. She be the same as last night, I'm afraid. I don't know what wicked spell Naraku hath cast upon her and my herbal remedies do little." She sighed. "I shall try more." She hobbled back within, and Shippo stepped out as she passed. He looked quite exhausted, hair mussed. He yawned loudly, little fangs poking out from beneath his lips. (Aww…Cute.)

Inu Yasha looked him up and down. "You been awake the whole night twerp?" Shippo looked as if he wanted to say something but yawned again instead. He came over and crawled into his lap. Taking pity on the small kitsune, Inu allowed him to. Shippo mumbled something.

"What's that?" Inu looked down at his orange-topped crown.

"I said *yawn* that maybe you should *yawn* go for a ride with Kagome." The little one said.

"Eh?" Inu frowned down at him.

"You know." Shippo woke up a little rubbing his eyes. "Kagome's bike. It saved us from that demon, maybe it will save her again." He looked up at him and said in an excited whisper. "It's magic!" He smiled once, yawned, and curled up in his lap, falling into the sleep of an innocent child.

Inu Yasha contemplated what he had said, rolling it over in his mind. Just maybe… Inu stood up quickly, and Shippo fell to the ground with a thump.

"OW! Why'd you go and do that for?!" He hopped up on Inu's head and started gnawing on it. Inu just looked up annoyed, and popped the little bugger one.

"Ughhh…." Shippo said, stars in his eyes as Inu Yasha stalked into the hut. Shaking his head, Shippo watched Inu come back out, carrying Kagome out and heading towards where Kagome's bike had been leaned against the hut.

"Whatcha doin', Inu Yasha?" Shippo asked, bouncing along behind him.

"Taking your advice though I may feel stupid for doing so, ya twerp." Shippo stopped and stared. Inu got on the bike, situating the unresisting form of Kagome on the handlebars, and placed one foot on the pedal. Trying to copy all the movements that Kagome had done but a week before. Pressing forward, he managed not to fall over from the imbalance of Kagome, and made it onto the roadway from the village, speeding slowly but surely away.

Shippo was left behind to scratch his head. "What advice?" He shrugged and went back inside to sleep.

***

Pedaling faster, Inu held tightly to Kagome to not let her fall. She still hadn't batted an eye at the transportation. 'I need to go faster!'

Pulling on his demon blood for speed, Inu Yasha increased his pedaling till they were flying down the road at an almost dangerous speed for the terrain. He thought he sensed movement from her, and glanced down. Her face DID look more relaxed. 'More!'

A hill coming up to impede him, Inu Yasha pressed faster and harder, sailing over it easily. The hill went down steeply, speeding them along, as Inu Yasha pedaled ever harder. Kagome began to stir, and Inu Yasha grinned. 'It's working! I'll hug the damn little twerp!'

As they were nearing the bottom, he heard noises as Kagome returned to consciousness, and she realized where they were. And just how fast they were going!

"Eeep!" She wrapped her arms around him tightly, staring wide-eyed at the road before them. "What ARE you DOING, Inu Yasha?!" So relieved that she was better, Inu Yasha stopped pedaling causing a chain of events.

First: The cloth on his pant leg caught in the wheel. Second: Because that cloth was caught, it jerked Inu's foot back causing him to fall forward. Third: Kagome screamed in his ear, hurting his brain and causing him to jerk back. During all this neither noticed the rut in the middle of the road. The same instant Inu Jerked back, the bike jammed into it, stopping the bike and sending the pair flying forward into the road.

Of course, Inu took the brunt of the fall because they flipped. ^_^ "Uhhh…" Kagome said, being jarred even if she did land on Inu Yasha. Then she felt a shaking. Alarmed she looked down.'Inu Yasha's… actually LAUGHING?!'

***

Making his way slowly into the Naraku's castle, he kept his senses aware for any danger. Eventually, he found himself in a room within, gore covered from a battle. Looking around, he saw a prone pale form upon the floor and his cold eyes glanced over it.

They rested upon a broken orb, cracked and battered. Stepping forward, the person unsheathed his sword, it's glow bringing forth the sight of death's malformed goblins. Swinging it over it, a light flashed as particles of light began to gather and form…Kagura.

Eyes fluttering open, Kagura stared up utterly surprised to see that her savior was… Sesshoumaru.


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