Disclaimer: If I owned Inuyasha, I would be living in a huge mansion, watching all the Inuyasha and other anime shows I want, eating goldfish out of a bag with an ad for a product that I sponsor on it. Therefore, we can conclude that I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA!

Author's Note: Alright people, you're in for two long chapters in a row, so sit back, relax, and REVIEW!

Quick Glossary:

Okaa-san mother

Houshi monk

Baka er, a rude 'b-word' insult for a guy

Chapter 6: Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes Part 1

With Inuyasha…

"How the heck are we supposed to track anything through this disgusting smell of Naraku?" Inuyasha asked, annoyed and worried at the same time. He had brought the whole gang to the clearing he had been earlier; he thought it might have something to do with Kagome. After all, she had an extremely good knack at getting herself in trouble.

"Hmm… There are only three of us here who can smell well enough to be of any use," thought Miroku aloud, "We should split up and search around the area for any sign of Kagome: Sango and Kirara, Shippo and myself, and Inuyasha alone, because he's got the best senses." That seemed like the best plan anyone had heard all night, and they all agreed.

Sango, who was standing next to Miroku with Shippo at her side, smiled and said, "Good idea, houshi-sama," before bending down to pick up her Hiraikotsu, which she had set down for a moment. Miroku battled with himself momentarily, he had been good and not groped her in a while, he should continue doing just that, but she was in such a lovely position…

Thwap! "HENTAI!" Sango's veins popped furiously out of her forehead. 'He just HAD to do that! Ugh!' she thought as she stomped off and jumped on to Kirara. "I'll search around the outer edge with Kirara, I'll let you guys know if we find anything." Miroku rubbed his stinging cheek.

"That hurt… Come on Shippo, the night grows dark." Inuyasha 'keh'd and leapt off to search around his part of the field. It was a cold night, not anything like the beautiful day it had been. 'It's been like that since Kagome left…' Inuyasha thought, and then quickly tried to bury that topic, but failed. 'Did she hear me say that she was just a shard detector? She's not; she's the only person I've known that is okay with me being… me. She's… the only real friend I've ever had. But when I'm with Kikyo, I just- I just forget about that. Maybe… No, I love Kikyo; I've always loved her, haven't I? But, I also love Kagome, It's just- I"

"I smell her! I smell her!" A little kitsune voice cried through the night, piercing the darkness with hope. Inuyasha was torn from his thoughts and ran back to the little voice. "She was here! But… but wait… It's not just okaa-san…" Shippo said, he had been calling Kagome his mother for a while now. Inuyasha sniffed where Shippo and the gang had gathered too, then paused in disbelief and slowly sniffed again. He growled viciously and the Tetsusaiga pulsed with the effort of keeping back his demon blood.

"Sesshomaru will pay!"

"Pay for what, dear?" said a too familiar snake-like voice, "Kidnapping that useless wench, Kagome. Oh, wait, she must have the jewel shards, perhaps then she is useful, for a time at least…" Kikyo smiled with a sadistic amusement. Inuyasha turned around to tell Kikyo that Kagome did mean something to him, that she was his friend. But as he turned around and looked Kikyo in the eye, he froze. Literally he froze, he couldn't move. There was something in Kikyo's eyes that hadn't been there before…

"We just need the jewel shards. I can fill Kagome's place rather easily, you might say…"

With Sesshomaru…

Sesshomaru walked a little more than quickly than normal to the doctor's quarters, paying no attention to his surroundings. A stumbling servant crashed into him, annoying Sesshomaru and sending the servant on his butt. He broke into a series of groveling 'sorry milord!' s. Sesshomaru looked rather disgusted.

"I do not have time to kill you," he said before walking off just as fast as he had been. 'This is getting annoying,' he thought, 'Am I to run through my own castle!' If that is what is required… said another, more mischievous voice in the back of his mind. 'What are you doing here again!' The other voice snorted, I'm your conscience, baka. You've been ignoring me for a while. But, in order to save Kagome- 'what do you mean save her! She's perfectly fine; my castle is the safest haven on this earth. This Sesshomaru will not be so duly insulted.' His conscience sighed. Listen, you BAKA. Not save her from a monster or demon, you need to save Kagome from her mind. '… What?' You'll see… his confounded conscience disintegrated. Sesshomaru cursed silently. Why had his conscience come back now? He suddenly looked up and stared into a very solid, red door. He knocked on the door, then realized that this was his castle and burst through the door, feeling thoroughly idiotic.

"Thank you for coming, milord," said the doctor softly. Then the doctor sighed gently and looked toward a beautiful sleeping miko on the bed in that room. Kagome's hair was all over her shoulders, mussed up in a way that would never be allowed by her if she were awake. And her whole body looked exhausted, tired, as if she had been trying to battle something in her sleep. "I'm afraid she's in a partial coma, there is something, or someone, she is battling with in her mind, the doctor said gravely, immediately Sesshomaru realized that it must be Naraku, "But there is also something else, even a very powerful miko would not have been able to battle it off for so long, nor even a regular youkai. It seems that this miko is very strong somehow, but she is falling fast. The only possibility to save her is…" The doctor hesitated. Sesshomaru felt the urge to choke the doctor, but held his patience. "Is if someone could enter her mind and possibly strengthen her, not necessarily physically but encourage her and help her. But it would have to be someone she trusted, someone she knew would not take advantage of her." Sesshomaru grimaced and looked out the small window that donned the plain room. Freezing rain poured down. Maybe Kagome would trust Inuyasha? But his hanyou brother had probably just now noticed his scent, it would take them days to get to his castle, and he did not look forward to that. Who else would Kagome really trust? Sesshomaru snapped out of his thoughts as the door was knocked down by a furious wolf youkai.

"Where's my woman!"

End of Chapter

Review Please! Sorry if you didn't think this was long enough, but I can assure you it's more than I usually type.