Okay, another chapter for you impatient peoples out there! But I don't mind! Just shows you like it! Anyway, I'm pretty happy with how this story is progressing, and I hope you will be, too! Enjoy!

This chapter is dedicated to my first reveiwer, Suaru! Yay!


2 - The Search for Kagome

The next morning, Kagome came back to the jail, only to find Inuyasha sitting crossed-legged by the window. She motioned for the guard to leave them, and she sat on the floor near the front of the cell. He didn't turn to her, obviously ignoring her. This gave her the oppertunity to take a good look at him.

Inuyasha wore a red haori, which was optimum for his style of fighting. His sword hung at his waist, the sheath old and scratched. But from what she saw during the fight, the sword was enchanted, transforming into a large fang blade with fur at the hilt. She hadn't had much time to gather any more details than that after Kikyou told her to keep her mind on the mission at hand. Kagome practically growled at the thought of the woman she was bound to spend so much time with. Hopefully she would be able to avoid her, spending more time in the prison with the man. Kikyou wouldn't dirty her precious feet with the same soil that a demon walked across. Inuyasha still didn't look at her. His golden amber eyes were locked on the window, as if pleading with it to magically open and let him out. She felt slightly sorry for the dog demon, knowing that his instincts were telling him to run, yet he stayed here. If he really wanted to, he could have escaped while she was sleeping. She would have caught him eventually, though. Kagome prided herself with her spiritual powers, one of which would allow her to find him no matter where he went. The silver dog ears on his head twitched, swiviling to her direction. "Why are you here" he asked suddenly, taking her by surprise.

"What? Well I did promise that I would be back this morning remember" she asked with a smile. He turned to look at her, knowing that wasn't what he had intended to ask.

"No. You're so innocent and young; what are you doing in an army camp"

She remained silent, the man's amber eyes locked onto her's. They were downcast, a foggy look clouding up the chocolate brown.

"I had no where else to go" she stated simply, obviously not wanting to talk about it.

"Why did you want to save me" he asked, changing the subject. 'She'll tell me eventually...' he thought, thinking of different ways to get the information out of her. Then he mentally shook himself, startled at his own thoughts. 'Why in the hell do I care? I don't. I don't care about the wench or why she's here. But I do care why in the hell she saved me. There must be some sort of catch...'

"Why did I save you" she asked to herself more than to him. "I saved you because I didn't want to not save you, if that makes any sense."

Inuyasha just looked at the strange girl, her eyes now clear as she met his gaze, returning it with confidence. "Actually, it does."

A small smile graced her features as she stood, running her slender fingers along the cold metal of the bars lazily. "I wish I could let you out, I really do" she confessed quietly. "Maybe I'm just a soft hearted fool, but I hate keeping anything locked up. By a youkai's very nature they are meant to be in the wild, and it's not right that you remain within these confines."

A small anger filled him, erupting at the unsuspecting young miko. "What in the fucking hell are you talking about! You're the reason I'm in here in the first place, wench! Humans, you're all the same! Always having pity on creatures that are beneath you! Feh, you all piss me off" he concluded as he leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes to block out any looks the girl might send at him.

Then the smell of salt reached his nose, causing him to crack one eye open. "I don't like what I am, Inuyasha. But this is all I can be. I'm trying to convince our leader into letting you go, but someone keeps convincing her otherwise..." she trailed off, wiping away the streams of tears that ran easily down her face. "Now I have to go and train, but I'll be back to bring you some lunch later." With that she left, the scent of tears and vanilla still lacing the air. It hung in Inuyasha's cell, forcing him to think of the little miko.

'Maybe I was to rough on her, but she is just a human...' With that he closed his eyes, falling into a light sleep as the guard entered the room once again, taking his chair by the door, sake in hand.


"He's what" an aggrivated demon with long silver hair asked his leader for the third time.

"He's been captured. He'll probably be dead by morning, knowing the ruthlessness of the Ningenteki army" Naraku replied, an uncaring gaze resting in his black eyes.

Sesshomaru remained silent. 'Inuyasha... captured?'

"That's all I wanted to tell you" Naraku said, interrupting the amber eyed demon's thoughts. "You are dismissed." He waved a lazy hand at him, sending him away.

With a small bow, Sesshomaru exited the large tent. He growled as he made his way back to a smaller tent. He bursted through the tent's flap, startling it's single inhabitant.

"What happened now" a deep feminine voice laced with impatience asked as he rudely interrupted her serene environment.

"Inuyasha has been captured by the humans" he replied, voice hard as stone.

"Hm... Why do you care" she questioned, giving him a curious look.

"I may not have liked my brother, but he is still my brother."

She simply nodded. "He may not be dead, you know" she said after a moment.

"The humans will surely kill him."

A small laugh escaped Kagura's throat. "Unlike Naraku, I am informed. The humans are not all beasts and savages as he claims. Some of them have a brain, and if you're lucky, you'll find one with a heart. If Inuyasha happened to stumble upon one of these rare humans, then he may still be alive."

He just stared back cooly, thinking about her words. "I shall find out." As he walked out the tent, he felt a tug on the sleeve of his kimono where he was missing an arm. That was all thanks to his brother.

flash back -

"Now Inuyasha, swing the sword when you see the scar in the demonic auras." Sesshomaru had been telling him this all day, yet Inuyasha never seemed to be able to hit the scar in the right spot. He would consistantly miss and blame it on the weight of the sword.

"Feh" the stubborn eleven year old hanyou called out, frusterated that his older sibling was harping on him. 'Well, I'll show him,' the prideful boy thought as he approached the break in the flow of the demonic auras that he and his brother emitted. 'I'll hit it this time...' He ran toward where the rip appeared, pulling the gigantic fang blade over his head, preparing for an attack. "Wind Scar" he called out, joy filling his voice as he felt the sword hit the scar perfectly. Or thats what he thought.

Within an instant, the powerful blast had evaporated, but not before hitting one very aggrivated demon. Sesshomaru almost screamed in pain due to the fact that his left arm was now dismembered from his body. Inuyasha was grounded for a full year thanks to that incident.

- end flash back

"I'm coming with you" she said, leaving no room for questions. His narrow amber eyes gazed into her's, asking the questions that he didn't. "There are powerful miko's at that camp. They can sense youkai coming from miles away. If you just stroll up and ask if Inuyasha is alive, they might just take it the wrong way."

"And what are you proposing"

At those words, she exited the tent, silently beckoning him to follow. They walked through the youkai camp, eyes following them as they walked stiffly toward the edge of the clearing. But after they passed, no one paid them much attention; it wasn't anything odd to see the pair walking through the camp silently, leaving for a few hours on a mission for Naraku. Once they were a good distance away, Kagura stopped, pulling one of the silky white feathers from her dark hair. With a single flick of her wrist, the feather grew, becoming large enough for the two adult youkai to ride comfortably. "We have a better chance of not being detected by the mikos if we are in the air." She climbed on and sat delicately, and looked back to him with her ruby red eyes.

Sesshomaru stared skeptically at the feather, his amber eyes narrowing even more at the prospect of flying on the strange device. He'd seen Kagura ride it through the sky thousands of time, yet he never imagined getting on it himself. The down of the feather was soft as his clawed hand traveled over the base, giving it a light push to see if it was sturdy. When his inspection was compleate, he lightly stepped onto the feather, testing his weight on the white surface.

Kagura almost laughed at his antics, but she knew that if she did, he wouldn't ride. 'It's the safest way.' When she was sure he was on, she mentally moved the feather up into the sky, swiftly accending the tree tops. Startled by the sudden movement, he crouched down, grabbing her shoulder with his right hand. As he got used to the feel of being moved by the feather, he attempted to move his hand from her shoulder, only to almost fall off. Finally, getting tired of the odd movement, she placed her hand on top of his, pinning it to her shoulder.

He gave her an odd look, which made her cheeks turn slightly red. "I'm only doing this so you won't fall off."

Sesshomaru only remained quiet, unconciously tightening the grip on her shoulder.

After almost fifteen minutes of flying, they were straight above the enemy camp. "I think we're safe at this altitude" she whispered.

He silently nodded, leaning down slightly to sniff the air. Kagura was nervous; she may have not inparticularly cared for Sesshomaru's half-breed brother, but he was a good warrior, and Sesshomaru cared for him. In a very cold, distant way, but he did care. Without knowing it, she ran her fingers along his knuckles lightly, making Sesshomaru's arm tingle.

Not stopping to look at her, he kept searching for his brother's scent. As long as the hanyou was alive, he wouldn't barge into the camp to rescue him. He was an adult now. If Inuyasha got himself in this situation, he could get himself out. Sesshomaru wanted only to know if his brother was alive. Finally, he picked up Inuyasha's scent, proving him very much alive and healthy.

"He's unharmed."

Kagura let out the breath she didn't know she was holding and stopped rubbing his knuckles, her cheeks flushed again. "Will you go save him"

"No" he replied simply as Kagura turned the leaf around for the journey back to camp.

Sesshomaru sat quietly, still holding a strong grip on Kagura's shoulder. 'Maybe the humans will treat him well. Hopefully he'll have a better life,' he thought as he remembered the cruelty his brother faced from the demons in the army. 'Stay safe... little brother.'


"So Kagome, how's the half-breed?" Kikyou taunted as Kagome approached the training field. The only other people there besides Kagome and Kikyou were Sango and Miroku. All the other soilders were still asleep, not awakened by the sun that was part way over the horizon. She just rolled her eyes at her fellow miko, passing her to pick up her bow and tie her quiver of arrows to her back.

"Don't call him a half-breed. He has a heart and a mind, you know" she replied cooly, stringing an arrow gracefully, aiming at the target across the lawn made out of straw. Her fingers pulled back, gently tightening the tension on the string. As she let it go, the arrow soared gracefully and quickly, cutting through the air. It stuck perfectly to the center of the target.

"You can't deny what he is, you know." Kagome could tell that Kikyou would not let this drop. She picked up her bow and arrow as well, following suit. The older miko shot her arrow, hitting the target along side Kagome's.

"I'm not. You're just being to judgemental."

"I have my reasons." Kagome gave her a side long glance, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"What are you talking about, Kikyou"

She grinned, obviously accomplishing some sort of goal for herself. "Let's just say I know the half-demon a little better than you. And I know that he's not what he seems. On the outside you might see a man with long silver hair and cute little doggy ears, but he's still only a half-breed. The world isn't all flowers and sunshine, you know. Get a clue, Kagome. People and demons alike will take advantage of your soft heart if you don't toughen up soon. Get your act together. We're in a war, and whether you like it or not, the demise of that hanyou prisoner is evident." With that she walked off to make her rounds of the camp.

"Uh... Kagome" Miroku asked as the monk and the demon slayer approached her. An arrow was gripped in her fist, and as Sango touched her shoulder, it snapped. The pieces of the arrow fell to the ground and Kagome marched off the training grounds, heading back to camp.

Sango was about to follow when Miroku grabbed her arm. "Let go, Miroku. She's upset" Sango pleaded as she tugged at the grip on her arm that held her to her spot. She was about to hit him with hiraikotsu when he finally spoke.

"Let her go. She's an adult and we need to stop trying to solve her problems for her. Besides, I'd much rather be here with you than with an angry Kagome."

At first Sango was flattered when he said he'd wanted to spend time with her, but then when she felt a farmiliar hand on her bottom, she took back all the nice thoughs of him. "Pervert" she said as she brought the boomerang bone over her body and hit him on the head, leaving a respectable sized bump.

She strode off farther into the training ground, dusting off her hands with a satisfied grin on her face.

"Damn..." was all Miroku could mutter as he felt himself slipping out of conciousness.


The sun was setting over the horizon as Sango stepped out of Midoriko's tent, Miroku on her heels. "I'm worried. Kagome had been missing all day." She blocked the orange sunlight from her eyes as she scanned for any sign of the missing miko.

"Even I am starting to feel a bit of worry for her" Miroku said, his worry in his voice.

They decided to split up and search for her, fearing something might've happened to the fraile young woman. Miroku made his was around the camp, keeping his eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary. As his eyes landed on the jail, a sudden thought came to him. He jogged with a crooked gait as he approached the small prison that was erected on the outskirts of the camp. When he entered, he found the guard sitting on his chair, black out after obvious drinking. 'Ah, Mushin, my friend. Drunk again,' he thought, laughing to himself as he took the empty comtainer from his hands and sat it on the floor near his seat. Miroku walked farther into the room, instantly spotting the hanyou dressed in his bright red haori in the shadowed room. The newly risen moon peaked in through the window as the half-demon's amber eyes stared out it intently, as if waiting for something.

Miroku stood silently, wandering what he could say to the man, when he was beaten to the punch. "What do you want, monk" he called over his shoulder, one of his large eyes coming to rest on Miroku.

Feeling instantly nervous, he approached the cell and smiled broadly. "Hello there" he said brightly. 'From what Kagome told me, he isn't as bad as he seems. I'll give him a chance.'

"What do you want" he repeated again, aggrivation evident in his voice.

"I only came to see if Lady Kagome had been here recently."

The hanyou looked at him fully now, those amber eyes giving Miroku a penetrating look. "No. Not since early this morning."

Miroku let out a worried sigh. "Well then..." Miroku turned to leave.

"Hey, wait" the man with the dog ears called to him. Miroku turned, surprised at his sudden utburst.

"Yes"

"Why did you ask where she was"

Miroku looked at him for a moment, as if deciding wether to tell him. With a small sigh, he sat outside of the cell, just a foot away from Inuyasha. "This morning Kagome and another priestess by the name of Kikyou had a little argument." He scratched his head, re-thinking his words. "Well, it really wasn't a argument. Kikyou told her some very cruel things. I feel sorry for poor Kagome. Kikyou really let her have it. And Kagome, still young, took it very harshly." Miroku stood, keeping eye contact with the hanyou. "She's been missing since early this morning. At first we were just going to let her cool off, but when she didn't return we got worried. Myfriend Sango is searching the forest for her, and I thought she might've stopped by here. But if you haven't seen her, then I should get looking again. Good evening Inuyasha."

"Hey! How did you know my name" Inuyasha shot back, his eyes wide. 'The wench is missing...'

"Oh sorry" Miroku chuckled. "Kagome has talked of you often since you were captured. That's all." As he continued to walk out, he turned once more. "And my name is Miroku. If you need anything, wake Mushin up and ask for me." With that the monk left the room, continuing on his search for Kagome.

Inuyasha continued to stare out the window at the crecent moon. He had been sensing something strange all day, like something was wrong. 'That little miko...' Inuaysha thought. 'Is she what's worrying me?'

'Of coarse not! She's just a human! A stupid wench!' a loud voice erupted from the back of his mind. His demon side.

'But she was still kind to me. How can I just not be concerned?' a smaller, yet strong, voice asked the demon presence. His human side.

'Who cares? Remember what happened last time you trusted a human?' the demon shot again, knowing he hit a tender spot in the human side's heart.

'Kikyou... Why?'

Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by a scream and the strong scent of blood coming from somewhere near by in the forest. His nose inhaled the scent, finding the underlying smell quickly. Vanilla. 'Kagome!'


To My Friends and Reveiwers -

Suaru - Hehe! Thanks! Yes, much of the humor would be lost if Miroku wasn't a pervert! And did you think I would write a story where Kikyou was NICE? Ha! That would be that day! Anyway, thanks, my wonderful beta!

JadeElemental - Ahh! Don't kill me! I promise I'll work on the next chapter of SOAL, I just don't have tons of time! I'm surprised with how much I do get done! Of coarse Inuyasha would've helped her, but no... Kikyou had to be like that! (thats the way I wrote it!) Hehe! Kikyou needs to go to hell and stay there! Anyway, Love and Hugs friend! Thanks for reveiwing!

Strawberrie Bunny - Thanks so much! Sorry, but school's be rough lately. I'm surprised I get as many chapters out as I do! Hehe!

Tobias - Aw! Thank you!

Chrono4747 - Since aparently you wanted this update (coughs) here it is! Hope you liked it! Thanks!

Hanyou Vixen - Hehe! Thankies! Okay, I WILL be working on another chappie for SOAL! You are probably the fifth person to ask me that, so yes, I'll get right on that! TTYL and all my Love and Hugs!

Hakan of the immortal fire - Thanks! Nice to know that if I get a flame, you'll beat them up! Luckily I haven't had one yet, and hopefully I won't, but if I do I'll tell you! Hehe!

sapphire-glass - Thankies! Yes, I wanted to tie the show in a little, and the rosary just kinda came to me! One of my smarter ideas if I do say so myself! Anyway, ahhh! I have the next chappie of LAK written, don't yell at me! Hehe! TTYL! Love and Hugs!


And thats the end of that! Oh, and if you haven't read my story 'Lovers and Killers', I would highly appreciate that! I'm about to break 300 reveiws with that one! Yay! I can only hope that this story will become as loved as that one! So now you know what to do! Reveiw! Adios, my bien amigos and amigas!

Ash