*Disclaimer: I do not own Rumiko Takahashi's work, Inuyasha.

Naraku's Revenge and Kagome's Suffering

Chapter 3:

What's Happened?!

A delicious aroma of soup filled Kaede's hut. "How much longer shall ye wait for Kagome, Inuyasha?" Kaede asked.

Inuyasha was sitting just outside of Kaede's door. "I'm not sure," he replied, "She said it would be a few days."

"And ye's friends have not arrived yet, either?"

"They're coming. I can smell them. They should be here any second now."

Just then Hachi's huge form came down from the sky. On his back were the others: Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kilala, who was still recovering.

After everyone landed, all the passengers thanked Hachi. Once he was rewarded by Miroku, he scampered off.

"Mmm. Something smells good, "Shippo said with his nose in the air.

"Ai. I've prepared soup for all of ye," Kaede said with a smile.

Everyone walked toward the hut for the delicious meal when Inuyasha stopped—and glared into the distance.

"What's wrong, Inuyasha?" Sango asked.

"Something's not right," he replied when he picked up Kagome's younger brother's scent. "Stay here, I'm gonna check it out."

"You want us to come along?" Miroku asked even though he heard him to stay. If Inuyasha is sensing something wrong, then he means it. But why would he want us to stay, Miroku thought. Before he could ponder more, Inuyasha dashed out the door as a red and silver blur in the distance.

"Inuyasha! Wait!" Sango called out.

But the dog demon didn't pay it no mind. He was too absorbed in thought. As his hind legs ran to their fullest potential, Inuyasha thought, Something's gotta be wrong with Kagome or why else would Sota call me.

* * *

"Inuyasha! Please come, please!" cried out Sota. He began to sob thinking he couldn't somehow call the half demon like he once done before.

Just then, he appeared just like Kagome had done many times before: softly land as if the trip was an elevator ride.

"What's up, kid?" Inuyasha said trying to compress the worry inside. Until he began to smell something he only thought could be picked up from his time. Then again, there was that Flesh-Eating Mask. "I smell a demon."

"Could that be what poisoned Kagome?" Sota asked his hero.

"'Poisoned?'"

Inuyasha, who once tried to hold back his worried feelings were now beginning to surface. Kagome showed so much strength when she fought Naraku, but now poisoned? The half demon had no moment to lose. He quickly told the boy to get on his back, so he could quickly get them both out of the well.

He ran inside the house and found Kagome lying on the couch with her mother and grandfather kneeling beside her.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha gasped and ran to her. The first thing he noticed physically about her was the sweat dripping all over her face, hands, and legs. "I want to know every detail," he demanded looking at her family. At that moment, he just didn't care if they had a real glimpse of his true feelings toward their ill girl.

After a few minutes:

"So you're the one who thinks she was poisoned?" Inuyasha asked Kagome's grandfather.

The old man nodded in return.

"Then the mist had to have come from that of a demon. I smelled one when I arrived in this era," Inuyasha pondered out loud.

"It's probably after the jewel shards like the weird mask was," Sota suggested.

"Does Kagome keep them with her when she's in this era?" Inuyasha asked Sota. He didn't want to rummage through her clothing to know the answer, at least not in front of her family. They might get the wrong impression.

"No, she keeps them in her room, in a jar, on the desk," the young boy replied.

"Where is it?" Inuyasha asked quickly. His mind was too focused on Kagome's safety and well being that he pushed his other sensitive senses aside, not realizing he could easily smell her scent deeply in only one particular room of the whole house.

Sota led him up to Kagome's room and saw the shards just as Sota said—chain and all, never budged and not a speck of dust on them.

If the demon was after the shards, why are they still here? Inuyasha thought.

Inuyasha's ears then began to twitch and breaking away from his thoughts. "Some loud noise is heading this way fast," he said anxiously.

Sota began to hear the siren too. "It's okay, Mom or Grandpa must have called an ambulance to take Kagome to the hospital."

"'An ambulance?'" Inuyasha asked, "'A hospital?'" looking at Kagome's brother.

"A truck to take her to a place for medical attention."

Inuyasha nodded to indicate he understood.

To Be Continued…

A/N: I know that was kind of abrupt for a chapter, but I'll make it up to you, you'll see. And thanks to all the reviews. Never expected to get any so quickly. J