Kagome burst unceremoniously into Kaede's hut, where Inuyasha was
innocently sitting with noodles hanging out of his mouth. "Kgrmphy?" he
frowned up at her, saying the best version of her name he could with a
mouthful of noodles.
Kaede looked curiously up at her. "Lady Kagome? I had thought that ye would not return for three nights more."
Kagome was a bit too broken up to say much of anything, so Sango quickly explained the theory that Sota was Kohaku's reincarnate and what had happened when they left the well. After this, Sango said breathlessly, "I feel that Sota is being guided by the Shikon no Tama straight to Kohaku. The piece he has in his back already exists in this era. The force he was pulled by must be its counterpart in Kohaku. Too much of the Shikon is now in this time."
Kaede nodded. "That may very well be what has happened."
A flood of tears burst from Kagome. "Then what are we waiting for? Kohaku may be near Naraku. Who knows what he will do to my brother? Or what the Shikon no Tama will do? We have to leave right now!"
Inuyasha stood up, upsetting a bowl of noodles without care. "Let's go, Kagome! I don't know where Miroku is, so he's out of this one for now." Kagome abandoned her things in Kaede's hut, and Sango left all but her weapons and variety of deleterious powders. They both hitched a ride on Inuyasha's back and he ran swiftly into the forest. "Your brother smells kind of like you, Kagome - except not so...flowery. I think I can follow his scent." Kagome said nothing, only buried her face in Inuyasha's silvery hair and held on tightly.
Deep into the forest, Inuyasha stopped short. "The scent ends here," he said, and the two women slid off of his back. Kagome stepped tentatively forward. "Sota?" she called nervously. Then louder, "Sota! Where are you?"
A young boy dressed in slayer regalia and a poison-guarding mask suddenly slipped out from behind a tree. He was cradling a boy even younger than himself baby-doll style in his arms. A sheathed katana was at his side, and Sango froze, still out the boy's line of vision behind Inuyasha.
"Miko," said the boy to Kagome, voice unnaturally heavy beneath the mask, "is this the one you search for?"
Kagome pressed her lips together and ran forward to him. The boy laid the one he had been carrying on the ground. It was, indeed, Sota. Kagome knelt by him. Suddenly, she put a hand to her mouth. Sota's eyes were wide open, but the usually deep, happy brown did not hold its usual spark of happiness. Sota's eyes were dull, lifeless, almost...soulless.
Kagome stood up, on the verge of tears. "Are you..."
The boy untied his mask, and Kagome took a bold step around Sota. She grabbed a fistful of his collar, too angry to consider that he was armed to the teeth with lethal weapons. "Kohaku, what have you done to my brother? What did you do, you heartless killer?!" _____________________________________________________________________
Kaede looked curiously up at her. "Lady Kagome? I had thought that ye would not return for three nights more."
Kagome was a bit too broken up to say much of anything, so Sango quickly explained the theory that Sota was Kohaku's reincarnate and what had happened when they left the well. After this, Sango said breathlessly, "I feel that Sota is being guided by the Shikon no Tama straight to Kohaku. The piece he has in his back already exists in this era. The force he was pulled by must be its counterpart in Kohaku. Too much of the Shikon is now in this time."
Kaede nodded. "That may very well be what has happened."
A flood of tears burst from Kagome. "Then what are we waiting for? Kohaku may be near Naraku. Who knows what he will do to my brother? Or what the Shikon no Tama will do? We have to leave right now!"
Inuyasha stood up, upsetting a bowl of noodles without care. "Let's go, Kagome! I don't know where Miroku is, so he's out of this one for now." Kagome abandoned her things in Kaede's hut, and Sango left all but her weapons and variety of deleterious powders. They both hitched a ride on Inuyasha's back and he ran swiftly into the forest. "Your brother smells kind of like you, Kagome - except not so...flowery. I think I can follow his scent." Kagome said nothing, only buried her face in Inuyasha's silvery hair and held on tightly.
Deep into the forest, Inuyasha stopped short. "The scent ends here," he said, and the two women slid off of his back. Kagome stepped tentatively forward. "Sota?" she called nervously. Then louder, "Sota! Where are you?"
A young boy dressed in slayer regalia and a poison-guarding mask suddenly slipped out from behind a tree. He was cradling a boy even younger than himself baby-doll style in his arms. A sheathed katana was at his side, and Sango froze, still out the boy's line of vision behind Inuyasha.
"Miko," said the boy to Kagome, voice unnaturally heavy beneath the mask, "is this the one you search for?"
Kagome pressed her lips together and ran forward to him. The boy laid the one he had been carrying on the ground. It was, indeed, Sota. Kagome knelt by him. Suddenly, she put a hand to her mouth. Sota's eyes were wide open, but the usually deep, happy brown did not hold its usual spark of happiness. Sota's eyes were dull, lifeless, almost...soulless.
Kagome stood up, on the verge of tears. "Are you..."
The boy untied his mask, and Kagome took a bold step around Sota. She grabbed a fistful of his collar, too angry to consider that he was armed to the teeth with lethal weapons. "Kohaku, what have you done to my brother? What did you do, you heartless killer?!" _____________________________________________________________________