Recap: "Are you ready, Kagome?" As Kagome held onto InuYasha's hand. "Let's go." The two jumped into the well and fell through time together.
Chapter 3: Lost, but Found
Back in the Feudal EraAs Kagome and InuYasha walked back in to Kaede's hut, Kagome said, "I'm back." But know one was there. With both of the teens confused, they walked back outside. They came upon a villager taking a walk through the village. "Excuse me?" Kagome said. "Huh, oh. Hello, what can I do for you?" The kind villager asked. "We're looking for Priestess Kaede, have you seen her?" "Oh yes, she is at the Shrine." The villager said. "Oh thank you, thank you very much." Kagome said as she slightly bowed to the old village man. InuYasha and Kagome took off in the direction of the village shrine.
"There you guys are, why are you up here?" InuYasha asked. Miroku explained, "we sensed an evil aura about." "Is that right, well where's the demon? I'll destroy it right now." InuYasha said as he unsheathed the Tetsusaiga. "I'm sorry InuYasha, but we have already exorcised the demon," said Lady Kaede. "What?" InuYasha growled as he put is dog fang back into it's holster. "What kind of demon was it?" Kagome asked. "Just your typical snake demon," Sango replied. Kagome said with wonder, "wow, a snake demon? I've never seen one of those. Is that unusual to have near the village?" "As a matter of fact it is." Said the monk. Someone must have sent it, but why such a small demon?" Wondered the arrogant hanyou. "Actually it was a quite large snake demon…" Sango said. "We were surprised." Miroku finished. "Um…where is Shippo?" Asked Kagome. Sango said, "we left him at the hut." "InuYasha and I were just there and he wasn't." "Well…maybe he's playing somewhere in the village." Miroku said in an uneasy tone of voice. "Yeah, you're probably right." Kagome said.
Later that nightThe group sat around a fire in the hut, but Shippo still had not returned. "I'm getting worried," Kagome fussed. InuYasha asked, "about what?" "About Shippo, he's been gone all day. Something just doesn't feel right." Explained the young miko. "Yes, you are right. Something just doesn't seem to add up. If Shippo were near, he would have come back to check if Lady Kagome had returned," said the perverted monk. "Yes, you're right," added the last demon slayer of her kind. InuYasha sniffed the air. 'Sniff, sniff'. "What is it InuYasha?" Kagome asked with concern. "Demon," InuYasha said in a growl. InuYasha jumped up from his spot and fled out the doorway. The others followed him and ended up at the God Tree.
Near the God Tree"InuYasha, where is it?" Kagome whispered. "I don't know. It's like it vanished," the dog boy said with confusion. A rustle came from the treetops. "There!" InuYasha yelled as he leapt into the leaves disappearing from the group's sight. All that was heard was the sound of branches cracking and leaves crunching under someone or something's body. Then a loud scream came from the towering wood. "AHHH…!" InuYasha came tumbling from out of the leaves and landed on the ground with an echoing thud. Kagome came up running toward InuYasha and down to the ground by his side. "InuYasha, are you alright!?" Kagome asked in a panic. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine." InuYasha said as he was helped up from the dirt. All of a sudden, a demon appeared from out of the top of the tree. "Look out!" InuYasha said as he grabbed Kagome and leaped away from the demon's crushing body. "Whoa, what is that?" Miroku yelled. " It's a lizard demon." Answered InuYasha. "But it's so huge," stated Sango. Kagome stood wide eyed as she looked at the demon. InuYasha turned to see if Kagome had been hurt by the demon when they tried to get away. "Kagome, are you alright?" He asked. The young girl still stood in her place gawking at the lizard demon. InuYasha shook her and said, "Kagome, what's wrong!? Speak!" "I've seen this demon before." "Where? Speak!" InuYasha demanded. "By the Bone Eaters well, when I was going home." Kagome snapped out of it. "I didn't do anything. I just thought he…" All of a sudden InuYasha was hit by the lizard demon's tail and flung into a tree. "InuYasha!!!" Kagome screamed. Sango and Miroku kept the demon occupied up until then and began to get its attention back. InuYasha sat in pain at the foot of a tree unable to get up just yet. Kagome ran to him with tears in her eyes, but was snatched up by the demon. It held her up to his face. "I did this for you, my sweet," The demon told Kagome. "What, what are you talking about?" Kagome pleaded. "I saw you sobbing as I sat there on the ground. Right then, I decided that I would make you mine. You looked so delectable with that pain and sorrow spread across your face," the demon explained with a hiss. "You became this, just so you could eat me?" Kagome said in a disgusted voice. "Yes, and now I will feed on your salty flesh." "I don't think so!" Yelled InuYasha as he swung his blade at the large demon. He sliced the demon's arm off that held Kagome in it and she and the arm hit the ground with Kagome still in it's grasp. Sango and Miroku came to Kagome's rescue and helped release her from the demon's clawed hand. InuYasha jumped at the demon, but was back handed into a tree trunk and he hit the ground with Tetsusaiga still in hand. He ran at the demon as it went to grab for Kagome again. The demon had his back to InuYasha. InuYasha yelled, "don't you dare turn your back to me in a battle!" The half demon jumped into the air above the reptile and landed on it's back, stabbing the demon in the neck and straight through to the front. The demon struggled to get InuYasha off him, but it couldn't reach. InuYasha leaped off it, pulling his sword out of the demon and landed near his friends with his sword in attack stance. The demon staggered back and forth and with it's last amount of strength, it through itself at the group. InuYasha grabbed Kagome around the waist and Miroku did the same with Sango and jumped out of the way. The lizard demon lay on the ground surrounded by blood gushing from its throat. It then vanished into thin air. Just as Kagome was about to say something to InuYasha, he leaped into the tree. Everyone stood in confusion. Not a moment later, InuYasha fell from the tree landing on his two feet with Shippo in his arms. "Kagome!" Shippo yelled in excitement as he hopped into her arms. "Shippo!" Kagome said while hugging the frightened kitsune. "What happen Shippo?" Sango asked. "Well, you guys left and while I was sitting by the fire, Kagome came in," Shippo explained. "What? But Shippo I didn't come back till a little later," Kagome said. "I didn't know that, so I jumped into your arms and you took me here. Then you transformed into this huge lizard demon. It really scared me." "But why would he take you?" Asked InuYasha. "He said I was the bait and Kagome was his fish. I didn't know what to do," said Shippo. "You poor thing. Everything is fine now." Kagome said to comfort him. 'Sniff, sniff' Shippo looked around. "InuYasha, you're bleeding." "What?" Kagome said concerned. "Oh, it's nothing, just a scratch," he said. "It doesn't matter, we have to get back to Kaede's and fix you up," Kagome demanded. "Fine" InuYasha said with a 'Feh'.
Back at Kaede's HutThe group of friends were worn out and ready to fall asleep. Sango slept on the other side of the fire from Miroku to make sure he didn't perform a move on her. Miroku and Shippo slept in the corner while Kagome bandaged up InuYasha. "InuYasha, I'm so sorry." Kagome pleaded. "InuYasha turned his head away, "for what?" "If I would have told you about the lizard demon that I saw earlier, then you wouldn't have gotten hurt." Kagome started to cry and she stopped bandaging the wounded hanyou. InuYasha faced the girl again. "This isn't your fault," InuYasha said. Kagome still cried, avoiding InuYasha. InuYasha grabbed Kagome by the shoulders and said, "this…", he pointed to his wound, "this wasn't your fault." "This isn't any ones fault," InuYasha said trying to comfort the weeping girl. Kagome looked up at him with red eyes and wet cheeks. "Thank you InuYasha," Kagome said. InuYasha asked, "for what?" "Nothing." InuYasha asked again with something added, "for what? Speak." Kagome smiled and said, "for being so sweet." InuYasha looked at her a bit confused, but hugged her nonetheless. InuYasha whispered, "you're welcome." Kagome fell asleep in his arms with a slight smile on her face. InuYasha laid her down next to him and leaned back against the wall and fell asleep dreaming of his Kagome and their embrace.
