A/N:  I know some of you are unhappy with the last chapter's events, but all I can say to you is to please keep reading…. And please don't be mad at me!

Disclaimer:  Never have owned Inuyasha and never will.

Through the Rain

Chapter 6

Going Home to Drama

By ShimmerSweet

In the depths of a dark forest sat Naraku, breathing heavily and clutching the various wounds he had just received.  He was weak and could barely defend himself in his state.  "Dammit, how could I forget that his own fang wouldn't hurt him?  I almost had him."  Naraku clenched his fist so tight that his finger nails drew blood from his palm, but quickly snapped his eyes over to the far side of the clearing.  A spot that was too dark to see anyone that might stand there, but he sensed the other presence.

"Looks like your plan had a flaw after all."

Kagura emerged from the blind spot with her arms crossed and an evil smirk to match.

"If I wanted your input Kagura I would have asked for it."

Kagura crossed the clearing and stood before Naraku.  "I'm not here to criticize you Naraku, I just thought that I'd drop in to see if you needed any assistance."

Naraku's sly smirk spread across his face.  "You tend to surprise me sometimes Kagura.  But now that you mention it I have thought of a new plan."

~

As I sat in the carriage on the way home I couldn't help thinking about Inuyasha.  The incredibly blue sky reminded me of his gentleness, and the soft pearly clouds of his hair.  The sun even reminded me of his beautifully colored amber eyes.  The clean crisp smell of the forest reminded me of his scent along with some of the great memories we had…  I love him and he knows that.  I just couldn't help it… everything I saw or smelled or touched reminded me of him.  I'm so hurt and confused I don't know what to do.  Well, the only thing I can't do is cry, because I think I have no more tears to cry.  Why did love have to hurt so badly?  And why is it said that it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all?  Because at this precise moment I would have gone with choice two…

As I got out of the carriage there was no one to great me besides the guards.  Was mother still angry with me?  I wasn't ready to go and face my mother yet.  I wasn't ready to admit that she was right about Inuyasha all of this time.  So I decided to take a stroll to the garden, hopefully thinking that if I saw our last meeting place that it would remind me of the happy times that we had.  Even though the memories were packed with false emotions and bittersweet words they still felt good to remember. But as I stood before the bench, water fountain, and white roses, my heart broke.  There was a tight pull in my chest, a feeling of emptiness, which took my breath away and made me fall to my knees.  It didn't hurt me physically, but it did emotionally.  I thought I couldn't spare another tear, but I was wrong as I wept at my knees.  The pain was so great because the love was to strong that I felt.

As I cried there was a gentle tap on my shoulder which made me jump as I turned suddenly to the small figure behind me.  It was Souta and he looked just as innocent as a child could look except he had sorrow in his eyes, but for whom?  Surely he couldn't have such burden at his age.  He stood before me, his eyes filling with tears and within a blink of an eye he took me into a tight embrace as he started to cry into my shoulder.  I took him into my lap as I stroked the back of his head in an effort to calm him. 

"I-I missed you s-so much K-Kagome.  I was scared t-that you'd never come b-back."

That pulled a heartstring. I never knew the little squirt cared that much about me.  Sure we had arguments sometimes and got along fine at other times, but I never noticed that he would even care if I'd gone missing.  With tears coming down my cheeks for Souta instead of Inuyasha, I hugged him tighter to me.

"It's all okay now Souta.  I'm back now, so don't cry.  You're making me cry."

Souta withdrew from my hug and smiled at me as he wiped away his tears.  "Okay, but you know you can't tell anyone that I cried over you.  You have to promise."

I smiled as I stood up and wiped my own tears away.  "I promise Souta."

He jumped to his feet and was grinning from ear to ear.  "Wanna go to the pond with me?  The frogs are pretty big there now."

With a sweat drop I smiled back.  "No thanks Souta, I think I better go see Grandpa and Mom now."

His smile dropped a bit in disappointment but he proceeded in running towards the lake with a quick "okay" and a small wave.  It was time for me to go see mother so I headed inside the castle.  The guard by the main staircase told me she was in her bedroom.  He obviously knew where I was headed.  On the way to mother's room I saw Grandpa who was happy to see me, and embraced me as well.  But after our greeting he suggested that I go directly to see mother before I do anything else.

Before I knew it I was standing before my mother's bedroom door, and with a quick breath I knocked.  A weak "come in" responded which automatically had me concerned.  I walked into the room.  It was dark due to the closed curtains, so I decided to open them so I could see my mother.  Once the sunlight poured in I saw her.  She was in bed, a little pale and sickly looking.  I immediately went to the side of her bed.  I got on my knees so she could see me better.  What had happened to her?  I'd only been gone a couple of days.

"Mother, what has happened to you?"

Mom fluttered her eyes open just a bit and looked at me.  She smiled as she put a hand to my cheek.  And in a weakened voice that sounded tired and raspy, she replied.  "What happened to me doesn't matter.  All that matters is that you are home safely and your brother and grandfather are safe also."

I pressed my hand over hers and a silent tear slid down my cheek.  My mother was so frail… and this dramatic change happened only over two days?  Something wasn't right.  I couldn't stand to see her like this.  She's my mother and I still do love her even if we don't see eye to eye on things.

"Don't cry Kagome, you're much prettier when you smile."  Mother said as she withdrew her hand and motioned for a hug, of which I happily replied.

"Mother, how come you are so ill?"  I said as I hugged her a little tighter.

"I guess the mind control took a little too much out of her… After all, she is just a human."

I jerked my head towards the direction of a new voice by the window, which was now open, causing the curtains to sway in the breeze. Her eyes were an electrifying green and she wore light weight black armor over her chest, shoulders, forearms, knees and calves.  The chest armor bore a brilliantly colored Inu crest.  She wore her shockingly white elbow length hair tied at the base of her neck.  Her face was young.  She looked of about 25 summers.  But I pushed away the topic of her appearance as anger and fear swelled in my chest.  How dare she just break through my mother's window like that?  How did she even get up here to the second level?

"Who are you?"  I said in a growl from my throat.

She looked at me and smiled.  "I'm Anda.  You must be the dear little Princess Kagome who had her fragile heart broken then stomped on by Inuyasha… What a pity."

Okay, I really didn't need this now.  Why couldn't I just get a break from all this drama for just one day?  I would like to have a word with the gods who thought my life was a practical joke.  "How do—"

"I know everything Kagome so don't even waste your breath on asking why I know because I won't tell you."  She continued to smile to herself… conceited cow.

I looked towards my mother as I still held her hands in my own.  Her eyes were glazed over and she laid there comatose…  What was wrong with my mother?  I was about to ask why Anda had broken into my mother's bedroom when the door came swinging open and a grinning Souta entered.  He ran to me holding two huge frogs in his hand and kept grinning in excitement until he noticed the other person in the room.  He fell silent and stood behind me.

"Who's she Kagome?"  He whispered to me as I stood to my feet.  I looked towards Souta and gave him the look that said get help.  He nodded and ran out the door.

I looked towards my mother and her eyes seemed as if they had a twinkle of color in them.

"We don't have much time."  Anda withdrew a sword from the sheath on her hip and pointed it towards mother and me.  "Either you come with me now or your mother bites the dust."

I looked towards mother again and was shocked when I saw her whisper 'no' to me.  I just shook my head to deny my mother's order.  I bent over her and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead.  I whispered goodbye into her ear and slowly the color drained from her eyes again as she closed them.  She wasn't dead though, I could still see the slow rigid breathing in her chest.

I walked over towards Anda and stared at her with the anger I felt.  Surprisingly I wasn't scared, maybe it was my anger that overwhelmed that emotion.  She smiled at me and put an arm on my shoulder.  "You chose wisely Kagome."

Then before I could even respond there was a quick flash and we were no longer in my mother's room.  We were in a forest.  And another chapter to my gruesome day was on the brink of beginning.

~

"Damn sword." 

Inuyasha said as he thrust it into the sand and walked a couple of feet in front of it to a river.  He sat down at the water's edge staring at his reflection.  He was pissed off at his parents for telling him off about poor, innocent Kagome and how he should go reconcile.  Why would he give a damn?  And why should he apologize?  He wasn't the actual one who did or said all those things to her.  And his parents, especially his father had scolded him about carrying his sword at all times.  Was it such a crime to just walk around without it every once in a while?   But what bothered him the most was this new enemy to him.  This Naraku guy, what was his friggin' problem?  King Inu never really told him and he most likely never would.  That left him to many open explanations.  Inuyasha huffed and slashed a nearby tree.  All this thinking was getting on his nerves.

"My, my, you have a temper." 

Inuyasha spun around on his feet and made eye contact with a young mysterious woman.  Why hadn't he detected her scent?

"Who the hell are you?"  Inuyasha snarled.

Her evil smile spread across her face as she withdrew a fan from her kimono sleeve.  "I'm Kagura, and I'll be taking you with me.  Either you come peacefully or kicking and screaming, it's your choice, you choose."

Inuyasha snorted at the idea.  "Like you could ever do that, you'd have no chance."

Kagura smirked.  "Oh, I'll have more of a chance than you would like now that Tetsusaiga is so far away, ne?"

Inuyasha froze as he noticed her point then dashed off toward his sword.  Instantly she wove her fan and the cutting wind immediately attacked Inuyasha causing many open wound.  But he ignored the pain as he neared the sword, 15 feet to go, now 10 then 5 then he ran into what felt like a solid wall, and an electic charge raced through his body.  Inuyasha came crashing to the ground, that impact hadn't knocked him out but took a lot of his strength away, as he lay there as a crispy fried hanyou.

"What the hell was that?"  Inuyasha said as he rubbed his abused, probably broken nose.

Kagura walked within 5 feet of Inuyasha, her evil smirk still plastered on her face.  "Never thought I'd put a barrier around it, now would you?"

Then she covered her mouth and nose as she threw some sort of powder towards Inuyasha. 

He just cocked an eyebrow at her like she was crazy.  "What was that supposed… to… do….?" 

Inuyasha's speech slurred as his eyes started to flutter close and his mind went blank.  Inuyasha fell to the floor seemingly lifeless.

As the powder settled Kagura withdrew her hand from her mouth and nose.  She walked up to Inuyasha looking down on him in disgust.  "Stupid pup, have you ever heard of sleeping powder?"

~

Souta immediately left the room and bolted towards the first couple of guards he saw.  He had told them of the intruder and they came running into the queen's room but by the time they had arrived the only one who occupied the room was the ill queen.

"B-but she was just here!  That woman and Kagome, they couldn't have just disappeared!"

The only thing that seemed mysterious was that the windows had evidence of being forced into.  That was enough for the soldiers to perform and extensive search in the room and castle, so they set to work.

Souta went to his mother's side to find she was still sleeping.  But once he touched her hand her eyes slid open, full of worry.  "Souta, she took Kagome."

"I know… the soldiers are searching for clues."

Grandpa came to his daughter's side with a damp rag to help suppress her fever.  His eyes were gentle as he tried to sooth his daughter and grandson, secretly covering his own grief.  "They'll find her, I know they will."

One of the soldiers came up to the trio by the bed.  "My apologies for interrupting but we have found substantial evidence as to where Princess Kagome may be."

Grandpa nodded for him to go on.

The soldier extended his hand and exposed a brilliantly colored crest.  "We've found this crest.  It's the crest of an Inu soldier.  This means it was an Inu soldier responsible for Princess Kagome's kidnapping."

Grandpa nodded once again as Souta stared with an open mouth and the queen listened diligently.

Grandpa's face was stern but calm.  "That means we'll just have to go into a full fledge war.  We have to show the Inu Kingdom that we're serious when it comes to these multiple kidnappings."

~

It was past dinner time and Inuyasha hadn't returned to the castle yet so King Mamoru went looking for him with a couple of soldiers with him, just to make the searching process faster.  They searched multiple parts of the forest until they came to the river's edge.  As they inspected the clearing the scent of Inuyasha's blood was present which sent tiny shivers down Mamoru's spine.  The smell of his son's blood made him sick.  He couldn't stand the idea of his son being injured seriously.  Mamoru's jaw dropped as he saw Tetsusaiga sitting in the sand a couple of feet away.  How could his son just leave it lying around like that?  Was he just that thick to not notice how important and powerful the Tetsusaiga was? 

Mamoru approached the sword and took it in his hands.  His stomach dropped as he saw some of his son's blood on the surrounding sand.  "What the hell happened here?"

One of the soldiers approached the king with a wooden arrow in his hands.  "The marks in the sand show a struggle happened here… and the blood has the scent of Inuyasha… and this arrow is made of a type of pine that only grows in the Sengoku Jidai Kingdom…  which means that—"

The low forceful growl that emitted from the king's throat was enough to scare the wits out of the poor soldier.  Mamoru's fist shook with anger by his side.  "… This means that the Sengoku Jidai is responsible for abusing and taking my son.  This means war… and the troops will arrive at the Sengoku Jidai once we are prepared.  We will attack and take no prisoners and leave no survivors."

A/N:  This had to be the fastest chapter I have ever written… yay me.  Well as usual, please leave reviews… I really like them a lot.

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