Chapter 10: Worried Friends

A few hours later, after Inuyasha and Kagome had their breakfast of rice, they both head down to Sango and Miroku's house. "Do you think we should tell them?" Kagome asks as they are walking down the hill. Inuyasha shrugs his shoulders, "I don't know. I'm not sure on what their reaction would be. But one thing's for sure. We shouldn't speak of this in front of Rin. Or their children." He advices her. Kagome nods, "I agree. If Rin were to hear about this, she'll go out there to find him. We don't even know what might be wrong with Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha hmms. "No doubt about it. We saw how attached Rin is to him. In all my years to know about my brother, he had never had any sympathy to humans. I'm shocked to see Rin to be with him. The only thing to know is how those two met in the first place." He said as he holds his chin.

Soon enough they make it to the hut. Kagome spots Sango outside with the twins. Inuyasha spots Miroku inside with their son. "Hey there Sango, hi girls." Kagome runs towards them. The twins squeal happily and go to her. "Auntie Kagome. I love your dwess." One of the twins speak in such an adorable way. "Kagome, I never seen that dress before. Where did you get it?" Sango stands up to her. Kagome giggles, "Well ever since Inuyasha and I got married, he thought it'd be best that I wore something else instead of the priestess kimono." Kagome answers the question and they both sat down to the ground. The twins continue on what they were playing.

"Ever since you leave involuntarily, Inuyasha has never stopped believing for you to return. He'd be at the well 3 times a day." Sango explains how painful it was for them to see Inuyasha in such a depressing state. Kagome feels guilty about it. "I've tried to do the same thing. But since the Sacred Jewel disappeared, the well just stopped working. Preventing either of us to get through." Sango can sense how depress Kagome was, just as much as Inuyasha. It pained the both of them the most.

Inside of the hut, Inuyasha and Miroku are having a conversation of their own. "So what have you've been up to lately, Inuyasha?" Miroku asks quietly as he gently rocks his son into sleep. Inuyasha sighs, "Well for starters is to make sure if Rin is around?" Inuyasha asks more to himself than to his friend. He takes a sniff in the air. "Rin is with Kaede to a neighboring village." Miroku answers as he sits down to the floor. Inuyasha follows suit. "I sense that something is troubling you." Miroku states the obvious. Inuyasha nods, "Afraid so. The reason that I don't Rin to be around because I've been warned by my old man that something is going to happen to Sesshomaru."

Miroku quirks his brow. "In all of my years, I'd never expect something like that to happen to your half-brother." Inuyasha shakes in such confusion. "I don't get it. As far as I know, nothing seems to be wrong with him. All I get is a warning and nothing else about it. Talk about vague." Miroku could possibly understand. "I'm just giving a theory about this, but somehow you may be concern about him despite how much you hate him." Inuyasha chuckles quietly, not to wake up the baby. "You're right about that. That's why I don't want you or Sango to let Rin know any of this." He concludes the conversation.

Back outside, Sango and Kagome are relaxing in the warm sunlight. "So what brings you here, Kagome?" Sango asks her, in order the silence. Kagome leans back. "Well last night, some set of armor came out of nowhere and somehow ended in the closet of our bedroom." Sango leans back with her, "Talk about weird." She comments. Kagome giggles, "Afraid so. To make it more weirder, something came out of the armor. Some spirit was wearing it." Sango raises her eyebrow. "A spirit?" Kagome nods, "This wasn't just any spirit, it was Inuyasha's father." She admits to her friend. Sango widens her chestnut eyes, "I didn't expect something like that to ever happen. What did Inuyasha's father do to you? Are you hurt?" Sango asks in a bit of a panic, but she keeps it hidden so that she wouldn't make her daughters worried.

Kagome smiles, "Sango, I'm okay. I'm not hurt and neither is Inuyasha. The thing is that Inuyasha's father somehow warned us about Sesshomaru." She speaks cautiously. Sango hmms. "Funny for somehow out of nowhere, Inuyasha's father came out and just warns you about Sesshomaru. Was there any detail?" She sits up to make sure the twins are in close enough for her to see them. Kagome sits up as well, "Frankly no. That was all Inuyasha's father said to us. We might as well find out about it ourselves. But there's going to be a problem." Sango raise her eyebrow. "And that would be…" She couldn't finish for what the problem might be. "…Rin mustn't know any of this. If the word reaches her, she'll go out there looking for him. You know how Rin is to him." Kagome speaks with worry. Sango nods, showing her that she understands.

Back inside, Inuyasha stands up. "Sorry, but Kagome and I are going to go out west." Miroku tilts, "The western lands?" He asks. Inuyasha nods. "If what my old man spoke about Sesshomaru is true, we'll have to go to make sure." He turns to Miroku with a serious look. "I'm coming with you." Miroku declares. "No." Inuyasha stops him. "Miroku, you and Sango have a family to take care. It's not like I'm not letting you coming with us. I'm sorry." He faces him. Miroku nods. "I understand. This is a journey that you and Kagome have to take."

Inuyasha looks down to the floor for a second and shakes his head. "No, Kagome isn't going to get involved in this." Miroku raised his eyebrow. "You spoke about 'us' going to the Western Lands. I assumed you preferred Kagome." Inuyasha looks outside through the window to see Kagome and Sango having their own conversation. "I wish that she did come with me. But I know how dangerous the Western Lands." He said sadly. He then goes outside. Miroku comes out arfter, but deicided to stay put to watch his son.

Kagome looks to see Inuyasha coming around the corner. "Oh hi there Inuyasha." Sango smiles at him. Inuyasha can't seem to smile back to her. "Hey, Kagome. I wanna talk to you about something." He gestures her to come with him. Kagome stands up and goes to him. "What's wrong?" She asks him as they get to a safe distance from Sango and Miroku's house. "Kagome, I'm going to the Western Lands." Inuyasha speaks his mind to her. Kagome doesn't know on how to respond to him. "Okay, why over there?" She asks him. Inuyasha sighs, "I thought that if I went over there, I'd find some clues about my father's warning." He explains. Kagome nods. "I guess you don't want me to come with you then." She said sadly.

Inuyasha nods, "I'm afraid so. I wish that you came with me but I don't want you to get hurt." Kagome nods again. "I see." She tears up her eyes, feeling abandoned. Inuyasha smells the tear of sadness. He tilts her chin. Kagome keeps her eyes, trying to stop the tears but failed. Inuyasha uses his thumb to wipe them away but they keep on coming. "Inuyasha, you promised that I'd stay by your side. I came back for that reason." She reminds him. Inuyasha sighs as well as embracing her. "Yes I remember, and I did promise you that. I don't want to break it." Soon enough he can feel his robe of the fire rat and kosode getting damped by her tears.

Just right before either of them to speak, one familiar interrupts them. "Inuyasha, it's best that she goes with you." The voice speaks as he sucks some of Inuyasha's blood from his neck. Inuyasha smacks the voice. "Like hell I'm letting her come with us, Myoga." He said to him as he catches him in his open hand. "Lord Inuyasha do you know what would happen when you leave your mate behind?" Totosai asks as he approaches them.

Kagome pulls away to see Totosai. "What will happen to me if he does leave me behind?" She asks him with shyness. "I'm afraid to say this, but Kagome's mark will fade away, making her an easy target for other males to go after her." Myoga speaks to him seriously. Just hearing that made Inuyasha have second thoughts. 'Her mark will fade away?' He asks himself. "Afraid so. We don't want our mate to be easy prey.' The demon spirit within him tells him. Inuyasha looks down to see Kagome with pleading puppy eyes. "Kagome…" He caresses her face with the back of his hand. "I know how much you want to go…" Kagome looks down in more sadness and pulls away from him.

Before she is about to be complete away from him, Inuyasha grabs her wrist to prevent her from leaving. "To just leave you like this. It's too much for me to bare it. Just because I'm leaving you doesn't mean your mark will fade away." Kagome sniffles. "But you heard what Myoga and Totosai said. It will fade away when you leave me behind." She reminds him. "Inuyasha, you have to take her with you rather you like it or not." Totosai with more stern in his face. Kagome wants to get out of Inuyasha's grasp on her wrist, but Inuyasha is way too strong to release her. "Like hell, I'm not going to let you get hurt on this journey." He speaks his mind. Kagome growls, "Inuyasha throughout our journey to find the shards, how many times have I been wounded? I've seen you've been wounded to protect me. I've wanted to return the favor on your part."

Inuyasha wanted to retort her but she has a good point. He just couldn't stand to see her in a state that could kill her. He has to come up to the right conclusion that will benefit the both of them.